Harry Potter: Don't touch

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***

In the middle of November, the school's Quidditch Championship began. The first match took place, in which Slytherin beat Gryffindor by a margin of two hundred points. Harry and Justin watched the game in the large stadium from one of the stands in the Gryffindor supporters' section.

Hogwarts stadium was very much to Potter's liking, it was simply magnificent. It was a huge oval field, planted with natural turf. At the edges of the stadium were three poles with rings, which had to be guarded by the goalkeeper of each team. One of the towers, clad in cloth with a black and white image of the Hogwarts crest, had a commentary room with a goal counter. But it was the number of seats in the stands that impressed Potter the most. The whole school seemed to be there to watch the Quidditch match, but even so, there were still plenty of empty seats. Harry and Justin had counted the number of seats per stand and decided that this stadium could hold up to ten thousand people. If you wanted to, you could hold the Quidditch World Cup here.

Finch-Fletchley was extremely unhappy with Slytherin's defeat. He had bet five galleons on Gryffindor winning, as he didn't like the Seeker of the Silver-Green and didn't think Draco would have anything to show for it on a broomstick. But to Finch-Fletchley's spite, Malfoy had managed to make a name for himself as a promising Quidditch player: in the fortieth minute of the game, he overtook Gryffindor's new Seeker, Lee Jordan, and grabbed the snitch hard.

On the way back from the stadium, Justin had been swearing for a long time. Mostly about the Slytherin team's disgusting, sneaky, and dirty play, but also about Lee Jordan. Not that Harry disagreed with him, Finch-Fletchley was angry and upset about losing five galleons, but there was some sense in his random insults. The Slytherin team was really fouling every five metres, and Lee Jordan was playing like he'd just got on a broomstick for the first time today; no, he could fly, but that was the limit of his skills... Anyway, Harry was sure that if he'd been the Gryffindor Seeker, he'd have played better.At the match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, Harry and Justin had come not only to watch the game, but also to actively cheer on their faculty team. Learning from his bad experience, Finch-Fletchley decided not to bet money on a Hufflepuff victory.

In the bleachers next to the boys sat Hufflepuff freshman Megan Jones and an older boy whose name Potter didn't know. Harry and Justin, like all the fans sitting in that section, were dressed in black and yellow clothing. They were loudly chanting motivational chants, holding placards above their heads and yelling every time the quaffle was in the Ravenclaw's rings, in general, actively supporting their hometown team in any way they could. But all of these actions had no significant effect on the Hufflepuff team's play. The Black and Yellow team opened the scoring and doubled their lead, but the Ravenclaw team took a time out and after a short rest they responded with seven goals. This time the Puffenduys had to take a break, but that didn't help either, as they conceded two more goals in the next ten minutes.

- Hey, Harry, Justin. What's the score? - Tonks walked over to their seats and sat down to Potter's right.

- Hi," Harry said hello.

- 'Hi, the score is on the scoreboard, but I can call it out just for you. Ninety to twenty, which is a complete failure," Justin replied.

- It's a tactic our faculty used the year before last. I'm sure Hufflepuff will win it back," Tonks said calmly.

- Are you kidding?! - Harry said indignantly. - Hunters drop the ball every five metres, and I'm not even talking about the corrals.

- I'm not joking, you just haven't seen Quidditch, that's why you're jumping to such conclusions.

Harry was insulted to the core. He searched for an argument to somehow respond, but found none. So what if he hardly ever saw Quidditch! He'd read a lot of magazines and could see the difference between the two teams.

- It's nothing like that," Justin interjected. - They're all crooked idiots. It won't be ten minutes before the Ravenclaw Seeker catches a snitch. And I'll easily take the catcher's seat next year.

- Are you sure about that? Let's make a bet. I'm confident that Hufflepuff will win this match.

- I'm with you," said Megan Jones, who had been silent until now. - I'm betting that Puffendoo will win.

- Come on," Finch-Fletchley said firmly. - For money. Fifty galleons.

Jones, Tonks and Potter stared at Justin in surprise.

Tonks was the first to realise:

- I don't have that much on me. Make it ten.

- Forty," Justin replied firmly.

- 'Well... All right! Come on! Don't cry when you lose," Tonks said, glaring angrily at Finch-Fletchley.

- You too, you're a big girl, it would probably hurt to cry over an eleven year old boy," Justin replied with an equally furious look. - Megan, are you in?

- Go fuck yourselves, you lame-asses," Jones muttered, getting up from her seat and disappearing into the crowd of cheering fans.

- Harry? - Justin asked.

- "Harry what?" - Potter was already hoping he'd been forgotten.

- Are you with me?

- 'No, I mean I agree with you, Hufflepuff is playing terribly, but I don't have any money. None at all.

Finch-Fletchley stared at him in amazement.

- No money at all? How did you buy your textbooks?

- Hagrid took them from my safe. But I understand I'm not allowed to take money out of it for my own use until I'm of age.

- Well, why don't I lend it to you and you pay me back when you're 17?

- No, Justin, I won't be a part of this. Hufflepuff plays terribly, but betting that much money is too risky.

- Forty galleons? That's rubbish, not money. If I'd offered you 200, I'd understand... Are you afraid?

- Я? Afraid? Of course not!

- You are!

- No, I'm not!

At this time Tonks, who was silently watching the argument between the two freshmen, was not even thinking about the forty galleons, but about the fact that all guys are really the same after all.

- If you are not afraid, then participate in the dispute, if you win - get forty Galleons, lose - lose forty. But there's a much better chance of winning. Do I make myself clear?

- It's understandable. But what if some miracle happens? Like the Hufflepuff Seeker catching the Snitch. He's only entered the game once, so I won't participate," Harry didn't concede.

- But the odds of that are LESS likely! - Justin exclaimed loudly, but just then Hufflepuff managed to score a third goal, and Finch-Fletchley's shout was drowned out by the roar of the fans. - If by some unfathomable chance Ravenclaw manages to lose, you can forget about the forty galleons you owe until seventh year, and if you need the money, even longer. You'll owe it to me! So, are you in or are you a coward?

- All right! Yes, I'm in! Are you happy? - Harry asked.

- No, I'm not satisfied yet. I'll be satisfied at the end of the match, when I have forty galleons more and you say, "Thank you so much, Justin, for talking me into the bet.

- Harry, I thought you were smarter than that... How can you get involved in a bet for a lot of money without even having it on you? - Tonks whispered indignantly, but Finch-Fletchley heard anyway.

- No, it was Harry who thought you were smarter than that. You'd better tell me how you're going to pay back the eighty galleons when Hufflepuff loses.

- You mean if Hufflepuff loses," Harry had never seen Tonks this angry before. - If Ravenclaw wins, I'll return the money after the holidays, I don't have it on me.

- Accepted," Justin replied and went back to watching the match.

Needless to say, from that second on, the Hufflepuff team had two less fans?

Harry's fears of losing big money were diminishing with every minute of the match, and Justin's smile was becoming more and more smug. At 190-50, he was already beginning to resemble Draco Malfoy in his first week on the national team. Potter was afraid to smile, he was still waiting for the gap between the teams to reach over one hundred and fifty points, so that even a miracle of a snatch could not save Hufflepuff. And that miracle didn't seem so miraculous anymore, Cedric Diggory, the Seeker of the Hufflepuff team was the only good player on the team, when a snitch appeared he was always the first to spot it and rush towards it with great speed. The only thing keeping Cedric from winning the game were the Ravenclaw corrals who were constantly aiming bludgers at him.

Harry watched the game closely as those who were supposed to catch the snitch played. But not just because he was afraid of losing the bet. He remembered the tall, broad-shouldered Diggory who had once helped him into the drawing room. Potter himself had really wanted to be a Seeker for the Hufflepuff team and now, watching Diggory fly, he had no idea how he could beat him, because there was only one actual spot. The Ravenclaw Seeker was someone Harry already knew, Zhou Chang. She, like Cedric, flew amazingly well, but she was still slightly inferior to Diggory in speed and manoeuvrability.

A couple of minutes after the gap between the teams was a hundred and forty points, Zhou, followed by Cedric, swerved upwards. Harry spotted their target immediately, the tiny golden ball shimmering in the sun like a bright ball of fire. All the Hufflepuff fans jumped up sharply from their seats, they realised that if Diggory caught the snitch, Hufflepuff would win the match. The Black and Yellow Seeker cut the gap, took the lead and flew to the snitch a couple of milliseconds faster than Zhou. A brief struggle ensued, after which Cedric rushed towards the Hufflepuff stand.

Harry looked at his hands in horror, but his search was unsuccessful - Diggory didn't have the ball. The Ravenclaw bleachers roared loudly as Zhou Chang landed on the lawn with the snitch in her high fist, where she was hugged by her teammates. The final score on the scoreboard was 340-50.

- Blew it," said Harry, who had just realised he hadn't been breathing for the last ten seconds.

- I didn't want to say it, but actually... Yeah, we almost blew it," Justin said slowly. - Where's Tonks?

- Oh, she was so mad at you, she went to the other podium. Did you just now notice?

Finch-Fletchley was silent.

* * *

As Harry and Justin were walking back to the castle, Tonks caught up with them.

- Harry, come here," she said.

It was impossible to tell from her face how upset she was.

Potter hesitantly approached Tonks, and Finch-Fletchley, quickly realising that he was not to be spoken to, went into the castle.

- What's up? How did you like the game? - Nymphadora asked.

- It's pathetic.

- You're lucky you won the bet.

Until Tonks said those words, Harry had wanted to apologise for his decision to take part in the bet, for Justin's words, and for some reason he felt guilty about winning. But right after them, he felt insulted and went on the attack.

- It wasn't luck. You're the one who was lucky that Hufflepuff was so close to winning. Ravenclaw was head and shoulders stronger!

- All right, well, I understand your position, let's just forget it, shall we? I didn't come here to argue.

- Okay, let's forget it," said Harry, who hadn't really forgotten anything and was just waiting for the moment to tell him he was right.

- That's good," Tonks smiled faintly. - What have you decided about staying with my parents?

- Uh," Harry didn't immediately realise what was being said. His mind was still on the stadium. - I hadn't really thought about it, to be honest.

- Well, think about it. You're a minor and you need a guardian. My parents wouldn't mind being guardians. You have a lot of alternatives, but if you don't make up your mind by the summer, you'll probably be sent to an orphanage.

Harry thought about it. He had completely forgotten about the guardians. Dumbledore had told him that the trial was scheduled for the first day of the winter holidays. And they were already a month away.

- So?

- You know," Harry said slowly. - Why not? You say I have lots of alternatives, but I don't. Dumbledore mentioned different names, I could go to him, ask him for a list... But it wouldn't do me any good. Maybe those who were born and raised in the wizarding world can tell who's what from just a surname, but to me it's all just some set of letters... The Crotcotts, the Malfoys. Who are all the...

- Malfoys? Did you say Malfoys? - Tonks interrupted him.

- Yeah, I think it's Draco's parents, they invited me over for the holidays. Do you know him? Blond, first year Slytherin and the youngest Seeker in the last hundred years, my age... What's the big deal?

- No, nothing... Go on," Tonks said, but Harry noticed her face darken.

- Well, that's what I'm saying. I don't know all these names. So I don't really have much of a choice. And I know you. So I don't mind your parents being my guardians.

- Great, Harry," Tonks' hair changed its colour from black and yellow to white. - Really, that's great! I assure you, you won't regret it. Don't forget to let the Headmaster know of your decision. And yes, about the forty galleons: don't spend it right away, it's quite a lot of money by the standards of the wizarding world. I was saving up for an Auror course, but Mad-Eye agreed to take me on as an apprentice, so I don't need it now. I thought I'd go for a nice walk, but then this... Okay, bye Harry.

She waved at him and left with a group of upperclassmen.

* * *

At the entrance to Hogwarts, Justin was waiting for Potter. He was sitting on a bench with his nose in a big book.

- What are you reading? - Harry asked, sitting down next to Finch-Fletchley.

- 'The Prince and the Beggar. Mark Twain. It's a great book - it's the third time I've read it. Do you want me to let you read it?

- No, I've got Quidditch magazines and spell books, they're interesting too.

- All right, but just let me know when you've had enough of all those magazines.

- Bored? Is that a word? - Harry wondered.

- No idea. What's the right word, then?

- I don't know either, okay, forget it. We still haven't talked about the match, what did you think of it?

- It wasn't. I feel like a bit of an arsehole for rooting for our faculty to lose. It was the right thing to do. All the Hufflepuff players were terrible.

- Not all of them," Harry objected. - Cedric Diggory was good.

- I agree, he was the only one who was any good, and the goalkeeper... With a game like that, Hufflepuff should have been losing by five hundred points, but he was okay, and he got the occasional shot off.

- I didn't follow goalkeepers at all," Harry admitted. - I only watched the ones who flew around the pitch on brooms, not in the same place. Seekers the most. Zhou, the one who caught the snitch, was flying very cool, but Cedric was always ahead of her, as well as the rest of the Ravenclaw team. I can't imagine how I'm going to win back his spot next year.

- I'm sure I won't have a problem with the corral," Justin said. - I don't know who's going to be easier to beat. O'Flaherty, maybe? He only hit one bludger in the whole game. Or Ricker? He crashed into his own Hunter at the start of the game, who fell into the Ravenclaw fan stand and never returned to the pitch. Ricker then missed a bludger with his bat, causing it to fly off in an unknown direction. For the rest of the game he just flew around trying to cheer the players on.

- Oh, so that's who was flying behind the Hufflepuff hunters and shouting loudly where to throw the quaffle. I thought it was the coach... I also wondered where the other hunter had gone!

- Quidditch teams don't have a coach. You should know that with your journals... Anyway. All I can say is that Cedric Diggory was unlucky with the team.

- Zachary's the unluckiest of all, and he volunteered to comment on the bullshit,(1) - Harry remembered Smith's happy face when he'd told them the news.

Justin laughed out loud.

- Yeah, remember how excited he was? He said he'd been hired as a commentator because there were no others. And did you notice the pattern that the worse Hufflepuff played, the quieter his voice got. After the fifteenth goal, I couldn't hear him at all.

And so, bantering and chuckling, Potter and Finch-Flechtli reached the faculty lounge.

* * *

The next month flew by. His studies were about average, but Harry noticed that he was beginning to seriously lack time for homework. He spent most of his free time reading Quidditch magazines. He had given the most interesting ones to Justin, and the latter had fought back at first, but then he had succumbed to persuasion and read one magazine... Then another, then another, and eventually he had found a new passion, just like Potter.

When the unread magazines ran out, they talked to Ron Weasley after astronomy and visited the Gryffindor drawing room that afternoon and gave Angelina Johnson back her magazines. She didn't have any others, so Harry and Justin returned empty-handed. The next day, after chatting with Angelina, Justin decided to get down to practical lessons:

- 'Harry, what do you think about me buying two brooms for Quidditch over the winter holidays?

- What?" Harry didn't understand.

- Broom. Quidditch. What's not to understand? I've got it all planned out: the new Purges are perfect. You can buy a beginner's bludger too, but no snitch, alas. But that's okay, I'll shoot the bludger at you and you dodge it. It's a joint training session, because all Seekers do is dodge bludgers," Justin said, his eyes blazing.

- It's forbidden. Freshmen aren't allowed to have their own brooms.

- Oh, who cares about bans? Malfoy's playing? He does. Well, so can we. It's not like we'll be in anyone's way. Just amongst ourselves. In the evenings.

Finch-Fletchley didn't return to the subject, but Potter could see he hadn't changed his mind.

Two hours a day Harry sat in the Room-at-Will, studying the protective spell Protego. He could find all the information about it after the first two hours of searching. There were only two varieties: the regular Protego and Protego Horribilis. Digging around some more, Potter found "Protego Totalum", but it only worked on terrain and was learnt in the fourth year.

The practical part was going well too. Harry had made great progress and could now create a small magical wave at will, which, if the book was to be believed, was supposed to protect him from spells. Protego was practically useless against physical harm, but some reader had torn a couple of pages out of the book and signed that this spell was utter rubbish and had an excellent alternative, Protego Totalum, which for a few hundredths of a second could repel physical attacks as well.

Potter had trouble actually using it: Justin didn't know any attack spells, Ron didn't know any, and Tonks was afraid to ask him. So he just cherished the hope that the Protego spell was working properly.

That wasn't to say that Harry had stopped getting into all sorts of unpleasant situations. There were still some mishaps with his studies.

In the second Potions lesson with Dumbledore, everyone managed to make a mixture against boils. None of the students made a mistake when preparing the healing brew. Dumbledore praised them all and said that the other first-years had done much worse: when he went to get the missing ingredients, students from the other two faculties had managed to fight with each other in class.

Encouraged by his success, Harry put all the ingredients in the right quantities at the right time in the Headmaster's next lesson, but accidentally glanced over to see Dumbledore showing Macmillan how to properly cut nettles. This caused Potter to forget to take his potion off the fire, which exploded due to the two minute delay. Justin, who was sitting next to him, managed to react and hide under his desk, but Harry was less lucky: almost all of the potion splashed on his face. Harry spent the end of the lesson in the Hospital Wing with minus thirty points. He had not yet been able to correct his puncture at the next lesson, as it had been cancelled due to some urgent business of Dumbledore's.

In the middle of November, a happy event happened. Right in the middle of a transfiguration lesson, Hermione Granger appeared. She was thin, as if she hadn't eaten anything for the last month, and her arms had barely visible threads that were left after the bandages were removed, but despite all the difficulties that had fallen on her head, a radiant smile shone on her face.

Hermione happily announced that she had been discharged from St Mungo's fifteen minutes ago, and she immediately rushed to Hogwarts for her lessons. All the Puffenduys and Gryffindors greeted her enthusiastically, but the happiest was Professor McGonagall. She smiled at Hermione and suggested that she choose her own topic for this lesson.

Harry was terribly surprised: during these three and a half months of study he had come to the seemingly one hundred percent conclusion that the transfiguration professor couldn't smile at all and would never let anyone change her lesson programme. But here in just literally one second Potter was convinced of the fallacy of his thoughts.

Hermione loved to learn and clearly needed to learn after a long absence from school, so she had chosen a topic that was not the easiest. For the remaining twenty minutes of the lesson, Minerva McGonagall talked about the sixth year spell, Aguamenti. She didn't use complicated terms, talked a little about higher transfiguration, and said that the water summoning spell was considered one of the most harmless spells, as it couldn't even theoretically be used to cause harm or injury.

Potter had to raise his hand, get up from his seat and clearly explain to the professor that she was wrong, that water could hurt; and no, to stop there, he had to give colourful examples from his own life.

Hufflepuff lost fifty points, once again breaking the faculty record for the lowest number of points, and Harry received detention for the next month. Since Tonks didn't serve her punishment, Potter actually worked on those detentions. Justin, who was lying in the Hospital Wing with a cold that day, couldn't understand why he and Harry were getting wary looks for the next week.

Nothing much else happened until the winter holidays. Harry, along with Ron, had successfully filled in the gaps in astronomy. Potter also learnt how to use the Lumos and Spangifire spells. A week before the holidays, he stayed after his Potions lesson, approached Dumbledore and informed him that he wished to see Mr and Mrs Tonks as his guardians.

- The Tonks's, then... I thought it was Nymphadora who was responsible for the love potion prank, and Fred and George... It's not their style," Dumbledore said.

Noticing Harry's guilty face, he clarified:

- 'Don't worry, I'm not going to expel her, and I'm not going to punish her either. I'm just going to have a chat with her.

After the conversation with the Headmaster, Potter found Malfoy and informed him that he had to decline his father's invitation to stay at their mansion; the reason being that he would be staying with his future guardians, the Tonks. Hearing this, Draco didn't seem upset, but rather... Angry?

And so the twenty-seventh of December came. For the rest of the students, this day just meant a long train journey followed by two weeks of rest and fun, but for Potter, this was the day that decided the most important question - "Would he have a house or not?"