Chapter 20: Meeting with Serpents & Draco's New Betrothal
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. IT BELONGS TO JK ROWLING.
A/N: Read, enjoy, and remember not to take either life or my writing too seriously.
Later that week Harry discovered yet another folded note slipped into his pocket. Just like before, he and Hermione agreed to meet the senders later that evening. When they arrived, they found Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis waiting for them.
This time, however, they were not alone.
A third Slytherin girl stood with them.
She was tall, broad-shouldered, and possessed a square jaw that made her look rather intimidating. Her appearance reminded Harry uncomfortably of a troll.
"Thank you for meeting us again," Daphne began, attempting to sound polite even though her natural arrogance still slipped through her tone. Now that the smell issue had vanished and her hair had regained its silky appearance, the famous Slytherin "Ice Princess" demeanor had returned completely.
"Do you two know Millicent Bulstrode?"
Hermione's eyes narrowed instantly.
"Why is she here?" she snapped, remembering very clearly the disastrous dueling club incident during their second year.
Tracey spoke before Daphne could answer.
"She's actually the reason we asked to meet you," Tracey explained quietly. "Millicent needs to be able to stand near Malfoy again. So we wanted to know whether the twins could exclude her from the jinx… or perhaps remove it from him entirely."
Harry blinked.
"Why?"
Millicent answered in a deep, almost rumbling voice.
"My father and Draco's father have arranged a betrothal between us."
Harry and Hermione turned to look at each other.
Both silently mouthed the same word.
Betrothal?
"I thought Pansy Parkinson was engaged to Malfoy," Harry said.
Millicent shook her head.
"Oh no. After the cauldron incident she convinced her father to cancel that arrangement." She sighed happily. "Now Draco belongs to me."
She clasped her hands dreamily.
"I promise I'll keep him under control."
Harry coughed awkwardly.
"Well… we'll talk to the twins," he said slowly. "I'm sure they wouldn't want to… interfere with true love."
Millicent's face lit up with joy.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Her powerful voice echoed loudly through the room.
Harry silently thanked Merlin she didn't attempt to hug him. He doubted his ribs would survive the experience.
As soon as the Slytherins left, Harry and Hermione hurried away to locate Fred and George—just in case Millicent decided to express her gratitude personally.
Draco Wakes Up
When Draco Malfoy finally regained consciousness, he realized someone was sitting beside his bed.
His vision cleared slowly.
The figure standing there was Millicent Bulstrode.
She towered over him by several inches and easily outweighed him by at least sixty pounds.
"What are you doing here, Bulstrode?" Draco sneered weakly.
Millicent smiled warmly.
"Oh Draco, is that really how you speak to your future wife?"
Draco blinked in confusion.
"What did you say?"
"Where's Pansy?" he demanded. "Why isn't my betrothed here?"
Millicent's smile faded slightly.
"She ended her engagement with you," she explained gently. "After that, our fathers arranged a new agreement."
Draco's sneer froze halfway across his face.
"Agreement?" he repeated faintly.
"You mean… you and me?"
Millicent nodded happily.
"Yes!"
A feeling of absolute dread settled over Draco.
"The betrothal period will be short," she continued cheerfully. "We're scheduled to marry during Easter break."
Draco stared at her in horror.
"But… but… I'm only fourteen!"
"Of course you can marry," Millicent replied, taking his hand affectionately. Draco flinched.
"Your father has already signed the contract. Headmaster Dumbledore is even arranging special married quarters for us when we return from our honeymoon."
Draco's mind struggled to process what he was hearing.
Just hours earlier he had been betrothed to the elegant Pansy Parkinson.
Now…
"This has to be a nightmare," he whispered.
He pinched himself.
"OUCH!"
He tried again.
"OUCH!"
"FATHER!" Draco screamed.
"Oh, he isn't here, dear," Millicent said soothingly while stroking his cheek. "Your mother took him home earlier. He drank too much Firewhisky celebrating our engagement."
Draco's eyes widened.
"You said… married quarters?"
"Of course," Millicent replied happily. "We can't exactly share your dormitory."
She leaned closer.
"The contract also states we must produce heirs as soon as possible. Many heirs, in fact. Your father seems worried about how accident-prone you've become."
Draco fainted immediately.
"Oh dear," Millicent said as Madam Pomfrey hurried toward them. "Perhaps all the excitement was too much for him."
Care of Magical Creatures
One cold morning in early December, Harry and Hermione walked toward Hagrid's Hut with mixed feelings.
They adored Rubeus Hagrid.
Unfortunately they despised the Blast-Ended Skrewts.
At least most of the creatures had already killed each other during earlier lessons. Only ten remained alive.
Unfortunately those ten were the strongest survivors.
As Harry and Hermione approached the class area, Rita Skeeter suddenly appeared.
"Harry," she said brightly. "I believe you owe me that interview."
Harry groaned and glanced helplessly at Hermione.
But a deal was a deal.
He nodded reluctantly.
"You're welcome to join us too, Miss Granger," Rita added.
Harry looked at Hermione pleadingly.
"Fine," she sighed. Then she whispered quietly to him, "You owe me for this."
The three of them stepped into Hagrid's cabin where the interview could be conducted privately.
Ron's Arrival
Ron Weasley was still extremely sore from his injuries and arrived late to the lesson.
When he reached the class he noticed Harry and Hermione were missing.
Probably off snogging somewhere, he thought.
"PPPRRRRPPPP!"
Because he was outside the castle, the smell did not vanish instantly.
Within moments the surrounding students had retreated, leaving Ron standing alone.
Meanwhile Hagrid was attempting to determine whether the remaining Blast-Ended Skrewts would hibernate for winter.
He had provided soft pillow-lined crates for them.
The experiment failed spectacularly.
The armored creatures refused to cooperate.
Within seconds pillows, wooden crates, and pieces of scorched debris were scattered everywhere.
Ron ended up face-down in a muddy patch, unable to stand due to his injuries.
He did not notice one particularly irritated skrewt approaching him.
However, he did notice when the door to Hagrid's cabin opened and Harry and Hermione stepped outside alongside Rita Skeeter.
"Thank you for the wonderful interview, Harry," Rita was saying. "You two make a lovely couple."
"PPPPWWWTTT!"
Unfortunately Ron's eruption occurred at the exact same moment the skrewt activated its explosive propulsion.
The difference in power was dramatic.
While the skrewt could propel itself six to ten feet…
Ron Weasley — Blast-Ended Wizard — traveled nearly fifteen before landing in another muddy puddle.
The skrewt itself was caught in the blast and smell.
When the smoke cleared, Hagrid sadly realized he now only had nine skrewts remaining.
~•~•~•~•~••~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Thank you for reading!
See you in the next chapter ✨
Thank you very much for all the support and donate power stones!!
Do Comment, anything just comments and Donate Power stone!!
If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Your feedback means so much. And feel free to comment on where you think the story should go next—I'd love to hear your thoughts on the future direction!