Ch157- Don’t Lay a Finger on Me!


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    As Harry gazed out of the window, watching the picturesquendscape of the British countryside whisk by, Pansy Parkinson''s voice sliced through his moment of tranquility. "So, Harry, nning to bury your head in books all summer, or do you have ns that actually involve seeing the sun?" she quipped, a yful smirk on her face.


    Harry, ustomed to Pansy''s needling, couldn''t help but chuckle at her remark. While Pansy wasn''t exactly part of his close circle, her constant jabs had be a familiar part of his school life. He found himself engaging with her in a battle of wits more often than not, using her as a sounding board for his growing arsenal of sarcasticebacks. To his amusement, Pansy seemed to revel in their verbal sparring.


    "Actually, Pansy, I was nning on developing a new hobby," Harry retorted with a smirk. "I thought I might take up dragon taming, but then I remembered I like my eyebrows where they are. Much more exciting than reading, but I do have dashing eyebrows, right?"


    Pansy rolled her eyes, but her smirk widened. "Dragon taming? Please, Harry, leave the heroics to your Quidditch matches. I doubt you''dst a minute with a real dragon."


    Harry smiled as he said, "I feel like you''re challenging me on purpose, Pansy. Are you this ready to get rid of me?"


    Pansy raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards. "Oh, Harry, as if anyone could get rid of you that easily. You''re like a bad Knut, always turning up."


    Neville, who had been quietly listening, couldn''t help but chuckle. "Harry and dragons, now that would be something to see."


    Hermione, shaking her head with a smile, interjected, "Let''s not give him any ideas. Next thing you know, Harry will be off looking for some dragon to befriend."


    Nigel chimed in Harry''s mind, ayer of amusement in his tone, "Only if they knew you''re fostering a dragon at this very moment." Harry chuckled silently, keeping his ns for taming Ash, the dragon, to himself. Pansy, noticing the smirk on Harry''s face yet ignorant of its cause, felt a twinge of vexation.


    "What''s so funny, Potter? nning on sharing with the ss, or is it another secret of the famous Harry Potter?" Pansy prodded, her tone a mix of curiosity and challenge.


    Harry, not missing a beat, responded, "Oh, you know, just contemting theplexities of dragon taming. It''s a rather heated topic."


    Pansy snorted, "Heated? Is that your attempt at humor, Potter? Because the only thing that''s going to be heated is your—"


    "Hat," Harry interjected smoothly, saving Pansy from potentially earning herself a reprimand for inappropriatenguage in front of the girls. "Yes, I imagine it would be rather warm, wouldn''t you say?"


    Neville, enjoying the banter, added, "Just make sure you invite us to the dragon taming show, Harry. I wouldn''t miss it for the world."


    Harry grinned, "Of course, Neville. Front-row seats for everyone. Just don''t forget your fireproof cloaks."


    Hermione sighed, "Honestly, Harry, I do worry about you sometimes. You have a knack for finding trouble, or should I say, letting trouble find you."


    Nigel''s voice,ced with feigned concern, piped up, "Indeed, Master Harry, one does wonder if your middle name might secretly be ''Trouble.'' Or perhaps ''Adventurous''? No, ''Reckless''? The possibilities are endless."


    Harry, maintaining his poker face amidst his friends, mentally retorted, "Let''s just stick with James for now, Nigel. I think that''s enough trouble as it is."


    Tracey, noticing that Pansy seemed to monopolize Harry''s attention with their yful banter, pouted slightly, feeling a tad left out. Daphne, on the other side, shared Tracey''s sentiment but with a frown, hinting at her slight irritation. To shift the focus, the duo began discussing the variations of simple magic that Harry had guided them through during the year. They had taken Harry''s assignments seriously and had not disappointed him,ing up with their own creative twists to simple charms like Lumos and the Fire-Making Spell. They were also experimenting with the Levitation Spell, although that proved to be a bit more challenging than anticipated.


    "You know," Tracey began, her voice infused with a hint of mischief, "Daphne and I have been working on something pretty interesting this year. Harry''s been giving us these... let''s call them ''extracurricr assignments.''" She shed a grin at Harry, who felt a twinge of apprehension at where this conversation might lead.


    Daphne picked up where Tracey left off, her enthusiasm unmistakable. "Yes, and we''ve actually made some progress on varying simple charms. Starting with Lumos, we''ve found a way to adjust its intensity and even color! It''s fascinating how a few tweaks canpletely change a spell''s application."


    Thepartment, which had been filled with the sounds of casual chatter andughter, fell silent as everyone turned their attention to Tracey and Daphne. The idea of customizing spells seemed to intrigue them all, a testament to the innovative spirit that Harry had fostered among his friends.


    "And not just Lumos," Tracey continued, clearly enjoying the spotlight. "We''ve also been experimenting with the Fire-Making Spell. Imagine being able to control the size and heat of the me with just a slight modification in the incantation."


    The others, previously unaware of this, leaned in, curiosity piqued. Harry, feeling a mild headacheing on with the realization that he might have to exin theplexities of modifying spellwork to the group, simply nodded in acknowledgment of Tracey and Daphne''s achievements.


    The air of curiosity swiftly shifted within the Hogwarts Expresspartment, as Tracey and Daphne’s revtions about their magical experimentations under Harry’s guidance sparked a blend of intrigue and slight resentment from their peers. Tracey’s smile widened, clearly proud of their achievements, while the others eyed Harry, wondering why they hadn''t been offered the same opportunity.


    Sighing lightly, Harry realized he needed to address the budding feelings of exclusion among his friends. He rummaged through his bag, pulling out papers and a quill, quickly jotting down notes. Once finished, he distributed the sheets among everyone, exining, "These are a bit of extra work if you''re interested. It wasn’t my intention to single anyone out. I thought Daphne and especially Tracey seemed easy to bully, hence the assignments." His gaze lingered on Tracey and Daphne for a moment, a yful glint in his eye as a small payback for their earlier boast, "But if you''re up for learning more, be warned, I don’t go easy."


    Thepartment fell silent for a moment as they processed Harry’s words, then burst into a mix ofughter and mock groans at the thought of more homework over the summer. Tracey and Daphne exchanged a look, a mix of gratitude and mock annoyance at Harry''s subtle jab.


    Tracey stood abruptly, a yful yet mockingly hurt tone to her voice as she held Harry''s cheek, "I am not easy to bully!" The words echoing around the crowdedpartment with an air of jovial challenge. Harry, unable to resist the opportunity for a bit of show, waved his wand subtly, uttering, "Digitus Evanesco." In an instant, Tracey''s fingers disappeared from existence, leaving her hand oddly stump-like, her fingertips vanished as if they were never there, freeing Harry''s cheek from her deadly grip.


    Looking horrified, Tracey red at Harry, her voice filled with mock indignation, "You have done it now, Potter!" Thepartment, filled with a mixture of shock and amusement, turned their attention towards the spectacle. Lavender and Parvati, unfamiliar with the nuances of Harry''s magic, looked genuinely terrified, while Daphne couldn''t contain herughter, clearly in on the joke. Harry''s spell was harmless, a simple trick, and Tracey''s exaggerated horror was just for show, aimed at teasing those unaware of the jinx''s benign nature.


    Hermione, observing the scene, wore an expression of utmost dismay, as if witnessing a beloved book being torn apart. Neville, meanwhile, seemed to want to disappear, his difort palpable as he tried to make himself as small as possible in his seat. Even Pansy, who usually thrived on Hogwarts'' drama, seemed taken aback, her usual bravado momentarily eclipsed by the unexpected turn of events.


    Amidst the chaos, Nigel couldn''t resistmenting, his voice tinged with feigned shock, "Master Harry, resorting to vanishing people''s body parts now? What''s next, turning Malfoy''s hair into snakes? Although, that might be an improvement."


    Harry, trying to maintain a straight face amidst the reactions around him, whispered back, "Now, there''s an idea. But let''s not give Malfoy too much credit; he might start thinking he''s part serpent." His words, unheard by the others, were enough to bring a smirk to his face, imagining the possibilities.


    Harry, waving his wand with a flick, restored Tracey''s fingers, "Digitus Redintegro!" The digits reappeared as if they had never been gone. Tracey, sticking her tongue out at Harry, waggled her fingers in front of his face, "See, all back. Harry''s just trying to keep us on our toes."


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