Harry Potter with Technology System

Harry led Luna through the garden, weaving past clusters of students still loitering around. as they approached Madame Maxime. She stood near a marble fountain, her arms crossed tightly, staring at the water as if willing it to calm her temper. Even from a distance, her posture screamed irritation.

Harry stopped a few steps away and cleared his throat. “Madame Maxime.”

Her shoulders stiffened slightly, though she kept her gaze fixed on the rippling water.

“Hagrid doesn’t think before he speaks,” Harry said. “Doesn’t mean to offend anyone, just says what’s on his mind because he assumes others see the world the way he does. Simple, honest, no politics involved.”

Madame Maxime’s jaw tightened, but she still didn’t look at him.

“He doesn’t realize words like that stick,” Harry continued. “To him, it’s not an insult—it’s just a fact. But to everyone else?” He let out a short breath. “They hear something like that and suddenly, you’re not Madame Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbatons. You’re ‘that half-giant woman.’ Doesn’t matter what you’ve done or how hard you’ve worked. That’s all they’ll see.”

She inhaled sharply, her fingers curling slightly at her sides. “You understand zis, do you?” she said, her voice clipped.

Harry shrugged. “Not in the same way. But I know what it’s like to have people decide who you are before you open your mouth. And I know how quick they are to use anything they can against you.”

Madame Maxime let out a quiet, bitter laugh. “Yes. People are… very quick.”

“Too quick,” Harry said. “Hagrid didn’t mean anything by it, but that doesn’t change how it sounded. He doesn’t get how people twist things, how they take the smallest detail and use it to tear someone down. He doesn’t think like that because he’s never had to.”

She was quiet for a long moment, then finally turned to look at him.

“You do not pity me,” she said.

Harry snorted. “Why would I? You run one of the best magical schools in Europe. You’ve got influence, power, respect. Pity would be an insult.”

Madame Maxime studied him for a moment longer, then exhaled, tension easing just slightly from her shoulders. “Hmm. You are a very… direct young man.”

“Helps cut through the nonsense,” Harry said.

She gave a small nod before glancing back at the fountain. “I do not ‘old it against ‘Agrid. But I will not let ‘im speak of me so carelessly again.”

Harry smirked. “Good. He might be thick sometimes, but he learns.”

Madame Maxime let out a quiet hum, then straightened, brushing nonexistent dust from her sleeve. “Merci, Monsieur Potter.”

Harry inclined his head. “Anytime.”

Harry took Luna back inside just as the Weird Sisters took the stage, greeted by the deafening cheers of the students. The atmosphere in the Great Hall had completely shifted from the formal elegance of the opening dance to something livelier, charged with excitement. Tables had been pushed back, and the dance floor was filling up as students moved toward the stage, eager for the real party to begin.

Daphne, Tracey, Astoria, Hermione, Ginny, Pansy, Susan, and Hannah were already at their table, waiting for them. As Harry and Luna joined them, Tracey leaned in with a smirk.

“Well, well, look who finally decided to come back. Thought you’d abandoned us for good.”

“Would’ve saved us from watching half the school stare at our table all night,” Pansy added, crossing her arms. “Honestly, it’s like they’ve never seen a group of well-dressed people before.”

Daphne flicked her eyes toward the dance floor, unimpressed. “Considering most of them look like they barely survived their mothers forcing them into dress robes, they probably haven’t.”

Astoria huffed. “You lot have had him long enough. My turn.”

Harry raised a brow. “Turn for what?”

Astoria grabbed his wrist, dragging him toward the dance floor. “Dancing, obviously. You already went through the opening rounds; now it’s time for the actual fun.”

The others exchanged amused looks but didn’t argue. They knew Astoria well enough to let her have her way when she was set on something.

The Weird Sisters launched into their first song, and the room exploded with energy. Students rushed to the dance floor, some jumping around with no rhythm, others attempting something that resembled dancing. A few couples tried to keep up the ballroom act, but the moment the heavy drumbeats kicked in, they gave up.

Astoria, not one for standing still, grinned up at Harry. “Try to keep up.”

Harry snorted. “You’re two feet tall, Tori. I think I’ll manage.”

Astoria stuck her tongue out but didn’t argue. The song had a fast beat, and she wasted no time matching it, moving easily to the rhythm. Harry followed, adjusting his steps to keep pace without stepping on her. She was quick, darting around with all the energy of a kid on a sugar high, but at least she knew how to move properly.

Tracey, watching from the sidelines, shook her head. “She’s showing off.”

“She’s always showing off,” Daphne said, sipping her drink.

When the Weird Sisters finished playing at midnight, the Great Hall erupted into a final round of applause before students reluctantly started making their way to the entrance hall. Some were still buzzing with energy, wishing the ball could have lasted longer, while others—especially the ones who had spent most of the night stumbling over their own feet—looked relieved to escape.

Harry wasn’t in a rush to leave. He had to walk his dates back to their common rooms, which meant making rounds through four different houses. The girls, of course, found this highly amusing.

“Well, look at you, such a gentleman,” Tracey teased, linking her arm through his as they stepped into the entrance hall.

“Such chivalry,” Pansy added, smirking. “Shall we expect a personal escort every day now, or is this just for tonight?”

Harry raised a brow. “Wouldn’t want you lot getting lost, would I?”

Susan chuckled. “Please, we’re the ones making sure you don’t disappear off to do something ridiculous.”

Astoria, still full of energy, was bouncing slightly on her feet. “Come on, Potter, move it along. We don’t have all night.”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t argue, leading them out into the corridors.

Hannah and Susan were the first to be dropped off. The Hufflepuff common room entrance was tucked away near the kitchens, a cozy little spot that most other students barely thought about unless they were trying to sneak in for extra food.

“See you in the morning?” Susan asked, pausing by the barrels that marked the entrance.

Hannah hesitated for a moment, then leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Harry’s cheek before pulling back just as fast. She gave him a small smile, her fingers fidgeting slightly with the fabric of her dress. “Goodnight, Harry.”

Harry nodded. “Night, Hannah.”

Susan, standing beside her, glanced between them before stepping up and doing the same—quick, light, and almost casual, but the hint of pink on her face gave her away. “See you tomorrow,” she said before turning to follow Hannah through the entrance.

Tracey let out a quiet snicker. “Well, that’s a start.”

Pansy smirked. “Bet you five Sickles Bones nearly tripped on the way in.”

Harry chuckled. “Let’s go. Slytherin next.”

As they reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Astoria stepped forward first, grinning up at Harry. “You already know what’s coming.”

Harry raised a brow. “Do I?”

Astoria rolled her eyes before leaning up on her toes and planting a kiss on his cheek, pulling back with a triumphant look. “There. Now you’re properly escorted.”

Harry smirked. “Sure, that’s what that was.”

Tracey nudged Daphne with her elbow. “Well?”

Daphne gave her a pointed look. “What?”

Pansy huffed. “Oh, don’t act like you’re not doing it too.”

Daphne rolled her eyes but stepped closer, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before stepping back like it was nothing. “Alright, done.”

Tracey grinned. “Oh, we’re all doing this now? Good to know.” She leaned in, kissed his other cheek, and pulled away before he could say anything. “Just keeping things balanced.”

Pansy smirked, tilting her head. “Guess that makes me last.”

Harry sighed. “You’re dragging this out on purpose.”

“Obviously.” Pansy stepped closer, let her lips brush his cheek, then pulled back with a satisfied look. “Right. Goodnight, Potter.”

Daphne rolled her eyes and turned toward the entrance. “Come on, before you lot make a spectacle of it.”

Astoria, still grinning, gave Harry a final wave before slipping inside. The others followed, the stone door closing behind them with a soft thud.

Harry shook his head and turned back toward the staircases. “Alright, next stop.”

Ginny, Luna, and Hermione walked with him toward Gryffindor Tower. Luna hummed lightly under her breath, walking slightly ahead, her dress swishing with each step. “This was a good night.”

Ginny nodded. “It wasn’t a disaster, which is about as good as it gets with Hogwarts events.”

Hermione adjusted the strap of her dress on her shoulders. “Aside from Ron, I’d say everything went well.”

Harry exhaled through his nose. “Yeah, well, that’s not changing anytime soon.”

Hermione pursed her lips but didn’t argue. Ginny muttered something about Ron being a prat, but none of them felt like wasting energy on it.

Ginny and Hermione exchanged glances, a silent debate passing between them over who would go first. Ginny, never one to hesitate, rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"Alright, let's get this over with," she said, tilting her chin up slightly.

Harry raised a brow but said nothing as she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. It was brief, casual, like she was doing it just to prove she wasn’t embarrassed. When she pulled back, there was a flicker of something in her expression—amusement, maybe, or something else she didn’t feel like explaining.

"See you in the morning," she said, stepping back toward the portrait hole.

Hermione, still standing there, let out a quiet breath before stepping forward. Unlike Ginny, she didn’t make a show of it. She simply leaned in, brushed a kiss against his other cheek, and pulled away, adjusting her dress as if it hadn’t happened at all.

"Don’t let them keep you up all night arguing about who got the longest dance," she said dryly.

"Too late for that," Harry muttered.

She smirked slightly before following Ginny through the entrance.

That left Luna, who had been watching the whole thing with a soft smile. She took a step closer, looking up at him with her usual unbothered calm.

"That was very efficient," she said. "Though I suppose it would have been easier if they just all did it at the same time."

Harry smirked. "You should’ve told them that."

Luna tilted her head. "They wouldn’t have listened. Besides, it’s funnier this way."

Harry walked alongside Luna toward the Ravenclaw common room, their shoulders occasionally brushing as they moved through the dim corridors.

Luna hummed softly under her breath, something light and aimless, as if she were walking through a meadow instead of a cold stone castle. She glanced up at him. “You looked nice tonight.”

Harry smirked. “Only tonight?”

“Well, tonight was a bit different,” she said, tilting her head. “You were more dressed up. It suits you.”

Harry chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind next time I have to wear dress robes.”

She nodded sagely. “You should. Some people need clothes to make an impression, but you carry yourself the same way no matter what you’re wearing.”

He didn’t know whether that was meant to be a compliment, but with Luna, it was hard to tell. He decided to take it as one anyway.

They turned a corner, the soft echoes of their footsteps the only sound. Luna’s gaze drifted over the tall windows lining the corridor, watching the moonlight spill across the floor.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” she asked.

“It wasn’t terrible,” Harry said.

Luna gave a small smile. “High praise.”

He shrugged. “The ball itself was fine. The real entertainment was watching people struggle through dances they clearly never practiced.”

Luna giggled. “It was a bit like watching newborn foals try to walk.”

“Some of them had all the grace of a troll on ice,” Harry agreed.

He always liked Luna’s calm presence. She had a way of filling silence without making it awkward, as if conversations weren’t something that needed effort but just something that happened when she was around. Even now, as they walked through the corridors, she carried on without needing him to respond to everything—mentioning how the enchanted suits of armor sometimes whispered to each other at night, or how the stars looked particularly bright this evening, as if they were watching the castle below.

Harry let her talk, half-listening as he walked beside her. Luna’s observations were strange, but not in an annoying way. It was more like she was noticing things no one else bothered with, pointing them out as if she were sharing a secret with the world.

“Did you know,” she mused, “that there’s a portrait near the Astronomy Tower that only appears when the moon is full?”

Harry glanced at her. “Sounds inconvenient.”

Luna nodded. “A little. But I think she prefers it that way. Not everyone likes to be seen all the time.”

Harry hummed. He wasn’t sure if she was talking about the portrait or herself. With Luna, it could be either.

They walked the rest of the way without rushing. Finally, they reached the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. The bronze eagle knocker turned its head as they approached, its voice smooth as it posed the night’s riddle.

“I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?”

“An echo,” Luna answered easily.

The door swung open without hesitation.

Luna turned back to him, then approached with small steps. She stopped in front of him, tilting her head slightly before stepping onto her toes. Without hesitation, she pressed a quick, light kiss to his cheek, then lowered herself back down and gave him a small smile.

"Goodnight, Harry," she said simply.

Harry smirked. "Night, Luna."

She hummed lightly and turned toward the entrance, stepping inside as the door shut behind her.