Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Inc., Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Raincoast, and any other affiliated party.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Chapter 9: The Marketplace
A few days later, Harry, Ron, and Ginny had made it to a snow covered clearing not too far from the nearest village. There, they caught sight of a large collection of tents pitched on the snow. There was a multitude of people going back and forth between the tents and the village.
"Looks like a bazaar," said Ron. It was indeed a marketplace filled with many shops and trade stands. Merchants were calling to villagers engaging in trade and barter. Although the place looked a lot different, the Mage Knights were reminded of Diagon Alley in their own homeland.
"This is a nice place," observed Ginny as they wandered around the tents, checking out the merchandise. The Mage Knights wore brown cloaks over their armor, their hoods drawn up. Although they looked a little suspicious, nobody would dream that they were Mage Knights of Magiterran.
"This place is great," said Ron. "All these shops, stores, trade stands, ba… hello, what's this?" Something had caught Ron's eye.
It was a stage with a whole troop of dancing girls performing. The girls were dressed in exotic, revealing clothes, had long waist length blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. They were dancing very seductively and they also seemed to be part veela since men were trying to jump on the stage and declare great things to them.
Ginny heard Harry muttering, "I'm a married man, I'm a married man, I'm a married man…" over and over while Ron started jumping up and down.
"I'm the king of Gryffindor!" yelled Ron.
"Hey I'm the king of Gryffindor," said Harry. Ginny couldn't tell whether he was trying to correct Ron or impress the part veelas.
"OK, OK, that's enough boys," said Ginny as she grabbed hold of the other two's cloaks and proceeded to drag them away. 'I feel like I'm filling in Hermione's shoes' she thought.
"Oh, don't go yet, monsieurs and mademoiselle. We really like 'aving you 'ere," called out a voice from behind them. Ginny turned around to see that one of the dancing girls, arguably the most beautiful of them, was standing behind them. Ron was all over her in seconds.
"And who may you be my elegant lady?" he asked, kneeling down in front of her and kissing her hand.
The dancing girl tossed back her hair and completely ignored Ron as she walked up to Harry. "I am Fleur Delacour. You are very 'andsome, per'aps we could 'ave a drink togezer?" Fleur batted her eyelashes towards Harry in a way that made Ginny want to throw up.
For a while, Ginny was worried that Harry might fall victim to the veela charms. Harry however, smiled and said, "I am pleased that so elegant a lady wishes for my presence but I am afraid that I am going to have to decline." Ginny breathed a sigh of relief.
Fleur simply tossed her hair back. "Zat eez your loss," she said haughtily.
"Ah, but I am single," said Ron. "Perhaps we could go together and I might tell you the tale of how I invented the game of Quidditch."
Fleur continued to ignore him as she said, "At least, come see us be'ind za tent. You could meet some people." Harry decided that this was acceptable so the Mage Knights followed Fleur to where the dancing girls stayed.
It was a comfortable tent that could easily fill a whole battalion. Ron pulled a chair out for Fleur but Fleur ignored it and sat in a different chair. Harry and Ginny sat on the sofa as Fleur sent for her servant.
A young girl, about the same age as Ginny came out carrying some tea on a tray. She had, wavy waist length auburn hair, hazel eyes, and a slightly pale complexion. She was wearing a brown one-piece robe that went to her knees, was bare foot, and had a black chocker around her neck. Ron immediately snapped out of the trance that Fleur had held him in.
Fleur tossed her hair back as the servant girl served them tea. "Margaret, will you see to eet zat these guests 'ave all zat zey wish?" The girl, Margaret nodded once before leaving the tent.
"Who is she?" asked Harry.
Fleur raised her nose haughtily and tossed her hair back. "She eez just a silly girl who was lost in za 'ills. I took 'er in as a slave girl and she 'as worked well for me."
"Slave girl?!" yelled Ron, his fiery temper getting the better of him. "Since when did anyone ever deserve to become a slave?!"
Fleur finally acknowledged Ron for the first time. "She was lost in za wilderness and I saved 'er. Think ov what would 'ave 'appened if she were found by bandits or worse."
"But she's a living human being!" yelled Ron. "No human ever deserves to live under the yoke of slavery!" Harry was a little amazed that this was coming from the person who was scandalized by the idea of house elves receiving salaries.
"Zat eez za way things are 'ere," said Fleur as if it were common knowledge. Ron opened his mouth to retort but couldn't think of anything to say so he stormed out of the tent.
Fleur turned to Harry and Ginny. "Your friend 'as quite a temper."
"Oh, you don't know the half of it," said Ginny.
* * * * * * * * * *
Ron walked around outside in the snow, letting the cold air cool his temper down. Personally, he couldn't understand why he had blown up far more easily than usual. It was just that, when he had seen Margaret, he had felt something that he had never felt before and the idea that she was bound to some one legally made his blood boil. Of course he was also aggravated by the idea that slavery was legal in Durmstrang.
After about an hour, Ron returned to the tent only to find the slave girl, Margaret shearing corn. Ron noticed that she was wearing very little clothes and that she was shivering.
"Aren't you cold?" he asked. Margaret looked up quite startled. She looked as if this was the first time some one had ever talked to he like a human being in a long time.
"U-uh. I-I don't m-mind the c-cold that m-much. I-I-I o-only accept w-what is g-given t-to m-me." For a brief moment, Ron thought she was a little nervous but eventually decided that she was only shivering from the cold. But he couldn't help but notice Margaret's accent.
"You're from Magiterran, aren't you?"
Margaret looked up surprised. She hesitated for a few moments before she said, "Y-yes, f-from R-Ravenclaw."
Ron noticed that she was freezing out in the snow. He spoke a few well-chosen words and Margaret was bathed in a glow of warmth. Her eyes widened at what Ron had just done. "Y-you're a Mage Knight?"
"That's right, Sir Ronald Weasley of Gryffindor."
"What are you doing here in Durmstrang?"
"That would be classified information. But I think I might explain it to you if you tell me your story."
Margaret nodded. "My name is Margaret Chapel. I come from a family of theologians who work for the Ravenclaw Royal Family. Or at least we did until three years ago. My parents and I were traveling to Beauxbatons that day when we were attacked by Death Eaters. I barely escaped with my life while my parents were killed. I hid in a ship that was bound for Durmstrang and failed to get off. When I arrived here, I had to escape from the ship before they found an illegal stow away so I ran into the woods. That's where mistress Delacour found me, exhausted and starving."
"And you've lived as her slave for three years?"
"Yes, but it was a better choice than dieing. I heard that the war ended two years ago but I couldn't go home because I was Mistress Delacour's property by then."
"No human should ever be another's property," said Ron, his temper rising again.
"Durmstrang is different from the Alliance. That's all," said Margaret sadly. She let a tear fall down her cheek as she recalled the sad events. Ron stepped forward and wiped the tear away. That action seemed to have broken something down in Margaret and she threw her arms around Ron and started sobbing into his shoulder. Looking uncomfortable, Ron gently rubbed her back.
* * * * * * * * * *
Ginny and Harry were looking at Ron comforting Margaret from the entrance of the tent.
"Ron sure looks uncomfortable, doesn't he?" observed Harry. Ginny simply nodded and continued observing her brother. "I wonder what she told him," said Harry.
Ginny grinned. "You know I don't think I've ever seen Ron look at a girl that way before."
Harry turned to Ginny, an eyebrow raised. "Ginny, are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"
"What do you think I'm thinking?"
"You know full well what I think you're thinking."
"That Ron has it bad for this girl?"
"That's right."
Ginny simply grinned and nodded her head slowly. Harry rolled his eyes and continued staring at his friend.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A/N I really don't know how to do a French accent. So please just bear with my style of Fleur's speech. Well, I sure this chapter was enjoyable. So anyway, R/R. Next: So has Ron really fallen for this girl? That's up for you to find out.