HP: I got Transmigrated into the World of Magic [Chapter 87: Door-Knocker! ] (Patreon)

"May I help you?"

"Yes, sir, I was hoping to speak to Ms. Luna Lovegood and Ms. Padma Patil, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, sir. Give me a moment to fetch them. My name is Roger Davies, by the way."

"William Lerner," I say with a short bow. "I thank you for your assistance, Mr. Davies." As he closes the door I turn around to find Parvati and Lavender giggling at each other. "Oh good, you two are still with me," I say with a grin. "I thought we'd have to revive you."

"That's Roger Davies," Lavender repeats unhelpfully, "he's going with Fleur Delacour to the Ball!"

"Poor guy," I say, "I hope he's resistant to the Veela aura...I don't think Ms. Delacour has hers entirely under control yet. Well, either that or she actually likes to try to make all the males drool."

"How do you know all that?" Parvati asks wide-eyed. "Are you resistant?"

I shrug, choosing not to answer the first question. "I think not. Or at least not as resistant as Harry. He could probably reject a full-blooded Veela, let alone a quarter-Veela like Ms. Delacour."

"William, you're doing it again," Neville says, "freaking everybody out with knowledge you shouldn't have. I've never seen you speak with her."

I laugh. "Just wait until you see what she's going to wear for the Second Task." I laugh harder as Neville's eyes bulge. I figure that's a safe comment since he knows it's going to be underwater.

Right on cue the door opens back up to reveal Roger and a hint of the two witches behind him.

"My sincerest thanks, Mr. Davies," I say with a slight bow. "I'm sorry to have kept you from your errand."

"It was no trouble at all, Mr. Lerner; it is my duty as a Prefect and a pleasure," he says in a still warm voice. "Good day, gentlemen. Ladies." I decide I actually like that guy.

For some reason the two girls behind me also found that giggle-worthy, but Roger simply inclines his head and smiles at them as he walks away, cloak billowing behind him.

"Hello, Neville, William" Luna says, smiling.

"Hello, Luna," I say, slipping an arm behind her and squeezing her into my side. "Sorry about Hermione earlier; I didn't know she was going to ask you to do that."

"It's okay," she says, then glances over at Padma and seems to understand what's about to happen. Luna opens her mouth to say something but I jump in first.

"Hello, Ms. Patil. Your sister recently found an escort to the Ball next week, and I was completely flabbergasted that such a beautiful woman had not yet been asked. When she indicated you might still be available I came as soon as I could. Would you do me the honor of attending the Ball with me?"

Padma's eyes widen and she looks over my shoulder toward Parvati and Lavender, but I don't turn around. She cocks her head back at whatever they do, then looks at me with a frown. Damn. "I-I'm sorry, I just...I mean..."

"Blast! I knew Ravenclaws are smarter than Gryffindors, but I hoped...well, no matter. He's a lucky guy. Well, I must be off to ask my second choice. See you around! Would you like to come along, Luna? I'm hoping to reach the Slytherin common room before dinner." I speak quickly and then spin around to head back down the spiral staircase without waiting for a reply. After several steps I look up to see both Luna and Padma joining us. Then something occurs to me that probably should have done so before now. "Uh, does anyone know where the Slytherin common room is?"

Luna giggles at me.

"By the way, Luna, I had a most enlightening conversation with your door knocker just now..."

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"...therefore, having a portrait is far superior to an enchanted door-knocker, even if the other Houses waste their potential," I finish with gusto. It takes almost the entire walk to the Slytherin common room to describe both my conversation and my observations about the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods of entry protection.

Luna tilts her head but doesn't look at me. "Hmm, yes, I see your point," she says slowly, then her slate gray eyes widen and snap to mine. "Please don't tell Fred I told you that."

I look at her strangely. "Why would he? And what about George?"

"Oh no, not Fred Weasley," she says as if speaking to a child. "I mean FRED, the Friendly Ravenclaw Eagle Doorknocker."

"That's his name?"

She shrugs. "I dunno. She doesn't seem to mind me calling her that. Of course she doesn't respond to it at all, either."

"Oh," I say, ignoring the fact that she's implying FRED is female despite both the obviously male-sounding voice and obviously male-sounding name that she herself gave it.

"What's this?" A high, cruel, female voice says from a large portrait. The elegantly dressed woman with a shock of white amidst her tightly-coiffed dark hair stands proudly in front of us, staring down her nose. "Not a single Slytherin among you?"

"My apologies, milady," I say with a short bow. "Do you have the ability to pass a message to someone inside?"

"Not for the likes of you, Gryffindor," she says with a sneer.

"Very well, I shall keep you company until one of your students comes along," I say with a lopsided smile. "I do hope it does not take too long...for your sake, I mean. I, on the other hand, do not mind spending time in the company of such beauty and grace."

Her eyes narrow, and it occurs to me if she was real I would probably be cowering. "What would a child know of such things?"

My smile turns wicked and my voice drops low. "If you were corporeal, I would show you. A woman like you might make it to Step Twenty."