Slytherins, Kisses and Other Disasters
Copyright© 2026 by Caroline Stanton
Chapter 17: The Other Surprise
By Sunday morning, Victoria Crabbe’s date with Harry Potter had become the most discussed event at Hogwarts.
The details varied depending on who was telling the story. According to one Ravenclaw, Harry had bought Victoria an expensive silver bracelet. According to a Hufflepuff, the two had spent the afternoon kissing on a bench in Hogsmeade. A particularly imaginative third-year claimed they’d been seen looking at engagement rings.
Victoria, who heard that last version over breakfast, nearly choked on her pumpkin juice. Georgina laughed so hard that she had to put down her fork. Draconia merely observed that the standard of gossip at Hogwarts had deteriorated considerably. But Victoria wasn’t the only subject of conversation. There was another girl who had attracted a great deal of attention on Saturday morning, and unlike Victoria, she hadn’t been going on a date. Georgina Goyle.
Georgina Goyle was nearly six feet tall, athletic, strong, and as formidable on the Quidditch pitch as Victoria. She’d never given much thought to attracting boys.
Or at least, that was what everyone had assumed. The truth was somewhat different. Georgina had always wanted a boyfriend. She’d never had the faintest idea how to get one. And until the previous week, no boy had ever shown the slightest inclination to volunteer. That was beginning to change. At the Gryffindor breakfast table, Dean Thomas was spreading marmalade on his toast when Seamus Finnigan nudged him.
“Look.”
Dean followed his gaze. Across the Great Hall, Georgina Goyle was laughing at something Victoria had said. She was wearing her ordinary school robes, but her long brown hair was neatly arranged, and she had abandoned the enormous jumper that usually concealed her figure. Dean stared for a moment.
“Blimey.”
Seamus nodded.
“Exactly.”
“She really is pretty.”
“Very.”
They watched Georgina lean towards Draconia, say something, and laughed again. Dean shook his head.
“How did nobody notice?”
Seamus shrugged.
“Probably because the last bloke who looked at her the wrong way got shoved into a wall.”
Dean winced.
“Right.”
They considered the matter. Then Dean said, “Still, she’s beautiful.” Seamus nodded.
“Absolutely.”
A pause.
“Thinking of asking her out?”
Dean nearly dropped his toast.
“Are you mad?”
Seamus laughed.
“Just asking.”
“She’d break me in half.”
“Probably.”
They returned to their breakfasts. Neither noticed that several boys at the Ravenclaw table were having almost exactly the same conversation. At the Hufflepuff table, a fifth-year boy glanced towards Georgina for the third time in as many minutes. His friend noticed.
“Go on, then.”
“What?”
“Ask her out.”
The boy stared.
“Are you trying to get me killed?”
His friend laughed.
“She’s not going to kill you.”
“She once threatened to throw a bloke down the stairs.”
“Did she actually do it?”
“No.”
“Well, there you are.”
The boy considered that. Then shook his head.
“No, thanks.”
His friend shrugged.
“Your loss.”
“Possibly. But I’d rather keep my teeth.”
At the Slytherin table, however, the situation was different. The boys of Slytherin House knew Georgina Goyle considerably better than the rest of Hogwarts. They’d shared classes with her for years. They’d seen her laughing with Victoria and Draconia, arguing over Quidditch, and occasionally demonstrating her strength when someone annoyed her. They knew she could be frightening. But they also knew she could be funny, loyal, and surprisingly good company when she wasn’t angry. And several had begun to reconsider their assumptions about her.
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.