《Realistic Harry Potter》


 01 The Letter

    Harry Potter was a slave.


    He didn''t know this, of course. For ten years, he grew up in a house with so-called family that treated him like dirt. They had him doing all the chores around the house from the time he could walk. The parent figures, Petunia and Vernon Dursley, also verbally abused him on a daily basis. He was also verbally and physically abused by his cousin Dudley constantly. They had the poor boy trained to be subservient and he did everything they said, just for the chance that they wouldn''t berate him.


    When he had started school, he still had no idea that he was a slave. He even lived in the cupboard under the stairs. It took him years to gather enough learning to understand what was being done to him. Unfortunately, after all the lies his guardians and Dudley had made him tell over the years to explain his injuries, no one believed him when he was old enough to realize what was going on and tried to complain about it.


    Harry hated the Dursleys with every fibre of his being. With no other recourse than to take their abuse until he was old enough to run away, he waited patiently for the day to come. He knew he had to wait, because he was thin, underfed and malnourished, and weak from the daily beatings. He snuck into the kitchen when he could and stole food, just to keep his strength up. He lived from day to day, waiting, planning, and hoping... then one day in the middle of summer...


    ...a letter arrived.


    *


    What''s this? Harry asked himself as he picked up the mail from the floor in front of the door. There was a large yellowish envelope with his name on it. Without missing a beat, he quickly tucked the letter into the waistband of his pants and pulled the extra-large t-shirt he wore down over it. He never thought he would be thankful for getting to wear Dudley''s hand-me-down clothes.


    ¡°Get in here and get breakfast ready!¡± Petunia shrieked and Harry walked down the hallway.


    ¡°Give me the mail, boy!¡± Vernon spat as Harry entered the kitchen.


    Harry quickly gave the other letters to him and went to the stove. He acted as if nothing was wrong and went about his normal tasks. He served the food and only gave himself a half-portion without even trying to sneak any, and neither Petunia nor Vernon could complain that he had taken too much. Vernon grunted acceptance and Petunia huffed haughtily, then they both started eating.


    Harry took the cue and quickly ate as fast as he could, just so Dudley couldn''t take it from him, then Harry stepped away from the table to wait in the corner. When the others were done eating, he cleared the table and washed the dishes, then he did a once-over cleaning of the stove and the counters. With that done, he went back to the corner to wait.


    Petunia looked over at the kitchen and didn''t see anything wrong; but, she couldn''t help herself and pestered him. ¡°I think I see a spot on the stove''s handle.¡±


    ¡°I''ll clean it right away!¡± Harry said and went over and cleaned it again.


    ¡°That''s good enough.¡± Petunia said, satisfied. ¡°You can go back to your cupboard now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Aunt Petunia.¡± Harry said in the defeated tone that she liked to hear from him, and he strode out of the kitchen and went back to the hallway. He went into the cupboard under the stairs and closed the door. He didn''t do anything, though. He knew what was coming and stayed quiet, then heard heavy footsteps come down the hallway.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A large meaty fist pounded on his door.


    ¡°Don''t you be getting any funny ideas, do you hear?¡± Vernon said and hooked the latch to lock Harry inside the cupboard. ¡°Petunia was nice enough to let you off without cleaning the living room first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle Vernon.¡± Harry responded.


    After a few moments, Vernon grunted and tromped away. Harry waited ten minutes and listened intently for Dudley to pass by. He didn''t have to bother listening so hard, because Dudley tromped down the hallway almost as loudly as his father and then the front door slammed. He waited another ten minutes, just in case, then he very carefully lifted his t-shirt and pulled out the letter.


    Harry stared at the name and address on the front, because whoever sent the letter knew that he lived in the cupboard under the stairs. What else do they know about me? He asked himself and flipped the letter over to see that it was sealed with wax. He frowned and knew that the thick envelope would make noise if he tried to tear it open and if he tried to snap the wax.


    Not one to be deterred by problems, Harry used his blankets as a buffer and wrapped the letter up in them, then he sat on it. He barely heard the crack of the wax and smiled, then he unwrapped the blanket to see the seal was shattered into several pieces and the envelope was open. He emptied it out and found several sheets of paper inside and glanced at them. One page was a list of really weird things, two other pages were the rules and requirements for clothing and conduct, and the last page was an actual letter.


    Harry tossed the other pages aside and read the letter. Dear Mr. Potter, you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He read it over and over in his head several times, and it didn''t make sense. What the heck is this? He asked himself and glanced at the other sheets. Is this for real?


    Harry read the rest of the letter and his questions only grew. He moved on to the rules and regulations pages and read them several times, then he read the list. His mind had a hard time grasping that he needed to buy a pewter cauldron, size two.


    What the heck is a cauldron? Harry asked himself, then his eyes caught something. A wand? A WAND? He rubbed his fingers over the list and glanced at the school''s name. Does that mean it''s a magic wand?


    All of the plans he had been building went right out the window. If this thing was real... and he had no reason to think that it was... and yet, he desperately wanted it to be real.


    Please send word by July 31 if you wish to attend. Harry read and frowned. What? How? He read everything over again, then again, and nowhere did it say how he was supposed to send them word.


    ¡°BOY!¡± Vernon yelled and Harry almost jumped out of his skin. ¡°Get out here and get the fire going!¡± He said and unlocked the cupboard.


    ¡°Yes, Uncle Vernon.¡± Harry said, fear of being caught in his voice. He quickly folded the letter back up and tucked it back into the envelope, then hid it in his waistband and under his t-shirt. He left the cupboard and went to the living room and didn''t ask Vernon why he hadn''t left for work yet. He busied himself at the fireplace and set it properly, then with a heavy heart he took out the envelope and slid it in between the logs.


    With no way to contact whoever he needed to contact, Harry couldn''t keep it or leave it lying around anywhere. Either Dudley or Petunia would find it eventually, as they always found the things he tried to hide, so he lit it on fire. It burned up like it was year old kindling and the fireplace was almost immediately filled with a warm fire and it removed the chill of the room.


    Vernon grunted and thought about praising the boy for getting the fire going so quickly, then changed his mind. He didn''t want the boy to get his head filled up with nonsense, so he only slightly nodded as Harry left the living room.

 02 The Visit

    Harry rested his head against the glass of the window and peered out into the bright blue sky and admired the sun... in his mind. In reality, it was pouring rain. In fact, it was raining so hard and heavy that it was like God himself was peeing on them through a strainer. The rat-a-tat-tat on the roof of the house sounded like machine gun fire and filled the quiet house.


    The Dursleys had left him home while they took Dudley out for his birthday. It was just Harry''s luck that they had put a large filled suitcase in front of his cupboard to keep him locked in while they were away.


    They must have figured out I can open the latch from inside. Harry thought, disappointed in himself. He wasn''t sure how they did, because he had always been very careful to not leave any evidence that he had been outside. Maybe it was the letters?


    Every day since the last one, another letter would appear with another, then they increased in number the longer he didn''t answer. He had checked the first couple, and each was identical to the first one he had received. Not wanting to be caught, he quickly stuffed them in his pants and disposed of them in the fireplace when given the chance. He wasn''t sure how he had managed to do it with eight letters the last time, because his belly looked quite large and obvious. His aunt and uncle hadn''t noticed, though.


    Harry disposed of the letters in the fireplace and to his surprise, the fire wasn''t any larger or made a louder noise. Maybe they really are made of magic. He thought. Even a normal stack of papers that large would have caused a huge surge of fire.


    Harry was broken out of his reverie by the sound of rumbling thunder. He hadn''t heard anything like it before and it only got louder and louder, then it stopped. Not long after, there was a very loud banging on the front door.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Harry said in a panic. ¡°Uncle Vernon forgot his keys!¡±


    Harry tried desperately to get out of the cupboard to go and get the door open, because he knew that he would be severely punished if he didn''t help Uncle Vernon as soon as he was needed. He was still very weak, so after he unlatched the cupboard door, he only managed to move the suitcase a little bit. In his panic, he never once thought that him trying to get to the door to help, would be the thing that would damn him in his aunt and uncle''s eyes. They would have the proof that he could get out of the cupboard on his own.


    Harry summoned all of his strength and pushed hard on the cupboard door, then he barely managed to squeeze out through the space he had made. He scrambled over to the door, just as another series of bangs came.


    ¡°I''ve got it! Just a minute!¡± Harry said loudly, in order to be heard over the din of the rain, and he unlocked the locks on the door and pulled it open... only to be met with the largest man he had ever seen. Completely scared out of his wits at the sight, Harry wet himself. He was so scared of the beast of a man in front of him that he couldn''t even move to close the door and just stared up at the man''s face.


    The giant man that was dressed like a homeless man, with hand-sewn clothing and covered in patches, peered down at the little boy. ¡°Blimey, Harry.¡± Hagrid said in a thick gravelly voice. ¡°The rain''s not tha'' scary.¡± He said and bent down as he stepped into the house, then he closed the door. He folded up his pink umbrella and shook the water off of it. ¡°Lemmie get tha'' for ya.¡± He said and pointed the umbrella at Harry''s crotch.


    ¡°NO!¡± Harry yelled and covered himself. He had taken the school warnings of strangers to heart and he knew what to yell when being approached by one. He curled up into a little ball and started to yell at the top of his lungs. ¡°HELP! HELP ME! A STRANGER IS TRYING TO ABDUCT ME! HEELLLP!¡±


    Luckily for Hagrid, he had shut the door and the rain covered up Harry''s blood curdling yells for help.


    ¡°Harry! HARRY!¡± Hagrid yelled and Harry''s yells cut off. ¡°I''m not a stranger, Harry. My name''s Hagrid.¡±


    The giant knelt down onto the floor and used the simple clean up spell he knew to clean Harry''s soiled clothing. He carefully pat Harry''s side with his huge hand, because he wasn''t sure what to do with the boy while he was in this state. He stayed there with Harry for nearly ten minutes before he remembered why he had come to visit.


    ¡°Oh, right! I came ta deliver yer letter.¡± Hagrid said and reached into his coat and pulled out a large yellowish envelope. ¡°We figured yer aunt and uncle have been keepin''em, so I brought it to ya meself.¡±


    Harry''s panic started to recede. ¡°L-l-letter?¡± He asked, his voice shaky, and moved his arms to uncover his face.


    ¡°Yer Hogwarts letter.¡± Hagrid said and waved it in front of Harry''s face.


    Harry stared at the letter in the giant''s hand and his mind worked overtime as he thought about everything. ¡°You sent it?¡±


    Hagrid shook his head. ¡°Naw, the school did. I''m jus'' delivering it.¡± He smiled at Harry''s interest. ¡°They send them out to all the young boys and girls that earned a spot at the school.¡± He held out the letter. ¡°There ya go. Go ahead and open it.¡±


    ¡°I''ve read it already.¡± Harry said as he uncurled himself.


    ¡°Huh? Wha''?¡± Hagrid looked at the boy, stunned. ¡°Then... why didn''tcha respond?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t know how, you big oaf!¡± Harry spat. ¡°It doesn''t tell me anything about that!¡±


    Hagrid looked taken aback at his words. ¡°But... everyone knows how ta...¡±


    ¡°I''M NOT EVERYONE!¡± Harry yelled and gathered his courage for the first time in his life. ¡°The school sent me a letter, and I can finally escape this hell, and it doesn''t tell me how to accept!¡± He said, anger clear in his voice. ¡°It''s been ten times worse here the last week, knowing I was going to miss leaving this place, all because I couldn''t send a letter back!¡±


    ¡°It''s all right now, Harry.¡± Hagrid said, not really understanding. ¡°I''ll tell the school that you''ll be coming in September and...¡±


    ¡°I want to go now!¡± Harry said and stood up. ¡°Right now! This instant!¡±


    ¡°Harry, I can''t take ya to...¡±


    ¡°MY THINGS!¡± Harry yelled in sudden inspiration and grabbed the unopened letter from Hagrid''s hand and shook it in the giant''s huge face. ¡°I need to go buy that cauldron thingie and my books!¡±


    Hagrid''s face went from sorrowful to happy. ¡°I''m glad that yer enthusiastic about yer schoolin''.¡± He said and stood up. He took out a timepiece and checked it. ¡°Yeah, it''s still early. I''m sure we can get to Diagon Alley and back before yer aunt and uncle come back.¡±


    Harry didn''t care one lick about that anymore. ¡°Let''s go!¡± He said and squeezed by Hagrid to go to the front door.


    ¡°Yer gonna need yer slicker if we''re going out in this, Harry.¡±


    Harry barked a laugh. ¡°I don''t have one.¡± He said and opened the door, then realized his mistake. He ran back to the cupboard under the stairs and closed and latched it, then tried to push the suitcase back into place.


    ¡°Are ya tryin'' ta take it?¡± Hagrid asked.


    ¡°No, I''m... pushing it back... into place.¡± Harry grunted.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hagrid moved it like it weighted nothing.


    ¡°Okay, let''s go.¡± Harry said and went back to the front door.


    ¡°Jus'' a sec. Yer gonna need somethin'' fer the rain.¡± Hagrid said and opened up his huge coat, then he draped it over a completely unprepared Harry. Both the coat and Harry slammed to the floor with a loud thud. ¡°Blimey! I''m sorry about tha'' Harry.¡± He said and lifted the very heavy coat to see a slightly squished and quite unconscious Harry.


    The giant of a man laid the coat down and put Harry into it, wrapped him up into a bundle and picked it up, then he unfurled his large pink umbrella. He stepped out into the pouring rain with what he believed was the most precious bundle to ever exist in the world. It never occurred to him that it was almost the exact same thing that he had done when he had delivered that precious bundle all those years ago.

 03 The Ride

    Harry was riding the thunder.


    He knew that was impossible, though. It wasn''t possible to ride on a sound. His entire body vibrated with it and he awoke inside the smelliest bundle of cloth he had ever experienced, and he had worn Dudley''s old unwashed clothes.


    Harry pushed open the bundle he had been wrapped in to get some fresh air, then almost choked when he got too much air. He gasped as high winds and rain pelted his face. He tried to block some of it with his hands and looked around at where he was. It took him a minute to realize he was in the sidecar of a motorcycle.


    ¡°WHAT''S GOING ON?¡± Harry yelled over the sound of thunder, which was actually from the motorcycle.


    ¡°Harry, yer awake.¡± Hagrid said, his voice full of relief. ¡°I was about ta stop off and land at St. Mungos if yeh hadn''t woken up on yer own.¡±


    ¡°Stop off... and land?¡± Harry asked, confused. He kept his face mostly covered and turned to look out of the side of the motorcycle sidecar and only saw dark clouds. No road. No buildings. There was nothing but clouds. ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± He yelled, terrified. He had never been let out of the house for more than half an hour, let alone flown up into the air.


    ¡°Blimey, Harry. Calm down.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°Hold on, I''ve got somethin'' fer that.¡±


    Harry screamed incoherently as Hagrid let the handlebars of the motorcycle go to start searching his pockets. They started to plummet towards the ground and Harry ducked down into the stinky clothes and huddled in on himself as he waited to die. He would have wet himself again if he had anything left in his bladder.


    ¡°Ah, here! I got it.¡± Hagrid said and put a hand on the handlebars. The motorcycle pulled up out of the steep dive it had been in and flew back up to the proper height. Having never experienced a change in gravity like that before, let alone several g-forces on his tiny and weak body, Harry opened up his mouth and emptied his stomach.


    After a few moments, he was only dry heaving and managed to stop.


    ¡°Better out than in, I always say.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°If I knew yeh weren''t feeling well, I mighta stayed on the roads fer a bit.¡±


    Harry glared at him, clearly angry, and didn''t tell him that it was his fault. For some reason, he knew that the giant man would just shrug it off.


    ¡°Here, Harry. Drink this.¡± Hagrid said and handed him a small vial. ¡°You''ll be feeling all right after.¡±


    Harry stared at the little glass vial and wondered how brain dead the big oaf was, if he thought that a boy he just met would willingly accept a strange drink from him because he claimed it would make him feel good after.


    Hagrid wasn''t sure what was wrong, so he explained as best as he could. ¡°It''s just a pepper-up potion.¡± He said and shook it. ¡°It makes yeh alert and lets yeh understand things better for a short while.¡±


    Harry carefully took it from the giant''s large hand. ¡°Why didn''t you drink it already?¡±


    Hagrid gave him a big toothy smile. ¡°I fergot I had it til now, ta be honest.¡± He said. ¡°It''s been in my pocket fer... well, I can''t remember.¡±


    Harry sighed and thought about refusing, then what the giant man said finally registered. I''m holding a magic potion in my hand. He thought, amazed. A. Magic. Potion.


    All doubt fled Harry''s mind and he popped the little cork, then he downed the whole thing. What Hagrid didn''t tell him, or knew for that matter, was that depending on the potion, the strength increased the longer it sat. Just like fermenting alcohol. Hagrid had that potion for quite a long time, so when Harry drank it all in one gulp, it practically exploded in his stomach.


    Harry was extremely lucky that he had just emptied his stomach, because the expanding potion filled the space instantly. He would have thrown up explosively if there had been anything left in there. Instead, the potion immediately went to work. His entire body turned red, instead of just his face like it was supposed to, then Harry''s ears burst out with steam with a very loud train whistle sound. It lasted for almost six minutes, instead of the ten seconds it was supposed to.


    Hagrid looked a bit concerned, until the steam and the whistle died down. ¡°Harry? Are yeh alrigh''?¡±


    ¡°I''m... fine.¡± Harry said, and he was. His mind was clear and alert and he wasn''t afraid anymore. The wind and the rain didn''t bother him at all now and he was happy about that. He also realized something that he hadn''t quite grasped before. He was currently riding on a flying motorcycle. An actual, honest to god, flying motorcycle... and he didn''t freak out about the impossibility.


    Harry''s hand touched the letter he had tucked under his clothing and he knew for a fact that everything it said was true. Magic is real. It exists. He thought, then he smiled. I''m going to learn magic.


    ¡°Hold on now. I''m coming in fer a landing.¡± Hagrid said.


    Harry only sat back and braced his feet inside the bundled coat, which did the same thing, and it held him steady. The motorcycle landed on the empty street with several bumps and Harry didn''t shake or move at all. Hagrid parked it and hit several buttons on the gas tank, then he took the keys and pocketed them.


    After another use of the simple cleaning spell to mostly clean Harry''s shoes and his coat of throw up, Hagrid spoke. ¡°Follow me, Harry.¡± He said and wiped off the chunks of sick that the spell had missed. ¡°Stay close. I don''t wanta lose yeh in the crowd.¡±


    Crowd? Harry asked himself and followed the giant man into a dingy old bar called The Leaky Cauldron and it had the picture of what it was on the sign. Ha. A cauldron is an old cooking pot.


    ¡°Ho, Hagrid.¡± The barman said when they entered. ¡°What brings yeh here on a day such as this? It''s a bit early for yer usual.¡±


    ¡°I''m bringing young Harry here to get his school things, Tom.¡± Hagrid said, proudly.


    ¡°Bless my soul.¡± Tom the bartender said. ¡°Harry. Harry Potter.¡±


    The whole bar fell silent at Tom''s words and everyone turned to look at him, then they all looked at Harry.


    ¡°Welcome back, Mr. Potter.¡± Tom said excitedly and came out from behind the bar. ¡°Welcome back.¡± He said and grabbed Harry''s hand before he could pull away. ¡°Welcome back!¡±


    Suddenly, Harry was surrounded by greeters, well wishers, hand shakers, and multiple pats on the back. Even with a clear mind, he didn''t bother trying to remember any of their names. He knew that he was probably never going to see them again and there wasn''t much point to make the effort.


    ¡°Ah! Professor Quirrel!¡± Hagrid said as they moved across the room. ¡°Harry, Professor Quirrel is gonna be one of yer teachers at Hogwarts.¡±


    ¡°P-P-Potter.¡± Professor Quirrel stuttered and took Harry''s hand to shake it. ¡°I c-can''t t-tell you how p-pleased I am to m-meet y-you.¡±


    The sound of grilling meat filled the bar and no one could tell where it was coming from... until Professor Quirrel started screaming.


    ¡°AHH! AHHHHHH! Let go! LET GO!¡± Professor Quirrel yelled and everyone looked at him. His hand was locked together with young Harry Potter''s and it looked to be burning up from the inside.


    Harry was frozen solid at the man''s terrified screams and couldn''t let go, even though he really wanted to, and everyone watched as the hand he held turned to something that looked like burned ash. The burning flowed up Quirrel''s arm and into his chest as he continued to scream in pain. Everyone was just as stunned as Harry was and no one reacted or tried to stop it, not even when it was much too late to do anything about it.


    The screams cut off as the effect moved up into Quirrel''s throat. His eyes were nearly popping out of his head in shock, then the hand Harry held crumbled into dust. The crumbling continued, as did the internal burning effect, then there was a blood curdling and inhuman howl as Quirrel''s face was consumed. His chest caved in and the body dropped to the floor. The turban he had on his head rolled slightly away and left only a pile of clothes and ash.


    No one noticed that, however. They were too busy staring at something that shouldn''t exist.


    To everyone''s utter shock, a ghostly fog with a human-like face was left floating there. Another howl escaped the thing and then it zoomed out of the bar and out of sight.


    Bokuboy


    Edit: I forgot to mention that in the movie, they change the scene and Quirrell doesn''t take Harry''s hand to shake it. ?


    Bokuboy


    He had just come back from vacation and was hanging out in Tom''s bar, the Leaky Cauldron, to listen for news about himself and the latest word on the death eaters.


    Harry showing up like he did, both in the books and the movies, caught him completely off-guard (since no one knew he was being brought that day). He also doesn''t know about the curse / protection of Harry that his mother''s death gave him. Of course, neither does Harry.

 04 The Bank

    ¡°Blimey.¡± Hagrid said and stared down at the pile of ash on the floor that used to be one of the school teachers. ¡°I think we need ta get going, Harry. Things ta buy in Diagon Alley.¡±


    No one said a word as Hagrid grabbed Harry by his shirt, tucked him under his arm, and walked out the back door of the bar. Once outside, Hagrid used his umbrella to poke a series of bricks on the back wall of the enclosure. The wall shifted and folded back out of the way to reveal an alleyway that was crowded with both people and shops.


    Hagrid ignored everyone''s stares and walked quickly down the alleyway. ¡°Pardon. ''Scuse Me. Pardon.¡±


    ¡°H-Hagrid.¡± Harry finally managed to speak. ¡°What happened to that man back there?¡±


    ¡°I don''t rightly know, Harry.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°Ain''t never seen nothing like that before.¡±


    ¡°But...¡± Harry looked at his hands and wondered what had happened. Did he do that? Was he powerful enough to melt someone, just by touching them? He shook his head and knew that it wasn''t true. Dudley would have been a pile of ashes years ago if it was. Also, none of the others had reacted like that when they shook his hand. It was only that professor.


    ¡°I''m sure Dumbledore would know. Great man, Dumbledore. Knows lotsa stuff.¡± Hagrid mumbled and carried Harry down the alley and stopped at the large stone and brick building with the word ''Gringotts'' on a sign that was over the large front doors. ¡°Great man, Dumbledore.¡±


    Harry could only go along as Hagrid walked up the steps and went inside. Hagrid didn''t wait in line like he was supposed to and walked right up to one of the tellers.


    ¡°Hey, no cutting in line.¡± One of the people in the short line said.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Hagrid said, flustered. ¡°Hogwarts business. Very important.¡± He looked at the unhappy goblin behind the teller window. ¡°Fergive meh brashness. I''m in a bit of a rush.¡± He said. ¡°Young Harry here needs to make a withdrawal.¡±


    ¡°You committed a breach of etiquette and jumped the line for a student?¡± The goblin asked.


    ¡°No, no. I''m just doing that first.¡± Hagrid said and took out an envelope. ¡°This is from the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. It''s about you know what in vault you know which.¡±


    The goblin''s eyes flicked over the letter as he took it. He didn''t read it, however. ¡°Very well.¡± He said and looked at Harry. ¡°I assume Mr. Potter has his key?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I got that here somewhere.¡± Hagrid said and gently put Harry down, then he started to empty his pockets. When a large pile of various items was on the counter, a few of them tried to crawl and wiggle away. ¡°Here it is.¡± He said and held up a small brass key. The goblin took it and the letter, stepped down and came around the counter.


    ¡°Follow me, please.¡± The goblin said and waved for them to follow.


    Hagrid quickly scooped up most of what was on the counter and stuffed it back into his pockets, then he pat Harry''s back and made him stumble and fall. He stood the boy up on his feet and the two of them followed the goblin to a large door at the back of the bank. Two armored goblins there came to attention and opened the doors for them.


    Harry was glad that his mind was clear and he could see the creatures in front of him without freaking out about something like that existing in the world. It was a little disgusting, considering he had never seen anything like it before, and he was more than fascinated to know how something so odd had come to be in the world.


    The arms, legs, and faces were distorted, shortened, and slightly twisted versions of humans. As far as he could tell, if it wasn''t for the large pointed ears and the slightly off skin color, they could be what some uncharitable people called ''midgets'' and everyone else that had common sense called ''little people''.


    They piled into a mining cart and took off, even though no one had pushed them and no mechanical sounds had been heard, like on a roller coaster. Harry''s eyes widened as the ride actually turned into a roller coaster and they went deep underground. He had never been on one before; but, thanks to the ridiculous ride he had survived on the flying motorcycle, the ups and downs on a mining cart was almost laughable in comparison. The goblin had his hand on the brake handle and brought them to a stop in front of a vault.


    ¡°Come here.¡± The goblin said and Hagrid and Harry went with him to the door. ¡°Hand, please.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, Harry.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°Yer taking over the vault from yer parents.¡±


    Harry held his hand out and the goblin put the key into his hand, then used his hand to turn the lock. The goblin''s hand glowed and then Harry''s hand glowed. In the next moment, the key faded away and disappeared. Before he could ask what happened, the vault make several clicks and unlocked.


    ¡°Yeh don''t need the key no more.¡± Hagrid smiled. ¡°Yeh don''t hafta worry about losing it now.¡±


    Harry was going to ask how that worked, then the vault door opened up and he saw what was inside.


    Piles and piles of gold coins filled it.


    Even with a clear mind, Harry couldn''t fathom how much money was inside the vault. Thousands of coins. Hundreds of thousands of coins? No, maybe... maybe millions. He thought, shocked. He honestly didn''t know how much was there and he wasn''t sure if he actually wanted to know. He pinched his arm again and knew that he wasn''t dreaming. He blinked his eyes several times, rubbed them twice, and all of that shiny and glittering gold was still right there.


    ¡°You''ll be needin'' a few handfuls fer yeh school things.¡± Hagrid said.


    ¡°A... few... handfuls.¡± Harry whispered and he knew that he wanted to take a lot more than just a few handfuls. He had never been given a single penny for the entire time he had been at the Dursleys. He had always been filled with envy as Dudley was given lots of money for an allowance. He spent it and wasted it, knowing full well that he would get another pile of money the next week, and he lorded it over Harry that he never got anything.


    Not this time. Harry thought and looked at Hagrid. ¡°Do you have any big bags I can borrow?¡±


    ¡°Harry, galleons are heavy. Taking a large bag of ''em would be hard fer yeh ta carry around.¡± Hagrid said and was about to pat him on the back, then remembered Harry falling the last time he did it and stopped.


    ¡°You can use magic.¡± Harry said, unperturbed. ¡°Give me a magic bag.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Harry. I don''t have one.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°Just take a few handfuls and put ''em in yer pockets...¡±


    ¡°Mr. Goblin.¡± Harry said, which surprised the goblin. ¡°Do you have, or can sell me, a magic bag? I need to take more than a few handfuls of my money with me.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡± The goblin said and blew a whistle. A few moments later, another mining cart with another goblin appeared and parked behind their cart.


    ¡°What can I get you?¡±


    ¡°A medium...¡± The goblin started to say.


    ¡°Large.¡± Harry corrected. ¡°Please.¡±


    The goblin gave him another surprised look. Not for the interruption, it was for the ''please''. ¡°A large capacity money bag with a hidden expansion charm and weight canceller.¡±


    ¡°What about an anti-theft charm?¡± The second goblin asked.


    ¡°I would definitely want that.¡± Harry said with a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Both goblins stared at him for a moment, then the second one reversed his cart and disappeared.


    ¡°He will be a few minutes.¡± The first goblin said and closed the vault, then waved at their cart. The three of them hopped in and the goblin took them down another few tracks and ups and downs, then they passed through something like a waterfall.


    Harry didn''t try to cover himself, since he knew there wouldn''t be any danger. The water splashed his face and soaked his clothes for only a second, then he was suddenly completely dry. He also felt a little tired. It had been a long day so far and he hadn''t even bought the things on his list. Also, things seemed to be a bit darker than they were before and he wasn''t enjoying the ride as much.


    They pulled over at another vault and got out. The goblin did something with just his hands and the letter from the headmaster. The envelope disappeared and the vault opened. Inside was a small wrapped bundle, barely the size of someone''s palm.


    ¡°It''s best if yeh don''t talk about this.¡± Hagrid said and stepped into the vault and picked up the thing. It practically disappeared into his giant hand and he slipped it into a pocket. ¡°Hogwarts Business.¡±


    Harry didn''t say anything as Hagrid stepped out and the vault closed. Even though the effects of the aged pepper-up potion had ended, he still knew which pocket Hagrid''s motorcycle keys were in and where the vault bundle was hidden.


    The three of them rode the cart back through the waterfall and went back to Harry''s vault. They only had to wait another couple of minutes for the other goblin.


    ¡°How do I open my vault?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Touch the vault door and think for it to open.¡± The first goblin said.


    Harry did so and the door opened for him. ¡°How much is the bag?¡±


    ¡°Three galleons.¡± The second goblin said.


    ¡°Three galleons!¡± Hagrid nearly yelled. ¡°Why you little...¡±


    Harry scooped up a handful of coins and handed three to the second goblin. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°It''s nice doing business with you.¡± The goblin said and rode away in his cart.


    ¡°It will sort the money into piles for you as well.¡± The first goblin said.


    ¡°Great.¡± Harry said and held the money bag near the closest pile of gold coins and shovelled nearly half of the pile inside. He did the same with the closest pile of silver coins and the closest pile of bronze ones that were right next to the door. ¡°Okay, I think that''s enough.¡± He said and shut the vault, then tied the money bag to his belt. ¡°Can I come back when I want to get more?¡±


    ¡°You can.¡± The goblin said. ¡°I look forward to seeing you again, Mr. Potter.¡±


    Harry reached into the bag and took out a silver coin. ¡°Is this an insult?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to bribe me?¡± The goblin asked with an angry face.


    ¡°I''m just paying for your services.¡± Harry said and put the coin back in the bag.


    ¡°The bank pays me.¡± The goblin said, his voice without inflection.


    ¡°My mistake.¡± Harry said and climbed into the cart. Hagrid followed him and then the goblin climbed in. He didn''t speak further and drove the cart back up to the surface.

 05 The Wand

    Harry and Hagrid were dropped off back at the bank and they walked over to the doorway. Or so Hagrid thought. When he stepped out of the door and asked Harry what he wanted to buy first, the boy didn''t answer. He looked down and didn''t see him, then turned around and looked to see where he could have gone. He eventually saw Harry standing at the end of the line to wait for a teller and walked over to him.


    ¡°Harry, we need ta get going.¡± Hagrid said, a little urgency in his voice. ¡°I need ta get yeh back home so yeh can be back before the Dursleys are.¡± He said. ¡°I also need ta talk ta Dumbledore.¡±


    ¡°I''ll just be a minute.¡± Harry said and the line moved forward. He didn''t notice the looks the other goblins gave him. As fate would have it, the next available teller when it was his turn, was the same goblin that had completed their other business.


    The goblin didn''t react as Harry stepped forward. ¡°Business?¡±


    ¡°I''d like to exchange some gold for English pounds.¡± Harry said.


    The goblin raised his bushy eyebrows slightly. ¡°You want to exchange the most stable currency in the world... gold... for muggle paper money?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± Harry said, to the goblin''s surprise. ¡°What''s the exchange rate?¡±


    The goblin gave him an odd look. ¡°Let me check.¡± He said and took out a large book. ¡°An ounce of gold is currently worth 224 pounds. Since there are 31.1 grams of gold per ounce, that''s 7 pounds, 20 pence.¡± He closed the book. ¡°A galleon is 1.98 grams, therefore the conversion is 14 pounds 26 pence.¡±


    Harry counted out 50 galleons, which barely touched the pile he had inside, and put them on the counter. The goblin counted them again to make sure, then he reached under the counter and pulled out a huge stack of British pound notes in various denominations. He counted out 713 pounds, giving Harry a nice and even mix of low, medium, and high denomination bills, then put 5 pence on top of it.


    Harry took the bills and put them into his money bag and put the pence in his pocket. ¡°Is there a fee for the exchange?¡± He asked. He knew that much about banks in the real world, because Uncle Vernon complained about being screwed over by it when he sold drills overseas.


    ¡°It has been deducted from your vault automatically.¡± The goblin said.


    Harry nodded to the goblin and turned around, then walked away with Hagrid right behind him.


    ¡°What do yeh wanna buy first?¡± Hagrid asked for the second time as he opened the door of the bank.


    ¡°A wand.¡± Harry said. ¡°Then books. Lots of books.¡± He said. At the moment, they were the only things he really wanted.


    ¡°Then yeh''ll be wanting Ollivander''s.¡± Hagrid said and pointed to a dark grungy shop. ¡°Ain''t no better wand maker in alla Britain!¡±


    They entered the shop and an old man that looked crazier than the hair he wore on the top of his head, came out of the back.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Potter. I was wondering when you would come through my door looking for a wand.¡± Ollivander said. ¡°Yes, yes indeed.¡± He said and walked over to Harry. ¡°I just need to take a few measurements and ask a few questions.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Ollivander looked at him as he held out a measuring tape.


    ¡°Why do you need measurements and questions answered? I just want a wand.¡± Harry said.


    Ollivander gave him a slightly surprised look, then he smiled and put the tape away. ¡°Very well. You don''t need the distraction to calm your excitement.¡± He said and then just stared intently at Harry for several minutes.


    Harry didn''t ask him what he was doing, because he knew he wouldn''t be able to make sense of the answer anyway.


    ¡°Hmm. Yes, I believe I have just the thing.¡± Ollivander said and walked over to a large stack of thin boxes and pulled one out of the middle. ¡°Try this.¡±


    Harry opened the box and inside was a pitch black piece of wood with a swirling handle.


    ¡°Well? Give it a wave.¡± Ollivander said and made a motion with his hand.


    Harry took the wand and did the same motion. Dozens of boxes flew off the shelves and several of them broke open and wands of all kinds rolled across the floor.


    ¡°Nope. Nope.¡± Ollivander said and a wand appeared in his hand and swiped at the mess. It reversed and all the wands packed themselves back up and slid back onto the shelves. ¡°All right. Try this one.¡±


    Harry took the light brown stick with a small horse emblem on the handle. He waved it and some kind of glass thing shattered across the room.


    ¡°Hmm. No.¡± Ollivander stood there deep in thought and didn''t bother cleaning the mess up this time.


    ¡°Sir? Why is this happening?¡± Harry asked. ¡°I just want a wand.¡±


    Ollivander smiled. ¡°It''s not as simple as just finding a pretty one and buying it. The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter.¡±


    Harry stood there and listened to the man rave a bit about wands and how they grew with the wizard that used them. He didn''t know how a piece of wood would grow as a person does, then he shrugged. He was pretty sure if he asked, the old man would just say it was magic and to leave it at that.


    Ollivanger went quiet for several moments after saying something about fate, then spoke. ¡°Maybe...¡± He quickly walked away and disappeared in the shelves of wands. He came back a minute later and opened the box he had in his hands. Inside was a long wand that was medium brown. It had a simple handle for easy gripping and a long straight shaft.


    Harry reached into the box. When his hand wrapped around the handle, the box was broken apart and the wrapping fell to the floor. The wand glowed for several moments and he was filled with a tingling sensation and a wind seemed to come from out of somewhere and blew his hair all around.


    ¡°Ah, I thought so.¡± Ollivander said and plucked the wand from Harry''s hand. ¡°I remember every wand I''ve sold, Mr. Potter. It''s curious that the phoenix that donated the feather in that wand has chosen you, since...¡±


    Harry wasn''t listening as his anger at being robbed of his things came to the forefront. Dudley had done that to him so many times over the years that he was sick of it. He quickly stepped forward and plucked the wand out of Ollivander''s hand.


    Ollivander stopped talking and looked quite surprised for a moment, then he looked at how Harry gripped the wand. So possessive of it already? He thought and knew that the wand wouldn''t be so easily taken from him in the future. ¡°I think we all must expect great things from you in the future, Mr. Potter. After all, he who must not...¡±


    ¡°How much is the wand?¡± Harry asked and interrupted him before he started another long story.


    ¡°Seven galleons.¡± Ollivander said and Harry paid for it. ¡°Is there anything else I can get you?¡±


    ¡°Can I buy another wand?¡± Harry asked. It wouldn''t hurt to have a second one, just in case.


    ¡°I''m sorry, but no. It''s against school policy to have more than one wand.¡±


    ¡°What if I don''t go to school?¡± Harry asked and both Ollivander and Hagrid had surprised expressions on their face.


    ¡°By Wizarding Law, you need to complete your education to be deemed safe to wield such a powerful magical item.¡± Ollivander said and motioned to Hagrid. ¡°Just ask him what it means to not have a proper education. When he was expelled, they broke his wand.¡±


    It was Harry''s turn to stare at Hagrid with surprise on his face.


    ¡°I''d rather not talk abou'' tha''.¡± Hagrid said, his face slightly red.


    ¡°Such a shame. Wonderful wand it was. Oak. Sixteen inches. Rather bendy.¡± Ollivander said. ¡°It''s too bad they wouldn''t let you keep it as long as you didn''t use it and took care of it properly.¡±


    Those words rang in Harry''s head. ¡°Sir? How do I take care of the wand properly?¡± He asked, not knowing it was an old salesman''s trick to tell people what they wanted to buy.


    ¡°I''m very glad you asked.¡± Ollivander said and pulled a small book out of somewhere. ¡°This will show you everything you need to know about caring for the most useful tool a witch or wizard has.¡±


    Harry opened the book and the very first thing it said was that he needed a wand maintenance kit. ¡°Sir, do you have...¡±


    Ollivander had the kit in his hands already and Harry was out another five galleons. Ollivander gave him a very nice wooden box for the wand, free of charge, and thanked him for the business.


    Harry left the shop quite happy, because he now owned the most useful tool that a wizard could have.

 06 The Alley Part One

    The next place Hagrid led Harry to was Flourish and Blotts to buy books. Harry had been looking forward to it, ever since he fully accepted that magic was real earlier that day. When they stepped into the shop, the owner already had a small stack of school books for him and he hadn''t had a chance to look around. Luckily, as a student, he had an automatic discount and buying so many books wasn''t very expensive.


    Once he heard that, Harry couldn''t help but look around to see what else was there, much to Hagrid''s chagrin.


    ¡°Harry, yeh gotta hurry. We need ta get back.¡± Hagrid pleaded.


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said and quickly browsed the books that he could see. The room was packed with shelves from floor to ceiling and had books of all different sizes and made from different materials. He didn''t pay attention to that, though. He only read the covers. One particular book stood out and when he reached for it, Hagrid stopped him.


    ¡°It''s best to be tellin'' yeh now.¡± Hagrid said and had a serious look on his face. ¡°As a student, yer not ta be usin'' yer wand ta do magic at home.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Harry asked, shocked.


    ¡°It''s against the law ta use magic in the muggle world, unless under special circumstances.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°There''s still penalties, mind. Still broke the law, see?¡±


    Harry frowned at Hagrid and at the several times he had used magic, and that didn''t include the flying motorcycle. ¡°Can I do magic here?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°Ain''t no one but magic folk around ta see it.¡±


    Harry thought about that. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hagrid looked confused.


    ¡°Why is it okay for kids to do magic here?¡± Harry asked. ¡°I waved my wand and stuff happened. What if I do it at home by mistake?¡±


    ¡°Yeh''ll get in trouble.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°Plus, yeh don''t know any magic yet. Yeh got some trainin'' up ta do before yeh can do anythin''.¡±


    ¡°But, they''ll know I''m a wizard. I have to tell...¡± Harry stopped talking. No, I don''t have to tell them. He thought. I can just say that I was accepted at a boarding school that my mum and dad signed me up for.


    Harry remembered how he had learned things in his old school. It was all repetition and memorization. They used books to teach you and you did what the books said, then they tested you on what you remembered. He nodded and walked over to the counter.


    ¡°How many books do you have on casting spells?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°All you need for your first year is this one.¡± The clerk said and held up the school book called The Standard Book Of Spells Year 1 by Miranda Goshawk.


    ¡°I didn''t ask what I needed. I asked what you have.¡± Harry said. ¡°What about the other books for the other years?¡±


    The clerk gave him a skeptical look. ¡°You won''t be needing them until you reach that year of study.¡±


    Harry was pretty sure the clerk was pulling his leg, because according to Uncle Vernon, everyone wanted to sell their things and make money. ¡°Can I buy them anyway?¡±


    The clerk blinked his eyes for a moment. ¡°I... suppose.¡± He said and turned around to grab six more books and added them to the pile. ¡°There''s no rules against it.¡±


    Harry nodded mentally. The books became thicker for each year and that meant they had a lot more spells in them. ¡°Do you have any books about what wizards can do?¡±


    The clerk nodded. ¡°We have a whole series of books that''s chock full of stories...¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to read about wizards doing things.¡± Harry cut him off. ¡°I want to know what we can do.¡±


    ¡°But...¡± The clerk looked confused and wasn''t sure what to say.


    ¡°Do you have a book with a list of wizard powers?¡± Harry asked.


    The clerk nodded and left the counter for a few minutes. He came back with a book called Powers You Never Knew You Had And What To Do With Them Now That You''ve Wised Up.


    ¡°I want Curses and Counter-Curses, too.¡± Harry said and saw Hagrid flinch a little.


    The clerk came back with the thick book of jinxes and added it to the pile. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any other books like that?¡± Harry asked and pointed to the new book.


    ¡°Only a few.¡± The clerk said and came back with Practical Defensive Magic And Its Use Against The Dark Arts, Self-Defensive Spellwork, Basic Hexes For The Busy And Vexed, and Where There''s A Wand There''s A Way.


    A couple of the books were both large and thick, and Harry almost drooled at them. He was going to learn so much magic from them and he couldn''t wait to get started. He stopped himself before he showed eagerness on his face, however. He had learned not to do that years ago, especially with Dudley around. When Dudley found out that Harry liked something, it was either broken or gone the next day.


    He won''t be doing that to me anymore. Harry thought with satisfaction.


    ¡°Will there be anything else, young man?¡± The clerk asked.


    ¡°I need something to put all these things in.¡± Harry said and looked at the pile of books. There was no way that he was going to be able to carry all of it by himself.


    ¡°They sell trunks at Wiseacre''s Wizarding Equipment.¡± The clerk offered. ¡°It''s just down the alley a ways. You can''t miss it.¡±


    ¡°We''ll be needing ta stop there fer yer scales and telescope anyways, Harry.¡± Hagrid said and looked at the pile of books. ¡°I''ll carry ''em fer yeh until then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Harry said.


    The clerk quickly did up the books into several bundles. One was for the school books for year one, one was for the other school year spell books, and one was for the extra books Harry bought. Hagrid picked them up easily and they left the book shop. They went right down the street to Wiseacre''s and went inside.


    ¡°I''d like a magic trunk, please.¡± Harry said.


    The pretty woman behind the counter gave him a surprised look, then she laughed. ¡°Kids say the darnedest things!¡± She said and smiled widely at Hagrid. ¡°Your son is just the most precious thing!¡±


    Hagrid''s face turned red at the compliment, even though Harry wasn''t his son. ¡°Blimey.¡± He said. ¡°This here''s Harry. He''ll be needing his school things.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The woman said and quickly retrieved the cheapest scales and telescope she had.


    ¡°No.¡± Harry said, because even he could see that they were shabby. He was done with having shabby things and making due with hand-me-downs. ¡°Show me the best ones you have.¡±


    The woman''s bright smile dimmed a little as she looked at Hagrid''s patchwork clothes. ¡°I''m sure that...¡±


    ¡°He''s not my father.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''m buying them with my own money.¡±


    The woman''s smile faded away as she looked at his baggy clothes. ¡°These items are...¡±


    ¡°If you won''t sell me what I want, is there somewhere else I can buy them?¡± Harry asked her.


    The woman frowned. ¡°No. This is the only shop that sells wizarding equipment.¡±


    ¡°Then give me the expensive ones.¡± Harry said and pushed the cheap ones aside.


    The woman''s frown deepened and decided that she would shock the poor boy with the best and most expensive scales and the most powerful telescope that she had. She left the counter for several minutes and came back with a large wooden box. She put it on the counter and left again. She came back with a one foot square box and set it on top of the other one.


    ¡°These are the most accurate scales that have ever existed.¡± The woman said and opened the smaller box to show off the golden colored and glittering mechanism. Even the most pure blood and richest families balk at the price of it. She thought. ¡°It''s auto levelling and even has enchantments to be unbreakable and unscratchable.¡±


    Harry nodded acceptance and she moved the box aside and opened the large one.


    ¡°This is the largest and most powerful telescope ever made. It has every option available and there are only three of them in existence. One is in my own personal observatory, one is owned by the renowned astrologer Aurora Sinistra. She is currently a professor at Hogwarts.¡± She said. ¡°This is the third one.¡±


    ¡°I''ll take it.¡± Harry said and reached into his money bag. ¡°I''ll need a set of crystal vials, too.¡±


    ¡°Young man, I''m not sure that you understand how much...¡± The woman gasped when Harry took out several handfuls of galleons and started counting them.


    ¡°Seven for the vials.¡± Harry said and passed them to her. ¡°How much are the scales?¡±


    ¡°T-t-twenty five galleons and ten sickles.¡± The woman said, her face red from embarrassment for the outrageous price, because the normal brass scales were only three galleons.


    ¡°That''s all?¡± Harry asked and counted out the right amount and left it on the counter. ¡°What about the telescope?¡±


    ¡°It... it''s eighty five galleons and fifteen sickles.¡±


    Harry gave her a skeptical look. ¡°Are you sure this is the most expensive one?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, it is.¡± The woman said and handed over a set of crystal vials as Harry counted out the money for the telescope.

 07 The Alley Part Two

    ¡°What about a trunk?¡± Harry asked the woman. ¡°Do you sell them?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The woman said and pointed at the side of the room. ¡°You can get various styles and...¡±


    ¡°Do they have spells on them to make more room inside?¡± Harry asked.


    The woman remembered the very first question he had asked and sighed at her flippant response. ¡°No, they don''t have extension charms cast on them.¡±


    ¡°Then how do students get all of their things to school?¡± Harry asked and looked at the trunks. ¡°The telescope is going to take up a lot of room inside.¡±


    ¡°I... don''t know what to tell you.¡± The woman said. Of all the years she had been selling equipment, no one had asked her how they were going to carry their odd sized things inside a standard steamer trunk. It was only 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, and almost a foot and a half high.


    ¡°Is there somewhere I can have the trunk fixed?¡± Harry asked. ¡°I haven''t seen the cauldron yet; but, I''m sure it''s going to be heavy. I won''t be able to move the trunk on my own.¡±


    The woman wasn''t sure what to say. She knew a few people that could perform the charm fairly well and she could have one of them do it. The only problem was that it was unreliable unless you were very skilled and knowledgeable. She also couldn''t sell something that wasn''t guaranteed, because she could lose her license.


    ¡°Never mind.¡± Harry said, to her surprise. ¡°I''ll take the solid black trunk.¡±


    The woman retrieved it and Harry paid her, then he tried to put as many things in it as he could. He managed to get the three bundles of books, the scales, his wand care kit, and the case with the crystal vials into it. He tried to put the telescope in and the box was just a little too high to close the lid.


    ¡°Hagrid? Could you carry it for me?¡± Harry asked as he took the telescope out and closed it.


    ¡°Sure thing, Harry.¡± Hagrid said and picked the trunk up and tucked it under his arm. ¡°Where ta next?¡±


    ¡°Back to the bank.¡± Harry said with a smile and carried the telescope. A dejected Hagrid followed behind him and they went back down the street and went into the bank. They stood in line and once again, whether by plan or fate, Harry had the same goblin serve him.


    ¡°Is it magic that lets you keep serving me?¡± Harry asked.


    The goblin gave Harry an inquisitive look. ¡°You can tell?¡±


    ¡°It''s the same teller booth and you''re the same goblin.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°How do you know I''m the same goblin?¡±


    ¡°It''s your bushy eyebrows.¡± Harry said. ¡°They look like big grey caterpillars.¡±


    The goblin looked surprised for a moment, then he smiled. ¡°What is your business?¡±


    ¡°I like the money bag a lot.¡± Harry said. ¡°Will it always keep the charms on it?¡±


    ¡°Are you questioning the work of a goblin?¡± The goblin asked in a flat voice and a complete hush fell across the entire bank. No one spoke or moved.


    ¡°No. I just want to know how long they last.¡± Harry said and sound resumed all across the bank. ¡°If it lasts a long time, I want to give you more work.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± The goblin asked, curious.


    ¡°My trunk is too small for my school things.¡± Harry said. ¡°I want the same enchantments as the money bag. An extension charm, a weight canceller, and anti-theft.¡±


    The goblin looked at the trunk. ¡°Yes, I see the problem. You can''t fit the telescope inside with your other things.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I haven''t bought the cauldron, the potions kit, or any of my clothes. I need a lot more space.¡± He said, then he sighed. ¡°I''m also small and weak.¡± He admitted. ¡°I can''t carry it by myself.¡±


    The goblin blew his whistle and another goblin came over to him. ¡°We have a private commission.¡±


    ¡°Oh, goody!¡± The second goblin said. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A trunk that has to have the same charms as a money bag.¡± The clerk goblin said.


    ¡°Oooo!¡± The second goblin said, excitedly. ¡°I''ll get started right away!¡±


    They walked over to the side of the room and Hagrid put the trunk down. Harry emptied it onto the floor as close to the wall as possible to keep the things out of the way, then the second goblin somehow made the trunk float in the air and ran off with it.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    ¡°Goblin magic.¡± The clerk goblin said. ¡°Wizards have a spell called Locomotor that does the same thing.¡±


    Harry had to look up that spell as soon as he could. ¡°Can I ask how long...¡±


    The second goblin came running back with the trunk floating behind him. ¡°Whew! It took some doing; but, I did it.¡± He said and braced his hands on his hips and struck what Harry thought was a hero pose.


    ¡°Very good.¡± The clerk goblin said.


    ¡°Well?¡± The second goblin looked at Harry. ¡°Go ahead and open it!¡±


    Harry opened the top and gawked at the inside. It was the size of a small room at ten feet by ten feet.


    ¡°I couldn''t get much more out of it, I''m afraid.¡± The second goblin said, disappointment in his voice. ¡°Now, if it was made with some magical materials, I''m sure I could get it out to a nice two bedroom apartment. You would need a magical plumber to handle the bathroom though. I don''t do bathrooms.¡±


    Harry just stared at the goblin, shocked.


    ¡°I hope it''s big enough.¡± The second goblin said, a little worried. ¡°I only put in a single set of shelves for your books, too. You''ll need to add another one if you get more books.¡±


    Those words took Harry out of his stunned state. ¡°It''s even better than I thought.¡± He said. ¡°How much...¡±


    ¡°It has already been deducted from your vault.¡± The clerk goblin said.


    Harry opened up the book bundles and wondered how to get them into the trunk without stepping in.


    ¡°Just drop them.¡± The second goblin said. ¡°It''s the same as a money bag and sorts them.¡±


    Harry let the books drop into the trunk. The books sorted themselves and landed in the bookshelf. ¡°I love magic.¡± He said and quickly put the rest of his things in and they landed softly.


    ¡°Our business is concluded.¡± The clerk goblin said and the two goblins left.


    Harry closed the trunk with a grin on his face. When he grabbed the handle and lifted, the trunk was as light as a feather and he could easily carry it. He let out a laugh and several people turned to look at him. He coughed to cover it and then he and Hagrid left the bank quickly. The trunk didn''t slow them down at all.


    They stopped at Potage''s Cauldron shop and bought the standard size two cauldron. Harry had been right and the thing was heavy. At least, it was until he put it in his trunk. They left there and went to the Apothecary and bought the first year basic potion ingredients kit. Harry immediately asked if he could buy the other kits for the other years and received a very distinct no. He would need training in handling such dangerous materials before the man behind the counter would sell them.


    The last place Harry needed to stop at was Madam Malkin''s Robes For All Occasions. He had to stand still for several minutes while a witch hummed and hawed at his large and baggy clothes.


    ¡°If you have a dressing room, I can take these off.¡± Harry offered.


    ¡°That''s all right. My magic tape can measure you even if you''re wearing a tent.¡± Madam Malkin said. ¡°I''m just a bit disgusted at the state of your clothes.¡± She said and stood up. ¡°You are going to look very sharp and handsome in some proper robes.¡±


    Harry''s face flushed red at the compliment, just like Hagrid''s had in the other shop. ¡°Blimey.¡± He used Hagrid''s response and she laughed.


    ¡°Wait here and I''ll be back with your school robes, young man.¡± Madam Malkin said and walked into the back of the shop.


    Harry''s face stayed red for the several minutes that the shop owner was gone. No one had ever called him handsome, ever, and he wasn''t sure what to do about it.


    Madam Malkin came out of the back room and she had three sets of work robes and a thick winter cloak. ¡°Here we are, young man.¡± She said and held the robes out for him.


    ¡°Um... ma''am.¡± Harry''s face was still red as he opened his trunk. ¡°I... also need... gloves.¡± He said and took the robes.


    Madam Malkin was enjoying flustering the lad and she smiled warmly at him. ¡°You''re not the first student I''ve had my hands on, young man.¡± She said and rubbed her hand through his hair. ¡°I have them behind the counter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Harry said and dropped the robes into the trunk.


    Madam Malkin gasped at the shabby treatment of her clothes and darted forward to grab them... then she stared with an open mouth at the inside of the humongous trunk. Her eyes saw the neatly folded robes beside the bookshelf and she stood up straight.


    ¡°Young man.¡± Madam Malkin said. ¡°If you get your long and unruly hair cut and wear my robes proudly, I would be grateful if you could give me a portrait to hang on my wall.¡±


    ¡°Get my hair cut?¡± Harry asked. It never occurred to him to chop off the hair that his aunt and uncle hated looking at with a passion. He just accepted that he had unruly hair and left it at that. He nodded wordlessly and she smiled warmly at him as she stepped forward and gave him a hug.


    ¡°You''re a good boy.¡± Madam Malkin said and let him go. ¡°I''ll get those gloves for you.¡±


    ¡°O-o-okay.¡± Harry said, his face beet red. He had never been hugged like that before.


    Madam Malkin came back with the best pair of dragon-hide gloves she carried and also gave him the pointed hat that all first years wore to distinguish them from the other students.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said and paid her for everything and left the shop, then he and Hagrid walked down Diagon Alley towards the exit.

 08 The Makeover

    As Harry and Hagrid walked down Diagon Alley to leave, a bright and colorful woman stepped out in front of them and they had to stop to let her pass.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Madam Primpernelle!¡± The practically glowing woman said and then almost ran down the street as she laughed. ¡°Look at me! I''m beautiful!¡±


    ¡°I think she might have taken a nip ''er two.¡± Hagrid said, and another woman laughed.


    ¡°She''s not drunk. She''s just so happy to have a nasty scar removed.¡± A well dressed woman, by witch standards, stood in the doorway of the shop the happy woman had just come out of.


    ¡°I... ah... wuz just jokin'', Madam Primpernelle. Just jokin''.¡± Hagrid said.


    ¡°Did you say she had a nasty scar removed?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Madam Primpernelle said and waved at her sign. Madam Primpernelle''s Beautifying Potions. ¡°She saw my add in the Daily Prophet and came to me, desperate for help.¡± She said with a beaming smile. ¡°I have everything to remove warts and worse.¡±


    ¡°What about a scar that I''ve had since I was a baby?¡± Harry asked and lifted his hair out of the way.


    Madam Primpernelle gasped at it and stepped out of her shop, took his hand, and pulled him inside.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Hagrid started to go in and the door slammed in his face.


    ¡°You''re Harry Potter.¡± Madam Primpernelle said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Harry said, then he frowned. ¡°Wait, how do you know who I am? We''ve never met.¡±


    Madam Primpernelle smiled and sat him down at a little table and sat down across from him. ¡°Everyone in the wizarding world knows who you are, because you''re famous.¡± She said and took out her wand.


    Harry flinched when she pointed it at his face.


    ¡°It''s all right.¡± Madam Primpernelle said in a reassuring voice and took his hand. ¡°I''m merely using a detection spell to see what potion I can use to cover up that scar.¡±


    Harry was nervous; but, he had to admit that getting rid of the evidence of a childhood accident was a good idea. His aunt told him that he had fallen as a baby and gashed his head open on a glass coffee table. Because he was so clumsy, that was why she didn''t have a glass coffee table anymore.


    Harry felt a slight tingle on his forehead as the wand''s tip glowed, then he saw the woman frown.


    ¡°That can''t be right.¡± Madam Primpernelle whispered and reached into a pocket and pulled out one of her generic potions. ¡°Drink this.¡±


    Harry remembered Hagrid giving him that other potion and looked at the one in her hand.


    ¡°It''s only a basic clear the skin potion.¡± Madam Primpernelle said. ¡°It only removes slight skin blemishes and freckles.¡±


    ¡°Why should I drink it?¡± Harry asked as he looked at his hands.


    Madam Primpernelle smiled. ¡°It only lasts a month and then you''ll need another dose. If I made the effects permanent, no one would ever come back to buy more.¡± She said. ¡°I just want to see if it will affect you with my detection spell active.¡±


    Harry popped the cork and smelled it. It smelled a bit of roses and lilacs, like Aunt Petunia''s flower beds, so he drank it.


    ¡°Yes, that''s a good boy.¡± Madam Primpernelle said. ¡°Now to see what...¡± Her eyes widened as the potion she had taken years to perfect, worked on Harry like it was supposed to... except for on the scar.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Harry asked and looked at his hands again. He was surprised that they were a little bit smoother and a few of the little skin marks had disappeared. ¡°Is the scar gone?¡±


    ¡°No, and that''s the problem.¡± Madam Primpernelle said and took out another potion in a glass vial. ¡°This is one of my better blemish removing potions.¡± She said. ¡°It has a manual spell component, so as you drink it, I''ll cast the spell, too.¡±


    Harry wasn''t hurt by the last one, so he popped the cork and upended the bottle. His whole body tingled as Madam Primpernelle cast whatever spell it was, then the glow on her wand reappeared and made his forehead tingle again. After several moments, she huffed.


    ¡°I''ll be right back.¡± Madam Primpernelle said and left him sitting there at the small table.


    There were several bangs and Harry turned his head to look at Hagrid, who waved for him to hurry up.


    ¡°All right.¡± Madam Primpernelle said and rushed back to the small table and sat. ¡°This is my best and most powerful one. I perfected it only last year and the patents at the Ministry of Magic are still pending... but... this is an emergency.¡±


    Harry''s mind was almost blown as he heard that there was a Ministry of Magic. He had watched the British Ministry several times on the television with Uncle Vernon, who enjoyed their shouting matches so much that he usually joined in and threw things like the members of parliament did. Of course, Harry now imagined them using wands and casting spells instead of throwing insults and notebooks.


    ¡°It''s going to taste like mouldy cheese, so I hope you have a strong stomach.¡± Madam Primpernelle said and handed him a large crystal vial.


    Mouldy cheese? I''ve eaten that loads of times. Harry thought and drank the potion without a second thought. It hit his stomach and thankfully, it was still empty. The potion hit the stomach lining and was immediately absorbed into his bloodstream and was dispersed throughout his body. The skin all over his body bubbled and swelled, deflated, then swelled again.


    ¡°Whals ahhpenin?¡± Harry mumbled through huge lips.


    ¡°What''s happening?¡± Madam Primpernelle asked and he nodded. ¡°Your body is morphing and changing as it remembers what it used to look like, then it will regrow the skin you had as a baby.¡±


    Harry''s distorted mouth dropped open and she laughed at the sight.


    ¡°It''s almost over, so you''re going to be fine.¡± Madam Primpernelle said. ¡°I normally wouldn''t recommend this for someone so young, since it''s quite an ordeal to...¡±


    Harry''s skin split like a snake and then it flopped off of him and onto the floor. He knew it was magic, because he was still wearing his clothing and they weren''t holding the skin in. In the next moment, new skin bubbled up and replaced the cast off skin.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Madam Primpernelle said loudly and was about to jump for joy when she saw something that took the wind out of her.


    ¡°Arrrghhh.¡± Harry groaned as a lightning shaped scar was burned into the skin of his forehead. From underneath.


    ¡°That''s no ordinary scar.¡± Madam Primpernelle said and sat back. ¡°All right. Removing it won''t work.¡± She said and thought about it. ¡°Let''s try a few concealing spells and maybe a nice skin cream.¡±


    For the next twenty minutes, Madam Primpernelle worked as hard as she ever had and did everything she knew to try and cover the scar. She was saddened that only the physical skin cream worked. She easily mixed up a batch that matched Harry''s skin color perfectly and gave it to him.


    ¡°You saw what I did to cover it, so do that every morning and no one will ever know you have a scar.¡± Madam Primpernelle said. ¡°That large tub should last you about ten years and it never goes bad.¡±


    Harry looked at the half-sized bucket. ¡°Thank you.¡± He said and put it in his trunk. ¡°How much for...¡±


    ¡°All I will charge you is your forgiveness.¡± Madam Primpernelle let out a sigh. ¡°Never once, in all my years, have I ever failed to remove, conceal, or hide anything that dealt with the body.¡±


    Harry remembered what she said when she dragged him into the shop. ¡°I''m famous.¡±


    Madam Primpernelle caught her breath and then she let out a laugh. ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°Dear boy, thank you.¡± She took his hand again. ¡°You''ve reminded me that you''re a singular existence.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡± Harry asked, confused.


    ¡°There''s only one of you, and after what you did...¡± Madam Primpernelle shook her head. ¡°I shouldn''t use the great Harry Potter as my measuring stick for failure.¡±


    ¡°I''m great?¡± Harry asked, even more confused.


    Madam Primpernelle blinked her eyes for a moment, then she realized what was going on. ¡°Dear boy, I think it''s time that someone told you why every witch and wizard in the country knows your name.¡±


    Ten minutes later, Harry stepped out of Madam Primpernelle''s shop and took several breaths.


    ¡°Yeh look a little lost, Harry.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°Are yeh all righ''?¡±


    Behind them, a piece of paper with Harry''s face on it was stuck onto the glass. The two of them turned to read it.


    The Boy Who Lived Was Treated Here! Come In And See What He Tried Out! You Can Own It, Too!


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry said and looked up at the giant man with a smile. ¡°I''m going to be all right.¡±


    The two of them walked on and several people passed them without a second glance. When they saw Madam Primpernelle''s window, however... several of them entered immediately.


    *


    The clerk goblin that had served Harry the few times he had been there, felt a little shiver as a few silver sickles and then a galleon passed into Mr. Potter''s vault.


    I knew it was a good idea to request assignment to him. The clerk goblin thought, then smiled as more and more sickles and galleons passed into the vault. Each shiver he felt gave him several bronze knuts for transaction fees. Make that a great idea. He thought and continued his work. The constant shivers were a balm to his heart and to his vault.

 09 The Start

    Hagrid led Harry out through the opening in the brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron. It shifted closed behind them and they went in the back door of the bar. Inside were several brightly robed wizards and they were using various spells on the dust pile. A few others were talking to the customers and writing things down.


    ¡°There he is!¡± Tom the bartender said and pointed. Everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing and looked at Hagrid and Harry. Hagrid immediately took Harry into a hug and bent over slightly. Harry almost completely disappeared from sight inside the large open coat that draped over him.


    One of the bright robed wizards walked over to them. ¡°Everyone here believes that boy is responsible for the death of a man.¡± He said in a stern voice and glared at Harry''s back, as if willing him to admit to being a murderer.


    ¡°Now, jus'' a minute. Yeh can''t jus'' go accusing a kid of...¡± Hagrid started to say when Harry mumbled. ¡°Whassat?¡± He asked and let Harry go.


    ¡°I said I''m not.¡± Harry said and turned around to face the wizard. ¡°No one else died touching me, so I know it wasn''t me.¡±


    The wizard looked surprised by the answer. ¡°You... but they said...¡±


    ¡°Ask them all.¡± Harry motioned to everyone. ¡°Even the bar man shook my hand several times and he''s fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, that''s true.¡± Tom said, a little sheepishly.


    ¡°I''ve touched a few people since then, too.¡± Harry said as he remembered the hug Madam Malkin had given him and his face flushed slightly red.


    ¡°Maybe he was... ah... allergic to muggle clothing or something?¡± Hagrid offered. ¡°Professor Quirrell was an odd duck, ta be sure.¡±


    ¡°He''s nothing but a pile of ash, for Merlin''s sake!¡± The wizard said, heatedly.


    ¡°No, he''s a ghost.¡± Harry said. ¡°A big cloudy thing with a face.¡± He took a breath and made his face look bloated. ¡°Like this.¡±


    The wizard just stared at him. ¡°Are... are you joking?¡±


    ¡°Nope. It scared me so much that...¡± Harry stopped talking. ¡°I''m glad I didn''t need to pee.¡±


    Hagrid looked at the other eye witnesses. ¡°They didn''t tell yeh that?¡±


    A few of them turned away and none of them spoke.


    ¡°It''s true.¡± Hagrid said and held his hand up. ¡°It was this high and it howled and flew out the door.¡±


    The wizard frowned. ¡°No, no one told us that.¡± He said. ¡°Would you be willing to testify...¡±


    ¡°I''ll be tellin'' Headmaster Dumbledore all about it as soon as I drop Harry off at home.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°I woulda told ''im already if Harry hadn''t taken so long gettin'' his school things.¡±


    The wizard had to agree that the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot was the best lie detector that could ever exist, so he nodded. ¡°I''ll contact him later about this.¡±


    ¡°Tha''s fine. I''ll only be an hour and I''ll be heading back to the castle.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°Come on, Harry.¡±


    Harry was led out of the bar and over to Hagrid''s motorcycle. He easily put the trunk into the sidecar with him, now that Hagrid''s coat wasn''t taking up most of the space. Luckily, the rain had let up and it was only cloudy.


    I didn''t think about buying an umbrella. Harry thought and looked at Hagrid''s. ¡°Hagrid, where did you get your umbrella?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hagrid looked at Harry and seemed to be preoccupied about something. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your umbrella. Where did you get it?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Oh! I... ah... found it.¡± Hagrid said, his face slightly red and he patted more of his pockets. ¡°I jus'' wish I could find the blasted keys.¡±


    Harry pulled them out of his pocket. ¡°You mean these? I found them.¡± He said and held them up.


    ¡°Ah! Yer a lifesaver, Harry.¡± Hagrid took them and climbed onto the motorcycle. He put the key in and turned it, hit several buttons on the gas tank, and it started with a rumbling roar. ¡°I don''t know what I woulda done if''n I''d lost them keys.¡± He said and they flew up into the air.


    ¡°Drop me off at the end of the street.¡± Harry said when they approached Privet Drive. ¡°I think that''s Uncle Vernon''s car in the driveway.¡±


    Hagrid mumbled something that sounded like a curse. ¡°I wanted ta get yeh home before them.¡±


    ¡°It''s okay. I''ll sneak in the back and they''ll never know I was gone.¡± Harry lied. He knew full well that he would be immediately assaulted as soon as he stepped into the house, because he wasn''t allowed to be seen outdoors.


    ¡°Good thinkin''.¡± Hagrid said and flew all the way down the other end of the street and came in for a landing. ¡°There yeh go.¡± He said and came to a stop. ¡°Do yeh need a hand with yer trunk?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡± Harry said and stepped out of the sidecar and put his trunk on the ground. He had been watching the people on the street and none of them saw them land, to his surprise. They could still hear the roar of the engine and looked around, except they thought the thunder sound was coming from the sky and looked there, just like he did at first.


    ¡°Oh before I ferget.¡± Hagrid said and searched his pockets for something, then he smiled and pulled out a small envelope. ¡°That''s yer ticket fer the school train.¡±


    ¡°For the what?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°The train.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°On September first, head ta the train station and take the Hogwarts Express.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to do that?¡± Harry asked. ¡°I haven''t been allowed out of the house except for school.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry. Yeh''ll figure it out. Yer eleven now, after all.¡± Hagrid said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry looked at him in confusion. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°It''s yer birthday.¡± Hagrid said, then he grunted and slapped a giant hand over his face. ¡°I fergot ta buy yeh a present.¡± He said and started to rummage through the lower pockets of his coat. ¡°Ah, here it is. I nearly fergot this, too.¡± He pulled out a fairly large box. ¡°I''m afraid I might have sat on it once ''er twice.¡±


    Harry opened the partially squished box and inside was a slightly compressed birthday cake with his name on it. ¡°Um... I think there''s been a mistake.¡± He said. ¡°My birthday isn''t until Christmas.¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡± Hagrid looked at him in surprise. ¡°Didya say Christmas?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Dudley told me once that it was great, because they only had to give me presents once a year and not twice.¡± He said and then mumbled. ¡°I could have used the extra cleaning supplies and sponges, though.¡±


    Hagrid stared at the boy and wasn''t sure what to say. The words coming out of his mouth didn''t make sense. His birthday on Christmas? Cleaning supplies as presents? He shook his head to try and get the ridiculous words out of his head, then he decided what to say.


    ¡°Yer birthday is today, July thirty-first, not Christmas. That''s why I came with yer letter. When yeh turn eleven, yeh gets yer letter.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°I''ll be tellin'' Dumbledore about alla this, be sure about that.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure what to say.


    ¡°I''ll be sending yeh a gift later, so be expecting it.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°Keep yer window open.¡±


    ¡°There''s no window in the cupboard.¡± Harry huffed. ¡°You saw it. There''s barely a door.¡±


    Hagrid opened his mouth to say that owls were magic, then sighed. ¡°I''ll thinka something.¡± He said and looked at the envelope in Harry''s hand. ¡°Remember your ticket, Harry. Stick to your ticket.¡±


    Harry opened his trunk and put the cake and the envelope inside. ¡°September first, train station.¡±


    Hagrid nodded. ¡°I better be goin''.¡± He said and Harry stepped back out of the way. The motorcycle revved up and then shot up into the sky with the loud thunder sound. Both faded away a few moments later and Harry was left alone on the street.


    Which was exactly what he wanted.


    Harry had learned as much of the neighbourhood layout as he could while staying on the strict path that his aunt and uncle had given him to walk to and from school, so he picked up his trunk and headed out that way. As he walked, he kept looking around to see if there was a taxi. He knew they would take him anywhere he wanted to go and he had a few things that he wanted to do.


    Harry was only five streets away from Privet Drive when he heard a shout.


    ¡°Oi! There he is!¡± A boy''s voice exclaimed.


    Harry turned to see one of Dudley''s friends was at the other end of the street. He knew he didn''t have a lot of time now, so he took off running. He was very grateful that the trunk was so light, because he would have had to drop it otherwise. Unfortunately, he was still small and weak, so running full out was draining what little strength he had.


    Please! Please! Harry thought desperately and started to run out of breath. Let there be a taxi! Please!


    Harry''s steps slowed down and he couldn''t seem to catch is breath. He barely trotted across another street when a horn honked. It startled him and he jumped, then he almost shouted in joy. It was a taxi! He waved at it and climbed into the back, dropped his trunk on the floor, and flopped onto his back on the seat.


    ¡°I wasn''t offering a ride, kid.¡± The driver said. ¡°I nearly hit you.¡±


    ¡°Take... me to... store.¡± Harry panted.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± The driver asked and turned around to look at him.


    ¡°G-go. Go. Bullies... chasing me.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°You know you should confront them and...¡±


    Harry took out a ten pound note. ¡°Store.¡±


    The driver sighed and took the tenner, then put on the signal to take a turn instead of going home. ¡°What store?¡± He asked and drove around the corner.


    Harry almost laughed as he saw Dudley and the others running by the spot he just was. ¡°I need a hair cut.¡± He said and laid back down. ¡°And clothes.¡± He took a breath. ¡°And a ladder.¡±


    The driver laughed. ¡°Okay, kid. Whatever you say.¡±

 10 The Downtown

    The taxi drove Harry to his first destination, a barber shop. Harry hadn''t been out into the downtown area before, so he looked around like he was a tourist that was visiting a new and wonderful place.


    ¡°Geez, kid. You''re rubbernecking pretty quickly there.¡± The driver said. ¡°Haven''t you been around here before?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Harry said, his face pressed to the glass and his slightly sore eyes took in everything.


    ¡°You''re gonna hurt yourself if you keep it up.¡± The driver said and parked. ¡°I didn''t take you far for a whole tenner, so I''ll wait and take you somewhere else. Then I have to get home to eat.¡±


    Harry nodded and opened the door, grabbed his trunk, and stepped out. He walked over to the shop with the Barber sign and went inside. It was practically deserted, since a lot of people were like the taxi driver and were heading home to eat.


    ¡°Hey, kid.¡± A grizzled older man said and walked over to him while cleaning a pair of scissors with a cloth. ¡°Are you looking for someone?¡± He asked. ¡°A parent, maybe?¡±


    ¡°No. I need a haircut.¡± Harry responded.


    The barber gave his head a glance and chuckled. ¡°Son, you needed a haircut a long time ago. Now? The bush on your head needs a good trimming.¡± He waved to one of the chairs. ¡°Hop on and I''ll give you a lift.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry looked at the older man in confusion.


    ¡°Climb aboard and you''ll see.¡± The barber said and walked over to the chair in question. ¡°You can put your trunk by the wall there.¡± He waved and then put the scissors down and picked up an electric hair cutter.


    Harry walked over to the wall and put the trunk down and went over to the chair. He climbed on and he could clearly see the trunk. He nodded slightly and the old man turned to him with a smile.


    ¡°Here we go.¡± The older man said and started to push on a foot pedal beside the chair. The chair rose up from the floor quickly and he stopped it at the right height for him to work. ¡°Quite a ride, isn''t it?¡±


    Harry just nodded, because he didn''t have the heart to tell the man that he had flown through the air on a motorcycle less than ten minutes ago.


    The old man started the electric clippers and Harry eyed them warily. ¡°Don''t worry, I''m just taking off the thick matted parts.¡±


    Harry nodded and the man started to hum to the soft music playing in the background and started to take swipes at Harry''s unruly hair. The pile on the floor grew as the man worked, then he gave a satisfied sigh and nodded.


    ¡°All right, I''m at a good starting base now. What kind of cut do you want?¡±


    Harry opened his mouth to say, then realized that he had no clue what he wanted.


    The older man laughed. ¡°I''ve got a good picture book for what you can get. Do you want to look?¡±


    Harry nodded and the man went to the counter and came back with a small booklet. He opened it and looked at the different styles that were available and his eyes hurt some more.


    ¡°You better not ask me for a Mohawk or anything else crazy.¡± The man said with a smile. ¡°Do you see anything you like?¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure.¡± Harry said. ¡°I need to dress up for a portrait and she only said to get a haircut.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see.¡± The older man said and flipped a couple of the pages. ¡°This is the best look for standing out in a picture.¡± He said and showed Harry a short haircut that was buzzed halfway up his head and left a half decent amount of hair on top. ¡°It can be styled after that, slicked down, parted, or just left to flow around all willy-nilly like.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I''m going to assume you''ll do the last, since your hair doesn''t look like it''s ever been combed.¡±


    ¡°I''ve never had a comb.¡± Harry said, to the man''s surprise. ¡°Okay, I''ll get this cut.¡±


    ¡°Take off your glasses and I''ll get to work.¡± The old man said and changed the head on the electric clippers to make it as short as possible. ¡°I better give you a quick wash, too. Just in case.¡±


    Harry took off his glasses and put them in his pocket. To his surprise, his eyes stopped hurting and he blinked them and rubbed them. His mouth dropped open slightly as he looked at his reflection in the mirror that was almost ten feet away and the Harry that sat there wasn''t blurry!


    I''m not wearing my glasses and I can still see! Harry exclaimed in his head, shocked.


    The older man didn''t notice Harry''s reaction and hummed as he worked. After a quick shampoo, rinse, and dry, the man started cutting. It only took ten minutes for the man to finish the stylish haircut and to give him another quick wash and dry. Harry almost didn''t recognize himself in the reflection. Instead of the wavy mess that used to be on his head, he now had a half fade and a nice tuft of hair on the top.


    ¡°Yep, you look great with your hair like that.¡± The older man said. ¡°I bet your gonna be real handsome in any portrait you''re in.¡±


    Harry remembered that Madam Malkin''s words were almost identical to that and nodded. ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Just a ten pound note.¡± The older man said. ¡°I really shouldn''t charge you that much, being it''s your first time and all.¡± He sighed and waved at the empty store. ¡°I need to make a living.¡±


    Harry nodded and handed over the money. ¡°How long will it last?¡±


    ¡°In three months, the sides and back will start getting too long to keep the right shape for the look.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''m going to... boarding school and I''ll try to come back by then.¡±


    ¡°Or find someone to maintain it for you if you can''t come back.¡± The older man said and handed Harry his very first comb. ¡°I won''t mind losing a customer as long as you keep your hair done up right.¡±


    Harry nodded and put the comb in his back pocket, picked up his trunk, and left the barber shop. The taxi was waiting there and the driver gave Harry an approving nod.


    ¡°Looking good, kid.¡± The driver said. ¡°Where to next?¡±


    ¡°Is there a mall or something? I need better clothes than these.¡± Harry said and plucked at the dirty and baggy t-shirt he wore.


    ¡°Do you even know what you want to buy?¡± The driver asked, his voice full of skepticism.


    Harry thought he did, then doubted that he did. ¡°I need... jeans and... shirts? No, t-shirts.¡±


    The driver shook his head. ¡°My wife is going to kill me.¡± He said and sighed. ¡°Come on. Get in.¡±


    Harry climbed in the back and put the trunk down. The driver pulled away from the curb and drove to one of the large strip malls. There were lots of stores there that someone could buy clothes from.


    ¡°How much money do you have?¡± The driver asked.


    Harry was pretty sure that he didn''t want to tell him the full amount, so he pretended to look through his money bag. ¡°Um... a hundred and... thirty pounds... and five pence.¡±


    The driver didn''t quite gasp at the amount; but, he did make another car honk their horn at him for drifting across the center line. ¡°Sorry!¡± He waved out the window. Damn, I can''t be distracted like that. He thought. ¡°All right. That''s a bit more than I thought you would have.¡± He said and glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Harry''s frown. ¡°It must be birthday money or something, right?¡±


    Harry''s face brightened at the excuse. ¡°Yes! Today''s my birthday!¡± He said. ¡°I got a cake, too!¡±


    ¡°Well, happy birthday.¡± The driver said. ¡°When we stop, I just have to call home for a minute.¡±


    Harry nodded and went back to looking out the window at all of the things he had never seen before. He really liked that he didn''t need his glasses anymore. It was then that Madam Primpernelle''s words came back to him. ''I wouldn''t have any return business if my products made things permanent''.


    Harry knew that he would have to somehow ask her about how often he would need to come back for another dose of her special potion.


    *


    Albus was beside himself. He had done so much meticulous planning and arranging things to have certain events play out, and now he had a nearly inconsolable grounds keeper telling him all about how Professor Quirrell had become nothing but a dust pile. And a ghost.


    Albus didn''t sigh out loud and he didn''t drop his head into his hands to lament the loss of having Voldemort escape from his clutches again. If Quirrell had stayed alive and assumed the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position, Albus would have had a whole year to prep and plan for their future encounter, because he knew it was coming.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t predict the circumstances with Voldemort''s current vessel destroyed. Albus would have to adapt what he had planned to test Harry Potter''s mettle. He didn''t know what he was going to do as a replacement, however.


    ¡°Headmaster, are yeh gonna do anything about them Dursleys?¡± Hagrid asked and blew his nose into a handkerchief that was nearly the size of a tablecloth. ¡°They''ve been doing harm to Harry! He didn''t even know when is birthday was and they give him cleaning things as presents!¡±


    Albus sighed. ¡°Hagrid, you know we can''t interfere with a muggle family.¡±


    ¡°But, Headmaster... he...¡± Hagrid dabbed at his eyes. ¡°He''s skinny as a rail and...¡±


    ¡°There, there, Hagrid.¡± Albus said and pat the giant man''s arm. ¡°I will see what I can do.¡±


    Hagrid blew his nose again and nodded. ¡°Thank yeh, Dumbledore. Thank yeh.¡± He said and walked towards the door, opened it, then mumbled. ¡°Great man, Dumbledore.¡±


    Albus let out the sigh he was holding in and sat down behind his desk. He had a month before school started to find someone else to take the now vacant teaching position.

 11 The Mall

    The taxi pulled into the strip mall and parked. All kinds of stores lined the walkway and Harry''s mouth fell open at it all. He could see everything so clearly and it was almost all things he had never seen in person before and only on the television.


    The driver took out his cell phone and called his wife. ¡°Hi, honey.¡± ¡°Yes, I... no, I was just...¡± He was quiet for a moment. ¡°I was on my way home.¡± He said and waited. ¡°I caught a fare.¡± He said and decided to not say that he had almost run that fare over. ¡°I''m at the strip mall over on...¡± He sighed. ¡°No, I don''t really know what he...¡± He went quiet again. ¡°I can explain if you would just let me...¡±


    Harry ignored the man''s conversation and looked at the clothing store two shops down. It appeared to have everything he would want. Pants, shirts, sweaters, and underwear.


    I can have my own underwear! Harry thought excitedly. He had never owned a pair before. In fact, he had never owned a new piece of clothing at all.


    ¡°Yes, dear. Right away.¡± The driver said and pulled out of the parking space.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Harry asked and looked at him.


    ¡°It''s just a slight detour.¡± The driver said.


    ¡°But...¡± Harry turned back and pressed his face to the window. ¡°My underwear...¡±


    ¡°We''ll be back here before you know it.¡± The driver said and drove them almost all the way back to where Harry had started, then they drove down a side street and the driver honked the horn as he came to a stop. A moment later, a pretty woman came out of the house and climbed into the taxi.


    ¡°Hello there, young man.¡± She said, slightly turned in the seat to look at Harry. ¡°My husband said you needed clothes, and now I can see that he is a master of understatement.¡± She gave him a big smile. ¡°Don''t you worry, young man. I''ll make sure that you get some proper clothes, now that I''m here.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure he liked the sound of that. He didn''t say anything, mainly because when he talked back to Aunt Petunia, she always snapped at him to keep his mouth shut until she asked him a question.


    They drove back to the strip mall and parked near the same store and Harry grabbed the handle of his trunk and stepped out of the taxi. He wasn''t going be taken away from getting new underwear, no matter what.


    ¡°Hold on, dear.¡± The pretty woman said and rushed over to him. ¡°You''re going in the wrong direction.¡±


    ¡°My underwear...¡± Harry started to say.


    ¡°You don''t want that cheap cloth.¡± She said and smiled. ¡°You need something much nicer than...¡±


    ¡°I think I can judge the right sort for myself, thanks.¡± Harry said and stepped back.


    ¡°But... those things are cheap and...¡±


    ¡°If they''re cheap, I can get a lot of them, right?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I suppose that quantity is sometimes better than quality.¡± She admitted. ¡°You''ll be wearing itchy cloth for as long as you have them, though.¡±


    ¡°Itchy?¡± Harry asked, his resolve weakening somewhat.


    She nodded. ¡°Sometimes buying cheap is good; but, not if it makes you uncomfortable.¡± She said. ¡°If you spend a little bit more, not only will they last longer without wearing out, you''ll also be comfortable.¡± She smiled again. ¡°My husband has underwear that he sits in all day and they don''t itch.¡±


    Harry looked at the driver and he nodded.


    ¡°She has an eye for good clothing.¡± The driver said. ¡°You do have to pay a little more and it''s worth it.¡±


    Harry looked at the window display and at the pretty woman, then at the display again. With a sigh, he turned away from the store and stepped close to her again.


    ¡°You won''t regret this, I assure you.¡± She said and her smile was huge as she led him down the row to a higher class shop that sold more expensive things. They weren''t the most expensive, since those kinds of shops were found somewhere else and not in a commercial space; but, the clothes were of a very good quality and as the driver said, they were well worth the money.


    Harry was impressed, because the clothing she picked out was even better than the clothing his aunt bought for his cousin Dudley. The pants fit well, the shirts and t-shirts weren''t baggy, and the underwear... well, Harry was surprised at how nice they were when he tried them on. He grabbed several packs of socks, since you could never have too many socks, and seven pairs of underwear.


    Harry felt a little guilty about trying clothes on without taking a bath first. He had his bath a few days ago and he wasn''t allowed to take another one for four more days, because he was only allowed to have a bath once a week. He reached for the change room door to show off the crisp button up shirt and stopped when he heard a low whisper.


    ¡°You know he only has a hundred and thirty pounds on him.¡± The driver whispered. ¡°The underwear and socks alone are nearly forty pounds.¡±


    ¡°It''s all right.¡± His wife whispered back. ¡°I''ll pay the rest of it when he''s not looking.¡±


    The driver sighed. ¡°I knew you were going to say that.¡±


    ¡°Hush.¡± The pretty woman said. ¡°You saw how happy he was to wear actual clothes.¡± She gave him a kiss. ¡°I just hope he can keep them and not have them ruined by those bullies.¡±


    The driver nodded. ¡°I can keep a lookout for them, but...¡±


    ¡°I know. We can''t discipline other people''s children.¡± She said and then gave him a glare. ¡°Make sure to get his address out of him and deliver him right to his front door.¡±


    ¡°But, honey...¡± The driver started to protest.


    ¡°Right. To. His. Front. Door.¡± The pretty woman said, pointedly.


    ¡°Yes, dear.¡± The driver sighed in defeat.


    Harry clicked the change room handle a bit more than he had to, then he stepped out.


    ¡°Oh! That''s wonderful!¡± The pretty woman gushed and she quickly adjusted the collar to sit properly. ¡°Now just add the nice dress pants and we can get a look at the whole thing together.¡±


    Harry nodded and went inside the change room again and changed his pants to the dress pants.


    ¡°Quick! Quick!¡± She said and pulled him in front of the large mirror. ¡°Look at how handsome you are!¡± She said and rubbed his hair a little, then touched his cheeks. ¡°Your baby soft skin and your fresh hair cut make you really stand out.¡±


    ¡°Th-thanks.¡± Harry said as his face flushed red.


    ¡°You''re so lucky that I''m married.¡± The pretty woman laughed and glanced at her husband.


    ¡°Good lord, honey.¡± The driver said and shook his head. ¡°I think you''ve teased the poor boy enough.¡±


    ¡°It''s good teasing, though.¡± She beamed a smile at him and then looked at Harry. ¡°I''m not joking when I said you looked handsome, all right? I meant it.¡±


    Harry couldn''t respond and only nodded.


    ¡°I think we have a good selection of clothing now. You are probably going to grow a little during this year, so everything is only slightly bigger than it has to be.¡± The pretty woman said. ¡°That way, you''re not wasting your money and growing out of all of this too soon.¡±


    Harry hadn''t thought of that at all. He was only concerned with buying new things and not how long he would have to wear them. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    He kept on the new things he was wearing and they went over to the register. The lady behind the counter started ringing the items in, including the pants and shirt that Harry wore. There were a lot of items and the prices on some of them were actually quite reasonable.


    ¡°Is there a volume discount?¡± The driver asked with a laugh.


    The clerk laughed for only a second. ¡°No.¡± She said in a normal voice and kept working.


    Harry wasn''t paying attention to them, though. He was watching the numbers on the till as each item was rung in. When the last of the socks were tossed into the large bag of clothing, the clerk turned to tell the driver and his wife how much it was. The pretty woman stopped her and leaned forward as she whispered in the clerk''s ear. After a few moments, the clerk nodded and turned to smile down at Harry.


    ¡°That''ll be eighty-five pounds and sixty-seven pence, young man.¡± The lady lied.


    Harry knew how much it actually was, so he reached into his money bag and pulled out two of the one hundred pound notes he had, three of the twenty pound notes, and one each of the ten, five, and one pound notes. All three people stared at him and didn''t know what to say.


    ¡°I''m only ten... no, today''s my birthday. I''m only eleven; but, I can still read and count.¡± Harry said and handed the clerk the money.


    The clerk accepted the money without a word and rang it in, then took out thirty-three pence and handed the change and the receipt back to Harry.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said and tried to take the large bag of clothing. He couldn''t lift it and sighed. The driver picked it up for him, so Harry grabbed the handle of his trunk and carried it out of the shop. The driver and his wife followed him and they went back to the taxi. They climbed in after putting the bag of clothing in the back seat with Harry.


    ¡°Is that it, then?¡± The driver asked when he finally got over the shock of the money the kid had. It must have been one helluva birthday.


    ¡°I need a ladder.¡± Harry said. ¡°I don''t know how big.¡±


    ¡°One quick trip to the hardware store, then.¡± The driver said and pulled out of the parking space and drove down the road.

 12 The Reaction

    They stopped at a hardware store down the street. The pretty woman said that she knew nothing about tools and wanted to stay in the car. The driver took Harry inside and they walked around for a bit.


    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± A young man asked and approached them.


    ¡°Ladders.¡± The driver said.


    ¡°Right this way.¡± The young man said and led them to the back of the store. The wall was covered in all kinds of ladders. ¡°Now, this model...¡± The young man started to explain what each ladder was.


    Harry looked at them and knew that he couldn''t open his trunk and try them to see what one would fit, so he walked back to where he had seen the measuring tapes. He took one and walked over to a discrete corner, popped open the lid just enough, then quickly extended the tape down to the floor. He saw the depth and wound the tape back up, then walked back to the back of the store.


    ¡°...the folding one is...¡± The young man was still talking about ladders.


    ¡°Eight feet.¡± Harry said and held up the measuring tape.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± The driver said and took the tape. ¡°You couldn''t tell what you needed without seeing how big it was by extending this and seeing how far it reached.¡±


    Harry nodded.


    The driver turned to the young man. ¡°We need an eight foot ladder.¡±


    ¡°We have several.¡± The young man said and moved down the wall slightly and pointed. ¡°Straight ladders in both wood and metal. Collapsible in metal. Folding A frames in both metal and wood...¡±


    ¡°That one.¡± Harry said when the young man pointed to the tall pine wood stepladder with steps only on one side. It folded up and looked sturdy.


    ¡°Why wood?¡± The driver asked. ¡°The metal one will last a lot longer and...¡±


    ¡°...makes a lot more noise.¡± Harry said and shook the metal one and it rattled. He thought everyone knew that and shook the wooden one to show him. There was barely a sound.


    ¡°Well, I''ll be. It is quieter.¡± The driver said and smiled. ¡°Then that''s the one he wants.¡±


    The young man lifted it down and carried it for them all the way to the front of the store and stood there with it in line with them. ¡°18A, 3C.¡± He said to the checkout girl when it was their turn.


    ¡°Sure.¡± The girl said and added it to the stock sold sheet, then she rang in the purchase. Harry bought both the ladder and the measuring tape, since he had never owned anything like it before and it was fun to use, and they left the store.


    ¡°That was fast.¡± The pretty woman said as she stepped out of the car with the new light jacket Harry had bought. ¡°It''s getting a little chilly. You should put this on.¡±


    The driver opened the boot of the car... and sighed. ¡°How the hell am I going to get this to wherever you live, kid?¡±


    ¡°Language.¡± His wife said.


    ¡°Sorry, honey.¡± The driver said and scratched his head.


    ¡°Do that.¡± His wife said pointed to his head.


    ¡°I can''t carry the damn thing all the way to...¡±


    ¡°...on the car.¡± She clarified and the driver looked at the small rack on the car roof. He asked Harry for the measuring tape and used it to measure the right spot to balance the ladder, made sure that one of the rungs touched the taxi sign in the middle of the roof to stop the ladder from sliding, then tied it down. With it secured, the three of them climbed into the car. Harry was quite happy that his new measuring tape had helped him already.


    ¡°So, what''s your address?¡± The pretty woman asked from the front seat.


    ¡°Fourteen Privet Drive.¡± Harry lied. He opened his trunk and started transferring his new clothing into it. I can''t fit a dresser into the opening. He thought. Maybe I can put my clothes on the bookshelf?


    It was dark out as they drove all the way back to Privet Drive, then the taxi pulled over to the curb.


    ¡°Here you are. Home sweet home.¡± The driver said and was glad that he didn''t see any bullies.


    Harry pulled out another ten pound note and handed it over the seat. The driver looked at it for only a second and then accepted it. His wife didn''t say anything, either. She did frown at her husband, though.


    The driver shrugged at her and climbed out, then took the ladder off of the roof of the car. ¡°Where do you want it?¡± He asked Harry, who climbed out of the back seat with his trunk.


    ¡°Right there on the walk by the tree.¡± Harry said. He had chosen this house specifically for that purpose to explain the ladder.


    ¡°Right.¡± The driver said. ¡°Well, it was nice meeting you.¡± He smiled as his wife stepped out of the car.


    Harry nodded and the pretty woman put her hands on his shoulders, then she ran one of her hands through the hair on the top of his head. A moment later, she bent down and gave him a hug. She took a deep breath and let it out, then let Harry out of the hug.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Harry said, his face red. It was his second hug of the day, from two different women, and he was at a loss as to why. Aunt Petunia had never hugged him for as long as he could remember, and he didn''t realize that he was so thin and frail that normal people saw him and felt sorry for him.


    ¡°I''m very glad that I could help.¡± The pretty woman said and climbed back into the car. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°See you later, kid.¡± The driver said and climbed into the taxi, then it drove away down the street.


    Harry looked around to see if anyone was nosing out of their windows like Aunt Petunia did, didn''t see anyone, and went to the ladder. He opened his trunk and opened the ladder. He almost jumped for joy when it just barely fit into the 3 foot by 2 foot opening. He didn''t even have to let the ladder go as it softly landed on the floor and the top was right in the middle of the trunk. He moved it so that it was on the side of the trunk''s opening and closed the lid.


    Now I can get my things out. Harry thought and grabbed the handle of the trunk. It was still light as a feather and he walked down Privet Drive to the actual house where he lived. He knew this was going to be explosive and he wasn''t sure how he was going to counter whatever his aunt and uncle planned. He had nothing to do but face them, since he couldn''t live out on the street or go to school before September first.


    Harry had initially planned to have the taxi take him all the way to London, then thought it was way too far to take a taxi. He didn''t know any other way to get there, so he walked up the path to the front door of The Dursleys. He reached for the handle with a sigh and... it was locked.


    That figures. Harry thought and wondered what time it was. I should have bought a watch.


    For the first time in his life, Harry knocked on the door to his own house to get in.


    *


    Uncle Vernon was in a tizzy. Aunt Petunia was almost as anxious and agitated as he was. They had been completely surprised that the boy they had taken in, the boy they had fed, the boy they had raised for eleven years, had grabbed a trunk from somewhere and had run off on them. Dudley and his friends had lost sight of him barely seven streets away and then nothing.


    They didn''t dare tell the neighbours or the police, since he was pretty much their deep and dark secret. Barely anyone at all knew that there was a second boy living there, except for the school, and they didn''t really care much for the boy, either. Unlike their little Duddikins that received a letter from the school practically every week that told them about his behavior and his progress at school, they had never once received a letter about Harry.


    That was their own view, of course. The letters for Dudley were actually school censures; but, they were worded so friendly that Vernon and Petunia took them for praise and rewarded Dudley instead of punishing him as the letters so very kindly might have suggested between the lines of pleasantries.


    It was nearing seven o''clock at night, pitch dark out, and there was still no sign of the boy. They weren''t really worried for him, though. They were worried for their own sake. Petunia knew that if anyone found out they housed a runaway orphan, well, the entire neighbourhood might see them as a laughing stock.


    A taxi drove by and Petunia darted to the window. She told her husband that it went down the street and stopped at fourteen, then dropped off some rich boy that must have been visiting the Havershums. She went back to his side and fretted over the problem they had. Not long after, there was a knock on the front door.


    Vernon walked across the living room and down the hallway, past the cupboard under the stairs, and went to the door. He peeked out through the peephole and saw what looked like an unruly tuff of jet black hair.


    ¡°YOU!¡± Vernon yelled and his anger flared as he yanked the front door open. ¡°What the devil are you doing here?¡± He asked loudly, all his worry forgotten.


    Petunia rushed to stand behind her husband to support him.


    ¡°You have some nerve coming back here after making your aunt worry all... damn... day...¡± Vernon''s words trailed off when his beady little eyes finally saw the well-dressed and handsome boy in front of him. ¡°Who in the bloody blue blazes are you?¡±


    ¡°It''s me.¡± The handsome boy said. ¡°Harry. Harry Potter.¡±


    Vernon''s mouth dropped open in surprise and didn''t know what to say. Petunia saw the perfect unblemished skin, the stylish and flattering haircut, the expensive clothing that fit well, and the lack of glasses.


    ¡°H-H-Harry? Is... is that really you?¡± Petunia asked, her voice shaky.


    ¡°Yes, Aunt Petunia.¡± Harry said in what was to her, his very familiar defeated tone of voice.


    Petunia took in a quick breath, let out a tiny little shriek, then fainted.


    Bokuboy

 13 The Present

    Harry stood on the doorstep and was shocked at what was happening. His uncle was kneeling on the floor and trying to revive his aunt. She fainted because of me? He asked himself. I wonder why she... He looked down at the trunk in his hand and remembered that he was no longer wearing Dudley''s old hand-me-downs. He wore expensive and stylish clothing, his hair was cut, and he didn''t have his glasses on. He knew then that they hadn''t recognized him.


    Dudley had heard the commotion and came barrelling down the stairs. ¡°What''s going on down... Mummy!¡± He exclaimed and joined his father in trying to wake her up. After a few minutes, Aunt Petunia started to come around. Vernon and Dudley helped her sit up and then both of them glared at Harry.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Dudley asked when he saw him.


    ¡°That... that''s your cousin, Harry.¡± Petunia said, disbelief still in her voice. She looked at the handsome boy and she wondered where he had been hiding all of these years. She didn''t really have a problem with the change in his looks, since almost anyone could look better with enough make-up and expensive clothes.


    The problem she had was that she still hated him, even dressed up like he was and not the unsightly boy she knew he was underneath all that polish. She knew that once the hair grew in and his clothes had to be replaced with Dudley''s cast-offs, he would once again be the Harry Potter she knew.


    ¡°T-take those ridiculous clothes off.¡± Petunia said as she started to regain her composure. ¡°I don''t know where you stole them from; but, you''ll be returning them first thing in the morning!¡±


    Harry put the trunk down and started to reach for the buttons on his shirt, then he frowned and stopped. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Petunia almost yelled.


    ¡°I won''t do it.¡± Harry said. ¡°These are my clothes.¡±


    ¡°Boy.¡± Vernon glared at him. ¡°You stole that trunk and those clothes. You''re a ruffian and there''s no way you could get clothes like that without stealing them.¡± He said in satisfaction. ¡°I''ll be taking them, and you, back to wherever you got them.¡±


    Vernon stepped out of the door, pushed Harry aside, and grabbed the handle of the trunk. When he tried to lift it, it wouldn''t move. He tried again, and his pudgy face turned red with strain.


    ¡°What in the... he lifted it without trouble.¡± Vernon whispered in disbelief, then he bent his knees, grabbed onto the handle with both hands, and yanked up as hard as he could.


    The only thing that moved was his hernia.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Vernon grunted in pain, hunched over, then rolled onto his back in the middle of the walk.


    ¡°Vernon!¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± Petunia and Dudley yelled at the same time and rushed to his side. There wasn''t much they could do for him, though.


    ¡°I think... things are going to change around here.¡± Harry said as he went to his trunk and picked it up as if it weighed nothing.


    Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley stared at him in disbelief.


    The screech of an owl cut through the darkness and Harry looked up to see a snowy white owl descend. To his surprise, it spread its wings and fluttered down to a perfect landing on the end of his trunk. It stared into his eyes for several moments, then it expertly tilted its weight onto one leg and lifted the other.


    Harry saw the little pouch and opened it with his free hand, then took out the rolled up piece of paper inside and read the note written on it.


    Dear Harry, I finally decided what ta get yeh fer yer present. It''s an owl if''n yeh hadn''t figured it out yet. She don''t need no feedin, since she can fend fer herself. Just give her some treats when she does a good job delivering letters fer yeh and she''ll be yer friend ferever. Hagrid.


    P.s. Don''t ferget to name her. She''s proud, so it better be a good''un.


    Harry stared at the note and then looked at the beautiful snowy owl in front of him. My friend forever. He thought, then he smiled. ¡°I think...¡±


    Harry''s words stopped as he somehow recalled the great film he saw one night called Sampson and Delilah. It was about a man who had his hair cut and then he was betrayed. The lead actress had a really weird name. Two names, actually. He wasn''t sure how he remembered that and shrugged.


    ¡°I think I''ll call you Hedwig.¡± Harry said, remembering how regal and proud Delilah had looked on the screen.


    The snowy white owl let out a little hoot and he smiled.


    ¡°I''m glad you like it.¡± Harry said, then he frowned. ¡°I don''t have any treats for you. Do you know where I can get some?¡±


    Hedwig extended a wing and pointed to the note, then pointed to his money bag.


    Harry chuckled. ¡°I get the idea.¡± He said and took her into the house. He put the trunk down and picked up a pen, scratched out Hagrid''s writing on the front of the note, then wrote ''I need owl treats, please'' on the back of it. He reached into his money bag and took out a galleon, a silver sickle, and a bronze knut.


    Hedwig pointed to the silver sickle and when Harry counted out eight of them, she hooted softly. She held her leg out, and to Harry''s only slight surprise, the money slipped right into the tiny pouch that had held only a piece of paper. He added the note and then Hedwig took off down the hallway, swooped right over the heads of Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley, and disappeared into the dark sky.


    ¡°Things are definitely going to change around here.¡± Harry said with a smile and walked over to the front door. ¡°I''m going to boarding school a month from now on September first.¡±


    ¡°I... argh!¡± Vernon grunted when he tried to sit up. ¡°I won''t be paying for any such thing!¡±


    ¡°I didn''t ask you to, did I?¡± Harry said. ¡°Just like you never paid for any clothes, or to get my hair cut, or anything else for my whole life.¡± He said, almost tauntingly. ¡°I have new clothes now and I''m going to school and it''s already paid for.¡± He lied, since he had no idea if that was true or not. ¡°I won''t even ask you to drive me to the train station.¡±


    The three people that were his only family were surprised to hear that.


    Harry stood there and looked at them with disdain and a little bit of pity. ¡°Well, don''t just sit there. Get back inside the house before the neighbours start talking.¡±


    That had been the perfect thing to say because Petunia somehow gained gargantuan strength to lift Vernon up to his feet. The three of them waddled into the house and Harry shut the front door. He followed them into the living room, ignored their glares, and waited beside the window. He wasn''t going to disappoint his only friend by not being ready to open the window when she came back.


    An hour later, Harry quickly opened the window and his snowy white owl flapped in through the opening with a large bag in her beak. She landed on the chair arm beside the window and he took the bag from her.


    ¡°Eeylops Premium Owl Treats.¡± Harry read out loud and then opened the bag. ¡°It''s full of tiny mice!¡±


    Petunia let out another little shriek and managed to not faint this time, only because she had to take care of her husband. She planned to faint over it later.


    Harry reached into the bag and the three people across the room made ''eww'' sounds. He grabbed one and pulled it out. ¡°Oh! It''s just shaped like mice.¡± He said and laughed, then gave Hedwig one. ¡°That''s for Hagrid''s letter.¡±


    Hedwig balanced herself and held out her leg.


    Harry opened the pouch and inside was a different note, which he quickly read.


    Harry, please use fresh parchment for writing orders to businesses, since it took me several minutes to figure out that your order was on the back. I recommend Scribbulus Writing Implements for all of your future writing needs. - Eeylop


    Harry looked at the size of the piece of paper and it was full size and not the small piece that had been Hagrid''s note. ¡°Here''s a treat for this letter, too.¡± He said and gave Hedwig another treat. ¡°Good job.¡±


    Hedwig gave a soft hoot and looked out the window.


    ¡°If you want to hang out outside, go ahead.¡± Harry said and then yawned. ¡°You''ll have to stay out until morning if you do. I''m going to bed.¡±


    Hedwig hooted and spread her wings, then took off through the open window. It reminded Harry about riding the motorcycle through the air and he smiled.


    I''ll be flying again soon. I just know it. Harry thought and closed the window, locked it like he did every night, then he checked all the other windows automatically. He walked out of the living room and into the hallway, opened the door to his cupboard, then went inside and closed it.


    He put the owl treats on a shelf, changed out of his nice clothes, and put on new pyjamas. He climbed into the nestle of old blankets and doubled over the old flat pillow to give it some height. He soon fell asleep with the thoughts of all the things he was going to learn about, starting tomorrow.

 14 The Morning

    The next morning, Harry woke up and rubbed his eyes. He blinked them and started to reach for his glasses, then remembered he didn''t need them anymore. He left them on the shelf and stepped out of the cupboard under the stairs, stretched, and went to the kitchen. He started making breakfast and thought he heard a grunt behind him.


    ¡°Sorry, Uncle Vernon. My hair is always like that.¡± Harry said automatically. He remembered what the barber gave him the day before, so he went back to his cupboard and dug into his pants pocket. He took out the comb and ran it through his much thinner and styled hair that wasn''t matted. Because of the way it was cut, his hair barely touched the pillow all night, even after rolling around a few times.


    Harry finished combing his hair as he went back to the kitchen and put the comb in his pocket. He finished breakfast and served everyone, just like he did every day. He sat down with his half-portion of food and started to eat.


    I should have bought food yesterday. Harry thought and finished eating. He stood up and brought his plate to the sink and then stood in the corner and waited. It was then that he noticed that no one else had touched their food. He closed his eyes and ducked his head a little as he waited for someone to yell.


    It didn''t happen.


    Harry opened his eyes and the three people at the table were staring at him. ¡°Hedwig!¡± He exclaimed when his eye saw a bit of snowy white through the living room window. He left the kitchen and went to the living room window and opened it. He looked out and saw the snowy white owl perched on the hedge right by the window. ¡°I''m sorry, Hedwig. I meant to open the window a bit ago.¡±


    Hedwig gave a soft hoot and hopped into the window.


    ¡°Did you eat breakfast?¡± Harry asked as he closed the window and carefully stroked her back feathers. She gave another hoot and he smiled. ¡°Do you want to stay in for a little while? I might have a letter or two to send soon.¡±


    Hedwig gave another soft hoot and he held his arm out for her as a perch, which she hopped on, and he took her to the cupboard under the stairs.


    ¡°There''s not a lot of room to move around in here, so be careful.¡± Harry cautioned her and set her down on the top of the trunk. ¡°I''ll be back in a bit.¡± He said and closed the door, then went back into the kitchen and stood in the corner and waited.


    *


    Aunt Petunia was completely perplexed about her nephew. He was wearing pyjamas that looked to be more expensive than her husband''s finest suit and he had made breakfast and was standing in the corner like he always did. After last night and the boy''s declaration that things were going to change, she had expected lots of demands, anger at Vernon accusing him of theft (that she still assumed was true), and maybe even some laughter over what had happened to his uncle hurting himself with that trunk.


    Instead, Harry had stunned her by acting exactly as she had always seen him act. He had made breakfast and sorted the food properly and then waited in the corner after he ate. She didn''t realize that years and years of ingrained behavior, reinforced by threats and verbal assaults by her and her husband on a young and impressionable mind, wouldn''t just disappear overnight. It took time for those things to wear away.


    Petunia started to eat when the boy went to get the owl... and don''t get her started on that thing being in her house... and her husband and son joined her. They kept eating when he came back and finished a short time later. She sat there in silence as Harry quickly cleared the dishes and brought them to the sink and washed them.


    Her eyes had watched him carefully to see if he was going to do something, like throw a plate or break a glass, and she noticed again that his skin was absolutely flawless. Not a blemish, freckle, or imperfection marred his skin and her heart was filled with envy for it. She would never ask him how he did it, though. She didn''t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing something that she wanted to know, mainly because she was sure he wouldn''t tell her.


    *


    Harry finished the dishes and cleaned up the counter, waited for a moment to see if Petunia was going to complain, then he left the kitchen and went to his cupboard. He climbed in and shut the door, then sat down in his nest of blankets. He sat there and waited for ten minutes, like always, and no one passed by. He thought about going back out to ask what was going on, then shrugged.


    Harry didn''t want to give them the satisfaction of them knowing something that he didn''t. He also suspected that they wouldn''t tell him, even if he did ask.


    ¡°I need to open my trunk.¡± Harry whispered, in case someone was listening close by.


    Hedwig hopped off and landed on his head for a moment to make him laugh, then she hopped onto the shelf behind him and settled down.


    ¡°Why didn''t I think of putting you there?¡± Harry asked and lightly touched her belly feathers. ¡°You can see much better from there.¡±


    He opened his trunk and almost laughed at the top of the ladder. His aunt and uncle would be shocked, totally shocked, if they knew there was a ten foot by ten foot by eight foot high space inside his trunk.


    In fact, he was still a little shocked by it himself, especially when he had to climb down into the trunk to get the writing things he had bought in Diagon Alley. He also grabbed the first year basic spell book, since he knew he needed to learn something basic before he looked at the very, very tempting curses book he had bought to use on Dudley.


    Of course, that made him realize something. Something that Hagrid had said didn''t make sense to him. He wasn''t allowed to do magic at home, and yet, he was standing at the bottom of a charmed trunk. He had also used the trunk a bunch of times and also his money bag. Even though he knew they were magic, he guessed that they didn''t count as doing magic, because if Hagrid was right, then there was no way that Harry wouldn''t have already been in trouble for it.


    That made him think of something else. Hagrid had said that kids could do magic at home, because there was only magic folk around to see it. Which meant, their homes must be like the trunk. Charmed to let people do magic inside and not be in trouble.


    Harry smiled and climbed the ladder and closed the trunk, which became a perfect writing desk. The first thing he did was write a letter to whomever it concerned at the Ministry of Magic, and asked how a home can be added to the ''kids can do magic'' list. He folded it up and realized he didn''t have any envelopes.


    Harry quickly wrote a letter to Scribbulus Writing Implements and asked for a hundred envelopes, stamps if they had them, and more paper. He suspected that he would need a lot more than what he had bought already.


    ¡°Hedwig, can you deliver this for me? I don''t know how much envelopes are, though. Do I just give you a couple of galleons and hope they don''t steal it?¡±


    Hedwig shook her head, then she used a wing tip and touched her beak. She turned her head to the side and touched it again, then pointed at the note Harry wrote.


    ¡°Beak... beak...¡± Harry mumbled and looked at the list and didn''t know the price. ¡°Bill!¡± He said, excitedly. ¡°They''ll send me the bill!¡±


    Hedwig gave a soft hoot and Harry leaned forward to hug her, then stopped.


    ¡°I guess I can''t hug you. I don''t want to hurt you or mess up your feathers.¡± Harry said, sadly.


    Hedwig pulled her wings in tight against her body and gave a soft hoot and turned her head slightly.


    ¡°Can I really?¡± Harry asked and she softly hooted again. He very carefully leaned in close and gave her as gentle of a hug as he could. She was soft and very warm. He let her go and his face was a little red. ¡°I... I did it.¡± Harry said. ¡°That was my first time giving anyone a hug.¡±


    Hedwig let out a soft hoot and used a wingtip to lightly touch Harry''s face.


    ¡°R-right. Let''s get you to the window and you can set off.¡± Harry said. He gave her his arm as a perch and carried her out of the cupboard and over to the living room window. He opened it and Hedwig hopped off his arm onto the window sill, then she spread her wings and took off.


    Harry knew it would take an hour for Hedwig to come back, since the only stores he knew of were in Diagon Alley, and he went back to his cupboard and closed the door. Once inside, he wrote a letter to Madam Primpernelle and asked her how often he would need to drink her potions to keep his eyesight.


    That reminded him to dig out the concealing cream she had made him and he applied a bit of it to cover his forehead scar. It wasn''t visible, which meant the previous application hadn''t worn off yet. He applied it anyway and kept it covered, just in case.


    After that, Harry wrote a letter to Madam Malkin and told her that he had his hair cut and his skin fixed by Madam Primpernelle. He also told her that he had no way to get back to London or to her shop. He had a ticket for the train to get there on September first and that was it. He asked if she knew how to get there, preferably quicker than a car, and that he looked forward to hearing back.


    He ducked his head out of the cupboard and peeked at the clock on the wall and he had forty-five minutes for Hedwig to return. He smiled and closed the cupboard and wrote a letter to the lady that sold him the telescope and asked for a watch.


    If anyone has a watch for sale, she would. Harry thought. He had to go into his trunk to look at the telescope to remember the place he was writing to, though. They all have such weird names.


    He climbed back out and wrote the place names down where the letters needed to go, then folded them up. He couldn''t really think of anywhere else to write to, since he didn''t know if there was any place that he could get food delivered. In fact, he hadn''t eaten all day yesterday and today had started the same way... then he gasped when he remembered something important.


    My cake! Harry thought and scrambled down into the trunk. He grabbed the box and came back out, then closed the trunk again and opened the box. He didn''t have a knife or anything, and since he didn''t want to dig his hands into it and get them covered in icing, he leaned in and took a bite directly from the cake. It''s delicious! He thought and kept eating.

 15 The Afternoon

    Harry stopped eating when he felt something he had never felt before. Full. Nearly a quarter of the cake was gone and he almost laughed at it. If he kept it up, he could get three or four days out of it before it was gone. He closed the box and dropped the cake back into his trunk. It floated down and landed gently on the floor.


    He peeked out of the cupboard and saw that no one was looking, so he darted down the hallway and went upstairs to the bathroom. He did his business and checked his face in the mirror. He saw a slightly startled and handsome boy looking back at him.


    Is that really me? Harry asked and used a finger to poke his own face. Yep. It''s me. He thought, washed his hands, then used a tissue to wipe off the icing from around his mouth. He didn''t want to have to come back to the bathroom every time, so he took several handfuls of toilet paper and stuffed them into his pockets. He flushed the toilet and went back downstairs. No one said anything, even though Petunia had crossed from the kitchen to the living room and had seen him.


    Harry looked at the clock and he had half an hour for Hedwig to come back. He was surprised that neither his aunt nor his uncle had tried to stop him from bringing Hedwig into the house. He wasn''t going to mention it, though. If they thought he was concerned about it, he would never hear the end of it.


    It''s better to ignore them like I have so far. Harry thought and ducked into the cupboard under the stairs. He picked up the first year spell book and sat down in his nest of blankets, then opened it.


    _______________


    The Standard Book Of Spells Grade One is the first book in the Standard Book Of Spells series. As each year progresses, you will learn more spells and their effects will increase.


    However, be warned.


    These low level spells and charms are not difficult for a more experienced magic user to break and counter. Also, the spells young students use can wear off in a manner of days or even hours, depending on the spell or charm and on what it has been cast.


    This spellbook will enable you to perform a range of basic charms that will enhance, protect, and enliven your life. The list of charms are as follows and will be talked about in their own chapters.


    Quickly, now! Turn the page and begin your journey on the path to magic!


    _______________


    Cool. Harry thought as he turned the page and started to read. Charms differ from Transfiguration spells in the following manner: a charm will add certain or new properties to an object while transfiguration will change the original object into something utterly different. When modifying an object with a charm...


    *


    ¡°What in the world is this?¡± The man that worked at Scribbulus Writing Implements asked as he read what was supposed to be his latest order to fill. ¡°Stamps? Who is he? A muggle?¡±


    The snowy white owl gave a hard hoot, almost a screech, and the man sighed.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I know. He''s just a kid.¡± The man said. ¡°I can''t believe that he doesn''t know the simple charm to make a piece of parchment into an envelope yet.¡±


    The owl hooted and the man nodded.


    ¡°I know it''s not in the standard book of spells.¡± The man said and waved his wand. ¡°His parents are supposed to teach him every day things like this.¡±


    A stack of a hundred papers popped up into the air, folded in on themselves, and formed envelopes.


    ¡°I''ll only charge him for using up some of my time and for the paper, all right?¡±


    The owl hooted in satisfaction.


    ¡°I hope he''s giving you nice treats for doing all of this for him.¡± The man said and the owl gave a soft hoot. ¡°Ha! He bought you premium and he didn''t complain about the price? Nice going.¡± He said and did up a large bundle of paper, added the hundred envelopes, then looked at the bird. ¡°Do you want me to write out the charm for him?¡±


    The owl hooted twice.


    ¡°I see. Well, he can use it when he gets to school.¡± The man said and nodded at the Quick-Quotes quill. ¡°Nothing fancy, just the charm and the wand movement. I don''t want an essay.¡±


    The quill shook at him and bobbed up and down a few times.


    ¡°All right, fine. Make it an addendum, though. Don''t confuse the poor boy by muddying up the description.¡±


    The quill quickly wrote everything out and the man pulled the parchment to his hand.


    ¡°You''re lucky you''re a quick writer.¡± The man chuckled and added the parchment to the bundle under the envelopes to stop it from flopping around, which also included several notes about the other general things that the boy needed to know and ask about. ¡°All right, little missy.¡± He said to the owl. ¡°I don''t expect you back until tomorrow, unless he orders something else or you''re flying back this way.¡±


    The owl hooted softly and the man laughed.


    ¡°The ministry? Ha!¡± The man said. ¡°You know what?¡± He took out the bill and scratched out his fee for making the envelopes and left the cost of the paper. ¡°I can''t wait to see what they say.¡± He said and put it back on top. ¡°Take care, now.¡±


    The owl carefully picked up the large bundle of paper, that suddenly weighed a fraction of what it did, then she took off through the custom owl opening in the back of the shop.


    *


    Harry finished reading the introduction chapter and thought about what it said about proper use of a wand, to always respect it, and to always be careful with concentration. Losing concentration could be very bad and make the charm or spell go weird or backfire completely. Also, with some of the larger things, like creatures called trolls and giants, the spells can be completely useless.


    He stared at the detailed drawings of the examples and he wasn''t sure if he ever wanted to meet either of the things. He closed the book when he had the urge to check the time. He peeked out into the hallway and looked at the clock and nodded. He quickly tossed the book back into the trunk and left the cupboard under the stairs and went to the living room.


    Harry ignored the pointed stares from his aunt and uncle and stood beside the living room window, making sure he was out of the way and not blocking anything like the television or his aunt''s view out the same window. Barely five minutes later, he saw Hedwig carrying a huge bundle of paper. He quickly opened the window and prepared to catch her, because all of that weight was going to throw off her normally smooth landing.


    Hedwig banked in and spread her wings to slow down like she always did, then she landed on the windowsill with barely a ruffled feather.


    ¡°That was brilliant!¡± Harry gushed and tried to take the papers from her. They were quite heavy and slipped right through his hands and thumped loudly onto the carpet.


    His Aunt Petunia let out a shrill squawk, his Uncle Vernon jumped slightly and then grunted in pain, and Dudley let out a startled yell and fell off the footstool.


    ¡°S-sorry.¡± Harry said and bent down, then grunted a little when he picked it up. It was heavy; but, he could manage it. ¡°I''ll be right back... with a couple letters.¡± He said and slowly walked across the living room and into the hallway. He put the bundle down and opened the cupboard door, lifted it just inside the door, then sat on it for a minute.


    Harry slid off of it and opened the bundle, looked at the bill, and quickly counted out the right amount. He put it aside and then put the three letters he had into envelopes, wrote on them where they needed to go, then grabbed several owl treats, the letters, and the money. He didn''t see any stamps, though. He went back out to the living room and held up the envelopes.


    ¡°I need these delivered, please.¡± Harry said and showed her the addresses. He knew better than to say the odd names out loud, because his uncle absolutely hated anything that even hinted at being nonsensical. He tucked the letters under his arm and held out the owl treats for her.


    Hedwig quickly ate them and softly hooted as Harry slipped the money for the paper into the little pouch without anyone seeing.


    ¡°I''ll be busy for a while, so I might not be here at the window when you come back.¡± Harry said.


    Hedwig hooted and snapped her beak.


    ¡°Oh! Right.¡± Harry said and held the letters out for her. She took them in her beak and turned around, then took flight. ¡°See you later!¡± He waved at her, even though he thought that she couldn''t see him. He closed the window and went back to his cupboard under the stairs. He retrieved the book of spells and leaned back against the wall and flipped to Chapter Two.


    _______________


    The Wand-Lighting Charm.


    The Wand-Lighting Charm called Lumos (LOO-mose) is a charm that illuminates the tip of the caster''s wand, which allows the caster to see in the dark within a small area. It is a simple charm; but, it requires concentration. Take care to not set your entire wand alight, as damage of this kind could become permanent and will reduce the effectiveness of the wand as a tool.


    Below is the simple movement description and illustration that shows the proper...


    _______________


    Harry''s eyes were glued to the page as he read how to cast his very first magic spell.

 16 The Evening

    Bokuboy


    The Ministry Of Magic was busy as always. A lot of it was makeshift work, things that could easily be handled by a bit of judicious magic applied correctly, and that was why it was never done. Wizards liked to keep busy when they worked, even if it seemed a little drudgery. They kept themselves occupied as much as possible, because idleness and complacency would only breed boredom and contempt.


    The managers at the Ministry had known this for hundreds of years and had established a particular set of rules and circumstances in place to maintain business in their workers. Most jobs that could easily be handled by a single competent wizard had three wizards assigned to it as backups and to check the other wizard''s work.


    It established camaraderie and cooperation between the workers and it made for a cluttered and also happy workplace. They were all assured that a good job was being done, because they were all participating in those jobs and none of them wanted to look bad in the eyes of their peers.


    One such worker in the magical maintenance department sat as his desk. He was having a particularly nasty problem with pixies that had nested inside the air ducts. Normally that wouldn''t be a problem and they could be eradicated quickly. The problem was the little bastards were in a junction and any time someone approached, they scattered all throughout the system and made a mess of everything.


    He let out a sigh when a letter plopped down into his in tray. ¡°I hope that''s not another blasted complaint.¡± He said automatically and reluctantly picked it up.


    ¡°That better not be another complaint.¡± His partner said. ¡°We''re still working on getting the vents closed off long enough to freeze the buggers out.¡±


    ¡°It''s too bad we can''t just Accio the damn things out.¡± The other man said as he stood off to the side and examined a map of the ducts. ¡°I''m going to wring the neck of whoever let them in.¡±


    The first man nodded acceptance and opened the letter. He took in a sharp breath and looked at the other two. ¡°You are not going to believe this.¡±


    *


    Madam Primpernelle was a little confused as she read Harry''s letter. What does me mean about a potion to fix his eyesight? I gave him no such thing. She thought. All I did was... Her thoughts stopped when she looked down at the list of items she had prepared as ''The Boy Who Lived'' products. She hadn''t included the extra spells and things she had tried, though. She also didn''t include her newest potion that had yet to be approved by the Ministry.


    She quickly wrote down the spells she remembered using and then she took out all of the recipes for her products that she had used. She was an expert potioneer and she didn''t need the large book of extensive ingredients that listed their effects and side effects. She took her time and went over everything, even her newest potion, and she realized something.


    Her new potion was only supposed to be used on a ''clean'' client. Any other alterations she had done or they had used before, should have been removed before she had administered the potion. The skin Harry had shed and regrown had already been altered. When he shed it and had regrown his fresh and new baby skin, it wasn''t his original baby skin. It was baby skin grown from the already altered skin.


    Oh, dear. Madam Primpernelle said. She continued to work and examine exactly what might have occurred, and she couldn''t come up with the answer. I just hope there''s no other side effects.


    She debated whether or not to tell him, then decided that as an eleven year old boy, he wouldn''t understand the implications of having magically altered skin that was probably permanent.


    *


    Madam Malkin was filled with joy at Harry''s letter. She read it over again and then wrote out a response. She told him that she would be delighted to come and pick him up whenever he wanted. She also told him that it should be done as soon as possible, that way he still has a fresh haircut and Madam Primpernelle''s potions won''t have a chance to wear down. At the moment, he looked his best and she couldn''t wait to see him.


    *


    ¡°Is this real?¡± The maintenance department manager asked the three men and held up the letter.


    ¡°I had one of the Aurors take a look.¡± The first man said. ¡°It''s already Unplottable and can''t be found on a map. It also has several other protections on it already.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it''s not on the exceptions list already?¡± The manager asked.


    ¡°We checked it twice. It''s listed as a muggle dwelling.¡± The second man said.


    ¡°You''re kidding.¡± The manager said.


    He shook his head and pointed to the third man.


    ¡°Something like this should also be unseen by the neighbours and it''s visible by everyone. The magical protections on it are high grade as well. Why this isn''t set up as a normal magical residence is beyond me.¡± The third man said. ¡°Any little bit of magic, even accidental and without a wand, would set off all kinds of alarms and problems.¡±


    ¡°It would also breach the decree of secrecy that all wizards are under.¡± The first man said.


    The manager nodded. ¡°I agree. Because of who actually lives there, the person that this letter is from, I deem this is a high priority for our department to fix the situation.¡± He stood up and looked at the three men. ¡°Get the other two teams. We will correct this error immediately.¡±


    ¡°Sir? Are you sure?¡± The first man asked.


    The manager nodded. ¡°Mr. Harry Potter, the boy who lived and got rid of you-know-who ten years ago, just asked the Ministry of Magic for help.¡± He said and smiled. ¡°Who would be crazy enough to say no to his plea and leave him vulnerable to both expulsion from school and possible criminal charges?¡±


    The three men had slightly angry faces.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± The manager said. ¡°Let''s get to work.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± The three men said and they and the manager left the office at a fast walk.


    *


    Harry had read through the short spell book and closed it. He had thought about using his wand to practice the wand movements the illustrations showed, then remembered that he wasn''t allowed to do magic. He had settled for doing the motions with his quill, after drying it off. The last thing he needed was to sprinkle ink everywhere.


    He put the book back in his trunk and changed his clothes. He had lounged around in his pyjamas for half the day already and he felt like it was time to get up and move around. He grabbed a handful of treats and left his cupboard. He carefully walked down the hallway and peeked into the living room. Uncle Vernon was still there on the couch and Aunt Petunia was right beside him. Dudley was nowhere to be seen.


    Harry was a little worried about that, considering he hadn''t heard Dudley pass by the cupboard. Of course, he had been deep into studying the book and practising the wand movements, and might have missed his passage. He just hoped Dudley had gone out the back and was gone for the day.


    With that happy thought, Harry carefully slid into the living room. He didn''t try to walk fast and did his best to be unobtrusive. He made his way over to the window, after a quick dash across his aunt and uncle''s view of the television, then he walked over to the window and sat down in the chair nearby.


    Almost as if she had planned it, Hedwig appeared off in the distance. Harry jerked and then took a breath. He had to restrain his excitement, or he would immediately lose his living room privileges. He slowly opened the window for Hedwig, who swooped in close and then landed on the sill.


    ¡°Hi, Hedwig.¡± Harry whispered and handed her several treats. ¡°I hope you had a safe trip.¡±


    Hedwig hooted softly and Harry let out a sigh.


    ¡°I wish I really could understand you, instead of just guessing.¡± Harry whispered and carefully touched her back feathers.


    Hedwig let out another soft hoot, touched her beak with a wing tip and then brushed his ear.


    Harry sat there and blinked his eyes several times. ¡°You don''t mean... can... is it possible?¡±


    Hedwig hooted softly again.


    ¡°How?¡± Harry asked in a normal voice and covered his mouth. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± He said to his aunt and uncle, then turned to Hedwig whispered. ¡°I''m sorry. I know you can''t really answer.¡± He said. ¡°I wonder if there is someone I could ask about it.¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw another owl. This one was a tawny brown with some black markings on its feathers. It was heading towards the front door and then saw Harry at the window. It diverted and swooped down, then landed on the sill.


    Harry saw the letter in its beak and took it. ¡°Shh.¡± He whispered and gave the bird an owl treat. To his surprise, it twittered in what looked like pleasure, then it tapped the letter with its beak. Harry opened it and inside was Madam Malkin''s invitation to go to London and to her shop tomorrow for the portrait. He read her reasons and he agreed they were good reasons. At the bottom was the initials R.S.V.P.


    Harry was at a loss for what it meant. He couldn''t ask the owls, since they couldn''t talk. He held his sigh and turned around. ¡°Um... I... have a question.¡± He said, his voice low. ¡°What does RSVP mean?¡±


    Vernon glared at him and Harry winced a little. ¡°Petunia.¡±


    ¡°It means to respond as soon as possible.¡± Petunia said. She wouldn''t have said anything if her husband hadn''t asked her to.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Harry exclaimed. ¡°That makes sense. Thanks.¡± He said and quickly left the living room and went to his cupboard. He wrote out a response and put it in an envelope, wrote the return address, then went back to the living room. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    The brown owl hooted softly and accepted the envelope, then took off. Harry sat down by the open window, breathed in the cool evening air, and slowly pet his snowy white best friend.

 17 The Night

    Harry was sitting quietly by the window, as was Hedwig, for a couple of hours. Neither of them wanting to disturb the small peace they had. Harry''s aunt and uncle didn''t complain because they had nothing to complain about. They wanted to, they really did. For some reason, they just couldn''t object to having a handsome and composed boy sitting in their living room, even with the odd sight of him petting an owl.


    Harry was looking all around with just his eyes and then he suddenly froze. A large group of people popped into existence right in front of their house. He saw them all raise their wands as one and then the house was covered in... something. His mouth dropped open as what looked like a golden bubble appeared and he felt the tingle of magic.


    He knew he wasn''t the only one, because he heard a squeal and a grunt behind him. He didn''t dare turn around to look at them, though. The last thing he needed was to have that weird feeling attributed to him. Of course, his heart plummeted when one of the cloaked figures barked a few muffled words, then the group spread out and the man who spoke walked towards the front door.


    Oh, no. Harry thought, then he whispered. ¡°I''ll be right back, Hedwig.¡±


    Harry didn''t even glance at his aunt and uncle as he darted across the room and quickly left their sight, walked down the hallway, then he unlocked and opened the door. A man''s slightly startled face gazed down at him with his hand raised to knock.


    The man''s face changed to sternness. ¡°Mr. Harry Potter?¡±


    Harry shook slightly at the accusing tone. ¡°Y-yes?¡±


    The man grunted as a firm elbow hit him on the side and a woman stepped around him.


    ¡°Don''t mind him. Maintenance men are a bit too gruff sometimes.¡± The woman said and held a hand out to Harry. ¡°My name is Bertha Jorkins.¡±


    Harry blinked his eyes for a moment, then reached for her hand and shook it.


    ¡°Ooo, very nice soft hands, Mr. Potter.¡± Bertha said. ¡°Madam Primpernelle''s work, I assume?¡±


    Harry nodded and didn''t say anything in response, because he promised that he wouldn''t tell anyone exactly how much free work Madam Primpernelle did for him, as part of their agreement.


    ¡°I''m glad you''re making use of the things available to wizards.¡± Bertha said and stared at him, then she gained a far-away look to her eyes. ¡°What was I saying?¡±


    ¡°You were telling him why we are here.¡± The stern man said.


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Bertha let Harry''s hand go. ¡°I''m sorry, I was just remembering your father.¡±


    ¡°My... father?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes. I went to school with him. Your mother, too.¡± Bertha said. ¡°Handsome he was, unruly hair, though.¡± She looked at Harry again. ¡°I''m glad you were smart to get most of that bird''s nest chopped off.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡± Harry asked, a little surprised.


    ¡°It was one of the things that made James stand out, much to the consternation of his friends and the teachers.¡± Bertha said and smiled. ¡°He almost never took the attention in a positive way and always managed to show off or get in trouble.¡±


    Harry was a little flummoxed. My dad? A troublemaker? He thought and immediately remembered all of the things his aunt told him about his parents.


    ¡°No good layabouts, always causing trouble. I swear, they were made for each other!¡± Petunia had spat the last time Harry had asked about his mother and father. He hadn''t asked again, because of the hatred he had seen in her eyes. He was just glad it wasn''t directed at him that time, even though he had to scrub the toilet twice that day.


    ¡°That was at school, though. Once he was out, he caused trouble for you-know-who.¡± Bertha said with another big smile, then she realized what she said and her happy face turned sad. ¡°Oh, listen to me, going on about ancient history.¡± She said. ¡°Please, forgive me for bringing up painful memories.¡±


    Harry just stared at her and didn''t know what to say. Painful memories? What painful memories? I don''t remember my parents at all. They died when I was one. He didn''t say anything and she sighed.


    ¡°The Ministry of Magic received your letter and we are here to rectify the error made on your home.¡± Bertha said.


    ¡°You got my letter?¡± Harry asked, a bit glad to change the subject.


    Bertha pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the stern man. ¡°He is the head of the Magical Maintenance Department. One of his jobs is to maintain the list of magical dwellings in Britain.¡± She said. ¡°This house was listed as a muggle dwelling and we are here to fix that.¡±


    ¡°But, it is a muggle dwelling.¡± Harry said. ¡°It''s right here in the middle of other muggle dwellings.¡±


    Bertha chuckled and the sound was pleasant to hear. ¡°Dear boy, there are lots of magic dwellings scattered all over the place. You don''t expect wizards and witches to only stay in the small communities they normally live in, do you? How would they meet others and possibly marry?¡±


    Wizards and witches have whole communities? Harry asked himself, because he was a bit too stunned at the news to respond verbally.


    ¡°Now, where are the home owners? We need to inform them of the rules and procedures for having a magical dwelling.¡± Bertha said and walked right past him before he could say anything.


    Oh no! Harry thought and quickly followed her to try and stop her from speaking to his aunt and uncle. He completely missed the other 12 people shuffling inside and splitting up to do their jobs.


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. And Mrs. Dursley.¡± Bertha said. ¡°I''m Bertha Jorkins and I work for the Ministry of Magic.¡±


    ¡°You WHAT?!?¡± Vernon yelled and tried to stand up, then he groaned in pain and sat back down. ¡°Ugh. Damn hernia.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you in pain?¡± Bertha asked, concern in her voice. ¡°I''ll call a healer as soon as the protections are in place.¡±


    ¡°P-protections?¡± Petunia asked. ¡°I thought...¡±


    ¡°Yes, we know all about what''s already on the house.¡± Bertha said. ¡°That''s why we''re here.¡±


    Petunia''s face turned red, because she had made that old man swear to never have another magic person darken her doorstep, if he was allowed to put a few things on the house to keep her and the boy safe.


    ¡°Any dwelling with any kind of magical protections should have been registered with the Ministry. It was a terrible oversight to have both you and the famous Harry Potter be so vulnerable these past ten years.¡±


    ¡°V-v-vulnerable?¡± Petunia asked, her fear overriding her hatred of magic.


    ¡°Oh, yes. All sorts of dark wizards would have loved to hunt down the boy who lived and his family.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!?¡± Vernon yelled and tried to jump to his feet and pulled his hernia even worse. ¡°ARGH!¡±


    ¡°Now, now. Just relax.¡± Bertha said and gave them a smile. ¡°Our maintenance department will have this place all set up within fifteen minutes.¡±


    Just then, several wizards came into the living room and started casting spells. Some spoke the spells and some were just waving their wands. Everything was covered in magical energy and then the energy permeated everything and disappeared. They moved out of the living room and went into the kitchen to do it again. The television turned off and Vernon let out another grunt of pain.


    Bertha chuckled. ¡°Don''t worry. After the magic settles for a few minutes, we can cast an exception on your refrigerator and the other appliances. This is a world aided by magic, not the dark ages!¡±


    Vernon and Petunia gave her disbelieving looks.


    ¡°We do it this way for a simple reason. Can you imagine casting a preservation spell on everything you eat?¡± Bertha laughed. ¡°That''s all you would be doing! Oh, here''s a bunch of grapes. I better start casting on each grape before they go bad.¡±


    Harry stared at her with his mouth open.


    ¡°Yes, each individual thing would need the spell. If you cast it on just the branch, the branch would be fine and the grapes would wither.¡± Bertha explained. ¡°It works for other larger things; but, any person would get sick of casting the same spell over and over, just so they can have a fresh meal the next day.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure what to say to that. He would definitely like to learn that spell, especially if he could stockpile food that he would need for the next month.


    ¡°Ma''am, we''re finished.¡± The stern man said from the entryway to the living room.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Bertha said as all of the men gathered together. ¡°Well done, all of you.¡±


    The men all nodded and filed out of the room and the house, then they disappeared.

 18 The Healer

    When the workers left and only Bertha and the maintenance supervisor remained, Bertha walked over to the window. She let out a whistle and a few moments later, an owl appeared and landed on the sill next to Hedwig. She quickly wrote out a note and gave it to the bird, who flew off and disappeared from sight.


    ¡°By the time the healer shows up, the supervisor can install the exceptions and put your house to rights.¡± Bertha said with a smile and the supervisor quickly cast several spells on the television and the telephone, then he went into the kitchen and used the same spells on the appliances.


    Petunia still wasn''t quite sure what was going on and was about to ask them what they were doing. ¡°AHH!¡± She yelled when someone in white robes suddenly appeared right in front of the couch.


    ¡°Sudden startles could be a sign of magic dementia.¡± The healer said and took a step towards her.


    ¡°My uncle!¡± Harry stopped her and pointed to Vernon. ¡°He threw out his back.¡±


    The woman gave Harry an odd look, then she smiled widely. ¡°You''re quite handsome.¡±


    ¡°Th-thanks.¡± Harry said, his face red. ¡°My uncle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± The healer said and walked over to Vernon. She gave her wand a wave and made a clicking sound with her tongue and shook her head. ¡°You are severely overweight and your body suffers from over-exertion.¡± She said and reached into the bag on her shoulder. ¡°Drink this.¡± She said and handed him a potion.


    ¡°I bloody well won''t!¡± Vernon exclaimed and the healer sighed.


    ¡°The hard way, then.¡± The healer said and waved her wand at him. He immediately opened his mouth and she poured the potion down his throat. ¡°Now that your excess weight will be taken care of, let''s look at that hernia.¡± She waved her wand in a specific movement and Vernon was suddenly floating in the air.


    The Levitation charm! Harry thought as he recognized the wand movement. She didn''t say it out loud!


    ¡°Hmm. I see. Yes, you tried to lift something that shouldn''t be lifted.¡± The healer said and performed several spells in quick succession to take care of the problem. ¡°How do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°I''m bloody well floating in the blasted air!¡± Vernon blustered.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The healer chuckled. ¡°I suppose it is difficult to see how you stand while you''re floating. I''m sorry about that.¡± She said and righted him and stood him on his feet. ¡°There. How is your pain now?¡±


    Vernon was going to rant at her that he felt extreme pain in his lower back, then he realized that he didn''t. The agonizing pain was completely gone and he didn''t know what to say.


    ¡°Mummy! MUMMY!¡± Dudley yelled when he came in through the back door. ¡°There''s weird people in... the... yard.¡± His voice broke up as he saw the same type of people were inside.


    ¡°I see that your overweight condition might be hereditary.¡± The healer said and took out another potion. She didn''t even ask this time and did the same wave motion to make Dudley open his mouth and she poured the potion down his throat. ¡°Considering your obesity, it should take a day or two for the results of flushing it out of your systems to be visible.¡±


    Vernon and Dudley gave her disbelieving looks and she gave both of them stern looks back. ¡°Stop eating so much. You only need 2000 to 2500 calories a day for a good and happy life. Any more than that is only stretching your stomach for no reason. Your body can''t handle more intake and converts any excess you have to fat.¡± The healer said and looked at Harry. ¡°You on the other hand, need some fattening up.¡±


    ¡°I''d need food for that.¡± Harry said before he could stop himself. The healer, Bertha, the supervisor, and Petunia took in sharp breaths.


    ¡°Are they not feeding you enough?¡± The healer asked and squinted her eyes at Harry. ¡°Do you have an owl?¡±


    Harry reluctantly pointed to the window. ¡°Hedwig.¡±


    The healer walked over to the snowy white owl. ¡°I''ll have a few words with the staff at St. Mungo''s. Hedwig, I want you to come by every morning and pick up a food delivery for...¡± She paused and looked back. ¡°What''s your name, young man?¡±


    ¡°It''s Harry. Harry Potter.¡±


    The healer turned back towards Hedwig for a second and then she gasped and looked back. ¡°The Harry Potter?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Harry said. Madam Primpernelle had explained why so many witches and wizards knew his name. She also warned him to not be surprised by people''s reactions to finding out who he is.


    The healer stood there and stared at him with her mouth open. She didn''t know what to say to someone who was so famous and she forgot what she was trying to do to help him.


    Bertha reached out and touched her elbow and shook her a little to get her attention. ¡°You were saying something about a food delivery?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes. Yes, I was.¡± The healer said and shook herself, then she turned back to look at Hedwig. ¡°Come by St. Mungo''s every morning for a food delivery for Mr. Potter. No other person is to have it.¡± She said and turned her head to look at the three people that were supposedly Harry''s family. ¡°The package will only open for Harry, so stealing it won''t do anyone else any good.¡±


    Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley had red faces, as if they were going to start yelling and screaming at the healer. She saw it and waved her wand at them. When Vernon started yelling that neither he nor his family were thieves, not a single peep came out of his mouth.


    It was now Harry''s turn to stare at the healer with his mouth open.


    ¡°Yelling doesn''t help anyone and I won''t listen to a tirade from someone who would dare to malnourish that sweet little boy.¡± The healer said and looked at Harry. ¡°How could anyone dare to not cook enough food and feed him what his growing body needs?¡±


    ¡°I cook the meals.¡± Harry said automatically. It was what had been drilled into his head since he could remember.


    The three magic people in the room turned to him with astonished looks on their faces.


    ¡°You... you''re only eleven.¡± Bertha whispered. ¡°You shouldn''t even be near a stove, let alone cook for the whole family.¡±


    ¡°I also do all the cleaning.¡± Harry admitted. ¡°What I can reach, anyway.¡±


    The three magic people looked around the room. If they allowed for the length of something with a handle, like a duster, right from that level up was still dusty. Their eyes fell upon Petunia, who was quite tall and their eyes squinted at her in accusation.


    Petunia squinted her eyes in return and glared at them. She would have said something to them about how nasty and worthless Harry had been before they showed up... if she could have. Her voice was still silenced.


    ¡°It''s a good thing we showed up, then.¡± The stern man said. ¡°If they are going to make a child clean, at least now you can use a simple spell to help you.¡± He quickly took out a blank piece of parchment and waved his wand at it to make words and pictures appear, then handed it to Harry. ¡°You''ll find that this works very well on dirty mouths, too.¡±


    Harry looked at the piece of paper as if it was a gift from heaven. He took it reverently and stared at the contents to burn it into his brain, before his uncle could try and take it from him. He really wanted that spell and didn''t want to lose it if the paper was somehow lost or damaged.


    ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Potter.¡± Bertha Jorkins said and touched his shoulder. ¡°Now that the Ministry knows you are back in our world, everything is going to change for you.¡±


    Harry put the page away and looked up at her happy and sad face. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No, Mr. Potter.¡± Bertha said, then she smiled. ¡°Harry, it is us that need to thank you. You have done the wizarding world a huge favor by defeating you-know-who. Coming here to help you is the least we can do.¡± She said. ¡°If at any time you need help, for any reason, send me a note with your owl. I''ll either respond immediately or show up personally.¡±


    ¡°You... don''t have to... do that.¡± Harry said, haltingly. He didn''t really know this woman and she was offering him so much.


    ¡°I really liked your father.¡± Bertha said. ¡°Despite being one of the ignorant jocks on the Quiddich team, and a bit of a snob to be honest, he could be sweet when not surrounded by his friends.¡± She couldn''t help but laugh softly as she remembered something.


    Harry kept staring at her to see if she was going to say something else, like explaining what Quiddich was, and she didn''t.


    ¡°I think we need to go now.¡± The stern man said to Bertha and then he lightly clapped Harry on the other shoulder. ¡°You can address any additional maintenance concerns to the Head of the Magical Maintenance Department at the Ministry of Magic, and it will find me.¡±


    Harry nodded to him and the stern man smiled. It surprisingly didn''t make him look any less stern.


    ¡°Then we''ll be off.¡± Bertha said and gave Harry''s shoulder a squeeze before she let it go. ¡°It was very nice meeting you, Harry.¡± She said. ¡°Even if you don''t have any problems, you can write to me and tell me all about your life at home and at school.¡±


    Harry blinked his eyes for several moments. ¡°You want to hear about stuff like that?¡± He asked, disbelievingly.


    Bertha laughed softly. ¡°Young man, I would like nothing better than to hear all about everything you do every day.¡± She smiled and the healer came over to her.


    ¡°Send me a copy, Bertha.¡± The healer said with a smile. ¡°I want to know how Harry''s doing, too.¡±


    Bertha nodded to her. ¡°I''m sure a lot of people will want to know how he''s doing, now that he''s back with us.¡± She looked back at Harry. ¡°I hope to hear from you soon.¡± She said and then popped right out of existence and disappeared.


    ¡°Make sure you eat the prepared food that''s coming in the morning.¡± The healer said and discretely waved her wand at Harry''s silent family members. ¡°I''ll know it if you don''t.¡± She said teasingly. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Potter.¡± She said and disappeared as well.


    The stern man just nodded and suddenly wasn''t there anymore.


    Harry stared at the spot where the three people stood, mere moments before, and wondered what magic let them come and go like that. He would never have to worry about travelling anywhere if he knew how to do that. Of course, with that thought, he remembered that Madam Malkin was picking him up the next day for the portrait and he needed to get some sleep.


    Harry walked over to the window. ¡°Do you want to stay out again tonight?¡±


    Hedwig shook her head and he offered her his arm. She hopped onto it and Harry closed the window and locked it, then he carried his snowy white feathered friend to his cupboard under the stairs and went inside. He put her on the shelf so she could settle in to sleep, then he changed into his pyjamas and nestled down into his blankets.


    ¡°Goodnight, Hedwig.¡± Harry whispered and she hooted softly to him. He smiled at her and closed his eyes. He drifted off to sleep, even with his mind filled with all of the events of the day.


    Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley sat in the living room and didn''t speak, mainly because they didn''t realize that they could now.

 19 The Practice

    Harry slept really well all night. He wasn''t sure why he did, considering everything that had happened the day before, then he thought it might just be because of what had happened. He opened his eyes and looked up at Hedwig, who was still asleep. He carefully crawled out of his nest of blankets and peeked out of the cupboard door to look at the clock. It was six in the morning and he couldn''t hear anyone.


    That thought reminded him of the night before and he quickly ducked back into the cupboard and buried his face into his blankets to laugh. He couldn''t laugh at the time, since he was so surprised at seeing his uncle trying to yell at the healer and only moved his mouth with no sound at all.


    I need to find that spell! Harry thought as he opened up his trunk and quickly descended the ladder. I know it has to be something that everyone who uses magic should know. It has to be! He grabbed his seven basic spell books for school and went back up to his closet. It''s too useful to not be taught!


    Harry had grabbed the first book in his excitement and flipped to the contents page. Thankfully, his eyes adjusted to the dim ambient light and he read what it said. He chuckled under his breath when he realized his mistake and put it aside. He read the second year book''s contents, then the third and fourth. He hit gold when he read the contents of the fifth year book and found the silencing spell called ''Silencio''.


    YES! Harry exclaimed in his mind and flipped through the book to the right page. When he read it, he was very surprised at how simple it was. The movement was a swish to the right that was slightly above what you wanted to silence, then you cut your wand down to point at the target and say the word. That was all. He flipped the page to see that it was the method to end the spell and not a further explanation of the spell itself. He flipped back and read it again.


    Why would they wait until the fifth year to teach such a simple spell? Harry asked himself. It''s bloody brilliant! The healer proved that last night!


    While he was reading, Hedwig woke up and gave a soft hoot, barely a breath, and he looked at her.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. You need to go.¡± Harry whispered and carefully opened his cupboard door and reached back to offer an arm for Hedwig. He crept into the living room and took her to the window, slowly unlocked it with a click, then tried to push it open. A kind of loud creak sounded and he winced. He stopped immediately and waited to see if his uncle or his aunt heard him.


    When there were no thumps from the upstairs, Harry carefully put Hedwig down and went back to his cupboard. He retrieved his wand care kit from his trunk and opened it up and looked at his wand. He gently picked it up and hoped beyond hope that it was going to work. He needed it to work. It had to work!


    Harry crept back to the living room and sat down next to the partially open window. He took a deep breath and let it out, then he practised the wand movement. He didn''t want to mess it up by making a mistake and then waking everyone up when he opened the window. It was almost funny how the sound from the window creaking could barely be heard during the day, and at night when there was no other sound around, it was as loud as thunder.


    Harry did the move one last time, cleared his mind and concentrated. I can do this! He thought and did the movement perfectly. ¡°Silencio!¡± He whispered and pointed at the window. It didn''t glow and he thought it hadn''t worked, then remembered his family hadn''t glowed, either. It worked. I know it did!


    He reached out and pushed the window with a fingertip, which moved it barely a quarter of an inch, and there wasn''t a peep. It swung open and didn''t make any noise at all!


    Ha ha! Harry laughed in his mind and opened the window for Hedwig. ¡°See you soon.¡± He whispered.


    Hedwig hooted softly and hopped onto the window sill, spread her wings, and took off into the darkness that was just starting to lighten up. Harry closed the window, because he didn''t want to be yelled at for letting all the heat out. He only had to wait an hour for Hedwig to come back, so he went back to his cupboard and put his spell books back into his trunk, except for the first year one.


    There were no alarms sent up or warnings from the Ministry of Magic because he had performed underage magic, which meant that everything they had put in place the night before had actually worked. He brought the book back out to the living room and sat beside the window.


    Of course, the very first spell was the wand lighting spell, ''Lumos''. He didn''t dare use that, though. The last thing he wanted was for a light to show that he was up already. He read the spell, just as a reminder, then went to the next spell. When he read the conditions for the softening charm, he shook his head. He couldn''t have a purple light glowing anywhere in the living room if he cast it, so he moved on.


    The fire-making spell was next and Harry looked at the cold fireplace with a smile. The book said you needed to concentrate and speak the incantation aloud and passionately if possible, so he had a brilliant idea. He pointed his wand at himself and performed the silencing spell. He opened his mouth to speak and nothing came out.


    Excellent! Harry thought and walked over to the fireplace. He put in the kindling and the larger pieces of wood to make an appropriate fire, then did the quick motion and jabbed his wand at the fireplace. INCENDIO! He yelled, except no sound escaped from his mouth.


    The end of his wand burst out a small fireball and it hit the wood inside the fireplace. The sudden whoosh of all the wood catching fire and the crackling wood sounds startled him. He hopped back and stared at it for a second, then knew what to do.


    Silencio! Harry said silently and did the motion with his wand at the fireplace. The sound disappeared and he sighed. He stood there and waited to see if there was any movement from upstairs. There wasn''t. He couldn''t be sure that his aunt and uncle were still asleep after that loud sound, though. He went back to the window and sat down on the chair there, then looked at the next spell.


    Harry skipped over the levitation charm, since he really didn''t want to do something like that while trying to keep quiet. The unlocking spell was next, so he locked the window and did the wand movement as he silently said the incantation, ''Alohamora''. The little latch on the window popped open to his delight. He smiled, locked it, and did the spell again.


    He nodded at the result and looked at the next spell, the locking spell. He did the motion as he silently said the spell, ''Colloportus''. The little latch only twitched slightly and didn''t really move.


    What the...? Harry thought in confusion, then sighed. I''m not concentrating on what I want the spell to do properly. He thought and took a breath. I want you to lock! Colloportus! He said silently and the little latch snapped closed, also silently. YES!


    Harry sat there for quite some time as he alternated between using the locking charm and the unlocking charm. He remained focused and concentrated as he kept switching between the two spells. He had to keep his mind clear as he locked and unlocked it, because any mistake would result in a failure and the follow-up spell wouldn''t work, either. He completely missed someone coming into the living room.


    ¡°What are you doing up?¡± A gruff voice asked loudly.


    AHH! Harry yelled silently as he jumped up from the chair he sat in and almost lost his footing. He caught himself against the window and braced himself, then stood up straight and turned around to face his uncle. He opened his mouth to speak and remembered that he had cast the silencing spell on himself, so he pointed to the roaring fireplace instead and his uncle looked at it.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Vernon grunted and walked out of the living room. He didn''t want to admit that it was nice for once to wake up to a warm living room.


    Harry sighed in relief, cast the counter to his silencing charm on himself, then resumed his seat by the window.


    ¡°Boy.¡± Vernon said and Harry jumped again. ¡°Since you''re up already...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle Vernon.¡± Harry said and dropped his spell book and wand off inside his trunk in the cupboard under the stairs, then went to the kitchen. He started with the coffee and tea first, then began the eggs. He knew exactly how his family liked them and cooked them that way. He put the bread in the toaster and did up the plates of food for everyone, except for himself. His uncle didn''t comment at him not taking his proper portion and drank his morning coffee.


    Aunt Petunia came into the kitchen and was surprised that her husband was calmly drinking coffee and Harry was serving breakfast, long before she could get angry at the boy for sleeping in and making her wait. She sat down at the table and was presented with a cup of tea, perfectly brewed, and her eyes went over the boy. Even with the expensive pyjamas, she could see a bit of dirt building up and he was starting to smell.


    It''s probably because of that damnable owl. Petunia thought with a sneer. ¡°You need a bath.¡±


    Harry jumped at her words, looked down at himself, then nodded. He put Dudley''s plate down on the table and added the plate of stacked toast within easy reach of everyone, then left the kitchen. He ducked into the cupboard and grabbed a change of clothes, closed the cupboard and looked at it as he had a neat thought. He took out his wand from his trunk and closed the door again, then did the motion for the locking spell.


    Colloportus! Harry thought and mouthed the word as if he was actually speaking it. The latch closed and locked with a satisfying clink. He smiled and walked down the hallway as he slid the wand up his sleeve to hide it from view. He went up the stairs and saw Dudley''s bedroom door start to open. Harry didn''t want to get caught upstairs by him and out of sight of his aunt and uncle, so he took three quick steps and ducked into the bathroom.


    COLLOPORTUS! Harry yelled in his mind as he did the wand movement. The door whooshed and was about to slam very loudly, so he yelled in his head again. SILENCIO!


    The door slammed closed and not a sound was heard. Not the bang of the wood, not the click of the handle, nothing.


    Harry sighed in relief, because he knew he would have been yelled at for a long time if he ever slammed a door in the house. He undressed and placed his wand on top of the pile, then did up the bath for himself. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he was getting in the bath before Dudley.


    The suds were white and fluffy instead of flat and barely there. The water was on the nice side of hot and not tepid like usual. Even the soap was clean and not streaked with grime after his aunt had used it on Dudley to clean him.


    Harry slipped into the water with a happy face and started to wash himself.

 20 The Deliveries

    Harry finished bathing and dried off, dressed in a nice outfit that consisted of a shirt and dress pants. He left off the tie, since he was going to have to change into his new robes later and that came with a school colored tie. He picked up his dirty clothes and used the Alohamora spell to unlock the bathroom door. He peeked out and saw that no one was around and he didn''t hear anyone, so he carefully stepped out and looked around.


    Dudley''s door was open and he was nowhere to be found, so Harry went down the stairs and tossed the dirty clothes into his trunk. Thankfully, the trunk sorted them into a different pile than his other clothes and he tucked his wand up his sleeve to keep it hidden. He grabbed several owl treats and walked down the hallway. He saw that his family were still in the kitchen, so he relaxed and went into the living room to wait for Hedwig.


    Hedwig wasn''t the first owl to arrive, however. Harry opened the window as a grey spotted owl flapped into view and landed on the window sill. It had a package in its beak and Harry saw the address was for Wiseacre''s Wizarding Equipment, which meant it was the watch he had asked for.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry whispered and gave the owl a treat. It let out the same pleased twitter that the other owl had at receiving such an expensive treat. He opened the package and inside was a timepiece on a golden chain. It looked like something a train conductor would use and he almost laughed at it. It was only five galleons and it had a thick book of directions. Harry gave it a quick flip through and the thing even timed the movements of the planets!


    He let out a chuckle under his breath and took five galleons out of his money bag and added them to the little pouch on the owl''s leg. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    The owl gave him a beseeching look and eyed his pocket.


    ¡°All right. One more for delivering the money.¡± Harry whispered and gave it another treat.


    It hooted softly and took the treat, kept it in its beak, and flew off.


    He''s probably saving it for when he goes home. Harry thought with a smile and was about to close the window when another owl appeared. It was black with white stripes, which was really odd for an owl, and it landed on his window sill with a small package in its beak. ¡°What have you got for me?¡± He asked the new arrival and took the package.


    The owl lifted a leg and Harry took out a small note.


    Harry! I hope you like cauldron cakes! - Mrs. Freedman. Harry read. ¡°Huh?¡± He looked at the package and at the owl. ¡°What... hold on.¡± He opened the package and inside were a dozen small round cakes that looked absolutely delicious. ¡°Wow.¡±


    The owl gave a short hoot to get his attention.


    ¡°Oh! Yes, just a second.¡± Harry said and left the living room to grab his writing things and a piece of paper and dropped off the cakes in his trunk. He went back to the living room and wrote out a thank you note, rolled it up, and slipped it into the owl''s leg pouch. ¡°Thanks.¡± He said and gave the owl a treat.


    The owl shivered slightly and hooted happily, then took off.


    Is it just me, or do the owls seem to really like the owl treats? Harry asked himself and thought about Hedwig. She hadn''t reacted like that and she had gotten several treats already. Maybe she''s used to them?


    After that, two more owls came with deliveries. Harry accepted the packages and gave them treats in return, read the notes attached, then wrote thank you notes and gave them to the owls. Of course, that started a chain of them and more owls arrived with even more packages of food.


    Harry wasn''t sure what was going on until Hedwig showed up in the middle of the latest group. She actually swooped into the living room and landed on the back of the chair. She had a large package and Harry accepted it and carefully set it down on the chair. He read the attached note and almost laughed.


    Dearest Harry, I made my plea to the head of the hospital and she nearly exploded as she tried to personally come to you to deliver the food you desperately need. I convinced her that your owl was trustworthy and would be by to take the delivery, and she said that you might need a bit more than the standard meal plan.


    Of course, she had intentionally broadcast my plea to the entire hospital and all of the healers heard about what you said. I suspect that you''re going to receive much more food than even we as healers can recommend you eat for meals, so please eat responsibly and don''t try to eat it all at once. - Healer Ela.


    Harry folded the note up and put it in his pocket. I wonder how long the deliveries are going to take? Harry asked himself as he gave Hedwig one of the last treats he had in his pocket. He went back to his cupboard and grabbed the large bag of treats, considering how many he had already given out, and instead of continuously making trips to drop off the food, he brought the trunk out to the living room. He dropped the packages into the trunk without opening them.


    Harry started something like an assembly line and wrote out thank you notes as each new owl landed and handed over the package they had, gave them an owl treat, and they took off. Hedwig gave a soft hoot to get his attention and he nodded.


    ¡°I know I need to eat.¡± Harry said and waited until there was a lull in the deliveries. When no owl showed up for almost thirty seconds, he opened the official package from the healer and inside was the best smelling and looking breakfast he had ever seen.


    It had two sausages, a pile of scrambled eggs so fluffy that they were nearly six inches thick and eight inches around (it looked like a cake, except it was eggs), a quarter pound of cooked bacon, four toast, and a large bottle of juice and a carton of milk.


    How the heck am I going to eat all of that? Harry asked himself and just stared at the huge meal. Even Dudley would have a hard time eating it all! He looked at the pile of food packages in his trunk and smiled. I guess I don''t have to worry about food for a while.


    Three more owls showed up and he looked at the window.


    A long while. Harry thought and took the packages, gave the owls thank you notes and treats, then started eating breakfast.


    *


    Vernon and Petunia had stared at the scene with wide eyes. Tens of owls were assaulting their home. Even though there were people clearly walking by on the street outside, either going to work or out for an early morning stroll, not a single one looked at their house or mentioned the pile of owls swooping by.


    Dudley was too busy eating his and his father''s breakfasts to bother looking at his cousin. He had been ravenous all night and didn''t know why he was still hungry after eating his midnight snack. Of course, neither he nor his father noticed that they were a little bit thinner than they had been the day before. Their clothes were only slightly baggy and they didn''t clue in about what the healer had done to them.


    *


    Harry had just finished eating when he saw the oddest thing he had ever seen out through the window. A triple decker bus popped into existence down the end of the street, swerved into the neighbour''s hedge rows that miraculously jumped out of the way, then it swerved to a stop in the front yard. He saw a woman''s surprised face on the other side of the living room window and gave her a little wave.


    Madam Malkin waved back, gave him a huge smile, then she quickly walked over to the front end of the bus and stepped off and onto the front step of Number Four, Privet Drive. The Knight Bus always delivered their passengers exactly where they needed to go.


    Harry closed his trunk and picked it up after giving Hedwig a treat and a thank you note for the healer. ¡°Hedwig, deliver this for me, please.¡± He said and gave her another treat, then he stuck a note on the window to just drop off the packages and the notes and he would get back to them as soon as he could. He left the living room and walked down the hallway and opened the door, just as Madam Malkin knocked.


    ¡°You look exceptional, Harry.¡± Madam Malkin said with another huge smile. ¡°Are you ready to go?¡±


    Harry nodded and stepped out of the house and onto the Knight Bus.


    Vernon and Petunia stood at the end of the hallway and watched their nephew be whisked away on a magic bus. They both wondered why he didn''t tell them that he was going anywhere, let alone asked them for their permission.


    Little did they realize that those thoughts had never crossed Harry''s mind.

 21 The Portrait

    Harry was having the time of his life. He and Madam Malkin laughed their heads off as the bus they rode swerved around things and threw them and their chairs into the walls, ceiling, and floor. Madam Malkin had already softened everything with the Spongify spell, so they bounced, rolled, and tumbled all over the place for the entire ride and didn''t get hurt at all.


    When the bus finally came to a stop on the street that was just outside The Leaky Cauldron, both Harry and Madam Malkin''s clothes were ruffled and messed up from the ride and they had huge smiles. The woman had lost her hat at some point and before she stepped off the bus, she turned to the interior and waved her wand.


    ¡°Accio my hat!¡± Madam Malkin said and the hat slipped out from under one of the seats and flew over to her. She caught it and placed it on her messy hair. ¡°Before we go, I should book you passage to get back home, Harry.¡±


    Harry handed over eleven sickles. ¡°Maybe I should book my trip to King''s Cross station, too.¡±


    ¡°That is an excellent idea!¡± Madam Malkin said and the conductor took another eleven sickles and handed Harry two tickets for passage.


    ¡°Just hold out yer wand on the street when ya want to leave.¡± The conductor said. ¡°We''ll be by ta pick ya up promptly.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said and put the tickets into his pocket. He and Madam Malkin entered the bar and walked right through it. No one even blinked twice at them. Harry didn''t say anything to Tom the bartender, since Tom didn''t recognize him, and they went out the back. Madam Malkin took out her wand and reached for the brick wall.


    ¡°Can I try it?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Madam Malkin said. ¡°I''m glad you''re taking charge like the budding wizard that you are.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said and flicked his wrist. His wand slid out from the hiding spot in his sleeve and he caught the handle. He touched the bricks in the wall in the right order and the wall folded back and revealed Diagon Alley.


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Madam Malkin said. ¡°How many times have you been here?¡±


    ¡°This is my second time.¡± Harry said and they stepped through the opening.


    ¡°Really? You remembered the sequence after only seeing it once?¡± Madam Malkin asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Harry said proudly and grinned at her.


    Madam Malkin laughed. ¡°Are you really eleven?¡± She asked, teasingly. ¡°I couldn''t get my son to even look at the wall when I brought him here the first time.¡±


    ¡°Your son?¡± Harry asked. ¡°How old is he?¡±


    ¡°Almost thirty.¡± Madam Malkin said as they walked to her shop. ¡°He has his own business in another town and I couldn''t be prouder of him.¡± They entered her shop and there was already someone else there. ¡°I''m glad you made it on such short notice.¡± She said to the other woman.


    ¡°When I heard you wanted to commission a portrait, I had to come.¡± The woman said with a chuckle. ¡°I didn''t think that you wanted one done with your cute grandson.¡±


    Madam Malkin laughed. ¡°He''s not my grandson, even though I would be very happy if he was.¡± She said. ¡°The portrait is just of him, though.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The woman asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Madam Malkin said. ¡°Harry, go ahead and take your trunk into the back room over there and change into your school robes. If you need a hand with anything, just holler and I''ll come in and help you.¡±


    Harry went into the back room and climbed down into the trunk, applied the skin cream to cover his scar, even though the previous coverage had yet to fade, and picked up a set of school robes. It was like a formal dress suit underneath, with a tie and everything. He dressed up as much as he could, then he couldn''t figure out how to get the robes on. He stepped out of the back room and spoke.


    ¡°I can''t get the robe part on.¡± Harry said.


    Madam Malkin came right over to him and they both went inside. After a quick lesson on the robes and how they were situated on the shoulders to allow the arms freedom of movement, Harry was dressed. The tie was then applied properly and tucked into the vest, then he used his comb to run it through his hair a couple of times.


    Madam Malkin stared at him for several moments, then a huge smile appeared on her face. ¡°I knew it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Harry asked and looked down at himself. ¡°Is something off?¡±


    ¡°No, Harry. You look perfect.¡± Madam Malkin said and took his hand. She led him out of the back room and over to the spot that she usually had for measuring people and working on applying the appropriate sizes for their clothing. It was like a little photo studio now and she placed Harry on the slightly raised platform.


    ¡°Oh, dear.¡± The woman doing the portrait said as she looked up from her preparations to see Harry. ¡°You were so right about him being the best subject, Madam Malkin.¡±


    ¡°I told you.¡± Madam Malkin said. ¡°He''s very handsome dressed up like that.¡±


    Harry''s face went slightly red.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± The woman exclaimed and used her wand and did several odd motions, then she tapped a large metal box that just appeared from somewhere. What Harry didn''t know was that it was just a spell that makes you ignore something unless it''s brought to your attention.


    Harry looked at the box and wondered what it did. He had to assume it was like a camera or something, even though he thought having a portrait made entailed the woman actually painting his picture.


    ¡°Oh! That was just perfect!¡± The woman exclaimed. ¡°Madam Malkin! Look at this!¡±


    Madam Malkin went over to her and looked into the metal box. ¡°Dear me.¡± She whispered and stared at it. ¡°That really is fantastic.¡±


    ¡°I''ll have it ready in an hour.¡± The woman said. ¡°Have you picked a spot for it yet?¡±


    Madam Malkin nodded and pointed to a spot on the wall behind the main counter.


    ¡°I''ll be sure to make it big enough for the space.¡± The woman promised.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Madam Malkin said in a soft voice.


    Harry looked at both women as they just stood there and stared into the metal box. ¡°Um... can I see?¡±


    Both women jumped a little, which meant that they had forgotten that he was there.


    ¡°Well, it''s best to be viewed at full size.¡± The woman said with a smile and packed up her things. Lights turned off and disappeared, then the backdrop that Harry hadn''t noticed rolled up and flew towards her. ¡°I''ll be back in an hour.¡±


    Madam Malkin nodded and the woman and the metal box disappeared from the shop. ¡°Harry? Would you like some ice cream?¡±


    Harry''s mouth dropped open in shock. ¡°Ice... ice cream? I can have ice cream?¡±


    Madam Malkin almost laughed at his expression. ¡°Go ahead and change back into your other clothes and I''ll take you over to Fortescue''s.¡±


    Harry nodded several times and jogged into the back room. He quickly undid the things holding his robes in place and then undressed, tossed the clothes into the trunk, then pulled on his shirt and dress pants. He tucked the wand back up his sleeve and closed his trunk, then carried it out to the front of the shop.


    Madam Malkin laughed softly at the speed at which Harry had changed and was tempted to ask if he used magic, then she shrugged and led him out of her shop and down the street to a nondescript building. They went inside and it was bright and colorful and had hundreds of tubs of all different flavors of ice cream.


    Harry had never heard of most of the flavors though. Along with the staples of Chocolate and Vanilla, there was Periwinkle Cream, Fairy Dust Surprise, and something called The Niffler Special.


    ¡°Go ahead and pick whatever you want.¡± Madam Malkin said and looked at the bearded man behind the counter. ¡°I''ll have a scoop of Dirigible Plum with a light drizzle of Apricot syrup, please.¡±


    ¡°Ooo, good choice.¡± Florian said and quickly did up the order. ¡°The plums are particularly lofty today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Madam Malkin said as she accepted it and then paid for her ice cream.


    ¡°So many...¡± Harry whispered as he looked at all the colors, flavors, and available toppings.


    ¡°I think you better just do up a popular flavor for the young man.¡± Madam Malkin said. ¡°We only have an hour to wait and I''m afraid he won''t be able to choose by then!¡±


    Florian laughed and nodded, then he quickly did up a double scoop of ice cream. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry looked up and saw the bearded man holding out an ice cream for him. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry about not being able to choose. Most first-timers can''t choose anything and usually ask for a recommendation.¡± Florian said.


    Harry nodded and handed over the money, then he stared at the deep red of the bottom scoop and the glowing black of the top one.


    ¡°Go ahead and give it a lick.¡± Florian said. ¡°Just make sure that you lick both scoops or you''re not going to get the right tastes in proportion.¡±


    Harry nodded again and licked both scoops, then he took in a sharp breath as he tasted... something. He didn''t know what he had tasted, because he had never tasted anything like it before.


    ¡°Let''s sit down and enjoy it while we wait.¡± Madam Malkin suggested and she sat him down at a table. She sat down across from him and they ate in silence. When Harry was done of his ice cream cone, he still didn''t know what he had eaten or what it was called. They left the ice cream shop and went back to hers just in time, because the woman appeared with a large wrapped package.


    ¡°It turned out wonderfully!¡± The woman said and gave it to Madam Malkin.


    ¡°I want it hung before I look at it.¡± Madam Malkin said and the two women went to the wall that it was to be mounted on and put it up in barely a second. A second later, the wrapping was removed and Harry gasped at what he saw. It was him, well the new him, and it was more than just a painting.


    I''M MOVING! Harry yelled in his head and gawked at the portrait of himself. It was life size and it stood a little awkwardly. It also blushed when Madam Malkin looked at the portrait with a smile.


    ¡°It''s perfect.¡± Madam Malkin said with a nod.


    ¡°It sure is.¡± The woman said and accepted a small bag of money, then she disappeared.

 22 The Return Home

    ¡°Is... is that really me?¡± Harry asked. If he could see himself, he would see a direct mirror of his portrait self as he stood awkwardly with his face slightly red.


    ¡°It is, and I couldn''t be happier to see my robes on such a strapping young boy.¡± Madam Malkin said and then she looked at his clothing. ¡°Now, I believe I need to have a look at your other clothing.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry blinked his eyes and looked down at himself. ¡°What''s wrong with them?¡±


    Madam Malkin laughed and she rubbed her hand on Harry''s wrinkled shirt. ¡°There''s nothing really wrong. It''s just my clothing items have enchantments on them for never wrinkle and ever clean.¡±


    ¡°Wow, really?¡± Harry asked, his voice full of wonder.


    Madam Malkin nodded. ¡°It won''t help if you spill a large amount of something on them, then you will have to Scourgify the mess first. Normal every day dust and dirt just slides right off.¡±


    Harry opened his trunk and climbed down into it using the ladder and started to pass up all of the normal clothing he owned. Madam Malkin laughed and told him about the levitation charm to lift things out to himself and then she reminded him of the Accio charm that she had used to summon her hat on the Knight Bus.


    ¡°Can you levitate things out of a trunk charmed with anti-theft and auto-sorting?¡± Harry asked and passed up more clothes.


    Madam Malkin opened her mouth to say yes, then she laughed again. ¡°Harry, you keep teaching this old witch new things.¡± She said and piled his clothes beside the trunk. ¡°Just for that, I''ll teach you how to clean those dirty pyjamas. It''s just a basic household spell; but, you''re young and you probably haven''t seen it used before.¡±


    Harry nodded and then he gawked at the witch as she pretty much made his pyjamas dance and wash themselves. ¡°WOW!¡±


    Madam Malkin kept laughing as she cleaned all of his normal clothes. After that, she charmed them all with the two spells for no wrinkles and to stay clean from normal dirt. Harry asked her to teach him both spells, and she did so. She hadn''t done anything like that for years and having an eager young boy that was actually interested in learning the simple clothing maintenance spells, made her feel all warm inside.


    To her surprise, Madam Malkin regretted that her granddaughter wasn''t old enough to attend Hogwarts for a couple of years. She wanted her to meet this wonderful boy and then, possibly, Harry could have become her grandson by marriage. She laughed at herself for thinking such selfish thoughts and gave Harry a hug. Harry''s face flushed red at the unexpected intimate contact and wasn''t sure how to react.


    ¡°Let''s get you packed back up.¡± Madam Malkin said and let him go, then waved her wand at the stack of clothes. They folded themselves up and then swarmed into the open trunk.


    ¡°What was that spell?!?¡± Harry asked and looked into the trunk.


    Madam Malkin gave him a concerned look. ¡°You''re eager to learn these spells because you''ve never seen or heard of them before, isn''t it?¡± She asked and he nodded. ¡°You don''t know any of the basic household spells, do you?¡±


    Harry shook his head and ducked it a little. ¡°I was raised in a muggle house.¡± He said, sadly.


    Madam Malkin gasped, then she understood. ¡°Don''t be sad about that, young man.¡± She said. ¡°I suppose you were sent there to keep you safe from the bad wizards still looking for you-know-who.¡±


    Harry shrugged. As far as he knew, no other wizard, good or bad, had ever visited him. Except for Hagrid, the gamekeeper from the school. Harry took in a sharp breath when he realized he now knew someone he could ask about learning to understand his owl, Hedwig.


    ¡°Well, I suppose as payment for all of the enchantments I just did, I can show you the spells you don''t know.¡± Madam Malkin said with a smile and started to teach Harry all of the common and basic spells that every wizarding household used to maintain their homes, clothes, food, and themselves.


    Harry was almost blown away at how much wizards actually used magic at home. After two hours, the lessons were over and he was very happy to have learned so much.


    ¡°I guess this is the end of our visit.¡± Madam Malkin said, her voice full of sadness, because she thoroughly enjoyed having the young man visit. ¡°Thank you for giving me such a wonderful portrait to showcase my work.¡±


    ¡°But... I didn''t...¡± Harry started to say and Madam Malkin took him into another hug.


    ¡°You could have said no, or asked me to pay you for your time, or told me to keep it private.¡± She said.


    Harry looked up at her with wide eyes. ¡°I could have?¡±


    Madam Malkin laughed and she let him go. ¡°I am so very happy to have met you, Harry.¡±


    ¡°M-me, too.¡± Harry said. ¡°I meant meet you, not me. I meet me every day.¡±


    She laughed again and told him to grab the handle of his trunk. She led him out of her shop and down the alley, told him about the shops he hadn''t stopped at before, then they were out through the Leaky Cauldron and on the sidewalk.


    Harry took out his ticket and flicked his wand out like the conductor told him to. He waited for several seconds, then there was a soft bang down the street as the Knight Bus appeared. Three parked cars jumped out of the way and jumped back as the bus swerved over the road and the sidewalk, then the bus slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop right in front of Harry.


    ¡°That was brilliant.¡± Harry grinned up at the conductor as he passed over his ticket.


    ¡°Hear that, Ernie? The young lad says you''re brilliant!¡± Stanley nearly yelled.


    ¡°Is there something wrong wit him?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Probably!¡± Stanley laughed and stepped aside. ¡°Hop on! We''ll have you back to where you''re going in two shakes of a dragon''s tail.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Harry.¡± Madam Malkin said.


    Harry looked at the older woman and made a decision. He put down his trunk and gave her a hug. ¡°This is only my second time giving a hug.¡± He admitted. ¡°I hope it''s okay.¡±


    Madam Malkin was surprised by his words for a moment, then she smiled. ¡°It''s more than okay.¡± She said and hugged him back. ¡°Thank you, Harry.¡±


    Harry''s face was slightly red as he let her go, then he picked up his trunk and stepped onto the bus. He sat down on the closest seat, quickly cast the Spongify spell on everything, just in case it had worn off from that morning, and the bus took off. He couldn''t help his laugh as he tumbled and rolled around the bus as it drove and swerved. He didn''t understand why the other two passengers weren''t enjoying it like he was, though.


    The bus stopped once near some kind of marshland and a rickety old house, the two passengers got off, then the bus took off again. Harry laughed, because there didn''t seem to be any other speeds except ''stop'' and ''full speed''. After a few more tumbles and one really nice long slide from the back of the bus to the front, it stopped right beside his front doorstep.


    ¡°Here ya are.¡± The conductor said and waved out the door.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Harry said and tried to step off, only to find he couldn''t.


    The doorstep was covered in packages!


    ¡°Okay, that''s a bit ridiculous.¡± Harry said as he opened his trunk and shovelled a pile of them inside. ¡°I''ll see you guys next month.¡± He said and stepped off the bus, then tossed the rest of the packages into the trunk.


    ¡°Popular guy, that Harry.¡± Stanley said. ¡°That''s the last one until lunch, Ernie!¡±


    ¡°Lunchtime!¡± Ernie yelled and the bus took off down the street, made a tree dodge out of the way, then it disappeared from sight.


    Harry chuckled at the sight and reached for the door handle. It was locked, even though it was the middle of the day. He smiled, because he assumed that his aunt and uncle thought he couldn''t get in without a key. He flicked his wrist and his wand slid out of his sleeve.


    Alohamora! Harry said in his mind and mouthed the word as he concentrated on what he wanted it to do. The lock on the door handle clicked and the door opened for him. He put the wand back up his sleeve to hide it, stepped inside and closed the door, then went to the cupboard under the stairs. He put his trunk inside and locked the cupboard again with Colloportus, then went to the living room. He opened the window and Hedwig hopped from her perch and onto the window sill.


    ¡°Hi, Hedwig.¡± Harry whispered and pet her. ¡°I''ve got a lot of packages to go through and then I''ll have lots of letters for you to deliver.¡±


    Hedwig hooted softly and slowly blinked her eyes.


    ¡°Should I send for a few other owls to help you?¡± Harry asked, concerned. ¡°I don''t want you overworking yourself or doing more than you should.¡±


    Hedwig hooted softly and shook her head.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''ll be right back with the first and most important letter.¡± He left the living room and went to his cupboard, unlocked it and went inside, then took out his writing things. He quickly wrote it out, put it in an envelope, and brought it out to Hedwig. ¡°Get this to Hagrid and wait for him to write back.¡±


    Hedwig hooted softly and took the letter, then flew away and out of sight.


    Harry closed the window and went back to his cupboard to start responding to all of the packages that he had received. I''m going to need a few more bags of owl treats because of this. He thought and pulled out the first handful of packages. He read the notes to see what they had inside them, then had one of the weirdest and eclectic meals he had ever had as he sampled everything and used the food preservation spell on them.


    There''s like a week''s worth of food here! Harry thought with amusement as he kept writing and casting the spell to keep everything fresh. Little did he realize that Hedwig had to go back to the hospital every morning and that would set off another flurry of care packages full of food.


    Harry had been so preoccupied with Hedwig and writing the letters that he had completely missed the astonished looks on his aunt''s and uncle''s faces when he had walked by them in the living room.


    *


    An hour later, Hagrid sat in his hut and enjoyed a nice bucket sized cup of tea. He saw a fluttering of white outside his window and reached over and opened the window just as Hedwig came in for a landing.


    ¡°Harry''s writing ta me!¡± Hagrid said happily and accepted the letter from Hedwig. ¡°Thankya.¡± He said and dug out a squiggly worm-like grub from his pocket.


    Hedwig checked it and then turned her head away.


    ¡°Heh, yer right. It''s not as fresh as it shoulda been.¡± Hagrid said and tossed it out the window. There was a quick snap and a satisfied rattle. ¡°Harry''ll give yeh a treat when yeh get back.¡±


    Hedwig gave a hoot and didn''t move.


    Hagrid knew what that meant and opened the letter to read it. Dear, Hagrid. I was wondering if you knew of a way to understand owls. A book of their language, a teacher, or even someone that already understands them would be a big help. Let me know as soon as you can. - Harry.


    A big dollop of wetness plopped onto the parchment and smudged the words.


    ¡°Young Harry has taken an interest in magical creatures!¡± Hagrid almost bellowed as he cried. ¡°I''m so happy!¡±


    Hedwig gave a stern hoot and Hagrid nodded several times.


    ¡°Right, right. I can''t be losing meh head right now. He needs meh help.¡± Hagrid said and walked over to the side of his hut and looked through the piles of books he had. ¡°Now, where did I put that damn... ah! Here it is.¡± He pulled out an old and fairly worn book that was covered in dust and grime. ¡°I think he''s definitely gonna like this.¡±


    Hagrid wrapped it up in some paper he grabbed from another shelf, tied a string around it, then went back to the table. He wrote out a response and tucked it into the string, then handed the package to Hedwig.


    ¡°Off witcha, now! Harry''s waiting!¡± Hagrid said and Hedwig took off.

 23 The Housework

    Harry almost ran out of envelopes. He was getting down to the last few as he finished writing the last thank you note. His handwriting had gotten much better and he was much faster using the writing implements, which was a bit weird, considering it was ink and a quill. He put the last note on top of the stack and counted the last few envelopes to see how many he had left. There were nine, so he wrote out a note to order more of them.


    He put it in an envelope, leaving eight of them, then went to put the remaining envelopes back on top of the stack of parchment. He noticed that the top piece of paper had writing on it and picked it up.


    What''s this? Harry asked himself and read it. His mouth opened slightly as he read that it was a simple spell to make his own envelopes, as well as an explanation on how to perform it and the motion required. It looked like a page from the basic spell book and he knew that spell wasn''t in it. When he looked at the description below the final illustration, he had to hold in his laughter.


    It''s a list of basic household spells to do the chores that Madam Malkin had already taught me! Harry thought in amusement. He opened the last note and took out the piece of paper, used the cleaning spell to remove the ink from it, then wrote out a different note to thank the man for being so considerate. He resealed it and then wrote out another note to order two more bags of premium owl treats.


    Harry looked at the stack of parchment he had left and decided that he needed even more, just in case. He ordered the same amount as the last time and took out the money needed for both orders, then went out to the living room after locking the cupboard. He looked out the window and Hedwig wasn''t there. He also forgot to use his new timepiece to time her, so now he didn''t know how far she had to go to find Hagrid.


    He thought about sitting there and waiting, then shrugged and went back to his cupboard. He really needed to write out those basic household spells, just so he wouldn''t forget them. He smiled as he looked at the envelope instructions and decided to copy the same format. He sat down and started to write out the spells that Madam Malkin had shown him.


    When he finished them, Harry put them and the envelope instructions into a folded piece of parchment. He knew he might need to reference it a lot, so he went down into his trunk a few steps on the ladder and placed the pages on the top of the bookcase. It was almost within reach of the top of the trunk, so he looked around for something to put them on. He saw the cake Hagrid had given him, ate some of it, then put the box on top of the shelf and put the pages on top of that.


    Perfect. Harry thought when he left the trunk and could easily reach in and grab the sheets. He didn''t want to just drop them in, since the trunk would sort them and probably put them on the shelf as individual sheets. He knew that he would eventually do the spells enough to not need the reminder, just like with Alohamora and Colloportus. After all that time practising them, he could cast them quicker than he could use his hand to lock and unlock things.


    ¡°Boy!¡± Petunia barked and Harry looked at his timepiece.


    I forgot to go out and do the hoovering! Harry thought and stepped out of the cupboard, locked it, and went to the closet. He started to take out the vacuum and unravelled the chord to plug it in, then he chuckled and shook his head. He put the vacuum back into the closet and flicked his wrist to take out his wand. He pointed his wand at the carpet and spoke the cleaning incantation that Madam Malkin had taught him.


    ¡°Tergeo!¡± Harry whispered. A large amount of dust and ingrained dirt within a five foot radius of where he pointed was pulled out of the carpet into the air and disappeared. The spot where the dirt used to be, made the carpet look brand new. Harry laughed under his breath at how easy it was, then he kept performing the spell and duplicated the effect as he went through the hallway, then he went into the living room.


    Harry ignored his aunt when she let out a little shriek of surprise and finished with the carpet. Of course, now that he knew the spell worked for general clean up, he used it all over the walls and the parts that he couldn''t reach before. When he was done, everything in the living room was bright and clean and he also didn''t have to speak the spell out loud anymore. He didn''t stop with that, though.


    He used the first year mending charm Reparo on the worn drapes over the window and they were restored to their original condition. He ignored his aunt''s second shriek of surprise and started casting the spell on everything he could see. He needed the practice and would take advantage of not having his uncle around to do it. He started out saying the spell out loud, just like every other spell he had used so far, and eventually only mouthed the word to cast the spell.


    Practice makes perfect. Harry thought with satisfaction and kept working.


    *


    Petunia was very glad that her husband had gone to bed to take a nap, because what she witnessed would have given him a heart attack. She had nearly fainted herself after her shriek of surprise. She couldn''t believe that her nephew walked around the living room and waved his wand at the carpet and then at the walls and everything else to clean them.


    Her mind couldn''t grasp the mass of dirt and grime being lifted from everything, even though she knew that everything was clean. She always went around after the boy had done his chores to make sure he did them right, and now... now... she shook her head and wouldn''t admit that he was using magic to make things even cleaner than when he used good old fashioned hard work.


    Petunia let out another shriek of surprise when her ancient drapes, that she loved so much and couldn''t bring herself to part with, changed from their faded and dingy white to a bright white and then all the little frays, wears, and pulls it sustained over the years, disappeared. Her mind warred between the use of magic in front of her and her desire to have him use that magic to fix everything in the house.


    She caught her breath and covered her mouth to stop her next shriek of surprise as the boy did exactly what she wanted. He walked around the living room as he fixed and repaired everything he could see. She noticed that he didn''t even look at her as he cast the spell on the couch she sat on. The cushions fluffed up to the way they had been two years ago when they bought it and she couldn''t believe that he was doing all of that for them.


    Petunia didn''t know that he wasn''t doing it for her, though. He only wanted to get as much practice with the spell as possible. Harry eventually finished with everything in the living room and went to the kitchen. There wasn''t much for him to fix there, so he switched back to the cleaning spell and covered the whole kitchen with it. He went out to the hallway, Petunia following him to see what he was doing, and he cast the cleaning spell on the walls and pictures.


    Harry opened the closet and did the same thing in there, then cast the mending charm on everything. Old coats and shoes now looked brand new and the vacuum looked like it had never been used, even though it was almost as old as Harry was.


    Petunia moved away and went back to the living room. She wanted to see if he would have the gall to go up the stairs to do the things up there and peered around the door frame to watch. She saw the boy looking up the stairs and his hand hesitated on the banister. He shook his head and turned to walk down the hallway.


    Petunia ran over to the couch and plopped down onto it, bounced a little from the couch''s firmness, then she pretended to stare at the television as Harry walked into the living room and went by her. He sat down by the window and stared out through the glass, as if he was waiting for something.


    *


    Harry finished cleaning and repairing everything downstairs and he had seriously debated doing the upstairs as well. He couldn''t risk making his uncle angry if he was caught blatantly using magic in front of him, so he changed his mind and went to the living room to wait for Hedwig. He hoped that she would show up soon, because the stack of letters were pretty high and getting them delivered was probably going to keep her busy for the rest of the day.


    Almost as if she had heard him, a snowy white owl appeared and flew over to the house. Harry opened the window and Hedwig swooped in and landed on the sill. She had a package in her beak and Harry accepted it.


    ¡°Thanks, Hedwig.¡± Harry whispered and gave her a treat. He waited for a moment, then motioned to the large stack of letters. ¡°How many of these can you take at once?¡± He asked and Hedwig reached out with a wingtip and tapped the fifth letter down. ¡°That''s still a lot of flying.¡± He said and thought about it. ¡°What if we sort through them? You can tell me what ones are close by and you can do similar ones, that way you''re not flying all over the place to deliver them and it won''t take as long.¡±


    Hedwig gave a soft hoot and they spent ten minutes sorting through them and put them into groups of five. Harry stacked them again and then handed the top five to her. She took off and he watched her until she disappeared from sight. He picked up the wrapped package from Hagrid and read the note that said he would really like the book and that it would have everything in it that he would need for his interest in speaking to magical creatures.


    Harry opened the package and he heard a shriek of surprise from his aunt at the sight of the filthy book. He didn''t bother telling her that he could clean it, not after she saw him doing it, and he cast the cleaning charm on the book. It was cleaned up and he still couldn''t read the cover. He used the mending charm on the book to fix it and the letters filled in with gold lettering.


    Legilimens Creatora: The Magic User''s Guide To Listening To Animals. Harry read the book title and then stared at it. This can''t be true, is it? He asked himself and opened the cover and started to read. The first thing you need to know is that not all animals are created equal. The second thing you need to know is that most of them are downright stupid.


    Harry blinked his eyes and shook his head, then he read the first two lines again. He couldn''t believe what it said, then he kept reading.


    The previous sentence about stupidity is particularly applicable to normal and non-magical creatures. Most of which are only driven by instincts. When you ask them a question, they will respond with simple answers, so be prepared for some agonizing conversations when speaking to them. It''s not until you start conversing with magical creatures that have a higher intelligence than normal that the true power of the ability can be shown.


    Oh, wow. Harry thought and kept reading, enraptured by what the book was revealing to him.


    Bokuboy

 24 The Schedule

    Harry had to pause his reading every twenty minutes to feed Hedwig treats to keep her strength up and to give her the next five letters. He finished the book in record time, much faster than he thought considering the thickness of the book, and he flipped back to the descriptions of what to do to calm the mind and clear it of thoughts. He couldn''t have any preconceptions and needed to concentrate on listening to the animal when he talked to them.


    The most important thing he learned was that he should always speak to them as if they actually understood what he was saying. He had done that with Hedwig right from the start anyway, so it wasn''t a surprise to him to learn that he had been doing it right. Now all he had to do was relax and meditate to clear his mind.


    That''s easier said than done. Harry thought. There''s no way I can do it at any other time than at night.


    He closed the book and sat there as he thought about it. Even just doing that was using his mind and he knew that wasn''t what clearing his mind was like. Just the thought of having to clear his mind, cluttered his mind. He gave up trying when Hedwig came back. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a small cracked bowl that was never used. He repaired it and used the water spell to add water to it, then went back to the living room.


    Hedwig hooted her thanks and drank from it and Harry asked her if she wanted anything to eat besides treats. She hooted and shook her head, then used a wing to point out the window.


    ¡°All right. Take a break for a while and go get something to eat.¡± Harry said and pet her belly feathers. ¡°I''ll go grab another book and keep reading.¡±


    Hedwig settled down on the window sill and closed her eyes. Harry stopped petting her and went to the cupboard under the stairs. He put Hagrid''s book into the trunk and took out the second year spell book. He thought about reading the other first year books, then decided that he was too far behind in his general spell knowledge and needed to correct that.


    He didn''t realize that reading the next book in the spells series wasn''t going to help him much during the first year, at least until he saw that there were more powerful versions of the unlocking spell, the fire making spell, the wand lighting spell, and the severing charm. He read those specifically, since they could be practised relatively safely, except for the fire one. That he would have to save for later.


    First year students were going to have a lot of practice and usage of only the spells in the first year book, along with their history and how they came to be generic acceptable spells that every wizard should know.


    Harry wasn''t happy with just that, though. He couldn''t understand why they would practice for an entire year to learn something that he had learned in only a couple of days. Of course, he hadn''t done the other spells, the ones that could cause damage or be too obvious. Those he would have to wait to try and concentrated on the ones he could do without giving himself away.


    After reading the first chapter of the second year spell book about building more power to cast the spell and that it would need even more concentration and to be careful, he practised the unlocking spell. The more powerful Alohamora spell was great. It didn''t just pop open the latch on the window, it opened the whole window! He almost laughed when it happened after his third try and pulled the window closed. He cast it again and opened the window for Hedwig.


    Harry grabbed a piece of paper and used the old severing charm to cut it, then did it again and again, until he didn''t have to say it anymore. He was left with confetti when he was done, then he used the repair charm to restore it and the paper was back to its normal size. He did it again and repaired it, then read over the more powerful charm.


    Once he did and had it set in his mind, he folded the piece of paper three times to make it thicker, then concentrated and cast the more powerful version. The paper was cut all the way through and he almost laughed. He mended the paper and did it again and again.


    Hedwig woke up and saw that Harry was busy, so she left and went to catch something to eat.


    Harry kept working and switched to the Lumos spell to light his wand. It was hard to see in the middle of the day, so he didn''t practice it much. He read the more powerful incantation and decided he would need to practice it at night and well away from being seen. Considering the sounds his aunt was making as he kept casting spells, he had to change his plans and do all of his spell practice at night.


    Harry brought the book back to his cupboard and retrieved the third year one, set his new timepiece to wake him up in the middle of the night, then went back to the window to read. Hedwig came back and started to work on delivering more letters. If Harry had been smart, he would have asked them all to not send any more food. He wouldn''t realize this for another day when even more packages arrived for him and he would have to send Hedwig out again.


    With his mind set to read during the day and practice spells at night, Harry''s days at Privet Drive became quite full. He read through the seven spell books in just over a week and performed nearly all of the spells they contained. He followed the instructions properly and spoke the spells, after making himself silent, then he moved on to the other books he had for the first year courses.


    Harry had been sorely tempted to read the big book of curses and hexes, then decided it was better to read the other first year books. He didn''t want to be behind everyone else that had grown up in a wizarding household. Even with the spells he knew and the practice he had done, he knew that he didn''t know everything he needed to know.


    He didn''t even know some of the odd words the books used and had to send a letter to his friend at the Ministry of Magic about his struggles and to ask her about practically everything he didn''t understand. Bertha Jorkins was more than happy to help him with everything and even offered to come out to tutor him on the weekends.


    Harry accepted the offer gratefully and when she visited, they didn''t stay at the house. She took him back to her house and he had some of the best private lessons in magic since Madam Malkin had taught him all of the household spells and charms she knew. He actually went around Bertha''s house and used those spells, to her surprise, and he fixed everything that he could. It wasn''t much, though. He had discovered the flaw in the basic repair spell.


    Harry couldn''t fix items that were too magical. ¡°Miss Jorkins, I don''t understand.¡±


    ¡°The magic conflicts if you''re not careful.¡± Bertha said. ¡°When you are older and more powerful, you''ll have a better understanding of how magic affects things. Once you do, you should be able to repair the objects and keep the magic intact. Hopefully.¡±


    Harry thought about it. ¡°You don''t know?¡±


    Bertha laughed. ¡°Not until you get some more magic knowledge built up in that handsome head of yours.¡± She said and rubbed his head. ¡°Now show me the wand lighting spell again.¡±


    ¡°Lumos Maxima!¡± Harry exclaimed and pointed his wand at the dark side of the room. The entire room was lit up like there was a bright light bulb on the end of his wand.


    Bertha let out another laugh and clapped her hands. ¡°Wonderful! Wonderful!¡± She said. ¡°My plants are looking a bit weak. Can you give them a bit of sunlight?¡±


    ¡°Nox.¡± Harry whispered and his wand went out. He pointed his wand at the several plants on the other side of the room. ¡°Lumos Solem!¡±


    The plants turned towards him and basked in the warm sunlight from the wand.


    ¡°Miss Jorkins, why aren''t the variants taught when you learn the basic spell?¡± Harry asked and turned his wand off.


    ¡°Some of them are actually weaker versions of the spells and are less effective.¡± Bertha said. ¡°Of course, some people need the weaker versions, especially if they don''t practice the main spell enough.¡±


    Harry nodded. He remembered having to practice the unlocking charm a lot before he got it right.


    ¡°I assume you''ve read through all of the first year school books?¡± Bertha asked.


    ¡°Mostly.¡± Harry said. ¡°I still don''t understand some of the terms they use.¡±


    Bertha nodded this time. ¡°Your background is different than someone raised as a wizard. We learn a lot of things, just by being around them all our lives.¡±


    ¡°Like the household spells.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Exactly. You are going to be a little out of your depth, no matter how much you study, all because there''s no such thing as a ''general magic knowledge'' book. It''s just something that happens as you grow older.¡±


    ¡°Will I learn it eventually?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°If you could somehow move to a magical home and can relive the first ten years of your life, you''d learn it all normally.¡± Bertha said, then she gave him a quick hug. ¡°The problem with that is you''ll lose all of the other knowledge you would have gained when living in a muggle house.¡±


    Harry took a breath and let it out. ¡°I think I understand.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry too much about trying to catch up too quickly. There are a lot of muggle-born and half-wizards and half-witches at the school. A lot of them will know what you''re going through, because they''ll be going through it, too.¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°Let''s get you home and you can finish packing everything up for tomorrow.¡± Bertha said.


    ¡°I''ve been packed since I got my trunk.¡± Harry said with a smile and she laughed.


    ¡°Then make sure you show up early to get a good seat on the train.¡± Bertha said. ¡°You remember how to get on the platform?¡±


    Harry nodded and grabbed the handle of his trunk. ¡°The barrier is between platform''s nine and ten. Walk at a brisk pace and make sure to clear the way, in case anyone is right behind me.¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡± Bertha said. ¡°The conductor will be by to pick up your ticket as soon as the train leaves the station. After that, you have the right to use the train every year you attend Hogwarts.¡±


    ¡°With just one ticket?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    ¡°Why do you think we always emphasize sticking to your ticket?¡± Bertha said and took his free hand. ¡°You''ll feel a squeezing sensation now.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said. He had been through Side-Along Apparition five times already and knew to hold his breath and to exhale when it was over. They popped through space and reappeared on Harry''s doorstep. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It''s been very enjoyable spending this time with you.¡± Bertha said and gave him a hug. ¡°I''d like to go with you tomorrow...¡±


    ¡°I know you have to work.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''ll try and send Hedwig by next week.¡±


    ¡°I''ll have a fresh mouse ready for her.¡± Bertha said and heard a soft hoot from the window. She laughed and waved at Hedwig, then she stepped off the step and disappeared.

 25 The Station

    Harry was up early the next morning and had used the basic household spells to clean himself as if he had bathed, which was awesome to him, since he didn''t have to worry about going upstairs while everyone was still asleep. He still liked taking baths, though. He just didn''t want to risk it today. He also applied the cream to hide his scar and combed his hair, then he was done.


    He checked his things and made sure he had it all sorted and inside his trunk. He left his cupboard and went to the window to look for Hedwig. He saw her sitting on the hedge by the window and used Silencio and the more powerful Alohamora to open the window and not just to unlock the latch.


    ¡°Do you want to come with me...¡± Harry held out his left hand. ¡°...or do you want to fly to Hogwarts on your own?¡± He asked and held out his right hand.


    Hedwig tapped his right hand with her wing and he nodded. He gave her a treat and promised to see her when he arrived at the castle later that evening. He closed the window and went back to his cupboard to get his jacket and his trunk. He was leaving quite a bit earlier than he had to, mainly because he didn''t want his uncle or Dudley to be around to try and stop him.


    Harry had successfully avoided them all month. His uncle was the worst, because his aunt couldn''t stop herself from blabbing about how everything in the house had been fixed by Harry. She didn''t say it was with magic, though. He knew his uncle knew it was and all he could think about was Harry fixing all of the broken things he had at work. He could also save the company thousands of pounds a year by just fixing the broken and returned drills and then sell them again.


    Dudley had once tried to drag Harry up the stairs to repair all of the broken things in the second bedroom. Luckily, Harry had practised the full body bind spell at Bertha''s and managed to cast it before they had gotten halfway up the stairs. Watching Dudley become a statue and tumble down the stairs was pretty funny... for about a second. He still had a hold of Harry''s shirt and dragged him along.


    They had both tumbled down the stairs noisily and Harry was blamed and grounded. He almost laughed in his aunt''s and uncle''s faces at the punishment, for two reasons. The first was for Dudley being the cause and the second was for restricting him from leaving the house. He wasn''t allowed to leave normally anyway, so grounding him meant less than nothing.


    Harry put on his jacket, picked up his trunk, and went to the front door. He silenced it and used Alohamora, stepped out and cast Colloportus to shut and lock it again, then walked out to the street. He took out his ticket for the Knight Bus and read the reserved time. He had an hour before it would come to pick him up, so he put his trunk down and sat on it.


    He thought about taking out one of his books to read, mainly the one full of curses and hexes that he had only glanced at between studying the other books, and sighed. He didn''t want to be seen reading a magic book outside of the house and he also didn''t want to get caught practising magic outside of the house''s protective enchantments. He definitely didn''t want to get in trouble with the Ministry of Magic, not after everything they had done to help him.


    Harry sat there and waited patiently. No one noticed him, to his surprise, even though he was right there by the street and they passed right by him. He made a note to find out the spells the Ministry had used to make that effect. His life would be so much easier at home if he could cast that spell on his cupboard and his family wouldn''t notice him.


    The Knight Bus popped into view with a small boom sound and swerved over the road. Harry smiled as he stood up and had his ticket ready. It screeched to a stop right in front of him and he gave the conductor the ticket.


    ¡°You''ve been waiting a while?¡± Stanley asked.


    ¡°About an hour.¡± Harry said and carried his trunk onboard.


    ¡°You could have just hailed us instead.¡± Stanley said and pointed. ¡°We would have just looped back around for that lot.¡±


    Harry turned around to see half a dozen other young people and they all had parents and family members with them. ¡°You''re all going to King''s Cross?¡± He asked, surprised.


    They all nodded and a couple of the girls waved.


    Harry waved back, then he flicked his wrist and took out his wand. Everyone watched in surprise as he quickly cast Spongify on everything, including their seats, then he sat down himself.


    ¡°Okay, let''s go.¡± Harry said with a smile at Stanley.


    ¡°You hear that, Ernie? Harry says we can go!¡± Stanley nearly yelled.


    ¡°I''m glad we''ve got his permission.¡± Ernie said and stepped on the gas.


    Harry laughed as he and his chair immediately flipped upside down and rolled to the back of the bus and right into a family of four. ¡°Isn''t this great?¡± He asked them and stood up, then the bus took a sharp turn and he flew through the air, bounced off the side of the bus, then tumbled into one of the girls that had waved. He laughed as the bus turned back and he rolled off of her. One of the chairs bounced off of his head, ricocheted off of her, and lodged itself in the stairway to go up the stairs.


    Harry enjoyed the ride and his laughter and enjoyment made the others see that if you took the proper precautions, the bus that they had always dreaded riding was actually kind of fun. When it came to a stop in London at the station, Harry was upside down in a pile of chairs and luggage, with two younger kids sitting on the pile and laughing as hard as he was.


    ¡°Come on you lot, get your things and get going.¡± Stanley said and helped sort out the luggage and handed it to the proper people as they stepped off the bus.


    ¡°See you guys later.¡± Harry said and stepped off with his trunk. ¡°Oh! Do you like cauldron cakes?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± Stanley said, a little unsure why he was asking.


    ¡°I''ve got like six dozen left.¡± Harry said and opened his trunk, reached in and took out a box. ¡°Here you go. They''re really good.¡±


    ¡°Uh, thanks.¡± Stanley said and thought he knew what the boy wanted. ¡°How much are they?¡±


    ¡°I''m giving them to you.¡± Harry said and waved as he walked into the train station.


    ¡°Nice kid, that Harry.¡± Stanley said and took the box over to Ernie. ¡°Hey, Ernie. Harry gave us these.¡±


    Ernie grabbed one and popped the whole thing into his mouth, then stepped on the gas.


    *


    Molly Weasley was in a bit of a pickle. She had received an urgent owl from Dumbledore about going to the train station early with her children and to walk around muttering phrases and words that would get one particular boy''s attention. The famous Harry Potter. She wasn''t sure why he wanted her to do it; but, he had never steered them wrong in all the years she had known him, so she gathered up her children and took them.


    Dumbledore had told her that he had bewitched the station so that only wizards and witches could hear her when she spoke words that referred to things only wizards would know, so Molly had no problem leading her brood of redheaded children around both platforms nine and ten and kept saying things like ''lots of muggles around today'' and ''Howarts Express right this way''.


    The problem was, Molly had done it for nearly two hours and there wasn''t a sign of Harry anywhere.


    ¡°Mom, can we get on the platform now?¡± Fred the twin asked. ¡°This is boring!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, mom.¡± George the other twin said. ¡°We''re going to miss the train if you keep dithering around.¡±


    Molly had explained what she was doing and her children had been good enough to follow her all this time. She checked the time and there was only ten minutes left, so she sighed loudly and nodded. She took her whole family through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters and into the large crowd of people there.


    Damn, damn, damn. Molly thought and managed to get her sons onto the train and their trunks stored into a single compartment. ¡°You all be good this year... in particular you two.¡± She said to the twins and then looked at Ron. ¡°Dumbledore said you should look around for Harry. He''ll probably be alone and he has messy black hair and a scar on his forehead. Oh, and glasses. He needs a friend and you can be that friend.¡±


    ¡°It''s bad enough that I''m the youngest boy and my brothers all pick on me, now I have to be someone''s friend that I don''t even know?¡± Ron protested, not realizing the impact of what being friends with Harry Potter meant.


    ¡°Hush.¡± Molly said and turned him around. ¡°Go look for him and make friends. He''s waiting for you.¡±


    Ron stomped out of the compartment and Molly gave her sons hugs, then took her daughter off the train to wait.


    ¡°I really wanted to see him.¡± Ginny said, sadly. ¡°The famous Harry Potter.¡±


    Molly pat her shoulder and gave her a little hug. ¡°I did, too.¡±


    The train pulled away from the station and a lot of the children leaned out to wave at their parents, except for a few of them. One of which was Ron, who was having trouble finding a boy with glasses, let alone with a scar on his forehead. Another one was Harry, who was chatting with the girl he had tumbled over on the Knight Bus and her brother. They were both second years and were filling him in on what the Sorting was like for first years.


    *


    What Dumbledore didn''t tell Molly or her children, was that Harry would know nothing of the magical world. If Harry and Ron became friends, Harry would latch onto him and be dependent on him and his family to provide that knowledge. A family that would be warm and inviting and would show Harry what a real family should have been like.


    What Dumbledore didn''t know, or bothered to check, was that Harry was not the completely ignorant boy he had planned for him to be.

 26 The Train

    Hermione Granger was a bit nervous. She had been tasked by a prefect of the school to help another student find his lost familiar. She thought that was a bit odd, especially since she didn''t know anyone. Going into people''s compartments and asking if they had seen a toad was a bit embarrassing for her, considering her bushy hair and her buck teeth. She had even bumped into a redheaded boy that was looking for someone wearing glasses.


    She frowned at the question, since she hadn''t seen anyone wearing glasses at all. Not on the train platform, not in any of the visits she had with her parents in the shops to buy her things, and definitely no one on the train. In fact, there seemed to be an inordinate amount of what she considered ''good looking people'' in the wizarding world. It actually made her a little sad.


    Hermione attributed it to having access to magic and she had been sorely tempted to buy some of the potions at Madam Primpernelle''s herself when she and her parents had walked by the beauty shop. That really handsome boy''s picture had almost convinced her mother that it was a good idea, and it wouldn''t hurt to try at least one thing, then the prices were revealed and killed the flight of fancy.


    With the gold conversion to galleons, her parents had already spent a lot of money to get her the essentials. The wand alone was seven galleons, or almost a hundred British pounds. A beauty potion that would only last for a week was three galleons. It wasn''t worth the cost. The books... well, she went a little overboard with the books. It was all so interesting that she couldn''t get enough of them and she had promised that she would pay her parents back for them.


    Her parents had just smiled and paid the money for her to get what she wanted. They loved their daughter and knew that the only real thing that made her happy was books. Even though she was a very nice girl, she didn''t have any friends and her personality was occasionally abrasive and hard to deal with sometimes. In their minds, they hoped that a new school would be just the thing for her to come out of her shell.


    Hermione opened the next compartment without so much as a knock or a hello. ¡°Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville''s lost one.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± An older boy spat at her and slammed the door shut. The glass cracked and a few people gasped.


    ¡°That was rude!¡± Hermione said in frustration and waved her wand at the broken window. ¡°Reparo.¡±


    The window was mended and she moved to the next compartment, then opened the door.


    ¡°Has anyone seen a toad? A boy...¡±


    ¡°You know, most people knock first.¡± A calm voice said. ¡°Even when I was home where my family hates me, they still knocked on the door to my cupboard... I mean, bedroom.¡±


    Hermione was a bit taken aback at the rebuff and stared at the handsome boy. ¡°I was just... a prefect asked me...¡±


    ¡°They didn''t ask you to be rude, surely.¡± A girl''s voice said with a chuckle. ¡°Then again, if they were from Slytherin...¡±


    ¡°I think it''s against their rules to be nice to others.¡± Another boy said and then laughed. ¡°No wonder everyone hates them.¡±


    The handsome boy frowned slightly. ¡°I don''t understand why people do that.¡± He said. ¡°Just because someone is smaller or weaker than you, why attack them?¡±


    ¡°Because they can.¡± The girl said. ¡°There''s not a lot going on upstairs, if you know what I mean.¡±


    The handsome boy smiled and had to nod. That was definitely his experience.


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Hermione said, sincerely. She had been picked on a lot at her last school, so the last thing she wanted was to be seen as a bully or being mean. ¡°I don''t know why they asked me to help. I don''t know anyone at all and this is all new to me and I''ve been halfway through the train already and I swear the toad must be invisible and...¡±


    The three people in the compartment started laughing and Hermione''s face flushed red from embarrassment.


    ¡°It''s not funny!¡± Hermione spat. ¡°I''m only a first year!¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡± The handsome boy said.


    ¡°We weren''t laughing at what you said, it was how you were saying it.¡± The girl said.


    ¡°Yeah, without breathing.¡± The boy said with a chuckle.


    ¡°I can hold my breath for almost a full minute.¡± The handsome boy said. ¡°My cousin sat on me once.¡±


    The three of them gave him surprised looks and he had to chuckle.


    ¡°I was lucky that he used a pillow.¡± The handsome boy said and made a gagging sound.


    ¡°He sat on your face! Ha hahaha!¡± The boy laughed. ¡°Oh, the fat slimy git!¡±


    ¡°I still haven''t cursed him yet.¡± The handsome boy said with a sigh. ¡°I was too busy studying.¡±


    ¡°Studying?!?¡± Hermione asked loudly and stepped into the compartment. ¡°I love studying!¡±


    ¡°No kidding?¡± The boy asked with a grin. ¡°Harry, you finally found someone else who read their school books before school!¡±


    ¡°I am definitely not going to be a Hufflepuff like you.¡± Harry said with a grin.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± The boy pretended to faint. ¡°Harry won''t follow in my footsteps.¡±


    ¡°That''s because you have dragon dung on your shoes!¡± His sister said and they both laughed.


    Hermione walked over to Harry''s seat and sat down. ¡°What was your favorite book?¡± She asked with a particular intensity in her eyes.


    ¡°Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling.¡± Harry said. ¡°I wanted to say the Book of Spells Grade One, except that most of the spells have better versions in the second year book.¡±


    Hermione gasped and covered her mouth. ¡°You bought the next year''s books, too?¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°Only the spell book.¡±


    Hermione let out a sigh. ¡°I thought... I had hoped that...¡±


    ¡°I bought all seven years of the spell books.¡± Harry said, guessing that was what she wanted to hear.


    Hermione gasped again. ¡°I didn''t know you could buy them all!¡± She nearly yelled. ¡°The man at the bookstore said I would have to check the library at the school for the other standard textbooks.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t even think about asking for a library.¡± Harry said and almost slapped himself on the forehead for being so stupid, then remembered the cream covering his scar. ¡°I just bought the books I wanted and...¡±


    ¡°Ooo! What ones?!?¡± Hermione asked, excitedly.


    ¡°I''d say she''s definitely a Ravenclaw.¡± The girl said with a smile.


    ¡°I don''t know.¡± Her brother said. ¡°She has a terrible memory. She''s totally forgotten that she''s looking for a toad.¡±


    ¡°THE TOAD!¡± Hermione jumped up from the seat. ¡°I need to keep looking!¡± She reached out for the door handle and felt someone take her hand. Her face flushed red for some reason and she turned around to look at the handsome boy.


    ¡°Do you know the frog''s name?¡± Harry asked.


    Hermione shook her head and her bushy hair shook from side to side.


    ¡°I doubt a summoning charm would work, unless we want a ton of toads to show up.¡± Harry let her hand go and then chuckled. ¡°That might be fun to see, actually.¡±


    ¡°You can cast a summoning charm?¡± The girl asked, surprised. ¡°That''s a fourth year spell!¡±


    ¡°Madam Malkin gave me the idea when I was taking things from my trunk and I wanted to see if it would work.¡± Harry said. ¡°It won''t work unless I know what I''m summoning, though.¡±


    ¡°I can ask Neville.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°We''ve got a few hours before we get to school.¡± The girl said. ¡°We can have a bunch of people searching by then.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what would happen if two people tried to summon the frog at the same time?¡± Her brother asked. ¡°Froggie bits everywhere!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± The girl gagged. ¡°Then that''s not a good idea.¡±


    ¡°We should stick to the old fashioned way for now.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°We?¡± Hermione asked, surprised.


    ¡°Do you want a hand?¡± Harry asked.


    Hermione wasn''t sure why her blush returned and her hand twitched. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then let''s go.¡± Harry said and the two of them left the compartment. With the two of them looking, they quickly tracked down the errant frog after half an hour and returned it to Neville.


    ¡°Thank you, Harry.¡± Hermione said, then she felt a little awkward. ¡°Can I... would you mind showing me...¡±


    ¡°My books are in my trunk.¡± Harry said, accurately guessing what she wanted.


    Hermione smiled a huge smile and her two front teeth jutted out. They walked down the hallway and a few people gave her the same looks that everyone at her old school gave her, so she closed her lips to hide her teeth.


    ¡°Why don''t you shorten your teeth if you don''t like them?¡± Harry asked.


    Hermione took in a sharp breath and looked sheepishly at him. ¡°My parents are dentists.¡± She said, then she remembered she wasn''t talking to a normal person. ¡°They are people that use muggle tools to work on people''s teeth and...¡±


    Harry laughed. ¡°I know who dentists are.¡±


    Hermione sighed in relief. ¡°Are you a muggle born? I thought you were from a wizard family.¡±


    ¡°I''m both, I guess.¡± Harry said with a shrug. ¡°My parents were a witch and a wizard; but, they died when I was a baby and I grew up with my muggle aunt and uncle.¡±


    ¡°Harry, I... I''m sorry.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Losing your parents...¡±


    ¡°I didn''t know them.¡± Harry said and shrugged again. ¡°I always thought they died in a car crash. I didn''t find out until recently that you-know-who killed them.¡±


    Hermione gasped. ¡°H-Harry! You''re Harry Potter!¡±


    ¡°Ta-da!¡± Harry said and opened the compartment he was in before. ¡°The one and only famous boy who lived.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I knew you couldn''t resist telling her!¡± The girl''s brother said when they stepped into the compartment.


    ¡°Tell me he didn''t brag about it.¡± The girl said. ¡°Be honest.¡±


    ¡°No, he... I just...¡± Hermione wasn''t sure how to explain.


    ¡°She figured it out.¡± Harry said and took his trunk down from the rack, put it on the floor, then opened it.


    ¡°Blimey!¡± The girl''s brother exclaimed. ¡°Look at that!¡±


    Harry ignored the shout and climbed down the ladder, then he told Hermione the titles of the books he had. ¡°What one do you want?¡±


    ¡°Where There''s A Wand There''s A Way, please.¡± Hermione said.


    Harry took it and the book Curses and Counter-Curses from the shelf and climbed up the ladder, handed her the book she wanted, and closed the trunk. He then took out his fancy timepiece.


    ¡°We''ve got three hours, ten minutes, and eighteen seconds until we get to the station.¡± Harry said and noticed everyone looking at him. ¡°It''s just a watch.¡± He said and tucked it away.


    ¡°That''s like saying your trunk is just a trunk.¡± The girl said. ¡°And you just climbed out of it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you didn''t grow up in a magical household?¡± Hermione asked, because the things she had seen seemed like the things only rich families had.


    ¡°I''m positive.¡± Harry said and his face became a mix of both sadness and anger. ¡°They are the biggest bullies I know and I know a lot of bullies.¡±


    Hermione touched his hand and he looked at her. ¡°I''ve been bullied a lot, too.¡±


    Harry took a deep breath and let it out, then he motioned to the seat. They sat down and they both started to read.


    It was the start of a friendship that the both of them would cherish for the rest of their lives.

 27 The Encounter

    ¡°H-Harry! You''re Harry Potter!¡± A girl''s shrill voice exclaimed.


    Ron heard it, so he ran back down the train''s hallway a short distance and looked for the boy that his mother said needed a friend. He saw a familiar bushy hairdo that he had bumped into earlier and she was talking to a handsome boy.


    ¡°Ta-da!¡± The handsome boy said and opened the door to a compartment. ¡°The one and only famous boy who lived.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I knew you couldn''t resist...¡± A boy''s voice started to say then the door shut and the sound was muffled.


    That can''t be him. Ron thought as he walked over to the compartment. He''s not wearing glasses. He peeped in through one of the windows and saw two girls and two guys inside.


    The handsome boy handed the bushy haired girl a thick book and he had a nice book in his own hands.


    Curses and Counter-Curses! Ron thought as he instantly recognized the large book that had been on display in Flourish and Blotts. His heart was filled with envy and longing. Mom cuffed me on the back of the head when I asked her to buy it for me!


    ¡°That''s much too expensive for a young boy to have, let alone be able to perform the difficult spells inside!¡± Molly Weasley had said at the time and Ron had retracted his hands from the book.


    Ron was tempted to knock and see what was going on, mainly to ask to read the book, then he remembered the mission he was on. He doesn''t look like he needs a friend. He thought to himself, immediately dismissing his mother''s words and the headmaster''s quest.


    ¡°Oi!¡± A gruff voice yelled and Ron turned to look. ¡°We heard a girl yell that she saw Harry Potter! Is he around here or not?¡±


    Ron looked at the larger boy with fear, then caught sight of the second boy beside him that was practically the same size.


    ¡°Don''t mind them.¡± A white haired boy said as he pushed the two larger boys aside, then he scoffed when he saw Ron. ¡°Forget what I just said.¡± He frowned. ¡°It''s not hard to tell who you are. Bright red hair... hand me down robes... you''re another Weasley.¡±


    The two larger boys let out grunts and made a fist with one hand and slapped them with their other hands, as if warming them up to deliver a pounding.


    ¡°Get the blood traitor.¡± The white haired boy said and the two larger boys stepped forward.


    Ron let out a sigh of resignation, because his brothers had warned him about the Slytherins and to be careful of them. He wasn''t a snitch, so he didn''t point to the compartment he was just looking into to give away where Harry Potter was, though.


    The two larger boys swung their fists and Ron managed to dodge one, since he was used to fighting his brothers. Unfortunately, the two larger boys were bulkier than his tall brothers and he only delayed the fists he felt a moment later.


    The compartment door opened up and Harry was there with his wand out. ¡°Petrificus Totalis!¡± He exclaimed and there was a flash of white light. He didn''t have to say the spell out loud; but, he had been warned by Bertha to vocalize everything at first and to keep his silent casting tricks to himself. The less people that knew he could do it, the better.


    The larger boy was frozen into a statue, just like Dudley had been, and he fell to the floor as the handsome boy cast the spell again and hit the second boy. He became a statue and fell to the floor, too.


    ¡°What''s going on out here?¡± Harry asked, anger on his face.


    ¡°It''s nothing that concerns you.¡± The white haired boy said and squinted his eyes. There was no way he could get to his wand in time.


    ¡°It looks like you''re bullying someone.¡± Harry said and pointed his wand at the other boy.


    ¡°He''s a Weasley.¡± Draco spat, almost in disgust. ¡°I don''t need any reason other than that.¡±


    Harry smiled and Draco didn''t hear the spell as he was caught like the other two and became a statue and fell to the floor.


    ¡°Blimey, Harry.¡± The boy in the compartment with him said as he peered around him. ¡°Do you know who that is?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Harry said. ¡°Wingardium Leviosa.¡± He said and levitated the largest boy over to the side of the train''s hallway, then did the same to the second boy. He put the white haired boy on top of the other two like a stack of firewood.


    ¡°That''s Draco Malfoy.¡± The boy said and Harry shrugged.


    ¡°Th-thanks.¡± Ron managed to say as he sat up. ¡°Those blokes are heavy.¡± His face was starting to swell up from the hits he had sustained and Harry pointed his wand at his face. ¡°No! I''m the one they picked on!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said. ¡°Episkey!¡±


    ¡°Ughhhh.¡± Ron groaned as his face became hot from the minor injury repair spell, then the swelling deflated and the bruise that was starting to form disappeared. He rubbed his face to get the heat to stop, then he realized what had just happened. ¡°You can cast the general healing spell?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry said and pointed it at his arm and cast it again.


    ¡°Owowow.¡± Ron griped as his forearm was healed, then the spell was cast on his shoulder and chest.


    ¡°Anywhere else? I''m just guessing here.¡± Harry said.


    Ron shook his head and then Harry''s hand was stretched out to him. ¡°Thanks.¡± He took the offered hand and stood up. ¡°I''m Ron. Ron Weasley.¡±


    ¡°I''m Harry. Harry Potter.¡± Harry said and heard several mumbles from the human firewood that he had stacked in the hallway. ¡°I hate bullies.¡± He said and took a step towards them, then felt a hand take his. He turned to look and Hermione was there.


    ¡°It''s not worth it.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Don''t become like them.¡±


    ¡°Hermione, wouldn''t you want to get back at them for what they did?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Yes, but... it''s not worth becoming a bully myself.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Please.¡±


    Harry didn''t quite sigh, then looked at Draco. ¡°You''re really lucky Hermione''s here to stop me.¡±


    Draco mumbled something and Harry didn''t have to know what he said to get the gist of it.


    ¡°Yeah, I know what people like you are like.¡± Harry said. ¡°Whenever you want to try it, come and find me.¡±


    Hermione pulled on his hand and he stepped back into the compartment.


    Ron stepped into the compartment as well. ¡°We can''t just leave them there, can we?¡±


    ¡°Why not? It''s only three more hours to the station.¡± Harry said and shut the compartment door to several chuckles.


    Ron sat down after introducing himself to the two Hufflepuff second years, then eagerly read over Harry''s shoulder as he looked through the large book of spells.


    *


    About an hour later, the conductor came across three petrified people stacked in the hallway. He laughed in his mind as he cast the general counter spell to free them from the body bind spell, then shooed them off to their own compartment. For once, he was glad that a student didn''t immediately resort to blowing things up during a fight and only subdued his opponents.


    He was definitely going to keep an eye on Mr. Harry Potter from now on. He whistled under his breath and continued his rounds to make sure that no one else had gotten out of hand or caused some damage.


    *


    When the train was half an hour from the station, Harry''s watch rang a little bell for him. ¡°It''s time to get changed into our robes.¡± He said, to everyone''s surprise. ¡°There''s enough time to change and for packing things back up in our trunks.¡±


    ¡°I guess we better go.¡± Hermione said and closed the very interesting book. ¡°Thanks for letting me read this.¡±


    ¡°You can keep it.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Wh-what? No, I... there''s no way that...¡± Hermione said, completely flustered.


    ¡°I already read it.¡± Harry said with a shrug. ¡°It''s just been sitting on my shelf.¡±


    ¡°I... I''ll pay you back for it!¡± Hermione gushed and hugged it tightly.


    Harry had a hard time not laughing at her reaction. ¡°Sure. Let me know when you get a job.¡±


    ¡°In at least seven years!¡± The Hufflepuff boy said and laughed. ¡°Now that''s an investment!¡±


    ¡°Ooo, charge her interest, compounded daily!¡± His sister said and laughed, too. ¡°She''ll owe you for the rest of her life because of one book! Ha ha!¡±


    Everyone started laughing, even Hermione. She knew now that it was a little silly to promise such a thing, so she reached out and took Harry''s hand. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Harry shrugged again. ¡°I copied out what I wanted from it, too.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± Hermione asked, surprised. ¡°I thought I was the only one who did that!¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°Someone gave me the spell to make my own envelopes from parchment and it was done out just like it was a spell from the school book. That gave me the idea to write out the general household spells the same way. Once I did, I discovered that it was easier to visualize the spells and how they work when I did it.¡±


    ¡°Me, too!¡± Hermione said. ¡°It''s so much easier to learn when you copy it out!¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°You better get back to your compartment to change.¡± He said. ¡°Unless you want to wait for me to change and I''ll go with you?¡±


    Hermione had to think about it. ¡°Um... I''ll...¡±


    ¡°She''ll wait.¡± The Hufflepuff girl said. ¡°Just in case Malfoy and his goons are out there.¡±


    ¡°Good point.¡± Harry said. ¡°Girls on that side, boys over here.¡±


    Hermione and the Hufflepuff boy switched sides, then Harry stepped in front of his trunk and waved his wand. A bright red curtain appeared between them and cut the compartment in half and everyone gasped at the sight.


    ¡°Blimey!¡± Ron exclaimed. ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Madam Malkin.¡± Harry said and opened his trunk. ¡°I didn''t understand why she taught me that spell as a household spell until now.¡± Harry stepped down the stepladder and took out a set of robes. He came back up and closed the trunk, then quickly changed. Thanks to Madam Malkin''s lessons, he dressed almost as quickly as he would have while changing muggle clothes. He waited for the Hufflepuff boy to change, then asked if his sister was done.


    ¡°I''m decent.¡± She responded and Harry dispelled the curtain.


    ¡°Let''s go.¡± Harry said to Ron and Hermione, and the three of them left the compartment.


    ¡°Blimey.¡± The Hufflepuff boy said. ¡°He sure is something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± His sister said. ¡°I regret scoring so high on my exams last year now.¡±


    Her brother laughed and put an arm over her shoulders. ¡°As second years, we''ll probably never see him again.¡±


    ¡°Unless he gets sorted into Hufflepuff.¡± She said, then the two of them laughed. After what they had seen him do to Malfoy and his goons, there was only one house that Harry was going into, and they both knew what it was.


    It has to be... Griffindor!

 28 The Weasleys

    Bokuboy


    The first compartment they came across was the one with Ron''s brothers in it. The door opened before they reached it and a black kid came out with frizzy and slightly smoking hair, instead of the short afro it was supposed to be.


    ¡°That wasn''t fair!¡± The black kid said. ¡°Two on one...¡±


    ¡°When you play Exploding Snap with one of us...¡± A voice said.


    ¡°...you play with both of us.¡± Another voice that was very similar to the first one said.


    ¡°Oh, geez.¡± Ron sighed. ¡°Harry, please don''t tell them what happened.¡±


    ¡°Is that the dulcet tones of our little brother we hear?¡± Fred asked as he poked his head out of the compartment to look at them.


    ¡°I swear he gets more git-worthy the more we see of him.¡± George said and peeked out as well.


    ¡°Is widdle Ronnie-kins afwaid of telling his big brothers that he had an accident?¡± Fred asked.


    ¡°Ha ha! Did you pee your pants, Ronnie?¡± George asked and another voice laughed from inside the compartment, as did Lee, his smoking hair forgotten.


    ¡°Don''t pick on him.¡± Harry warned them and flicked his wrist to discretely deploy his wand.


    ¡°Oi! Is he your boyfriend, Ronnie-kins?¡± Fred asked and stepped out into the hallway. He was tall and lanky and loomed over them. ¡°You better kiss him before he gets away!¡±


    George came out and he was just as tall and lanky as his twin. They were both almost a foot taller than Harry. George reached out and grabbed Ron and put him into a headlock, then Fred used his knuckles to rub the top of Ron''s head.


    ¡°OW ow ow!¡± Ron exclaimed at the pain.


    ¡°INCARCEROUS!¡± Harry yelled and pointed his wand at Fred.


    Fred was immediately restrained as magic ropes shot out of Harry''s wand and wrapped around him. He dropped to the floor, completely bound and gagged.


    ¡°HEY!¡± George yelled and let Ron go. ¡°You can''t...¡±


    ¡°Incarcerous.¡± Harry said and George was wrapped up like Fred was and dropped to the floor, too.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Ron dropped to the floor and tried to pull the ropes off. ¡°They''re my brothers!¡±


    ¡°I warned them to not bully you.¡± Harry said and looked at them with an angry face. ¡°That''s not how you should treat your family.¡±


    ¡°Relashio.¡± Percy said and a purple light hit Fred and the ropes loosened and fell off. He did the same to George and released him, too. ¡°I think we need to go see the conductor about this.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Harry asked as he bent down to pick up the released ropes. He hadn''t cast the spell before and he wanted to test the things to see if they were actual ropes.


    ¡°You just restrained two fellow students for no reason...¡± Percy started to say.


    ¡°YEAH!¡± Fred and George yelled together and cut him off.


    ¡°No reason?¡± Hermione asked and pointed to Ron''s red face. ¡°What did you just do to Ron?¡±


    ¡°We were just carrying on.¡± The twins said together.


    ¡°It''s just brothers being brothers.¡± Percy said.


    ¡°That''s what they all say!¡± Hermione exclaimed. ¡°Kids being kids! It''s just fun! We''re not hurting you!¡± She said loudly. ¡°Well, I have something to tell you! It does hurt! IT DOES!¡±


    ¡°H-Hermione...¡± Ron whispered.


    ¡°No, Ron! You need to stand up for yourself and you need to tell them that they can''t bully you anymore!¡± Hermione said and glared at him.


    ¡°I...¡± Ron looked at her, then at the twins, then at Harry, and finally at Percy. He never really liked Percy; but, he was family and family is always supposed to stick together. ¡°It''s just them having fun.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We love our brother.¡± The twins said as one.


    ¡°UGH!¡± Hermione grunted. ¡°Harry, take me to my compartment! I can''t stand to look at these menaces anymore!¡±


    Harry wrapped up the ropes and applied a sticking charm to them. He attached them to the inside of his robes, then led Hermione down the hallway and away from the family of redheads.


    ¡°Geez, Ron. Where did you meet them?¡± Fred asked as the two figures walked away.


    ¡°He''s the guy mom said needed me as a friend.¡±


    ¡°He''s Harry Potter?¡± The three older Weasleys asked as one.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ron said and watched his potential friend walk away. He thought about running after them and explaining, then remembered that he had to change into his robes. He entered the compartment and pulled the shades to cover the window, then changed into his robes. All he could think about was the curtain spell Harry had used to block off everyone''s sight.


    *


    ¡°This is my compartment.¡± Hermione said in an angry voice.


    ¡°Hermione.¡± Harry said and she turned to face him. ¡°Calm down. There''s nothing we can do if Ron won''t admit it.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Hermione said and then she took in a deep breath and let it out. ¡°It''s just...¡±


    Harry reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I know.¡± His voice only a whisper. ¡°I know.¡±


    Hermione nodded and opened the compartment door.


    ¡°There you are. I thought we lost you.¡± Lavender said with a laugh.


    ¡°Oh! I see why!¡± Pavarti said and pointed to the book clutched in Hermione''s arm. ¡°You went looking for a frog and found a book!¡±


    ¡°I need to get changed.¡± Hermione said and tried to ignore them.


    ¡°We''re not stopping you.¡± Padma said and she looked to be an exact copy of the other girl. ¡°I doubt you''ll be able to change if you don''t let go of your precious book.¡±


    ¡°Hermione.¡± Harry said and she stepped aside. He waved his wand and two curtains appeared and pushed the other girls in the compartment aside and left a large area in the middle.


    ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°I can''t see!¡± ¡°What''s this?¡± The three girls said together and the curtain bumped and moved with their hands.


    ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± Hermione said with a smile.


    Harry leaned in close and whispered the counter-spell, just in case she didn''t know it. Of course she did know it, so she stepped into the compartment and closed the door. Harry walked all the way back to his compartment, ignored the stares from the redheads in Ron''s compartment, and entered his.


    ¡°What did you lock this thing with?¡± The boy asked as he sat on Harry''s trunk. ¡°Even Alohamora won''t open it.¡±


    ¡°That''s because it''s not locked.¡± Harry said and swiped at him with his wand.


    The boy was pushed off the trunk and back onto his seat. ¡°HEY!¡± He yelled as he plunked down.


    ¡°I told you to leave it alone.¡± His sister said with a shake of her head.


    ¡°I wanted to look inside again.¡± The boy said and rubbed his backside. ¡°I''ve never seen a trunk so big.¡±


    Harry popped the clasps and from his robes, he took out the ropes he had conjured from his wand and tossed them in the trunk on top of the boxes of food he had on the top of his bookshelf. He held in his sigh, because he had forgotten to share some of the cauldron cakes with Hermione. He closed the trunk and put the clasps back on, then sat down to wait for the train to arrive at the station.


    With luck, no one would say anything to him if he brought the trunk with him. He knew if he left it anywhere, it would stay exactly where it was until he came to get it. Of course, the first thing he thought was, if he left it on the train, would the train be able to leave? Would it count as stealing if the train left with it?


    Harry smiled as he thought about the goblins and how quickly they had modified the trunk. The train definitely wouldn''t be able to leave. He thought as the train pulled into the station. He got up from his seat, as did the two Hufflepuffs across from him, and they left the compartment without their trunks.


    He held in his sigh at the obviousness of letting someone else handle the luggage magically and picked up his trunk by the handle. It was still light as a feather and he saw that no one else had their luggage, either. He ignored the odd looks he was getting as he made his way to one of the many exits, then he was on the platform with the Hufflepuffs.


    ¡°It was nice meeting you.¡± The girl said, gave her brother a pointed look, then leaned in and gave Harry a hug. ¡°Thanks for showing me how fun the Knight Bus can be.¡±


    ¡°Sis!¡± Her brother said loudly and that got a lot of people''s attention, even more than her hugging a boy did. ¡°Stop that! You''re embarrassing me!¡±


    The girl laughed softly in Harry''s ear and he liked the sound as her breath tickled his ear. ¡°You''re embarrassing yourself.¡± She said and let Harry go. ¡°Goodbye, Harry.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Harry said.


    The brother just waved, to his relief, then the boy dragged his sister off into the crowd of people.

 29 The Sorting Part One

    ¡°Firs'' years! This way! FIRS'' YEARS!¡± A loud voice bellowed.


    Harry turned to see a familiar giant of a man and walked over to the group of first years gathering around him. ¡°Hi, Hagrid.¡± He said and the giant nodded to him.


    ¡°Is that alleh yeh?¡± Hagrid asked and no one else came over. ¡°Alright, come on. And mind yer step.¡±


    They all followed him down a steep and winding path. Things seemed to get impossibly dark away from the lights of the train station and Harry lifted his wand.


    ¡°Lumos Maxima.¡± Harry said and the entire place lit up and all of the students could now easily see.


    ¡°Thanks a lot!¡± Hermione said and came over to him. ¡°I could barely see my own nose!¡±


    That made a few people laugh. Everyone had an easy time walking now, because they could see where they were stepping. They walked down the path behind Hagrid and came around the corner of the path, then suddenly they were at the side of a huge black lake. Across the lake and perched atop a small mountain, was a majestic castle that had many turrets and towers.


    ¡°No more than four to a boat!¡± Hagrid said loudly and waved at the small fleet of little boats that waited for them. Harry climbed into the closest one with Hermione right behind him, then two more people climbed in behind him that he didn''t know.


    ¡°You''re supposed to leave your luggage on the train.¡± The girl said with a frown.


    ¡°I hope you don''t tip the boat with it.¡± The boy said.


    ¡°I don''t see any oars.¡± Harry said as he ignored their comments and looked around. ¡°I wonder what...¡±


    ¡°Is everybody in?¡± Hagrid asked from the boat he had all to himself and didn''t wait for a reply. ¡°FORWARD!¡± He yelled and waved to the opposite shore.


    Everyone stared up at the huge castle as the boats took off across the lake''s smooth surface, except for Harry. He was leaning over the front of the boat and had his head as close to the water as possible.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Hermione gasped when she saw him and pulled him back. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I think this boat was charmed with the Locomotor spell.¡± Harry said, then whispered. ¡°Nox.¡±


    The pervasive light the wand emanated was extinguished and a lot of the girls let out frightened squeaks.


    ¡°Oops! Sorry!¡± Harry said. I''ll have to wait to cast Revelio later. ¡°Lumos Maxima.¡±


    A lot of people let out sighs of relief when the bright light returned. The boats crossed the lake fairly quickly and they arrived on the other side at a large dock. They all climbed out of the boats and Harry quickly extinguished his wand and cast Revelio on the boat. The words ''Locomotor Boat'' floated above it for only him to see, and he swiped his wand to end the spell.


    Everyone made their way over to the bottom of a large set of stairs that seemed impossibly long. Harry looked at them, a little worried, since he almost never did any exercise. Not that he could have left the house to do it, anyway. He didn''t know that he was worried for nothing.


    The medical breakfasts that Hedwig had delivered all month to him had enervating potions and health potions mixed in to get his health and body back up to a normal level. He had been malnourished and underfed and the healer made sure he was back to being fit and healthy. His worried face faded as he kept climbing up the stairs and he wasn''t getting winded or felt tired.


    By the time he reached the top, Harry had a big smile on his face, because he had never done anything like that before and not being tired or sore afterwards was such a relief. Hagrid walked on and everyone followed him. Harry looked around at everything and in his mind, he couldn''t believe that he was walking around a huge medieval castle where he was going to learn magic.


    Hagrid came to a stop in front of a huge set of oak doors and knocked three times. They opened a moment later and a stern looking older witch stood there. ¡°The firs'' years, Professor McGonagall.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.¡± Minerva said and Hagrid stepped aside. ¡°Follow me, please.¡± She said and walked away, as if them refusing to follow her had never occurred to her.


    The entrance hall was enormous and Harry thought that the Dursley''s house could easily fit inside it. Maybe two houses. Harry thought and looked up at the ridiculously high ceiling. They walked by another set of huge oak doors that seemed to have a lot of voices speaking behind it. They were led into a small room off to the side and the stern witch turned to them.


    ¡°Welcome to Hogwarts.¡± Minerva said. ¡°The start of term feast will begin shorty. Before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony, because your house will become something like your family within Hogwarts.¡±


    Nearly everyone reacted positively to these words, except for a few, like Harry. The last thing he wanted was to have the people at Hogwarts treat him like the Dursleys treated him. Harry frowned as he looked around and saw lots of happy faces, then he noticed the white haired boy, Draco Malfoy. His frown matched Harry''s, which meant he didn''t like his home life, either.


    Harry realized he wasn''t listening to the professor speak, so he looked back at her.


    ¡°The four houses are called Griffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards. Your triumphs will earn your House points while any rule-breaking will lose your House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup.¡±


    A few people muttered excitedly about it and the stern witch didn''t quite glare at them to be quiet.


    ¡°The Sorting ceremony will take place in a few minutes. I suggest you take this time to smarten yourself up to be presentable.¡± Minerva said as she looked at several students and their wrinkled robes.


    We just got off a boat and walked up hundreds of stairs. Harry thought and his frown hadn''t lessened.


    Minerva noticed it and gave him a pointed look, saw no fault with his appearance, nodded and left.


    ¡°Anyone have a comb I can borrow?¡± A boy asked. ¡°Mine''s in my trunk.¡±


    Harry pulled his out and handed it over.


    ¡°Hey! Thanks!¡± The boy said and started combing his hair.


    ¡°Anyone want wrinkles removed?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Me!¡± Several girls said as one and came over. Harry performed the basic clothing maintenance spells he knew, which cleaned them and removed the wrinkles in the fabric. He didn''t cast them permanently, though. He had promised Madam Malkin that he would only do his own and send anyone that asked about it to her.


    ¡°Harry, could you help me?¡± Hermione asked and he did the same spells, then she blushed and took his hand. ¡°I mean... you know.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Harry said and discretely pointed his wand at her mouth. He mouthed a shrinking charm continuously, used all of his concentration to only focus on her teeth, then forced her teeth to shrink in tiny increments so that he wouldn''t mess up. He saw in his head where he wanted them to go, mainly to fit back into her mouth and match the teeth around them. They reached that spot and he stopped mouthing the spell.


    ¡°Is... is it done?¡± Hermione asked in a whisper.


    Harry took out his timepiece and turned it around to show her the shiny gold back. ¡°Smile.¡±


    Hermione caught her breath at the smile in her reflection. ¡°Oh, Harry.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know how long it''ll last.¡± Harry said. ¡°According to the books, depending on the power of the caster, it could be a few hours, several days, or weeks.¡±


    Hermione rubbed her fingertip over her now normal teeth and looked at him. ¡°I saw how many times you cast the spell.¡± She whispered and took his hand. ¡°Even if it''s only several hours for each, I''m going to keep them for a long time.¡± She smiled and her face lit up. ¡°If it''s weeks for each one...¡± She glanced around and no one was looking, so she quickly placed a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Harry''s face flushed red, because he had never been kissed by a girl before.


    ¡°I wonder what The Sorting is like.¡± Hermione asked and she didn''t know why she couldn''t stop smiling at Harry''s blush.


    ¡°They put a hat on your head and it reads your skills, then it tells you what House to go in.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Wow, really?¡± Hermione asked, surprised. ¡°I wonder if it''s charmed or if it actually has something inside it to... AHHHHHH!¡± She yelled, as did several other girls.


    Harry turned around to see what she was staring at, then he almost peed his pants at the sight.


    Ghosts.


    About twenty of the pearly white and slightly transparent apparitions had floated through the wall and were arguing, it seemed like. They floated through some of the other students that were screaming and shivering at the cold sensations the ghosts gave them.


    ¡°DEPULSO! DEPULSO! DEPULSO!¡± Harry yelled in fright as he swept his wand over the encroaching ghosts, his mind solely focused on getting the ghosts as far away from him as possible. The ghosts yelled and hollered as they were slammed by the stream of white light from Harry''s wand and were quickly pushed away. They tumbled through the air and then they all disappeared back through the wall they had come through.


    Some of the students were staring at the wall where the ghosts had gone, as if waiting for them to come back. Others were staring at Harry in shock at what he did. One of them was Ron, because he had never seen anyone react like that to a ghost before.


    Harry was panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. A crying Hermione hugged him tightly and he put his arm around her to keep himself steady.


    ¡°G-ghosts.¡± Harry muttered under his breath, his voice full of disbelief. ¡°Ghosts are real.¡±

 30 The Sorting Part Two

    ¡°WHAT is going ON in HERE?¡± Professor Minerva McGonagall asked in a shout as she ran back into the room after hearing the commotion.


    ¡°You''re not going to believe it!¡± One of the other girls that had been frightened said and pointed to the wall. ¡°It was GHOSTS! They flew through the wall and attacked us!¡±


    ¡°Harry saved us and sent them away!¡± Another girl said. ¡°I don''t know what spell he used, though.¡±


    ¡°Saved you?¡± Draco asked, then he laughed. ¡°He just saved you from the castle ghosts!¡±


    A bunch of other students laughed, too. They couldn''t understand why anyone was scared of ghosts.


    ¡°What is wrong with you people?¡± Harry asked them. ¡°They''re GHOSTS! Goddamn GHOSTS!¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are.¡± Minerva said, her voice even sterner for Harry''s cursing. She didn''t berate him for it, though. ¡°Some have been in this castle for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!?¡± Harry yelled and stared at her. ¡°You can do magic! Cast a spell or something and get rid of them!¡±


    Minerva gave him a particularly angry look. ¡°Calm yourself and start thinking clearly.¡± She said. ¡°Would we have anything at this school that could harm a child?¡±


    Harry opened his mouth to say yes, since he literally saw how people reacted to the ghosts, himself included, then Hermione let him go and wiped at her eyes.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Hermione said to the professor and several students gasped. ¡°It''s all in ''Hogwarts, A History''.¡± She said. ¡°Many times there have been dangerous creatures inside the castle that attacked students and lots of students have been hurt and even killed during events like...¡±


    Minerva sighed and held a hand up to stop her. ¡°That''s enough Miss Granger.¡± She said. ¡°You are lucky that you are not in a House yet, or I would have taken points from the both of you.¡±


    ¡°But, she''s right!¡± Harry said loudly. ¡°I read that book, too! Lots of people have...¡±


    ¡°Hush, Mr. Potter.¡± Minerva said and glared at him as she ignored all of the whispers and chattering that saying his name had started. ¡°You have harmed the stately beings that have been granted refuge inside the castle walls. Do not rouse my ire any further.¡±


    Harry squinted his eyes at her. He was very tempted to ask how he could harm a ghost by pushing it, then decided that was exactly why she told him to be quiet first. If he spoke now, she really would reprimand him.


    ¡°We are ready for you in the Great Hall.¡± Minerva said to everyone. ¡°Form a line and follow me.¡±


    The first years sorted themselves and followed her in a line, which didn''t make sense, until they entered the Great Hall and saw that it was nearly crammed full of students. Completely silent students.


    They were all staring at them and Harry was surprisingly immune to their gazes. He was just too angry at being told off for defending himself and Hermione to care about the stares, then he was told to be quiet and wasn''t allowed to explain that no one had told him that ghosts were real.


    How else was I supposed to react to learning that? They''re goddamn GHOSTS! Harry thought, angrily. The first chance I get, I''m going to the library to find out what''s up with them and how to get rid of them. He glanced at Hermione behind him. I know she will help me look.


    Some of the other first years were making admiration sounds at the ceiling and Harry didn''t bother looking up as he ignored them, too. He already knew the ceiling was enchanted to look like the outside.


    ¡°Why is that one kid carrying his trunk?¡± Someone whispered loudly into the silence.


    ¡°He was supposed to let the house elves take care of it.¡± Someone else responded.


    The stern witch led the first years towards the long table at the back of the room, where some very eclectic people sat. Harry knew from reading ''Hogwarts, A History'' that they were the teachers for the school. He frowned a little, because if they were the only teachers, how in the world did they teach seven years of students and still keep the classes separate?


    They gathered into a group in front of the whole hall and the stern witch placed a wooden stool in front of them. On that stool was a ratty old pointed wizard''s hat. It was in tatters, worn in places and frayed, covered in patches, and was very dirty. Harry thought that Aunt Petunia would never allow such a thing into the house and would shriek when she saw it, just like she did when she saw Hagrid''s book.


    Everyone''s attention moved from the first years and to the hat. Harry knew what was coming, thanks to the brother and sister pair of second year Hufflepuffs that he had met on the Knight Bus. That thought made him look over at the tables and he wondered where they were as the hat started singing its song. The flags hanging above the tables told him what Houses were which tables, so he looked at the Hufflepuff one. There were too many similar robes and faces for him to find them.


    Harry gave up looking, just as the hat stopped singing. Everyone except the first years gave it a round of applause, since no one had told them to do that.


    Professor McGonagall stepped close to the stool and held out a long piece of parchment. ¡°When I call your names, you will put on the hat and then sit on the stool to wait to be sorted.¡± She said and looked at the list. ¡°Abbot, Hannah!¡±


    A blushing girl with blonde pigtails in her hair stepped forward, put the hat on and sat down. The hat slipped down over her eyes and several people laughed.


    ¡°HUFFLEPUFF!¡± The hat yelled and the Hufflepuff table erupted in applause. The girl hopped up and put the hat on the stool, then practically ran to her House table. The next girl was a Hufflepuff as well, then there was a Ravenclaw and another Hufflepuff, all met with applause and cheers, except for the girl sorted into Slytherin. They were calm and collected and greeted her with subdued enthusiasm.


    That reaction had gotten Harry''s attention. Compared to the other tables that hugged, pat on the back, and in some cases assaulted their new House mates, the Slytherins seemed to just accept them for who they were. Of course, he knew from the Hufflepuffs that they were usually bad apples and caused trouble for others, and yet, they acted superior. Harry didn''t understand bullies and why they liked hurting those weaker than them.


    Harry had been lost in his own thoughts for so long that he had missed it when the professor called his name. He felt an elbow in his side and looked to see the boy he loaned his comb to, who pointed.


    ¡°Potter, Harry.¡± Professor McGonagall said again, her voice dripping with irritation at him for making her repeat herself. The entire room fell silent as Harry walked over to the stool. The thoughts of putting the dirty hat on was a bit repulsive, especially after all of the other heads it had been on, then he smiled as he flicked his wrist and deployed his wand.


    The professor, the teachers, and every single student gasped as Harry used the clothing maintenance spells he knew on the hat. It took several minutes for Harry to finish performing the spells, verbally of course. When he was done, a bright blue and sparkling hat, that looked brand new, sat on the stool. It had small yellow shooting stars scattered over its surface and to everyone''s surprise, those stars actually moved!


    ¡°Now that''s a proper wizard''s hat.¡± Harry said and picked up the hat, put it on his head, and sat down on the stool. The hat fit his head perfectly.


    ¡°Hmm. You''ve got guts.¡± A voice said in his ear. ¡°Not many people would dare to clean up a castle relic like that in front of the whole school.¡±


    I didn''t want to put you on with you so dirty. Harry thought. I guess I''ve spent too much time cleaning things to let you stay that way. I hope it''s okay.


    The voice chuckled. ¡°No one else ever thought to clean me before and I doubt anyone would want to dirty me up again.¡± It responded. ¡°Now, let''s see about your House. Hmm... difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. A willingness to learn is good. You have talent, oh my goodness, a lot of talent. I also see a thirst to prove yourself. So, where shall I put you?¡±


    Not Slytheryn. Not Slytheryn. Harry thought.


    ¡°Not Slytheryn, eh? Are you sure? You would fit nicely there. You could be great, you know. It''s all in your head. They could help you on the way to greatness.¡±


    I know, I saw how they treat their chosen family. Harry thought.


    ¡°Yes, that''s right. They respect a person''s space... well, their own people''s space. Everyone else can sod off.¡± The hat chuckled. ¡°Old Salazar liked the pure blood ways more than the average wizard.¡± It said. ¡°Hufflepuff would give you long lasting friendships. If you want to learn for learning''s sake, then Ravenclaw is for you.¡±


    That''s all? Harry thought, a bit surprised. I thought all the houses were equally great?


    The hat laughed. ¡°That''s what mediocre wizards tell everyone.¡± It said. ¡°Only two Houses have produced any significant wizards in the last three hundred years.¡±


    Harry didn''t even have to think about that. Griffindor and Slytherin.


    ¡°Right you are. The best of the bad and the best of the good.¡± The hat said. ¡°So, which do you want to be?¡±


    M-me? Harry asked. You want me to choose?


    ¡°You''ll be stuck with it for the rest of your time here.¡± The hat said. ¡°Do you want to be coddled and smothered in Hufflepuff? Study all the time and never do anything in Ravenclaw? Be reviled for consorting with evil, just because you''re in Slytherin, even if you never do anything bad? Or do you want to shine brightly and take your place among the most outstanding wizards of your time?¡±


    Harry sat there and frowned at the descriptions. You are intentionally leading me to Griffindor.


    ¡°The headmaster asked me to.¡± The hat said. ¡°Also, you showed everyone that you are willing to do things no one else has done by cleaning and fixing me. You are more Griffindor now than most of the Griffindors are, and you are not even in the House yet.¡± It chuckled. ¡°Nice work on the train, by the way.¡±


    Thanks. Harry thought.


    ¡°So, shall I say it or do you want to tell me something else to say?¡±


    Harry thought about it. He seriously thought about it. His eyes roamed over the tables and the eager, and in some cases greedy, faces on the students. He could tell that Slytheryn, Hufflepuff, and even Ravenclaw wanted him very badly. The Griffindors? Their faces were only expectant and patient. They weren''t urging him to choose them. They sat there and waited to see what he would choose.


    When he saw Hermione''s face, she was almost shaking in anticipation. Harry looked at her lips and she mouthed the words ''it let me choose!'' and she had been sorted into Griffindor. That was the key, Harry realized. Choosing.


    I won''t abandon my friend. If she chose Griffindor, then I want to be there with her. Harry thought.


    ¡°I better make this official then.¡± The hat chuckled in his ear, then he spoke out loud to the eager audience. ¡°It has to be... Griffindor!¡±


    The entire Griffindor table erupted in shouts and applause as they jumped from their chairs and congratulated each other. ¡°We got Harry Potter! We got Harry Potter! We got Harry Potter!¡± Most of them chanted as they danced around.


    Harry took off the hat and placed it gently on the stool, gave it a pat, then walked over to his House.


    Hermione gave him a tight hug and held on for several moments, then she let him go. ¡°You chose, too.¡±


    Harry nodded and she beamed a smile at him, took his hand, then they sat down together at the table.

 31 The Feast

    Bokuboy


    Albus Dumbledore sat there in stunned silence, just like everyone else, when the handsome and well fed boy stepped out of the crowd of children after Harry Potter''s name was called for a second time. When it was called the first time and no one stepped forward, his old heart nearly gave out. He had been sure that Hagrid told him Harry was there and then wondered what could have happened to the poor ignorant boy between the front door and the Great Hall.


    The ''ignorant'' portion of his thought evaporated as Harry performed several powerful cleaning and mending spells, in front of the entire student body, no less. He restored the ancient sorting hat to a state that even Albus himself didn''t suspect the hat was hiding under hundreds of years of accumulated dirt and grime.


    Now that Albus was looking closely at the boy, he saw the well-maintained clothing and the prim and proper haircut, and his thoughts lost the ''poor'' part of his assessment. He couldn''t understand why he was still carrying his trunk, however. Students weren''t supposed to be bothered with carrying their own luggage from the train.


    His thoughts were derailed as Harry sat there for quite a long time. Much longer than any other student. After several minutes, the hat finally spoke and placed him in Griffindor like he had instructed the hat to. His applause joined that of the Griffindors and he glanced at Minerva to see her frown. That was a bit concerning, considering she was the head of the House. When the sorting was done and she resumed her seat at his side, he leaned over to speak to her.


    ¡°What seems to be the bother, Minerva?¡± Albus whispered. ¡°Having Harry in your House is a great boon, is it not?¡±


    Minerva lost her stern expression and leaned close herself. ¡°I had thought so. Getting that poor boy and taking care of him has been my priority since his parents died.¡± She whispered back. ¡°However, his behavior so far has not been exemplary.¡±


    ¡°Do tell.¡± Albus responded.


    ¡°I believe you need to start the feast first.¡± Minerva chided him and he chuckled.


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Albus said and stood up. The hall hushed and he raised his hands. ¡°To the new students this year, welcome to Hogwarts! To the returning students, welcome back! Before the banquet begins, I would like to say a few words. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!¡± He said to uproarious laughter. ¡°Thank you! Let''s eat!¡±


    The tables were suddenly filled with delicious food that the house elves had been preparing all day.


    Albus sat down and picked up his goblet of wine and leaned in close to Minerva again. ¡°Please continue, dear lady.¡±


    Minerva raised an eyebrow at him and he gave her a smile and took a sip of wine. She had to smile back and began telling him what happened.


    *


    ¡°He''s bloody brilliant!¡± Ron said from across the table from Harry.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Hermione asked. ¡°Those were just normal words.¡±


    ¡°They were pure jibberish! Ha ha!¡± Ron laughed and bit into a giant turkey leg. ¡°How does he come up with them?¡±


    Harry and Hermione exchanged looks and didn''t tell him those jibberish words were actually muggle words. They leaned in close to whisper to each other.


    ¡°Do you think he chose Griffindor?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°I overheard his brothers say that all of the Weasleys get sorted into Griffindor.¡± Harry whispered. ¡°Family tradition.¡±


    Hermione looked over his shoulder at the boisterous group of redheads not far away. ¡°I suppose that makes sense. They are pretty loud and outgoing.¡±


    ¡°I bet he still asked to stay with his brothers.¡± Harry said, a little disgusted. ¡°I spent most of the train ride with two Hufflepuffs and he was a lot more like them than his brothers.¡±


    ¡°Hey, aren''t you two going to eat?¡± Ron asked. He had moved on to a pork chop and one of the many bowls of mashed potatoes.


    ¡°I suppose we should.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Not too much, though. We don''t want stomach aches later.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°Oh, I know. Having too much food to eat is almost as bad as not having enough.¡±


    Hermione blinked her eyes at his admission. ¡°Harry, did... do you mean...¡±


    ¡°I really nice healer from St. Mungo''s sent me breakfasts for a month that could feed three people.¡± Harry said and the conversations died down around him to listen. ¡°I grew up in a muggle house and they didn''t treat me well or feed me enough.¡±


    By this point, the entire table was quiet and listened to him.


    ¡°Harry, how did...¡± Hermione started to ask.


    ¡°I sent a letter to the Ministry of Magic, once I found out they existed a month ago.¡± Harry said and everyone gasped. ¡°When they showed up, they helped me a lot. I just wish I had known about being a wizard years ago. My life could have been so much better.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Harry.¡± Hermione said and took his hand, because she completely understood. She had only found out about it last year, herself. She had turned eleven on the nineteenth of September, which meant she had missed school registration last year and had to wait until this year to attend. She had a whole year to read about the magical world and had the same thoughts as Harry. Her life would have been so different had she known a long time ago.


    ¡°Hold on. You''re one of the most famous people in the wizarding world and no one told you about it until a month ago?¡± Ron asked loudly and the entire Great Hall fell silent.


    ¡°That''s not surprising, really. I didn''t know my name was Harry until I started school when I was six.¡± Harry said, slightly angry. ¡°No, wait. I was five. My birthday is in the summer now.¡±


    ¡°You don''t even know your own birthday?!?¡± Ron asked, incredulously.


    A lot of people had stopped eating and were staring at him. It was then that the castle ghosts came into the Great Hall and sound seemed to resume as people started talking again.


    ¡°AHH!¡± Hermione jerked and closed her eyes as she gripped Harry''s hand tightly. ¡°They''re not real. They''re not real!¡±


    ¡°Geez, they''re just ghosts.¡± Ron said and turned to look at them. ¡°I think that''s the Griffindor ghost. The one with the ruffles around his neck.¡±


    Harry turned his head and the ghost in question floated down and into the middle of the table of food, then proceeded to go from one end to the other where the first years were.


    ¡°Welcome to Hogwarts.¡± The ghost said. ¡°My name is...¡±


    ¡°Get. Away. From. Us.¡± Harry said in a deadly voice and took out his wand.


    ¡°You!¡± The ghost looked at Harry angrily and loomed over him. ¡°I have half a mind to report you to...¡±


    ¡°Depulso!¡± Harry said with such ferocity and concentration that the jet of white light slammed into the ghost''s chest and sent him on a straight line from the tip of Harry''s wand and up into, and through, the enchanted ceiling. In fact, the enchanted ceiling was pushed away from the jet of white light and left a hole about ten feet across.


    ¡°MISTER POTTER!¡± Professor McGonagall yelled as she shot to her feet. ¡°How dare you assault...¡±


    ¡°I warned him to leave us alone.¡± Harry said. ¡°He was scaring us.¡±


    ¡°Fifty points from Griffindor!¡± Minerva exclaimed and the entire hall of students gasped, especially the other Griffindor students. ¡°I am warning you now, Mr. Potter. If you do that again...¡±


    ¡°You better take the points from me now, because every time I see a ghost, I''m going to do it.¡± Harry admitted.


    ¡°How dare you...¡± Minerva''s face flushed red in anger.


    ¡°Now, now.¡± Albus Dumbledore stood when he finally regained his composure. Seeing Harry use such a powerful spell had shocked him. ¡°There''s no need to overreact.¡±


    ¡°Headmaster.¡± Minerva said and redirected her anger to him. ¡°Are you questioning a Head of House about appropriate punishments?¡±


    Albus let out a sigh. ¡°No, Minerva. I am merely advising restraint.¡±


    Minerva scowled a little, then composed herself and looked at Harry. ¡°I am giving you a week''s detention, Mr. Potter.¡±


    Harry opened his mouth to respond and Hermione squeezed his hand.


    ¡°Don''t make it worse.¡± Hermione whispered.


    ¡°What''s detention like here?¡± Harry asked instead.


    ¡°It''s the worst!¡± The twins said and pointed at a scraggly older man at the end of the head table.


    ¡°That''s right, Misters Weasley.¡± Minerva said and then smiled. ¡°Mr. Potter, you will be spending the evenings all week helping our custodian Mr. Filch clean the castle.¡±


    Harry opened his mouth to ask if that was all and Hermione squeezed his hand again.


    ¡°Don''t.¡± Hermione whispered and Harry closed his mouth. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Now that that''s settled, everyone continue eating.¡± Albus said and everyone started eating again.


    ¡°It''s cold.¡± Harry said and spit out the ice cold mashed potatoes.


    ¡°The ghosts do that.¡± Ron said and kept eating.


    ¡°He didn''t pass my plate, though.¡± Harry said and pushed it away.


    Ron just shrugged.


    ¡°I''ve got some great food in my trunk.¡± Harry whispered to Hermione and she nodded. He opened it discretely and took out several large boxes. ¡°I''ve got turkey, boiled ham, scalloped potatoes, game hens, and even pots of boiled vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Blimey, Harry.¡± Hermione said as he swiped the other cold food out of the way and opened up the boxes. ¡°Where did you get it all?¡±


    ¡°It''s a long story.¡± Harry said. ¡°Oh, and I meant to give you these on the train.¡± He took out a large box of cauldron cakes and gave them to her. ¡°I''m sorry I forgot.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you.¡± Hermione said, and the two of them enjoyed eating the still piping hot food that Harry had used preservation spells on. It didn''t take long for several people to ask for some and then they were enjoying the new food, too.


    The enchanted ceiling started to recover and moved to fill in the hole that Harry had made in it.


    The Griffindor Tower ghost, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, did not make another appearance at the feast.

 32 The Argument

    When the main meal was done, the food dishes disappeared from the table as quickly as they had come. Including the ones Harry had added.


    ¡°HEY! Those are MINE!¡± Harry said loudly and several people turned to look at him in surprise. ¡°How do I get those back?¡±


    The table was just as suddenly filled with desserts of all makes and kinds, from ice cream to pies to puddings... and Harry noticed that Hermione''s box of cauldron cakes was gone, too.


    ¡°HEY!¡± Harry stood up and even the teachers took notice of him now. ¡°I want my food and Hermione''s cauldron cakes back RIGHT NOW!¡±


    ¡°Harry, calm down.¡± Hermione whispered. ¡°I''m sure there''s just been a mistake.¡±


    ¡°I''ve had enough of people stealing from me!¡± Harry said loudly. ¡°My cousin stole from me all my life! I''m a wizard now and I swore it was never going to happen again!¡±


    ¡°Geez, Harry! It''s just food. They make tons of it here.¡± Ron said, not understanding.


    ¡°Whatever magic took those boxes...¡± Harry stopped talking and took out his wand as he pointed it at the table. ¡°REVELIO!¡±


    The words ''house elves - Switching Spell'' appeared above the table for him to see.


    ¡°Someone tell the house elves, whatever they are, to switch my things back!¡± Harry said loudly.


    ¡°Mister Potter!¡± Professor McGonagall said as she strode over to him. ¡°You will calm down right this minute!¡±


    ¡°Or what? You''ll take points from me for having my things stolen? Will you give me even more detention for Hermione''s cauldron cakes being taken, just because I gave them to her?¡± Harry responded.


    ¡°Those are excellent ideas, Mister Potter.¡± Minerva said with satisfaction. ¡°Ten points from Griffindor for misbehaving during mealtimes and another week of detention for talking back to a teacher.¡±


    ¡°Teacher? You haven''t taught me anything except how horrible you people are!¡± Harry spat and the entire room fell silent. ¡°I''ve never seen anything like this before! Ghosts are real? Food disappearing? A talking hat? NONE OF YOU HAVE TOLD ME ANYTHING!¡±


    Minerva''s face changed from satisfaction to sadness as she realized her mistake. She had assumed that he would know everything, even though she knew he grew up in a muggle household.


    ¡°All you''ve done is punish me for reacting like anyone would that doesn''t know anything about the magic world and then told me to shut up when I tried to explain.¡± Harry said and finally calmed down, now that he was expressing himself. ¡°Some teacher you are. You won''t even listen to your students.¡±


    Minerva reached out to touch his shoulder to comfort him and he jumped back away from her.


    ¡°Don''t grab me!¡± Harry said, suddenly angry again and he gripped his wand tightly. He didn''t point it at her, however. Even he knew that would be going too far.


    ¡°Mister Potter... Harry...¡± Minerva started to say.


    ¡°Only my friends can call me Harry.¡± Harry interrupted her. ¡°YOU are NOT my friend.¡±


    I wanted to be. Minerva thought, sadly. Her hand dropped back to her side. ¡°Please take your seat.¡±


    ¡°What about my things that were taken?¡± Harry asked, even though he knew the answer. ¡°I''m never getting them back, am I?¡± He asked. He never got back the things Dudley took from him, either.


    Minerva pointed her wand at the table. Reverte. She thought and several boxes with empty plates and pots appeared. The boxes were open and they were clearly empty, so she sighed.


    Harry looked at the cleaned dishes and shook his head slightly. He walked over to his trunk and opened it just enough to toss each empty thing inside. ¡°Hermione, I''ll give you another box of cauldron cakes later. I just hope no one will steal them, too.¡± He said and closed the trunk, then sat down.


    Minerva thought about saying something, then changed her mind and walked back to the head table. The feast resumed and everyone started eating dessert.


    Ron held out a large treacle tart to Harry. ¡°Harry, do you want some of this? It''s really good.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡± Harry said. ¡°I don''t want to eat anything from this table.¡±


    ¡°Harry.¡± Hermione said. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°That would have been nice to hear from the ones that should actually apologize.¡± Harry responded. ¡°You can eat the desserts, Hermione. I won''t get angry at you.¡±


    ¡°I''m not very hungry anymore.¡± Hermione said.


    The two of them sat there until dessert was finished, then the headmaster stood up and the food disappeared. He raised his hands and the entire hall fell silent.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Albus cleared his throat and put on a big smile. ¡°Now that we are all fed and watered...¡± He managed to not look at Harry when he said it. ¡°...I have a few start of term notices to give you.¡±


    Those words garnered nearly everyone''s attention.


    ¡°First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students. A few of our older students would do well to remember that, too.¡± Albus said and gave a pointed look to the Weasley twins, who chuckled and whispered in response. ¡°I have also been asked my Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic is to be used in the corridors between classes.¡±


    A few boos responded to that and it was unclear if it was Mr. Filch or the rule they were booing.


    ¡°Quiddich trials will be held in the second week. If you wish to try out for the House team, contact Madam Hooch.¡± Albus said and pointed to the woman in question. ¡°Which reminds me. I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Thorfinn Rowle, who has graciously accepted the post for this year.¡±


    Serverus Snape huffed and did his best to frown at everyone that gave him knowing looks.


    ¡°Finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side, is out of bounds to anyone that does not wish to die a very painful death.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!?¡± Harry yelled and shot to his feet. ¡°Are you kidding? Tell me you''re kidding!¡±


    ¡°I am quite serious, Harry.¡± Albus said with a smile.


    ¡°Only my friends can call me Harry! YOU are NOT my friend!¡± Harry spat. ¡°You''re not joking? There''s really something inside the castle... right now... that can kill us?¡±


    ¡°Yes. On the third floor corridor.¡± Albus said. ¡°As long as you stay away from there...¡±


    ¡°Forget that! I don''t know my way around the castle!¡± Harry said and grabbed his trunk. ¡°I''m leaving!¡± He said and looked at Hermione. ¡°We can''t stay in a school that we know will kill us!¡±


    ¡°Please, don''t overreact, Harry.¡± Albus said.


    ¡°That''s MISTER POTTER to you!¡± Harry said loudly. ¡°This is supposed to be a school! Not a death trap! What are you thinking? Are you mad? Bonkers?¡±


    ¡°Harry...¡± Hermione whispered and ducked her head.


    ¡°What...¡± Harry looked at her face and she was blushing. ¡°You want to stay?¡±


    ¡°I''ve been waiting a whole year to come here.¡± Hermione said and looked up at him. ¡°I have to have a formal education or I can''t have a wand and do magic.¡±


    Harry took in a sharp breath, because he had completely forgotten about that rule.


    ¡°I have to stay.¡± Hermione said. ¡°My parents spent so much money to let me come here...¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Harry was surprised. ¡°But... I thought... isn''t it free?¡±


    Several people burst out laughing.


    Harry felt foolish as he saw a lot of people were amused by him. He looked at the Headmaster. ¡°Who paid for my tuition?¡± He asked. ¡°I know I didn''t.¡±


    Albus thought about not responding, then realized he needed to try and regain Harry''s trust, not knowing that he never had it. ¡°The money was taken from your vault at Gringotts.¡±


    ¡°WITHOUT MY PERMISSION?!?¡± Harry yelled. ¡°How much...¡± He shook his head. ¡°I guess if you can take my tuition, however much that is, you can take anything you want from my vault without my permission, can''t you?¡± He asked. ¡°How many galleons have you stolen from me?¡±


    The entire Great Hall gasped in surprise.


    ¡°Harry...¡± Albus started to tell him to calm down.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? ONLY MY FRIENDS CAN CALL ME HARRY!¡± Harry yelled. ¡°Tell me how much you''ve taken! Tell everyone!¡± He said. ¡°Just so you know, I''m sending a letter to Gringotts as soon as I leave this room and I''ll find out anyway!¡±


    Albus'' face lost its mask of joviality. ¡°There''s no need for you to...¡±


    ¡°Right after that, I''m contacting the Ministry of Magic!¡± Harry said. ¡°If I have to stay in this school, I want it to be safe. I''ll have them take whatever it is that you have on the third floor out of here!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Hagrid exclaimed and he shot to his feet, which banged the table he sat behind and spilled all of the teacher''s goblets. ¡°Yeh can''t tell ''em about Fluffy!¡±


    Harry was surprised that whatever could kill a student was named Fluffy.


    ¡°Please, calm down everyone.¡± Albus said. ¡°I believe that after a good night''s rest, calmer heads will prevail.¡±


    A wave of sleepiness overcame the students and Harry felt the magic and staggered a little. Innervate! He thought and pointed his wand at himself. He had used the spell countless times to stay awake at night to practice his spell work. The sleepiness disappeared and he glared at the headmaster. He cast it on Hermione as well and she perked right up.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Hermione whispered.


    ¡°The headmaster was putting us to sleep.¡± Harry whispered back. ¡°I think he thinks I won''t send letters if I''m too tired to write them.¡±


    ¡°But, you could just write them tomorrow.¡± Hermione responded.


    ¡°He''ll already have sent off his own letters by then.¡± Harry said, to her surprise.


    ¡°I believe it''s time for everyone to head to bed.¡± Albus said with a fatherly smile. ¡°Off you trot!¡±


    ¡°First years, with me.¡± Percy Weasley said as he stifled a yawn.


    Harry and Hermione had no choice but to follow, because they didn''t know where to go.

 33 The Dorm

    Albus watched the group of Griffindor first year students be led from the hall by their prefect and he couldn''t understand how his interactions with Harry had gone so horribly wrong. The other teachers were giving him suspicious looks, especially considering he had been telling them for years that Harry was well taken care of and knew all about the wizarding world.


    Now they all knew differently.


    He could easily explain it away that he had told Harry''s Aunt Petunia everything and then she would be held at fault for not passing along the information, as well as explain how his own reassurances that Harry was doing well came from her and were less than accurate. He knew that wouldn''t work with Severus Snape, considering he was as accomplished of a Legilimens as he himself was, so the truth about keeping Harry completely ignorant of the wizarding world to protect him was in order.


    Albus almost laughed at the thought. When Voldemort returned, getting knowledge that Harry hadn''t grown up in a magical household and was ignorant of a lot of their ways, would probably make him jump for joy. If he thought that Harry could be easily influenced, that was all the better. Anything that could cause the two of them to interact could, perhaps, fulfill the prophecy.


    He would have to make sure that it wouldn''t happen too soon, however. He wasn''t fully prepared to have their final confrontation for years yet. Harry was not ready for the challenge, as far as he was concerned.


    Albus sat there until the Great Hall was empty of students and he prepared himself for the oncoming onslaught of the teachers'' inquiries. He expected the next ten minutes or so to be quite uncomfortable as he was grilled about everything. He hid his smile, because being uncomfortable was only a part of life as you faced challenges that were not beyond your capabilities.


    In all the hubbub with Harry, for the first time in ten years, Albus had completely forgotten to have the students sing the school''s song before they left for bed.


    *


    ¡°Harry?¡± Hermione spoke and he turned his head slightly to listen as they walked up several flights of stairs. ¡°I''ve heard a few people whisper about your trunk.¡± She said. ¡°Why are you carrying it, when everyone else left their things on the train?¡±


    ¡°It can''t be stolen.¡± Harry said. ¡°If I put it down, no one else can move it, because it''s mine and they can''t take it.¡±


    Hermione''s mouth made that little ''o'' of surprise and it made her cute face that much cuter. If Harry had been just a little bit older and thought about those things, he would have seen it as the perfect opportunity to steal a kiss from her. As it was, he only smiled and kept walking. The group eventually came to a stop at a large portrait of a fat lady.


    ¡°Password?¡± The lady asked.


    ¡°PORTRAITS can TALK?!?¡± Harry asked loudly. It was a shock to him, because he immediately remembered his own life size portrait that now hung at Madam Malkin''s shop. Can I go talk to myself?


    The other students gave him odd looks for a moment, then they remembered him saying that he didn''t know anything about the wizarding world, so they ignored him.


    ¡°Caput Draconis.¡± Percy said before Harry could cause a further disruption.


    The large picture frame opened as if it was a door and behind it was a doorway. The other students waited for Harry to yell or something. When he didn''t, they all went inside the large Griffindor common room that was full of squishy armchairs that would be great to relax in.


    ¡°Girls of Giffindor House are the spiral staircase to the right, both up and down, with first years at the top and seventh years at the bottom.¡± Percy said. ¡°Boys of Griffindor House are the spiral staircase to the left, both up and down, with first years at the top and seventh years at the bottom.¡±


    Harry hadn''t really paid attention at the Sorting, so he didn''t realize that there were only five boys sorted into Griffindor. They went up the staircase to the top floor and found a large circular room with five of the four poster beds with thick red velvet curtains that could be closed for privacy. He saw the other four trunks that the other boys had and put his own onto his bed.


    ¡°Great feast, wasn''t it?¡± Ron asked innocently and insensitively.


    Harry squinted his eyes and frowned at him.


    ¡°Ah, right.¡± Ron said and opened his trunk to dig out his pyjamas from the pile of things inside.


    Harry climbed onto his bed and closed the curtains, then opened his trunk and went inside to grab his writing things. He close the trunk and used it as a desk to write two letters.


    One was to the clerk at Gringotts Wizarding Bank and asked how someone could gain access to his family vault without his permission and to stop all access like that in the future, without his permission, in writing.


    The second letter wasn''t to the Ministry of Magic like he had claimed. He wrote to his good friend Bertha Jorkins to tell her a very condensed version of everything that happened. He didn''t realize that this was the perfect way to ensure that the letter would arrive.


    Harry brought both letters to the window and hoped that he could somehow get Hedwig''s attention. He opened his mouth to holler her name, when suddenly she appeared around the side of the castle.


    ¡°It''s so nice to see a friendly face.¡± Harry said and gave her an owl treat and held out the two letters. ¡°This one is for Gringotts and this one is for Bertha.¡± He said. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Hedwig gave him a soft hoot, grabbed the letters in her beak, and took off into the night.


    Harry thought about waiting up for her; but, he didn''t know how long she was going to be and classes started early. So, he went to his bed and closed the curtains again, retrieved his pyjamas from his trunk and changed, then put the trunk at the foot of his bed. The bed was big enough for him to do that and he still had room enough to make his nest.


    He bundled up the sheets and blanket on the bed and made a duplicate of the same setup that he had inside his cupboard under the stairs. He settled down into the bundle and tucked the blanket up to his neck. He fell asleep with comforting thoughts about what Bertha would do when she found out that a creature named Fluffy was at the school and could kill the students if they made a wrong turn on the stairs.


    *


    Albus had used a house elf to inform the school owlery to intercept any Ministry mail and to bring it to him for inspection of false claims. He had also tried to do the same for Gringotts letters and discovered that he couldn''t give that order. He was quoted regulations about interfering with a person''s financial affairs and that it was against the law.


    He had almost laughed. Almost.


    Albus sent a letter to Gringotts with the school''s fastest owl and explained that a student was overreacting to school fees being deducted from his vault. He didn''t say that it was nonsense, even though he believed it was. He only cautioned them about overreacting about an overreaction and that the boy was traumatized about entering the magical world for the first time.


    What he didn''t say was that Harry was actually from what used to be a prominent wizarding family, with a long family history. Him just entering their world was highly unusual, considering how famous he was. Everyone knew Harry Potter''s name, thanks to the promotional campaign that Albus had championed ten years ago.


    Albus had wanted to instill in everyone that inherent wall of respect that they had for famous people, essentially isolating Harry emotionally, and that was perfect for his plans. Harry''s name was spoken with almost the same reverence as their more famous wizards like Merlin, and he was amused to think, his own.


    He convinced himself that he could recover from this stumbling block and would be able to win Harry over by the end of the year. He needed the boy even more than anyone would ever know. Albus went to his own bed chamber and settled in for the quick nap he needed every night to recharge himself. He had too much to do to spend the entire night in bed. He set his time piece, that was near identical to the one Harry had, and cast the sleep spell on himself. He hadn''t had the time to fall asleep naturally in years.


    *


    Professor Minerva McGonagall was in her own bed chamber and she went over everything that she had seen... and done... that evening. She felt a little shame and a lot of remorse for the way she had overreacted at Harry''s behaviour.


    Mister Potter. Minerva corrected with a sigh.


    As first impressions went, both she and Harry had utterly failed to make a positive one to each other. She had been called down as a teacher and at the time, she could do nothing to refute the statement. She had been too surprised by the situation and the knowledge of her own oversight for Harry... and in fact, for all of the mixed bloods and muggle-borns.


    Her own preconceptions had ruled her words and actions. She felt embarrassed at herself for not considering the students and how they felt, even though she had clearly seen how shaken up they were after the first ghost incident. She had dismissed it as first years in a new place and not thought about what that actually meant to someone that hadn''t known what was coming, like the other students did.


    Minerva changed into her sleeping robes and climbed into bed, her hair loose down to her shoulders, and she laid there and tried to stop her mind from replaying the disappointed look on Harry''s face. That was what stayed with her the most. It wasn''t the anger, or the powerful spells that a first year shouldn''t know, let alone cast so well, it was the fact that he was disappointed in her as a person.


    That sat in her mind and dug deep into her soul, because for the first time in years, she regretted the sternness that had gotten her through the last wizarding war and the ten long years since. It took her a long time to finally fall asleep.

 34 The Mail

    The next morning, Harry woke up to his timepiece alarm. He set his trunk into the center of his bed nest, combed his hair and applied the concealing cream, then quickly changed into his Hogwarts suit and robes. He ate some of the food he had left in his trunk and then donned the first year pointed hat. He wasn''t sure why it was only required for the first year of study, though. If it was meant to get him used to a hat, it wasn''t doing a good job. He actually had to use a sticking charm on it to get it to stay on his head.


    Harry went to the window and looked outside as he thought about Hedwig and didn''t see her, so he gathered up what he needed for his first two classes, Charms and History of Magic. He dug out another box of cauldron cakes and used the shrinking charm Reducio on it to make it a quarter of the size and put it in his pocket. He left the dorm with the small bundle under his arm that had two books, his writing instruments, and several sheets of parchment in it.


    The other boys hadn''t gotten up yet and he went down the stairs to the common room. A couple of people were there and he walked by them to get to the door. He thought he heard them whisper something about him and ignored it.


    Harry wanted to find his way to class and he didn''t have time to waste with people that were talking behind his back. He went out through the portrait door and went down the hallway. He came to the stairs and had to stop when where they led seemed to change right before his eyes. He saw the end point in exactly the opposite direction than where he wanted to go, so he walked down the hallway and went in another direction.


    That was the problem with Hogwarts. There were over a hundred stairways and they all led somewhere, nowhere, or different places, every time you approached them. He only knew that much because Bertha kept mentioning how much fun she and her friends had running up and down the same staircase to go to different places in the castle.


    Harry didn''t think that was fun at all. Since he was barely ever allowed to go outside except for school, having Hogwarts change all the time was only going to be annoying. He made it down three different staircases and another hallway before he approached another staircase. When he was about to step onto it, it changed from a staircase going down into a staircase going up.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Harry said at the staircase. ¡°I want to go down! DOWN!¡±


    A few other students were passing by and gave him odd looks and whispered several things. Harry sighed and had to backtrack to another hallway to find another staircase going down. It took him almost twenty minutes before he actually made it down to the ground floor and the Entrance Hall. He walked through the groups of students going into the Great Hall for breakfast. They didn''t even bother whispering.


    ¡°Is that him?¡± A girl asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that''s him. Harry Potter.¡± A guy said.


    ¡°He''s pretty full of himself, isn''t he?¡± A boy with white hair commented as he walked over to them.


    ¡°You''re one to talk, Draco.¡± The girl said.


    ¡°That''s Mister Malfoy to you.¡± Draco said smugly and the three of them laughed.


    Harry walked down the right hallway and found the charms classroom. It wasn''t supposed to start for a while and the door was shut. Harry thought about trying the door to see if it was locked, when a happy smile and bushy hair appeared at the other end of the hallway.


    ¡°I found the class!¡± Hermione said as she walked over to him. ¡°The stairways kept changing and trying to get me to go back up when I reached the second floor.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Harry said. ¡°Did you eat yet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Hermione said and she made an odd face.


    Harry thought about telling her that he already ate, then changed his mind. ¡°The Great Hall is back that way.¡± He said and started walking in that direction. ¡°I was about to see what breakfast was like.¡±


    Hermione walked quickly to stay with him. ¡°Harry, I...¡±


    ¡°It''s okay.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''m sorry that I didn''t know this place wasn''t like normal school and we have to pay to be here.¡±


    ¡°They board us for most of the year, Harry.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Someone has to pay for it.¡±


    Harry reluctantly nodded and they walked over to the Entrance Hall and into the Great Hall. The talking and whispers doubled when they entered and Harry did his best to ignore them. He and Hermione walked over to the end of the Griffindor table and sat down.


    There were dishes full of scrambled eggs and every other kind of egg you could imagine. Plates of stacked toast were a foot high, which meant that each plate was an entire bun of bread. Strips of bacon were piled on platters and it must have been several packs worth on each platter. Huge pots of porridge, oatmeal, cream of wheat, and every kind of basic dry cereal that existed were spread out for them to eat. Pancakes and waffles by the dozens were scattered all over, too.


    Harry stared at it all and the utter waste it was, because he knew perfectly well how much it cost for those things, in the muggle world anyway, because Aunt Petunia always groused over it as she gave him each item to put away.


    He wondered what they did with all the food after the meals, because there was way too much for just the first years to eat in one sitting. If they didn''t preserve it and only served it for one meal, then the money the school was wasting on food was beyond his imagining.


    Harry saw Hermione eyeing him and he gave her another smile then added some scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, and a piece of toast to his plate. He didn''t notice Ron and the other boys coming into the Great Hall. The other first year girls were right behind them.


    ¡°I thought you said you wouldn''t eat anything from here.¡± Ron said as he plunked down onto the seat beside Harry and started piling food onto his plate. ¡°The food''s just too good to resist, huh?¡±


    Hermione let out a sigh at Ron''s thoughtlessness. ¡°I suppose telling you to think before you speak would fall on deaf ears.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Ron asked with a pancake hanging out of his mouth.


    ¡°At least put butter or a bit of syrup on that.¡± Hermione said instead of repeating herself. ¡°You''ll choke on it if it''s too dry.¡±


    ¡°Never have before.¡± Ron said as he shoved the rest of the pancake into his mouth.


    Both Hermione and Harry waited to see if he was going to choke, to no avail. Ron chewed it up and swallowed with no problems.


    ¡°Maybe next time, then.¡± Hermione whispered to Harry, who laughed, despite the implication.


    More people came in and they all started eating. About halfway through the time period for breakfast, several large windows opened up at the top of the Great Hall and a swarm of owls came through them.


    Harry watched in fascination and over a hundred owls swooped into the room and looped around the tables, found the people they were looking for, then landed with varying degrees of success. The tables might have been old; but, they were well maintained and fairly slippery for owl feet and talons. He saw that the table wasn''t scratched up by them, either.


    I wonder if it has the same anti-scratch charms as my telescope? Harry asked himself, then he saw a snowy white owl come in through the window. ¡°Hedwig!¡± He said and put up his hand to wave to her. A few people laughed at his antics and he ignored them. He cleared a small spot for her and then he had the bright idea to put his bundle down for her to land on.


    Hedwig gave him a soft hoot of thanks as she easily landed on the rougher surface and her talons dug into the paper to catch herself.


    ¡°I forgot to take some owl treats with me.¡± Harry said and took the letter she had. ¡°Um... just a... have a drink of this.¡± He pushed a goblet of juice towards her. ¡°I don''t know what it is, though.¡±


    Hedwig hooted and tasted it, seemed to shrug, and kept drinking.


    Harry flipped the letter over and saw that it was from Gringotts. He broke it open and read the piece of paper inside.


    Dear Mr. Potter.


    Below is the list of withdrawals and the amounts of gold that have been taken from your vault in the ten years since your parent''s deaths. Now that I am personally in control of your account, I will be investigating each withdrawal to the upmost of my ability. Please note that the last one was the one you made on July thirty-first.


    I have marked the ones that appear to be tuition for Hogwarts. However, there are far too many for a single student, even accounting for prepaying for all seven years, which is unheard of. Most students don''t bother attending past their O.W.L. Level at the end of the fifth year, unless they continue into specialized professional jobs that require further study.


    May you always have gold flowing in.


    Griphook.


    ¡°I knew it.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hermione asked and leaned in close, quickly read it, then gasped. ¡°It''s true?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Someone has been raiding my vault for years.¡± He said and somehow his voice carried all over the hall and everyone heard him, as if he was sitting right next to them.


    Just then, a very loud knocking sound came from the Entrance Hall. The large oaken doors opened and everyone eating in the Great Hall stopped and turned to look. A slightly angry witch that wore stylish robes, strode through the Entrance Hall and into the Great Hall.


    Bertha walked right to the end of the Griffindor table and her angry face became a smile. ¡°I came as soon as I could, Harry.¡±


    ¡°But... I sent the letter...¡±


    ¡°I wasn''t going to show up all alone, was I?¡± Bertha asked with a smile and waved at the doors. ¡°I waited until they told me they succeeded in capturing the beast.¡±


    Harry and everyone else looked back at the open doors, just as six men wearing Auror robes appeared with a very large black three headed dog floating between them. The damn thing was ten feet tall and a few of the students screamed at the sight.


    Harry almost choked at the sight himself. ¡°That... that''s what was on the third floor?¡±


    ¡°It''s all right.¡± Bertha assured him and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°It''s been stunned and secured. It won''t harm any students in this school now.¡±


    ¡°FLUFFY!¡± Hagrid yelled and tried to get around the staff table. He hit an invisible barrier and bounced off. ¡°No! NO! Don''t take meh Fluffy!¡± He said and leaned against the barrier.


    ¡°Hagrid.¡± Bertha looked at him with a stern expression. ¡°You know Cerberus dogs are a Class Four restricted creature.¡±


    ¡°No! Fluffy''s the nicest pup anyone''s ever met!¡± Hagrid exclaimed. ¡°Yeh can''t take ''em!¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, Hagrid. The Ministry has plenty of lands where such a large and dangerous creature can be released into the wild.¡±


    Harry gasped at the thought of the giant three headed dog just roaming free across the countryside. Bertha turned back to him and winked at him, out of sight of everyone, and he relaxed. She didn''t say that it would be released, just that it could be. He sincerely hoped that it wasn''t. It looked vicious, even unconscious like it was.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Harry whispered.


    Bertha nodded. ¡°I look forward to your normal weekly letter on Saturday, Harry.¡± She gave him a quick hug. ¡°Make sure you tell me all about your classes.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Harry said. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Bertha said and turned towards Albus. ¡°Headmaster. I believe you will be getting an owl from the Ministry soon.¡± She said and nodded to him, then she strode out of the Great Hall in complete silence as she followed the Aurors and the floating three headed dog out of the castle.

 35 The Class

    ¡°HARRY! How could yeh?¡± Hagrid asked loudly. ¡°How could yeh do that ta Fluffy?¡±


    Harry turned to look at the giant man. ¡°He shouldn''t be in the school with us.¡± He said. ¡°I warned you last night.¡± He looked at the headmaster and held up the Gringotts letter. ¡°I warned you, too.¡±


    ¡°Harry, there are a few things that you need to understand about...¡± Albus started to say.


    ¡°I know all about having things taken from me, thanks.¡± Harry interrupted him and sat back down, then started eating again. He only picked at it, because he didn''t want to overfill his stomach, and he waited patiently for his watch to tell him when to head to class.


    The sounds of eating and conversations picked up after that. It was a spectacle and nearly everyone was talking about it, except the teachers. Just like the night before, they were waiting for the right moment to assault Dumbledore with more questions.


    *


    Professor Flitwick''s questions were going to have to wait, however. He had Charms first class and needed to get there before the first year students. He left the breakfast table and gave Albus'' back a pointed look, then left through the door at the back of the room. He went through a secret passage, one that the teachers used all the time, and he entered his office at the back of the Charms classroom through another secret panel.


    He took out the materials and visual aids that he needed to teach the first charm in the standard book of spells. He would normally let them read for half of the class; but, after the things he had witnessed, he needed to wow his students right off the bat or they were going to be disappointed in his lessons. The bell rang and he took his position on top of his desk, so that everyone would see him when they entered.


    Flitwick made a bit of a show of how small he was, because that always caught the attention of the students. It was a teaching trick he had used to full advantage over the years and it hadn''t failed him yet. He paced on top of his desk, did a bit of a fidgeting dance, and let the students take their seats on their own. He looked down at his seating plan and saw little check boxes appear on the sheet as each student proved they were present, and he started the class.


    *


    Harry was bored. It was something Bertha had warned him about when she started teaching him during their private lessons. The first year curriculum was a very introductory course and if he had done all of the spells from the first book, then his charms class was going to seem like a waste of time. He still had a lot to learn, like proper wand use, handling, and other things.


    ¡°Mr. Potter.¡± Professor Flitwick said.


    Harry jerked up straight in his seat, because he had started to doze off.


    ¡°Please demonstrate the proper wand use for the Lumos spell.¡±


    Harry did it perfectly.


    ¡°Very good. Five points to Griffindor.¡± Flitwick said. ¡°Now, if you could demonstrate the actual spell for another five points?¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± Harry asked and Hermione chuckled, then she closed her mouth with a red face for interrupting the class.


    ¡°Just the Lumos main spell, please.¡± Flitwick said and Harry lit his wand. ¡°How many of the variants do you know?¡±


    ¡°Two.¡± Harry said. ¡°Lumos Solem, and Lumos Maxima.¡±


    ¡°Very good, Mr. Potter. I assume you''ve performed them properly?¡±


    ¡°He used Lumos Maxima when we came from the train.¡± Hermione said. ¡°It stopped halfway across the lake and he had to cast it again.¡±


    Harry was going to say that he used Nox to turn it off, when Flitwick gasped.


    ¡°You held the spell for that long, Mr. Potter?¡± Flitwick asked and Harry nodded. ¡°Another five points to Griffindor for knowing each spell.¡± He said and then chuckled. ¡°I suppose it would be funny if you didn''t know the counter charm. Perform it, please.¡±


    ¡°Nox.¡± Harry said and his wand went out.


    ¡°Another five points.¡± Flitwick said. ¡°Excellent work, Mr. Potter. Excellent.¡±


    ¡°Th-thanks.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I hope you won''t be too bored as the rest of the class practices.¡±


    ¡°I can help Hermione... if she needs it.¡± Harry said and gave her an awkward smile.


    Hermione rolled her eyes and the three of them laughed.


    ¡°I''ll leave you to it.¡± Flitwick said and started going to each student to help them with the spell.


    ¡°You can teach me the Maxima variant.¡± Hermione whispered. ¡°I only found the Solem one as a reference in one of the books.¡±


    ¡°You figured out to think about the sun when casting it?¡± Harry asked.


    Hermione nodded. ¡°It was a passage about devil''s snare in the Herbology book.¡±


    ¡°I must have missed that.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Well, if you didn''t just skim the pages looking for spells, you might have remembered seeing it.¡± Hermione said with a smile.


    ¡°Or, you know, I don''t have an interest in plants.¡± Harry said. ¡°I don''t know why everyone has to learn to take care of them if they aren''t going to be a gardener or something.¡±


    ¡°It''s in case you ever come across them in the wild and you''ll know how to deal with them.¡± Hermione explained. ¡°As long as muggles aren''t around. You''ll get in trouble if you use magic around them.¡±


    Harry nodded, because that was the very first thing Bertha had told him. And the third thing. And the tenth thing. She really wanted to make sure that he didn''t make a mistake like that. Or she was a little scatterbrained, Harry wasn''t sure. She was nice and always paid attention to him when he visited, so he gave her the benefit of the doubt.


    For the rest of the class, Harry quietly taught Hermione the trick to using the variant spell. You had to really want the light to light up the space around you, and not necessarily from the tip of the wand. Hermione took in a sharp breath at the revelation, because she had thought the magic had to come directly from the wand.


    Harry leaned in close and whispered in her ear. ¡°No, Hermione. The magic comes from you. You are magic.¡±


    Hermione''s face flushed red at the compliment, even though she knew that wasn''t what Harry meant when he said it.


    ¡°The wand just lets you focus and direct it, just like it says in the book, Powers You Didn''t Know You Had And What To Do With Them Now That You''ve Wised Up.¡±


    ¡°I really, really want to borrow that book.¡± Hermione whispered.


    Harry nodded and promised to let her borrow it. By the end of the class, Hermione had a firm grasp of what Harry had taught her. She didn''t try to cast the spell, though. She didn''t want to insult the professor like that, even though it was still technically the same spell he was teaching.


    They left the class walking close to each other, still discussing the differences between the basic spell and both variants, considering they each had different visual effects and affected the wand in almost the same manner. They followed the other students down the hallway to the stairs and went up to the second floor to a classroom that seemed to have been empty for a long time.


    When the bell rang, they all sat down at the large desks and waited for the professor to appear. Harry had his book open and was quite happy to learn more about the wizarding world''s history. The book was a bit dry and didn''t describe the events that he wanted it to, namely the goblin wars and how they had spilled over into the wizarding world and they had to step in and save them from destruction.


    ¡°AHHH!¡± Hermione screeched and covered her face as a ghost floated into the classroom through the chalkboard.


    ¡°Depulso!¡± Harry said and the strong beam of white light slammed into the ghost''s chest and flung him back out of the room. The ghost let out a howling wail that sent shivers down everyone''s spine and not just the ones that were afraid of ghosts.


    ¡°Harry, that was the teacher!¡± Ron exclaimed. ¡°You have to stop doing that, mate! If Professor McGonagall finds out...¡±


    ¡°Why did it have to be a ghost?¡± Harry asked, his voice full of disbelief. ¡°I was really looking forward to this class, too.¡±


    ¡°So was I.¡± Hermione said, doubly disappointed, because not only was the teacher a ghost, they now had no one to teach the class. On the plus side, that ghost was not likely to come back right away.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Self study.¡± Hermione said and nearly all of the other students groaned.


    ¡°I''d say it''s a free period.¡± Ron said and that was met with enthusiastic agreement from everyone. ¡°They won''t let us roam the halls, though.¡±


    ¡°I''m going to study.¡± Hermione said and flipped the book to her favorite chapter.


    Harry looked and saw that it was about the meetings between the goblins and the wizards, before the war spilled over onto them and they had to step in to sort everything out. His favorite chapter was the one right after that, when the meeting went bad and a fight broke out. He looked at Hermione''s reading face and thought that even though they had a few things in common, there was definitely a difference between them and their likes and dislikes.


    For some reason, Harry didn''t mind that at all. He spent the rest of the class reading, just like her, and the other students goofed off and played games. They all went to lunch afterwards in a better mood than they had been at the start of the class.

 36 The Transfiguration

    Bokuboy


    Harry''s first class after lunch was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. He was both looking forward to it and dreading it, considering the way things had been happening between them. He also expected a stern talking to when he entered the class, because of him pushing the history teacher ghost away.


    To his surprise, he took his seat beside Hermione and the professor didn''t say anything to him. In fact, it wasn''t until the classroom was filled that the professor spoke.


    ¡°Class, I would like to apologize to a select few that may have been mistreated upon their entering of the castle.¡± Minvera said and that got everyone''s attention. ¡°A few students have little knowledge of the things going on at the castle and I should have given a short speech to explain things before leaving you to prepare the Great Hall.¡±


    The whole class was stunned, especially Harry. He had expected more detention and losing a lot more points, and instead he was getting an apology.


    ¡°I cannot remove or counter previously given punishments, since at the time, they were justified.¡± Minerva said and a few students had to laugh. ¡°However, I will grant a little leeway from now on. That will only last a short while, however.¡± She said and looked directly at Harry, whose face flushed red. ¡°I will give that speech near the end of class and for each class I have this week. Hopefully, it will ease your minds and let you not be so surprised by the things that the rest of us accept as normal every day occurrences.¡±


    Harry actually relaxed with that statement and he promised himself to not overreact the next time something startled him. Of course, he was still going to push the ghosts away. He didn''t care if it was acceptable to have dead things floating around or not. He didn''t want them near him or Hermione. He didn''t ask her why she was scared of them and it didn''t matter.


    Seeing a whitish and slightly transparent spirit floating around was scary enough; but, knowing they were ''alive'' and could speak, was just too terrifying to take. Not to mention that they could affect things around them by cooling the area and give people shivers. No, he definitely didn''t want to have ghosts as a normal thing in his life. At all.


    ¡°On to the lesson.¡± Minerva said. ¡°Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts.¡± She gave everyone a stern glare. ¡°Anyone caught messing around in my class will leave and not come back.¡± She couldn''t help but look at Harry. ¡°You have been warned.¡±


    After that, they spent half the class taking complicated notes about their subject.


    ¡°Transfiguration is a very systematic and exact magical discipline. It works best for a well ordered mind and is deemed to be very hard work to achieve.¡± Minerva said. ¡°When performing the various spells you will learn over the course of the year, it is very important to make very firm and decisive wand movements. Do not wiggle or move your wand unnecessarily, because that will cause your transfiguration attempt to fail.¡±


    They were each given a match and it sat in the middle of their desks. Harry knew what was going to happen, thanks to Bertha''s coaching. She had warned him that it might be different this year and he was glad that it was the same lesson as when Bertha had started school.


    ¡°Our first transfiguration example will be changing this match into a needle. It is the same size as what we need to change it to and appropriately sized objects makes it much easier to change them into other objects.¡± Minerva said. ¡°The spell is the simplest one that you will ever use in my class. It is called, Mutatio Acus, and loosely translated into English, it means ''change into a needle''.¡±


    The professor showed them the simple wand movement and changed the match she had into a needle.


    ¡°Please concentrate, read over the notes I have given you, and try your best to change the match.¡± Minerva said. ¡°If you have any questions, please ask. I will assist you as much as I can.¡±


    Harry knew what a needle looked like, since he had used them a lot at home, so imagining the match was a needle was ridiculously easy. He didn''t have to read over the notes, since they only complicated the process in his mind, and he did the precise wand movement.


    ¡°Mutatio Acus.¡± Harry said and watched happily as the match seemed to shrink thinner, turn silver, and the match head became the part where the eye of the needle was. Hermione gasped at the instant transformation and stared at it.


    Professor McGonagall heard her, even over everyone attempting to cast the spell, and came right over. She looked down at the perfect needle in front of Harry and looked at his face.


    ¡°Have you performed the spell before?¡± Minvera asked.


    ¡°Nope!¡± Harry said with a big smile. ¡°It''s not in the transfiguration textbook.¡±


    ¡°I only use the book as a guide.¡± Minvera said and picked up the needle. ¡°It has all the proper principles needed and I expand on it, because of the various requirements that more complicated spells need.¡± She said. ¡°Plus, I can gauge how students are learning the craft if they haven''t seen a particular spell before.¡±


    Hermione let out a soft sigh and Minerva gave her shoulder a pat.


    ¡°It''s all right, Miss Granger. The spells in the text book are still used and needed for the class, as well as for the tests.¡±


    ¡°That''s a relief.¡± Hermione said.


    Minerva had to smile slightly and looked back at Harry as she put the needle down. ¡°Five points to Griffindor.¡± She said and then tilted her head. ¡°I suppose you know the counter-spell.¡±


    ¡°Chapter eight, how to undo full and partial transfigurations.¡± Harry said and pointed his wand at the match. ¡°Reparifarge.¡± He said and the needle morphed back into a match.


    Minerva picked it up and flicked it with her thumb. The match head burst into flame and she nodded. ¡°Five more points for Griffindor.¡± She said and blew the match out. ¡°Do it again.¡±


    ¡°But...¡± Harry looked at the spent and slightly burned match.


    ¡°Go ahead. I''m waiting.¡± Minvera said with a stern expression.


    Harry took a deep breath and let it out, then cast the first spell again. The needle appeared again, except that the head was charred black like the top of the match had been.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Minerva said and picked up the needle. ¡°Mister Potter, you took what you saw and converted it into what you thought it would look like if the original was damaged.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Minerva asked.


    ¡°Well, I thought that the original wasn''t perfect, the transfigured one shouldn''t be, either.¡±


    ¡°Doing that is both correct and incorrect.¡± Minerva said, to his and Hermione''s confusion. ¡°You don''t have to take the original''s condition into account. It can be very useful and essential in more complicated spells... however, this is just a match.¡± She said and cast the reversion spell.


    To everyone''s surprise, the needle became a perfectly intact match.


    ¡°Small things like this are not exempt from Gamp''s Law of Elemental Transfiguration and can be recreated.¡± Minerva said and cast a silent spell to create another match and put both down on Harry''s desk.


    ¡°You said not exempt.¡± Hermione said, confused. ¡°What does it mean when things are?¡±


    ¡°When things that are exempt from the law, it means that they cannot be created or conjured from nothing.¡± Minerva explained. ¡°Before you ask, it means things like food, blood, and in most cases, life itself.¡±


    ¡°Most cases?¡± Harry asked and Minerva chuckled.


    ¡°I won''t get into that subject for several months, where we compare natural animals and conjured animals.¡±


    ¡°We can create animals?¡± One of the other Griffindors exclaimed loudly.


    ¡°Calmly, Miss Brown.¡± Minerva said. ¡°It is a complicated subject, which also delves into philosophy and animal behavior, among other things. That is why I said I will be discussing that much later.¡± She walked back to the front of the class. ¡°Now, back to practice. I hope to see at least some change in a few of your matches.¡±


    Hermione looked over at Harry and then leaned in close to whisper. ¡°Harry, how did you do it?¡±


    ¡°I''ve used needles a lot to sew everything in the house.¡± Harry said, a bit exaggeratedly. It definitely felt like he had sewn everything in the house to fix them as he was growing up. The repairing spell is wonderful. He thought with relief, because he hadn''t had to do anything like manual labour all summer. ¡°I have no problem imagining what a needle looks like and can be used for.¡±


    ¡°Can you show me?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Harry said and cast the spell again to make one of the matches into a needle. ¡°I think having one to look at for a minute might help you.¡±


    ¡°Harry! Do one for me, too!¡± Ron said loudly and everyone in the class turned to look at them.


    ¡°Mister Potter.¡± Minerva said and Harry looked at her.


    ¡°He overheard me telling Hermione that looking at a needle would help.¡± Harry said as an explanation.


    Minerva opened her mouth to say that visualizing it in your mind was the whole point of the exercise, then looked at the rest of the class. She could see that they all thought that having a visual cue was much better than trying to only imagine it, then she sighed.


    ¡°All right.¡± Minerva said and changed her match stick into a needle, made enough duplicates for the rest of the class, then handed them out. ¡°Try your best to make your match look like these needles.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, professor.¡± Several of them said as they accepted the needles.


    To the professor''s surprise, six of her students that included Hermione and Ron, had changed their matches into needles by the end of the class. She had only had one or two students do it before in previous years. This time, there were many more and the rest had made significant progress. There were metal matches, matches with eye holes, and even very pointed matches. She was very pleased with the progress.


    After she made a short speech to explain some things to the students about Hogwarts and what to expect from certain parts of the castle, she implored them to make sure that they knew to ask the Prefects of their House or her if they had or have any problems. She let that sink in for several moments, then she tapped her desk with her knuckle to get everyone''s attention once more.


    ¡°Excellent class work, everyone.¡± Professor McGonagall said and she saw everyone smile at her. ¡°We will continue this in tomorrow afternoon''s class. Good day.¡±


    ¡°Bye, professor.¡± The students said, almost as one, then they all packed their things and left.

 37 The Dark Arts

    Harry didn''t bother trying to find the classroom on his own and just followed the main mass of students to the right room. He knew he was going to have to make some kind of map or at least a general outline on where the rooms were. The only problem with that was the shifting staircases. He would need to leave them out, since the routes always seemed to change. He was relieved to discover that the corridors themselves didn''t seem to change, only the paths to get to them.


    He sat down next to Hermione and took out the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook. He had read through it twice, since it was so fascinating, and he was surprised that some of the basic spells were actually the same as the ones in the charms spell book. He found a spell for a basic shield and wasn''t happy with the warning that it was only a bare minimum spell and that practically any spell could crack or shatter it.


    That made him dig through the other books he had about the Dark Arts and he found what was the upgraded spell. It was technically the same; but, the intent behind it and visualization was completely different. He studied that spell for three solid days and practised it as much as possible. It still had the warning that a particularly malicious and powerful spell could potentially crack it, then he was relieved that a single sentence explained it all.


    If someone''s intent to hurt you is stronger than your intent to protect yourself, then any strong shield the defender casts will be weak in comparison. Harry had read that day and smiled. If that''s the case, then no one is getting through my shield.


    A tall blonde short haired man walked into the room and stopped at the front of the class. ¡°My name is Thorfinn Rowle. I''m not normally a professor or a teacher, so ''sir'' and ''Mr. Rowle'' are also acceptable forms of address in this class.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°With that out of the way, it has come to my attention that this job is cursed.¡±


    Nearly every student in the class gasped or reacted in some way.


    ¡°I only recently gained this position, and I''ve started to research the cause of the curse.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡± A girl said and raised her hand.


    ¡°Miss Patil.¡± Thorfinn nodded to her to speak.


    ¡°What does the curse do?¡± Pavarti asked.


    ¡°No person has held this teaching position for more than a single year.¡± Thorfinn said.


    ¡°For how long?¡± Someone else asked.


    ¡°Hand.¡± Thorfinn said and Seamus raised his hand and repeated the question. ¡°About fifteen years.¡±


    Harry put his hand up.


    ¡°Mister Potter.¡± Thorfinn nodded to him.


    ¡°Isn''t the headmaster a powerful wizard?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Why would he let a curse stay in the school?¡±


    ¡°He claims he is much too busy to hunt down rumors and conjecture.¡± Thorfinn said.


    Hermione raised her hand.


    ¡°Miss Granger.¡± Thorfinn nodded to her.


    ¡°But, there''s physical proof that no one has lasted more than a year, since you being here is that proof.¡± Hermione said. ¡°It''s not a rumor or conjecture.¡±


    Thorfinn smiled at her deductive reasoning. ¡°I think perhaps it''s a test to see if a Dark Arts teacher can counter or eliminate the curse.¡±


    ¡°This is Defense Against the Dark Arts, not Dark Arts.¡± Ron said.


    Thorfinn gave him a pointed look and Ron put up his hand. ¡°Defense Against the Dark Arts is a misnomer. The class should just be called Defense, or even just Dark Arts, since you have to be taught about them to defend yourself.¡± He said. ¡°Isn''t that correct, Miss Granger?¡±


    ¡°I did wonder about that.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Charms class is only called Charms, even though there are spells and charms cast, and uses a book called the Basic Book of Spells. Why isn''t the class called Beginner''s Spellwork or something?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The word ''charms'' is both simplistic and gets the point across.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°I''ve asked for this course name to be changed to a simpler version and was denied, with the explanation that it has to be called what it is, so that everyone will understand what the point of the course is.¡±


    ¡°Propaganda.¡± Hermione said and Thorfinn smiled at her.


    ¡°Correct. The school needs to be seen as teaching the students what they need to survive, and that''s what I am going to do.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°I only have a year, assuming I can''t do anything about the curse, so I will do my best to teach you all as much as possible for the time I have you here.¡±


    Harry''s hand shot up into the air.


    ¡°Yes, Mister Potter?¡±


    ¡°Will you be showing us spells, hexes, and jinxes and will you be casting them on us?¡± Harry asked.


    Thorfinn gave him a knowing smile. ¡°Yes, I will be teaching you certain spells. Yes, they are going to be common and fairly frequently used by students. No, I will not be casting them on you.¡±


    There were several sighs of relief and Thorfinn smiled at the whole class.


    ¡°You''ll be casting them at each other.¡± Thorfinn said.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Someone exclaimed and there were groans from several others.


    ¡°Don''t get too excited. The very first thing I''ll be teaching you is the basic shield spell.¡± Thorfinn said and Harry didn''t remind him that the shield spell wasn''t until halfway through the book. ¡°I can see that a couple of you have read ahead.¡± He looked at Hermione and Harry. ¡°That''s fine, since knowing more can only help you. I''m teaching the shield spell first, because this is a class for the defense against the Dark Arts and the shield is your first and most basic protection.¡±


    A black kid put up his hand. ¡°What''s the second?¡± Dean Thomas asked.


    ¡°Dodging.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°Sometimes it''s better to avoid getting hit, rather than trying to take whatever someone is trying to throw at you.¡±


    Harry nodded, because he knew that first hand after living with Dudley for years.


    ¡°Miss Granger, I assume you''ve tried the Protego spell?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡± Hermione said, her face slightly red. ¡°I haven''t had the chance to, besides trying some of the basic spells when I was allowed recently.¡±


    Thorfinn gave her a pointed look and her face flushed red.


    ¡°I grew up in a muggle house, too.¡± Harry said and everyone looked at him. ¡°I didn''t get to do any magic until a month ago.¡±


    Thorfinn shifted the pointed look to him. ¡°Are you a muggle-born?¡±


    ¡°That depends.¡± Harry said, remembering what Bertha had told him about what pure blood wizards would think of him. ¡°How far back can the muggle parent be for me to still be considered a mud-blood?¡±


    Half of the class gasped and the other half groaned. Hermione was a gasper and Ron was a groaner. Thorfinn''s face lost the pointed look and his eyebrows rose in surprise.


    ¡°Well? How far?¡± Harry asked. ¡°My mom was muggle-born.¡±


    ¡°If both of his parents were magical, that should make him a pure blood.¡± Lavender Brown said. ¡°That''s what my mom says.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn''t make any difference.¡± Pavarti said, even though she was from a magical family.


    ¡°I''m a half-blood.¡± Seamus said. ¡°My dad''s a muggle and my mom''s a witch.¡±


    Thorfinn''s eyes twitched at the news.


    ¡°I''m muggle-born.¡± Dean Thomas said. ¡°Not a lick of magic in either family.¡±


    ¡°I''m sure there''s a squib mixed in there somewhere.¡± Ron said with a chuckle. ¡°Lots of families have squibs.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone has a hundred cousins.¡± Neville offered, which was the first time he had spoken in any class.


    ¡°I bet they''re all redheads, too!¡± Lavender said and a few people laughed.


    Ron''s ears turned red and didn''t respond, which meant she was right and more people laughed.


    Thorfinn stood at the front of the class and wasn''t sure how to proceed as the class debated the different aspects of families and how their blood status shouldn''t affect them or their children. He looked at Harry and was sure that he had brought the subject up on purpose to distract him from focusing on Hermione.


    The conversations ebbed and chatter dropped off as the students remembered that they were in class and were supposed to be learning. When it was fully quiet, Thorfinn gave one last glance at Harry and then looked at the class as he tapped the chalk board behind him with his wand.


    ¡°This is the basic Protego spell, its incantation, and its wand movement.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°Depending on the situation and your desire, it can take different forms to protect you. Today, we will focus on the quarter dome shield, since that is the easiest and most used defense.¡±


    It''s also the most bypassed. Harry thought, remembering the passages in the Dark Arts book he had read. So many spells can break it or avoid it with almost no effort. He sat there and didn''t bother copying it down, since he had done that already.


    Thorfinn looked at Harry and the blank parchment in front of him. He was about to say something when Harry took out a tiny notepad and expanded it to full size. He flipped through two dozen pages and left it on the page that he wanted, in clear view of the teacher and anyone nearby. It was the Protego spell and it was done up almost identical to the one that was on the chalk board, except that it was more detailed.


    Hermione leaned over and looked at it, realized it was a better version, and put her lips by his ear. ¡°Harry, can I copy that?¡±


    Harry nodded and Hermione didn''t move away.


    ¡°What is that?¡± She asked and her hand touched the stapled stack of papers.


    Harry wasn''t sure if he wanted to admit it, then let out a breath. ¡°It''s my spell book.¡±


    Hermione caught her breath at the thought of another book and her lips brushed his earlobe. She blushed and quickly moved away, then ducked her head as she copied the spell onto her piece of parchment.


    Harry could see her red face and fought his urge to rub the ear that she had somehow tickled, even though her hands hadn''t been anywhere near his ear.


    After everyone copied the spell down, Thorfinn asked them all to get up from their desks and to try to cast the inferior spell, so they would know what it should look like. Almost no one got it on the first try, not even Hermione, and Harry hadn''t tried at all. He wasn''t going to waste his time training with a weak spell, not when he knew there were better ones. He had made that mistake with the Lumos, Alohamora, and Diffindo spells, and he wasn''t going to make that mistake again.


    Instead, Harry went around the desk and coached Hermione on what the spell was actually supposed to do. He stayed behind her and had to push her bushy hair out of the way to whisper in her ear. Hermione''s face was red for several minutes as he instructed her in the proper use. When he was done telling her what he knew, he said one last thing.


    ¡°Don''t just imagine the shield, Hermione.¡± Harry whispered. ¡°Imagine that you''re protecting something that''s very dear to you.¡± He said. ¡°When I step back, I want you to try it, all right?¡±


    Hermione nodded and when Harry was back on his side of the desk, she did as he said. ¡°Protego!¡± She said loudly and imagined that she was protecting Harry from all the rumors and whispers that followed him everywhere. Her full dome shield popped into place and pushed away the two desks she was near, with the sound of metal screeching on stone, and the slightly blue glow of the dome shield lit up the slightly dim classroom.


    ¡°BLIMEY!¡± Ron yelled and pointed as everyone turned to look. More gasps and exclamations followed as everyone saw it, especially from the teacher Mr. Rowle.


    ¡°Nice one, Hermione.¡± Harry said with a grin, just as the bell rang and ended the class.

 38 The Cleaning

    Everyone gathered their things and left the class in a rush and the shocked teacher stood there and didn''t say anything. Thorfinn Rowle hadn''t seen anyone cast such a powerful spell on their first try before and he lamented the fact that it was a muggle-born witch that did it. He completely missed the fact that Harry had instructed her and hadn''t cast the spell himself.


    ¡°We''re off until supper.¡± Ron said from behind Harry. ¡°Let''s go to the Great Hall early and eat.¡±


    Hermione gave him a glare and Harry had to distract her.


    ¡°I think I should report to Mister Filch now.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I''m sorry that Professor McGonagall wouldn''t reduce your detention.¡± Hermione said, genuinely sad.


    ¡°Two weeks of cleaning the castle is going to suck.¡± Ron said. ¡°Your arms are gonna fall off!¡±


    Harry let out a huff and then smiled. ¡°Don''t worry about me.¡± He said and came to a stop in the Entrance Hall. ¡°Hermione, here''s those cauldron cakes I promised.¡± He took out the small box from a pocket in his robes and enlarged it.


    ¡°Harry, you really didn''t have to...¡± Hermione said, her face slightly red as she took the box.


    ¡°Just make sure you eat some and don''t leave them on the table.¡± Harry reminded her and she nodded. ¡°I''ll get you that book at supper, or later tonight if Filch doesn''t break to eat.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± Hermione said.


    Harry walked over towards the closest staircase.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± Ron asked. ¡°I thought you were going to see Filch?¡±


    ¡°I have a stop to make first.¡± Harry said and lifted the bundle of books and things he had, then he ran up the stairs. To his surprise, the stairs shifted and he arrived at the Griffindor Tower fairly quickly. ¡°Thanks.¡± He said and pat the railing and walked down the hallway to the large painting of the Fat Lady.


    ¡°Password?¡± The Fat Lady asked and looked down at him.


    ¡°That''s a pretty dress.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The Fat Lady said and swung herself open. ¡°No, wait! That''s not the password!¡±


    Harry chuckled and stepped into the common room and ran up the stairs. When he opened the door, he was very surprised to see six really short and grey wrinkly creatures with large ears as they struggled to pull his trunk off of the bed.


    ¡°Try pulling the blanket underneath.¡± One suggested and that didn''t work. The trunk held the blanket in place, because if they moved the blanket, then the trunk would move, or be potentially stolen, so it stayed still.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± The second one squeaked in a panic. ¡°We''ve been here for hours!¡±


    ¡°We pulled it, pushed it, kicked it, punched it, tried to lift it, dropped things on it, and tried to tip the bed.¡± The third one said. ¡°Even magic won''t move it.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up! Use your head!¡± The fourth one said.


    ¡°Good idea!¡± The fifth one said and dove as he tried to headbutt it. His head hit it with a comedic thump, he bounced up and over the trunk, and tumbled into the sixth one and they landed on the floor right in front of Harry.


    ¡°AHH!¡± The two of them yelled for a second when they saw him, then they popped out of existence.


    ¡°AHH!¡± Four more yells responded as they all looked at Harry, then they disappeared, too.


    ¡°What the heck was that?¡± Harry asked into the empty room. ¡°Why were you trying to steal my trunk?¡±


    No one responded, so he sighed and walked over to the trunk. He was glad that he had been smart to get it enchanted by the goblins for anti-theft. It was such a relief that he could leave his trunk and didn''t have to worry about someone opening it or stealing it, even by other magical creatures.


    Harry opened the trunk and put his things into it, then took out a few other things that he had tucked into it, namely his Christmas presents. He wasn''t going to leave them at home and let his aunt or Dudley ruin them or use them up while he was at school. He shrunk them and put them into his pockets, grabbed one of the boxes of food he had left that was full of different kinds of sandwiches and shrunk that, too. He closed the trunk and put the food into a different pocket, then left the common room.


    ¡°You need to say the password!¡± The Fat Lady said to his back.


    ¡°Caput Draconus.¡± Harry said and smiled when she sighed in relief. He went down the stairs and followed Professor McGonagall''s directions to get to Mister Filch''s office. It was on the first underground floor in a kind of dungeon. He knocked on the door and heard something be knocked over with a clanging sound, then heard several more clanging sounds as whatever it was must have been kicked. The door opened to show him an old and angry face peering down at him.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Mister Filch asked angrily.


    ¡°MEOW!¡± A cat said loudly from between his feet.


    ¡°I''m off until supper, so I wanted to start my detention early.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°You what?¡± Mister Filch asked, his anger slightly offset by confusion.


    ¡°I want to start cleaning.¡± Harry said. ¡°Are you busy? I can come back later tonight if you are.¡±


    ¡°Are you pulling my leg, boy?¡± Mister Filch asked and Harry shook his head. ¡°Supper''s not for another two hours and you really want to help me clean instead of goofing off with your friends?¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°You ain''t allowed to use magic.¡± Mister Filch said and squinted his eyes. ¡°It''s supposed to be punishment. I bet you''ll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won''t you, eh?¡± He smiled and it looked more like a grimace. ¡°Hard work and pain are the best teachers, if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Who needs magic?¡± Harry asked as he pulled out a tiny mop and made it normal sized, which gave it a fluffy head that was over a foot wide. He took out a large bucket that it could easily fit in and added some of the fancy scrubbing soap he had gotten as a present to let him scrub the driveway. His uncle had bought it as a joke and Harry had actually used it, just to spite him.


    ¡°Gimmie that!¡± Mister Filch said and swiped it from Harry''s hand. His eyes read the side of the bottle and he gasped as he saw the things it could do to clean stone, pavement, rocks, concrete, and masonry.


    ¡°Meow?¡± The cat asked as she stared up at the shocked Mister Filch.


    Harry let him ogle the bottle and used the water spell to partially fill the bucket, then used a household spell to stir the water for a moment to get the suds really going. Now that he had a container with a liquid in it, he used the refilling charm to fill the large bucket to near the top. He wouldn''t need any more of the soap as long as he never emptied the bucket completely and kept refilling it.


    ¡°Where did you get this great product?¡± Mister Filch asked, his anger completely gone.


    ¡°A muggle hardware store.¡± Harry said and took out the shrunk down vinyl broom he had, as well as the duster with an extendable handle. He made them all normal size and Mister Filch stared at him. ¡°I''ll get more during Christmas break.¡±


    ¡°More?¡± Mister Filch asked, his eyes sparkling. ¡°What''s your name again?¡±


    ¡°It''s Harry. Harry Potter.¡±


    ¡°I''m Argus Filch and that''s Missus Norris.¡± Filch said. ¡°If this thing works even half as good as it claims...¡±


    Harry dipped the large mop into the bucket and then splashed it onto the stone floor. He scrubbed a five foot round area for about ten minutes and stepped back. The difference between the clean area to the rest of the floor was like looking at a new fireplace and a soot covered chimney.


    Filch smiled and bared his slightly crooked teeth, then darted into his office. There was a bunch more banging around, as if he was searching for something.


    Harry knelt down and held a hand out to the cat. ¡°Hi, Missus Norris. I''m Harry. It''s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Meow?¡± The cat looked at his hand and then at him, almost to see if he was going to trick her or something. Harry kept his hand steady and didn''t move it. She gave the hand another look, then bumped her head against his fingers. He wiggled them for her and she dug her head into them to get them behind her ears.


    ¡°I found it!¡± Filch said and practically jumped out of the office. Neither the cat nor Harry were startled as he loomed over them with a mop that was twice the size of Harry''s.


    ¡°I think we need a bigger bucket.¡± Harry said and used the enlarging spell on the bucket, then used the refilling spell to fill it almost to the top.


    ¡°Yer a good lad!¡± Filch said and plunged his mop into the giant bucket and splashed a bunch of water and soap out onto the floor. ¡°Now put yer back into it!¡± He said and both he and Harry started scrubbing the floors in earnest.


    Filch started to hum softly as he worked and Missus Norris would add in an occasional meow as an accent. Harry ended up humming the same tune, whatever it was, and they worked for the next two hours, then kept going all through dinner... and through the evening... and deep into the night.

 39 The Lessons Part One

    ¡°Meow!¡± Missus Norris said and Filch jumped.


    ¡°What do you mean it''s past curfew?¡± Filch asked in surprise.


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris responded and licked her paw, then rubbed the side of her face with it.


    ¡°Let''s go, Potter!¡± Filch said and almost like an old circus strong man, he picked up the huge bucket of water with one hand and grabbed the back of Harry''s robes with the other.


    Then he ran.


    Harry was shaken like a washing machine as he was carried all the way back down the hallway, carried up a single set of stairs, ducked behind a tapestry of a goblin war, up another stairway, and he was suddenly at Griffindor Tower that was seven floors up from ground level.


    We were just in the dungeons! Harry thought in shock as he was dropped onto his feet again.


    ¡°I''ll take those and keep them safe in my office.¡± Filch said and took Harry''s mop, large broom, and duster. ¡°I expect to see you again tomorrow night.¡± He said, his face stern.


    ¡°Meow!¡± Missus Norris said.


    ¡°I''m off at the same time tomorrow.¡± Harry said and saw Filch''s face soften. ¡°I have a flying class on Wednesday, though.¡± He took out his schedule to show Filch. ¡°Oh, no. I have astronomy at midnight, too?¡± He asked rhetorically and sighed. ¡°Wednesday is going to suck.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris responded.


    Filch just stood there and wasn''t sure what to say.


    ¡°I better get to bed.¡± Harry said and looked at the Fat Lady. ¡°Caput Draconis.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry. It''s well past curfew and you are out of bed.¡± The Fat Lady said.


    ¡°I was in detention.¡± Harry said and pointed. ¡°Mister Filch and Missus Norris are right there.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry. You don''t have a teacher''s permission to be out late.¡± The Fat Lady said.


    ¡°You stupid portrait!¡± Filch barked loudly and made a fist.


    ¡°Miss Fat Lady.¡± Harry said as he put a hand on Filch''s arm. ¡°As the caretaker, Mister Filch has to clean the castle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what of it?¡± The Fat Lady said.


    ¡°You are a portrait that is inside the castle.¡± Harry said. ¡°What if he decides it''s time to clean you?¡±


    The Fat Lady gasped, Missus Norris let out a loud purr, and Filch let out a satisfied grunt.


    ¡°I... well...¡± The Fat Lady blushed and looked slightly ashamed. ¡°You may enter and go to bed.¡± She said and swung open to reveal the door to the Griffindor common room.


    ¡°I think you should tell the other portraits the same thing, Mister Filch.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Don''t you worry, lad.¡± Filch said. ¡°Gossip spreads through the castle like lightning.¡± He grinned. ¡°I bet by the time I get back down to my office, the whole castle will know.¡±


    Harry smiled and nodded. ¡°Goodnight.¡± He said and looked down. ¡°Goodnight, Missus Norris.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said and wiggled her whiskers, then she led Filch back down the hallway.


    Harry went inside the tower and went up the stairs, then cast the silencing spell on himself. He had used it countless times to stay quiet and went into the room with the other four Griffindor boys. He climbed onto his bed and took out his pyjamas, changed out of his robes, then used the basic cleaning spells on himself. He wasn''t sure when he was going to find the time for a bath, so he needed to stay on top of his cleanliness.


    Harry took out the book Hermione wanted and went to the window. Almost as if he called her, Hedwig flew around the side of the castle and landed on the window sill. He cancelled the silencing spell on himself, cast that large curtain to cut him, his bed, and the window off from the rest of the room, then he cast the silencing spell on the curtain.


    ¡°Give this to Hermione.¡± Harry said. ¡°She''s just on the other side of the tower.¡±


    Hedwig gave a soft hoot and almost shrugged.


    ¡°I know it''s late, so just leave it on the pillow next to her.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''ll get the window for you, too.¡± He leaned out and cast Alohamora and the window popped open. ¡°I also need cat treats from the Magical Menagerie, so I''ll write out a note and give you some money when you come back.¡±


    Hedwig took the book and jumped out, flapped her wings once, then swooped into the other window.


    Harry took out what he needed from his trunk, wrote out the note and asked for the best treats, then asked for the bill. He was tempted to pay the same amount that he did for the owl treats, so he waited for Hedwig. She landed on the window sill again and he gave her the note, the money for the treats, and then two owl treats.


    ¡°Thanks a lot, Hedwig.¡± Harry whispered and pet her. ¡°I''ve got Herbology on Wednesday afternoon, then flying, then Astronomy at midnight. Can you come over with me? They are all outside and I miss having you around.¡±


    Hedwig gave a soft hoot and used the tip of her wing to stroke his cheek, then she jumped off the sill. Harry stuck his head out the window to watch Hedwig fall all the way down the tower and then she spread her wings out to catch herself, zoom out of the dive, and she soared up and into the sky.


    ¡°That was cool!¡± Harry exclaimed and watched her disappear from sight, then he closed the window. He used the warming charm on himself and banished the curtain he had conjured, then he climbed onto his bed and moved his trunk down to the end. He settled down into his nest and tucked himself under the blanket.


    Before he knew it, he was asleep and had slept until morning. He checked his timepiece and he was up just before the alarm went off, so he turned it off and changed for school. He applied the cream to cover the scar on his forehead and combed his hair. He didn''t have to leave early to try and find the classrooms, since he had done that yesterday, and he got up with everyone else.


    ¡°H-Harry?¡± Neville asked, tentatively. ¡°How was detention?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t get back until an hour after curfew.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Blimey.¡± Dean Thomas said. ¡°Did you get any sleep?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡± Harry responded and both Ron and Seamus laughed.


    ¡°You''re going to need lots of pumpkin juice.¡± Ron said. ¡°It''s the best pick-me-up you can get!¡±


    Harry silently cast the energize spell on himself and his tiredness evaporated. He knew he was going to need the spell a few times during the day. The five boys left their dorm room and went down the stairs, chatting about different things. Seamus and Ron discussed Quiddich, Neville was quiet, and Dean was telling Harry about how great his parents were for letting him come to a magic school and didn''t force him to go to normal school.


    I wish my parents hadn''t been killed. Harry thought as Dean relayed his home life. Maybe I would have been raised normally.


    As they left the Griffindor common room, Harry''s thoughts went to a scenario where the bad guy hadn''t hunted his parents down and killed them. Of course, he knew that if it hadn''t happened, then the bad guy would still be around, too. Or he assumed so. Once he thought that, he wondered what the world would have been like if the bad guy hadn''t killed himself while trying to kill Harry.


    A lot worse than it is now, I think. Harry thought as they went down several staircases and moved down all the floors to get to the Entrance Hall. The five boys went into the Great Hall for breakfast and sat together. They kept talking and then breakfast was served as all the platters were filled with food. They ate as the girls joined them, then Hermione walked into the Great Hall all alone and she clutched the book Harry had loaned her to her chest.


    Harry stopped talking to Dean and turned to look at her. ¡°Hermione, what''s wrong?¡±


    ¡°N-nothing.¡± Hermione said and walked by him and the other girls, then sat at the end of the table.


    Harry got up with his plate of food and walked to the end of the table and sat down beside her.


    ¡°You shouldn''t be talking to her, Harry.¡± Lavender Brown said. ¡°Little Miss Know-It-All will tell you all about what you''re doing wrong.¡±


    ¡°Is she being as mean as you are when she does it?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Lavender asked, her face flushing red. ¡°I''m not being mean!¡±


    Harry looked at the guys. ¡°I heard her say mean things. Didn''t you?¡±


    Seamus and Ron looked away, Neville ducked his head, and Dean nodded.


    ¡°I wasn''t!¡± Lavender exclaimed.


    ¡°You called her a name and told me not to talk to her. That''s mean.¡± Harry said. ¡°You should be nice and tell her thank you. She''s only trying to help.¡±


    ¡°H-Harry...¡± Hermione whispered with a blush. ¡°It''s all right.¡±


    ¡°No it isn''t, Hermione.¡± Harry said. ¡°No one bullies my friend.¡±


    ¡°I wasn''t...¡±


    ¡°I could understand it if the Slytherins did it...¡± Harry started to say and saw Hermione''s face get redder. ¡°...but, they''re bullies because everyone expects them to be. It''s still not right.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do about it, Potter?¡± A young boy''s voice cut across the room from the Slytherin table.


    ¡°I''ll complain to the Heads of our Houses.¡± Harry said and nearly everyone laughed. ¡°So, that won''t work?¡±


    ¡°Hardly.¡± One of the tall redheaded twins said and Harry didn''t know which one it was. ¡°The Head of Slytherin House is Professor Snape.¡±


    Harry didn''t have to ask which one, because the man in question was staring at him. ¡°Hermione.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Harry?¡±


    ¡°Please keep caring enough about me to help me as much as you can, just like you''ve been trying to do to help them.¡± Harry said, to everyone''s surprise.


    Hermione blushed and nodded her head without saying anything.


    Everyone went back to eating and then the mail was delivered. Harry accepted the giant bag of premium cat treats and gave Hedwig some of his sausages and his pumpkin juice. He shrunk the bag and put it into his pocket, then found the box of sandwiches that he had put there the day before.


    I forgot I had that. Harry thought. I might get a chance to eat it tonight.


    When breakfast ended, the first year Griffindors and Hufflepuffs went to the Charms classroom and continued their work on successfully casting the Lumos spell. In fact, they were going to be working on it all four days that they had classes. It was pretty much a dead class for both Harry and Hermione, so Hermione plucked up the courage and asked to see his spell book.


    Of course, Hermione''s eyes nearly bulged out of her head when she saw all the household spells and their descriptions, wand movements, variants, and uses. She hadn''t seen the spells before.


    ¡°You have got to teach them to me.¡± Hermione whispered, almost in desperation. ¡°Please.¡±


    Harry nodded and chose the very first spell for them to work on.

 40 The Lessons Part Two

    Harry taught Hermione one of the easiest household spells and she cast it successfully by the end of the class. She was over the moon with happiness as they left the class and neither of them noticed the smile on Professor Flitwick''s face.


    They had their first class of Herbology next and it was with the Hufflepuffs, just like Charms class, and they made their way down to a classroom. At the front of the room was Professor Sprout and she waited for everyone to enter before she spoke.


    ¡°Normally, I would take you all right down into the greenhouses to begin working on the practical side of things.¡± Professor Sprout said. ¡°However, it has come to the attention of the teachers that some of you are completely ignorant of the wizarding world. It might be a bit dangerous to put you in charge of your own safety without at least a bit of a refresher lecture, so for the first class, that is what I am going to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What if we don''t want to learn about plants?¡± One of the Hufflepuff students asked.


    ¡°It doesn''t matter what you want. You''re only eleven and don''t know better. You are learning about plants or you will fail.¡± Professor Sprout said. ¡°There''s a reason you have me three times a week. Learning about these kinds of things is important and could possibly save your life one day.¡±


    Hermione put her hand up and the professor smiled at her. ¡°Are there any deadly plants in the greenhouses?¡±


    Professor Sprout let out a bark of laughter. ¡°You would be better off asking me if I have any that can''t be deadly in some form or another.¡±


    Hermione slowly put her hand down.


    ¡°Now, now. Don''t be discouraged. Even a common blade of grass can be deadly to eat if the muggles treated it with their chemicals and bug repellents.¡± Professor Sprout said. ¡°Are you afraid of grass, Miss Granger?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Hermione said. ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°You know all about grass, correct?¡± Sprout asked and Hermione nodded. ¡°That''s what my course will teach you about other plants, magical or not. You will know them and won''t worry if you ever encounter them.¡±


    Even Harry had to nod in understanding. He might not want to be a magical gardener; but, he also didn''t want to be afraid to go outside because there might be things like magical plants that could kill him.


    ¡°You were right, Hermione.¡± Harry whispered when he remembered her words when they talked about her finding the Lumos Solem spell in the Herbology book and he had missed it. ¡°I''m sorry that I didn''t listen.¡±


    ¡°It''s all right, Harry.¡± Hermione whispered back and smiled. ¡°I''m older and I know more than you.¡±


    Harry almost laughed and caught himself before he did. ¡°You''re going to get me in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Hermione asked and shook her head. ¡°Start writing down what''s on the chalkboard.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry looked and saw a bunch of sentences were slowly appearing, as if the professor was talking and the board was writing it down. The professor was just standing there and not speaking or waving her wand, so it meant the writing had been on the board and was now being revealed. He wrote everything down and almost beat Hermione with it, even though she had started first.


    ¡°How are you writing so fast?¡± Hermione asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Practice.¡± Harry whispered back. ¡°I''ve written hundreds of letters and copied over the spells almost as many times. I think I can write a thank you letter with my eyes closed.¡±


    Hermione gave him a surprised look. ¡°You''ve only been doing it for a month?¡±


    Harry nodded and the professor started to explain the things on the board. He read his notes along with what the professor was saying and marked the parts she emphasized. He wasn''t surprised that Hermione did the same. He guessed that they both knew when they were learning important information and that would only help them in the future.


    ¡°I hope you all learned a lot from this lecture, even those of you that didn''t write anything down.¡± Professor Sprout said. ¡°We''ll be in the greenhouses starting tomorrow, so bring your gloves and any other things you may need. Dismissed.¡±


    After Herbology was lunch, so everyone went to the Great Hall. Normal conversations started as they all sat down to eat and no one mentioned the incident at breakfast. Harry just hoped that it stayed that way. He didn''t want to hear anything about Hermione being bullied and he wasn''t sure what he could do about it, not without resorting to casting curses and hexes on the bullies.


    They had Transfiguration after lunch with the Ravenclaws and everyone was still working on their matches. Even when they succeeded in casting the spell, they still needed to practice with it. It needed to be as quick and efficient as possible and that could only be achieved through hard work, dedication, and repetition.


    Harry had the bright idea to ask the teacher to give the students more matches when they completed the spell. That way, they could practice in succession, rather than transfiguring and then untransfiguring one match all the time.


    Only a couple of the students, namely Harry and Hermione, actually liked that idea, so only they received ten matches each to practice on. Needless to say, they both completed the spells and had ten sharp and pointy needles. Then ten matches. Then needles. Matches. Needles. By the end of the class, Harry had discovered something neat.


    Despite the directions from the book and the professor, he didn''t have to point his wand directly at each match. He still needed to do the same precise movement, though. When he didn''t, the spell wouldn''t complete and the match would revert back or not change at all. He kept the revelation to himself, though. He was sure that if he told the professor that he had pointed his wand between two matches to make the both of them change at once, he would be in trouble. He just knew it.


    They left that class and went to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class that was also with the Ravenclaws. Of course, they were still working on their protection spell, so the class might have been a complete waste if the teacher, Mister Rowle, hadn''t told everyone that if you could cast the spell, you could move to the back of the room and work on the variations and leave the main part of the room for everyone else.


    Harry had to stifle his laugh at that, because once you had the full spell and could cast it successfully, no other version was needed. It was as useless as learning the basic Alohamora spell that only flipped the latch on the window after you learned the full spell that would open the whole window.


    Instead, Harry spent the class teaching Hermione the next household spell in his spellbook. She didn''t quite get it completed by the time the class was over, because she had no experience with how to clean something properly, unlike Harry. He had tons of experience and easily visualized the spell and the effects it should have. They left that class when it was over and now were off until suppertime.


    ¡°I have to go and meet Mister Filch.¡± Harry said to Hermione. ¡°See you later.¡±


    Harry walked towards the closest stairwell and heard several people gossiping about him going to detention early. He ignored them and jogged up several sets of stairs to make his way back to Griffindor Tower. He dropped off his things and went all the way down to Mister Filch''s office. He barely knocked on the door when it burst open and the stern face peered down at him.


    ¡°You actually came.¡± Filch said, surprised.


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said and came right out to sit beside Harry.


    ¡°I said I would.¡± Harry replied.


    ¡°Here.¡± Filch said and handed Harry his mop, broom and duster.


    ¡°Did you have fun with them?¡± Harry asked with a smile, because they looked recently used.


    ¡°You know, I still keep the chains and shackles well oiled in case they reinstate the old rules for detention.¡± Filch said and squinted his eyes as he put the nearly empty bucket down. ¡°Thumbscrews, too.¡±


    ¡°I think he did have fun. Didn''t he, Missus Norris?¡± Harry asked and looked down at the cat.


    ¡°Meow!¡± Missus Norris said with a flick of her tail.


    ¡°No one likes a smart mouth.¡± Filch said and she twitched her whiskers at him. ¡°Come on, you.¡± He said to Harry. ¡°We''re up on the first floor today.¡±


    ¡°You finished the dungeon and did the whole ground floor today?¡± Harry asked as he picked up the bucket and followed Filch to the closest staircase.


    ¡°I''ve been doing this near on fifty years, Potter.¡± Filch said and carried his own large mop and broom.


    ¡°Fifty!¡± Harry exclaimed and Filch gave him a stern look.


    ¡°Yeah, what of it?¡± Filch asked, sure he was going to ask him how old he was.


    ¡°You must know every secret in the whole castle!¡± Harry said, a bit excitedly. ¡°Like when you took me from the dungeon to Griffindor Tower last night! That was amazing!¡±


    Filch kept the stern look for only a moment, because he saw a genuine interest on the boy''s face. ¡°I do know some things.¡±


    ¡°I bet Missus Norris knows a lot, too.¡± Harry said as they reached the first floor. ¡°Maybe even some things that only a cat could get through.¡±


    ¡°Me-ow.¡± Missus Norris said and wiggled her butt a little.


    ¡°She thinks she does.¡± Filch said and had to smile. ¡°The little scamp has the best eyes that a caretaker could have.¡±


    Harry nodded and used the refilling spell on the bucket, then they got to work. Filch started humming again and Harry soon joined in, then Missus Norris added her voice occasionally. They worked for two hours and Missus Norris let out a distinct meow.


    ¡°Already?¡± Filch asked and stopped working.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Harry asked and came over.


    ¡°I was told to stop for supper and to let you eat, because you shouldn''t be missing meals.¡± Filch said in a huff. ¡°We were just getting into a good rhythm, too.¡±


    ¡°We were.¡± Harry said and remembered the box of sandwiches he had. ¡°It''s a good thing I brought food with me.¡± He said and took out the large box and expanded it to full size.


    ¡°Where did you get that, Potter?¡± Filch asked when Harry opened the box and there were dozens of sandwiches inside and they were all different kinds and had all different toppings.


    ¡°Over the summer I had a bunch of people send me tons of food.¡± Harry said and sat down against the wall. They had cleaned it already, so he wasn''t worried about getting dirty. ¡°Help yourself.¡± He said and picked up a sandwich. ¡°I don''t know what''s on them; but, they look and smell good.¡± He took a bite and his mouth was filled with the taste of roast beef and gravy. ¡°Roast beef and gravy for this kind.¡±


    Filch picked up a different one and bit into it. ¡°Turkey and potatoes.¡± He said and sat down.


    Missus Norris stuck her head into the box and meowed, almost in a whine.


    ¡°What one?¡± Filch asked.


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said and he took one out for her.


    ¡°Tuna fish.¡± Filch said to Harry and opened the sandwich for the cat.


    Harry and Filch had two sandwiches each and Missus Norris finished the one.


    ¡°I''m not sure if you want her to have these.¡± Harry said as he took out the tiny bag of cat treats and enlarged them. ¡°They were the best that the shop had. I hope they''re okay.¡±


    Filch stared at the huge bag of treats and wasn''t sure what to say.


    ¡°Meeeeeeow!¡± Missus Norris said.


    ¡°I can''t give you the whole damn bag!¡± Filch said. ¡°You''ll get sick and...¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said and Filch sighed.


    ¡°I''m sorry, Mister Filch.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°No, it''s all right.¡± Filch said. ¡°She''s never had treats like this before and she thinks she can just eat them and nothing will happen to her.¡±


    ¡°She''ll definitely get pains in the stomach.¡± Harry said and looked at the cat. ¡°Believe me, I''ve been there. I pigged out on the first breakfast meal the hospital sent me and my belly was this big for two days!¡± He held his hand out from his belly about six inches. ¡°I learned my lesson.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said, almost sad.


    ¡°Yes, he should have only bought the little bag.¡± Filch said as he opened the large bag and took out a handful of treats.


    ¡°I''ll remember that for next time.¡± Harry promised.


    ¡°Meow?¡± Missus Norris looked at him.


    ¡°I''m getting Mister Filch cleaning supplies, the same things I got for Christmas and my birthday.¡± Harry said. ¡°I had to get you something, too.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said and took one of the treats from Filch''s hand. She took her time and chewed it up, then her eyes glowed for a second. In the next second, all of the treats were gone from Filch''s hand and Missus Norris let out a loud purr. She gave Filch a look that said she was leaving for a while, gave Harry a look that clearly said thank you, then she took off at her top speed down the hallway and disappeared from sight.

 41 The Discovery

    ¡°What just happened?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°She''s gone hunting.¡± Filch said and stood up. ¡°Put your food away and let''s get back to work.¡±


    Harry nodded and packed up the box, took out his timepiece and set the alarm for half an hour before curfew, then got back to work. Filch hummed after a few minutes and Harry joined in. It wasn''t quite the same without Missus Norris adding her own sounds occasionally. They worked and cleaned all evening and into the night, right up until Harry''s alarm went off.


    ¡°It''s a half hour until curfew.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I guess we better stop.¡± Filch said. ¡°We''ve got time to drop your things off at my office.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said and they carried their things back down to Filch''s office. When they arrived there and stored their things, they were both surprised when they saw a very happy Missus Norris come down the hallway with something in her mouth.


    ¡°What''s that you got there?¡± Filch asked.


    ¡°Grrrrr.¡± Missus Norris growled, which was something Harry had never heard from her before, then she was close enough for them to see that she had a huge rat clamped into her jaws.


    ¡°Good girl!¡± Filch exclaimed. ¡°I haven''t seen a rat inside the castle since Dippet was headmaster!¡±


    ¡°Is it dead?¡± Harry asked. If there was one thing he didn''t want, it was a bite from a rat.


    Missus Norris shook her head and the rat started to screech loudly in pain and struggled to get away. She didn''t like that and growled before she clamped her jaws closed. There was a distinct snap and the sound from the mangy rat was cut off as its neck was broken. She spit it out and bat it with her paw, as if she was discarding it.


    ¡°It is now.¡± Filch said with a grin. ¡°Thank you, Missus Norris. Good jo... BLIMEY!¡±


    The rat convulsed and shook, as if possessed, then it bubbled and grew as it expanded out and out. Right before their very eyes, the dead rat became a dead wizard that was pretty much bald and was dressed in ratty old clothes. He also smelled like an old and frequently used toilet.


    ¡°I need to get the headmaster.¡± Filch said and ran off down the hallway.


    Harry just stood there and stared at the body. He hadn''t seen a dead body before, or at least he thought he hadn''t, because he felt a sharp pain on his forehead and then he suddenly saw a redheaded woman fall to the floor in a blaze of greenish light. Harry blinked his eyes and the vision faded.


    Who was that? Harry asked himself and he couldn''t place the woman''s face from anywhere. He didn''t remember her at all or where he had seen her before, even though he felt like he knew her.


    ¡°What is all this rubbish about a dead body inside the school?¡± A woman''s slightly shrill voice complained. Harry turned around and was surprised to see both Professor Minerva McGonagall and the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore walking towards him.


    ¡°Missus Norris caught a rat that became a wizard when the rat died.¡± Harry said, a bit unnecessarily, since Filch had already told the pair that.


    ¡°How?¡± Albus asked and stared at Harry.


    ¡°She went hunting.¡± Harry said with a shrug. ¡°We''ve been cleaning all evening for my detention and I was about to leave to get back to the Griffindor common room before curfew when Missus Norris showed up.¡±


    ¡°It was a present!¡± Filch said with a smile. ¡°She''s always helped the school and now she''s caught a wizard that''s been hiding under our noses all this time!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Minerva asked and walked over to look at the wizard''s face. ¡°Peter Pettigrew! He... he''s supposed to be dead! He died when... when...¡± She stopped talking and looked at Harry. ¡°This isn''t the time to talk about this. You need to get to bed.¡±


    ¡°I still have twenty minutes.¡± Harry said, reluctant to leave. ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°That''s not something a young boy needs to know.¡± Minerva said and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Come along. I''ll walk you up to the tower.¡± She said and pulled him away from the body.


    ¡°But...¡± Harry started to say.


    ¡°It''s time for bed, Harry.¡± Albus said and Harry felt a wave of sleepiness.


    Harry immediately cast the energize spell and just pretended to close his eyes drowsily. He let the transfiguration professor lead him away and didn''t fight against her. He didn''t say anything at all as they went up to the tower and the professor stopped at the portrait of the Fat Lady.


    ¡°Caput Draconus.¡± Minerva said and the portrait opened without saying anything. ¡°Go on inside and get to bed, Harry.¡± She coaxed and Harry went into the common room. ¡°You have a great night''s sleep.¡±


    Harry nodded and ignored the people sitting in the comfy chairs, went to the stairs on his side, and climbed up them. He heard the portrait door close and entered his dorm room. Neville and Ron were in bed already, so he cast the curtain and silence. He changed out of his robes and into his pyjamas, moved his trunk to the end of the bed, and climbed into his nest as he banished the curtain spell.


    Who is Peter Pettigrew? Harry asked himself and closed his eyes. Even with the energize spell, his body was worn out from cleaning all evening. He cancelled the effects of the spell and fell right to sleep.


    The next morning, Harry was woken up by one of the other boys.


    ¡°Come on, Harry.¡± Neville said and shook him. ¡°You''re going to miss breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry opened his eyes. ¡°Neville? What...¡± He shook his head. ¡°I forgot to set my alarm.¡±


    ¡°I used to do that all the time.¡± Neville said. ¡°My gran gave me one that is permanently set for the morning.¡±


    ¡°I had to change it last night to get back before curfew.¡± Harry said and got up. He quickly changed into his school robes and applied the cream, grabbed his books, then left the trunk on his pile of blankets.


    ¡°Why do you do that?¡± Neville asked and pointed to the blankets.


    ¡°It''s how I''ve always slept.¡± Harry said with a shrug. There wasn''t a lot of room in the cupboard under the stairs, so he had to settle for a nest of blankets. Sleeping in a big bed just wasn''t something he was used to.


    ¡°I guess that''s why the house elves don''t make the bed for you.¡± Neville commented and left the room.


    So, that''s what they were trying to do. They weren''t trying to steal my trunk at all. Harry thought with a smile. I''m glad that worked out, because I''d have to remake my bed every night, otherwise.


    Harry followed Neville down the stairs and they met up with Seamus and Dean. They left the tower and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast.


    ¡°Oi! Where''s our little Ronnikins?¡± One of the tall redheaded twins asked.


    ¡°We haven''t seen him since last night.¡± The other twin said.


    ¡°No idea.¡± Harry said. ¡°I didn''t see him, either.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Harry!¡± Hermione said as she entered the Great Hall. ¡°This book is great!¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Harry said and the table in front of him was filled with food. ¡°I read it twice, even though there''s no spells in it.¡±


    Hermione let out a laugh and sat down beside him. ¡°I finally got that cleaning spell to work.¡±


    ¡°Good for you.¡± Harry said and grabbed some pancakes and syrup. ¡°Did you concentrate on a smaller area like I said?¡±


    Hermione nodded. ¡°You were right. I can''t make the effect larger until I practice a lot.¡±


    ¡°The spells get a lot easier with repetition.¡± Harry said and started eating.


    Ron trudged into the Great Hall, his robes dishevelled and his hair a mess. ¡°I can''t find Scabbers anywhere.¡± He said and plopped down onto the seat beside Hermione. ¡°I hope nothing''s happened to him.¡±


    ¡°Who''s Scabbers?¡± Hermione asked as she ate her waffles.


    ¡°He''s my rat.¡± Ron said and Harry almost choked on a bite of pancake. ¡°He went missing last night before curfew and I''ve been looking for him ever since.¡±


    ¡°Good riddance, I say.¡± One of the twins said. ¡°He was a lazy no-good layabout.¡±


    ¡°He was in the family for years, though.¡± The other twin said. ¡°Percy might not be happy about you losing him.¡±


    Percy looked up from his food to look at them. ¡°I''ll have you know that he was a superb rat and performed his duties admirably.¡± He said to the first twin, then looked at the second. ¡°Scabbers has disappeared for days on end. I''m sure he''ll turn up eventually.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure if he should be the one to tell Ron that his rat was really a wizard, then something else occurred to him. ¡°Hey, wait a minute.¡± He said and they looked at him. ¡°My acceptance letter said I was only allowed to bring an owl, a cat, or a toad. How did you get to bring a rat to school?¡±


    The redheads all had surprised looks on their faces.


    ¡°Um... I just... brought him.¡± Ron said.


    ¡°I thought Percy was supposed to be a Prefect.¡± Hermione said and looked at the older boy. ¡°That''s a pretty blatant school rule that you''ve been breaking for years.¡±


    Percy looked like he had sucked on something sour, stood up, and left without saying a word.


    ¡°Hermione, you''re our new best friend.¡± One of the twins said with a huge smile.


    ¡°We''ve been trying to get the twat to shut up for years!¡± The other twin said. ¡°Thanks a lot!¡±


    Hermione opened her mouth to respond, then she shook her head. ¡°Boys.¡±


    The twins laughed, as did Seamus and Dean. Ron still looked sad, with a bit of trepidation mixed in, and Neville shrugged at the whole thing. Having a rat as a familiar was a bit disgusting to him.


    The mail came and Harry wasn''t surprised that Hedwig came in. She landed and gave him a letter.


    ¡°I knew she couldn''t wait for the weekend.¡± Harry said with a chuckle and let Hedwig eat some of his pancakes. He read Bertha''s letter and saw that Fluffy had been ''taken out to the farm''. He was going to ask someone what that meant, then remembered what Bertha had said about the disposing of dangerous creatures. He read the rest and she told him some of the gossip she had heard and asked how he was doing. He folded up the letter and tucked it into his pocket.


    ¡°Are you sticking around?¡± Harry asked and Hedwig hopped off of the table and perched on his shoulder. ¡°We better get to class.¡± He said and stood up with his books.


    ¡°Harry, what are you doing?¡± Hermione asked and looked at Hedwig as she stood.


    ¡°I asked her to spend the day with me.¡± Harry said. ¡°We''re mostly outside today and I miss her.¡±


    There was an ''aww'' sound from the other girls at the table and Hedwig gave a soft hoot.


    ¡°She''s so pretty!¡± A girl from the Hufflepuff table said.


    Harry pretty much led the way as the other first years followed him to Charms class. Professor Flitwick didn''t bat an eye at the owl''s appearance in his classroom and he also didn''t have to remind Harry or the owl to try to stay quiet while the others worked on their spells.

 42 The Body

    Albus sat in his office and was in quite a conundrum. He had meticulously planned for years to keep Peter Pettigrew hidden from Voldemort and his followers, so that he could be manipulated into assisting the Dark Lord return when the time was right. He was far from having that plan be realized, years behind in fact, and now he no longer had an actual servant of the Dark Lord within his grasp. His plans would have to be changed once again.


    He had been tempted to Obliviate everyone that had seen Peter''s body the night before and decided against it, since Minerva had a bit of resistance to it, due to her Animagus status. He might have still done it, had she not immediately informed the Ministry of the discovery. Finding a dead wizard ten years after his supposed death was quite the feat. Finding out he was an unregistered Animagus was even worse. That wasn''t what concerned Albus, however.


    The problem with finding Peter after all this time, was Sirius Black. Harry''s godfather.


    Albus was the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamut, or the legal authority that dealt with laws and punishments for the magical community. He had signed off on the Minister of Magic''s completely unlawful imprisonment of Sirius Black without a trial ten years ago, for the death of Pettigrew and a dozen muggles, all because he needed to have the wizard out of the way to make sure that Harry was raised away from the wizarding world and with blood relatives.


    He knew it was a horrible thing to have done; but, he absolutely needed Harry ignorant of everything in their world for as long as possible. It had almost worked. He had had the boy watched on occasion and knew that he was being treated unfairly and that his self esteem was as low as possible. It was the best possible situation. It was also the perfect breeding ground for someone to go in, sweep him off his feet and rescue him, and gain his undying trust and devotion.


    That part didn''t quite work out so well. Hagrid did swoop in, scared the boy, then Professor Quirrell was killed. By the time Harry showed up at school, he wasn''t the impressionable boy Albus had hoped he would be. He was also quite smart and the few times he had used Legilimens on him, he gained nothing except the spells constantly going through the boy''s head as well as cleaning things.


    Now this had to happen. Albus thought as he took off his fake glasses and rubbed his face. He hated wearing the damn things; but, they gave him the air of a wise person and that was essential to keeping his image intact. If people started to doubt that he was the all-powerful wizard that he was, they might not listen to him when he tried to rally them again against the next rise of Voldemort.


    Albus already had three letters from the Ministry, one of which was a howler that yelled at him in the voice of Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She complained about not letting her and her Auror teams scour the castle on a monthly basis. He had denied her each time she asked, because the last thing he needed were Aurors specialized in discovering secrets into a castle that was filled with them.


    The letter from the Minister of Magic was a politely worded admonishment for allowing a class four dangerous creature into the school, which was the Cerberus dog called Fluffy. The third letter was the worst one, because it was from the International Confederation of Wizards and it asked him, in no uncertain terms, to retire as the Supreme Mugwump. He would never give that up, since having the influence internationally was what he would need to muster the proper response to fight Voldemort when he returned.


    At the moment, he was waiting for the inevitable visit by Amelia and her Aurors to retrieve Peter Pettigrew''s body. It was to be entered into evidence and investigated, which meant he was going to have to step in again to protect the Weasleys from it. He didn''t regret bringing the large family into his machinations, even though he had to agree to pay for the tuition for every child of theirs to attended Hogwarts.


    It was a small price to pay for loyalty and the promise of future fighters for the cause. The two oldest, Bill and Charlie, were already highly regarded in their fields and were fine additions to the Order. Molly had kept her word and raised them right. It''s just too bad she had messed up with the twins. They were a bit too troublesome and mischievous to be proper members and would only have supporting roles, at best. That was fine, though. Everyone had their roles to play, the same as he did.


    Albus slipped on his glasses and gently stroked Fawkes as he passed the phoenix'' perch. It let out a squawk and he smiled. ¡°Yes, old friend. Intruders. Unfortunately, they are ones we must welcome.¡±


    The phoenix settled down and rested. Soon it would molt and then it would burst into flames. It was always an event for Albus to see, even though he had seen it hundreds of times. It always happened on the phoenix''s birthday every year and he looked forward to it each and every time.


    Albus left his office at a fast walk and because of his long robes, it looked like he was gliding across the floor. It wasn''t until he went down to the first floor that he noticed a distinct change in the stone of the floor and the walls. The ground floor was the same and he told himself to ask Argus what he had been doing to make the stone look so close to new.


    ¡°Hello, Headmaster.¡± Amelia Bones said as she walked in through the large oak doors.


    ¡°Ah, Amelia. A pleasant surprise.¡± Albus said in a jovial tone. ¡°I see you''ve brought Kinglsey and John as well.¡±


    Amelia sighed. ¡°We are Aurors, Headmaster. Using our first names is disrespectful, especially since we are here in an official capacity.¡±


    Albus smiled. ¡°But I''ve known you all since you attended school.¡± He said. ¡°Calling you Bones, Shacklebolt and Dawlish doesn''t feel like the proper thing to do.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I assume you took the body to the hospital wing.¡±


    Albus looked around to see if anyone else heard her. ¡°Please, not so loud. No one else knows there was a death on the premises.¡±


    Amelia huffed. ¡°You are coddling them too much, Headmaster.¡± She said and walked by him. ¡°I brought a special award for Missus Norris. Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I believe she is with the caretaker.¡± Albus said and started to follow her with the other other two Aurors behind them.


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said as she came around the corner.


    ¡°There''s the cat of the hour.¡± Amelia smiled as she came to a stop and knelt. ¡°The Ministry thanks you for your efforts to protect the students.¡± She said and took out a fat fake mouse. ¡°Please accept this as a reward.¡±


    Missus Norris looked at the simple cat toy with concern and then at Amelia.


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°No, it''s not filled with poison. There''s only a large cat treat inside.¡±


    In the next moment, there was a flash of sharp claws, the toy was torn in half, and Missus Norris walked away with the large treat in her mouth.


    ¡°She showed you.¡± Shacklebolt said with a chuckle.


    ¡°I told you that you should have just brought the treat.¡± Dawlish said.


    ¡°I needed to see how she managed to catch a large sewer rat.¡± Amelia said and stood as she vanished the cat toy''s remains. ¡°Now I know.¡± She walked on and went to the hospital wing.


    *


    ¡°He looks absolutely pitiful.¡± Dawlish said half an hour later as they carried the shrouded body out of the castle under a Disillusionment charm.


    ¡°You try living as a rat for ten years.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°I''m surprised he''s not just skin and bones.¡±


    ¡°He was well taken care of and was eating constantly.¡± Amelia said with a sigh. ¡°I remember Bill telling me about his brother Percy''s pet rat, Scabbers.¡±


    ¡°You''re joking.¡± Dawlish said, his voice full of disbelief. ¡°A pure blood wizarding family was harbouring a suspected Death Eater all this time?¡±


    ¡°Where else would be a good spot to hide from scrutiny?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I''d like to know how he never gave himself away all these years after becoming a family pet.¡±


    ¡°I''d suggest looking into the Weasleys.¡± Kinglsey said and then sighed. ¡°It won''t work, though. Arthur''s one of the most loyal members of the Ministry. We''re not going to find anything on him.¡±


    ¡°Or his family.¡± Dawlish said. ¡°They are almost too clean, you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I know.¡± Amelia said as they passed through the gates of the castle grounds. ¡°Here''s good enough.¡±


    ¡°I am not apparating with it.¡± Dawlish said and took two steps away. ¡°I am not getting splinched with a dead rat.¡±


    Kingsley laughed. ¡°You need more practice, Dawlish. You can only splinch yourself.¡±


    ¡°...and what you''re wearing and carrying.¡± Dawlish said. ¡°See you back at the office.¡± He said and disappeared.


    ¡°Wimp.¡± Kingsley said and stepped close to Amelia and the body. ¡°Shall I or do you want the honors?¡±


    ¡°I''ll side-along.¡± Amelia said and tucked her arm around Kingsley''s waist and looked up at his tall stature.


    ¡°Careful, there. I might think you''re wanting more than a quick apparition.¡± Kingsley said with a smile. His bright white teeth contrasted with his very dark skin.


    ¡°I am your boss.¡± Amelia said and put her other hand on the body.


    ¡°You know, I have a thing for women in authority.¡± Kingsley admitted.


    Amelia couldn''t help but smile at him and then they disappeared.

 43 The Question

    Bokuboy


    Harry took Hedwig to Herbology class after Charms and it was out on the grounds of the castle. It was his first foray into the world of magical plants and he was very glad to have both Hermione and Hedwig along to keep him company.


    ¡°I hope your owl knows how to behave.¡± Professor Sprout said when Harry entered the greenhouse with Hedwig on his shoulder.


    ¡°She''s been in Professor Flitwick''s Charms class.¡± Harry said.


    Professor Sprout let out a laugh. ¡°All right, that''s good enough for me.¡± She said, which meant she knew what the class was like when every student waved their wand around to cast spells. ¡°Now, today''s class will be about transplanting baby Mandrakes into larger pots. The little tykes need the room to grow and we''ll be re-potting them all year.¡± She said to the class. ¡°Before we begin working with them, I want everyone to take a pair of earmuffs from the box as a safety measure. Don''t worry about how big they are when you put them on. They resize to fit the current wearer.¡±


    Harry grabbed a pair for Hedwig and for himself. They resized and Hedwig looked a little odd wearing tiny brown earmuffs.


    ¡°Now, can everyone still hear me?¡± Professor Sprout asked.


    ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Everyone said, surprised that they could. The earmuffs covered their ears and they could hear her as if they weren''t wearing them.


    ¡°The muffs are enchanted to only block harmful sounds.¡± Professor Sprout said. ¡°Now, does anyone know...¡±


    Hermione put her hand up and the professor laughed.


    ¡°I want to tell you to wait until I ask a question before offering the answer; but, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°The Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative. It is used to turn people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Also, the cry of the Mandrake can be fatal to anyone who hears it.¡±


    ¡°You left off that it''s only the matured Mandrakes that can kill with their cry.¡± The professor corrected and smiled. ¡°Your answer is still worth five points for your House.¡± She said with a nod. ¡°The young can only make you feel weak and in some cases can knock you unconscious.¡±


    Hermione produced a piece of paper from somewhere and wrote out the correction.


    ¡°Now, you need to be delicate when dealing with the young Mandrakes.¡± Professor Sprout said and plucked the Mandrake from the pot she had beside her and its shrieks made a lot of the students shiver. ¡°They like nice and spacious pots as long as they have fresh soil around them.¡± She said and placed her Mandrake into a bigger pot, then piled fresh soil around it as she buried it.


    The Mandrake quieted immediately and the students relaxed.


    ¡°You have your own Mandrakes to replant and there''s fresh soil in the bags at your feet under the tables.¡± Professor Sprout said. ¡°Don''t be stingy with it! Make sure they are comfortable or you won''t be hearing the end of it.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like me mum.¡± Seamus said to general laughter.


    ¡°Get to work.¡± Professor Sprout said. ¡°Don''t be shy about it. Just grab and pull.¡±


    Harry gripped the bottom of the small tree and yanked. The baby Mandrake started screaming right away and he put it into the pot, then dumped a bunch of soil over it. It cried louder at the rough treatment and Harry sighed.


    ¡°You need to pack it in.¡± Hermione said and her thinly gloved hands added soil around the Mandrake and not over the top of it. ¡°It might look like a tree root; but, it acts like a sentient being.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Is it really alive or is it just faking it?¡±


    ¡°That''s debatable.¡± Hermione said and packed in the soil. ¡°Some claim they are just crops of plants and others think they are alive.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Even if they were only crops, they are still alive.¡± Hermione said. ¡°They are born, eat, grow, then die. That''s like a basic life cycle. They grow in the wild at different times of the year, so cultivating them as crops makes harvesting them so much easier. If they can''t use the Mandrakes for their restorative powers, then why breed them?¡±


    Harry nodded and added more soil for her and they both packed it in. The Mandrake''s crying subsided as they finished covering it and Harry let out a sigh. ¡°Thanks, Hermione.¡± He said and had completely missed Hermione''s reaction to their hands packing the soil in and touching several times.


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°Hoot!¡± Hedwig said loudly and launched herself from Harry''s shoulder. She dove over the next table and slammed to the ground. There was a little squeak and a crunching sound, then Hedwig hopped into the air, flapped her wings once and swooped over to the professor. She dropped the dead mouse on her table and landed.


    ¡°Excellent work. That little beast has been sneaking around here all week and nibbling on my precious plants.¡± Professor Sprout said. ¡°Five points to Griffindor.¡± She said and smiled at the owl. ¡°You can keep the mouse for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Nice going, Hedwig!¡± Harry said.


    Hedwig hooted and swallowed the mouse whole, flew back over to him, and landed on the table.


    ¡°I didn''t even see the mouse before you caught it.¡± Harry said, proudly.


    Hedwig preened a little and hopped back onto his shoulder.


    The Herbology class continued on and Harry leaned over close to Hermione. ¡°I need your help with something.¡±


    ¡°With what?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°Last night during detention...¡± Harry whispered and told her all about Missus Norris and her hunting down a large sewer rat.


    Hermione made the connection immediately and looked across the table at Ron. ¡°I don''t think you should tell him.¡± She whispered. ¡°He''ll hate you forever. He loved that rat.¡±


    ¡°That''s not the worst part.¡± Harry said and told her about the rat actually being a wizard named Peter Pettegrew. Hermione gasped and covered her mouth. She was glad that there were so many baby Mandrakes still yelling and making noise, because only Harry had heard her.


    ¡°That''s why you want my help.¡± Hermione whispered. ¡°You want me to find out who he was.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°He supposedly died ten years ago, around the same time as my parents and Voldemort.¡± He said. ¡°I''ve got detention for two weeks, so I can''t go to the library to do it myself.¡±


    Hermione took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°I''ll do my best after school today.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Hermione. Thanks a lot.¡± Harry said. ¡°I knew I could trust you with this.¡±


    Hermione looked at his face and smiled as she nodded.


    The class ended at lunchtime and they all went into the Great Hall to eat. After that was Transfiguration class and Professor McGonagall didn''t mention Hedwig, either. She was apparently allowed into the school, just like Harry''s acceptance letter said. Harry and Hermione were given a whole box of matches to transfigure this time and Harry wasn''t nervous at all. Hermione needed the practice and she took out piles of matches and lined them up, then transfigured them.


    Harry just pointed his wand at the open box and cast the spell once. All of the matches became needles, because that was what he had visualized, and he sat there petting Hedwig and giving her an occasional treat for being so good.

 44 The Flying Lesson

    Defense Against the Dark Arts class was next and Harry and Hermione went right to the back of the room to stay out of the way, rather than take their regular seats. The teacher didn''t say anything and the class got to work. Harry taught Hermione the drying spell, or the stream of hot air spell, and she thought it was the best thing ever.


    ¡°Why isn''t this being taught in school?¡± Hermione asked in a whisper. ¡°It''s so useful!¡±


    ¡°Wizards and witches grow up with them.¡± Harry whispered back.


    Hermione frowned. ¡°But... they don''t know them or use them.¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°Most of them think that the basic household spells are beneath them.¡±


    Hermione couldn''t think of a good reply for that kind of idiocy.


    ¡°Unlike them, we know what being able to do magic is worth to us.¡± Harry said. ¡°I think... no, I know that''s why people like us are better at magic than them.¡±


    ¡°People like us.¡± Hermione repeated, barely above a breath.


    ¡°We didn''t know magic existed until we were eleven.¡± Harry whispered. ¡°We actually want to learn how to do it.¡±


    Hedwig have a soft hoot and Harry gave her a quick pet and another owl treat.


    ¡°Even Hedwig agrees.¡± Harry smiled.


    ¡°Harry, can you talk to Hedwig?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°Not really.¡± Harry shrugged. ¡°I do have this book that would let me hear her, if I could figure out how to... mediate... no, meditate.¡±


    Hermione smiled. ¡°That''s easy.¡± She said and took out the book he had loaned her. ¡°The book''s called Legilimens Creatora, right?¡±


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Herry asked, surprised.


    ¡°It''s mentioned right here.¡± Hermione said and pointed to a small bit of angled text that was a quote from a wizard. It was at the bottom of a page that was halfway through the book of wizard powers.


    ¡°You really do read everything.¡± Harry said, impressed.


    Hermione had a crooked smile. ¡°He says the simplest way to gain a meditative state is to use the Immobulus spell.¡±


    Harry''s mouth dropped open. ¡°That''s only a second year spell!¡±


    Hermione nodded. ¡°I bet you haven''t practised it, either.¡±


    Harry almost laughed. ¡°I did my spell casting in the middle of the night and for a couple Saturdays when I visited Bertha.¡± He said. ¡°There wasn''t a lot of things moving around for me to stop.¡±


    Hermione nodded. ¡°You might want to try and find something to practice on just before going to bed. If you can cast it consistently, you can use a mirror to cast it on yourself.¡±


    ¡°A mirror?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°You''ll be immobilized.¡± Hermione said. ¡°If you aren''t looking at yourself with the wand pointed at you, how would you cast the general counter spell?


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I''m really surprised you haven''t cursed off your toes or something by now.¡± Hermione chuckled and touched his hand. ¡°I''m really glad you haven''t.¡±


    ¡°So are my toes.¡± Harry said with a grin and Hermione had to cast a silencing charm on herself when she laughed out loud.


    After Defense Against the Dark Arts class, it was time for their very first flying lesson. It was with the Slytherins, which was the first class that Griffindor had with the rival House. To say there was animosity right from the beginning was an understatement. Hateful glares, muttered threats, and an unpleasant air surrounded the students as they approached the Quiddich pitch. The back and forth between the other students was actually getting on Harry''s nerves.


    The worst offender was actually Ron, who openly yelled at one of the slightly fat Slytherins named Goyle. His insult that he looked like his namesake, a gargoyle, got a few uncomfortable laughs and then a punch to the side of the head. It staggered him and then he realized what had happened and jumped on the bigger boy.


    ¡°I''ll teach you to call me a blood traitor!¡± Ron said loudly and tried to punch Goyle. He might have been tall; but, he was thin and didn''t have a lot of strength. Goyle just laughed at his pathetic attempt.


    ¡°All right, settle down.¡± Madam Hooch said and waved her wand to separate them. ¡°Take care of your problems after class.¡±


    Harry frowned a little at that. Aren''t they supposed to help students, not let them handle it themselves?


    ¡°Since first years are not allowed their own brooms, we have to use the school brooms.¡± Madam Hooch said. ¡°They''ve been distributed randomly, so if you end up with a bad broom with a weak flying charm, let me know. I''ll loan you mine or you''ll have to share.¡±


    ¡°Not bloody likely.¡± One of the Slytherins whispered.


    Madam Hooch glared at the boy and he smiled at her. ¡°All right. Form lines and stand beside a broom.¡± She watched them do so. ¡°When you''re ready, hover your hand over it and command it to your hand by saying ''UP''.¡±


    Harry put his hand over the old and worn broom and thought about what the broom should do. ¡°UP!¡±


    The broom shot up from the ground and stuck to his hand like glue.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Harry said happily and Hermione stared at him.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°I just wanted the broom to come to my hand.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''ve seen Hedwig fly a bunch of times and want to know what it''s like.¡±


    Hermione looked down at her broom and she didn''t actually want to fly. That was just something she never wanted to do, let alone do it on a broom. When she tried to command it, the broom just flopped around on the ground, as if it didn''t want her to fly it, either.


    ¡°I see a few can''t muster enough will, so just go ahead and pick the brooms up. You only need to mount it, kick off the ground a little, then lean forward and touch back down.¡± Madam Hooch said. ¡°There won''t be any actual flying today.¡±


    Several students groaned in disappointment and several sighed in relief.


    ¡°Now, boys can mount their brooms in the traditional manner. Girls, if you are wearing pants, can choose to do that as well. Those with skirts must ride side-saddle. There will be no inappropriate behavior in my class. Understood?¡±


    All of the girls nodded and a couple of the boys looked sad.


    ¡°Now mount up.¡± Madam Hooch said and waited until they all did so. ¡°Kick off.¡±


    ¡°AHH!¡± Neville yelled as he shot up twenty feet.


    ¡°Not that hard, Longbottom!¡± Madam Hooch said loudly. ¡°Everyone lean forward and land!¡±


    The rest of the class did so as Neville flipped over on the broom. It bucked and flipped him back over, then his hands slipped and he fell to the ground. She rushed over to him as his broom landed beside them.


    ¡°Ow ow ow.¡± Neville said and hugged his broken wrist.


    ¡°It''s all right. I''ll take you right to the medical wing.¡± Madam Hooch said and helped him stand. ¡°Everyone is to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground while I''m gone, or you will be expelled from Hogwarts.¡±


    Everyone watched as Neville was taken away, then a white haired boy walked over to the spot and picked up something.


    ¡°Oh, look what I found. A Rememberall.¡± Draco Malfoy said with a chuckle.


    ¡°That''s not yours.¡± Harry said before he could stop himself.


    ¡°Oh? What are you going to do about it, Potter?¡± Draco asked with a sneer and mounted his broom. ¡°I think I''ll leave this somewhere for Longbottom to find.¡± He said and took off.


    Harry took a step forward and was stopped when Hermione grabbed his arm.


    ¡°You can''t fly after him or you''ll be expelled.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°It''s all right, Hermione.¡± Harry said and flicked his wrist to deploy his wand, then poured his will into the spell. ¡°Accio Neville''s Rememberall!¡±


    ¡°AHHH!¡± Draco yelled as he, the broom, and the Rememberall were pulled almost all the way back down to the ground. Draco finally let the Rememberall go when he was ten feet away from Harry and flew off. The Rememberall floated over to Harry and he caught it with his hand.


    ¡°Blimey.¡± Several of the students said.


    ¡°Wow, Harry.¡± Hermione said, awe in her voice.


    ¡°What''s going on out here?¡± Professor McGonagall asked as she came out of the castle with Professor Snape right behind her. Several of the students tried to tell her at the same time and she raised a hand. ¡°Mister Malfoy! You are to land right this minute!¡±


    Draco flew down and landed with more grace than he normally did, especially with so many witnesses, and laid the school broom back down onto the spot he stood in before.


    ¡°Professor Snape, I trust you to handle this properly.¡± McGonagall said in her usual stern voice.


    ¡°Yes, Minerva. I will.¡± Professor Snape said. ¡°Malfoy, come with me. We have... much to discuss.¡± He said and turned, then strode away with a dejected looking Draco right behind him.


    ¡°Does this mean class is over?¡± Ron asked, his voice hopeful.


    Professor McGonagall looked at her timepiece and sighed. ¡°Yes, you are dismissed.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Most of the students said as they dropped their brooms and ran off back towards the school.


    ¡°Sorry, Hedwig.¡± Harry said and stroked her belly feathers. ¡°I wanted to go flying with you today.¡±


    Only Hermione and Professor McGonagall were left on the field.


    Minvera gave Harry a look that said to not push her, then she sighed. ¡°I''m sure Madam Hooch would appreciate you gathering up the school brooms for her.¡± She said and waved towards the locker rooms beside the field. ¡°How you get them from here to there is up to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Professor.¡± Harry said and waited for the professor to leave before he looked at Hedwig. ¡°Want to race?¡±


    ¡°HOOOT!¡± Hedwig said loudly and flapped her wings to take off. Harry laughed at the accepted challenge and mounted the broom he had in his hand.


    Hermione passed him one of the others brooms. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Harry said and handed her the Rememberall and took off like a shot behind Hedwig.


    Hermione stood there with another broom, ready for Harry to take it on his next loop around the Quiddich pitch. She smiled as she watched her friend have fun flying with his owl.

 45 The Astronomy Class

    Bokuboy


    Hermione''s bushy hair flapped in the wind gusts left behind as Harry chased Hedwig by her yet again. She had taken to tossing the brooms up in the air as he passed, just so he didn''t have to slow down to get them from her. Harry easily caught them, even going full speed like he was, and whooped with laughter as Hedwig did loops around him.


    They soon had all nineteen brooms moved across the field and stacked beside the lockers. The only one left was the one Harry rode. He slowed down and landed beside Hermione and the hair on the top of his head was as wind-swept as Hermione''s was.


    ¡°You should see you hair!¡± Hermione giggled and pointed.


    ¡°Yours is no better!¡± Harry laughed and reached out to play with the mound of frizz. ¡°It''s so poofy!¡±


    Hermione laughed as he tried, quite fruitlessly, to calm her hair down. ¡°If brushes and combs can''t do anything for it, your fingers don''t stand a chance!¡±


    Harry stopped trying and looked at her face. ¡°You should have seen the messy bird''s nest I used to have.¡±


    ¡°No! You?¡± Hermione asked, quite surprised that the handsome boy used to have messy hair.


    ¡°I didn''t always look like this.¡± Harry admitted and they walked across the Quiddich field. ¡°Messy hair, blotched skin, skinny as a rake...¡±


    Hermione reached out and touched his arm. ¡°Are you sure? You''re pretty normal now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the healer and Madam Primpernelle.¡±


    Hermione gasped. ¡°It was you! That''s your picture on her shop window!¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I met her a month ago and she did everything she could to try and get rid of my scar.¡±


    ¡°Your...¡± Hermione looked at his forehead. ¡°I remember reading all about your lightning bolt scar. It''s supposed to be prominent.¡±


    ¡°It still is.¡± Harry said. ¡°I use a special concealing cream to cover it.¡±


    ¡°She couldn''t heal it?¡± Hermione asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, and she even used a special potion that made me regrow my skin...¡± Harry started to say and Hermione took in a sharp breath. ¡°It didn''t really hurt until it was done and the scar burned itself back into the skin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± Hermione gasped. ¡°I''m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°I''ve hurt worse from one of my cousin''s punches.¡± Harry said and put the broom down on the stack. ¡°Anyway, that''s why my skin is so smooth. Madam Primpernelle said it''s like baby skin.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡± Hermione asked and reached up to touch his face. ¡°Um... can I...¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Harry said and she lightly touched his cheek.


    ¡°It really is baby smooth.¡± Hermione whispered and caressed his cheek for several moments and stopped. ¡°I wish my skin was so nice.¡± She said, wistfully.


    Harry reached up and touched her cheek, then caressed it the same as she did to his. ¡°I think it is.¡±


    Hermione''s face flushed red. ¡°Th-thanks.¡±


    Harry turned when he saw a flash of white in the corner of his eye. ¡°Hedwig! I''m going up to the castle to eat and then I have detention!¡±


    ¡°HOOT!¡± Hedwig said loudly as she swooped by.


    ¡°Oh! I almost forgot! I have to reply to Bertha''s letter.¡±


    ¡°You can write it out while you eat.¡± Hermione said. ¡°I''ll bring it out to Hedwig when you''re done and then head to the library.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Hermione.¡± Harry said and waved to the owl. ¡°Bye, Hedwig!¡±


    ¡°Hoot hoot!¡± Hedwig said and banked sharply, then disappeared between the stands.


    Harry and Hermione went into the castle and to the Great Hall to eat. Harry ate quickly and lightly, because he knew he would be working twice as hard without having the extra time like he had the last two days. He wrote out the letter, mentioning the school, the rat and the wizard, told her about classes and that she was right. He thought about asking her about the ghosts and what to do with them, then decided that he would handle it himself.


    To his surprise, Harry hadn''t seen a single ghost since Professor Binn''s class. He smiled and sealed the letter, handed it to Hermione with another thank you, then ran out of the Great Hall. He didn''t want to be late to report to Mister Filch''s office for detention. He would also have to leave early to get ready for Astronomy class, so showing up early would give him as much time as possible to help clean.


    *


    Hermione left right after Harry and some of the other students breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°It''s all right now, Sir Nicolas.¡± Percy said as he knocked on the table.


    ¡°Is he gone?¡± Sir Nicolas asked as he popped his head up through the table. ¡°Whew, what a relief.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know what he has against ghosts.¡± Ron said and picked up another piece of ham. ¡°He must be a bit mental or something.¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡± Percy said. ¡°Remember what he did to our brothers and didn''t even apologize for?¡±


    Ron nodded. ¡°He thought they were attacking me, though.¡±


    ¡°You set him straight, so that''s all right.¡± Percy said. ¡°I''m glad you''re not associating with him.¡±


    ¡°But... mom said...¡± Ron started to say.


    ¡°She said to try and make friends with him. Did you?¡± Percy asked.


    ¡°Kinda.¡± Ron said. ¡°He''s not really talkative sometimes.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I think Neville''s more of a friend to him than I am.¡±


    ¡°He was too afraid Harry would be angry if he woke him.¡± Neville said.


    ¡°You weren''t?¡± Dean Thomas asked.


    Neville shrugged. He was afraid; but, he knew that Harry wouldn''t hurt him, unlike some of the others. Seamus looked like he had a mean streak, Ron could lash out at random if you weren''t careful, and Dean was muggle-born and Neville didn''t know what his propensity was. He would have to watch him closely to see what he would be like. Ron''s brothers were trouble, even Percy, because if you angered him, he made sure you knew about it.


    They all left the Griffindor table when they were done eating and went back to their common room.


    *


    Harry, Mister Filch, and Missus Norris were just finishing on the second floor when Harry''s alarm went off at thirty minutes to midnight.


    ¡°I have to get to Astronomy class.¡± Harry said with a sigh and handed his things to Filch.


    ¡°Aye, lad.¡± Filch said and took them.


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said.


    ¡°We''ll get more done tomorrow, I promise.¡± Harry said and waved as he left them.


    He took one of the secret staircases that Mister Filch showed him and he was back up to the seventh floor after only two staircases. He said the password to the Fat Lady and ran up to his room, grabbed his book, parchment, and his large telescope. The box was heavy, so he set it down and cast a spell.


    ¡°Locomotor telescope.¡± Harry said and the box floated up to his waist. ¡°I love magic.¡±


    He left the dorm with the box floating just behind him. He went down the secret staircase again to the second floor, jogged halfway across the castle and came to a stop at the bottom of the Astronomy tower. It was then that something occurred to him.


    Why are the first years forced to go to the tops of the towers for classes and to sleep? Harry asked himself. No one complains about it, either. He thought and took his time as he walked up the long set of circular stairs that ran all along the inside of the tower. As far as he could tell, there was nothing else inside the tower, which seemed like an awful waste of space.


    ¡°You''re early, Mister Potter.¡± Professor Aurora Sinistra said as Harry stepped out of the door to the crenellated top of the Astronomy tower. ¡°Most students don''t deem to show up until the class starts.¡±


    Harry checked his timepiece and saw that only ten minutes had passed between him leaving Filch, going to his room to get the telescope, and travelling all the way to the top of the Astronomy tower.


    ¡°I really am early.¡± Harry said. He still had twenty minutes for the class to start. ¡°Should I get set up anyway?¡±


    ¡°You might as well.¡± Aurora said with a chuckle. ¡°You''ll find the fifth crenellation to the left of the door is the best spot for a normal telescope.¡±


    Harry gave her an odd look. ¡°If that''s the normal best spot, where would the best best spot be?¡±


    Aurora chuckled again. ¡°It''s right over here beside me; but, a weak telescope won''t be able to see as much this close to the lights of the main castle.¡±


    Harry smiled and walked over with the box floating behind him. The professor''s eyes widened at the use of the spell that no one would use on anything smaller than a trunk, then Harry ended the spell and opened the box when it landed.


    Aurora gasped when she saw an exact copy of her telescope, one of only three ever made, then Harry tapped it with his wand. It lifted up into the air and deployed its auto-levelling legs, extended out to the same distance as her own, then tilted up and the eye piece popped out into a double eye viewer.


    ¡°You... can''t use... the advanced features.¡± Aurora said, barely above a whisper.


    ¡°It tells me the name of everything I can see, doesn''t it?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°That and more.¡± Aurora said in a defeated tone. ¡°I''ll allow you to use it, as long as you don''t share it. Having one student get all the answers so easily is enough.¡±


    Harry thought about what she said. ¡°I don''t even have to point it in the right direction, do I?¡±


    The woman shook her head. ¡°It''s an expensive magical telescope. You just ask it for what you want to see and it will show it to you.¡±


    Harry let a smile spread across his face. ¡°Thank you for telling me, professor. I promise that I won''t share it during class.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mister Potter.¡± Aurora said in relief and the two of them stood there and waited for the class to start. After a few minutes, she had to ask the question that was burning through her brain. ¡°Why did you buy it?¡±


    ¡°The woman at the emporium thought I couldn''t afford anything and I asked her to show me the best one she had.¡±


    ¡°The last one.¡± Aurora said and he nodded.


    ¡°She said you had one and she had the other.¡± Harry said. ¡°She was shocked when I actually wanted to buy it.¡±


    ¡°So am I.¡± Aurora said and gave him an inquisitive look. ¡°Are you actually interested in Astronomy?¡±


    ¡°No idea.¡± Harry said and her eyes widened.


    ¡°But... you spent...¡±


    ¡°I didn''t want to stand here and wonder if I was seeing the moon or a smudge on the lens.¡± Harry said. ¡°Self cleaning, auto-adjusting, unscratchable, unbreakable, and everything anyone could ever want on a telescope... or anything, really.¡± He said and then smiled. ¡°I can''t wait to learn the spells for myself.¡±


    Aurora opened her mouth to tell him that some of the spells couldn''t be learned in school, when the door to the stairs opened and the nine other Griffindor first years came out carrying their much smaller boxed telescopes.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Hermione exclaimed and came over to him. ¡°I almost thought you weren''t going to make it.¡±


    ¡°I set my alarm for half to midnight.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°That was smart.¡± Hermione said and beamed a smile at him.


    ¡°Don''t forget to change it for the morning again.¡± Neville said and started to set up his old telescope nearby.


    ¡°Thanks, Neville.¡± Harry said and then leaned in close to Hermione. ¡°The best spot to see from is the fifth one from the left of the door.¡± He whispered to her and she jumped.


    ¡°THANKS!¡± Hermione yelled and ran over to the spot. She had her telescope up and pointed before anyone else did.


    Aurora almost laughed at her excitement. ¡°Is everyone set up?¡± She asked and they all nodded. ¡°Tonight, as you can see, the moon is full.¡±


    ¡°Awooo!¡± Dean howled from across the tower and half of the class screamed, boys and girls included, as did the professor.


    ¡°Mister Thomas!¡± Aurora snapped. ¡°That was a horrible thing to do!¡± She glared at the shocked boy. ¡°I''ll be talking to your head of House and I have no doubt she will be deducting points from you.¡±


    ¡°It was just a joke!¡± Dean said. ¡°You know? Full moon. Werewolf. They howl at it.¡±


    ¡°We know all too well about the threat that the werewolves pose to wizards and witches.¡± Aurora said and then she heard several gasps.


    ¡°WEREWOLVES ARE REAL?!?¡± Harry, Hermione, Dean, and Seamus yelled.


    Aurora looked at the shocked faces and let out a sigh. ¡°The first year speeches are lacking in some respects, then.¡± She said. ¡°I will bring it up with the headmaster and let the other teachers know.¡±


    Harry was beyond shocked. Werewolves are real. He thought, then he immediately thought of all the other scary stories that his cousin Dudley had told him to frighten him and the monsters they had. Vampires. Mummies. Zombies. His hands started to shake and he made them into fists. I should have known. He thought as anger filled him. If ghosts are real, then that must mean other things are real. Giants, trolls, gnomes... the list could be endless!


    ¡°For now, please focus your telescopes on the moon and tell me what you see.¡± Aurora said and the class went on as Harry thought about all the horrors that he thought were only stories, were actually real.


    The horrors are real. Harry thought and looked up at the full moon. The monsters are real!

 46 The Truth

    Bertha was beside herself with worry. She read Harry''s letter again and absently pet Hedwig as she did. ¡°That boy seems to find trouble wherever it is.¡± She said and Hedwig gave a soft hoot. ¡°I am glad you stay close to observe.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said and Bertha nodded.


    ¡°His Astronomy class will be starting soon, so you better go.¡± Bertha stood and picked up a small box. ¡°Freshly caught and cleaned.¡± She said and opened it to reveal several mice.


    Hedwig plucked one out with her beak and swallowed it whole. ¡°Hoot hoot.¡±


    ¡°You''re quite welcome.¡± Bertha said and opened her window with her wand. ¡°I''ll be checking into this in the morning.¡±


    Hedwig gave another soft hoot and flew out the window.


    ¡°Sirius Black is innocent.¡± Bertha said as she sat down again and leaned back in her chair. ¡°What a huge bit of gossip!¡± She laughed. ¡°The Ministry will be all abuzz tomorrow.¡± She grabbed several pieces of parchment and started writing. ¡°I guarantee it.¡± She said and smiled wickedly.


    *


    The rest of the Astronomy class passed by and they were given a blank diagram of the moon.


    ¡°I want you to write down some of the main features of the moon and you can pass it in during the week when you''re done.¡± Professor Aurora Sinistra said.


    Both Harry and Hermione quickly wrote out the main features while everyone else was packing up their telescopes. Hermione finished first and handed it back, then Harry handed his in.


    ¡°You didn''t have to rush...¡± Aurora started to say and then saw that everything she had talked about during class was on both sheets. ¡°Five points each to Griffindor.¡± She said with a smile. ¡°Nice work, both of you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Harry and Hermione said together. Hermione went over to her telescope to start packing it up, taking her time, unlike when she set it up. Harry just tapped his with his wand and it folded back down into the box. He cast the Locomotor spell on the box and walked over to Hermione to wait. The other students gave Harry odd looks as they passed and left through the door to go down the stairs.


    ¡°What are they looking at?¡± Harry asked when it was just him and Hermione left.


    ¡°You cast the Locomotor spell on your telescope.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°It''s a bit too heavy and awkward to carry. I tried.¡± Harry said in his defense.


    Hermione smiled. ¡°I think it''s because they wouldn''t waste their time casting it on something that small.¡± She said and picked up hers.


    ¡°I can take that for you.¡± Harry said and pointed to his floating one. ¡°Will that make it seem more believable?¡±


    Hermione chuckled. ¡°Mine will fall off as soon as you move.¡±


    ¡°Naw.¡± Harry cast a sticking charm to the bottom of Hermione''s and placed it on top of his. ¡°There.¡± He tried to move it and it stayed where it was.


    ¡°You have got to teach me that spell!¡± Hermione exclaimed.


    Harry smiled and waved at the tower''s door for Hermione to start walking. ¡°You''re in luck. It''s the next spell I was going to show you in Professor Flitwick''s class tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Hermione said as they entered the curved stairwell together. ¡°You''re a really good teacher.¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°I''m just telling you what I did to get them to work.¡±


    ¡°That''s just it, Harry.¡± Hermione said as they descended the stairs. ¡°I find it so much easier to learn when you do that and explain why you think it works the way it does.¡± She said. ¡°I mean, look at the shield spell you helped me learn! It''s really strong! If you hadn''t told me the secret of imagining what I was protecting, I never would have thought of protecting you and it wouldn''t have worked!¡±


    ¡°M-me?¡± Harry asked, his ears a little red.


    Hermione gasped at letting her reason slip out like that, then she reluctantly nodded. ¡°Yes, I... I imagined I was protecting you from all the whispers and rumors that follow you everywhere.¡±


    Harry felt the impulse to take her hand, so he reached over and carefully slipped his hand into hers. ¡°Thanks, Hermione.¡± He said, his face almost as red as hers was becoming. ¡°Madam Primpernelle and Bertha warned me about it, considering it''s a stupid reason to be famous.¡±


    Hermine couldn''t help but smile at that reasoning and the feeling of his slightly trembling hand in hers. ¡°People should be happy that you lived, not wondering why or trying to worship you.¡±


    ¡°Someone wants to worship me?¡± Harry asked, confused.


    ¡°You stood up to the darkest wizard to have lived in the last century.¡± Hermione said as they continued down the stairs. ¡°Full grown wizards are scared to speak his name, let alone stand against him, and you were just a baby.¡±


    ¡°I doubt I was standing.¡± Harry said, a little cheekily.


    Hermione giggled. ¡°Now I''m imagining you as a little baby standing up to a tall cloaked dark wizard. He curses you and you say ''gooboo goo!'' back at him! Ha ha!¡±


    Harry laughed with her, because that really would have been funny to have happen.


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me.¡± Hermione said and reached into her robes with her free hand and handed Harry several pieces of parchment. ¡°This is everything I could find out about Peter Pettegrew.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡± Harry said. ¡°Thanks, Hermione.¡± He said and tried to hold them up and read the writing with only his free hand.


    ¡°I think you need to let go of my hand to read them.¡± Hermione said with a smile.


    ¡°Oh! Right.¡± Harry said as he let her hand go, his face red again. ¡°I''m sorry I held on for so long.¡±


    ¡°I''m not.¡± Hermione said as they reached the bottom of the stairs, then her face turned red again. ¡°Um... bye!¡± She exclaimed and took off running.


    ¡°What about your...¡± Harry tried to remind her about her telescope, then shrugged. He could give it to her later.


    He used both hands and started to read what Hermione had found out about the rat wizard. It wasn''t much. She had added quotes from back issues of the Daily Prophet, a wizard magazine, and it said how great the young man had been until a mass murderer named Sirius Black had killed him.


    Harry frowned at that. How could he be a mass murderer if he only killed a dozen people and Peter? He shook his head. Wizards don''t understand a lot of things about the normal world. He stopped walking and realized he was doing the same thing. He knew almost nothing of the wizarding world, which meant there was fault on both sides.


    Harry kept walking and reading, disagreeing with a lot of the conclusions that the reporters had come up with. Of course, he was looking back on it with the knowledge that Peter had been alive and must have faked his death, which meant that whoever Sirius Black was, he didn''t kill Peter. Harry flipped the next page and gasped when he saw a list of school students. Hermione had been smart and marked the three names that seemed to jump off the page.


    Sirius Black, Peter Pettegrew, and James Potter. They had been at school together.


    ¡°Potter.¡± Mister Filch said as he came into the hallway during his nightly patrol. ¡°Why aren''t you back in Griffindor Tower yet?¡±


    ¡°Mister Filch!¡± Harry walked over to him. ¡°I was coming from Astronomy class and I was reading this.¡± He said and handed the caretaker the page with the names on it. ¡°You''ve been here all this time, so you must know them.¡±


    ¡°Aye, lad. I do.¡± Filch said and handed the page back. ¡°Right bunch of troublemakers the four of them were.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Harry looked at the page. ¡°Four?¡±


    ¡°Remus Lupin.¡± Filch pointed to the name. ¡°They did a lot of damage over the years they were here.¡±


    ¡°They were friends?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    ¡°The best, even after they left school.¡± Filch said. ¡°You''d be best to ask McGonagall or the headmaster about it. I only saw the bad parts, since I always had to clean up after them.¡±


    Harry almost frowned at asking the headmaster anything, except why he took his money. He took a deep breath and let it out as he pushed that anger aside and concentrated on what was in front of him.


    My father was a troublemaker. Harry thought.


    ¡°If you want to know about your mum...¡±


    ¡°Was she a troublemaker, too?¡± Harry asked, curious.


    ¡°She was smart as a whip and made the four of them calm down the last year or so. I even thanked her once.¡± Filch smiled, which was a rare occurrence. ¡°She might have thought I was joking.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think she did.¡± Harry said. ¡°If she knew what they were like and the extra work you had to do because of them...¡± He smiled. ¡°I''m sure she appreciated it.¡±


    ¡°I''d like to think so.¡± Filch said. ¡°She was friends with a few professors, so ask around if you want. After class. You don''t be bothering them during lessons.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Thanks, Mister Filch.¡±


    ¡°You can thank me by getting to bed.¡± Filch said and pointed at a tapestry hanging nearby. ¡°Now git!¡±


    Harry laughed. ¡°Okay. Say hi to Missus Norris for me.¡± He ducked behind the tapestry and ran through the secret passage that would take him to the hallway with the stairway to Griffindor Tower.

 47 The Potions Master

    The next day passed almost without incident. The entire school was abuzz about Draco Malfoy being recruited and playing on the Slytherin House Quidditch team as a Seeker, because of his flying ability displayed during the flying lesson the day before.


    Harry had the same classes he did for most of the week and they went pretty much the same way, with him doing his own work or helping Hermione learn more basic spells. He was off early and reported to Filch, who was as mean looking as ever; but, Harry knew that was just his public face. When he was cleaning or talking to him and Missus Norris, an occasional smile would appear. They worked well into the night and Missus Norris meowed when it was time for him to get to bed.


    ¡°Thanks, Missus Norris. I forgot to set my alarm.¡± Harry said. ¡°See you both tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°G''night, lad.¡± Filch said.


    ¡°Meow!¡± Missus Norris said and Harry left the fourth floor to go to bed and get some sleep.


    The next morning, he was up and used the cleaning spells on himself, dressed and applied his concealing cream, and dug out the things he needed for Potions class. The book on potion making, the fairly large cauldron, the potions kit, his crystal vials, and his very expensive scales. He looked at the pile and knew he wasn''t going to be able to carry them.


    Harry went into his trunk and moved the extra things from the top of the bookcase and placed his potions things there, putting them within easy reach of the top of the trunk. He nodded and closed the trunk, then paused. If he took his trunk, then the house elves would make his bed and ruin his great nest. He took out some parchment and wrote out a note.


    Dear House Elves, please do not make my bed. I sleep in it this way, since it''s the most comfortable and my bed at home has always been this way. Thanks, Harry Potter.


    Harry thought that would do it and left the note right on the middle of the blankets. He picked up his trunk and saw Neville struggling with his things. The other three boys had left already for breakfast.


    ¡°I can carry them if you want.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Neville turned to look at him. ¡°Oh, hi.¡±


    ¡°I''m taking mine in my trunk.¡± Harry said and put it down and opened it. ¡°I can take yours, too.¡±


    ¡°No, I... I can carry...¡±


    ¡°At least let me take the cauldron.¡± Harry said and held a hand out for it.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Neville handed over the heavy pewter cauldron.


    ¡°I''ll give it back after breakfast if you want to carry it into class on your own.¡±


    Neville smiled. ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡±


    The two of them left the dorm and went down the stairs. A few people whispered and wondered where Harry was going with his trunk. By the time they were in the Great Hall, half of the students thought he had been kicked out or was dropping out.


    ¡°Just... ignore... them.¡± Hermione panted as she sat down with a heavy backpack on her back. ¡°They are saying... the same about me.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t see you in the tower.¡± Harry said and then pointed at her backpack. ¡°I would have taken that for you if I did.¡± He made a hand it over motion. ¡°Come on, let''s have it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± Hermione said and slipped it off her back.


    Harry opened his trunk and slid it in, then closed it. They ate breakfast and talked about what the extra long potions lesson was going to be about.


    ¡°I think we''re doing the most basic potion in the book.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Boil Removal.¡±


    ¡°Blah!¡± Neville said and stuck his tongue out. ¡°I thought a severing charm and a quick healing spell was best for that?¡±


    ¡°Wait, people use the severing charm on themselves?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Neville looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°My nan taught me it, so I can clip my fingernails and toenails.¡± He saw their surprised faces. ¡°What do you use?¡±


    ¡°Nail clippers.¡± Harry and Hermione said together.


    ¡°What are those?¡± Neville asked.


    Hermione took out the small travel pair she always carried, just in case. She showed him how they worked and Neville was absolutely fascinated.


    ¡°Are you sure that''s not magic?¡± Neville asked. ¡°That looked like magic.¡±


    Harry and Hermione held in their laughs.


    ¡°We should probably get to class.¡± Hermione said and put the clippers away. She led Harry and Neville out of the hall and then suddenly there was a bright blue shield dome in front of her and she saw a spell bounce off of it and hit the wall.


    ¡°Impedimentia!¡± Harry said loudly and the shield shimmered as his spell passed through it and hit the running student. The student tripped and slammed onto the floor.


    ¡°WHO is casting spells in the Entrance Hall?¡± Thorfinn Rowle ask as he came out of the Great Hall. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head at the sight of the foot thick dome that covered Harry, Neville, and Hermione. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch it.


    ¡°It was him.¡± Neville said and pointed to the prone form in the hallway.


    ¡°He cast some kind of spell at Hermione.¡± Harry said, anger in his voice. ¡°It hit the wall there.¡±


    Thorfinn looked at the damaged stone and the scorch marks. ¡°That''s either a stinging hex or possibly a weak blast curse.¡± He said and walked over to Draco and picked him up. ¡°Explain yourself.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t do anything!¡± Draco exclaimed.


    ¡°I believe your Head of House will have something to say about you attacking other students in the hallways.¡± Thorfinn said.


    ¡°She''s just a filthy mud-blood!¡± Draco spat. ¡°She shouldn''t even be allowed in the school!¡±


    ¡°You can see her shield from here.¡± Thorfinn said and turned Draco around to show him. ¡°Look at it! Can you do that?¡±


    Draco had an angry look on his face and didn''t say anything.


    ¡°No, you can''t.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°Your pure blood is a bit too intermixed to allow proper magic flow.¡±


    ¡°My parents are NOT related!¡± Draco said angrily.


    ¡°Some of your ancestors were.¡± Thorfinn said, then he sighed. ¡°As were some of mine.¡±


    Draco''s face lost some of the anger.


    ¡°You still attacked a student and you will be facing punishment.¡± Thorfinn said and dragged the boy towards the Great Hall where Professor Snape still ate breakfast.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Neville whispered as they disappeared from sight.


    ¡°Harry, you can drop the shield now.¡± Hermione said and Harry dismissed the shield.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Harry asked.


    Hermione nodded. ¡°Let''s get to class.¡±


    Harry and Neville followed her down the stairs and into the dungeons of the castle.


    ¡°Everything seems so bright and clean down here.¡± Hermione said as she looked around.


    ¡°I''m surprised it''s still this clean.¡± Harry said. ¡°We did it on Monday.¡±


    ¡°This is what you''ve been doing during your cleaning detention?¡± Neville asked, surprised.


    ¡°We''re up to the fourth floor now.¡± Harry said, a little proudly. It was a massive castle and there were a lot of things to clean.


    ¡°I... I thought... you would be dusting the portraits or something.¡± Hermione said as she opened the door to the potions classroom.


    ¡°I do.¡± Harry said as they went inside. ¡°I also polish the wood, the banisters on the stairs, the chair rails, the suits of armor...¡±


    ¡°The armor?¡± Neville asked, surprised. ¡°I thought they were just displays!¡±


    ¡°There''s something wrong with some of them.¡± Harry said and opened his trunk.


    ¡°Some?¡± Hermione asked as Harry passed over her backpack.


    ¡°When you polish certain parts, they laugh.¡± Harry said, his face slightly red.


    Hermione thought about asking, then changed her mind. She was pretty sure she knew what parts he was talking about.


    ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± Neville said as Harry gave him his cauldron.


    ¡°You would think the school would provide these or let us keep them in the classroom.¡± Harry said and took out his own things.


    ¡°They''d be stolen almost immediately or damaged.¡± Hermione said with a sigh and emptied her backpack onto the table beside Harry.


    ¡°It makes me mad that people are so mean for such stupid reasons.¡± Harry said and closed his trunk.


    ¡°You shouldn''t let it bother you that much.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°I know... it''s just... if someone did it to them, they''d be screaming their heads off at how unfair it is, and yet... they do it to other people and think nothing of it.¡± Harry said.


    Hermione had to agree, because as soon as Harry tripped Malfoy, he denied everything and thought that he was the one being treated unfairly.


    They quieted down as the other students came into the class. The rest of the Griffindors and then the Slytherins. The rival tension was high, especially when Draco came into the class with a smile on his face.


    What''s he smiling about? Harry asked himself as the classroom door slammed shut.


    Professor Severus Snape strode to the front of the room. ¡°There will be no foolish wand waving... in... this... class.¡±


    Harry put his hand up immediately.


    ¡°Ah, Mister Potter. Our... resident... celebrity.¡± Severus said. ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean no wand waving for today''s class or for all of your classes?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°All of them.¡± Severus said, a bit sternly.


    ¡°What about the potions that require wandwork? Won''t you be teaching them?¡± Harry asked and silence fell upon the entire class, because he had just contradicted one of the strictest teachers in Hogwarts.


    Severus stared at him for several moments and then spoke as if Harry hadn''t asked him anything. ¡°Most of you won''t believe that this is actually magic.¡± He said. ¡°But, for a select few with the propensity for it... I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame... brew glory... and even... put a stopper... in death.¡±


    Harry sat there and tried to not glare at the teacher.


    ¡°But... it seems that others won''t make it very far in this class.¡± Severus said. ¡°Mister Potter, tell me. What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?¡±


    Harry frowned at the question. He knew he had read about it, because it was something he wanted to do to Dudley.


    ¡°No? Then where would...¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Harry said and furrowed his brow. ¡°I know this.¡± He thought back to reading the potions book and smiled. ¡°It''s the Draft of the Dead, isn''t it?¡±


    Hermione caught her breath and whispered. ¡°So close.¡±


    Severus looked a little mean for a second, then his face went blank again. ¡°Five points from Griffindor for interrupting a teacher.¡± He said. ¡°Now, where would you look if I asked you to find a bezoar?¡±


    ¡°A sheep''s stomach.¡± Harry said right away. ¡°It''s a cure for nearly all poisons.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Hermione asked before she could stop herself.


    ¡°The healers sent me one when I told them of all the food that a few random people that weren''t from the hospital were sending me.¡± Harry said and took it out of his pocket. ¡°I keep it on me all the time, especially here at school.¡± He said and looked at Severus. ¡°You never know who might poison you or when.¡±


    Severus walked over to Harry''s desk and the room was deathly silent. ¡°What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?¡±


    ¡°There is none. It''s the same plant.¡± Harry said and put the bezoar stone away. ¡°I looked it up in One Thousand Herbs and Fungi after Astrology class when I found out that werewolves were real.¡±


    Severus squinted his eyes a little, then looked at the things on Harry''s desk. He hadn''t noticed them from the front of the room. Now that he was right next to them, he saw the brand new expensive crystal vials, the most expensive set of scales on the market that even pure blood families would balk at, and the full potions kit that none of the first year students bothered buying, because they could get the ingredients at the school from his stores cupboard.


    Harry saw the man eyeing his things and he stopped himself from smiling. He knew buying the most expensive items for school was a great idea and this was the second teacher that he had surprised with them.


    ¡°Everyone, copy down the recipe on the board.¡± Severus said as he turned away from Harry''s desk with and swish of his cloak. He tapped the board with his wand and Harry saw the same effect, where it looked like the writing was being written as it was revealed.


    I need to learn that spell somehow. Harry thought and wrote out the potion recipe for the Boil Cure.

 48 The Mess

    The Ministry was in an uproar.


    For some reason, everyone in the building, from the maintenance men right up to the Minister of Magic, knew that Peter Pettegrew had faked his death and was a death eater. He wasn''t suspected of being one, he was one. His had the dark mark on his arm and that had shocked everyone, almost as much as discovering that Sirius Black, the man who was sent to prison for Peter''s death, was innocent.


    Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge sat in his office and wondered what he was going to do. He knew that Sirius Black had been sent to Azkaban prison without a trial, since he was one of the arresting wizards and had delivered him there under the previous Minister''s and the Chief Warlock''s orders. With a smile, he knew that would be his saving grace from punishment, so he prepared the proper memories and pulled them out and bottled them.


    Now that his ass was covered, Fudge started to work on how he was going to mitigate the political fallout of having an innocent wizard be incarcerated and essentially tortured for ten years. Reparations would be in order, hopefully just a token amount, and Black would probably sign anything to get himself out of prison, including an extended stay in St. Mungos to deal with his health and mental state.


    Yes, that''s the way to go. Fudge thought and started the paperwork for getting Sirius released and under an immediate mental and physical examination to ensure that he would be returned to health as soon as possible. He''ll also be out of the way for a bit, and away from the press, and the Ministry will be seen as proactively doing something about it. He thought in satisfaction.


    *


    Bertha Jorkins had a perpetual smile on her face as she walked around the Ministry building. All the little bees buzzing around is so nice. She thought, happily. I''m so glad that my efforts weren''t in vain!


    ¡°Bertha!¡± A woman''s voice cut through the background voices in the hallway.


    ¡°Hello, Amelia.¡± Bertha said as she came to a stop. ¡°I hope everything is all right.¡±


    ¡°Are you seeing this place?¡± Amelia Bones asked and waved at the chaos around them.


    ¡°Great, isn''t it?¡± Bertha responded. ¡°One little tidbit of information and then so much chaos!¡±


    ¡°You old gossip monger!¡± Amelia chuckled. ¡°I knew you''d get a kick out of this.¡±


    Bertha smiled and hooked her arm through Amelia''s and started walking again. ¡°Thank you for telling me about finding the dark mark on Pettegrew.¡±


    ¡°You went to school with him, so I thought I better let you know.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I know you had a thing for his friend, Potter.¡±


    Bertha chuckled. ¡°Now I''m pen pals with his son and visited him a few times.¡±


    Amelia looked a little surprised, then she smiled. ¡°I hope you''ve been teaching him some good things.¡±


    ¡°He sucks up spells like a sponge.¡± Bertha said, a little proudly. ¡°He also won''t stop practising them until he can cast them perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Always good qualities to have in a wizard.¡± Amelia said. ¡°How are his school lessons shaping up?¡±


    ¡°He transfigured his match on the first try and now he can do an entire box without taking them out.¡±


    ¡°In less than a week?¡± Amelia asked, impressed.


    ¡°He can also do three forms of Lumos and the Locomotor spell.¡± Bertha said.


    ¡°Are you grooming him for a Ministry position?¡± Amelia asked, her grin huge. ¡°If not, I''ll take him in the Auror''s office.¡±


    Bertha chuckled. ¡°You''re assuming he''ll pass his NEWTs already!¡±


    ¡°Aren''t you?¡± Amelia asked, then both women laughed and agreed to try and shepherd Harry along as much as they could. They ignored the hubbub around them because it was from their own making. They knew that some of the old curmudgeons needed a little excitement every few years or they would get too stagnant and complacent in their lives.


    *


    Albus sat in his nice office and stared at the thick letter of ''accounts receivable'' he had been given from the goblins at Gringotts bank. It listed all of the purchases that had been taken from Harry Potter''s vault over the years and even he hadn''t realized how much the school... namely him... had been using the boy''s money as if it was an endless piggy bank. That wasn''t the worst part, though.


    It was a demand to pay it all back, with interest.


    They forgave seven years of tuition, thank Merlin. Albus thought as he read through the list. He hadn''t really planned for Harry to be in school for that long, however. No, he knew that certain events had to transpire in order for Harry to be prepared to face Voldemort and to deal with the problem, once and for all. That was years away and now he had to gather up some of his own funds to pay Harry back.


    He wasn''t sure where he was going to get the money for all of the scholarships that he had promised certain families for their continued support; but, he had a year to figure that out. He glanced at the phoenix nest at the side of his office and smiled at the discarded feathers as his friend molted.


    Perhaps it will be easier than I thought to raise the money. Albus thought. Phoenix feathers were highly desirable wand core components and also expensive potion ingredients. A discrete call to Mundungus should alleviate some of my immediate concerns.


    Albus wrote out a reply to the goblins and gave them permission to take the gold from his personal vault to repay Harry and not from the school''s vaults, that way they would know he wasn''t apologizing for the original act and was only paying for it. Goblins were a little weird when it came to things like that.


    *


    Severus Snape was in a snit. He didn''t let it show, however. He was much too controlled for that. He had watched and listened all week, and he was very good at it. The object of his attention was none other than Harry Potter. His outbursts in the Great Hall were very fitting for the way his father had acted and he expected the boy to be just as dense and full of himself. He had waited all week to get him into his class and to knock the arrogant boy down a peg or two.


    Unfortunately, that wasn''t what happened.


    In fact, the questions he had prepared had been easily if slightly inaccurately answered. He had been so surprised by how close the Draft of the Dead answer had been to the real one, Draught of Living Death, that he had forgotten to correct the boy. His two follow up questions had been easily answered as well. Even Harry''s explanation of knowing wolfsbane and monkshood are the same plant because he looked it up, made his normal answer that much better.


    For the Potions class, he had set the students in pairs, keeping the Slytherins and Griffindors separated, and had paired Harry with the bumbling Neville, sure that their potion would be either ruined or cause a mess so profound that he could either vanish the contents or dock points from their House for incompetence. Instead, their potion was the first one completed, thanks to those expensive auto-levelling scales to measure out the right portions for the ingredients.


    Harry had also been whispering to the bushy haired girl to help her with hers, all while trying not to get noticed by him.


    As if I can''t see everything within my domain. Severus thought. ¡°Time is up! Everyone fill a vial with your potion, no matter what state it is in, and bring it up to my desk.¡± He glared at everyone. ¡°It will be... marked accordingly.¡±


    Everyone did up a vial and Severus noticed that all of them, even the pure blood students, used the cheapest glass vials that could be purchased... all except Harry''s. His shiny crystal vial stood out like a diamond in the rough as it was slipped into the large box on the desk.


    Snape saw his chance and did a little swipe of his wand and made the vial jump out of the box and fall to the stone floor. ¡°Careful there, Potter!¡± He said as the crystal clinked onto the stone floor. ¡°It seems that your clumsiness has...¡± He stopped talking when he looked down at the vial.


    ¡°It''s all right.¡± Harry said and turned back to pick up the completely intact vial with his wand hand. ¡°It''s unbreakable. I wouldn''t trust a simple vial to hold a potion.¡± He put it back in the box and applied a silent sticking charm to the bottom of it, thanks to the end of his wand sticking out the end of his sleeve. ¡°I would like it back after you mark it, since it was so expensive.¡± He smiled at the professor and then walked back to his desk.


    All of the other students stared at him and then kept staring as he enlarged a crystal vial, dumped the entire cauldron of potion into it, then shrunk it again. He corked it and slipped it into his pocket, used a cleaning spell to clear the residue from the cauldron, then he gathered everything and put it into his trunk. Hermione handed him her large backpack and he put that into his trunk as well, then they were all surprised when Neville gave him his things, too.


    Harry picked up the trunk by the handle, as if it weighed nothing, and waited.


    Severus opened his mouth to say something about what he just saw, then the bell rang and everyone filed out of the classroom. He sat down at his desk and looked at the box of vials he had to grade and sighed. It was a chore to do it and he would leave it for after class that afternoon.


    He had no idea that his snit would become full blown anger when he tried to mark Harry''s potion later that night. The sticking charm would lift the box and spill every other vial onto the floor and smash them.

 49 The Meeting

    Bokuboy


    Filch was very surprised when Harry Potter showed up at his office just after lunch. ¡°Are you daft, lad?¡± He asked. ¡°You should be with your friends and not volunteering for more detention on your afternoon off.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to make up for the time I missed on Wednesday.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said and rubbed her side on Harry''s leg.


    ¡°Yep, completely daft.¡± Filch shook his head and retrieved their cleaning things.


    ¡°I''ve got Hermione looking up something else for me in the library and Neville''s trying to help her.¡± Harry said. ¡°He''s actually trying to avoid getting picked on, so they both benefit.¡±


    ¡°I miss being able to string bullies up by their ankles.¡± Filch said and handed Harry his mop. ¡°The screams always lulled me to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I''d love to see Dudley and his friends like that!¡± Harry laughed and took the big bucket, added the special soap and a bit of water, stirred it, then used the refilling charm to fill it. ¡°It''s just too bad I''m not allowed outside during the summer.¡± He said and then sighed. ¡°Not that it matters. I can''t use magic outside the house anyway.¡±


    Filch gave him an odd look for a moment, then grunted. ¡°It''s no big loss, is it?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry looked at the older man as they walked towards the stairs.


    ¡°You''ve been without magic fer years, right?¡± Filch asked and he nodded. ¡°Why be sad that you can''t do it?¡±


    ¡°But... it''s magic.¡± Harry said, a little confused.


    ¡°What did you do before you turned eleven? Jump around and hoped that you could do magic?¡± Filch laughed and bitterly recalled his own time doing just that, and how it had ended. ¡°You''ll be fine, lad. A couple months off will let you relax, assuming you can git something done about your cupboard.¡±


    ¡°Get something done about it?¡± Harry asked, curious.


    ¡°I distinctly remember someone saying something about getting his normal trunk enchanted into a room.¡± Filch said as they came out of the stairwell onto the fifth floor.


    Harry came to a stop and stared at the old man with his mouth wide open.


    ¡°You look like I just kicked you in the balls, lad!¡± Filch cackled a laugh and Missus Norris meowed her own amusement.


    Harry closed his mouth and laughed. ¡°You''ve done it before!¡±


    Filch nodded and put up the sign to close off the hallway to students. ¡°I''m not allowed to do that as punishment anymore, either.¡± He said, almost wistfully.


    Harry laughed and Missus Norris meowed her amusement again. They got to cleaning and worked, and worked, and worked some more.


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said.


    ¡°That''s supper, lad.¡± Filch said.


    ¡°I''ve still got some sandwiches left.¡± Harry said and leaned his mop on the bucket. ¡°If you want to stay here and share, that is.¡± He took out the big box and enlarged it. ¡°I might get a few more days out of it.¡± He chuckled and took a bite from a yellow sandwich. ¡°Egg salad and mayonnaise.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if there''s a good boar or even a stag sandwich.¡± Filch said and looked at Missus Norris. ¡°Another tuna fish for you?¡±


    ¡°Meow!¡± Missus Norris enthusiastically agreed and he opened one for her.


    ¡°I''ll try this thick brownish one.¡± Filch said and took a bite. ¡°Ah, shepherd''s pie. Good enough.¡±


    The three of them sat there and ate their sandwiches in silence.


    *


    ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Minerva McGonagall said as she read the letter sent to her by private owl post. ¡°Why would Amelia Bones wish to speak to Harry?¡± She asked herself and read the letter again. She thought about the things that had happened all week and her mind locked onto Peter Pettegrew. ¡°Oh, dear.¡±


    She seriously considered denying the request, in case Amelia tried to bring up all the horrible things that had happened ten years ago, then she sighed. She had to assume he knew some of it, considering his aunt raised him, so she wrote an acceptance note. The owl took it and flew out the window.


    I just hope this isn''t a mistake. Minerva thought.


    *


    Amelia handed the note to Bertha half an hour later across the little tea table. ¡°You were right, Bertha. She agreed and I''ll be allowed to see him tomorrow.¡±


    Bertha nodded and sipped her tea. ¡°McGonagall considers the good and the bad and she knows that if there''s anything bad, you''ll be able to handle it. You are the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, after all.¡±


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°You want me to tell Harry about Pettegrew.¡±


    ¡°If you don''t, I''ll whisk him away next weekend and tell him myself.¡± Bertha chuckled. ¡°I think Sirius will be out and in St. Mungo''s by then as well.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°I know Fudge is getting ahead of the political fallout from this; but, I''m not going to complain. He''s already sent the missive that it really was the gas main that killed the dozen muggles, just like the muggle newspaper had reported it.¡±


    ¡°I''m not going to complain, either.¡± Bertha said. ¡°I can''t wait to talk to Sirius, though.¡±


    Amelia laughed. ¡°Don''t you dare badger that poor man. He''s been through enough the last ten years and he doesn''t need a human Dementor to hound him, too!¡±


    ¡°Bwahaha!¡± Bertha laughed and tears came to her eyes. ¡°That''s a good one! Human Dementor!¡±


    ¡°I thought you''d like that.¡± Amelia said and handed Bertha a tissue.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Bertha said and dabbed her eyes. ¡°Don''t forget to give Harry the next preliminary test.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°We need to keep an eye on how much magic that boy can channel.¡± She said. ¡°Did you get the copy of the reports filed by the ghosts with the Spirit Division in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?¡±


    Bertha smiled and reached into her purse and pulled out the stack. ¡°The last one from Sir Porpington was an eye opener, wasn''t it?¡± She asked and flipped through it.


    ¡°I think the one from Binns was more interesting.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Even after that, Professor Binns still doesn''t know he''s a ghost.¡±


    Bertha laughed. ¡°Poor man was so boring in life that even his death was boring and his spirit continued on.¡± She tapped the report in front of her. ¡°The light from Harry''s Depulso beam was so strong that it burned a hole right through the enchanted ceiling and it took half an hour to fill back in.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°He knocked Sir Nicholas right out of the castle with that one.¡±


    ¡°He actually bounced off of the protective enchantments that surround the castle.¡± Bertha said and closed the report. ¡°That''s amazing for just a push spell.¡±


    ¡°It''s absolutely astonishing for a young boy of eleven.¡± Amelia said. ¡°His concentration and emotion must have been through the roof.¡±


    ¡°So was Sir Nicholas!¡± Bertha said and both women laughed for several moments, then they calmed down.


    ¡°I''ll try my best to give him a good overview of things, like we discussed.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I just hope he can accept my words for what they are.¡±


    ¡°You could take a bit of Viritasirum.¡± Bertha said.


    Amelia huffed. ¡°The boy probably won''t trust that''s what it actually is.¡±


    Bertha smiled and nodded. ¡°Then you need to convince him another way.¡±


    Amelia gave her an inquisitive look. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°It''s simple really.¡± Bertha said. ¡°I''ve become a friend he can trust and depend on; but, I can''t be a figure that he can respect and look up to.¡±


    ¡°I don''t understand.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°I want you to do what Minerva McGonagall should have done.¡± Bertha said. ¡°As soon as you see him, I want you to swoop in and hug that boy as tightly as you can, praise him for being so smart and brave, then tell him he needs to act more manly and not cause so many scenes in the Great Hall.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Amelia looked at her in confusion.


    Bertha put the reports away and put her tea cup down, then reached across the table and took Amelia''s hand. ¡°I want you to assume the role of a mother figure for him.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?!?¡± Amelia asked, shocked.


    Bertha laughed and pat the hand she held. ¡°I don''t want you to adopt him or anything. You have enough on your plate raising your niece, Susan.¡±


    Amelia nodded. She had lost nearly her entire family ten years ago and raised Susan as if she were her own daughter. She was very glad to have her in her life, since she was all she had.


    ¡°I just want you to be the mother authority figure.¡± Bertha said. ¡°I''ve been looking into his home life after the several long talks we had, and that woman... his aunt...¡± Bertha almost spat the word. ¡°...treated him like a house elf.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Amelia sat up strait and her hand twitched to grab her wand as if she was in a duel.


    ¡°I felt the same way when I heard about it, my dear friend.¡± Bertha said.


    ¡°Treating a child like that when we shouldn''t be treating house elves like that...¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°You should have told me that first.¡± She looked at her years long friend. ¡°I am going to smother that boy with as much affection as he''ll let me.¡±


    Bertha smiled a happy smile. ¡°I knew you were the right woman to ask.¡±


    Amelia nodded and sat back. She picked up her cup of tea and took a sip.


    ¡°I wonder what Susan''s up to tomorrow?¡± Bertha asked, innocently.


    ¡°Don''t even think about it.¡± Amelia gave her a glare. ¡°She''s only eleven.¡±


    ¡°So is Harry.¡± Bertha said. ¡°I''m sure they have a few classes together, too.¡±


    Amelia sighed. ¡°Do you want me to talk to her?¡±


    Bertha shook her head. ¡°No, you are right. They are both a bit too young for a budding romance.¡±


    ¡°That''s a relief.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I suppose they could be friends if we can be careful about the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Hufflepuffs are noted for having long lasting friendships.¡± Bertha said to her and Amelia nodded. Not only was she referring to their friendship that had lasted years, she meant that if Susan and Harry could become friends, then they would be friends for a very long time.


    Amelia put down her cup. ¡°Thank you for the tea.¡± She said and stood. ¡°I think I need to send another personal letter to the school.¡±


    Bertha watched her friend leave the room and smiled.

 50 The Weekend Part One

    Bokuboy


    ¡°What do you mean I can''t help you clean on the weekends?¡± Harry asked, completely confused. ¡°I thought I had detention?¡±


    ¡°You still do, lad.¡± Filch said and tried to let the boy down easily. ¡°Weekends are off times for both students and teachers. They can only assign punishments for during the week.¡±


    ¡°Me-oow.¡± Missus Norris said, also a little upset.


    ¡°Can I help anyway?¡± Harry asked. ¡°I don''t have any homework to do.¡±


    ¡°Meow! Meow!¡± Missus Norris heartily agreed that was a good idea.


    Filch looked like he was going to give in and agree as well, when Minerva McGonagall strode down the hallway.


    ¡°There you are, Mister Potter.¡± Minerva said. ¡°Why weren''t you at breakfast?¡±


    ¡°I came here for detention.¡± Harry said, hoping that she would agree and let him stay.


    ¡°Detention?¡± Minerva looked at Filch with a stern glare. ¡°Only the evenings during weekdays can be enforced as detention.¡±


    ¡°That''s what I was telling him just before you walked up, Professor.¡±


    ¡°Meow!¡± Missus Norris said.


    Minerva nodded. ¡°Good, because someone is coming here to see you, Mister Potter.¡±


    ¡°Me? Who would come and see me?¡± Harry asked, surprised. ¡°Oh! Is it Bertha? I sent her a letter this morning.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s not Miss Jorkins.¡± Minerva said and managed to squash her curiosity over how that relationship started, considering she was a couple years older than Harry''s dead parents. ¡°She''s someone that''s quite an influence at the Ministry.¡± She waggled her hand at him. ¡°Come along now.¡±


    Harry resisted for a moment. He seriously thought about asking if he could help clean on his own and not as part of detention, then realized if he did that, the professor would know he enjoyed it and it wasn''t a punishment at all. He nodded and Minerva smiled and started to walk away.


    ¡°I''ll come back later.¡± Harry whispered to Mister Filch and Missus Norris.


    Filch gave him a rare smile and Missus Norris twitched her whiskers at him.


    Harry followed the stern professor back up to the first floor and into the Entrance Hall. He thought about who wanted to see him and could only think of two women, Madam Malkin and Madam Primpernelle. He didn''t know why they would come and visit, though. They had answered his letters and didn''t say anything about coming. Madam Malkin loved his portrait and it was a huge draw for her shop and Madam Primpernelle had told him not to worry about his eyesight until it started to change.


    The large oak doors of the castle opened up just then and another stern looking woman stood there. She wore Auror''s robes and had a kind of square jaw. She was a good looking woman, had Harry been old enough to care about it, and he saw that she was quite a bit younger looking than Bertha. If anything, she could have been just about the right age to have a child Harry''s age.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Amelia exclaimed when her eyes saw the boy next to McGonagall and her heart was filled with emotions. To her own surprise, she felt like she had to do what Bertha had told her to do. She strode into the Entrance Hall and walked right over to him with a huge smile on her face, then she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.


    Harry was too surprised by the unexpected hug to react and his face was pushed right between the woman''s breasts as her combat robes allowed the close and intimate contact. They were designed to harden with impact and not for gentle hugs, so his face felt like it was being cushioned on both sides. Minerva McGonagall''s mouth was slightly open in surprise as she watched the unexpected display of affection.


    ¡°Oh, Harry.¡± Amelia whispered and pet his hair. ¡°I''m so sorry for all the things you''ve had to go through this week.¡± She said and eased her hold on him, just so she wasn''t smothering the boy. ¡°I commend you on handling it to the best of your ability.¡±


    ¡°Th-thanks.¡± Harry said, his face a little red. ¡°Um... who are you?¡±


    Amelia laughed and let go of him entirely. ¡°I see the teachers are still filled with secrets and don''t inform the students of essential information.¡± She said and saw the agreement on Harry''s face. She thought about kneeling to put her head near the same height and then discarded that idea. ¡°My name is Amelia Bones and I am very good friends with Bertha Jorkins.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Harry said and then smiled. ¡°It''s nice to meet you.¡± He held a hand out for her to shake.


    Amelia chuckled and took the hand to shake it. ¡°I''d rather a hug as a proper greeting, if that''s all right.¡± She said and let his hand go. ¡°Please, walk with me. We have some things to discuss.¡±


    Harry didn''t even turn his head to look at Professor McGonagall for permission and Amelia completely understood what Bertha had meant. She put a hand on Harry''s shoulder and they started walking back out through the large open doors.


    ¡°It''s all right if you''re a bit uncomfortable.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Even if I am the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, we only just met and...¡±


    ¡°If Bertha sent you, there was a reason.¡± Harry said. ¡°She doesn''t do anything for no reason.¡±


    ¡°That is so true.¡± Amelia chuckled. ¡°She''s actually quite the nosy woman.¡±


    Harry looked up at her face to see the emotions there and felt relief, because she was smiling and not scowling, which meant she thought it was a good thing and not bad.


    ¡°She''s very easy to talk to and can make someone spill all of their secrets with a laugh and a pat on the arm.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I think she''s either an accomplished Legilimens or she''s just so nice that you can''t help but trust her and tell her everything.¡±


    ¡°Legilimens?¡± Harry asked. ¡°That can be done to people, too?¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°If one is clear of mind and powerful enough, they can silently cast the spell and get a peek into your mind.¡±


    Harry thought about the several times the headmaster and Professor Snape gave him pointed stares and automatically made the association that that was what they were doing to him.


    ¡°How do I stop it from happening?¡± Harry asked.


    Amelia was surprised that he hadn''t asked who could be powerful enough in the school to do it and instead asked how to stop it. ¡°You know the headmaster does it.¡± She concluded correctly.


    ¡°Professor Snape, too.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''ve only noticed it being done to me, though.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°That''s because they are trying to determine who you are inside.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Harry asked as they reached the gates of the school.


    Amelia touched the gates with her wand and they swung open. ¡°Are you good? Bad? Angry? Sad? Vengeful? Remorseful?¡±


    ¡°We''re leaving the school?¡± Harry asked, not really concerned.


    ¡°Yes, is that all right?¡± Amelia asked and Harry shrugged. ¡°That requires a yes or no answer, young man.¡±


    Harry straightened his back. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Amelia smiled and stopped him just outside the gates as they closed. ¡°We''re apparating to my home for tea and crumpets.¡± She said and Harry knew just what to do. He moved close and put an arm around her waist under her robes and held on. ¡°Very good, Harry.¡± She said, impressed that he knew the best side-along position, then she caught her breath when he ''shared'' his magic with her to help as a side-along apparator.


    It was the easiest apparating Amelia had ever done to get to her living room. It was like space itself accepted them and let them step through, rather than suck them in and spit them out like it usually did. She hadn''t felt it like that and before she could recover from the sensation, she caught her breath again when Harry stopped helping and let her waist go.


    That was interesting. Amelia thought and then smiled. ¡°I hope you didn''t have too much for breakfast.¡± She said and motioned to the table that was covered in several different kinds of desserts, pastries, and teas.


    ¡°I haven''t eaten yet.¡± Harry said, to her delight.


    ¡°Then please, have a seat. We have a lot to talk about.¡± Amelia said and they sat down together on the couch, side by side, and they both picked up several different kinds of desserts to add to a small plate, then chose cups of tea. ¡°Before you ask, I do not own a house elf. Made everything myself, including the teas.¡±


    Harry looked at her in surprise and then he frowned a little. ¡°I''ve seen them trying to make my bed at Hogwarts.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Amelia asked, surprised. That was against Hogwarts rules for house elves. They were to cook in the kitchens and clean the dormitories, because Filch wasn''t allowed into the sleeping areas of the students to do it himself. People could easily accept a house elf cleaning a child''s room. If they thought the cranky old man was the one doing it, there would be an uproar, especially from the parents of the female students.


    ¡°I put my immovable trunk on my nest of blankets and they couldn''t move it.¡± Harry said, then he smiled as he remembered them tumbling over it and onto the floor. ¡°When I had to take my trunk to Potions class, I left them a note and asked them to not touch my bed because I like it that way.¡±


    Amelia steeled her face and did her best to hide her consternation that Harry still needed to sleep in the same nest as he did at home. ¡°What happened after potions class?¡± She asked instead of asking why he wouldn''t sleep in the normal bed.


    ¡°There was a pile of mints left in the middle of the nest for all the days that they couldn''t make the bed and leave one on the pillow.¡± Harry said with a smile and took out the note. ¡°I could barely read this.¡±


    Amelia took the note and almost laughed. It was a poorly written thank you note for letting them complete their jobs and for not getting them in trouble for seeing them.


    ¡°It seems you''ve made a few more friends without realizing it.¡± Amelia said and he nodded. ¡°Good for you.¡± She took a sip of tea.


    ¡°Are you going to cast preservation spells on all of this?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I already have, as each batch was made. I knew they would need to last for a long time.¡± Amelia chuckled. ¡°I don''t get a lot of free time to bake, so I never throw away anything when I do.¡±


    Harry nodded agreement, because he did the same thing with all the food he had received from the owl post deliveries. In fact, he had been slipping dishes away from each meal he attended at the castle and cast preservation spells on them to rebuild his stock of food that had been stolen. He knew he wasn''t going to have much to eat during the summer and wanted to make sure that he had enough food to last him for two months.


    Amelia took a bite of a crumpet and sighed. She loved her dear sister''s recipe and made it whenever she could. ¡°Now on to serious matters.¡± She said, then she almost laughed at her unintended pun. ¡°It concerns the rat Missus Norris discovered at Hogwarts.¡±


    ¡°Peter Pettegrew.¡± Harry said and thought about not revealing what he knew, then looked at the woman and remembered she was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. ¡°This is all I know.¡± He said and took out the sheets of parchment that Hermione had given him. Amelia put her tea down and took the sheets. Her eyes widened at the information, especially the student list and marking the appropriate names. ¡°You''ve done some great research here.¡±


    ¡°It was my friend Hermione, actually.¡± Harry said. ¡°I was in detention.¡±


    ¡°Filch?¡± Amelia asked and Harry nodded. ¡°You''ve been scrubbing the floors all week?¡±


    ¡°We''re up to the fifth floor.¡± Harry said. ¡°I thought we were going to finish it today, actually.¡±


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°They didn''t tell you it takes a special order to give detention on the weekend or you have to have done something particularly nasty?¡±


    ¡°The Weasley twins have had weekend detentions a lot and I thought I did, too.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°They must have pissed Filch off early on to gain his ire and get detentions on the weekends.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I bet they''re pranksters and cause lots of messes?¡±


    Harry nodded and she nodded in return.


    ¡°If there''s one thing he hates, it''s causing messes inside the castle.¡± Amelia said. ¡°He works very hard to keep it clean with all those people inside.¡± She reached over and touched his shoulder, then gave it a squeeze. ¡°You would know all about that, wouldn''t you?¡±


    Harry nodded again, because he cleaned the Dursley''s house for years and it was always messy.


    ¡°With this information, I see the holes I need to fill in to give you the whole picture.¡± Amelia said and spread the papers out. ¡°These comments that Peter was a great student are rubbish. He barely got ''Acceptable'' in most of his courses.¡±


    Harry''s eyes widened and Amelia knew she had chosen the right track to follow.


    ¡°Next, he wasn''t quite friends with your father.¡±


    ¡°He wasn''t?¡± Harry asked, a bit surprised.


    ¡°He kind of latched onto the popular boys, James and Sirius.¡± Amelia tapped their names. ¡°Remus was a hanger on as well, barely spoke, and went along with everything the two troublemakers did.¡±


    Harry blinked his eyes as she moved her finger over the list of names and stopped to tap on another one. It was her own. ¡°You were there!¡± He exclaimed.


    Amelia nodded and sat back as she picked up her tea and took a sip. She let him stew with that for a moment, then she wasn''t surprised when he mirrored her and picked up his own tea as he sat back and inched closer to her.


    ¡°Will you tell me about it?¡± Harry asked and took a sip.


    ¡°That''s why I brought you here to my home, Harry.¡± Amelia smiled as he turned his head to look at her with rapt attention and then she started to talk.

 51 The Weekend Part Two

    Amelia spent several hours talking to Harry about his father, his mother, and to his surprise, his Godfather Sirius Black. It all tied back into a discussion of Peter Pettegrew and Harry was very, very glad that the nasty little rat wizard was dead. Peter had ruined Harry''s family, Harry''s happy life that he could have had, and now he was stuck living with his aunt and uncle that hated him.


    At some point while they talked, Amelia''s arm had made its way across his shoulders and held him firmly and gently, half in a hug, and both Harry and Amelia liked how that felt. They talked about important things, not so important things, and then about stupid and funny things. Amelia was once again surprised when she discovered that Harry actually had a good sense of humor and could laugh, even with the home life he had.


    Amelia thought about how he was practically ostracized at school for being famous and how he was talked about all the time. Most of it was good, some of it was bad, and some of it was ridiculous. She couldn''t really do anything about it, either. If she showed up at the school and declared rumors about Harry to be off limits, all it would do is spark even more rumors about him and possibly her.


    The price of fame that is thrust upon you can be expensive. Amelia thought with melancholy and her eyes caught sight of the clock across the room. ¡°Oh, I see it''s almost lunchtime.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Harry turned his head away from her to look. ¡°We''ve been here all morning?¡±


    Amelia chuckled and Harry liked the sound. ¡°Times passes quickly when you enjoy someone''s company.¡± She said and let out a sigh as she had to let his shoulders go to stand up. ¡°Would you care to join me for lunch in Hogsmeade?¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Harry asked, because he hadn''t heard that word before.


    ¡°It''s the village just outside of the Hogwarts grounds where the train stops.¡± Amelia said and waved her wand to make the teas and desserts disappear back to storage. ¡°There''s not really a restaurant or anything. The Three Broomsticks is a bar that serves food.¡±


    ¡°Like the Leaky Cauldron?¡± Harry asked and she nodded. ¡°Is the food good?¡±


    ¡°It depends on what you want.¡± Amelia said with a chuckle. ¡°I''m sure Madam Rosmerta will have something that a growing boy will like.¡±


    Harry nodded and stood up as well. He had to stretch a little after sitting for so long and not really moving. ¡°Are we apparating again?¡±


    ¡°In a minute.¡± Amelia said and picked up something that looked like a jewellery box. ¡°I want to apologize for this before I show you what''s inside.¡±


    ¡°Apologize?¡± Harry asked, confused.


    ¡°Bertha asked me to see for myself what you would do if you saw this.¡± Amelia said and put the box on the table. She took out a magic detection device, hit the button, then opened the box with a flick of her wand.


    ¡°AHH!¡± Harry yelled as a ghost popped out, almost like a jack-in-the-box, then his face went angry and his wand was suddenly in his hand. ¡°Exorcizantur Exspiravit!¡± He said loudly.


    Instead of the beam of white light and the Depulso spell that Amelia had expected and wanted to measure, Harry''s wand shot out a ball of white light that engulfed the spirit. It let out an ungodly howl as it shrivelled and sunk in on itself, then with a little pop it completely disappeared.


    Harry stood there and panted a little, recovering from the fright and the magic usage from such a strong spell. Hermione''s after school research had just paid off. Amelia stood there and stared at the spot where the ghost used to be. The thing in Amelia''s hand shook to tell her it was done and she looked at the result. Or maybe it was her hand that shook.


    ¡°Th-thank you, Harry.¡± Amelia said as shock and surprise filled her mind and face. She didn''t think it was possible for a child to have emotions that strong or to be able to channel so much magic into a single spell.


    ¡°That was a test?¡± Harry asked and put his wand back up his sleeve.


    ¡°Yes, and...¡± Amelia put the magic device away. ¡°You did very well. Congratulations.¡±


    Harry took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°You scared me.¡±


    Amelia walked over to him and gave him a hug. ¡°Now you know why I said I wanted to apologize first.¡± She said and held him tightly. ¡°Your reaction was almost instantaneous and your spell was powerful, even frightened like you were.¡± She eased her hold and looked down at his face. ¡°Or perhaps that was why it was powerful.¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°I was angry, not scared.¡± He said. ¡°Whatever is keeping them here needs to be stopped. Ghosts shouldn''t exist.¡±


    ¡°Harry, some of the ghosts have valuable knowledge...¡±


    ¡°Do they share it?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Is anyone asking them what they need done to move on?¡±


    Amelia opened her mouth to respond and realized he was right. The Spirit Division only handled complaints and dealt with clearing them up. They aren''t archivists or even scholars. No actual information is being gathered and nothing is being done to help them conclude their business.


    Harry saw it on her face and nodded. ¡°Can we go to lunch now?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Amelia said and let him go. ¡°My niece should be there waiting for us.¡±


    Harry assumed the best side-along position and shared his magic, then they disappeared from her living room.


    *


    Susan Bones was only a little concerned when she was told by Professor Sprout, her Head of House, that her aunt wanted to meet for lunch. To her surprise, she was allowed to leave the grounds to meet her. That was a bit of a surprise, considering students weren''t allowed to leave while school was in session. She walked down towards the school gates and she wondered where her aunt was taking her and what she wanted to talk about. She came to a stop beside the gates and waited.


    Amelia appeared on the other side of the gates barely a minute later and Susan thought that was perfect timing, then she caught her breath when her aunt''s cloak moved on its own and the handsome boy that the whole school was talking about stepped away from her.


    Was he... hugging her? Susan asked herself.


    ¡°Ah! Hello, Susan.¡± Amelia said and tapped the gates with her wand to open them. ¡°I hope you weren''t waiting long.¡±


    ¡°No, I just got here.¡± Susan said and couldn''t take her eyes off of Harry.


    ¡°I''m glad.¡± Amelia said and stepped close to hug her, just like she had hugged Harry.


    Harry saw that it was the same hug and that gave him a warm feeling inside. He thought that might be a little silly of him, especially if she hugged everyone like that. He looked at Amelia''s face and saw it was the same for Susan as it had been when he was hugged and he somehow knew that she didn''t do that for everyone or gave them that same happy face.


    ¡°Harry''s been kind enough to agree to eat lunch with us.¡± Amelia said and led her niece through the open gates. ¡°It''s only a short walk to Hogsmeade.¡± She said and pointed, then she put an arm over Susan''s shoulders and one over Harry''s. ¡°Harry''s already told me all about his first week at school, so why don''t you fill me in on what you did all week.¡±


    Susan was surprised to hear that, considering who her aunt was, then she started talking as the three of them walked down the road away from the school. She talked to her aunt as if no one else was there and discovered later that it had been the right thing to do. It had made Harry relax, and her as well, and all three of them sat down at a table near the back of the main room at The Three Broomsticks.


    ¡°Madam Bones!¡± Rosmerta exclaimed as she saw the witch at one of her tables. ¡°What cannai getcha?¡±


    ¡°I''d like that roast boar if you have any left. Mashed potatoes and don''t be stingy with the gravy. You know how much I like your bread sticks.¡±


    Rosmerta laughed. ¡°I''ll have a plate anna bowl brought over inna minute.¡± She said and looked at Harry. ¡°What''ll it be handsome?¡±


    Harry opened his mouth to speak and then the compliment registered. ¡°Uh... um...¡±


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°Let''s try him with the half-pheasant and chips while he tries to decide.¡±


    ¡°Susan? What''ll it be fer the sassy lass?¡± Rosmerta asked with a grin.


    ¡°I''m not sassy! I''m a Hufflepuff!¡± Susan said and blushed a little. She saw Harry''s smile and blushed a little more. ¡°Bangers and mash, please.¡±


    ¡°Comin'' right up!¡± Rosmerta said and took off at a fast walk.


    ¡°Don''t be shy, now.¡± Amelia said, without saying who she was talking to. ¡°I''m sure the both of you have classes together a few times a week.¡±


    ¡°We do.¡± Susan and Harry said at the same time, then they both smiled.


    ¡°We''ve been replanting all the mandrakes in the greenhouses.¡± Susan said. ¡°The only exciting thing that happened was Harry brought his owl on Wednesday.¡±


    Harry sat up straighter. ¡°You were the one at the Hufflepuff table that said Hedwig was pretty.¡±


    Susan stopped her blush as she nodded.


    ¡°She''s been my friend since I got her at the beginning of August.¡± Harry said and then he had to smile. ¡°She made hundreds of letter deliveries that first week.¡±


    ¡°H-hundreds?¡± Susan asked, shocked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry said, then started to explain why as their food was delivered.


    Amelia and Susan listened as he went over everything that happened after the food deliveries, then he was prompted by Amelia to ask how that happened. That led up to getting Hedwig and by the time their food was gone and quite some time had passed, Harry had pretty much recited a good portion of his life''s story.


    ¡°They treated you like a house elf.¡± Susan said angrily, before her aunt could warn her not to.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Harry asked.


    Amelia let out a sigh and Susan gave her an apologetic look. ¡°Go ahead and tell him.¡±


    ¡°But... auntie, I... I know this is a bad subject for you.¡± Susan said. ¡°I''m sorry I said anything.¡±


    ¡°Don''t be.¡± Amelia said and gripped her niece''s shoulder. ¡°Just because I''m ashamed of that part of the magical world''s legacy, doesn''t mean we should leave Harry ignorant of our mistakes.¡±


    Susan nodded understanding and looked at Harry. ¡°I guess it''s time I told you a story, too.¡±


    Harry sat forward and listened as Susan told him all about the plight of house elves, how they were treated, and how if they didn''t have someone to take care of, they would eventually die out completely. He listened attentively to the entire thing and because of Susan''s comment about him being treated like a house elf, he immediately connected the parts of the story with his own life... and he realized that was exactly how he was treated.


    He cooked. He cleaned. He was bound by blood to stay. He was a slave and always had been, ever since he was a baby and his aunt and uncle had taken him in. He was just as abused and hated by his family as all of the poor creatures that were forced into servitude.


    ¡°Harry?¡± Amelia asked when he was quiet for a little too long after Susan stopped talking.


    Harry looked at Amelia and tears appeared at the corners of his eyes. ¡°I''m... I''m a house elf.¡± He said, then the tears dripped once, twice, then a steady stream of tears rolled down his cheeks. ¡°I''m their house elf.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Harry.¡± Amelia said with matching tears in her own eyes as she took the sad little boy into her arms and hugged him tightly. Without a word, Susan moved around the table and her own tear streaked face joined theirs in the hug. She regretted saying anything about it, then she felt Harry''s arm go around her waist and hug her back.


    ¡°I''m so sorry, Harry.¡± Susan whispered and held him just as tightly as her surrogate mother did.

 52 The Weekend Part Three

    Amelia held Harry for what seemed like forever and she had no intention of letting him go. He needed the comfort and she wanted to provide it. She had known some of the details about his home life and for him to tell her and her niece so much after they had just met, informed her of everything that she needed to know about him.


    She knew now that he was anti-social. He had a hard time making friends because he almost never opened up. The whispers and rumors about ''The Boy Who Lived'' kept him locked in his shell. Also, his defiance of the professors at the school was just him lashing out at authority. It was something that he would never do at home, for fear of reprisals that he could do nothing about. At the school, he somehow knew that they can''t harm him and accepted their punishments as if they didn''t mean anything to him.


    Amelia hid her gasp from that revelation as a hiccup. The punishments aren''t punishments at all. She thought with more than a little surprise. Physically cleaning? He''s been doing that for years!


    Harry started to stiffen up as his tears slowed down and Amelia knew that this was when she needed to let go. She did so, slowly, so as not to startle him. Her niece let go at the same time and they sat back.


    Madam Rosmerta came over and handed each of them some tissues. ¡°So, handsome. What was it like getting hugs from two beautiful witches?¡±


    ¡°Warm and wet.¡± Harry said without thinking as he wiped at his eyes, then his face and ears turned red.


    Rosmerta burst out laughing and Amelia joined in, then Susan couldn''t help it and laughed, too. They all dabbed at their eyes and wiped up the streaks of tears on their cheeks. Harry looked at their faces and smiled, because they weren''t making fun of him. They had shared a precious moment together, one he would remember for quite some time, and it had been completely out in public. For some reason, that didn''t bother him.


    ¡°Can we have some tea?¡± Susan asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Amelia said and nodded to Rosmerta. She came back with three teas and served them, rested a hand on Harry''s shoulder for a moment, then left to serve someone else.


    ¡°I think she might fancy you a little, Harry.¡± Susan teased and took a sip of tea. ¡°Mmm, Chamomile.¡±


    ¡°She does not.¡± Harry said and took a sip. He had to admit that it was tasty. ¡°It''s good.¡±


    ¡°Susan thinks you''re cute, too!¡± Madam Rosmerta said loudly from across the room. Several people in the bar laughed and Susan blushed. Harry covered his smile with his tea cup.


    ¡°Ears like a hawk, that one.¡± Amelia chuckled and turned to her. ¡°What did I tell you about gossiping?¡±


    ¡°To save it for when there''s lots of people around.¡± Rosmerta responded and plunked an ale down onto a table. ¡°I can''t wait until supper, though!¡±


    Amelia laughed and shook her head, then touched her niece''s shoulder. ¡°It''s all right. You don''t have to be embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°I''m not.¡± Susan said, her face still red.


    ¡°If it makes you feel better about it, I like him, too.¡± Amelia admitted and Susan stared at her. ¡°I know what you''re thinking.¡±


    ¡°No, you don''t.¡± Susan said and her aunt chuckled.


    ¡°I''m much too old for him to like me back.¡± Amelia said, then she smiled. ¡°I''m not; but, I can still be someone he needs in his life.¡±


    Susan wasn''t sure what her aunt was trying to say.


    ¡°Harry, if you''re okay with it, I think I want to take a more direct role in your education.¡±


    Susan gasped and Harry perked up.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Harry asked. He was pretty sure it was going to be something like what Bertha did for him and he wanted to make sure.


    ¡°I''ll be making arrangements with the school so that we can spend Saturdays together.¡± Amelia said and Susan let out a little squeak. ¡°Yes, my dear and precious niece, I would like for you to come along as well.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to be training?¡± Susan asked, excitement in her voice.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Amelia said evasively and Susan let out another little squeak.


    ¡°I can''t believe it!¡± Susan said and almost shook. ¡°Harry, we''re going to learn under the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement!¡±


    Harry didn''t quite understand what she was saying until he realized what the title meant. I''m going to learn under the magical world''s chief of police. He thought and let a smile appear on his face. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I''m so glad you agree.¡± Amelia said in satisfaction and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I''ll bring you both back to the school now.¡±


    Harry nodded and the three of them stood. ¡°Wait, what about paying for the food?¡±


    ¡°I''ll handle it on the way out.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°How much is my share?¡± Harry asked and dug a hand into his money pouch.


    ¡°Don''t worry about...¡± Amelia started to say when Harry handed her a handful of galleons.


    ¡°Is that enough?¡± Harry asked and took out another handful. ¡°I haven''t eaten out before.¡±


    Amelia stood there, too shocked to respond, as Harry tried to give her even more galleons. I think a lesson on the prices of things will be the first thing I teach him. ¡°E-enough.¡± She managed to say. ¡°If you insist on paying...¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Madam Rosmerta said as she suddenly appeared and took three galleons from Amelia''s hand. ¡°Gallantry is rare in someone so young.¡± She smiled and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. ¡°See you next time.¡±


    ¡°Rosmerta.¡± Amelia said and tried not to laugh as she saw Harry''s face and ears go completely red.


    ¡°What? I love big tippers.¡± Rosmerta said as she pat Amelia''s arm and walked away laughing.


    ¡°That woman.¡± Amelia chuckled and handed Harry back his money. ¡°Thank you for inadvertently buying lunch for us. You didn''t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°It was only a galleon each?¡± Harry asked as he put the money back into his money pouch. ¡°We need to eat here more often!¡±


    Amelia and Susan were both surprised by his declaration, then both smiled.


    ¡°Let''s not make too many future plans, hmm?¡± Amelia said and motioned to leave, then the three of them walked out of the bar and down the road. ¡°In fact, I think a certain someone might be visiting you next week.¡±


    ¡°Bertha?¡± Harry asked and she nodded. ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and she asked me to only tell you to dress in normal clothes next Saturday.¡±


    Harry understood immediately that he would be venturing into the muggle world with that statement.


    Amelia saw the understanding on his face and she smiled. ¡°You''re very smart, Harry.¡± She said and put an arm around him and one around her niece as she walked a little faster. ¡°Let''s get you back to the school before your Heads of Houses start freaking out about how long you''ve been gone.¡±


    ¡°Professor Sprout practically threw me out of the castle to come and meet her favorite student.¡± Susan said to Amelia''s amusement. ¡°I think she said something about being back by supper.¡±


    Amelia laughed. ¡°Only she would think that lunch was going to last long enough to...¡± Her timepiece beeped at her and she took it out and checked it. ¡°She must have some divination in her background.¡±


    Harry took out his own fancier one and checked it. ¡°It is suppertime.¡± He said. He had spent a lot of time with her and the day had passed by before he knew it.


    ¡°Thank you both for spending this time with me.¡± Amelia tapped the school gates to open them and gave Susan a hug. ¡°I''ll see you in a couple of weeks.¡±


    Susan nodded and held on for a moment, then she let go.


    ¡°Harry, be good and do not shout like that in the Great Hall anymore.¡± Amelia said and saw him start to frown. She smiled and poked the tip of his nose. ¡°You are better than that, so no more outbursts. If you have a problem with anything at the school, owl Bertha or me right away and don''t wait until later that night like you''ve been doing lately.¡±


    Harry opened his mouth to say he hadn''t, then realized he had done exactly that. ¡°I forgot the last time.¡±


    Amelia chuckled and took him into a hug. ¡°It''s all right to forget sometimes, which is why I''m reminding you to write it down immediately. Then you won''t have to worry about forgetting later.¡±


    Harry nodded and she let him go.


    ¡°Enjoy the evening.¡± Amelia said and shooed them through the open gates.


    When Harry and Susan were clear, the gates closed, and they watched Madam Bones apparate away. The two of them walked up the road towards the castle.


    ¡°Your aunt''s really nice.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Susan said and they fell silent. After a few moments, she spoke again. ¡°Harry?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry responded.


    ¡°I''m sorry everyone''s talking about you.¡± Susan said.


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Harry said and they fell silent again.


    When they reached the large oak doors, they opened for the two students, as if welcoming them back, and they stepped inside the Entrance Hall and came to a stop.


    ¡°I need to go see Mister Filch.¡± Harry said and turned to face her.


    ¡°I need to go meet my friends.¡± Susan said and turned to face him.


    The two of them stood there and stared at each other for several seconds, then Susan stepped close and put her arms around him and hugged him. Harry put his arms around her waist and hugged her back.


    ¡°It''s okay now, Harry.¡± Susan whispered into his ear and she felt his arms tighten. ¡°You''re not alone anymore.¡± She eased her hold on him and he let her go, too. She stepped back for a moment, then she smiled. ¡°Auntie said I shouldn''t be embarrassed.¡± She said and stepped back in close and gave him a kiss on the cheek. ¡°I do think you''re cute. It''s just too bad that Auntie would skin you alive if you asked me out.¡±


    Harry stared at her with an open mouth as she blushed and walked away. Wh-what? A-a-ask her out? To do what? He asked himself and walked almost on autopilot as he went down to Filch''s office and knocked.


    ¡°Took you long enough.¡± Filch said and handed him his mop. ¡°If anyone asks, which they won''t, you got special detention.¡±


    Harry nodded in agreement and he followed Filch and Missus Norris up to the fifth floor and kept working. Not surprisingly, Harry''s preoccupied mind made no difference to his efforts in cleaning. He was just as thorough as if he was paying attention and both Filch and Missus Norris kept their silence to let him brood. After an unknown amount of time, Harry stopped working and looked at Filch.


    ¡°Girls are confusing.¡± Harry said.


    Mister Filch burst out laughing and Missus Norris meowed her own amusement.

 53 The Next Day

    The next day was Sunday and Filch refused to let Harry clean. He said if he was taking the day off, Harry had to as well. Dejected, Harry went back to the Griffindor common room.


    ¡°Hi, Harry!¡± Neville said and Hermione looked up from the book in her hands.


    ¡°He''s not letting you help, is he?¡± Hermione asked with a smile.


    Harry plopped down in the squishy armchair and sighed. ¡°He''s taking the day off.¡±


    ¡°We''ve got more of that stuff you wanted.¡± Neville said, a bit excitedly. ¡°Those things Madam Bones told you gave Hermione great ideas!¡±


    Harry perked right up at that. ¡°Let me see!¡±


    Hermione smiled as she dug into her backpack and took out a dozen sheets of parchment. ¡°Now don''t go overboard. These are advanced spells and potions that deal with all kinds of monsters. You can''t just start waving your wand around and hope they''ll work.¡±


    Harry rolled his eyes. ¡°I told you about the wand waving on Monday when I taught you the sticking charm.¡±


    ¡°Well, I''m reminding you.¡± Hermione said and held out the sheets.


    Harry grabbed them and she held on for a moment and didn''t let them go... then she laughed and opened her hand. ¡°Thanks a lot for doing this, Hermione.¡± He said and put the pages in his lap. ¡°I would help you as much as Neville if I wasn''t so busy.¡±


    ¡°I''m sure.¡± Hermione said with a smirk.


    ¡°I would.¡± Harry said and started reading the top sheet. ¡°You know how much I like finding... new... spells.¡± He stopped talking and looked over at her. ¡°What are Dementors doing guarding Azkaban prison?¡±


    ¡°It''s the only way the Ministry could come up with to keep them in check after you-know-who was defeated.¡±


    ¡°By baby me.¡± Harry said with a smile.


    Hermione chuckled. ¡°I still can''t get that image out of my head. Gooboo goo! Ha ha!¡±


    Neville sat there and watched them attentively as the handsome boy and the pretty bushy haired girl laughed at some joke they shared. He hadn''t had a friend before and he wasn''t sure how he should act.


    ¡°Hey, Neville! We need a test subject... ah, volunteer.¡± One of the redheaded twins said as he and his brother came into the common room.


    ¡°No.¡± Harry and Hermione said at the same time, even though they had both started reading intently.


    ¡°Come on, it''s just some harmless...¡± The other twin started to say.


    ¡°You know, it''s only against school rules to cast spells in the hallways between classes.¡± Harry said and shook his sleeve.


    The twins exchanged looks and walked past them and went down the dormitory stairs.


    ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± Neville said and took out his own wand. It was dull and looked like it had scratches on it. He rolled it around in his fingers, like it was a nervous twitch.


    Harry could see him out of the corner of his eye and knew he needed to do something. ¡°I''ll be right back. I have to get my things.¡±


    He ran up the stairs to his room and over to his bed. He picked up the mint the house elves left for him and popped it into his mouth. He chewed on it as he opened his trunk and took out his writing things and his wand maintenance kit. He closed the trunk and walked down the stairs to the common room. He put his things down on the table in front of the chairs and then opened the wand maintenance kit.


    Neville was immediately interested and sat forward in his chair to watch as Harry took meticulous care of his wand. He didn''t need the bump and roughness remover and used it anyway, just so Neville would see that it could be used. He polished that up and wiped it off, then used the actual wood polish, the little sponge, and short circles to buff out the surface. When he was done, Neville almost gasped at the shiny wood.


    ¡°Your turn.¡± Harry said and Neville looked at him like he was offering him a bunch of galleons and was going to refuse. ¡°Your wand needs some care or it''s going to dry out and won''t work very well.¡±


    ¡°It already does that.¡± Neville said and then closed his mouth with a snap.


    Both Harry and Hermione looked at him with concern, then Harry held out his hand for the wand. Neville hesitated for several moments, then he handed Harry his wand.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Harry said as he felt the wand shiver slightly. ¡°It''s like it''s trying to fight me.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Neville said and they looked at him with surprise. ¡°It does the same thing to me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°It''s my dad''s and I didn''t earn it.¡± Neville said and clamped his mouth shut and frowned.


    Harry and Hermione exchanged looks and nodded. They knew not to press, especially since they got in moods like that themselves. With a bit of inspiration, thanks to his penchant to talk to animals as if they understood him, Harry put the wand near his mouth.


    ¡°I''m not trying to use you.¡± Harry said in a whisper. ¡°I''m just trying to clean you up a bit.¡±


    The wand seemed to settle down and didn''t vibrate as much.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said and opened up the small jar of what the directions said was wood filler. He hadn''t needed it before and he carefully read the instructions on how to apply it properly. He filled in the scratches and nicks that were on the wand and scraped off the excess, then waited. Before his very eyes, the different colored filler changed into the color needed and melded into the wand.


    Harry used the bump and roughness remover next and slathered it on. He let it sit for a few moments to let it do its work and then wiped it off. The polish was next and Harry did the same motions as he did for his own wand, carefully buffing the polish into every crevasse and detail. He didn''t want to miss anything, because he doubted that Neville would want to ever part with it. When he was done, it looked like a brand new wand.


    ¡°There you go.¡± Harry said and handed the wand back.


    Neville stared at the thing in his hands like he had never seen it before. The shiny smooth surface and the bright polish made it stand out and he wondered why he had never thought of doing it himself.


    ¡°Ollivander practically shoved the wand maintenance kit at me when I bought my wand.¡± Harry said and put everything away and shrunk the kit to put in his pocket, so he didn''t have to take it back up the stairs.


    ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± Neville said and held it like it was the most precious thing he owned.


    ¡°If you take care of your wand, it will take care of you.¡± Harry repeated the logo on the kit manual''s front page.


    Neville nodded and stood up. ¡°I think... I have a letter to write and...¡± He stopped talking and walked away towards the stairs to the dormitory. Harry watched him slowly walk up the stairs and out of sight.


    ¡°He''ll be okay.¡± Hermione said and Harry turned to look at her. ¡°The wand might still fight him; but, it''s not really his wand, so I guess until he makes it accept him or gets another...¡±


    Harry nodded and touched his wand that he had tucked back up his sleeve.


    *


    ¡°Damn that insufferable woman.¡± Albus said the uncharacteristic curse as he read the letter that Amelia Bones had sent him. It wasn''t so much asking his permission, she was essentially telling him that starting next week and from now on, Harry would spend his Saturdays outside of the school. He rubbed the bridge of his large nose and tried to think past what this could mean for his plans.


    Harry was supposed to be wholly ignorant of the wizarding world and this was not the way to keep him that way. Albus knew that Harry had been working extra hard cleaning the castle all week and he hoped that it reinforced that he would be treated well at school unless he misbehaved. It had worked for centuries on wayward children, as the portraits could attest, and it should work on Harry, too.


    It had also kept the boy too busy to research Peter Pettegrew and to find out everything that had gone on during those desperate times. He was glad for that, because if Harry knew it all too soon, then he couldn''t feed him the details over time and earn the boy''s loyalty after gaining his trust.


    Of course, that wasn''t quite going very well. It was early days, though. His first week at Hogwarts, overwhelming and awe inspiring as it must have been, was over. Now, he would fall into a routine of coursework and complacency, which was the best situation to give him things to investigate and to pique his interest. An inquisitive mind is what he needed Harry to have.


    Albus folded up Amelia''s letter and put it aside and looked at the gold one on his desk. He had received it Friday morning, privately, and he didn''t want to open it. He knew it was going to be bad, considering it was a joint letter from the Ministry and the International Confederation of Wizards. He had put it off for two days and knew he had to open it now. He would need to send a response on Monday morning, according to the instructions on the outside of the envelope.


    He took a deep breath and tapped it with his wand, which was needed for all official correspondence declared important and was directed to the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamut. The letter unfolded and inside were two things. Two very surprising and very damaging items.


    The first item was the official release papers for Sirius Black. He stared at them, because he hadn''t been consulted by the Minister of Magic about it. He slid it aside and looked at the other item.


    The second item was his official suspension from both the ICW and the Wizengamut, effective immediately, pending a review of Sirius Black''s unlawful imprisonment ten years ago.


    Albus slumped back in his chair with a look of defeat on his face. He had already been scapegoated and the entire debacle had been dropped on his head alone. Well, the Minister of Magic at the time was Millicent Bagnold and she was a Ravenclaw. He knew she would step forward and accept a good portion of the blame for the mistake, which assumed that she admitted it was a mistake. He would know for sure when the inquiry happened.


    It''s all falling apart. Albus thought as he stared at the two pieces of paper. The greatest wizard of our time, brought low by two pieces of paper. He thought with amused sadness. Perhaps I can visit Sirius and ask him to speak out on my behalf? He asked himself and then laughed. It almost came out as a whine. He probably won''t even remember his own name after all this time.


    Albus pushed the two papers aside and started writing. He had favors he needed to call in and support to bring to his defense.

 54 The Next Week

    The next two days passed by without incident. Both the Charms teacher and Transfiguration teacher did the next thing in their assigned books. Since both Harry and Hermione had done them weeks ago, the classes became more free periods for them to practice doing spells.


    The biggest change was that two blonde haired girls, Susan Bones and her friend Hannah Abbot, had changed their regular seats and sat next to Harry and Hermione in the classes they shared, Charms and Herbology. They also said hello to him and surprisingly, to Hermione. It was a bit odd to suddenly have someone else talk to them in class besides Neville.


    Harry had detention in the evenings and he still showed up mid-afternoon instead of after supper. Filch had stopped calling him ''daft'' for doing it and just accepted that Harry wanted to clean and wasn''t trying to suck up to him or anything. Missus Norris greeted him with a meow and rubbed her side on his leg each time she saw him. Harry never tried to pet her, though. He knew she wasn''t fussy on too much contact and wanted it on her own terms.


    On Wednesday, he once again had flying lessons and Hedwig came along during classes. The bickering between the Griffindors and the Slytherins was still grating on his nerves and he walked a little slower to let them get a bit ahead. As the class approached the Quiddich pitch, he had had enough. He used the same wand motion as the healer did to his family and he cast a silent silence spell that silenced everyone in front of him.


    Their reactions were priceless.


    Some choked, some pantomimed ''no voice'', and some rubbed their throats because they couldn''t speak. Harry smiled as Hermione beside him and Neville behind him were trying hard to stop from laughing.


    ¡°Good afternoon class.¡± Madam Hooch said as she strode onto the field to start the class and saw most of the students freaking out. ¡°What''s going on here?¡±


    Harry cast the generic counter spell and everyone started talking at once, then they started freaking out because they had their voices back. Hermione and Neville had to turn away from them to laugh and not be discovered.


    It took ten minutes to get everyone settled down and for the frustrated professor to start the class. It was another basic take off, float, and land lesson. Thankfully, each time they lifted off, she gave permission to go higher. It was a test of control and Harry did exactly what she said perfectly. He didn''t waffle, pause, or try to do more than she asked.


    Madam Hooch noticed how efficient he was and when class was over, she assigned Harry and Hermione to bring the brooms back to the locker room.


    ¡°Do you think McGonagall told her?¡± Hermione asked as Harry mounted a broom.


    ¡°Either that or she saw us.¡± Harry said. ¡°Ready, Hedwig?¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± Hedwig said and took off with a whoosh as she flapped her wings.


    Harry took off after her with a laugh and did a full loop before dropping off the first broom. Hermione used the levitation charm to suspend the next broom for Harry and he zoomed by as he caught it.


    ¡°Thaaaaaannnks!¡± Harry''s voice carried as he flew away.


    Hermione laughed at him and levitated the next broom. It was great practice for the both of them and Hedwig had a great time, too. Harry was getting faster as he learned more control and could feel the limits of the broom''s flying enchantments and charms.


    Harry wasn''t sure if that was supposed to happen or not, though. He was sharing his magic to assist it, just like he did when doing the side-along apparition, because it felt right when he did it. They finished even quicker than last time and Harry came in for a landing next to Hermione.


    ¡°Thanks, Hedwig!¡± Harry said and waved as his owl flew back towards the owlery.


    ¡°That was actually fun.¡± Hermione said as they walked across the field to put the last broom into the pile.


    ¡°You''re getting really good at the levitation charm.¡± Harry said. ¡°Do you want to try the Locomotor spell next?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I''m ready?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°You''re way past ready.¡± Harry said and smiled. ¡°I''ll even let you practice on our telescopes tonight.¡±


    Hermione smiled back, because she had run off and let him keep hers since last week. ¡°How''s the Patronus charm coming along?¡±


    Harry sighed. ¡°I can''t get anything past a faint wisp of vapor.¡±


    ¡°You''re on par with half of the Ministry.¡±


    ¡°Wow, really?¡± Harry asked and she nodded. ¡°I need to practice more.¡±


    ¡°You need sleep!¡± Hermione laughed and tapped the side of his head. ¡°You can''t concentrate if you''re tired, you know.¡±


    ¡°I have stuff to do.¡± Harry said with a shrug.


    ¡°Your detention ends on Friday, so you''ve got all weekend for that.¡± Hermione said. ¡°After you come back from wherever Bertha''s taking you on Saturday.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Are you practising with the ghost exorcism spell?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I''ve got Neville reading the primer.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°Great.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''m glad he told us that the ghosts are avoiding us.¡±


    ¡°I think we would have figured it out eventually.¡± Hermione said. ¡°I''m just glad someone wrote the chapters to read on the board for the History of Magic class.¡±


    ¡°Someone.¡± Harry shook his head. ¡°Don''t worry, Hermione. He won''t be around for long.¡±


    ¡°Harry, do you think...¡±


    ¡°I told you what Madam Bones did.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I can''t believe she didn''t say anything to you about it.¡±


    ¡°I think she was too surprised I had the spell ready.¡± Harry smiled. ¡°Thanks again for finding it so quickly.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Hermione said and then looked at him with a bit of concern. ¡°You''re going to start hunting them, aren''t you?¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°I don''t really have to. There''s over twenty ghosts in the castle. I just have to stand still and wait.¡±


    ¡°Would that work?¡± Hermione asked, a little surprised.


    ¡°Definitely.¡± Harry said with a nod. ¡°I won''t get them all that way, though. I''m thinking of trying to adapt the Accio spell.¡±


    Hermione gasped. ¡°Harry! That''s brilliant!¡± She said. ¡°No wonder you need someone else to cast the exorcism spell! I can do it while you hold them!¡±


    Harry smiled and nodded again. The two of them went to eat supper in the Great Hall at their House table and discussed a few things not as important as their secret plan to rid the school of all its hauntings.


    Harry finished eating and stood up to leave and saw Susan wave to him. He waved back and that got a few people whispering. He held in his sigh and left the Great Hall and went to Filch''s office. He did his detention and went back to Griffindor Tower to get his things and to meet with Hermione. It took her two tries and a bit of coaching from Harry to make the large telescope float behind her with the Locomotor spell.


    Hermione beamed a smile the whole walk from there to the Astronomy Tower. They climbed it and Harry unstuck her telescope from his. Hermione took the fifth crenellated spot for the best view and set up her telescope. Harry put his beside the professor''s and deployed it.


    ¡°Is everyone set up?¡± Professor Aurora Sinistra asked and everyone nodded. ¡°We''re going to expand on our exploration of the moon and delve into the many craters and canyons on the surface.¡± She gave everyone a smile. ¡°It''s all right if your telescope doesn''t have the zoom lens. It''s only really useful when looking at the moon and isn''t worth the extra expense, because it''s only used for this month''s classes.¡±


    Harry''s arm twitched to raise his hand, then he changed his mind.


    ¡°You have a question, Mister Potter?¡± Aurora asked.


    ¡°Why can''t the zoom be used anywhere else?¡± Harry asked. ¡°There''s lots of planets and moons...¡±


    Aurora chuckled. ¡°There''s a reason most people buy the basic telescope. Over the course of the year, the other teachers, particularly the Charms professor, will teach certain spells that will assist in seeing farther.¡±


    Harry perked up at that and she chuckled.


    ¡°You''ll have to wait until it''s taught in the curriculum, Mister Potter.¡± Aurora said and touched his arm tenderly. ¡°I do know the spells myself and Professor Flitwick wouldn''t want me to ruin the surprise.¡±


    Harry nodded and she gave his arm a squeeze and let go. ¡°Now, can anyone besides Mister Potter tell me what the largest canyon on the moon is?¡±


    Hermione''s hand shot up into the air. ¡°Vallis Snellius.¡±


    Nearly everyone laughed at the name.


    Professor Aurora let it go on, because that was the point. They were supposed to have fun with it. ¡°Correct. Five points to Griffindor.¡± She said and smiled. ¡°It''s down in the southeast corner, so go ahead and set your telescopes to get a look at it.¡± She gave them enough time to do that and spoke again. ¡°It''s a whopping 592 kilometres long and points directly at Mare Nectaris to the west-northwest of it. Also, it''s about 30 kilometres across and...¡±


    The class went on and Harry learned a lot. At the end of the class, their assignment sheets were handed back and they were to mark out five of the more detailed features they had learned about. The professor wasn''t surprised when Harry and Hermione forwent packing up and leaving with the other students to do the work and handed them back in.


    ¡°I hope you know that I can''t keep awarding you points for being first every time.¡± Aurora said as she accepted their homework sheets that had all of the features she mentioned and not just the five she asked for.


    ¡°Why not? You''re the professor.¡± Harry said with a smile.


    Aurora looked at him in surprise for a moment, then she chuckled. ¡°You have a fair point, Mister Potter. Five points each to Griffindor.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Hermione said excitedly and the professor laughed.


    ¡°Get your things packed and get going.¡± Aurora said and shooed them away. ¡°It''s way past your bedtime.¡±


    Harry and Hermione quickly packed up. Hermione did the sticking charm this time to put her telescope on Harry''s and then she cast the Locomotor Telescope spell. Aurora was surprised by this and watched as her two best students left the top of the tower and disappeared down the stairs.

 55 The Potions Master Again

    Thursday passed the same as Tuesday did, since it was the identical day for classes, and Harry did his detention that night. The next day was Friday and that was double Potions class in the morning. When he brought his trunk, no one seemed to pay him much mind. He gave Neville his things and handed Hermione her backpack, then sat down.


    Professor Snape strode into the room and the door shut behind him. He didn''t speak when he reached the front of the room, tapped a stack of parchment, then swiped the wand towards the class. The papers fluttered out through the air and they all floated to each student. Some tried to catch them and fumbled it, while the smarter ones, like Harry and Hermione, waited for them to land before trying to grab them.


    T? Harry asked himself. How did I get Troll for a mark?


    ¡°As you can see... most of you were... acceptable in your potion making.¡± Snape said and glared at the class as he folded his arms under his black cloak. ¡°However, some of you were less than expected.¡± He said and his eyes met Harry''s.


    Harry turned his head slightly and blinked his eyes as he concentrated on the potion recipe, then he put his hand up into the air.


    ¡°Yes, Mister Potter?¡±


    ¡°I made the best potion in the class. Why did I get a T?¡± Harry asked and there were gasps, chuckles, and a lot of whispering.


    ¡°Quiiiiet.¡± Snape said to the class to hush them and looked back at Harry with an intense glare. ¡°I do not appreciate students that perform pranks on me.¡± He said. His instant anger at the prank last Friday had settled during the week and had folded right into his hatred for James Potter, Harry''s father.


    ¡°I didn''t...¡± Harry started to say.


    ¡°Did you or did you not put a sticking charm on your vial when you placed it in the box?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Harry admitted and a few more gasps met this admission.


    ¡°Ten points from Griffindor.¡± Snape said with a sneer. ¡°I would dock you even more... if you hadn''t been lucky enough for me to leave grading your potion until last.¡± He picked up the box that was full of glass shards and walked over to Harry. His potion was still in the crystal vial and hadn''t even been opened. ¡°If you dare try to prank me again...¡±


    ¡°I only stopped it from falling out of the box like it did the first time.¡± Harry said, truthfully. ¡°It''s not my fault you didn''t check it.¡±


    Snape glared at him and put the box down on his desk with the sound of rattling glass. ¡°You will surrender your own vials as replacements for all of the vials you broke and will apologize to the other students.¡±


    ¡°Why can''t I just repair these and give them back?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°You won''t learn anything if it was that easy to fix things.¡± Snape said and managed to not sneer at him. ¡°I also forbid you from buying more crystal vials. You will use these for your potions from now on.¡± He said and shook the box.


    The Slytherin students laughed and Snape didn''t bother stopping them this time.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Harry said and stood up. He opened up his case of crystal vials and gave one to Hermione beside him. ¡°I''m sorry yours was broken.¡±


    Hermione opened her mouth to refuse and Snape spoke.


    ¡°All students must keep the new vials. You cannot give them back.¡± Snape said and looked at Harry. ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Harry walked around the class and gave each student a crystal vial and apologized. He ignored the laughs and jeers from the Slytherins and went back to his seat. Snape looked into the case and saw that there were still eight unused vials and one still in the potions box. He took them and pocketed them while Harry gave him a sightly angry face.


    ¡°Good luck holding potions in all those broken bottles, Potter!¡± Draco said as he tossed his new crystal vial into the air and caught it. Everyone laughed.


    ¡°You mean these perfectly fine ones?¡± Harry asked and waved his wand over the box. ¡°REPARO!¡± He yelled and the loud sound of tinkling glass filled the classroom. A moment later, Harry picked up one of the now intact vials and looked right at Professor Snape. ¡°You said I can''t buy replacements.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Snape said and ignored the fact that Harry had repaired all of the vials and not just one.


    ¡°Then I''ll make them myself.¡± Harry said. ¡°Mutatio Crystallo!¡±


    To everyone''s surprise, the glass vial morphed and became an expensive crystal one. Harry picked up each of the nineteen vials and performed the same spell. He didn''t stop there, though.


    ¡°Indossolubus!¡± Harry said and the crystal vial in his hand glowed for a few seconds.


    Severus Snape''s mouth opened slightly in surprise as Harry performed the Unbreakable Charm, then he proceeded to do it to each of the nineteen vials. The students looked on in confusion, not realizing what Harry was doing. Only Hermione knew and she watched attentively as he did them all. She was going to have to practice the spell herself and do her own vials as soon as she had the chance.


    That was when Snape realized that crystal vials didn''t come in an unbreakable version, no matter how much you wanted to spend on them. It was considered too much of a waste of time to cast such strong magical spells onto something so small and was usually reserved for important potions that needed to be protected. It wasn''t meant for every day potions use or to be used by students.


    Harry put his ''new'' crystal vials into the case and sat down when he was done. He would buy more glass vials to fill up the rest of the spots and transfigure them, too. He would send an order right after class for them, since the professor stole the rest of them.


    Snape did his best to not glare at the boy. ¡°Today''s potion.¡± He said and tapped the chalkboard with his wand, once again breaking his word that there would be no wand waving in his class. ¡°You will require all of the remaining time to brew it.¡± His eyes roamed over the students. ¡°Get to work.¡±


    ¡°We''re not working in pairs?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°No. You will all be individually marked.¡±


    ¡°Fairly?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Hermione gasped.


    Snape glared down his nose at him. ¡°Five points from Griffindor for your cheek, Potter.¡±


    Harry stood up and used the water charm to put some water into one of his crystal vials. He corked it and walked up to the desk. ¡°Here''s my potion for you to mark, professor. You can keep the vial this time, since you seem to like stealing them from me.¡±


    Gasps and mutters came from the other students as he walked back to his desk. He waved his wand to pack everything and surprised the class, then he picked up his trunk by the handle.


    ¡°I''m sorry I can''t carry your things this time.¡± Harry said to Hermione, nodded at Neville, and walked out of the class.


    *


    Filch was very surprised when Harry knocked on his door half an hour after first class began. ¡°Lad, what is it?¡± He asked in concern, then he scowled. ¡°Don''t tell me there''s a mess somewhere!¡±


    Harry smiled. ¡°No, I finished my potion and left class early.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That''s alright, then.¡± Filch said.


    ¡°Meow!¡± Missus Norris said and darted out to wrap around Harry''s leg.


    ¡°It''s really nice to see you, too.¡± Harry said and held a hand down for her. She used his fingers like a comb and rubbed her head on them, so he wiggled his fingers to give her a good scratching.


    ¡°Today we tackle the bathrooms.¡± Filch said and handed Harry some of the necessary tools.


    ¡°That''s not too bad, is it?¡± Harry asked and Filch laughed.


    ¡°Do you know how many students there are?¡± Filch asked.


    Harry had to think about that. ¡°Well, if there''s only ten students a year for seven years and four houses... that''s about three hundred.¡±


    ¡°A bit basic; but, good reasoning.¡± Filch said. ¡°Some houses get more than the others some years and some won''t get any at all.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Harry asked as they left the office and walked down only a few doors.


    ¡°Aye. That was years ago, though. I think the hat sorts fer balance now.¡± Filch said and they went inside the bathroom.


    ¡°How is the hat?¡± Harry asked and put down the cleaning tools and put on the rubber gloves Filch handed him. He had completely forgotten about the hat that he had talked to at the sorting ceremony.


    ¡°It''s sitting inside a glass case inside the headmaster''s office.¡± Filch said. ¡°It doesn''t want to get dirty.¡±


    Harry smiled. ¡°It did say it had never been cleaned before.¡±


    Filch barked a laugh and nodded. ¡°Understandable. Most people would be afraid to wash old Griffindor''s hat.¡±


    ¡°That''s what the hat said.¡± Harry said and they both started cleaning the stalls.


    ¡°Me-ow meow.¡± Missus Norris said from the sink she had perched on.


    ¡°Aye, lass. It would be nice if it could bathe itself like you.¡± Filch said.


    Harry chuckled. ¡°The rip on the hat for the mouth is huge! How big would the tongue be to lick itself?¡±


    Filch and Missus Norris looked at him for a second, then they laughed and meowed in amusement.


    *


    Later that day, Snape entered Dumbledore''s office. ¡°Headmaster.¡± He said and came to a stop beside the large desk. ¡°You called for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°I''ve been hearing some disturbing things about you and Harry.¡±


    Snape''s mask slipped and he showed the old man anger for a moment, then he returned to his calm demeanor. ¡°What lies has the boy been telling you?¡±


    Dumbledore looked at Severus for several moments, then he sighed. ¡°He hasn''t told me anything.¡±


    ¡°Then who did he...¡±


    ¡°He hasn''t told anyone anything.¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°He hasn''t complained to anyone since his outburst last week in the Great Hall.¡±


    Snape crossed his arms under his cloak. ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°Several students overheard the Slytherins talking about what happened in Potions class this morning.¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°It was quite disturbing.¡±


    ¡°He is an arrogant child and he is full of himself.¡± Snape said. ¡°He caused me to smash all of the other students potions with his prank.¡±


    Dumbledore looked at Snape sternly for a moment. ¡°From what I heard, it was you that caused it. Vials don''t jump out of boxes on their own, do they?¡±


    Snape didn''t say anything in response.


    ¡°That wasn''t what was disturbing.¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°He transfigured glass vials into crystal.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Snape said. ¡°Quite easily, in fact.¡±


    ¡°I talked to Minerva already and he hasn''t been taught that spell.¡±


    Snape stayed quiet.


    ¡°I think it is time I gave you something to do.¡± Dumbledore said and it was Snape''s turn to sigh. ¡°Now, now. It''s not that bad.¡±


    ¡°It''s going to be... excruciating... if you say it like that.¡± Snape said.


    Dumbledore smiled. ¡°I want you to find out everything there is to know about Harry Potter.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°I need to know, Severus.¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°Please. Find out what you can.¡±


    Snape let the mask fall again and glared at the old man. ¡°You know I''m going to hate every second of this.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Dumbledore said and refrained from telling him that was what made him the perfect investigator. He will dig everything up precisely because he hates the boy. ¡°Please report everything you discover.¡±


    ¡°Yes, headmaster.¡± Snape said and left the office with a swish of his cloak.

 56 The Godfather Part One

    Bokuboy


    Filch and Harry only managed to clean the bathrooms on the first two floors. There were eighty toilets on each floor and they took a long time to scrub and clean. Filch was genuinely surprised that Harry never complained about it. What he didn''t know about was the horrible state of the toilet at Harry''s home that his cousin and uncle left it in all the time. The toilets in the school were a hell of a lot cleaner and didn''t smell anywhere near as bad.


    The next day, Harry was up early and dressed in normal, aka muggle clothing, and he was very tempted to take his trunk. He didn''t know what Bertha had planned and he felt nervous about leaving it behind and not being prepared. After a healthy mental debate over the merits of having access to everything, he chose to take it. There was nothing for him to pack, since he kept everything inside the trunk anyway, and he carried it out of the dorm and down the stairs.


    ¡°Don''t tell me they kicked you out again!¡± An older Griffindor boy said loudly to general laughter.


    ¡°You wish.¡± Harry said without looking at him and left the common room. He took the shortcut Filch had shown him and was at the Entrance Hall after only two staircases with a trick door in between. He laughed because the trick was that you had to knock and answer a knock knock joke. When the door laughed, it opened for you. It didn''t care if it was the same joke or not. It was a door. There weren''t a lot of brains there.


    Harry ignored people going into the Great Hall for breakfast and went out through the large oak front doors. He walked at a steady pace, his thin jacket just warm enough for fall weather, and he walked all the way down to the school''s wrought iron gates. He smiled widely when he saw Bertha was already standing there.


    To his surprise, she wore beige pants and a thick red sweater with a button up white blouse underneath. It offset her pinned back brown hair nicely and she carried a large handbag. Her eyes almost danced as she caught sight of him in his new jeans and jacket.


    ¡°Hi, Bertha!¡± Harry said and waved.


    Bertha tapped the gates with her wand and they opened for her. ¡°Hello, Harry.¡± She said and gave him a hug. He was still nearly a foot shorter than her and she just adored hugging the young man. ¡°You just couldn''t convince yourself to leave the trunk behind, could you?¡±


    ¡°I tried.¡± Harry gave her a grin and she laughed. He tucked his arm around her waist to hold on and she pet his head.


    ¡°We won''t be apparating today.¡± Bertha said and kept one arm over his shoulders as she turned them towards Hogsmeade and started walking. ¡°I bought tickets for The Knight Bus and it should be here in a few minutes to pick us up.¡±


    Harry nodded as they walked down the road together. ¡°Did you get my letter?¡±


    ¡°I did, and I don''t know if I can help.¡± Bertha said and he looked up at her face. ¡°The professors at the school are the ones that need to follow the course material and also have to use their judgment to assess the student''s capabilities in their subjects.¡±


    Harry sighed. ¡°He took the vial and it wasn''t even opened, even though he gave me the bottom mark.¡±


    ¡°I''ve already had a few words with some of the school governors about it.¡± Bertha said. ¡°That''s why I know what the rules say.¡± She hugged him a little tighter. ¡°I''ve sent a letter to the headmaster...¡±


    ¡°That''s not going to help much.¡± Harry said, a little angrily. ¡°Amelia told me that he was the one that got Professor Snape off when he should have been sent to prison.¡±


    Bertha sighed this time. ¡°Well, I''ve brought it to his attention. I just hope he doesn''t ignore it.¡±


    ¡°I''m going to fail the class if he keeps giving me Troll for my marks.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°To be fair, Poor and Dreadful would be failures, too.¡± Bertha said with a sad smile. ¡°At least if you get too many Trolls in a row, the other teachers and the school governors will have to take notice.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I actually like potions. Some of the things in the beginner''s book are great and I want to make them.¡±


    Bertha smiled and gave him another squeeze. ¡°Professor Snape isn''t a very good teacher, is he? He should be encouraging and supportive...¡±


    ¡°He is for the Slytherins.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''m glad I chose not to be sorted there, even if they do treat their members better than the other houses.¡±


    Bertha held in her sigh. She couldn''t deny what he said. She had heard some things, especially from Amelia''s niece Susan, about how the Griffindors treat Harry and how her own Hufflepuffs treat her because she made friends with him. She shook her head mentally.


    Kids can be so irrational and then they grow up and become irrational adults. Bertha thought. What are these people thinking? When Harry grows up and becomes a powerful wizard, what will they do then? Pretend that they didn''t treat him like they did? Do they think he is going to forget about it when he''s older?


    They arrived at the edge of the village and stopped walking. Just as they did, there was a soft bang in the distance. The Knight Bus appeared and swerved down the road, for no reason, and skidded to a stop right in front of them. The door opened and Bertha handed Stan the two tickets. She and Harry climbed aboard and immediately cast Spongify on everything. Two other wizards were on the bus and stared at them as they did it.


    As soon as Bertha and Harry sat down, the bus took off at full speed and they tumbled and bounced around. Harry couldn''t help but laugh, because it was the most fun he''d had since his last flying lesson. It was over before he knew it and the bus came to a stop on a side street in London. He and Bertha stepped off the bus and walked down the street.


    Bertha came to a stop in front of an old clothing shop called Purge and Dowse, Ltd. It had ''new'' and ''coming soon'' signs on it with fashions from the fifties in the window. A large ''condemned'' sign hung on the door and Harry wondered what they were doing there.


    Bertha put her arm back over his shoulders. ¡°This is a fake storefront for St. Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.¡± She whispered and pointed to the large picture window. ¡°It works just like the barrier at Platform Nine and Three Quarters in King''s Cross station.¡±


    Harry stared at her with wide eyes and she hugged him close.


    ¡°Ready? One, two, three.¡± Bertha said and they stepped through the window together.


    Harry gasped, because they were now standing inside what looked like a normal hospital lobby. It had several people waiting in chairs and some were standing in a line as they waited to talk to the receptionist. Bertha led him over to the reception desk and stood in line. They waited for their turn and when it came, Bertha was a little cryptic and only asked for the patient in room 303.


    The plump Welcome Witch pointed to the stairs and waved them away. ¡°You''re wasting my time if you already know where to go.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I''m terribly sorry.¡± Bertha said. ¡°I forgot. I thought I had to check with you every time.¡±


    The Welcome Witch gave her an odd look. ¡°I told you that before, haven''t I?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Bertha said with a smile and walked away with Harry under her arm.


    ¡°You don''t remember that, do you?¡± Harry asked as they entered the stairwell.


    ¡°No. I guess it wasn''t that important aaaand whoop.¡± Bertha made a fluttering hand motion from her ear and out to the side. ¡°In one ear and out the other.¡±


    Harry chuckled and then he stopped. ¡°It''s not funny to forget things.¡±


    ¡°It''s all right, Harry. I''ve always been a little forgetful.¡± Bertha said as they went up a flight of stairs. ¡°I may forget some little things; but, I never forget anything important.¡±


    ¡°I''d ask you what, except if you forgot about it, how would you know?¡± Harry asked and she laughed.


    ¡°True, true.¡± Bertha said and they fell silent as they walked all the way up to the third floor. She opened the door for him and they walked past the first door named 301 and over to the second door marked 303. The funny thing was, there was no door across the hall with 302 on it.


    ¡°Who are we here to see?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°You''ll find out in a minute.¡± Bertha said. ¡°I just need to explain something first.¡± She turned him to face her and she put her hands on his shoulders. ¡°By all rights, this patient should be on the fourth floor and in the long term care ward. Unfortunately, they are out of beds and instead he''s here on the potion and poison effects floor and are treating him for those symptoms. On the plus side, he has his own healer that attends him here, instead of one or two for the entire ward on the next floor.¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°Also, try and stay calm, even if he rants and raves at you.¡± Bertha said and let him go, opened the door and walked into the room.


    ¡°Ugh! Not YOU again!¡± A raspy man''s voice spat. ¡°Haven''t you tormented me enough, woman?¡± He asked and missed the trunk being put down just inside the door.


    Bertha laughed and walked over to his bedside. ¡°Don''t be mad, Sirius. I came bearing a gift.¡±


    ¡°It better not be a goddamn Snargaluff or I''ll brain you with it!¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°Of course not, you nincompoop! I came with this!¡± Bertha stepped aside and waved at Harry.


    The mean looking man with long mangy black hair and a thick black beard, withered looking skin and was barely more than bones, gasped as he sprung out of the bed with inhuman strength and threw off the blanket. He stood in front of Harry in a hospital gown and stared at him with what looked like a maniacal gleam in his eyes.


    ¡°Harry.¡± Sirius said, his raspy voice quiet and subdued as tears came to his eyes. He took a careful step forward and put his spindly arms around Harry and hugged him.


    Harry felt wet drops on the top of his head and for some reason, his eyes teared up, too. He wasn''t sure why he lifted his own arms up to put them around this strange and yet oddly familiar man, then the tears rolling down his cheeks matched that of his godfather and he hugged him tightly.

 57 The Godfather Part Two

    Bokuboy


    Bertha was almost giddy with happiness at the tear filled reunion. ¡°Harry, this man''s name is Sirius Black. He was best friends with your father while at school...¡±


    ¡°Ughhh.¡± Sirius''s strength wavered as the adrenaline rush abated and Harry was pretty much holding him up. Harry wasn''t that strong, so the man he held must be nothing but bones.


    Bertha helped Harry put Sirius back into bed.


    ¡°S-s-sorry, Harry.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Azkaban prison is not a nice place to be.¡±


    ¡°It''s left him weak and his magic has been drained daily.¡± Bertha said, her voice full of sadness. ¡°It will take him a long time to recover.¡±


    Harry nodded and wiped at his face. ¡°Amelia told me all about you.¡±


    ¡°Amelia... Amelia...¡± Sirius whispered. ¡°Bones? Amelia Bones?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°She''s the Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement.¡±


    Sirius stared at him with wide eyes that looked pretty ghastly in his thin and emaciated face. ¡°I thought Bertha working for the Ministry was bad enough.¡± He joked and chuckled. ¡°Head of the Department, you say?¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°Well, at least there''s someone competent working there.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Harry.¡± He pointed to the water jug. Harry poured him half a glass and gave it to him.


    ¡°Slowly, Sirius.¡± Bertha said as the man tried to guzzle it. ¡°You need a lot of potions to get you back to your old self.¡±


    ¡°Quiet, you bat.¡± Sirius said. ¡°You still want them to put me in the mental ward!¡±


    Bertha chuckled and Harry looked at her. ¡°It''s long term spell damage, not a mental ward.¡±


    ¡°Don''t listen to her, Harry. They put the hopeless loonies in there.¡± Sirius said. ¡°They only occasionally go in and experiment to see if anything new will work, then they leave them to be taken care of.¡±


    Harry took the glass from him.


    ¡°If anything, I should be down on the second floor with creature and spirit damage.¡± Sirius said. ¡°They just can''t decide if a Dementor''s long term effects should stay classed as spirit damage because it overflows into physical form.¡± He lifted his withered hand and he looked to be a hundred years old. ¡°I can''t wait for them to get me back to my old weight.¡±


    Harry remembered what the Healer did at his place to Dudley and his uncle. They had steadily lost weight over a week and were only a hundred and eighty pounds each. They actually look more like brothers now instead of father and son.


    ¡°Isn''t there a potion like the weight loss one?¡± Harry asked and both Sirius and Bertha laughed as the room door opened.


    ¡°Losing the weight is easy. It''s just flushed out of the body.¡± The healer that had just come into the room said. ¡°Fixing the damage of malnourishment and then getting the body to remember that it''s supposed to function properly? That takes time and hard work.¡± She put the wash basin down on the nightstand. ¡°I need to give you a bath...¡±


    ¡°I''m not kicking Harry out just so you can scrub my naughty bits, woman.¡± Sirius said to the healer. ¡°It can wait until later when he has to leave.¡±


    Bertha laughed and stood. ¡°Sirius, listen to Healer Ela. We''re going to go get some tea and have a look at the shop.¡±


    Sirius got an angry look on his face. ¡°I said I want my Godson to...¡±


    ¡°Hush.¡± The healer said and his words cut off. ¡°They have to go all the way up to the fifth floor. I''ll be done and gone long before they come back.¡±


    Sirius made a rude gesture at her and Harry burst out laughing. Apparently, some things were common with both wizards and muggles. Sirius looked at him and the angry face went away. He nodded and waved, so Bertha and Harry left the room. When they reached the stairwell, Bertha spoke.


    ¡°He''s actually doing very well for someone exposed to the Dementor''s effects for so long.¡± Berth said as they climbed. ¡°It has some of the doctors stumped and they are wondering if it''s because he''s been there for so long and has gotten used to it.¡±


    Harry had read everything Hermione had found for him on them and he knew that wasn''t true. He also knew they were less than alive and more than spirits. No one really knew what they were or where they came from. They just seemed to show up occasionally. They also only had one spell to keep them at bay and he had been practising a lot with it.


    They went to the fifth floor and there was a cafe there. They bought a tea each and a couple of desserts, then sat down to talk about his meeting with Amelia. Bertha knew all about it, since she and Amelia talked every day; but, she wanted Harry''s side of it and it was just as heartwarming as Amelia''s version.


    ¡°Maybe I should get him a present.¡± Harry said as his eyes caught sight of the gift store.


    Bertha smiled. ¡°It''s a nice idea; but, you saw his room. Where would he put anything you bought for him?¡±


    Harry had to admit that she was right. Besides the nightstand, there was nothing in the small white room except for the bed. Then he had an idea. He gave up on buying anything at the shop, finished his tea and dessert, then bought a very fluffy and poofy cauldron cake that almost floated out of the bag.


    Harry and Bertha went back down to the room and Sirius had a different hospital gown on. His hair and beard were combed and he looked loads better.


    ¡°Now, isn''t that better, Sirius?¡± Bertha asked.


    Sirius grumbled something under his breath.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Bertha asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Sirius said and gave Harry a smile. ¡°What''s that I see in your hand?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Harry lied and put it behind his back with the sound of a crinkling paper bag.


    ¡°Ha! Give it here.¡± Sirius said and waved him over.


    ¡°I hope you''re allowed to have it.¡± Harry said and gave him the bag.


    ¡°They''d have to pry a gift from you out of my cold dead hands.¡± Sirius said with a laugh and opened it. ¡°Ah, ah, ah!¡± He dropped the bag and grabbed the floating cauldron cake. ¡°You''re not getting away.¡± He took a bite and sighed in contentment. ¡°Dirigible plum cake.¡± He chewed it up and swallowed, then put the rest in the bag. ¡°Thank you, Harry.¡±


    Harry knew what that meant. His stomach was so small that he couldn''t physically eat a lot and needed to save room for the potions he had to take. ¡°I''ll get you a proper present soon.¡±


    ¡°Harry, just having you willingly visit is all I''ll ever need from you.¡±


    ¡°It wasn''t actually.¡± Harry said and explained that he didn''t know he was coming here.


    Sirius glared at Bertha for a moment and sat up, then he sighed and laid back down. ¡°I''m too tired to yell at you again.¡±


    ¡°Finally!¡± Bertha said and Harry chuckled. ¡°I need to go and use the little girl''s room.¡± She said and stood as she glared at Sirius. ¡°If you have any sense, you won''t discuss manly things while I''m gone.¡±


    Sirius gave her an innocent look back.


    Bertha sighed and touched Harry''s shoulder, then she left the room.


    ¡°You know she''s a nosy busybody.¡± Sirius said with a blank face.


    ¡°Yes, and she helped me a lot since the middle of summer.¡± Harry said and spent the next half an hour telling Sirius everything. As he talked, Sirius'' eyes squinted and squeezed down until he was peering at Harry through small slits with as mean of a face as he could muster.


    ¡°Dumbledore is a brilliant tactician and one of the most powerful wizards in Britain.¡± Sirius said and then growled. ¡°What... an... idiot.¡±


    Harry was a little surprised that Sirius'' angry and scowling face wasn''t frightening him. He didn''t know if it was because it wasn''t directed at him or that Sirius'' face was just normally a little mean looking like Mister Filch''s was.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Your mother loved her sister, Petunia... and she absolutely hated your mother right back.¡± Sirius said. ¡°She would call her weird, and strange, and a freak.¡± His angry face lessened. ¡°She hates magic and anyone that can use it.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said and hung his head.


    ¡°No, Harry. Don''t look away.¡± Sirius said and he looked back at him. ¡°I''m sorry that Albus defied your parents and put you with her in that house.¡±


    ¡°Defied my parents?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°The very last thing she wanted was to have you around her sister and her bigoted muggle husband.¡±


    Harry blinked his eyes at the wording. ¡°Sirius... you... you can''t mean...¡±


    ¡°Petunia is a squib.¡± Sirius said. ¡°That''s why she hates magic so much. She should be able to cast it and she can''t.¡±


    Harry sat there, stunned. ¡°But... but...¡±


    ¡°Jealousy and envy are horrible emotions.¡± Sirius said and then he shivered for a second and his eyes glazed over. He became deathly quiet, barely even breathing, then he rolled onto his side as he curled up into a ball and hugged his knees. ¡°No no no nononono.¡±


    Harry reached out to touch him as the door burst open.


    ¡°Stop, Harry.¡± The healer said and walked over to the bed. She waved her wand at Sirius and his body relaxed. He closed his eyes and let his knees go, even though pain was etched on his face. She rolled him over onto his back and tucked the blanket back over him.


    ¡°What''s wrong with him?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°A flashback, we suspect.¡± Healer Ela said. ¡°He was in prison for ten years and it will leave scars that can only be dealt with.¡±


    ¡°You mean he won''t heal?¡± Harry asked, worried.


    Healer Ela turned to him and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°All we can do is try to convince him that this isn''t a dream and that he really is out of prison.¡± She said. ¡°He goes like this when he thinks a Dementor is going to come back to get him.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure what to say to that.


    ¡°I think it''s time to go.¡± Bertha said from the doorway.


    ¡°NO!¡± Sirius shouted, yet he was still asleep.


    Harry looked at Bertha and then up at the healer, who nodded. He started to walk away and stopped, then darted over to the bed.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Bertha gasped as Harry took Sirius'' hand against the healer''s order.


    ¡°I won''t leave you alone.¡± Harry said and shared his magic with Sirius as if they were going to apparate. He could feel a feeble response from the magic inside his Godfather that seemed to be shaking like Neville''s wand. It seemed to settle down and Sirius'' face changed from pain to relaxed. ¡°I''ll see you later.¡±


    Harry let his hand go and walked over to the wall, picked up his trunk by the handle, and walked away with Bertha.


    Healer Ela turned to the bed and smiled. ¡°I guess you''ve got yourself a little champion to fight for you.¡± She said and touched his forehead to check and see if he was feverish again. He was a normal temperature and she smiled. ¡°I am going to recommend to the head healer that Harry should visit you more often.¡±


    The healer turned away and didn''t notice the small smile form on Sirius'' relaxed face.

 58 The Information

    Severus Snape was an accomplished Legilimens, and he had never regretted it as much as he did now. He stood in the living room at Number Four, Privet Drive, and on the couch were three of the worst people he had ever met. That was saying something, considering he used to work for the Dark Lord Voldemort himself and associated with Death Eaters. They did horrible and unforgivable things; but, the one thing they had never done, was allow the physical abuse of a child, unlike these people.


    Snape had almost missed the place when he came here because of the magical protections it had. Repelling charms and ignoring charms covered every inch of it, not to mention the blood wards that had been placed on it. It was old magic, not used on modern magical buildings, because their occupants changed so frequently. To find it on what was supposed to be a muggle house was surprising, until he saw the recent memories of the woman.


    His stomach filled with bile as he glared at the entranced woman, barely understanding how she could do what she did to a baby, until he asked her what Harry''s life was like and he saw what it entailed. He left the living room at a fast walk and stopped in the hallway and opened the small door of the cupboard under the stairs. His eyes beheld the nest of blankets, the broken plastic soldiers on the shelf, and small piles of old clothing tucked into the corner.


    No one deserves to live like this, let alone a child. Snape thought in disgust, then he remembered why it looked so familiar. He had been at Malfoy Manor a time or two and their house elf had a similar set-up. A nest of blankets, forced to cook and clean for the family, and nothing to call their own. There were no signs of the Potter riches, no magical artifacts, and no proof that the boy had been spoiled as his father had been.


    His father was rich and never had to work, so I just assumed... Snape shook his head and closed the door. He hated himself just a little bit more for seeing the son''s defiance as arrogance. He was well dressed and comported himself in the same manner as all the other rich children did. So, Snape had made certain assumptions, thanks to the things Dumbledore had told him over the years about Harry being healthy and having a good home life away from the wizarding world.


    Snape closed the door to the cupboard and walked back into the living room. Against the laws of the Ministry of Magic, he went to Petunia and applied three drops of Veritaserum onto her tongue.


    ¡°Do you know... who I am?¡± Snape asked.


    ¡°Yes, you vile creature.¡± Petunia said, her face impassive and her voice flat.


    ¡°Why do you treat your nephew so harshly?¡± Snape asked.


    ¡°He''s a filthy beast, just like you.¡± Petunia said. ¡°Black messy and greasy hair, dirty skin, scowling all the time. I hate him.¡±


    Snape was surprised by this, because Harry didn''t look like that at all. ¡°What about now?¡±


    ¡°I hate that he is so handsome. Perfect skin, hair styled, expensive clothes that he must have stolen. I hate it all.¡± Petunia said. ¡°If it wasn''t for the money that his mother''s estate pays me, I would have sent the little freak to an orphanage.¡±


    Estate? Snape asked himself. As far as he knew, no such thing exists. ¡°What estate?¡±


    ¡°It was all in the letter. A stipend every month for taking care of the brat, on the condition that he live in the house.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± Snape asked, curious.


    ¡°Two galleons a day.¡± Petunia said. ¡°The letter said that was enough for a meal and boarding. I laughed. The next day, I was surprised when an envelope appeared in the mail with money in it. A note told me the galleons were converted to British money and sent. We were given 28 pounds and 52 pence every day until last week when it suddenly stopped.¡±


    Snape quickly did the math in his head. It was over 850 pounds a month, or well over 10,000 pounds a year. Over ten years, that was a whopping 100,000 pounds. They were paid a lot of money to take care of the boy and all they did was verbally abuse the child and let their son beat on him as ''boys just roughhousing''.


    ¡°Why did you never use the money to actually take care of him?¡± Snape asked.


    ¡°He doesn''t deserve it.¡± Pertunia said. ¡°If he didn''t exist, my sister wouldn''t be dead.¡±


    Snape took in a sharp breath and he couldn''t look at the woman anymore. Her words brought the whole event back into his mind. How it had been him that warned the Dark Lord of a prophecy that foretold of his downfall and how it spurned the Dark Lord into action. The Potters lost their lives son after and the Dark Lord was no more.


    Or so everyone believed.


    Snape pulled up his sleeve and looked at the faded Dark Mark on his arm. If the Dark Lord was truly gone, his mark would be also. Dumbledore checked with him occasionally and gazed at the mark, examined it, then he would huff and go back to whatever it was that he does inside that huge office all day.


    He put his sleeve back in place and swiped his wand at the three people on the couch to start waking them from the trance he had put them in. He couldn''t do anything to them, despite his desire to, and he strode out of the living room, down the hallway, and out the front door.


    Snape walked out onto the street after applying a Disguise Charm on himself to make him look like he was wearing muggle clothing and not his black robes. He walked two streets over to stop at the front door of another house. He knocked this time, since he didn''t need to be sneaky about it.


    An older woman wearing a hat and carrying a cat opened the door. ¡°Yes? Who are...¡± She stopped talking when she noticed who it was.


    ¡°I have... some questions for you... Arabella Figg.¡± Snape said with a sneer.


    The woman recoiled and winced at the tone, then she stepped back and Snape entered. ¡°I don''t know what you could be asking me about...¡±


    ¡°Harry Potter.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°Oh, fudge!¡± Arabella said and he turned to look at her. ¡°I knew breaking my ankle would come back to haunt me.¡±


    Snape looked down at the small cast on her foot that he didn''t notice before.


    ¡°I couldn''t babysit him all summer and I guess they locked him up.¡±


    ¡°They did.¡± Snape said and looked deep into her eyes.


    ¡°You don''t need to do that.¡± Arabella said and hobbled past him and sat down in a large comfy chair that was reminiscent of the chairs in the Griffindor common room. ¡°I''ve nothing to hide.¡±


    ¡°You should be hiding it.¡± Snape almost spat and refrained from sitting.


    Arabella sighed. ¡°I couldn''t make his time here enjoyable or his aunt wouldn''t have let him come back.¡± She said as an explanation. ¡°Dumbledore specifically said...


    ¡°...to give him a horrible time and make his life even worse than it was?¡± Snape finished for her.


    Arabella winced again. ¡°I couldn''t let the boy know what he was. I was under orders.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t say you should reveal all of our world''s secrets. You just should have been a safe harbour for him.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°I was sent here to only keep an eye on him and told to not interfere, no matter what I saw or heard.¡±


    ¡°You didn''t think it was prudent to report on everything you''ve seen him suffering through?¡± Snape asked. ¡°Until the Ministry showed up, he was only skin and bones.¡±


    ¡°He was never attacked, harassed, or targeted by dark wizards.¡± Arabella said with a shrug. ¡°I reported everything I saw and heard to Dumbledore. I don''t know what went on inside the house, though. Harry was always quiet and never said anything.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever think it was because of your behaviour that he never told you anything?¡± Snape said, a little louder than he intended, and her face flushed red. ¡°No, I suppose it didn''t.¡± He said and turned away. ¡°One more thing.¡± He turned back to look at her. ¡°Where are you getting the money to live here?¡±


    ¡°I get a letter every day with muggle money in it. Five galleons worth.¡± Arabella said. ¡°It suddenly stopped a week ago. Do you know what happened?¡±


    Snape closed his eyes and tried to fight the bubbling anger inside of him that threatened to break loose. Harry''s watcher was getting paid two and a half times the amount that Harry''s supposed guardians were getting to take care of him.


    ¡°Send a letter to the bank.¡± Snape said and then squinted his eyes. ¡°Better yet, send one to Dumbledore. I''m sure he will explain... or he will give you an excuse that you will believe.¡±


    Arabella looked surprised and Snape turned away and walked to her door. He left the house and strode down the street. When he was out of sight of everyone, he apparated away. Now that he had the base from which to build from, now he needed the context. Harry''s current actions at school were uncharacteristic from what he had just learned.


    What had happened to him after he learned about magic? Snape asked himself as he appeared down the street from the Leaky Cauldron. He would have to follow Harry''s footsteps through his introduction to the magical world. His first stop, Tom the Barman. With a fake purchase of an ale and a few extra galleons, he learned of what actually happened to the man that was supposed to be hired as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.


    Dumbledore lied to me again. Snape thought as Tom recounted the story, with some elaboration, and Snape got the proof he needed that Voldemort was actually still around. He was a spirit, yes; but, he was around. If he could possess someone, then there was no telling how long it would take for him to regain a body.


    Snape''s thoughts focused on that. Dumbledore knew he was inside Quirrell. He thought. He had to have known. No one in their right mind would ever hire the blithering idiot otherwise. The man was afraid of his own shadow and wasn''t fit to teach the subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Snape was grateful that the potential damage he could have caused was avoided. Then he thought of what the damage could have been like if Voldemort had been inside Quirrell for the entire year.


    Snape shuddered at the thought. No one would have been safe. He thought and thanked Tom for the ale without drinking it. He left through the back door and used the brick wall, then walked through the opening into Diagon Alley. He had to visit the shops to find out how Harry had acted after killing a man.

 59 The Training

    Bertha led Harry downstairs to the lobby of the hospital. They stepped through the barrier and walked down the street to an alleyway. Bertha held her wand out and waited. A bang was heard, the sound of screeching tires, and The Knight Bus took the corner as if it was made of rubber and skidded to a stop in front of them.


    Everything was still soft and bouncy inside, so they paid the fee and enjoyed the ride. They didn''t go back to Hogsmeade, though. They came to a stop at a very nice two storey house and stepped off.


    ¡°This is where I leave you.¡± Bertha said. ¡°Amelia is waiting inside.¡±


    ¡°What? I thought it wasn''t until next week.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°You and Susan taking lessons starts next week.¡± Bertha corrected. ¡°Go on inside and I''ll expect your letter promptly in the morning.¡±


    Harry nodded and he gave her a hug.


    ¡°I just love your hugs.¡± Bertha said and hugged him back. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Harry''s ears were a little red as he let her go.


    ¡°Hey, Harry.¡± Stanley said. ¡°You wouldn''t have any more of them cakes, do ya?¡±


    Harry nodded and opened his trunk, climbed down the ladder, then came back up. ¡°I''ve still got three boxes left.¡± He said and handed one to Stanley.


    ¡°Thanks, mate!¡± Stanley said. ¡°Hey, Ern! Harry had more for us!¡±


    ¡°Stop yapping and hand ''em over.¡± Ernie said.


    Bertha and Harry chuckled, exchanged another hug, and Bertha stepped back onto the Knight Bus. Harry watched it drive away and picked up his trunk, then walked over to the front door of the house. He knocked and waited. The door opened and Amelia stood there in her combat robes and smiled down at him.


    ¡°You didn''t have to knock, Harry.¡± Amelia said and gave him a hug. ¡°You are welcome here, so just come right in.¡±


    ¡°I couldn''t do that.¡± Harry said as she led him inside.


    ¡°I want you to feel comfortable, so I want you to treat my house as if it was the home you always wanted.¡± Amelia said. ¡°You can leave your trunk here in the entryway.¡±


    Harry put it down against the wall, made sure it was out of the way, and kicked off his shoes.


    ¡°That''s considerate of you. Thank you, Harry.¡± Amelia said and waved her wand. A pair of slippers appeared out of thin air and she handed them to him. ¡°If the rest of you is cold, let me know.¡±


    ¡°I can do the heating charm.¡± Harry said and put the slippers on. They were toasty warm and he wiggled his toes happily.


    ¡°That''s one of the things I''d like to talk with you about.¡± Amelia said and took his hand as she brought him to the living room. ¡°Now, I don''t want you to tell me all of your secrets.¡± She saw his face go a little red as they sat down together. ¡°I only want a general idea of what you can do. That way, I can fill in any gaps you have in your skills.¡±


    Harry thought about showing her his spell book.


    ¡°That''s the whole point of seeing you today.¡± Amelia said. ¡°You will be learning all the necessary things you should have learned if you grew up in a wizarding household.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Harry asked, a little surprised.


    Amelia smiled. ¡°I know it''s a little odd to offer such a thing to someone who isn''t family; but, I particularly like you.¡± She said and his face went fully red. She let him think about that for a minute, then spoke again. ¡°You are going to be very important to the wizarding world in the future.¡±


    Harry let out a sigh. ¡°You mean because of Voldemort.¡±


    Amelia shook her head. ¡°No, Harry. I mean you... as a person... are going to be important. You''re going to be a very powerful wizard, I can feel it. You''ve been given some information and you know why you''re famous, which you should have been told a lot sooner than just before starting school.¡± She smiled at him to take the slight sting out of her words. ¡°I''ve told you everything I could about everything else concerning you-know-who and his followers, because I don''t want you to be ignorant of the dangers.¡±


    Harry looked at her and nodded. He appreciated that she had always been truthful and answered his questions without evading them.


    ¡°You''re not going to complain that you''re only eleven and shouldn''t be learning about all of this?¡± Amelia asked with a sly smile.


    ¡°I fought Voldemort as a baby and won.¡± Harry said with an answering smile, then he told her what Hermione had described.


    Amelia laughed and put an arm over his shoulders to hug him. ¡°Gooboo goo! The bane of dark wizards, everywhere! Ha ha!¡±


    Harry laughed, too. After a few moments, he sighed again. ¡°I''ve been without someone to teach me my whole life.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°Not anymore, my dear boy.¡± She said and held him close. ¡°I''ll do my best to correct that mistake, starting off with the general cost of things in the wizarding world.¡±


    Harry widened his eyes slightly and she chuckled.


    ¡°You''ve only bought expensive things in Diagon Alley while preparing for school, so your ''money sense'' is a little skewed.¡± Amelia said. ¡°So, I''m going to show you the base economy stats and then...¡±


    Harry was a little surprised about how right she was. He really did think of things as all being a certain price and above, which was not how he should be looking at things. He had been buying everything with galleons as a base currency and he should have been using silver sickles and even knuts.


    In fact, he still had piles of silver sickles and bronze knuts that were just sitting inside his money pouch that were completely untouched. When Harry counted them out, making stacks of 17 silver sickles, he had just over eighty galleons worth of them. He did the same with the bronze knuts and found out that he had over five galleons worth. So, he had about eighty-five galleons worth of money that he had completely forgotten about.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Harry said and stared at the coffee table that was covered in stacks of money.


    ¡°You''ve been carrying all of that around and not using it.¡± Amelia said. ¡°So, do you know what that means?¡±


    ¡°I like expensive things?¡± Harry asked with smile and she laughed.


    ¡°It means...¡± Amelia put her arm back around him. ¡°...that you need to be a little smarter about asking how much something is before offering to pay galleons for it. Most people, even normally honest people, will not correct you and will just take what you offer as the price without telling you.¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°Good. Now you can get all this wealth out of my sight. The piles of shiny silver are hard on the eyes!¡± Amelia said with a chuckle.


    Harry smiled and started shovelling it all back into his money bag and Amelia helped. Once the table was cleared, Amelia made tea and desserts appear.


    ¡°We''ll take a short break and then I''ll continue your training on household affairs.¡± Amelia said and the two of them sat there in companionable silence as they drank tea and nibbled on the delicious desserts.


    *


    Severus Snape was a master at steeling his facial features and even he had a hard time not expressing himself when he talked to all of the shop owners. The worst one was when he went into Madam Malkin''s and saw the enormous full sized portrait of Harry Potter behind the main counter. Everyone who entered the shop saw it and there was even a small gathering of witches at the counter.


    They had made small purchases, just so they could stand there and interact with the shy and bashful handsome young man in the picture, who blushed every time one of the women complimented him.


    To Snape, that was almost as sickening to watch as Voldemort tormenting someone that irked him. He ignored the portrait and took Madam Malkin aside. He questioned her about her interactions with the boy and was once again surprised that Harry showed no signs that he was traumatized by vaporizing a man after touching him. He had even made a special trip back to Madam Malkin''s for the portrait.


    That was not something the boy should have done. Snape thought. With the way he grew up, a woman in authority should have terrified him. He contemplated the situation and looked into Madam Malkin''s eyes. ¡°Tell me what you did the first time you saw him again.¡± Legilimens!


    Snape saw the interaction and Harry being shown kindness and getting a pat on the head and a hug. The thing that struck him as surprising was what Harry looked like. His aunt had described him perfectly. Black greasy and messy hair and he wore old dirty clothes and had slightly dirty skin. The only thing he didn''t see was a scowl. Harry had a bright and inquisitive face and his interactions were not those of a killer.


    Madam Malkin saw that Snape was listening intently and went right into the second visit, so Snape saw that event, too. The child laughed as he bounced around The Knight Bus, needed help with his new school robes, getting ice cream, then the portrait reveal.


    He had no idea. Snape thought and ended the spell. He really didn''t know anything about the wizarding world before that first day. ¡°Thank you for your time, Madam Malkin.¡±


    ¡°It''s no trouble.¡± Madam Malkin said. ¡°I''ll tell anyone that wants to know about that boy! He is such a delight!¡± She walked off and went over to the counter. ¡°Goodness Harry! You''re just as handsome as the last time I saw you.¡±


    Portrait Harry''s face and ears turned bright red and a collective ''aww'' came from the witches at the counter, then some laughed and giggled as they discussed things that Snape wanted no part in listening to. He strode out of the shop and thought about going to the bank to interview them about Harry, then decided that they wouldn''t tell him anything about one of their clients.


    Snape apparated away and appeared outside the gates of Hogwarts. He tapped them with his wand and stepped through the opening gates and tapped them again to close them before they fully opened. He walked back up to the school and debated talking to Hagrid to get his side of the story. He dismissed it as a waste of time. Hagrid was particularly resistant to both Veritaserum and magic spells in general, so interrogating him would require actually listening to him.


    It''s not worth the time or the effort. Snape thought and entered the school. He had a few things to prepare before he went to the headmaster to report his findings. A small smile broke through his grim expression as he thought about what the old man was going to say to defend himself.


    The students in the hallway that Snape walked down, saw his smile and walked faster in the other direction. It was not a smile to be trifled with.

 60 The Confrontation

    Bokuboy


    Severus Snape went to his office and quickly took out several of the unbreakable crystal vials he had confiscated from Harry Potter. He took his time and put copies of his memories into them, to make sure he had them before visiting a powerful wizard like Dumbledore, just as he did when he visited Voldemort. It was insurance that he couldn''t be obliviated, where he was given false memories or had them removed altogether. It also protected the memories that he wanted to keep safe.


    When he was done, he strode across the castle to Dumbledore''s office and said the password. The door opened and he rode the stairway up to the office. It was an ingenious delay mechanism that was designed to give him a head''s up if anyone was trying to get into his office. The extra time also served as a buffer to hide away anything that Dumbledore was working on.


    Snape''s request to have a similar mechanism installed for his office was politely and firmly refused.


    The door to Dumbledore''s office opened and Snape calmly walked in, not revealing his urgency to confront the old man about all of his deceptions. It wasn''t the denials he spouted about being ignorant of Harry''s disposition and home life that were annoying. Those he could accept as justification to shift blame.


    It was the cover-up about Voldemort being hired as a professor that irked him. The Dark Lord must have been very close to regaining a body of his own with Quirrell helping him and he almost had unrestricted access to the school. As a professor, he could walk the halls unimpeded and unmolested. That alone was terrifying for the wizarding world, let alone for one Severus Snape. He had no desire to search out the Dark Lord or to resume his former position as spy.


    Snape stood there beside Dumbledore''s desk and waited patiently for the old man to finish ignoring him.


    *


    Dumbledore sat there and pretended to ignore the potions professor to try and gauge the man''s reaction to whatever news he had dug up. Unfortunately, he couldn''t get a read on him. He was a spy after all, so that was understandable. It would be difficult to be effective if everyone could tell how you were feeling and guess if anything was bothering you. He tried for another moment to read him and then gave up.


    ¡°I have a feeling you are not going to tell me good news.¡± Dumbledore said and looked at him.


    ¡°If by good news, you mean that he wasn''t verbally abused his entire life and beaten to a pulp every day by his cousin... that was three times his size... then no. It''s not good news.¡± Snape said in as sarcastic of a tone as he could muster, which was a significant amount.


    Dumbledore winced at the tone. ¡°Severus, I''m sure that it wasn''t that bad.¡±


    ¡°See it for yourself.¡± Snape said and placed one of the vials on Dumbledore''s desk. ¡°It''s all there. Years and years of abuse.¡±


    Dumbledore didn''t pick it up.


    ¡°So, you knew.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°I suspected.¡± Dumbledore corrected. ¡°Petunia wasn''t fond of her sister; but, she accepted the boy into her home...¡±


    ¡°...because you paid her.¡± Snape said, then his mask slipped and showed anger for a moment. ¡°Or, more correctly, Harry Potter paid her.¡±


    Dumbledore didn''t react or deny it, which meant it was true.


    ¡°Did you know that they didn''t spend a single bronze knut on the boy?¡± Snape asked and Dumbledore still didn''t react.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Snape said with a bit of a sneer. ¡°You ''suspected'' and kept it to yourself.¡±


    ¡°I needed to keep the boy ignorant.¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°I couldn''t interfere with how he was raised.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn''t want to interfere.¡± Snape corrected. ¡°If he wasn''t desperate to get out of there, he wouldn''t have accepted being a wizard so easily, correct?¡±


    Dumbledore smiled slightly and nodded.


    ¡°Is that also why he can accept killing a man so easily?¡± Snape asked.


    Dumbledore closed his mouth and the smile disappeared.


    ¡°Yes, I found out.¡± Snape said. ¡°Quite easily, I might add.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Dumbledore asked.


    ¡°Obviously, whatever spell you used or false memories you implanted didn''t take.¡± Snape said and Dumbledore looked uneasy. ¡°Were there too many witnesses? Not enough time to cover up all of the evidence?¡±


    Dumbledore sighed. ¡°I was too late to catch the Aurors before they took Quirrell''s ashes away.¡±


    Snape had to smile. ¡°Tom told everyone that came through the bar the same story, for the entire day.¡± His smile faded. ¡°Only one coming back and telling him would undo everything.¡±


    ¡°Plus the Aurors getting statements and testimony at the Ministry.¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°I''m just glad that they didn''t charge Harry with murder.¡±


    ¡°They didn''t have the evidence.¡± Snape said. ¡°They dismissed it as an allergic reaction.¡±


    ¡°Tom told you that?¡± Dumbledore asked and Snape raised his eyebrows at him. ¡°Yes, I''m sorry to doubt you.¡±


    ¡°Doubting me I can handle.¡± Snape said and glared at him. ¡°Trusting me is another.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dumbledore asked, innocently.


    ¡°The gentle grandfather facade doesn''t work on me, Dumbledore.¡± Snape said. ¡°You know perfectly well what I mean.¡±


    Dumbledore took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°Voldemort.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Snape said. ¡°Did you really think I wouldn''t discover that he was inside of Quirrell?¡±


    ¡°I thought I erased that memory.¡± Dumbledore whispered.


    ¡°You would have been better off altering it and not leaving a hole for his brain to fill in.¡± Snape said. ¡°It was nearly intact by the time I talked to him. The other people around us recounting it filled in all the little details for him.¡±


    ¡°Dammit.¡± Dumbledore said.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Snape said. ¡°You are getting old and forgetful.¡±


    Dumbledore gave him a stern look for a moment. ¡°What would you suggest I do about it?¡±


    ¡°Now? Nothing.¡± Snape said. ¡°If you had done something as soon as Hagrid came to see you, you could have saved the world by eliminating Voldemort, once and for all.¡±


    Dumbledore couldn''t steel his face in time to avoid showing that he knew something. Snape stared at him and didn''t speak for several minutes. The two of them battled, mind to mind, and neither of them were willing to lose or give up. When they reached the five minute mark, they were both sweating and strain showed on their faces.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Snape said and looked away.


    In that brief moment, Dumbledore saw that Snape didn''t trust him any longer. To keep such deep secrets from him, secrets that were essential for Snape to function safely, made all the good will that he had built up over the years, mean less than nothing. What was the use of good will with Dumbledore if Snape was going to be exposed to The Dark Lord unknowingly?


    ¡°You weren''t going to tell me at all that he was inside Quirrell.¡± Snape said, sure of that answer.


    Dumbledore sighed. ¡°No. You didn''t need to know.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t need to know... that The Dark Lord, whom I have been bound to... was possessing a man that was going to teach at the school.¡±


    ¡°The less people that knew, the better.¡± Dumbledore said.


    ¡°Less, meaning just you.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°It is the safest way to keep a secret.¡± Dumbledore responded.


    ¡°What were you going to do with...¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t matter.¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°All my plans had to change when Quirrell died.¡±


    ¡°To what?¡± Snape asked and Dumbledore didn''t say anything. ¡°Did those plans involve Peter Pettegrew?¡±


    Dumbledore looked shocked for a second, then he sighed again. ¡°How long have you known?¡±


    ¡°Since Missus Norris walked by my office with a giant rat in her mouth.¡± Snape said. ¡°No secrets can be kept from The Dark Lord by someone so weak. Long has he known of Pettegrew''s animagus state.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone else...¡± Dumbledore started to ask.


    ¡°Obviously, his ''friends'' would know as well.¡± Snape almost spat. ¡°They trusted him, didn''t they?¡±


    Dumbledore couldn''t really respond, because they did and it had cost James Potter and his wife their lives. Peter had betrayed them and told Voldemort where the Potters lived.


    Snape took a breath and let his calm mask overtake his emotions. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    Dumbledore thought about not answering as he debated his revised plans. ¡°If I tell you this, you must promise to do all that you can to help.¡±


    Snape glared at him and he smiled.


    ¡°Yes, all right. I''m sorry that I''ve kept you in the dark about some things. Please, forgive me.¡± Dumbledore said and Snape stopped glaring. ¡°It was for your own safety.¡±


    Snape folded his arms into his cloak and waited. He knew he would play that card.


    ¡°As I see it, Harry and Voldemort need to meet in a few years...¡±


    ¡°They''ve already met.¡± Snape said, unnecessarily.


    ¡°Yes, and it went very poorly. Harry didn''t face any trials, investigated any mysteries, or gained an interest in Defense Against the Dark Arts.¡±


    Snape stood there and did his best to not glare again. ¡°You... intended to have them meet... as Harry and Professor Quirrell.¡±


    ¡°Yes, after grooming Harry along to the appropriate paths to reach the right solution.¡± Dumbledore said.


    ¡°The very stupid security we were trying to set up on the third floor?¡± Snape asked and Dumbledore nodded. ¡°What was it he was supposed to gain?¡±


    ¡°The Philosopher''s Stone.¡± Albus said. ¡°It was entrusted to me by...¡±


    ¡°I do not need a lecture.¡± Snape said. ¡°How would you let Voldemort know that you had...¡± He stopped talking. ¡°That''s why you hired the idiot Quirrell. You were just going to bring it up and let it slip into a conversation for him to hear, weren''t you?¡±


    Dumbledore smiled. ¡°I already did that. I made sure that he overheard when I told Hagrid to retrieve it from vault seven hundred and thirteen at the bank.¡±


    ¡°Then he died.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°He was supposed to keep looking for it here at the school.¡±


    Snape stood there for a full minute as he waited for Dumbledore to continue, then he spoke. ¡°If you didn''t need Quirrell to try and steal it and the plans to set up the third floor as a test for Potter fell through, then where is the stone?¡±


    Dumbledore opened his mouth to say that Hagrid had given it to him, then remembered that all that happened that day was a blubbering and very upset Hagrid had informed him about what happened with Quirrell, then Dumbledore waited to get the witnesses alone to try and deal with the fallout.


    Hagrid hadn''t handed over the philosopher''s stone.


    ¡°Hagrid.¡± Dumbledore said and stood, then he quickly strode across the office. ¡°I need to see Hagrid right away.¡±


    Snape watched the man leave in a rush and didn''t follow him. Dumbledore left a spy inside his office, one that he didn''t actually trust, and was all alone inside his inner sanctum. Snape smiled and waved his wand, put all of the portraits to sleep to stop their prying eyes, then got to work. He had dirt to dig up and he didn''t have a lot of time to find it.

 61 The Reality Of Truth

    ¡°I don''t know what ta tell yeh, Headmaster.¡± Hagrid said and shrugged his massive shoulders. ¡°It''s been a month and a half since then. It could be anywhere by now.¡±


    Dumbledore had stood inside Hagrid''s hut and silently cast ''Accio the philosopher''s stone'' over a dozen times as Hagrid emptied his pockets and searched everywhere. Nothing appeared.


    ¡°Where did you go after...¡±


    ¡°I''ve been all over the grounds and in the forbidden forest, Headmaster.¡± Hagrid said. ¡°Tha''s meh job, see.¡±


    Dumbledore barely managed to not rub his face in frustration. I must scour the grounds. He thought, then left the hut without saying goodbye.


    ¡°I''m sure it''ll turn up, Headmaster!¡± Hagrid said and waved to his back.


    For the rest of the day, the students and a few teachers saw Headmaster Dumbledore walking around and waving his wand as he muttered to himself the entire time. No one asked him what he was doing, however. He was the headmaster and could do whatever he wanted.


    Snape didn''t have to worry about Dumbledore coming back for hours.


    *


    Harry had the absolute best day. He learned so much about the wizarding world from Amelia that he had taken dozens of parchment papers of notes. Amelia had been impressed by the speed of his writing and it was actually legible. In fact, she had given him a couple of spells to practice for their training classes that she wouldn''t confirm he was participating in with her niece Susan next week.


    He added them to his spell book on the bottom and Amelia didn''t ask to look through it. When he attached them, he gave her a look that she recognized as a little weary, then he handed it to her without a word. Amelia didn''t rifle through it immediately like she desperately wanted to, though. Instead, she reached over and took him into a hug.


    ¡°Thank you for trusting me with this.¡± Amelia whispered and held on for a moment. She let him go and looked into his eyes to let him know that she appreciated his gesture, then she slowly started to peruse the stack of paper. She held her surprise in check as the spells became more powerful and complicated as she went deeper, then simple for a few pages, then extremely difficult. A lot of the spells would cause her own Aurors to have difficulty casting them.


    Amelia closed the ''book'' and rested her hands on it. ¡°You can cast all of these spells, can''t you?¡± She asked. ¡°Minus the two at the end that I just gave you.¡±


    ¡°I can only get wisps with the Patronus spell.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''ve tried to find the happiest memory to use as a mental shield, and I just can''t get it to work.¡±


    Amelia smiled. ¡°Well, maybe you haven''t thought of a memory that''s happy enough. It takes a certain combination of emotions and mental fortitude to cast the spell.¡± She handed him back his spell book and touched the side of his face. ¡°Can you tell me what memory you chose?¡±


    ¡°The first time I flew with Hedwig.¡± Harry said and smiled widely. ¡°It was so much fun.¡±


    ¡°What did you try before that?¡± Amelia asked and let his face go.


    ¡°Riding on The Knight Bus.¡± Harry said. ¡°That was pretty fun, too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Those are good memories...¡± Amelia stopped talking and thought about it for several minutes. ¡°You know, I think you''re focusing on the wrong thing. Fun memories might not be good enough. They aren''t personal to you.¡±


    Harry looked at her in surprise.


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°I mean, you can always have fun if you repeated it, like how many times you''ve ridden The Knight Bus.¡±


    Harry nodded in understanding.


    ¡°I think you need to dig deeper. You need to find a memory that made you happy... truly happy.¡±


    Harry sat there and thought about it. He tried hard to find a memory that actually made him happy. He looked at the woman next to him and he remembered the hug she had given him when they first met. His face flushed red and Amelia smiled back, almost as if she knew what he was thinking about.


    ¡°I think whatever you''re thinking is on the right track.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Something personal, something that no matter what happens to you, you will fight to keep that memory alive and safe.¡±


    Harry stayed on the same track and kept thinking, then he took in a sharp breath.


    ¡°I think you got it.¡± Amelia whispered. ¡°Go ahead, Harry. Cast the spell and show me.¡±


    Harry flicked his wrist and deployed his wand, which surprised Amelia, then he stood up and did the proper wand movement that he had memorized. ¡°EXPECTO PATRONUM!¡±


    To Amelia''s utter shock, a giant snowy white owl popped out of Harry''s wand on his very first try. It was covered in the telltale white wisps of the Patronus Charm as it flew around the room. Harry had a beaming smile on his face as he watched it.


    ¡°That''s enough, Harry.¡± Amelia said and picked up one of the desserts that had chocolate in it. She hid her reaction as he ended the spell and took the dessert and started eating it. She waited until he was done before asking him what she wanted to ask. ¡°Can you tell me what you decided on?¡±


    Harry didn''t hesitate as he spoke. ¡°It was the second night I had Hedwig and she let me hug her.¡± He said, his face a little red. ¡°It was the very first hug I had ever given anyone.¡±


    Amelia couldn''t hide her surprise this time. ¡°Your owl let you hug her?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°She was so soft and warm and she''s my very first friend that I''ll have forever.¡±


    Amelia blinked her eyes at the wording. Who told him that? She asked herself. Owls only live for about twenty years or so. Depending on how old she is now, their time together... no, I won''t tell him that. His Patronus was corporeal. An eleven year old cast a corporeal Patronus. I won''t destroy that ability by telling him his time with his owl might be limited. She looked at the boy and gave him a warm smile. ¡°I''m sure the two of you are going to have a lot of fun times together.¡±


    ¡°She''s even allowed into the school when not delivering the mail.¡± Harry said. ¡°I thought the teachers would say something about her on my shoulder and none of them did.¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°I didn''t take her to Potions, though. I know Professor Snape would complain about it if I did.¡±


    ¡°She would garner too much attention and distract the other students.¡± Amelia chuckled. ¡°Like my niece, for example.¡±


    Harry smiled at that. The last time he had taken Hedwig to Herbology on Wednesday, Susan and her friend Hannah had taken spots beside Harry and Hermione and Susan''s hand would randomly reach for his shoulder and her fingers kept lightly petting Hedwig''s feathers. It was almost like she was doing it automatically or she just couldn''t stop herself from petting the owl. Hedwig didn''t seem to mind.


    ¡°Well, it''s getting late.¡± Amelia said and stood. ¡°I think I better pop you back to the school.¡±


    Harry nodded and gathered his notes and things and put them into his trunk on top of the bookshelf.


    ¡°Thank you for coming over to visit, Harry.¡± Amelia said and Harry turned to face her. ¡°I know I''m pretty much hijacking you on Saturdays now, so I hope you can handle only having one relaxing day off a week for a while.¡±


    ¡°Mister Filch won''t let me help clean on the weekends, even though we could have done a lot more with all the extra time.¡± Harry said.


    Amelia couldn''t keep a straight face and smiled as she took the young man into a hug. ¡°The poor teachers don''t realize that their harsh punishment is wasted on someone like you.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know why people think it''s harsh.¡± Harry said and hugged her back. ¡°It''s just cleaning.¡±


    Amelia laughed and Harry smiled at her happy face. ¡°Most people can''t stand the thought of being on their hands and knees as they scrub floors and bathrooms.¡±


    ¡°I have foam knee pads.¡± Harry said and she laughed a little more.


    ¡°Please tell me you gave some to Filch.¡± Amelia said. ¡°That poor man needs all the help he can get.¡±


    ¡°He loves all my cleaning stuff.¡± Harry said with a nod. ¡°I ordered a pile for him and he said that if he had a granddaughter, he would have traded me for her.¡± He said. ¡°I wouldn''t want her living with the Dursleys while I lived wherever his granddaughter might have lived, though.¡±


    Amelia laughed pretty hard this time and hugged him a little tighter. ¡°I think you misunderstood what he meant.¡±


    ¡°What did he mean?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°He would have traded the cleaning supplies for his granddaughter.¡± Amelia said and saw that he didn''t quite get it. ¡°He would have given her to you as a wife for them.¡±


    Harry''s eyes widened and his mouth opened in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, now you understand.¡± Amelia said and let him go. ¡°Grab your trunk and I''ll get you to the gates of the school.¡±


    Harry nodded and closed his trunk, picked it up, and stepped close as he tucked his arm around her waist. His thoughts lingered on having a wife and looked up at the woman that had shown him a lot of affection and hugged him a lot. She treated him well and didn''t yell at him when he made a mistake or smacked him in the head for being stupid. He suddenly realized where his hand rested on her hip and he felt something stirring inside of him. He didn''t know what it was, though.


    ¡°You have to help me with your magic as a side-along apparator.¡± Amelia kindly reminded him.


    ¡°R-right. I''m sorry.¡± Harry said as he locked eyes with her and blushed a little.


    Amelia smiled at his reaction, then she held in her gasp when his arm tightened around her and he shared a lot more magic with her than ever before. He''s actually pushing me with it. She thought. With only a little bit of training, I think he might be able to do it on his own. She kept that thought to herself for now and apparated them to just outside the school gates.


    She would need to set all the restrictions and boundaries into his head before broaching that subject. She definitely didn''t want him apparating all over the place and possibly hurting himself if he didn''t have the proper precautions in mind when he used the ability.


    ¡°You better relax tonight and tomorrow.¡± Amelia cautioned him and tapped her temple. ¡°I''ll know it if you don''t.¡±


    ¡°Legilimens?¡± Harry asked. He wasn''t worried about that, though. She had already taught him how to fill his thoughts with his spells or potion ingredients and to divert his gaze. It had worked on Professor Snape already and he appreciated the technique.


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°Woman''s instinct, actually. I can usually tell if a man isn''t listening to my advice.¡±


    Harry''s arm tightened a little more and she touched his face. ¡°I''m also sure that Hedwig will let me know if you''re pushing yourself too much.¡±


    ¡°Only if you give her fresh mice like Bertha does.¡± Harry said with a grin.


    Amelia nodded. ¡°I''ll be sure to have some on hand when she visits.¡± She said and put both arms around him to hold him to her chest.


    Harry rested his head on her chest and held on for several minutes.


    ¡°I could stand here all night doing this.¡± Amelia said and reluctantly let him go. ¡°I''ll see you next week, all right?¡±


    Harry let her go and nodded.


    Amelia tapped the gates and Harry picked up his trunk and walked through. She watched him walk all the way up to the castle before she disappeared and went back home. She had a lesson plan to change, now that she knew what spells Harry actually knew how to cast. She smiled and went into the large training room she had in her house. She started waving her wand to move things around in preparation to give Harry both a fun and educational time.


    ¡°I thought it might be a pain in the ass to look after someone else besides Susan, and yet, I can''t believe that I''m actually enjoying it.¡± Amelia said as she felt excitement fill her. ¡°Bertha was right. He''s too promising of a wizard to not help as much as I can.¡±


    She finished moving the targets around and went over to her desk. She sat down and started making notes on her already prepared lesson plan. She could pair Harry and Susan up almost immediately, considering the number of attack spells they knew. She had been worried that she had taught Susan a bit too much for school and now she didn''t have to worry about that at all.


    They might even have fun doing it, too. Amelia thought and smiled as she kept writing.

 62 The Myrtle Girl

    On Monday, the Charms class did the next spell in the book and Harry spent the class teaching both Hermione and Susan the packing spell. It was extremely useful and made gathering up their things after class so easy that they both thought it shouldn''t be used all the time. Harry stopped his laugh before he disrupted the class and reminded them that they needed to practice the spell anyway. Neither girl could argue that was a smart way to do it, rather than unpacking their trunks and then using the spell to pack it again.


    Transfiguration class had them do something that wasn''t in the book, so they had to pay attention. Once again, half of the time was spent taking intricate notes that were both important and superfluous, because as long as you had an example to work with, visualizing what to change the object into was easy... for Harry anyway, because they were doing another thing that he was very familiar with.


    They were changing a normal knitted mitten into an oven mitt. He knew the feel of it, what it was used for, and the right size. After reading the notes again, he could tell that there was some of the Engorgio charm mixed in to make the mitten bigger. He was also sure that if they were asked to transfigure it back instead of reverting the transformation like normal, it would have some of the Reducio charm mixed in to make it smaller.


    It was then that Harry started to clue in that the different branches of magic could sometimes mix together and required parts of each to function. He filed that information away, because he knew it would come up later.


    Harry had to help Hermione by giving her his oven mitt to use as an example. He reminded her of what it did and she felt the inside and outside, and she eventually changed her mitten into an oven mitt that was the same size.


    ¡°You forgot the engorgement portion of the spell.¡± Harry chuckled.


    ¡°I did not.¡± Hermione said, her face a little red. ¡°I just wanted to make sure that I had the texture and everything right first.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Harry said as she reverted it back. ¡°It''s all right, Hermione. You''re way ahead of the rest of the class.¡±


    Hermione looked around and saw that almost no one had changed their mittens, except for the colors.


    ¡°Even Susan is struggling with it.¡± Harry pointed out.


    They both looked at her and saw her face squished up as she tried to concentrate.


    ¡°I think she''s struggling too hard.¡± Hermione said. ¡°She might hurt herself if she keeps going like that.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I''ll be right back.¡± He said and glanced at the professor, then he left his seat and went to Susan''s desk and knelt beside her chair. ¡°Need a hand?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Susan jumped a little and Hannah giggled.


    ¡°You remember your aunt baking, don''t you?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Yes, but...¡±


    ¡°She didn''t use an oven mitt, a big thick mitten to take things out of the oven?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°No, she just levitated it out.¡± Susan said.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Harry said and stood up. ¡°Just a second.¡± He looked at Professor McGonagall and put up his hand, even though he was the only person standing up and she could clearly see him.


    ¡°Yes, Mister Potter?¡± Minerva asked.


    ¡°I think we need to distribute examples again. Almost no one knows what the oven mitt is supposed to feel like.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I assume you have transfigured yours successfully?¡±


    ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Harry said. ¡°Accio my oven mitt.¡± He said to summon it and held it up.


    ¡°You could have stepped back to your desk to grab it.¡± Susan said with a smile. ¡°It was right there.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said. ¡°Depulso.¡± He let the oven mitt go and pushed it back over to the desk to give it to Hermione again.


    ¡°I will require your help.¡± Minerva said with a bit of a smile and put a huge box of mittens on her desk.


    ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Harry said and went to the front of the class. He took each mitten out of the box and transfigured them into all different kinds of oven mitts with different patterns and pictures on them.


    Minerva was impressed that he wasn''t making just one of them and copying the design. ¡°How many of them have you seen?¡±


    ¡°Tons and tons.¡± Harry said. ¡°My aunt isn''t careful when she uses them and burns them all the time.¡±


    ¡°None of these are burned.¡± Minerva said and picked one up.


    ¡°You taught me that I didn''t have to make them into what I thought they should be if the original is damaged.¡± Harry said and did the last mitten. ¡°Do you want me to pass them out?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Minerva said.


    Harry pointed at the pile and flicked his wand towards the students, just like Professor Snape had to give out their potion results. The oven mitts floated over to the students and it wasn''t a gentle flutter like with the papers. They were heavy and flopped down onto the desks with thumps and a couple startled yelps of surprise.


    ¡°Hey, it worked.¡± Harry said with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, it did.¡± Minerva said and hid her own surprise. ¡°You may return to your seat.¡±


    Harry nodded and went back to his seat, then went to Susan and whispered into her ear. She nodded several times and he went back to his seat to check on Hermione.


    ¡°Nice one, Hermione.¡± Harry said as he saw her change hers into one with a horse picture on the back. ¡°Does your mom have one like that?¡±


    ¡°No, I just... if you can change it into anything you want... well...¡±


    ¡°You can add anything you want to the back!¡± Harry said as the realization hit him. ¡°You''re not limited to the patterns you see. You''re only limited by what you can picture in your head!¡±


    Nearly everyone in the class looked over at him.


    ¡°Thanks, Hermione!¡± Harry said and took his oven mitt back. He reverted it back to a mitten and pictured in his head what he wanted, then cast the spell again.


    ¡°Oh, wow!¡± Susan said when she saw what he had made. It was an oven mitt, except it was snowy white with grey patterns across it. It also looked just like Hedwig with the owl''s eyes and beak. It was even the right shape.


    ¡°That''s amazing.¡± Hermione said as Harry held it up to admire it.


    ¡°I think I''m going to keep it.¡± Harry said, cast a preservation spell on it and then used the unbreakable spell on it. ¡°Professor, I''ll give you another mitten to replace it.¡±


    Minerva smiled. ¡°They were lost mittens that have been gathered over the years, so you can keep it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks a lot!¡± Harry said and smiled at her.


    Minerva felt a pang of guilt that he only just now gave her that look. She knew she had missed her chance to be a significant part of his life with her mistakes, so all she could do was be the best teacher that she could be.


    ¡°I believe we are almost out of time.¡± Minerva said. ¡°We will continue this tomorrow, so you can return both mittens and oven mitts to the box.¡±


    Everyone in the class did, except for Harry. He packed up his things, using the spell of course, and then the bell rang.


    ¡°You have got to do that for my aunt.¡± Susan said to Harry as the students left the class. ¡°I''ll bring a pair of mittens for you to change for her.¡±


    ¡°For her?¡± Hermione and Hannah asked at the same time and that made Susan laugh.


    ¡°Well, she''ll want to see it.¡± Susan said with a smile. ¡°Come on, Hannah. We''ve got to meet up with the prefect to get permission to have a plant in our dorm room.¡±


    ¡°I keep telling you, that''s a weed.¡± Hannah said as they walked off together and Susan laughed.


    Hermione watched them go and took a breath. ¡°I''m glad she''s not as mean as the others.¡±


    ¡°Hufflepuffs are known for their long lasting friendships.¡± Harry said and quoted the hat.


    Hermione smiled. ¡°Well, we should be glad we''re friends with her, because they are not friendly with people that aren''t their friends.¡±


    Harry looked around at the other students that had walked off in different directions. ¡°I think nearly all of them are like that, even people in our own House.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Hermione said. ¡°They''ve gotten better since you accused Lavender of being mean.¡±


    ¡°I''m glad.¡± Harry said and looked at her. ¡°You need to tell me if they bully you again.¡±


    ¡°As soon as it happens, you''ll be the first person I tell.¡± Hermione said.


    Harry nodded and they walked over to one of the secret stairwells Harry knew about to get back to Griffindor tower.


    ¡°Are you really going to do it?¡± Hermione asked as they went up the stairs after checking that no one could see them.


    ¡°What? Change the mittens?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°No, reporting to Filch.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry said. ¡°He needs the help.¡±


    ¡°But, you don''t have detention anymore.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°Everyone will assume I do.¡± Harry said with a smile.


    Hermione chuckled and she shook her head. ¡°All right, fine. I''ll save telling you that you''re crazy for later.¡±


    Harry chuckled as well and they went into the Griffindor common room and split up. He dropped his things off and left at a jog. He used the quick secret passage that took him right down to the first dungeon floor and he stopped at Filch''s office. There was the sound of metal armor clattering to the floor and several curses, then the door to the office opened.


    ¡°Who in the bloody blue blazes is... oh, it''s you.¡± Filch said when he saw Harry. ¡°I almost had the suit of armor back together, too.¡±


    ¡°I can help.¡± Harry said. ¡°Hi, Missus Norris.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said and rubbed her side on his leg.


    ¡°You don''t have detention anymore, lad.¡± Filch said.


    ¡°Who said I don''t have detention?¡± Harry asked innocently and grinned at the mean-looking man.


    ¡°Dammit, I shouldn''t have told you that trick.¡± Filch said, remembering that he told Harry that no one would ask him if he had detention if they were cleaning together.


    ¡°Meow, meow.¡± Missus Norris said in amusement.


    ¡°We''re starting the third floor bathrooms, right?¡± Harry asked.


    Filch sighed. ¡°Just a minute and I''ll get our things.¡±


    Harry nodded and poked his head into the office to see the half-built armor suit in pieces on the floor. He quickly cast silent sticking charms on all of the pieces on the floor and then cast the repair spell silently and waved his wand. The armor suit floated up and pulled together onto the wooden base that held it together. The sticking charm should last for a long time, since it required very little magic to work.


    ¡°Let''s go.¡± Filch said and they went up to the third floor and started cleaning the bathrooms. It took an hour to clean three of them, two boy''s and one girl''s. Harry walked across the hallway before Filch could stop him and Harry entered the other girl''s bathroom.


    ¡°Ahhhoooooo! Hup! Hup!¡± A girl''s voice cried out and Harry jumped when a spectral girl''s head came up out of the sink. ¡°Those people down in the lake kicked me out again!¡± She said and her spirit fully formed in front of him. ¡°What are you doing in here?!? This is MY bathroom!¡±


    Harry deployed his wand and let his anger at the ghost fill him. ¡°Exorcizantur Exspiravit!¡± He said and a white ball of light shot out of his wand and engulfed the spirit. It let out an ungodly howl as it shrivelled and sunk in on itself, then with a little pop it completely disappeared.


    ¡°Lad! That bathroom''s haunt...¡± Filch caught the end of the ghost''s scream and saw the last of it pop out of existence. ¡°Blimey.¡±


    ¡°It''s not haunted anymore.¡± Harry said and put his wand away. ¡°We might be here for a while, though. This place is filthy and hasn''t been cleaned in a while.¡±


    Filch gave him a disbelieving look for a second, then he smiled. ¡°It''s nothing that a little elbow grease can''t fix, eh?¡±


    Harry nodded and the two of them got to work while Missus Norris meowed in approval.

 63 The Secret Protector

    Like a synchronized team that had worked together for years, Harry and Filch started at opposite ends of the room and scrubbed a mirror, the sink below it, then the bathroom stall opposite it. They hummed their work song and moved along to the next mirror and continued as they scrubbed. They even switched between cleaning products for each thing.


    Filch was surprised that Harry had more experience with switching between cleaning products for metal, porcelain, wood, and tile. He never thought he would learn from a boy that was a sixth of his age, a better way of cleaning, even with the proof of the stone floors and walls being cleaner than they had been in decades.


    They reached the middle of the room and Filch discovered a problem. One of the sinks was slightly different. He had never noticed before, because he had always avoided this bathroom. There had been a ghost there for as long as he had been caretaker and his occasional attempts cleaning the place were always interrupted by it.


    ¡°Lad, come here for a minute.¡± Filch said as he looked closely at the odd designs on the sides of the taps. It almost looked like something was wrapped around them. ¡°What do you think this looks like?¡±


    Harry walked over from the sink he was working on and looked at it. ¡°It looks like a hiss shahhh hisss.¡±


    Filch jerked like someone had slapped him. ¡°WHAT did you just say?¡±


    ¡°It looks like a hiss shahhh hisss.¡± Harry said. ¡°It''s even wrapped around it like it''s strangling it.¡±


    ¡°Lad, I don''t think I heard you right. Can you say that one more time?¡±


    Harry gave him a wide eyed look for a moment. ¡°It looks like a hiss shahhh hisss.¡± He said for a third time. ¡°Look, it wraps around here...¡± He used a finger to rub the snake design. ¡°...and here its...¡± He tried to say ''its mouth is open'', except he looked at the snake engraving and what came out was something else. ¡°...assha shaaa.¡±


    There was a bang and a click, making them both jump, then the sink and mirror slid away from them and into the wall. They both stared at the darkness that was revealed below where the sink used to be.


    ¡°Meow?¡± Missus Morris asked and peeked inside.


    ¡°Get back, lass.¡± Filch said and bent down to pick her up. ¡°That''s a huge pipe to fall into.¡± He held her close and pet her head. ¡°I think I smell... whew... you do not want to go in there.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think it goes?¡± Harry asked and deployed his wand. ¡°Lumos Maxima!¡±


    The large pipe, about two feet across, was lit up for nearly thirty feet down. All they saw was a twisting turn down where the light reached and nothing else.


    ¡°I think I need to tell the teachers and the headmaster about this.¡± Filch said and looked at Harry. ¡°Lad, don''t you dare think about going in there.¡±


    Harry stared at him in surprise. ¡°Why would I go in there?¡± He asked. ¡°We''re on the third floor of the castle. If it drops down that far before turning, I can''t imagine how far down it actually goes.¡±


    ¡°The bottom''s not going to have something soft fer you to land on, either.¡± Filch said. ¡°We better block this off for now.¡±


    Harry nodded and they stepped back. He cast the privacy curtain and it covered up the opening in the wall.


    ¡°I''ll be right back with help.¡± Filch said. ¡°Hopefully.¡±


    ¡°I''ll keep cleaning.¡± Harry responded. ¡°We''re almost done.¡±


    ¡°Aye, yer a good lad.¡± Filch said.


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris agreed.


    Filch left at a fast walk and Harry went back to cleaning while he waited for them to come back.


    *


    Minerva and the other teachers sat in the staff room and discussed their lessons and the current crop of promising students. Nearly everyone was talking about Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, with a few mentions of Susan Bones. The last wasn''t a surprise, considering who was raising her. The only one not engaging in the conversation was Severus Snape. He had been quiet for the entire discussion. Almost too quiet. It was like he was hiding something and he had to restrain himself or he would blurt it out.


    Minerva was about to confront him, politely of course, when there were several knocks on the door and it opened without permission. The caretaker stood there with his cat in his hands and a worried expression on his face.


    ¡°I''ve found something on the third floor in one of the girl''s bathrooms.¡± Filch said.


    ¡°Then clean it up and don''t bother us with such trivialities.¡± Snape snapped, almost angrily.


    ¡°Professor Snape!¡± Minerva said loudly.


    Snape gave her a glare that made her nervous, then he sighed and looked at Filch. ¡°My apologies, Mister Filch. I suppose if it was such a simple thing, you wouldn''t have come here to tell us.¡±


    ¡°No, professor.¡± Filch said. ¡°It''s a tunnel that leads down into the bowels of the castle.¡±


    Every single teacher sat up straight to stare at him.


    ¡°I told the lad cleaning with me that it was just a pipe; but, I''ve never seen a pipe in the castle that big before.¡± Filch said. ¡°I stopped here first before going over to the headmaster''s office.¡±


    ¡°I''ll take care of that.¡± Minerva said as she stood up. ¡°Which bathroom is it in?¡±


    ¡°Moaning Myrtle''s.¡± Filch said and several of the women let out gasps.


    ¡°Meow, meow!¡± Missus Norris said.


    ¡°It''s not her bathroom anymore?¡± Minerva asked, surprised.


    ¡°She''s gone.¡± Filch said. ¡°I better get back there before the lad''s curiosity gets the better of him.¡± He left at a fast walk and Minerva exchanged looks with the other teachers. ¡°Severus, Thorfinn, I believe you should come with me to the headmaster. If this is what I think it is, then we will need your help.¡±


    ¡°I''ll go get Madam Pomfrey.¡± Professor Sprout said.


    ¡°Good idea, Pomona. We will meet you in the third floor corridor outside the bathroom.¡± Minerva said and they left the staff room with purposes set and determination in their minds.


    *


    Albus Dumbledore sat in his office and felt a little despair. He had lost the Philosopher''s Stone and it was a practically irreplaceable artifact. It either had to be used up or destroyed for another one to be made, or so his good friend Nicholas Flamel claimed. It seemed like a good lie, since it would keep people from kidnapping the famous alchemist to get him to make them one.


    He had been fortunate to convince his friend to loan the stone to him in the first place, and now it was gone. He had searched all over, even inside the forbidden forest, and there was nothing. No trace of the stone could be found anywhere. He had even tried to search for the stone''s essence and found nothing. His loan would expire at the end of the year and if he didn''t find it by then, or admit its loss by then, his good friend might not remain a good friend for much longer.


    Albus felt someone use the password and the staircase activated. He quickly cleaned up all the papers, maps, and areas he had marked as searched. He tucked them into the drawer he kept important things in and folded his hands on his desk to wait. At the last moment, he remembered to put on his glasses and set them properly on his nose, just as someone knocked on his office door.


    ¡°Come.¡± Albus said in his best grandfather voice. ¡°Ah, Minerva. What can I do for you today?¡±


    ¡°There''s no time for pleasantries, Albus.¡± Minerva said as she led Snape and Rowle into the office. ¡°Filch found a tunnel on the third floor in Moaning Myrtle''s bathroom.¡±


    All of Albus'' previous thoughts fled from his head as he stood. ¡°We must go there at once.¡± He said and nodded at the two men behind her. ¡°Be ready for anything.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it''s what I think it is, too?¡± Minerva asked.


    ¡°The fabled entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.¡± Albus said and led them out of his office. ¡°After all these years, it has finally been found.¡±


    The four of them walked quickly to a hidden staircase and were on the third floor a moment later and met up with Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey. They arrived at the right bathroom and went inside without knocking first and were met with an odd scene. A bright red curtain hung over the wall where one of the sinks should have been.


    ¡°Someone explain.¡± Albus said into the room.


    Filch stepped forward as the curtain disappeared and he explained what had happened. Albus, Minvera, Snape, and Thorfinn all turned to look at the young boy standing in the stall across from the missing sink. He had a toilet scrubbing brush in his hand and a slightly confused look on his face.


    ¡°Why are you all looking at me like that?¡± Harry asked, a little worried.


    ¡°Harry, what did you say when telling Filch about the sink taps?¡± Albus asked and stared at him.


    Harry diverted his gaze and filled his head with a cleaning spell that he wasn''t allowed to use. ¡°It''s Mister Potter.¡± He said. ¡°I just said that the snake''s mouth was open.¡±


    ¡°All I heard was a hiss and a shushing sound.¡± Filch said.


    ¡°He''s a Parselmouth.¡± Thorfinn Rowle said, understanding it immediately and saw Harry''s confusion increase. ¡°It means you can talk to snakes. You can speak the snake language, Parseltongue.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Harry looked at the other''s faces and saw that none of them were surprised by this. ¡°But... how... I mean, I never learned...¡±


    ¡°It can''t be learned, not like a normal language. People are usually born with the ability.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°In fact...¡±


    ¡°That''s enough, Thorfinn.¡± Albus said and held a hand up to stop him from telling the boy any more. ¡°We need to proceed carefully.¡±


    ¡°Do you have Fawkes handy?¡± Minerva asked. ¡°We may need his help if...¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, he had his Burning Day recently.¡± Albus said.


    ¡°Gentlemen, defensive spells until we are near the chamber.¡± Minerva said and tightened her cloak about her shoulders.


    Albus waved his wand at the pipe and it expanded to twice its size, then he, Minerva, and Thorfinn jumped in. Snape hesitated for a moment and pointedly looked at Harry, then he jumped, too.


    ¡°They could be gone for a while.¡± Filch said. ¡°We should leave and lock the door to stop any students from coming in here.¡±


    Harry nodded and they left the bathroom with Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout inside. Filch didn''t lock it himself, though. The door clicked shut and then the sound of a metal latch locking into place was heard. Harry didn''t ask about it, though. He knew the castle had whims of its own. He did his best to be nice to it, just so he wouldn''t have to suffer like he did that first day when he tried to go from Griffindor Tower to the Entrance Hall. It had taken him a long time to make the journey then.


    Now? Harry could make the same trip with only a couple of staircases and a trick door. He didn''t want to lose that privilege, so he had promised to finish the job of cleaning everything in the castle that he had started two weeks ago. Plus, he was learning all about the castle and its secret passages. They had to be cleaned just as much as the regular stairways and corridors.


    In fact, Filch himself said that he hadn''t bothered cleaning them for years, since almost no one knew about them. The only ones he cleaned regularly were the ones the teachers and the headmaster used. Harry wouldn''t let that go, though. He wanted to clean the whole castle and Filch had been easily convinced that it was a good idea.


    Filch, Missus Norris, and Harry went up to the next floor and started on the bathrooms there. Harry''s mind went over the discovery that he knew a language that he didn''t know he knew. He was going to have to get Hermione in on this, just so she could start researching it for him. He did feel guilty that he was taking advantage of her by letting her do all the work, then he smiled. She was just so good at it that he would feel guilty if he didn''t ask her for help.


    Harry sped up his scrubbing and promised himself to ask her at supper. He had run out of sandwiches to share and would need to get Filch to go to the Great Hall to eat this time. He also needed a bit more food for the summer, too. His stock was almost full and he wouldn''t have to worry about food at all. He had ordered more shelves for him to put things on and a wardrobe for his clothes.


    He had also ordered something very special for himself and it was already paid for, thanks to his account manager at the bank, who had handled the details for him. It would be completed next week and he couldn''t wait to see it.

 64 The Chamber Opened

    It took Albus, Minerva, Severus, and Thorfinn over an hour to search through the large interweaving pipe system that they had discovered under the castle. Any time they came to a spot that required them to go up, they marked it and went another way. Albus had suggested they split up to search faster and both Minerva and Thorfinn refused.


    They reasoned that if they discovered anything, there were too many twists and turns for them to get to anyone quickly. Also, keeping their force concentrated, guaranteed mutual support if it was needed. This decision was fortunate, because nearly right afterwards, they stumbled across a large ornate metal door, almost like a hatch. It was covered with snake designs and carvings of snakes, a sure sign that it was the chamber.


    ¡°Minerva, if you would.¡± Albus said and pointed to one particularly large snake carving that seemed to be on top of the others. ¡°Tell it to open the door. It is a snake and should speak the proper language.¡±


    ¡°That is an excellent idea.¡± Minerva, a master transfiguration caster, easily brought the metal snake to life. ¡°Open the door, please.¡±


    ¡°Assha shaaa.¡± The snake said, then there were a dozen large clangs and the snake hissed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Minerva said and the door swung open. ¡°Attack spells from here on out.¡±


    ¡°We are not first year students.¡± Severus said.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Albus said, almost with a laugh. ¡°We are entering a very dangerous place.¡±


    ¡°You''re actually excited about this.¡± Severus said, almost in disbelief. ¡°We don''t know what the creature could be or what we will be facing.¡±


    ¡°As long as we are careful, things should work out.¡± Albus said, then quickly strode into the chamber without them.


    ¡°Albus!¡± Minerva exclaimed, looked at the others for a second, then she sighed and quickly followed. Inside was a large room with a giant stone face of Salazar Slytherin at one end and all along the walls were dozens of pipe entrances.


    ¡°We would have found our way here eventually without having to open the door.¡± Thorfinn said.


    ¡°At the very least, we could break through the rock wall, if the door proved... formidable.¡± Severus said.


    ¡°Search quickly for any signs of movement or recent activity.¡± Albus said from in front of the stone face.


    ¡°I can tell you right now that there has been none.¡± Minerva said and waved at the layer of dust on the floor. ¡°Unless the creature can fly, nothing but us have moved around in here.¡±


    ¡°He''s trying to distract us.¡± Severus said, seeing Albus'' wand moving as he cast silently. ¡°He knows the creature is hidden.¡±


    ¡°Since that face is the only feature of the room, it''s only logical that the creature must be ensconced behind it.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°The problem is, what do we go about it?¡±


    ¡°We can''t blast it, if that''s what you''re thinking.¡± Minerva said. ¡°It would surely wake the creature.¡±


    ¡°Then what would you suggest?¡± Thorfinn asked. ¡°Standing here and waiting for it to come out?¡±


    Minerva sighed and looked over at Albus. ¡°Any luck?¡±


    ¡°No, unfortunately.¡± Albus said and the four of them stood there in silence as he thought about it for several minutes. ¡°Severus and Thorfinn, go to the door and cut it off, then bring it in here.¡±


    The two men walked over to the large metal door and used a severing charm to slice off the hinges, then levitated it in through the opening and brought it over to him.


    ¡°Minerva, have the snake say the same thing.¡± Albus said as he turned the door towards the face.


    ¡°Everyone, step back.¡± Minerva said and commanded the animated snake to repeat itself.


    ¡°Assha shaaa.¡± The snake said and then to everyone''s surprise, the stone face shook for a moment and then the mouth dropped open, almost as if Salazar himself was surprised that they had opened it.


    ¡°Oh, dear lord.¡± Minerva said as she covered her nose and mouth at the stench.


    Albus waved his wand and the inside of the lair lit up. All four people took in sharp breaths at the sight of a giant coiled snake that lay in front of them. It was still asleep, despite all of the noise they had been making.


    ¡°It must be an enchanted sleep.¡± Thorfinn said.


    ¡°The Draught of Living Death.¡± Severus whispered.


    ¡°We will not be administering the antidote.¡± Minerva said and the three men turned to look at her. ¡°Kill the damn thing and let''s get out of here.¡±


    ¡°I wish it was that easy.¡± Albus said and looked at Thorfinn. ¡°Any ideas?¡±


    ¡°By the coloration and the sheer size, I''d say this is a basilisk, probably hand raised by the founder himself.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°It''s going to have strong protections on it, so we need to research it and try to find some way to...¡±


    ¡°It''s asleep. Any defenses it has can''t be active, which means as long as we act quickly, it won''t be able to defend itself.¡± Minerva said. ¡°Albus, hurry up! Who knows what will happen with so many of us here disturbing it.¡±


    Albus gave her a look and she didn''t back down. He sighed and waved his wand at the giant snake. He used magic to carefully pull the head out just enough to expose the neck. Severus and Thorfinn didn''t need prompting as they went to either side of it and started casting severing charms while Albus held it steady. They were a third of the way through the snake''s neck when a flood of power filled the chamber.


    ¡°No!¡± Albus exclaimed as the snake''s eyes started to open. ¡°Tell the door to close!¡± He said to Minerva and blasted both eyes before the snake fully woke. Minerva commanded the metal snake on the door and it spoke. The giant stone face closed its mouth on the giant snake and it woke up fully. It opened its mouth and hissed in pain and hatred at being disturbed. Venom flew out and Albus showed how nimble he was as he avoided the splashes of it and the blood the snake started expelling.


    Severus and Thorfinn hadn''t stopped casting the severing charms and were nearly halfway through the snake''s neck. Albus used his wand to move the snake''s head from side to side, so the wounds that Thorfinn and Severus were doing to it became wider.


    ¡°Almost there!¡± Thorfinn said and kept casting.


    ¡°HISSSS!¡± The snake said as it thrashed and turned to try and grab whatever it was on its side that was hurting it and making noises.


    ¡°Immobulus!¡± Minerva said and cast it on the large spurt of venom that the snake had spat at Thorfinn. He nodded at her in thanks and Albus did his best to hold the snake where it was.


    ¡°Severus!¡± Albus said as the snake fought against his magic.


    ¡°I''m at the spine.¡± Severus said calmly, despite being in a life and death situation. ¡°One more... just one more...¡±


    *SNAP!*


    The head popped off the neck and flopped down to the ground.


    ¡°Hold it steady!¡± Minerva said and added her magic to Albus'' and helped restrain the head, even though she was sure that it couldn''t spit without a neck to direct it. It was better to be safe than sorry.


    It took a short while for the neck to stop moving, even though the blood kept pouring out. After a short discussion, they decided to leave the stone face''s mouth closed.


    All four of them took several steps away from the scene of the battle and Albus conjured up four Griffindor cushioned chairs for them to sit in. They all plopped down into them and stared at the giant severed head of the snake.


    Minerva''s Immobulus spell ended and the venom suspended in the air dropped to the floor. A moment later, she felt a strong hand take hers.


    ¡°Thank you, Minerva.¡± Thorfinn said, his voice full of gratitude. ¡°That was heading for my face, which meant that even if there was some kind of magical cure for basilisk venom and it was administered immediately, I still would have died.¡±


    ¡°There''s no need to...¡± Minerva started to say, then he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. Her face went red at the gallant gesture and she wasn''t sure how to respond.


    ¡°You were very smart and stayed back out of the way to let us handle the dangerous part. You were mindful of our safety while we were focused on dispatching the creature.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°It was quite admirable and I appreciate still having my life and my face intact.¡±


    Minerva nodded demurely. She knew that he was sincere and she appreciated his thanks.


    Thorfinn gave her hand a squeeze and let it go. ¡°What should we do about this mess?¡±


    ¡°It will have to be reported to the school governors and the Ministry, of course.¡± Minerva said. ¡°I think they will be quite relieved that such a danger has been removed from the school.¡±


    ¡°It will also help fill the school''s coffers.¡± Albus said and the other three looked at him with surprise on their faces. ¡°It''s fitting, isn''t it? Salazar''s monster will be divvied up and sold to fund the school that he abandoned.¡±


    The three of them exchanged looks, shrugged, and sat there for quite some time before they decided, almost as one, to stand up.


    Albus dismissed the chairs and smiled at them. ¡°Now, which one of you knows the way back to the proper tunnel to take us up to the castle?¡±


    They exchanged looks again and Minerva was the first to smile. Albus let out a chuckle and Thorfinn barked a laugh that echoed in the chamber.


    ¡°Madam.¡± Thorfinn held an elbow out to Minerva. ¡°Please allow me to escort you on another tour of the pipes.¡±


    Minerva''s smile went a little wider as she tucked her arm in through the elbow. ¡°That''s very nice of you, Thorfinn.¡± She said and the pair strode out of the chamber as if they were taking a leisurely stroll.

 65 The Arrangement

    Harry sat at breakfast the next morning and couldn''t believe what he was reading. Hermione had come through for him again and what she had found was both amazing and scary. He had a dark power. According to the parchment he was reading, it was an ability that was used by the darkest of dark wizards, Voldemort. It was even said that Salazar Slytherin himself had the same ability and that was why his house symbol was a snake.


    ¡°You could be his great great great whatever grandson.¡± Hermone whispered from right beside him.


    Harry nodded and took out a piece of blank parchment and quickly wrote out two notes. He used the envelope spell twice and put the notes into them, then looked up to see Hedwig coming in with the other owls. He put his books forward for her to land on and she let out a soft hoot in greeting and gave him a letter.


    ¡°It''s from Sirius.¡± Harry said and Hermione leaned in close to read it. ¡°Ha, he said that the head healer is forcing him to ask me to visit more often.¡±


    Hermione chuckled. ¡°Of course she is.¡±


    Harry smiled and nodded. ¡°Oh, he''s finally finished the Dirigible Plum cauldron cake I gave him, too.¡±


    ¡°Good for him! I had to summon the one that got away from me when I opened the box of cakes you gave me.¡± Hermione said and gave Harry a pointed look. ¡°Thanks for telling me that they float.¡±


    ¡°Did the house elves get the icing off of the ceiling?¡± Harry asked and avoided her gaze.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Hermione said and she shook her head. ¡°They licked it off.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I knew they would.¡± Harry laughed and took out another piece of parchment. ¡°I was sure that they didn''t use magic to clean, and now we know.¡± He wrote out another letter and made another envelope, then did another as Hedwig ate some of his eggs. ¡°I''ve got four for you today.¡±


    Hedwig hooted and took a quick drink of his juice, then she held her beak open.


    ¡°Amelia, Bertha, Sirius, and Madam Malkin.¡± Harry said and gave her the envelopes. ¡°Thanks a lot, Hedwig.¡±


    Hedwig touched his cheek for a moment with a wingtip, then she took off and disappeared out the window she had just come in.


    ¡°At least she''s getting lots to do.¡± Hermione said.


    Harry nodded. ¡°I was a little worried that she would be bored and sitting around while I was in school. I''m glad that I''ve gotten to use her just as much as I did at home.¡±


    ¡°I think she is, too.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Not that I can read an owl''s face any more than you can.¡±


    ¡°I''ve been too busy to practice meditation.¡± Harry said. ¡°Plus, we''re almost done of all the bathrooms.¡±


    Hermione chuckled. ¡°What''s left after that? The ceilings?¡±


    Harry smiled. ¡°Nope. I''ve been doing them before going to Filch''s office.¡±


    Hermione gave him a surprised look. ¡°I thought you weren''t allowed to clean using magic.¡±


    Harry grinned. ¡°Only when I''m in detention.¡±


    Hermione''s mouth made that little ''o'' of surprise and Harry quickly picked up a small breakfast sausage and popped it right into the hole. She jerked a little, then the two of them burst out laughing.


    Harry''s supposed dark ability of speaking to snakes was completely forgotten.


    *


    Filch was very proud as he strode through the halls and everything was bright and clean. Wood shined from polish, metal gleamed, and the floor was clean enough to eat from. His expression darkened a little as a group of students walked by him. Most of them ignored him, too caught up in their own lives to bother with him. What he noticed however, was that their shoes didn''t leave marks on the stone floor. He frowned and looked down at his own feet.


    ¡°Meow?¡± Missus Norris asked.


    ¡°Aye, lass. I don''t see the dirt from shoes on the floor, either.¡±


    ¡°Meow meow.¡± Missus Norris said.


    Filch nodded. ¡°I do believe the lad is responsible, despite my rule.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris responded.


    Filch sighed. ¡°I know he means well.¡±


    ¡°Mrow.¡±


    ¡°No, I don''t think I can tell him that I can''t maintain whatever he cast on the floor.¡±


    ¡°Meow mrow.¡±


    Filch looked down at her and she looked up at him. ¡°No, you''re right. I don''t think he''ll care that I can''t use magic.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said and walked on.


    ¡°All right. As long as he''s not doing it where I can see him, I guess I can''t be angry at him for it.¡± Filch said and followed her.


    *


    An hour later, Amelia''s door opened without the person knocking. She had expected the visit however, and had left it unlocked and told the secretary to not say anything.


    ¡°Did he send you a letter, too?¡± Bertha asked as she shut the door.


    Amelia held it up. ¡°Short and sweet, just like him.¡±


    Bertha had to smile at that description, then she came over to her friend''s desk and sat down. ¡°What should we do about this?¡± She asked. ¡°If it gets out that he''s a Parselmouth...¡±


    ¡°That boy has been touched by the darkest of magics, Bertha.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Considering his home life, I am very surprised that he hasn''t become an unholy terror.¡±


    Bertha stared at her for several quiet moments, then nodded, albeit reluctantly. ¡°He''s focused on learning as much magic as possible first, so we can at least guide him towards not destroying his relatives.¡±


    Amelia chuckled and put the letter down. ¡°I would have arrested them as soon as I heard, if I didn''t think they would be even harsher with the boy if I did.¡±


    Bertha nodded again. ¡°Yes, we don''t want to escalate their verbal abuse to physical.¡±


    ¡°They smack him for making mistakes.¡± Amelia said, remembering Harry occasionally flinching when he answered a question wrong, then the slight look of surprise when he wasn''t hit for it. ¡°I''ve half a mind to pull him away from his relatives and the house entirely.¡±


    ¡°You can''t.¡± Bertha said and Amelia gave her wide eyes. ¡°He''s protected by blood wards, remember?¡±


    Amelia riffled through her papers and picked up the report from the Magical Maintenance Department. ¡°I thought I remembered reading something about that.¡± She said and flipped through the report. ¡°Yes, here it is. It''s a very powerful and very fragile protection ward.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know how that''s possible.¡± Bertha said. ¡°How can it be strong and weak at the same time?¡±


    ¡°It''s simple, really. As long as he calls that place home, he''s protected from a lot of nasty things, especially dark detectors and evil spells that mean him harm.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I think someone cast them on him and the house to stop you-know-who''s followers from finding him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Bertha said. ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°The moment he turns seventeen, the legal age of an adult, or he decides that place is no longer home, the wards break and he can be found.¡±


    ¡°Then it''s a good thing I had the maintenance people put the full suite of enchantments on the place.¡± Bertha said with a big smile.


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°In for a knut, in for a galleon, right?¡±


    Bertha chuckled, too. ¡°When the famous Harry Potter asks the Ministry of Magic for help, he will get that help.¡±


    Amelia agreed, wholeheartedly. ¡°Well, now that you''re here, we can discuss the Sirius situation.¡±


    ¡°You got the copy of the letter I sent you?¡± Bertha asked and she nodded. ¡°I hope you don''t mind taking time to ferry the boy to his godfather for a short visit on Saturday mornings.¡±


    Amelia almost laughed. ¡°I warned you to not pester the poor man.¡±


    ¡°It was the best way to test his sanity.¡± Bertha said, a little smugly. ¡°Plus, he never did like me. I wanted to see if that was worse after his prison time.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Amelia said. ¡°You''re also lucky he loves Harry so much.¡±


    ¡°So is he.¡± Bertha responded. ¡°Harry is going to be essential to his recovery.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°I have no problem picking Harry up a little earlier and spending an hour at the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Bertha said. ¡°Would you like to have a late breakfast or an early lunch?¡±


    Amelia laughed. ¡°Let''s go for early lunch, just so our secretaries won''t complain that we''re goofing off.¡±


    ¡°But we are goofing off.¡± Bertha said with a smile.


    ¡°I intend to work through the rest of the day after this, thank you very much.¡± Amelia said and stood. ¡°I''ll need calories for that, though.¡±


    ¡°A woman after my own heart.¡± Bertha stood as well, then the two of them left the office.


    *


    ¡°This is amazing.¡± One of the school governors said as he sat at the table with the others, who were just as surprised about learning that Salazar''s monster had been real and also that it was dead.


    Lucius Malfoy was not amused. He had plans for that monster and with a few dark objects still in his possession. He had tried several times to get rid of them over the last ten years and he couldn''t do it. He had been holding them for The Dark Lord and every time he thought of removing them from his home, he was either compelled to keep them or stayed his hand from harming or destroying them.


    ¡°What do we do about it?¡± One of the others asked.


    ¡°We announce it, of course.¡± A woman said, her face almost pure joy. ¡°Imagine the prestige the school will gain for defeating a legendary monster.¡±


    ¡°What was the classification?¡± A man asked.


    ¡°The highest possible. It''s a Class Five restricted creature, right up there with dragons and manticores.¡± She responded. ¡°Imagine! The teachers at the school handled a Class Five!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. This is wonderful news.¡± Another man said. ¡°We should get a report done up immediately.¡± He looked at another man. ¡°You have a contact at the Daily Prophet.¡±


    ¡°I''ve already called her.¡± The man said. ¡°She''ll be here in an hour.¡±


    ¡°Good work.¡± Another man said. ¡°Should we ask the teachers for an interview?¡±


    ¡°Not right now.¡± The woman said. ¡°We can give them accolades and save that for the follow up articles.¡±


    ¡°You plan to milk it as much as possible?¡± He asked.


    ¡°We can keep people talking about it for weeks.¡± The woman said, her smile so bright that the others had to smile in return.


    Lucius did his best to smile as well, despite his disappointment. He knew that the other followers of The Dark Lord were not going to be happy when they learned of it.

 66 The Rest Of The Week

    The latest edition of the Daily Prophet was a sensation. It had to go into second and third printings by the time lunchtime came around and it still sold out. Everyone wanted to read about Salazar''s monster and how the teachers of the best wizarding school had handled it. There was no mention of Harry''s involvement, which meant that the teachers were either covering it up or they hadn''t mentioned that it was him that discovered the entrance.


    Either way, Harry had a hard time not smiling every time someone mentioned it. He knew, as did Hermione and Neville, that he and Filch had stumbled across it and opened it by accident. The school was becoming famous for something he did. He had thought about telling everyone his part of the story, then realized he was talked about enough. If everyone thought he was trying to put himself into the spotlight and steal attention from the teachers, they might start hating him.


    So, the three of them kept their mouths shut and went about their school work. Lessons continued on and Harry kept teaching Hermione the things he had in his spell book. In the evenings, he and Filch cleaned the bathrooms. It seemed like there was and endless supply of them and even Harry was getting weary, until Thursday night and they reached the top floor. There were only two public bathrooms and each one only had five stalls each.


    Harry and Filch exchanged looks and smiled. ¡°Race?¡± They said together, then they both took a bathroom each and scrubbed as quickly as they could while still cleaning everything. Harry wasn''t going to skimp on his promise to help clean the whole castle and Filch wasn''t going to skimp on doing the job he loved. Not surprisingly, they came out of their chosen bathrooms at nearly the same time.


    ¡°Meow!¡± Missus Norris said and Filch barked a laugh.


    ¡°My longer legs did not give me an advantage, you little scamp!¡± Filch said. ¡°I have to bend down farther!¡±


    Harry laughed and stripped off the cleaning supplies and held a hand out to her. She purred and rubbed against it. ¡°Thanks for trying.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said.


    ¡°Aye, lad. You gave me a good run.¡± Filch said. ¡°Nearly three weeks and we''ve cleaned the old girl from top to bottom.¡±


    ¡°On the inside.¡± Harry said.


    Filch laughed. ¡°Sorry, lad. We''re not allowed to touch the outside. It might mess with the protective enchantments on the castle.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°It''s supposed to look like an old run down castle. We can''t very well make it look like new, eh?¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°Okay, I can understand that.¡±


    ¡°Then our work here is done.¡± Filch said and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Thank you very much for your help.¡±


    ¡°Even if it was for detention?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I expected to take three times as long while I dragged your sad arse all over the castle dungeons.¡± Filch said with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Instead, you forced me to clean like normal and then it was me that had to keep up with you.¡±


    ¡°Some of the cleaning stuff is great, isn''t it?¡± Harry said. ¡°I can''t believe the wood polish came out so well.¡±


    Filch chuckled. ¡°It''s like the wood just pops when you look at it now.¡± He said. ¡°Now, about the floors...¡±


    ¡°I''ll keep an eye on them.¡± Harry said. ¡°It''s just an anti-dirt charm that Madam Malkin taught me. I figured if it worked on clothing, why not the floor?¡±


    Filch gave him a surprised look.


    ¡°It should last a while.¡± Harry said. ¡°I haven''t had to redo my clothing yet and it''s been two months.¡±


    Filch smiled and gave his shoulder a squeeze. ¡°All right, lad. I''ll leave it to you.¡±


    Harry beamed a smile at him. ¡°It''s been fun, Mister Filch.¡± He said and knelt to hold a hand out to Missus Norris again. ¡°I''ll pop by whenever you need me to refill the buckets.¡±


    ¡°Lad, you''ve given me years worth of cleaning supplies.¡± Filch said. ¡°You don''t need to keep helping.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said and scratched the cat''s head. ¡°I''ll see you around, Missus Norris.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said and twitched her whiskers at him.


    ¡°Bye.¡± Harry said and waved to them, then walked away.


    ¡°Meow?¡± Missus Norris asked when Harry disappeared down a stairwell.


    ¡°I''m sure we''ll see him again.¡± Filch said and gathered up the cleaning things they had used. ¡°The castle''s not that big, eh?¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris agreed.


    *


    Harry had the rest of the evening to keep looking at the two spells that Amelia had given him the weekend before. He had looked at them in the mornings when he had the chance and now he had several hours before curfew to practice them. He found an empty classroom and moved the desks out of the way, then conjured the target to shoot at.


    ¡°Bombarda!¡± Harry exclaimed and a fireball shot out of his wand and hit the target on the outer ring. He shook his head, because the recoil of the spell had thrown off his aim. He would need to do the wand movement, compensate for the extra movement as the spell was released, and still aim. He worked for the entire time he had before curfew and had nearly hit the center of the target when casting the spell.


    Harry went to bed quite happy that he had almost completely adjusted his aim and had also cast it silently. The silence charm worked well to hide the small explosions he was letting off. He hadn''t thought of doing that at first, until a ghost had happened to float by and asked about the noise. He exorcised it and from then on silenced everything.


    The next day was Friday and he had double potions class, which took up most of the morning. The potions professor didn''t even look at him as he came in and gave Hermione her backpack and Neville his things as well. Without a word, the teacher pointed to the chalkboard and a potion appeared there. It seemed simple, since there weren''t many ingredients. The problem was the preparation time and the cooking time.


    One of the other students put their hand up to ask a question. ¡°Professor...¡±


    ¡°Unless it is a question about the potion on the board, you will remain quiet.¡± Snape said and the girl''s hand slowly lowered. ¡°I have had enough questions about the basilisk to last a lifetime. Two lifetimes.¡± He said and looked at Harry.


    Harry immediately diverted his gaze and thought about the preparation of the potion ingredients. He flipped through the school book and compared it to the potion on the board. His eyes squinted as he read the both of them. He couldn''t let it go and put his hand up.


    ¡°Mister Potter.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°Why are your potion directions different from the ones in the book?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I am a potions master.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°It means that I know a lot more than a children''s school book about brewing potions.¡±


    Harry looked down at the book and then at the board. ¡°Then why did we need to buy the book?¡±


    ¡°It is required by the course outline.¡±


    ¡°But, if it''s wrong...¡±


    ¡°It''s not necessarily wrong. It is just a very poor version of the proper potion.¡±


    Harry couldn''t stop his frown. ¡°So, spending time reading ahead like Hermione and I did was a waste of time.¡±


    Snape gave him a pointed look. ¡°You still gained knowledge...¡±


    ¡°The wrong knowledge.¡± Harry corrected. ¡°How many other potions are wrong in this book?¡±


    Snape didn''t say anything and Harry clapped the book shut.


    ¡°I''m glad I didn''t have a normal house to live in.¡± Harry said and missed Snape''s eyes flinch. ¡°I would have been brewing them and made them all wrong by following the book''s instructions.¡±


    Snape stared at Harry and didn''t say anything. Harry put the book away and used his expensive set of auto-leveling scales to quickly portion out his ingredients, then he did precisely what the chalkboard told him to do. It really was a simple recipe, if you followed the proper instructions. The ones in the book were right and did produce results... most of the time. It had a tendency to fail, because a few of the ingredients weren''t prepared properly.


    Snape had corrected the mistakes with the ingredients, which changed the directions for making the potion and made the time almost double... and guaranteed a success if followed precisely. He watched as Harry copied the recipe down and actually read ahead, knowing he had to take one of the last ingredients and start with that one first. It had the longest prep time and Snape had to give the boy credit for actually reading it first before starting.


    *


    Hermione asked Harry questions about why he was doing the ingredients backwards. He told her it was to save time later, which she didn''t understand, until he told her to read the whole recipe and not just the directions. It was then she noticed the prep times for everything and understood.


    ¡°Thanks a lot, Harry.¡± Hermione said and started copying him. She could sometimes get lost in following the directions as they were written and that would have been disastrous for a potion like this. She would definitely have gotten a Poor or even Dreadful if she had read it like a list and did each one as she went, rather than looked at the recipe as a whole.


    The two of them worked, almost completely in silence and brewed the ingredients like the recipe called for, then started adding them to the potion in the proper order and at the right times. It was taxing work to maintain a slow and steady pace, which was not something she was used to. She had always rushed to get things finished, so she could move on to the next thing.


    That was one of the reasons she liked helping Harry with research, because it let her do exactly that. Hermione could hunt information down like a bloodhound and it gave her a sense of satisfaction that she craved a bit too much for her own good. She hadn''t had any friends in normal school and she had expected that to change at Hogwarts. It hadn''t, because girls were just as cruel, and she had still been bullied for the first little bit.


    It wasn''t until Harry had stepped in and straightened everyone out for her that they backed off. She wasn''t as ridiculed and they didn''t pick on her for trying to offer help. Of course, she had stopped trying to correct the obvious mistakes the other girls would make in their homework in front of her. She sometimes caught them looking at her as they worked, just to see if she was going to correct them, and she fought her instincts and stayed quiet.


    Hermione''s dorm life had improved significantly and she felt very grateful to Harry for it. If he hadn''t taken the attention from her, she would probably still be bullied and she would also be suffering in silence about it, just like at her other school. Not even the teachers seemed to care about what she was going through. Only Harry.


    She looked at his concentrating face and then she looked at his baby soft skin that didn''t have a single blemish. Her hand tingled as she remembered touching it and then her face went a little red as she remembered that he touched her cheek as well and told her that it was as smooth and soft as his.


    Hermione tore her eyes away from him and continued to work. If her guess was right, only she and Harry would have a completed potion by the end of the class. Neville would be a close third, thanks to both Harry and her whispering instructions. Her thoughts drifted to the slightly plump boy and she smiled.


    He''s just like Harry and myself. Hermione thought. Even though he is a pure blood wizard and I''m muggle-born and Harry''s a half-blood, the three of us have suffered at the hands of others and were bullied. It didn''t matter where we came from, we are the same.


    She smiled at the thought as she brewed her potion and it matched Harry''s almost exactly. She worked diligently and focused her mind on her task.

 67 The Quest

    Hermione had been right. Only Harry and herself had finished the complete potion. Not only that, it looked the same as the description. They labelled them and put their names on them, then brought them up to the desk before Professor Snape asked the rest of the class to do it. Neither of them expected him to award them points for it, though. He wasn''t that kind of teacher.


    Severus was surprised when Harry once again took out a crystal vial, enlarged it, and poured in all of the created potion. Harry shrunk and pocketed it and asked Hermione in a whisper if she was going to do it, too. She shook her head, so he shrugged and waved his wand to pack everything. He helped Hermione and Neville after that and added their things to his trunk.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of grade I''ll get.¡± Neville asked as the three of them left the classroom ahead of everyone else.


    ¡°Don''t get your hopes up.¡± Harry warned. ¡°Even though we all did well, it depends on how Snape feels.¡±


    ¡°He was extra quiet today.¡± Hermione observed. ¡°Do you think it really was because of the basilisk?¡±


    ¡°You know what he''s like.¡± Harry said and had to smile. ¡°How would he react to reporters hounding him for an interview?¡±


    Hermione smiled back. ¡°Poorly.¡±


    ¡°What about the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?¡± Neville asked as Harry held open a tapestry for them to duck behind. ¡°He seemed really happy.¡±


    ¡°McGonagall was really happy, too.¡± Hermione said and walked up the stairs. ¡°It''s probably relief that they defeated such a dangerous creature.¡±


    ¡°How old was it again? Nine hundred or something?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°At least that.¡± Hermione said. ¡°According to the legend, it''s been here since just before Salazar Slytherin himself left the school.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡± Neville said. ¡°I wonder how big it would have gotten after all this time.¡±


    They stopped at a door and Harry did the knock knock joke. It opened and they went through.


    ¡°I wonder if it''s been moving around inside the castle since then.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°I think we would have heard or seen something huge moving around inside the walls.¡± Harry said, then remembered his own silence spell. ¡°Could a creature cast magic?¡±


    ¡°I don''t think so.¡± Hermione said as they stepped out onto the floor with the portrait of the Fat Lady. ¡°It probably had tons of innate abilities.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡± Neville said. ¡°Imagine a silent giant snake that can kill you with just a look.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks!¡± Hermione laughed. ¡°I''m having a difficult enough time just imagining Professor Snape giving us a passing grade!¡±


    Harry and Neville laughed, too. Harry gave them their things and they brought them to their rooms, dropped them off, and went back down to the common room.


    ¡°Have you had any luck with those spells Madam Bones gave you?¡± Hermione asked Harry as the three of them sat down next to the fireplace.


    ¡°I''ve tried the Bombarda spell already and I''ve almost got it aimed properly.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''ll be working on Stupefy after supper.¡±


    ¡°I can''t believe you get to learn under the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.¡± Neville said. ¡°My gran would kill to get me a chance like that!¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Susan''s pretty excited about it and she lives with her.¡±


    Hermione nodded as well. ¡°She said it''s a great honor because her aunt never takes on students.¡± She said. ¡°It''s too bad you couldn''t invite us along.¡±


    Harry took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°I''m not going to push my luck by trying to drag you along.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn''t ask you to.¡± Neville said.


    Hermione nodded again. ¡°Neville''s right. We won''t potentially ruin such a great opportunity for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said and then leaned forward. ¡°That doesn''t mean I can''t tell you what we do.¡±


    Hermione took in a sharp breath. ¡°Harry! You could teach us!¡±


    ¡°I''m not a...¡± Harry stopped when he saw Hermione''s mouth opened to counter his words. ¡°Dammit, I guess I am.¡±


    Hermione chuckled. ¡°I won''t ask for the spells or how to cast them properly, not until you master them like you''ve done with all the others in your spell book.¡±


    ¡°I guess that''s fair...¡± Harry paused as the door to the Griffindor Tower opened and the students they had left in the basement came in. He saw surprise on a lot of their faces, especially Ron''s. ¡°...and I''ll do my best to help as much as I can.¡± He finished in a whisper as several of the girls sat down nearby and chatted loudly.


    ¡°We''ve got half an hour before the Great Hall is open for supper.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°Which is too short of a time to do much of anything.¡± Harry said. ¡°We would barely get started and then have to stop.¡±


    ¡°Reading?¡± Hermione suggested.


    ¡°Or... maybe...¡± Harry said and started to smile.


    ¡°I know that smile.¡± Hermione chuckled. ¡°Do you think we''ll get one?¡±


    ¡°As long as I''m not near when they appear.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Where should we set up?¡± Neville asked, eager to get to it.


    ¡°Definitely on the third floor corridor.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Ever since Harry got rid of that pesky ghost that haunted the bathroom, it''s become a popular spot for them to pass by according to Lavender.¡±


    ¡°Remind me to thank her if we catch a couple of them.¡± Harry said and Hermione and Neville nodded, then they left the common room on a mission.


    Neville was pretty much a non-entity to them, unlike Harry and Hermione, so when they reached that floor, Harry and Hermione hid and Neville was the observer and hopefully, the immobilizer.


    ¡°I''ve been practising the spells and I can do both Immobulus and Accio.¡± Neville said.


    ¡°That''s great, Neville.¡± Harry said. ¡°Just be careful. If there''s more than one, the Immobulus spell will work on them. Accio won''t.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± Neville said.


    ¡°Yes, you do.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Neville nodded and went out into the hallway and walked down it. He didn''t try to go into the bathroom, since it had been officially reopened for girls to use without fear of a ghost bothering them. He didn''t have to wait long for their first customer. It was just some odd looking ghost of a man. He completely ignored Neville as he floated down the hallway and went towards the bathroom. As soon as he passed, Neville turned and cast the immobilizing spell.


    ¡°I got one!¡± Neville said and Harry popped out for a moment and used Accio to pull the ghost towards him and into their hiding spot, cast Silencio on it, and Hermione used the exorcising spell to remove the unholy existence from the world.


    Hermione let out a sigh as the thing disappeared and she smiled at Harry. ¡°You don''t know how much this means to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Harry reached out and took her hand. ¡°We don''t have to be afraid of ghosts anymore.¡±


    ¡°Two more.¡± Neville said.


    Harry and Hermione smiled and got to work.


    *


    Suppertime started in the Great Hall and Albus Dumbledore sat at his place at the table as he waited for as many students as possible to come in to eat. Once there were enough of them, he took a moment to collect himself before he stood up. He couldn''t believe that he was resorting to this. It was pretty much a last ditch effort to find the thing.


    ¡°I would like to make an announcement before the food appears.¡± Albus said as he raised his hands. ¡°It has recently come to my attention that a precious item has gone missing.¡±


    Loud murmurs and whispered conversations greeted his words.


    ¡°It is only a small bundle, about this big.¡± Albus said and made the approximate size with his hands. ¡°It is the size of the average palm and is wrapped in brown cloth to protect it.¡±


    More murmurs were heard.


    ¡°I am offering a reward to anyone who finds it.¡± Albus said and the chatter increased to almost normal conversation levels. ¡°One hundred galleons for its safe return.¡±


    More than half of the students let out loud exclamations and stood up to leave, so they could start searching.


    ¡°Now, now. Don''t be hasty.¡± Albus said. ¡°Please sit. I don''t want you to make messes or ransack the castle looking for it. I am only making this offer in case someone has found it or knows where it is.¡±


    The students sat down and the talk continued. A lot of them wanted those one hundred galleons.


    ¡°No one?¡± Albus asked and looked at everyone. ¡°Has no one seen it?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± One of the Slytherin students asked.


    ¡°It is just a red crystal that I have misplaced.¡± Albus said with a smile. ¡°It is owned by a family friend and I need it back.¡±


    ¡°A red crystal worth a hundred galleons?¡± Someone else asked. ¡°Are you nuts?¡±


    Albus chuckled. ¡°I didn''t say that was what it was worth. That''s just what I''m generously willing to pay to have a sentimental item returned to me.¡±


    ¡°If it''s so important, why not two hundred galleons?¡± Another Slytherin student asked.


    Albus focused on the boy and all he caught from him was greed and a way to make a lot of gold fast. ¡°I''ll warn you all now that I won''t accept fakes. I know what the item looks like and anyone trying to trick me will get detention for a month.¡±


    Nearly all discussion faded away and Albus had to smile.


    ¡°I will also reward any information leading to the item being found.¡± Albus said and the conversations started up again. ¡°I''ll also warn you that any lying will get you a week''s detention.¡±


    The sound of talking didn''t lessen at his words.


    ¡°With that out of the way, tuck in!¡± Albus said and waved his hands as the tables were filled with food. He sat down and picked at his own meal as he very carefully looked at each and every student to try and find anyone that had any idea where the Philosopher''s Stone was.


    *


    Harry did his best to keep his mind going over the potion they had brewed and didn''t let anything else enter his mind. He had known that whatever it was that Hagrid had taken from the bank that day was important. The headmaster was offering a hundred galleons for its return, which meant it was worth a lot more than that, despite his claim that it was just a crystal.


    It actually surprised Harry that it had taken the old man this long to discover that it was missing. If it really was so important, why would he trust that huge man with it? It didn''t make sense. He pushed the thought aside and remembered the proper dicing of some of the ingredients in the potion. He fought his desire to get up and leave, just so he could get away from the scrutiny, and sat there for nearly twenty minutes as he ate and kept the potion at the forefront of his mind.


    ¡°I need to go practice.¡± Harry said as several other students stood up, then he, Hermione, and Neville stood up as well and left the Great Hall.


    Harry didn''t feel relief until he was several floors away and inside an empty classroom. He conjured up a target for him to practice the Stupify spell and took out his notes. He reminded himself of the spell and the form of the wand movement, then concentrated.


    ¡°Stupefy!¡± Harry said and a small blast of reddish magic shot out of his wand and nearly hit the center of the target. There was no blowback from the spell, so he didn''t have to try and adjust his aim. He smiled and kept casting the spell, over and over, then he used his knowledge of charging up his wand beforehand and made the spell that much more powerful, after he had cast Silencio on himself and the target.


    Harry worked hard over the next three hours and it kept his mind from wandering to the inside of his trunk and the small wrapped bundle, the size of a palm, that sat on the bookshelf.

 68 The Latest Information

    Bokuboy


    Harry ended his training and went back to the Griffindor Tower common room. Hermione was there reading and Neville sat next to her with a huge smile on his face.


    ¡°I guess you found another one?¡± Harry whispered the question when he sat down with them.


    ¡°Two.¡± Neville responded and was very pleased with himself. ¡°We stumbled across the ghosts when we came back from the library.¡±


    ¡°I went looking for anything referencing the red crystal that the headmaster is looking for.¡± Hermione added.


    ¡°Oh? Are you hunting for that hundred galleons?¡± Harry asked and she laughed.


    ¡°No, it was just idle curiosity.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Although, it would be nice to have a hundred galleons.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Neville said and had a wistful look on his face.


    Harry nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I''ve got a list if you want to look at it.¡± Hermione took a piece of parchment out of the book she had.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said and accepted it. ¡°I assume you only looked for important things?¡±


    ¡°I ignored the every day things like red quarts crystals used for divination, if that''s what you meant.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Dumbledore is supposed to be the most powerful wizard of our time. I doubt he would associate himself with common items.¡±


    ¡°You really are great at looking things up.¡± Harry complimented her as he looked down and read the list, which meant that he missed her slight blush. ¡°Fawley''s Star Ruby, Flamel''s Philosopher''s Stone, Gambol''s Dragon Heart diamond, the McPhail Fire Opal, and Percevoy''s Almandine Garnet.¡± He read the descriptions and the rumors for them, too. ¡°These are definitely all worth more than a hundred galleons.¡±


    Hermione nodded. ¡°I found pictures as well; but, they are... less than reliable.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess. They''re all drawings.¡± Harry said and she nodded again. ¡°Any luck copying them?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no.¡± Hermione said and nodded at Neville. He took out several sheets and handed them over. The drawings were only basic shapes with a few details, as if they had been hastily drawn.


    ¡°I asked the librarian Madam Pince how they made copies for reference and she said I was a first year student and wouldn''t understand how to do it and wouldn''t be able to cast the spell.¡± Neville said. ¡°I asked her about the spell anyway and she said it was called the Geminio spell.¡±


    Harry''s eyes lit up and he stared at Hermione. ¡°Please, please, please tell me you have it!¡±


    Hermione gave him a huge smile before she could stop herself. ¡°Nope! I don''t have it!¡±


    Harry knew she was teasing him and felt a strong urge to tickle her. He hopped from his chair and onto hers, then dug his fingers into her armpits and tickled her. Hermione burst out laughing and tried to hug her arms together to stop him as she closed her book. All she managed to do was dig his fingers in and he tickled her more.


    ¡°All... all right!¡± Hermione said between laughs and Harry stopped. It took her a couple of minutes to calm down and Harry didn''t move away, to her surprise. He had sat down right beside her and waited for her to recover. She could see the eagerness on his face and she wasn''t sure why she was happy that he hadn''t gone back to his own chair. She picked up the book on her lap and opened it to the page she had been reading.


    ¡°Is this... wow, it''s...¡± Harry stared at the page with intricate wording and several wand movements.


    ¡°It''s extremely difficult and requires a lot of practice and concentration before you can cast the spell.¡± Hermione said. ¡°You are essentially creating an exact copy and that requires a lot of preparation.¡±


    ¡°What year do they normally teach it?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°It''s not on the official school syllabus of spells.¡± Hermione said and once again, she couldn''t hide her smile, which told him that she had more information for him.


    ¡°Now you''re just teasing me with what you know.¡± Harry said.


    Hermione nodded. ¡°I have a list; but, Neville and I ran out of time to find them.¡±


    Harry took a breath and let it out as he relaxed, which just so happened to let him sink a little deeper into the chair and closer to her. ¡°I''ve got my visit with Sirius and Amelia tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have to worry about that.¡± Hermione said and wondered why her heart was beating a little faster than it normally did. ¡°It''s going to take us hours to track the spells down.¡±


    ¡°We would have taken the books out of the library if we didn''t have a bunch out already.¡± Neville said.


    Harry looked at Neville and then at Hermione. ¡°You guys are really great for doing this.¡±


    ¡°We''re your friends.¡± Hermione said as she looked deep into his bright green eyes. ¡°Of course we''re going to help you.¡±


    ¡°Friends.¡± Harry whispered and he let a smile grow on his face. ¡°Thank you.¡± He said and looked deep into her brown eyes. ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Hermione''s heart sped up and she opened her mouth to speak, only nothing came out. All she could do was nod and Harry looked down at the book.


    ¡°I''ll look over the duplicate spell tomorrow when I come back to the castle.¡± Harry said. ¡°I don''t have the time to write it all out right now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we should get up to bed.¡± Neville said and stood up. ¡°You''ve got an early day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Thanks for reminding me.¡± Harry said and dug into his robes for his timepiece. His hand rubbed along Hermione''s thigh as he pulled it out. ¡°I need to change my alarm.¡± He tucked it back into his robes when he was done and inadvertently rubbed her thigh again. He pushed himself up out of the chair and looked at Hermione. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°G-goodnight.¡± Hermione said, then she pretended to yawn to cover her slightly shaking speech. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    Harry and Neville left her beside the fire and the two of them went up to their room. As soon as Harry closed the curtains on his bed, he cast the silence spell and opened his trunk. He went down inside and took the bundle off of the shelf. He had put it there after the first day and hadn''t looked at it once since then. He laughed as he remembered finding it in Hagrid''s coat with the motorcycle keys.


    Why would you put such an expensive item in with keys that would scratch it all up? Harry asked himself as he opened up the bundle. He didn''t touch it, in case it was something dangerous, and read the list of stones and the rumors, then he examined the drawn pictures. The opal, the dragon diamond, and the star ruby were tossed aside, since the shapes were wrong.


    That narrowed it down to two possibilities, the garnet and the philosopher''s stone. The garnet was pretty close, until Harry turned the stone he had in his hand and the last two pictures upside down. The garnet didn''t match, which meant his brain was trying too hard to make them match. He put the picture aside and stared at the last one.


    It''s the philosopher''s stone. Harry thought and looked at the stone in his hand. Hermione''s notes say it can change any metal into gold, is the ultimate healing cure, and can create the elixir of life. He stared at the small stone and he let a smile grow on his face again. He bundled it up and put it back on the shelf, climbed out of his trunk with his night clothes, then changed and closed the trunk.


    Harry climbed into his nest of blankets and pushed all other thoughts out of his mind as he imagined what Hermione and Neville were going to do with the hundred galleons he was going to give them tomorrow. That reminded him that he should probably send a letter to Gringotts Bank and his account manager to ask for two more enchanted money bags for them, too. He settled down under the blanket and fell asleep with those happy thoughts filling his head.


    *


    Albus sat in his office chair and lamented that his initial ploy hadn''t worked. He would have to try again at breakfast and catch the other students. Word about his outrageous reward would have spread all over the school by now. He was sure that if anyone had seen it, he would catch their thoughts about it. He went to his sleeping area and transfigured his clothing for bed, laid down, and cast the sleep spell on himself.


    *


    Hermione couldn''t get to sleep. All she could remember was Harry tickling her and then his closeness as she told him they were friends. She hadn''t really been sure up until that point that they were, then his whispered ''friends'' and his passionate thank you had made her heart flutter. She closed her eyes and his bright green eyes floated in her mind. She didn''t know why she liked them so much. They were just eyes.


    She hugged herself and her fingers touched her armpits where Harry had tickled her. It had made her feel warm inside and a little tingly afterwards. She was also grateful that she had taken a bath earlier. The last thing she wanted was to smell if he ever did something like that again, so she promised herself to use the freshening spell that he had taught her whenever she could, just in case.


    Hermione suppressed her giggle at the thought of him tickling her again. She hadn''t laughed like that since... ever. She had let everything out and hadn''t tried to fight him off or push his hands away, which she easily could have done. It was confusing and funny and enjoyable and a little scary, because she hadn''t let anyone do that to her before, not even her parents.


    *


    Sirius Black couldn''t sleep. He was eagerly awaiting a visit from his godson the next day and all week the healer had told him that it wasn''t a delusion. He looked around the hospital room that was eerily similar to his prison cell with nothing in it. He was in a bed, though. That was one clue that he wasn''t still in Azkaban. Another clue was that he was being allowed to eat actual food. Oh, and the potions. The god-awful potions.


    He shivered as he remembered the bloated feeling he had after every one he drank. It was almost torture as he was forced to drink the whole thing, because otherwise it wouldn''t be as effective. On the plus side, his skin was starting to lose the bright whiteness it had gained from being in the dark for ten years. He was sure that was a potion and not access to the sun he had been given for an hour each day, under the healer''s orders.


    Sirius sighed at the overbearing and caring woman. He knew she meant well; but, sometimes he just wanted to be left alone. He was sure she knew that and bothered him anyway. It was almost as if she wanted to make sure he wasn''t going to off himself.


    Sirius laughed at that stupid idea. I would have offed myself after the first six months in prison if I was going to give up. He thought. No, I''m out now and I won''t give up like that.


    He rolled over in the bed and looked at the empty paper bag that the Dirigible Plum cauldron cake had been in and smiled. His godson cared about him, even after everything that happened. It had been his fault Harry''s parents had died. His best friend was dead. Dead. All because of him.


    ¡°No no no no...¡± Sirius started to whisper, over and over, then he shivered as an unbearable cold seeped into his bones. He huddled in on himself and his eyes darted around the room, waiting for the light to go out and for the Dementor to appear and hug him.


    Almost immediately, Healer Ela came into his room and walked over to the bed. ¡°It''s all right, Sirius.¡± She said in a soft voice, then she cast several spells on him to relax his tense muscles and calm him. ¡°Harry''s going to be here first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°H-H-Harry.¡± Sirius whispered and looked at the paper bag. ¡°I failed him.¡±


    ¡°No, you lived for him.¡± Healer Ela said. ¡°Why else would you have stayed in that hellish place all these years?¡±


    Sirius blinked his eyes at her as she rolled him onto his back.


    ¡°You knew he needed you, so you waited for him.¡± Healer Ela said and tucked the blanket around her patient. ¡°That boy has gone through a lot, in some respects even more than you have.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what... do I...¡±


    Healer Ela gave him a warm smile. ¡°For now, all you need to do is get better. After that, you have to be the godfather that boy needs in his life.¡±


    Sirius nodded in agreement and she pat his chest.


    ¡°I can cast a sleep spell on you if you want.¡± Healer Ela said.


    Sirius thought about it and nodded again.


    ¡°Sleep well. When you wake up, Harry should be here.¡±


    Sirius smiled at the thought and then he felt very tired and closed his eyes.


    Healer Ela fought her instincts to kiss the poor man''s cheek. He was fighting through a lot of horrible things that happened to him, just so he could help his godson fight through some horrible things that happened to him. Her heart went out to the both of them, their lives so tragic and filled with strife.


    She couldn''t let herself become even more invested in them, though. She knew that they only saw her as a healer. If she didn''t try to keep her distance, only she would end up heartbroken when Sirius left the hospital, possibly for good, which would leave her with a void in her life.


    Little did she realize that she was already much more emotionally invested than she thought she was. Ela''s mind was already focused on both of their welfare too much and it distracted her as she tried to work on other patients, which was why the Head Healer had assigned her as a personal healer for Sirius. Ela could still do her job and Sirius got the dedicated healing that he needed.


    Healer Ela pet the man''s hair for a moment and let out a soft sigh, then she leaned down and kissed his cheek. She left the room and didn''t turn off the light, even though Sirius wouldn''t wake from the spell until morning. She went across the hall to room 302 that was hidden behind a protective barrier and she took off her uniform as she let her brown hair down out of the tight bun she always kept it in.


    Ela slipped on her nightgown and climbed into bed, set her alarm for very early, then snuggled down under the blanket. It was tiring to care for someone like Sirius and pretending to be happy all the time was exhausting. She wouldn''t let his experiences get her down, though. She would help him work through them until he was better. Not only was it her job, she enjoyed it.


    Helping people had been her calling since she was a little girl. Now that she was an accomplished Healer, she had the most challenging case she had ever had and she was enthusiastic about it. It would boost her emotional state, her professional standing, and help one of the most hopeless cases she had ever had to deal with.


    Ela closed her eyes with those warm feelings filling her and she drifted off to sleep. She wouldn''t admit that she wanted to see Harry just as much as Sirius did.

 69 The Quick Visit

    Amelia was not surprised when she arrived at the gates to Hogwarts and saw a well dressed young man waiting there for her. He had his trunk beside him, too. She didn''t ask him why he never left it in the castle and she wasn''t going to. If he felt like he needed it with him, as far as she was concerned, he could take it with him anywhere he wanted to go. She tapped the gates with her wand and stepped close to him.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Amelia said and took him into a hug. She saw the smile he had and it warmed her heart that he wasn''t shying away from her. He looked happy to get a hug from her and she returned his smile as he hugged her back.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Harry said as his chin sunk into her combat robes between her breasts. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°You said these are your combat robes and you wear them all the time, just in case.¡± Harry said and she nodded. ¡°How do they protect you if they are so soft?¡±


    Amelia chuckled and he felt movement on his cheeks. ¡°Step back for a second.¡±


    Harry let her go and her top pushed back out to almost be flat.


    ¡°Knock on it.¡± Amelia said.


    Harry raised his eyebrows at her and she nodded.


    ¡°Like a door. Go ahead and try it.¡±


    Harry looked at her chest and then at her face, then he reached out and knocked on the spot right between her breasts.


    *Thump!* *Thump!*


    ¡°What... what the...¡± Harry used both hands and knocked several times, almost like he was beating on drums.


    Amelia laughed. ¡°Easy there, Harry.¡± She said and caught his hands. ¡°Now, just poke it with your finger slowly.¡±


    Harry nodded as she let his hands go. He used a single finger and slowly poked the fabric. It sunk in as if it was normal fabric. ¡°That''s so cool!¡± He said and poked the fabric in a few different places.


    One spot was on her breast. Before she could tell him to not touch her there when the cloth was soft, because it wasn''t appropriate, he used his other hand to knock on the spot right next to where he was poking her. She caught her breath when he moved both hands away and the part he poked stayed that way for several moments.


    Amelia just stared at him because he had quickly found an intrinsic danger to the magic armor. It let you move like normal cloth until you get hit with something, then it hardened to protect you, no matter what shape it was in at the time of impact. You had to be careful of your movements when wearing it. The pressure eased on her breast where he had poked it as the cloth went back to its normal shape.


    ¡°How much did it cost?¡± Harry asked as he picked up his trunk by the handle.


    ¡°I didn''t ask because I didn''t want to know.¡± Amelia said with an awkward smile.


    Harry chuckled and the two of them walked to just outside the gates. ¡°That means I won''t be buying any, unless you know where the Ministry got it.¡±


    Amelia put her arm over his shoulder as she ignored the previous awkward moment. ¡°What would you want with combat robes?¡±


    ¡°They would just be normal robes I would wear for protection.¡± Harry said as he tucked his arm around her waist and held on.


    ¡°You wouldn''t be allowed to wear them around the school, not even under your uniform.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Oh. Then never mind.¡± Harry said and held the trunk in front of himself and shared his magic with her.


    Amelia took in a sharp breath and let his magic join with hers, then she disapparated to the hospital into the room designated for it. She led Harry out into the lobby and they both waved at the Welcome Witch as they passed by her. She nodded to them and they went into the stairwell and went up to the third floor. The room door was already open and they could hear people talking.


    ¡°I can eat after Harry''s visit.¡± Sirius said. ¡°He could be here any minute.¡±


    ¡°You need to take your potion.¡± A woman''s voice said, almost pleading.


    They entered the room and Healer Ela was perched on the side of the bed and held a large vial that was filled with a brownish liquid.


    ¡°You know what I get like after drinking it and I don''t want to feel miserable with my godson here.¡± Sirius said, his arms crossed and his face defiant. ¡°An hour wait won''t make much difference.¡±


    Healer Ela let out a sigh.


    ¡°Hi, Sirius.¡± Harry said, which made Healer Ela jump up off of the bed and drop the potion. ¡°Immobulus.¡± He said as he deployed his wand and the potion froze just before it hit the floor.


    ¡°Nice one, Harry!¡± Sirius said, his voice full of approval.


    ¡°Quite.¡± Amelia said and reached down to grab it and Harry ended the spell. She handed the potion to Healer Ela. ¡°Don''t be so nervous.¡±


    ¡°You just startled me, that''s all.¡± Healer Ela said and held the potion close. ¡°Thank you, Harry.¡±


    ¡°He''s not up to your super huge big breakfasts yet?¡± Harry asked with a smile.


    Healer Ela smiled back. ¡°I''m sorry I had to cram all of that into you before you went to school.¡±


    ¡°I''m not.¡± Harry said. ¡°Have you seen the bajillion steps up to the castle from the black lake?¡±


    Healer Ela chuckled and reached out to rub the top of his head. ¡°I''m glad you didn''t have to struggle going up them.¡±


    ¡°It was great! I wasn''t out of breath or anything.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I''m glad.¡± Healer Ela stopped rubbing his hair. ¡°I need to warn you to not get Sirius too excited.¡±


    ¡°I''m sitting right here, dammit.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°Well... about that...¡± Harry started to say when a woman knocked on the door frame.


    ¡°Hi, there! Madam Malkin sends her regards.¡± The woman said as she came in with her equipment floating behind her and handed Harry a cloth bag.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Healer Ela asked pointedly.


    ¡°Oh, don''t mind me. This only takes a couple of minutes to set up.¡± The woman said and waved her wand to deploy the screen and looked at Harry. ¡°You asked for a nice field with some trees in the background, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thanks.¡± Harry said and the image appeared on the screen. ¡°Hey! It''s moving!¡±


    The woman chuckled. ¡°I don''t use cheap still frames! It''s only the best for my customers.¡±


    ¡°What''s this all about?¡± Sirius asked, genuinely curious.


    ¡°I figured out a present to get you.¡± Harry said and opened the bag that the woman had handed him. ¡°Healer Ela, could you help me get Sirius changed into this?¡± He asked and took out a stylish suit and the fanciest robes on the market.


    ¡°Blimey!¡± Sirius exclaimed.


    Healer Ela just stood there and stared at Harry, because she didn''t know what to say.


    ¡°I want you to look good for our first portrait together.¡± Harry said with a big smile and took out a smaller set for himself.


    ¡°Harry, you are a true delight to have in our lives.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I''ll give you a hand. It seems Healer Ela is a little too shocked to be of much use right now.¡±


    Harry nodded and they eased Sirius over to the edge of the bed and helped him get changed. They let him sit for as long as possible while they did, because he wouldn''t be able to stand for very long, if the last visit was any indication. By the time he was dressed, the set was ready and Healer Ela had snapped out of her trance.


    ¡°Sirius, I''m just going to trim you up a bit.¡± Healer Ela said and she did several quick swipes with her wand and trimmed his scraggly beard and moustache to look presentable, then she did a few swipes at his hair and tamed it to be less of a mass and more like an actual hairstyle. ¡°All right, that should do it.¡±


    ¡°Harry, please tell me I look as much like a proper man as you do.¡± Sirius asked. While Healer Ela had tended to him, Harry had quickly changed with Amelia''s help.


    ¡°Better.¡± Harry said and held a hand out to him. Sirius took it and stood up.


    ¡°I''m ready for you.¡± The woman said from behind her magic device that was pointed at the screen. Everything was well lit and gave off a warm glow.


    Harry and Sirius stepped in front of the screen and Sirius put his arm over Harry''s shoulder while Harry put his arm around Sirius'' waist to help support his weight.


    ¡°Thank you for this, Harry.¡± Sirius said as he looked down at him.


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Harry said and looked up at him.


    They both turned towards the device and waited.


    ¡°....and we''re done.¡± The woman said and stepped back to look at it. ¡°I got it. I really got it.¡±


    ¡°Got what?¡± Amelia asked and looked into the display.


    ¡°I caught exactly the emotions Harry wanted.¡± The woman said and tapped it, then swiped her wand at her things to pull them towards herself. ¡°I''ll be back in half an hour.¡±


    The woman ran from the room with her things floating behind her and Harry led Sirius over to the bed and sat him down. The three of them quickly undressed him and put him back into the hospital gown.


    ¡°Ah, this was a nice fantasy.¡± Sirius said and sat back against the pillow propped up at the head of the bed.


    ¡°It''s not over yet.¡± Harry said and opened his trunk. The three of them watched as he went down inside of it and came out with a tiny wardrobe. He placed it in the corner of the room and enlarged it to its proper size, then hung up Sirius'' new suit inside.


    ¡°Harry, what... how did you...¡±


    ¡°I ordered a bunch of things for my trunk by owl post. Shrunken, of course.¡± Harry said. ¡°I figured I could get you a wardrobe, too.¡±


    ¡°Harry...¡± Healer Ela started to say that it couldn''t stay, because it was dangerous to have things in the room with Sirius.


    ¡°I know what you''re going to say.¡± Harry said with a smile. ¡°That''s why it''s all the way over here across the room.¡± He said and poked the door and it was soft as a cushion. ¡°I cast Spongify on it, too.¡±


    Amelia chuckled and Sirius laughed.


    ¡°You are brilliant, my boy! Bloody brilliant!¡± Sirius exclaimed and then pat the side of the bed. ¡°Come here and tell me how your week has been.¡±


    ¡°You''re not going to believe this.¡± Harry said and sat down on the edge of the bed. ¡°The Headmaster at the school trusted Hagrid with getting something out of a Gringotts vault nearly two months ago.¡±


    Sirius barked a laugh. ¡°Please tell me it was something important!¡±


    ¡°It was important enough that he forgot all about it until yesterday and announced a hundred galleon reward for returning it.¡± Harry said with grin and Sirius laughed and laughed.


    ¡°Do you know what it was?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°He said it was a red crystal of some kind and wouldn''t say what it was called, just that it was sentimental and he wanted it back.¡± Harry said and brought up the dragon heart diamond and the red opal drawings into his mind. ¡°Hermione looked into what it could be and found a few different things that it could be.¡±


    ¡°You''re not going to go hunting for it, are you?¡± Sirius asked.


    ¡°For what? A hundred galleons?¡± Harry asked and opened his money bag. He dug his hand in and took out several large handfuls of silver sickles. ¡°I have almost that in just silver sickles!¡±


    Sirius laughed and pat his arm. ¡°I''m not going to ask how much in galleons you have.¡±


    ¡°I honestly don''t know.¡± Harry said with a grin and Sirius laughed again.


    Amelia and Healer Ela stood off to the side and slowly shook their heads in disbelief.


    Harry and Sirius talked for half an hour, with occasional additions by Amelia and Healer Ela, then the woman that had taken the picture ran back into the room.


    ¡°It came out wonderfully! I''m so proud!¡± The woman said and she had two wrapped bundles in her arms. They were two feet by two feet and she handed one to Sirius and one to Harry. ¡°I hope you have somewhere important to hang these, because they are masterpieces.¡±


    Sirius opened his and he took in a sharp breath at the two handsome men in the picture that could be seen from the waist up. They looked at each other, showing deep emotions, then they looked out at him. Tears came to Sirius'' eyes and he didn''t bother trying to wipe at them.


    ¡°This is... the most wonderful...¡± Sirius hugged the portrait and looked at Harry. ¡°Harry.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said and stood as he looked at Amelia. ¡°We better go.¡±


    ¡°Hang this up for me first.¡± Sirius said and pointed to the wall that he would see when he was laying down on his side.


    Harry took the portrait and cast a sticking charm on it, after building his magic up a lot, then he placed it on the wall. Portrait Sirius and Portrait Harry looked out of the frame at him and gave him nods.


    ¡°That''s perfect.¡± Healer Ela said. ¡°Thank you, Harry.¡±


    ¡°Are you putting yours in your trunk?¡± Sirius asked.


    ¡°For now.¡± Harry said and put it inside. ¡°I''ll hang it up at home when I visit there.¡±


    Amelia looked at him. ¡°When exactly were you going to do that?¡± She asked with a stern expression.


    ¡°After I begged you to take me there when we''re in the hallway.¡± Harry said with a smile.


    ¡°You... cheeky little...¡± Amelia started to say and Sirius let out a laugh, despite the tears still in his eyes.


    ¡°You better take him when he asks.¡± Sirius said. ¡°He''ll take The Knight Bus if you say no.¡±


    Amelia chuckled and put a hand on Harry''s shoulder. ¡°You shouldn''t be abusing my good nature just because I like you so much.¡±


    ¡°Ha! When else is he supposed to?¡± Sirius asked.


    Amelia opened her mouth to respond, then realized what he meant. ¡°All right. After we''re in the hallway and you pay the photographer, I''ll pop you over and then I have to pick up my niece, Susan.¡±


    Harry nodded and walked over to the bed. ¡°I''ll see you next week... or the next time you look right over there.¡± He said and motioned to the portrait on the wall. ¡°That''s what it''s for, after all.¡±


    Sirius opened his arms and Harry leaned in and gave him a hug. ¡°You''re a good boy, Harry.¡± He said and let him go. ¡°See you next week.¡±


    Harry nodded and he, Amelia, and the woman left the room.


    ¡°It''s time to take your potion.¡± Healer Ela said.


    ¡°Harry just left, dammit!¡± Sirius exclaimed.


    Amelia chuckled as she shut the door.

 70 The Quick Visit Home

    ¡°That poor man has a very caring healer.¡± Amelia said with a smile as she, Harry, and the woman stood in the hallway.


    Harry nodded and looked at the photographer. ¡°Thank you very much for coming today.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure.¡± The woman said. ¡°I always enjoy delivering what a client ordered.¡±


    ¡°How much...¡± Harry started to ask.


    ¡°I feel bad having to charge you for such expensive portraits.¡± The woman interrupted and looked at Amelia. ¡°Would you like to settle the bill privately?¡±


    ¡°I''m paying.¡± Harry said sternly.


    Both women looked at him with slight alarm, because neither of them had heard that tone of voice from a child before.


    ¡°Tell me the price.¡± Harry ordered.


    ¡°It''s thirty galleons a portrait.¡± The woman said. ¡°Short notice fees included.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Harry asked in a slightly derisive tone and quickly counted out sixty galleons. ¡°Thank you.¡± He said and handed the shocked woman the money. He took Amelia''s hand and walked over to the stairwell and went inside.


    ¡°Harry, what was that about?¡± Amelia asked, her voice full of concern as they went down the stairs.


    ¡°Everyone in Diagon Alley acted the same way when I first started buying my school things, because they thought I didn''t have enough money. I didn''t like it then and I don''t like it now.¡± Harry groused.


    ¡°You were very abrupt with that woman.¡± Amelia slightly admonished him.


    ¡°Yes, and now she knows that I''m not some poor kid that needs an adult to buy things for me.¡± Harry said. He wasn''t sure why it rankled him so much this time, though.


    Amelia thought about telling him to go back and apologize, then realized that it was the woman that should apologize first for her assumption and dismissing Harry, then Harry would have to apologize for overreacting to it. Without one, the other just seemed superfluous, so she kept her opinion about it to herself.


    ¡°Harry, I think we need to talk about your underlying anger.¡± Amelia said as they left the stairwell and walked by the Welcome Witch.


    Harry didn''t say anything and led her into the room for apparating. ¡°Do you know where Privet Drive is?¡±


    ¡°Vaguely.¡± Amelia said. She had looked at the magical house map when the Maintenance Department handed her a copy of it when she asked about Harry. Before she could explain, she was surprised when Harry put both of his arms around her and held the trunk to her back. She felt his magic flow over her and he wasn''t sharing with her this time. No, he was covering her with it.


    She was lucky that she hadn''t fought against it, because before she could ask him what he thought he was doing, they disappeared.


    *


    Petunia was having a nice relaxing cup of tea as she watched her favorite television program. The boy had been gone for a month already and she was both happy and sad about it. She was happy that the nasty boy that she hated was no longer in her house and she was sad that she didn''t have anyone to order around and to do the chores for her.


    Her family''s meals had suffered for it, too. She had gone a bit too long with letting the boy do the cooking and she was quite rusty. Of course, those thoughts of Harry reminded her of what had happened last week.


    Petunia had been grateful that her husband Vernon was at work and her son Duddikins had been at school when no less than six cloaked men had knocked on her door. She had refused to answer the door, quite afraid of what those men would do to her, then the door opened and they came in anyway.


    ¡°AHHHH!¡± Petunia screamed and covered her sagging breasts with one arm and put a hand over her crotch, even though she was wearing a skirt.


    ¡°The directions were right.¡± The man in front said.


    ¡°You owe me five galleons.¡± One of the men behind him said with a smile.


    The man in front nodded and handed Petunia a folded piece of paper. ¡°Ma''am, I have a work order for the premises. Please step aside.¡±


    ¡°A-a-a-a what?¡± Petunia asked, nervous.


    ¡°A work order and it''s already paid for.¡± He said and shoved the paper into her hand and moved to walk by her. She hopped back and stood against the wall as he did and then the other five men walked by her, too.


    Petunia stared at the men as they stopped beside the cupboard under the stairs and opened it.


    ¡°Well, this is it.¡± He said and took out his wand. ¡°I don''t believe it; but, it''s here. A bedroom.¡±


    ¡°I don''t believe it, either.¡± The man behind him said. ¡°It''s still going to work, isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°We brought the right materials, so yes.¡± The lead man said and stepped inside.


    ¡°This is my first cupboard alteration.¡± The next man said with a chuckle and followed him in. The next man went in and so did the next, then all six of them were inside and the door shut behind them.


    Petunia stood there, stunned. She knew the cupboard barely held the boy, and that was only because he slept in a bundle of sheets. After standing there for nearly twenty minutes, she let her curiosity overcome her restraint and she walked down the hallway to the cupboard. She tried to peek in and the door wouldn''t open, nor would the little air slats.


    She gave up after another ten minutes and went to the living room to wait, and wait, and wait some more. Her eyes darted to the clock every minute to check the time, because she was worried the men wouldn''t be gone by the time her son came home from school. Luckily, just as the time approached for the school to get out, she heard the cupboard door open and the shuffling of shoes on the carpet.


    Petunia ran from the living room and stopped as she saw all six men in the hallway as they congratulated each other. The cupboard door was shut, so she didn''t get to see inside, which meant she would have to wait until the men left to look inside. The men walked forward to the front door and the last one turned around to look at her.


    ¡°The door''s locked and warded and only Mister Potter can open it.¡± The man said with a huge smile. ¡°Have a good day.¡±


    Petunia had stared at the man as he left. As soon as the door shut, she was at the cupboard door and did everything she could to try and open the thing. She had even dug out the old screwdriver from the bottom kitchen drawer and tried to fiddle with the handle and the hinges. She didn''t know what she was doing, though. Her efforts were fruitless and she gave up as her son came in the front door. She hadn''t told her husband about the encounter, either.


    Now, Petunia sat on her couch relaxing and pushed the memories aside as she took another sip of tea. It was so nice and quiet and she always looked forward to her alone time, where she didn''t have to cook or clean or take care of anyone else except herself.


    *


    Amelia and Harry appeared on the walk just outside the house and Amelia was stunned by what had just happened. They had just apparated and she wasn''t in control. They had arrived intact and hadn''t splinched themselves, either.


    An eleven year old just took me along on his first apparating journey and I didn''t help him at all. Amelia thought. No, I didn''t have to help him at all. She corrected.


    ¡°Do you want to come inside?¡± Harry asked as he let her out of the tight hug he had her in.


    Amelia couldn''t quite speak without her voice shaking, because he had scared her, so she nodded. He just did some of the most complicated personal magic anyone could attempt as if it was just a casual thing. She thought as he took her hand and led her to the front door. Perhaps that''s Bertha''s and my fault.


    Harry opened the front door and took her inside. ¡°That''s where I stay when I''m home.¡± He said and pointed to the cupboard door. ¡°Do you want to see it? They said it should have been done this week.¡±


    ¡°Done?¡± Amelia asked, confused.


    ¡°It was Mister Filch that gave me the idea.¡± Harry said and led her over to the door.


    ¡°Who''s there?!?¡± A startled screech came from the living room.


    ¡°It''s just me.¡± Harry said and looked at Amelia. ¡°That''s my aunt.¡±


    ¡°Oi! Did they finally kick you out?¡± A man''s gruff voice asked and they heard heavy footsteps approaching. ¡°It''s about damn time they wised up.¡±


    ¡°No, I''m just here to drop off something.¡± Harry said and cast Colloportus on the door to the living room. There was a grunt and a thump, then another thump.


    ¡°What the hell''s up with the blasted door?¡± Vernon asked.


    ¡°That''s my uncle.¡± Harry said with a grin as the door handle jiggled and shook.


    ¡°I guessed.¡± Amelia whispered. ¡°Do you do that a lot?¡± She asked and nodded at the door.


    ¡°No, it''s my first time.¡± Harry said. ¡°I don''t want them seeing.¡± He turned the handle on the cupboard door and it opened for him. ¡°Come on in.¡±


    Amelia bent down to enter the tiny looking cupboard and then gasped when she stepped down a set of stairs into the huge living room of a two bedroom apartment. The room had expensive furniture with a comfy couch and two plush armchairs, a huge television and stereo system, a very large fireplace, and a nice paint scheme. It even had a window to the outside and a very fancy owl perch right beside it.


    ¡°They said I have to wait for a month to connect the house to the floo network.¡± Harry said with a shrug. ¡°It''s a newly created expanded space, so they said to let the magic settle or something.¡±


    ¡°Harry, this...¡±


    ¡°...is a lot better than my little cupboard.¡± Harry said and put his trunk down and opened it. He took out the portrait and unwrapped it. He picked a spot that could be seen from any room and did the same thing he did with the one he hung up for Sirius. He concentrated and built up his magic and cast a sticking charm on the back of it to hang it up. ¡°There. Perfect.¡±


    Amelia nodded and saw Portrait Sirius and Portrait Harry nod back. ¡°Why don''t you give me a quick tour of your new place?¡±


    ¡°I haven''t seen it myself, so sure.¡± Harry said and took her hand again. He led her over to a door and opened it. A large bathroom was inside with a giant walk in shower and a huge soaking tub. ¡°I don''t know why there''s two sinks.¡± He said and shrugged. ¡°It''s a huge counter, though.¡±


    Amelia smiled and didn''t tell him that when he was older, he might need a second sink for someone else to use. She would tell him eventually, assuming he didn''t figure it out for himself.


    ¡°Over here''s the first bedroom.¡± Harry said and led her over to the next door and opened it. Inside was a very large room with a king sized bed, a dresser, a wardrobe, and several shelves. ¡°This one''s mine.¡±


    ¡°It''s empty.¡± Amelia said as she glanced at the blank walls and shelves.


    Harry chuckled. ¡°I have everything in my trunk.¡±


    Amelia nodded and he took her to the next door. The bedroom was a similar size, only it had a queen sized bed and the furniture was a little bit smaller.


    ¡°I didn''t really need a second bedroom; but, it was only a hundred galleons more to get it and the furniture, too.¡± Harry said and his face changed slightly. ¡°I could invite a friend over to stay.¡±


    Amelia looked at his face and she couldn''t help seeing the happiness there. ¡°There''s definitely enough room for someone else to stay.¡±


    ¡°That''s what the second sink is for!¡± Harry said with a huge smile and Amelia chuckled. They left the second bedroom and Harry opened the last door. ¡°This is the kitchen.¡±


    Amelia looked at it and the thing was twice the size of hers and she lived in a whole house. A giant double refrigerator, a large stove built into the counter top, a microwave, a toaster, a blender, and every other kitchen appliance that existed in the muggle world.


    ¡°You went a little overboard with the appliances, I think.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°I asked for one of everything.¡± Harry said and pointed under the kitchen island. ¡°I think that''s a dishwasher.¡±


    Amelia took a look around and she couldn''t guess what he spent to have this done. He could have bought his own place somewhere in London. She thought. He couldn''t live there unsupervised, though. She wasn''t going to tell him that and pushed the thoughts aside. ¡°We should go.¡±


    Harry nodded and led her from the kitchen, through the living room, and up the stairs to the cupboard door. He had held her hand for nearly the whole time and then he had to let it go to pick up his trunk. They both ducked to step out into the hallway through the small door.


    Harry shut the door and waved his wand at the living room door to unlock it. ¡°I''m going!¡± He said as he led Amelia down the hallway.


    ¡°Wait just one minute!¡± Vernon blustered out and carefully checked the living room door before opening it. ¡°We need to have a word...¡± He stopped talking when he saw Amelia. ¡°Who''s she?¡±


    ¡°She''s Madam Bones and she''s the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.¡± Harry said, proudly. ¡°She''s training me so I can defend myself from people that want to hurt me.¡±


    ¡°She''s WHAT?¡± Vernon yelled as Petunia and Dudley peeked out from behind him.


    ¡°Don''t worry. I''m still not allowed to do magic outside the house.¡± Harry said as he looked right at Dudley. ¡°Until I''m seventeen.¡±


    Amelia caught her breath at the implied threat and she saw the other boy''s face turn red. She couldn''t tell if it was from embarrassment or anger, though.


    Harry opened the front door and stepped out with Amelia and his trunk, then shut it.


    ¡°Harry, you can''t go around threatening people like that.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Dudley and his friends beat me up every day at school.¡± Harry said and walked out to the street. ¡°I was so scared that...¡± He stopped talking and took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°I can do magic now and I won''t be bullied any more.¡±


    Amelia opened her mouth to try and talk with him about it, then she sighed. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Harry stepped close and she took him into a hug. It pushed his face between her breasts and Amelia held him for several moments. Harry put his arms around her, careful of his trunk, and hugged her back.


    ¡°You don''t have to fight back and get revenge for what they did to you.¡± Amelia whispered.


    ¡°No.¡± Harry said and gave her a squeeze. ¡°They don''t know that, though.¡±


    Amelia eased her hold on him and looked into his eyes. ¡°You''re making them think you are.¡±


    Harry smiled and nodded.


    ¡°All right. I''ll stop pestering you about it.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Do you mind if I apparate us? You don''t have a license.¡±


    ¡°I just... I was angry and...¡± Harry tried to explain, then Amelia leaned down and kissed his forehead.


    ¡°I need to tell you the rules and regulations.¡± Amelia said and pet his head as she played with his hair a little. ¡°You have to promise me that you won''t apparate without an adult to guide you.¡±


    ¡°You can''t apparate in or out of the castle.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°We aren''t in the castle right now.¡± Amelia said.


    Harry looked into her eyes and understood what she meant. ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°That''s my boy.¡± Amelia whispered and hugged him close again as he shared his magic with her. ¡°One, two, three.¡± She said and they disappeared to go and pick up Susan at the school.

 71 The Training Lesson

    Susan was waiting for them when they appeared and Amelia tapped the gates with her wand to open them. She quickly took her niece into a hug and walked over to Harry.


    ¡°Is this safe to apparate?¡± Susan asked, a little concerned. ¡°There''s three of us now.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have to worry.¡± Amelia said as she put an arm over Susan''s shoulders and the other over Harry''s shoulders. ¡°Three people means more magic to share and hold us together.¡±


    Susan''s arm went around her aunt''s waist and she felt Harry''s arm rest on hers, then she felt his free arm go around her waist to hold on. She started to share her magic with her aunt and then caught her breath as Harry''s magic flowed into her. She looked at him in surprise, because she could feel that he was sharing with her aunt, too.


    ¡°Concentrate.¡± Amelia whispered to get her attention.


    ¡°Right. Sorry.¡± Susan said and closed her eyes as she let Harry''s magic join hers and she shared it with her aunt. She let her aunt direct the magic like she had every time she apparated and she trusted her aunt with her life.


    ¡°One, two, three.¡± Amelia said and the three of them disappeared and reappeared in the living room of Amelia''s and Susan''s home.


    ¡°You were right, Auntie. That felt a lot better than it normally does.¡± Susan commented. For some reason, she was a little reluctant to let go of either her aunt or Harry.


    Amelia nodded and gave them both a bit of a squeeze, then let them go. ¡°Harry, you can put your trunk over by the entrance.¡±


    Harry carried his trunk over to the same spot he had left it the last time he had been there and came back.


    ¡°How have you progressed with the spells I gave you?¡± Amelia asked, her smile bright, because she knew he would have worked hard with them.


    ¡°I''ve almost got Bombarda accurate.¡± Harry said. ¡°Stupefy is ridiculously easy by comparison.¡±


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°You did Bombarda first, didn''t you?¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°Of course you would. No wonder Stupefy didn''t hinder you at all.¡± Amelia said. ¡°The both of you need to get changed into your workout gear.¡±


    ¡°It''s in my trunk.¡± Harry said and went back to get it.


    ¡°I''ll be right back with mine, too.¡± Susan said and left the living room and went up the stairs. She quickly changed for some reason and ran back to the top of the stairs to look down at Harry. She watched him finish changing into a jogging suit and her face was slightly red as she did. She waited for him to go back into the living room before she went down the stairs and entered herself.


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Amelia said and the two curious students followed her to a hidden door and then inside to the special training area.


    ¡°You changed it!¡± Susan said, excitedly.


    ¡°Of course I did.¡± Amelia said with a chuckle. ¡°I''ve got two advanced students that needed more specific training than I had originally planned.¡±


    Susan looked over at Harry and her eyes were full of both appraisal and curiosity.


    ¡°Yes, he knows a lot of the normal spells already.¡± Amelia said and Susan nodded. ¡°All right, I need you both over at the target range. Susan, you go first and show Harry what you''ve learned so far.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry if I''m a little rusty.¡± Susan said. ¡°You haven''t taken time for this since last summer.¡±


    Amelia walked over to her and put her hand on her shoulder. ¡°I know, and I''m the one that''s sorry. I should have let the rest of the magical world go to pot and kept you training.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you should!¡± Susan said with a laugh.


    ¡°Cheeky.¡± Amelia said and waved her wand at the targets. They started to move and she readied her timepiece. ¡°Ready... go!¡±


    Harry was astonished as he watched Susan do some great moves and dodges while the targets moved around and tossed rubber balls at her.


    ¡°It''s the lowest setting.¡± Amelia whispered to him as they watched. ¡°It stops when you hit all of the targets.¡±


    After thirty-five seconds, the last target was hit and Susan was breathing a little heavy.


    ¡°You are definitely rusty.¡± Amelia said with a smile.


    ¡°You changed the pattern again, you sneak!¡± Susan responded and Amelia laughed.


    ¡°All right, Harry.¡± Amelia said and waved her wand. The targets returned to the starting position and she waved for him to take Susan''s place. ¡°As you saw, any spell can be used, so have fun and show me what you can do.¡±


    Harry nodded and took several deep breaths as he flicked his wrist to deploy his wand.


    ¡°Ready... go!¡± Amelia said and started her timepiece.


    ¡°Diffindo!¡± Harry said as he swiped his wand at the targets and sliced each and every one of them in half with a single spell. The targets didn''t get to throw a single ball at him.


    Amelia and Susan stood there, quite dumbfounded at what they just saw.


    ¡°I hope that didn''t wreck them.¡± Harry said and walked over to one. He concentrated and pointed his wand at it. ¡°Reparo.¡±


    The target reformed and the ball throwing part looked like it was still going to work. He went to each one and fixed them, then went back to the right starting position.


    ¡°I''m ready to use just Stupefy.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Y-yes, that was what I was going to recommend.¡± Amelia said and reset the target range. ¡°Ready...¡± She stopped her timepiece and reset it. ¡°...go.¡±


    Harry cast Protego on himself and then cast eight Stupefy spells, which went right through the shield and hit each of the targets. The launched rubber balls had bounced off the shield and none had hit him.


    ¡°T-twelve seconds.¡± Amelia said as she looked at the time. ¡°Harry...¡±


    ¡°No shield, I know.¡± Harry said and nodded to her.


    Amelia reset the targets and her timepiece. ¡°Ready... go.¡±


    Harry was a bit slower to dodge than Susan, since he had never dodged rubber balls before. He pretended that they were punches from Dudley and the bullies and he managed quite well. He had also switched to the Bombarda spell and blew the heads off of each of the targets.


    ¡°Forty-eight seconds.¡± Amelia said and looked at the decapitated targets. ¡°H-Harry, that... that was excessively violent.¡±


    Harry was breathing a little heavy. ¡°I was aiming... for the chests.¡± He said and sat down. ¡°Why is moving like that so tiring?¡±


    ¡°You''re using muscles you haven''t really used a lot.¡± Susan said and sat down next to him. ¡°We''re too young for the strength and body enhancement potions mom... I mean Aunt Amelia uses before a battle.¡±


    Harry looked at her with wide eyes. ¡°I don''t remember seeing anything like that in the potions book.¡±


    Susan chuckled. ¡°They are not going to give first year students access to advanced potions!¡±


    ¡°Second year?¡± Harry asked and she laughed.


    ¡°Try sixth year, after our OWLS.¡± Susan said. ¡°We''re old enough by then and our bodies have developed enough to take the boosts without bad effects.¡±


    ¡°Wow, really?¡± Harry asked and she nodded. ¡°I didn''t think there would be restrictions on things like that. I mean, they''re just potions.¡±


    ¡°They affect the body and in some cases the mind, even if it''s a physical enhancement potion.¡± Amelia said as she walked over and knelt behind them. ¡°What would you say if I told you that your strength would double or even triple for up to ten minutes?¡±


    ¡°That would be useful if you have big or heavy things to move.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°What if it cost you an hour of very sore and stiff muscles afterwards?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°It... might... be worth it.¡± Harry said, a little doubtful.


    ¡°Exactly. The trade off is sometimes worth the use and sometimes it''s not. It all depends on the circumstances.¡± Amelia said. ¡°In battle, a few minutes of extra strength or faster reflexes is worth it... unless the battle goes on for longer than the usefulness of the potion.¡±


    Harry thought about it. ¡°You could be pretty useless for a long time and right in the middle of a battle.¡±


    ¡°That is exactly right.¡± Amelia said and put a hand on each of their shoulders. ¡°You don''t have to worry about things like that right now, though.¡± She stood up and smiled down at them. ¡°You need to worry about getting your endurance up and exercising to stay healthy.¡±


    ¡°I spent three weeks cleaning the castle from the dungeons to the towers without magic.¡± Harry said.


    Both Susan and Amelia laughed.


    ¡°Battle is much different than doing chores.¡± Susan said. ¡°Believe me, I know.¡±


    ¡°I''ve been training Susan occasionally over the years.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I started when she was old enough to understand the difference between casting magic and battling with magic.¡±


    Harry stood up and looked at her with a happy expression. ¡°You''re going to teach me.¡±


    ¡°I''ve been teaching you since we first met, Harry.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I also need to tell you to restrict your spells to their low powered versions while duelling with Susan.¡±


    ¡°We''re going to be duelling?¡± Harry and Susan asked as one.


    ¡°I know this seems sudden...¡± Amelia started to say.


    ¡°I just got here.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Harry just started learning.¡± Susan said.


    ¡°I''m not ready.¡± ¡°He''s not ready.¡± They said at the same time.


    Amelia smiled and gripped their shoulders. ¡°No one is really ready their first time.¡± She said. ¡°I''ll take a few minutes to explain the rules and procedures, then we''ll step over to the duelling area.¡±


    Harry stood there and listened to Amelia as he thought about casting magic against the pretty girl he was just getting to know. Susan saw him looking at her and she smiled, a little sadly, then she straightened her back and nodded slightly at him. Harry smiled and nodded slightly back.


    ¡°This is just a friendly practice, so none of the debilitating spells, all right?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°Tarantallegra is fine.¡± Susan said and her smile got wider. ¡°I want to see Harry dance.¡±


    Harry''s smile got wider, too. ¡°Bat Bogey hex, too.¡±


    Susan laughed. ¡°Hannah cast that on Justin the other day for spilling his pumpkin juice on her. It was hilarious!¡±


    ¡°Hey, now...¡± Amelia started to say.


    ¡°Oh! Have you tried Langlock?¡± Harry asked. ¡°It''s great to stop people from talking.¡±


    Susan nodded. ¡°Tying up their tongue works so much better than Silencio, doesn''t it?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I''ve had lots of practice with both.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Susan said. ¡°What about...¡±


    Amelia stood there, a little surprised as her two students talked about the spells they have used, pretty much giving away all of their secrets for the upcoming duel. At least, she assumed they were. It wasn''t until she listened to what they were actually saying that she understood.


    Just because you knew the spells someone else knew, you didn''t actually know what spell they were actually using until they said it or cast it. That was also why she had been surprised that Harry used the severing charm on the targets and not one of the two spells she had given him, like she had expected him to.


    Amelia checked the time and hid her sigh. She had used up a good portion of the morning so far. ¡°All right, you two.¡± She said and Harry and Susan stopped talking. ¡°You need to get over to the duelling section.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Harry. It''s time you had some practical lessons in fighting a real opponent.¡± Susan said and led him over to the practice area.


    ¡°You''re still using duelling rules.¡± Amelia said and followed them.


    ¡°Harry said it''s not fair for me, since he can cast through his shield.¡± Susan said. ¡°I won''t use mine either, so this is going to be quick.¡±


    Amelia wanted to order her to use her shield and protect herself, then she looked at Harry. He was trusting the both of them to keep things safe and to teach him what he needed to know.


    ¡°All right.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I''ll step in and stop it if it gets too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous?¡± Susan asked. ¡°This is going to be great!¡±


    Harry nodded and they took their positions, back to back. Susan was a bit taller and her legs were longer, so her butt rested practically on top of Harry''s. He felt her shifting from side to side and smiled, because he thought she was acting nervous. She was just eager to get going. Her butt felt oddly nice rubbing his, though.


    ¡°Ten paces. One.¡± Amelia said and counted as they walked the same amount. ¡°Nine. Prepare spells.¡± She said and nodded. ¡°Ten! About face and cast!¡±


    In the next second, Susan sprouted huge and heavy deer antlers from her forehead and Harry had a giant carved pumpkin appear on his head. The both of them stared at each other for a second, burst out laughing and pointed at each other, then they fell to the floor and rolled around as they laughed their asses off.


    Amelia stood there with her arms braced on her hips and a huge smile on her face. How the hell am I supposed to pick a winner from that? She asked herself and shook her head.

 72 The Return to School

    Harry and Susan had fun duelling for about an hour, then they were ordered to rest for fifteen minutes. After that was another round in the target practice area, another rest, then another hour of duelling.


    ¡°All right, you two. It''s close to lunchtime.¡± Amelia said as her students stood back to back again. ¡°Let''s get cleaned up and we can go get something to eat.¡±


    ¡°At the Three Broomsticks?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Can we?¡± Susan asked.


    Amelia nodded and Harry and Susan practically ran by her to get changed. ¡°Don''t forget your cleaning spells!¡± She said to their backs, then Harry darted around the corner and Susan ran up the stairs. ¡°You don''t want Madam Rosmerta smelling your sweat! She''ll never let you live it down!¡±


    Both Harry and Susan laughed at that and stripped off. They both freshened up and grabbed normal clothes to wear back to school. Not surprisingly, Harry was finished first and cleaned his jogging suit before tossing it into the trunk and grabbed his thin jacket. He closed the trunk and turned around to see Susan walking down the stairs. She wore new jeans and a bright blue top with her hair tied up into a ponytail.


    ¡°Hey, we match.¡± Harry said and pointed to his blue t-shirt and new jeans.


    Susan came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs and she blushed a little. Before she could turn around and run back up the stairs to change, her aunt came over to them.


    ¡°Let''s go.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Susan, Harry has the right idea. You should grab a jacket.¡±


    Susan held in her sigh and went over to the rack by the door and took hers. She put it on and Harry picked up his trunk by the handle. They both stepped close to Amelia and she put her arms on their shoulders to hug them. They put their arms around her and around each other, then they shared their magic with Amelia.


    They are a bit more powerful with sharing right now. Amelia thought and let their shared magic cover and protect them. ¡°One, two, three.¡±


    They disappeared and reappeared at the edge of Hogsmeade. Once again, Susan was a bit reluctant to let go. She liked getting to hold someone that wasn''t her aunt. She tried to convince herself that Harry being cute had nothing to do with it. She wasn''t successful and had to admit that she liked him. Just like her aunt had told her, she didn''t have to be shy around him. He was easy to talk to, especially when they were discussing spells, and she smiled at him as her aunt let them go.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what you want to eat?¡± Susan asked as she slid her hand away from Harry''s waist and took his free hand as the three of them started to walk down the street.


    ¡°The sausages and mashed potatoes you had last time smelled really good.¡± Harry said. He wasn''t sure why Susan had taken his hand, just to walk down the street. He didn''t pull away, though. He figured she had a reason, so he let her do it.


    ¡°Madam Rosmerta makes the best bangers and mash in Britain.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Before you ask, yes. Susan and I have travelled all over and tried them all.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Harry asked.


    Susan nodded. ¡°Auntie has to do tours as the head of the law enforcement department.¡±


    ¡°Every six months we take the trip for two weeks. I have to make sure that people are actually doing their jobs in every town we stop at.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°It''s pretty fun, actually.¡± Susan said. ¡°We stay at inns all over the place and we get to meet a bunch of people. We also get to eat at all of the local restaurants and pubs.¡±


    ¡°That does sound fun.¡± Harry said. ¡°When do you go next?¡±


    ¡°Christmas break.¡± Susan said. ¡°The last week of December and the first week of January, actually.¡±


    ¡°Which means six months later...¡± Harry tried to think about the dates in his head.


    ¡°The other time is the beginning of Summer break. The last week in June and the first week in July.¡± Amelia said as they approached The Three Broomsticks. She opened the door for Susan and Harry and followed them inside.


    ¡°There''s my favorite customer!¡± Madam Rosmerta said when she saw Harry. ¡°I''ve reserved the best table in the house for you. It''s right over there.¡±


    Amelia looked to where she pointed. ¡°It''s the only free table.¡±


    ¡°That''s what I said.¡± Madam Rosmerta responded with a laugh. ¡°Go ahead and sit. I''ll be right over to get your orders.¡±


    Amelia, Susan and Harry sat down and after a minute of serving ale, Madam Rosmerta came over with glasses of water and took their orders. She left them and Amelia immediately started a discussion of their training that morning. She picked out their flaws and things that the both of them needed to work on, while Harry and Susan did their best to not laugh at their remembered duels.


    It had been the most fun that the both of them had enjoyed in a while.


    Madam Rosmerta came over with their food and their talk became disjointed as they ate. Amelia reinforced their good points during this time and both Susan and Harry couldn''t help but preen a little at her praise. Not only was she an adult, she was also the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. For her to tell you that you did good in something, it was very high praise indeed.


    They finished eating and sat back to let Madam Rosmerta clear the table and bring them tea. They sat there and kept talking about what they needed to do to improve and what exercises would be best to keep them fit and healthy between their private lessons.


    ¡°I need you both to keep working on the Bombarda spell.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I expect both of your aims to improve by next week.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, we have classes and homework.¡± Susan said. ¡°When are we supposed to work on it?¡±


    ¡°I get Friday afternoons off and I do it then.¡± Harry said. ¡°When do you get time off?¡±


    ¡°Hufflepuffs get Friday mornings off and we have double Potions in the afternoon.¡± Susan said.


    ¡°I have double potions in the morning.¡± Harry said and sighed. ¡°I wish it was switched and we had it together.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°We share the class with the Slytherins.¡± Harry said. ¡°If I have to spend the the whole morning with someone, I''d much rather spend it with a Hufflepuff instead.¡±


    Susan reached over and put her hand on his briefly. ¡°I have Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins four times a week.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Harry exclaimed. ¡°I thought it was bad enough that I had double Potions and then flying lessons with them once a week!¡±


    Susan snorted and then laughed. ¡°You''re right, though. I much prefer to have classes with you... I mean the Griffindors.¡±


    ¡°Charms and Herbology isn''t enough?¡± Amelia asked and both Harry and Susan shook their heads.


    ¡°It''s too bad they don''t let us choose our classmates.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°They can''t do that!¡± Susan laughed again. ¡°No one would choose the Slytherins!¡±


    ¡°If they weren''t so mean to everyone, people might actually like them.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Maybe they are mean to everyone because you all treat them the way you do?¡± Amelia asked.


    Susan and Harry exchanged looks and then looked at Amelia. ¡°You''ve met a Slytherin before, haven''t you?¡± They said as one.


    Amelia had to laugh at that. ¡°All right. Even I have to admit that they are full of themselves.¡±


    ¡°Nearly all bad wizards have come from Slytherin house.¡± Susan said and her aunt opened her mouth to respond. ¡°I said nearly.¡±


    Amelia nodded in agreement.


    ¡°You mean the Death Eaters?¡± Harry asked and Susan nodded. ¡°Then it really is true that all of their kids are attending Hogwarts and were sorted into Slytherin.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I don''t know if it was growing up with that mindset or if they actually believe the garbage that their parents spout out.¡±


    ¡°If that''s all they hear, they would have to believe it.¡± Harry said. ¡°I mean, you know I didn''t know my real name until I went to school and they told me what it was.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°I''m very sorry that you had to grow up like that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the Slytherins could have been different if given the choice.¡± Susan said.


    Harry shook his head. ¡°No, the hat gives you the choice if your mind isn''t already set.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Susan and Amelia said at the same time.


    ¡°It tells you what houses you could fit into and you can choose.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°That''s why it took you so long.¡± Susan said, her voice thoughtful. ¡°I thought it was having a hard time picking your House.¡±


    ¡°I could have gone into any of them.¡± Harry said and the two of them stared at him.


    ¡°You''re kidding!¡± Susan exclaimed. ¡°You could have been a Hufflepuff?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I chose Griffindor because it seemed like the least trouble.¡±


    ¡°The least...¡± Amelia shook her head and then she laughed. ¡°Dumbledore asked the hat to sort you into Griffindor, didn''t he?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°The hat told me so.¡±


    ¡°And you chose it anyway?¡± Susan asked.


    ¡°I didn''t know any better and my friend chose it... well, friends now.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Hermione and Neville.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Yeah. Hermione chose it, even though the hat said she should be in Ravenclaw.¡± Harry said. ¡°Neville said his Nan wanted him to go into Griffindor, even though he wanted to be in Hufflepuff.¡±


    ¡°Neville, too?!?¡± Susan asked a little loudly and Amelia pat her niece''s hand.


    ¡°Calm down. What''s done is done.¡± Amelia said, soothingly.


    ¡°But... I could be sharing a dorm with...¡± Susan''s face flushed red. ¡°I mean, Hufflepuff could have had Harry as a member. We could have been friends right away...¡±


    Amelia reached out and pet her niece''s blonde hair that was unlike her own, at least until she was older and it would darken to be the same as hers. ¡°You can''t force a friendship like that. It needs to develop and grow. If you just try slamming people together, you might just get sparks and no friendship at all.¡±


    ¡°Then I''m glad that didn''t happen.¡± Susan said and looked at Harry with a smile.


    ¡°Is everything alright here?¡± Madam Rosmerta asked.


    ¡°It''s great and we''re done.¡± Amelia said. Before she could say anything else or dig out her money, Harry had reached into his money pouch and held out a closed fist.


    ¡°Oh! Is the gallant man offering to pay again?¡± Madam Rosmerta asked and stepped over to him.


    ¡°Amelia told me how much meals are supposed to cost.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°She did, did she?¡± Madam Rosmerta asked with a knowing smile. ¡°Does that mean I won''t be giving a certain handsome young man a kiss on the cheek fer tipping so well?¡±


    Harry opened his fist and it had three galleons in it.


    Madam Rosmerta laughed as she bent down and plucked the coins from his palm. ¡°Thank ya very much fer your patronage, Mister Potter.¡± She said, unable to hide her Scottish accent in her excitement, and she planted a big kiss on his cheek. She picked up their empty dishes and walked away, humming happily.


    Amelia chuckled and shook her head. ¡°Harry...¡± She stared to say that he shouldn''t encourage the woman like that and saw his goofy smile and his red face and ears. ¡°Come on. I''ll walk you both up to the school.¡±


    The three of them left The Three Broomsticks and walked up the road in silence. When they reached the gates, Amelia hugged her niece Susan and told her to be good. She hugged Harry next and told him to be good and to not be so cheeky. She tapped the gates and bid them both goodbye until next week, then she disappeared.


    The gates closed and Harry and Susan walked up towards the castle.


    ¡°Do you fancy her?¡± Susan asked, pretty much out of the blue.


    ¡°Do I what?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    ¡°Do you like her?¡± Susan asked. ¡°You''re really friendly with her and...¡±


    ¡°I think your aunt is great.¡± Harry said. ¡°She doesn''t talk down to me or treat me like... well...¡± He didn''t want to mention his own aunt in the same sentence as Amelia, because his Aunt Petunia didn''t deserve to be compared to someone so great.


    Susan stared at him for a few seconds. ¡°I... I meant... Madam Rosmerta.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Harry said and shrugged. ¡°She''s funny and she likes big tips apparently.¡±


    Susan was quiet for a moment. ¡°Did... did you like her kissing your cheek?¡±


    Harry didn''t have to think about that answer. ¡°It was kind of mushy and didn''t feel like real lips.¡± He said and she didn''t say anything in response. ¡°It wasn''t like yours at all.¡±


    Susan stayed quiet until they approached the large oak doors to go into the castle. He''s comparing it to when I kissed his cheek last week! She thought and couldn''t help her smile as the oak doors opened for them. ¡°I''ll see you on Monday for Charms class.¡± She said and came to a stop just inside the Entrance Hall.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said and turned towards the main staircase. ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± Susan said and watched him carry his trunk up the stairs and didn''t notice her friend approach.


    ¡°Harry''s wearing the same outfit as you.¡± Hannah said from right beside her.


    ¡°AHH!¡± Susan jumped in fright and then glared at her. ¡°Dammit, Hannah! You scared me!¡±


    ¡°You were staring at him.¡± Hannah said and pointed at Harry''s retreating figure. ¡°You like him, don''t you?¡±


    ¡°I don''t...¡± Susan stopped before she continued the lie. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°He''s not very friendly.¡± Hannah observed.


    ¡°Only because it takes a lot to get him to talk.¡± Susan said and turned towards the Great Hall. ¡°What happened while I was gone?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the usual. A Slytherin was being a jerk and teasing Justin.¡±


    ¡°Did Ernie MacMillan step in?¡± Susan asked as they approached the Hufflepuff table.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Hannah said and they sat down. ¡°It''s becoming less effective, though.¡±


    Susan nodded. Empty threats of retaliation were just that. Empty. She immediately thought of Harry and what he would do if given the chance. He wouldn''t stand for bullying, she knew that much.


    What would he do to someone that wouldn''t stop, though? Susan asked herself, then she smiled as she remembered one particular duel where Harry had switched her kneecaps around and her legs bent the other way. Her aunt had thought Harry had crippled her niece and didn''t blow up at him, which was smart, because it was just a simple hex and it hadn''t hurt. It was just really, really weird.


    Harry told the both of them where he learned it from, a book he bought in Flourish and Blotts, and he promised to bring it next week, because he had loaned it to Neville and didn''t have it in his trunk. They were going to go over the spells inside and discuss the merits and the practical use of them.


    Susan suspected that her aunt really just wanted to see if there was anything she could use. Either that, or she wanted access to what Harry had access to. Or both. Her aunt was difficult to figure out sometimes. Like taking Harry on as a student. It was odd for her to do that, and yet, Susan didn''t object to it in the least. In fact, training didn''t really feel like training at all. She was just hanging out with one of her friends.


    ¡°So, what was it like getting back to training?¡± Hannah asked as she picked up a piece of treacle tart.


    ¡°It was fun.¡± Susan said and smiled.


    ¡°Training? Fun?¡± Hannah asked and reached out to touch her forehead. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±


    Susan chuckled. ¡°I''m fine.¡± She said and her eyes went out of the Great Hall and looked at the stairs that Harry had walked up a few minutes ago. ¡°I''m just fine.¡±

 73 The Research

    Bokuboy


    ¡°Hi, Harry.¡± Neville said as Harry entered the Griffindor common room.


    ¡°Hi, Neville. Catch anything while I was gone?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Neville said with a frown. ¡°I think word spread around that the bathroom on the third floor is cursed for ghosts.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°It''s about time that ghosts are afraid of us for once, instead of the other way around.¡± He said. ¡°Is Lavender around? I want to thank her.¡±


    ¡°She''s up in the dorm with Hermione.¡± Neville said.


    Harry nodded and ran up the stairs to his own dorm and put his trunk on his bed, then climbed in and retrieved a box of cauldron cakes. He paused and looked at them, not sure why he didn''t want to give them to her. He remembered giving a box to Hermione and realized that he didn''t want to copy the gift. He had two boxes left and put them back on the shelf and left the trunk. He would need to come up with something else to thank her with.


    He walked over to the window and opened it just in time as Hedwig flew around the corner of the castle. Hedwig swooped in and landed on the bed and had a large package in her beak.


    ¡°Thanks so much, Hedwig.¡± Harry said and took the package. He gave her two owl treats and she gobbled them up. He opened the package and inside were the two money pouches and when he took them out and opened them, they each had stacks of galleons inside. He smiled and checked the note.


    Dear Mister Potter,


    Here are the two custom money bags with a hundred galleons in each. I''ve checked over your account and everything seems to be in order, now that the extra expenses have been returned.


    You were quite correct that it was Hogwarts, namely the Headmaster, that had been taking money from you. The recipients are still protected by secrecy wards, so we cannot divulge who the excess money has been going to.


    Regardless, they are no longer leeching from your vault. If we receive notice from the parties themselves, we will of course let you know who is requesting payment from your vault as that will negate the secrecy wards.


    May your vault always overflow with galleons,


    Griphook.


    Harry nodded and closed both pouches and tucked them into his pockets. It made his jeans bulge out and he laughed at the look. It looked like he had two squirrels in his front pockets and the money pouches weren''t hidden at all. He tucked them into his jacket pockets instead.


    ¡°Give me a minute to write out another letter.¡± Harry said to Hedwig. He took out his writing things and the list Hermione had given him. He copied it and wrote to Flourish and Blotts to see if they had any books on the expensive jewels and stones that Hogwarts didn''t have. ¡°There you go.¡± He said and gave her the letter. ¡°You don''t have to wait for a response because it might take them a while, unless they tell you to wait. I''d like the book... or books... as soon as possible.¡±


    Hedwig let out a soft hoot and Harry pet her belly feathers.


    ¡°See you soon.¡± Harry said and she took off through the window. He picked up his jacket and carried it down to the common room and saw that Neville was still there reading the book Harry had loaned him.


    ¡°You forgot to get something for Lavender.¡± Neville said and Harry nodded. ¡°Why not copy out a spell she might like?¡± He suggested and lifted the book.


    ¡°Would she want something like that?¡± Harry asked and Neville shrugged. ¡°I''m sure I''ll think of something.¡±


    ¡°Hi, guys.¡± Hermione said as she came down the stairs with Lavender right behind her. ¡°I guess I don''t have to ask what you''re doing.¡±


    Neville and Harry shook their heads.


    ¡°How was your first training lesson with Madam Bones, Harry?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°That''s where you went?¡± Lavender asked, surprised.


    Harry nodded. ¡°It was pretty fun. Susan and I had a great time...¡±


    ¡°Susan? Susan Bones?¡± Lavendar asked, surprised again.


    ¡°Yeah, she''s her niece.¡± Harry said. ¡°We even had a few duels.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Hermione exclaimed. ¡°It''s your first day! You''re not ready!¡±


    ¡°That''s what Susan and I said.¡± Harry chuckled. ¡°It worked out, though. Amelia was right. She said that everyone has a first time. This time it was mine.¡±


    ¡°Woooow.¡± Lavender said, a little exaggeratedly. ¡°You don''t look hurt.¡±


    Harry laughed. ¡°It wasn''t that kind of duel.¡± He said. ¡°We weren''t allowed to use debilitating spells.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Neville chimed in. ¡°Then what did you use?¡±


    Harry waved for them to sit and he told them about what went on and why he and Susan had so much fun. They asked questions and he answered them as best as he could. He even told them the duelling rules, even though there was nowhere in the school for them to practice.


    ¡°That really does sound like fun.¡± Lavender said when Harry was done talking.


    ¡°That reminds me.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Lavender told me where the ghosts have been going, now that they don''t go to the bathroom on the third floor anymore.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know why you want to know that.¡± Lavender said. ¡°If you two go there, they''ll just scatter.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°That''s okay. We''re just trying to keep track of them.¡±


    ¡°All right. I''ll keep a look out for them.¡± Lavender said.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said. ¡°I was trying to come up with a present or something to thank you with and I can''t come up with anything.¡±


    ¡°A... a present?¡± Lavender asked, surprised. ¡°N-no, I... you don''t have to...¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you want? A book? A dessert? A spell?¡± Harry asked. ¡°I think it''s safer to ask you directly, right? I don''t want to give you something you won''t like.¡±


    Lavender was quiet for several moments. ¡°Well, there... there is something...¡±


    *


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The clerk at Flourish and Blotts looked at the letter Hedwig delivered. ¡°I wonder if he knows that these are expensive books.¡± She asked and looked at the owl. ¡°As soon as possible, eh?¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said.


    The clerk chuckled. ¡°Yes, I believe he would want them to read before classes start up again on Monday.¡± She said. ¡°Can you stick around for a bit? I''ll grab them and you can take them right back to him.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said.


    The clerk nodded. ¡°I''m glad he gives you so much freedom.¡± She turned around and dug at the stack of books behind her. ¡°Sometimes people order their owls to do specific things and that''s it.¡± She pulled out a book on the Dragon Heart Diamond and put it on the counter. ¡°There''s nothing wrong with that, mind.¡± She said and left the counter and walked over to one of the aisles and summoned a ladder.


    ¡°Hoot, hoot.¡± Hedwig responded.


    The clerk laughed and climbed the ladder. ¡°I guess your job really would be boring if that was true.¡± She grabbed a book about the fire opal and climbed down the ladder. ¡°Then again, he''s pretty handsome. His picture is all over Madam Primpernelle''s and he has that huge portrait in Madam Malkin''s.¡± She brought the book over and put it on the counter. ¡°I know I sure don''t mind looking into those bright green eyes.¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± Hedwig said loudly and the clerk laughed.


    ¡°Yes, I know he''s only eleven.¡± The clerk said and walked towards the back of the store. ¡°That just means he''s going to grow up and his features are going to be even more defined.¡± She said and bent down to grab a book on the philosopher''s stone. This one was a thick one and she had a difficult time carrying it.


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said.


    ¡°Yes, I''m glad that you can negate most of this weight, too.¡± The clerk said and thumped the heavy book onto the counter. ¡°Whew! Okay. Only two more.¡± She said and went into the back room. ¡°These two are kind of obscure.¡± She said as she came back out. ¡°They''re tiny and also the most expensive.¡±


    ¡°Hoot?¡± Hedwig asked.


    ¡°No, these are the only ones.¡± The clerk said. ¡°Of course, I''ve had them for years and this is the first time someone''s ever asked for them.¡± She added the two books to the pile and rearranged them to put the large heavy book on the bottom. ¡°I might just let them go and not bother replacing them.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said.


    ¡°What?¡± The clerk looked at the owl with wide eyes. ¡°Do you think he''ll actually go for that?¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig responded.


    The clerk chuckled. ¡°All right. I''ll add a note and see if he will do that for the last two books.¡± She said and quickly wrote out a note and added the cost. ¡°I''ll expect you back with the payment by tonight or in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Hoot hoot.¡± Hedwig said.


    ¡°He''s very lucky to have you.¡± The clerk said and wrapped up the bundle. She added extra slack in the twine to make it easier for Hedwig to carry the large load. ¡°Be careful with this and I''ll see you later.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said and took the twine in her beak, let the load swing a little to make sure it was balanced, then she took off and left the shop.


    *


    ¡°Harry, are you really going to buy her an outfit?¡± Hermione asked after Lavender left the common room with a huge smile on her face.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Harry said and looked at the note that Lavender had written out for him. ¡°She really is helping us a lot with the ghosts.¡±


    Hermione closed her mouth on what she was going to say.


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me.¡± Harry said and picked up his jacket. ¡°I''ve got something for you.¡±


    ¡°M-me?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°And Neville.¡± Harry said and took out the first money pouch. ¡°Here you go.¡± He said and gave it to Hermione. He took out the other one and gave it to Neville.


    ¡°H-Harry, this...¡± Hermione looked at it. ¡°Wait. What is it?¡±


    Harry smiled and pat a similar pouch on his waist.


    ¡°No way!¡± Neville exclaimed. ¡°It''s a money pouch!¡±


    ¡°Open it.¡± Harry said and they both did.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Hermione gasped while Neville just stared at the contents, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Someone mentioned yesterday how nice it would be to have a hundred galleons.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°H-Harry... you... this is too much.¡± Hermione said, barely above a whisper.


    ¡°You''ve been helping me a lot.¡± Harry said. ¡°Plus, it''s something you actually wanted, right?¡±


    Hermione looked at the gold and then at Harry''s face. ¡°Harry.¡±


    ¡°You need to send a note to Flourish and Blotts and maybe get a book list or something.¡± Harry said. ¡°Who knows what they''ll sell you, now that you''re an actual student.¡± He looked at Neville. ¡°I think you know what you need to buy first.¡±


    Neville nodded. ¡°A new wand.¡± He said. ¡°My own wand.¡±


    *TAP* *TAP* *TAP*


    ¡°Hedwig!¡± Harry exclaimed and ran over to the window. He opened it and Hedwig hopped in and dropped the bundle onto the floor with a loud thump. ¡°That was fast!¡± He said and dug out several owl treats for her. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Hedwig preened at the praise and the treats.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°I sent a copy of the jewel and crystal list to Flourish and Blotts and asked for books they had on them that the school didn''t have.¡± Harry said and opened the bundle.


    ¡°That''s brilliant!¡± Hermione said and rushed over to look. ¡°I never thought of looking anywhere else except the library.¡±


    Harry picked up the note and read it. ¡°Whoa.¡±


    Hermione looked at the note and gasped. ¡°They''re really expensive!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry looked at the two small books on the top. ¡°At least I can rent the two really expensive ones.¡±


    ¡°Rent?¡± Hermione looked at the note again and read it. ¡°No wonder! They are the only copies the store has. They want them back if you decide not to keep them.¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to keep them.¡± Harry said right away.


    Hermione had to laugh at his immediate response. ¡°We''ll read through them right now and write out the important bits.¡± She said. ¡°It''s too bad we can''t use the duplicate spell and just make cheap copies.¡±


    ¡°That''s BRILLIANT!¡± Harry yelled and hugged her tightly. ¡°I''ll send the fees for the books and the rentals, then I''ll study the spell. Once I know it, we can keep the cheap copies and send Hedwig back with the originals.¡±


    Hermione hugged Harry back and held on for several moments.


    ¡°Can you go and get that book with the spell in it, please?¡± Harry asked and let her go. ¡°I''ll start studying it right away.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡± Hermione said and walked towards the stairs to her dorm room.


    ¡°I''ll ask for a catalogue of books, too.¡± Harry said as he counted out the cost of the three books he was buying and the rental of the other two books. He put the money into the little pouch on her leg, then he wrote out a quick note to say that he agreed to the rental and would return the two small books as soon as he was done with them. He asked for a catalogue, if such a thing existed, and gave the note to Hedwig.


    The owl took off and Harry read the titles of all five books. He hid his excitement that the largest book was the only one that he really wanted. It was for the philosopher''s stone and he hope that it had the information that he wanted. He needed to know how the stone worked, because he had plans for it, now that he knew what it was.

 74 The Knowledge

    Harry spent the rest of the afternoon copying out the Geminio spell, the duplicate spell, over and over again. Hermione had been surprised the first time when Harry used one of the quick cleaning spells to clean the ink off of the parchment.


    ¡°I didn''t know it could do that!¡± Hermione had exclaimed.


    ¡°It''s supposed to clean up spilled ink or mistakes, so I just imagine that the whole page was a mistake.¡± Harry had responded and she nodded in understanding.


    When supper arrived, he, Hermione, and Neville went down to the Great Hall to eat.


    ¡°Have you had any luck finding that revealing spell they use on the chalkboards?¡± Harry asked as they sat down at the table.


    ¡°No, and the teachers I''ve asked won''t tell me what it is.¡± Hermione said. ¡°I don''t know why, unless it''s like secret magic or something.¡±


    ¡°Hermione! That''s it!¡± Harry said. ¡°It''s revealing a secret!¡±


    Hermione opened her mouth to say that was silly, then she smiled instead. ¡°It''s not a revealing spell at all. It''s the result of ending a spell that conceals a secret!¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I bet it''s like an illusion or something.¡±


    Hermione gasped. ¡°Harry! It must be the Disillusionment Charm!¡±


    ¡°We''ll look for it first thing in the morning.¡± Harry said as the food for supper appeared.


    The three of them started eating and their conversation paused. The other first year students came over and sat down around them and Lavender gave them a big smile. Pavarti gave her an odd look and then looked at Harry. She couldn''t figure out what was going on there, so she promised herself to ask Lavender after they ate.


    ¡°You guys have been busy a lot.¡± Ron said as he sat down next to Neville. ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Harry, Hermione, and Neville said at the same time. They three of them looked at each other for a moment and then laughed.


    ¡°What''s funny?¡± One of the redheaded twins asked from part way down the table. ¡°If it''s a joke, you have to tell us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You can''t keep a good joke hidden.¡± The other tall redheaded twin added.


    ¡°You''re right. It is a good joke.¡± Harry said. ¡°How do you keep nosy people in suspense? I''ll tell you tomorrow.¡±


    Hermione snorted and covered her mouth so that she wouldn''t spit out the spoonful of potatoes she had just taken. Neville barked a laugh and then clamped his mouth shut as his ears turned red.


    ¡°HA! That was a good one.¡± Fred said and looked at his brother. ¡°We''ve got to try that on Lee the next time we see him.¡±


    ¡°I heartily agree.¡± George said. ¡°He''s always asking us about stuff.¡±


    Harry felt someone touch his arm and he turned his head to see Lavender lean in close.


    ¡°That was kind of mean.¡± Lavender whispered.


    ¡°A little.¡± Harry admitted. ¡°I wouldn''t have said it to anyone but them. You know what they''re like.¡±


    Lavender looked at the twins and nodded. ¡°I hope you don''t say anything like that about me.¡±


    ¡°Are you nosy?¡± Harry asked.


    Lavender opened her mouth to say no when Pavarti spoke.


    ¡°Unbelievably so.¡± Pavarti said with a straight face.


    ¡°I am not!¡± Lavender responded and Pavarti laughed.


    ¡°No? Who''s been asking everyone where the ghosts are hiding?¡± Pavarti asked. ¡°That''s pretty nosy.¡±


    ¡°Nosy is when you butt into other people''s conversations to find out what their business is.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Lavender''s just being inquisitive.¡±


    For us. Harry thought.


    ¡°About ghosts?¡± Pavarti chuckled. ¡°Okay. Whatever.¡±


    The conversation died down after that and Lavender gave Hermione a nod of thanks, then moved slightly away from Harry and resumed eating. The meal ended and nearly everyone went back to the Griffindor Tower common room. Harry couldn''t find three chairs together, so he suggested an empty classroom or the library.


    ¡°Let''s grab our things and see what we can find on the way.¡± Hermione said and they did just that. They took a shortcut to get to the second floor and as they walked along, none of the classrooms were open, so they went to the library.


    ¡°You have books out.¡± Madam Pince whispered to Hermione and Neville as they entered.


    ¡°We''ll have them back by Monday.¡± Hermione said and held up the book she had. ¡°I''ll be leaving this one when we''re done here.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Neville said and put the book he had onto the desk. ¡°Thanks for the loan.¡±


    Madam Pince took the book and quickly examined it. She saw that it was in the same condition as when she had loaned it the weekend before and nodded. The trio walked by her and went to a table at the back of the library and put their things down.


    ¡°I''m glad she didn''t ask me what I was carrying.¡± Harry whispered and put the two very expensive books on top of a piece of parchment to stop them from touching the table. The last thing he needed was to get varnish or something to mark up the covers. He had cast the Impervious spell and the dirt repellent charm on them. That didn''t stop other things from marking them up or damaging them.


    ¡°She might want to keep such rare books all to herself.¡± Hermione whispered.


    ¡°No doubt.¡± Harry whispered and Hermione handed him the book. He opened it to the Geminio spell and started copying it out again.


    Neville sat down and took out the book Harry had loaned him and started doing the same thing. He had already found some neat spells and copied them out repeatedly, so he could memorize them. It was a great trick for learning and it helped him immensely in both his Charms and Transfiguration classes. That was one of the reasons why he started hanging around Hermione. She was also really nice and didn''t get angry at him when he made a mistake.


    Of course, hanging around Hermione immediately put him into Harry''s group and he had been adopted as a friend without so much as a ''why are you here'', unlike every other time he had tried to make friends with people. To say that he was developing an attachment to the both of them was a bit of an understatement. When Harry had given him the money pouch and didn''t ask him for anything in return, that cemented his loyalty completely.


    Neville had already sent another letter to his Nan to explain why he was buying a wand and where he got the money. He didn''t tell her how much he had, though. He was keeping that information to himself. He had also told her that Trevor, his untrustworthy and quite absent toad, had run away and couldn''t be found. He suspected he had gotten to the Black Lake and found a nice place to live, well away from humans.


    He almost laughed and caught himself, he was in a library after all, and felt a little jealous that his toad had gotten away and was probably having the time of his life.


    *


    ¡°That was a very delicious croaker, my handsome devilfish.¡± The merman said to his wife as he hugged her.


    ¡°Oh, you!¡± His wife said and blew bubbles as he nibbled playfully at her gills.


    She had found the very nice plump frog stuck in the grindylow''s weeds and rescued it. It barely fit into her cooking thingie that the bearded wizard had gifted the merpeople. She didn''t know how it could cook underwater and she didn''t much care. It worked and it made the food she prepared for her husband quite delicious.


    ¡°I think I''m in the mood, dearest one.¡± The merman said and she giggled, because she always enjoyed this part. The two of them quickly swam out of the room and towards their prepared area. She sincerely hoped they would get at least two spawns out of this attempt, then all thoughts fled her mind as he got to work and took her right then and there.


    Yes, she definitely enjoyed this part the most.


    *


    Severus Snape sat in his office and stared at the only two crystal vials that had complete potions in them. One was a very slightly off color, which meant it hadn''t sit long enough before bottling. The other... was perfect. The color, the aroma, and the consistency were exactly what they were supposed to be.


    It bothered him, because he had honestly thought that none of the students would have caught on to the layout of the recipe and figured out to do the ingredients in the order of time and not in the order of the list. He hadn''t even bothered to tell them to read the entire recipe first, like he had during both of the other classes he had with the Griffindors.


    That irked him as well, because several promising Slytherin students from his own House, had barely completed half of the potion. He gave them all the grade of Acceptable, because he didn''t want his own House to perform so badly. He pushed aside the almost perfect potion with the Exceeds Expectations mark he had put on it to look at the perfect one.


    Snape picked it up and his mind and heart warred with each other. On one hand, the student had been very cheeky and had even walked out of his class after passing in water for the potion he was supposed to brew. On the other hand, now that he knew what the student''s home life had been like, he was reluctant to admit that he was the one that was out of line by assuming he was a spoiled brat.


    He hated Harry Potter''s father with a passion that all long lived hatreds thrived upon. He had been bullied for years and James Potter and his friends were responsible for nearly all of his humiliation. The problem he had was separating that from the son. He had let his own preconceptions color what he saw in the boy and that had influenced his actions.


    Snape had acted rashly and caused Harry''s retaliation and accusations. Accurate accusations, now that he could see it from a wronged boy''s perspective... namely, his own perspective when he was a boy. People treated him badly when he was a student and he went right ahead and did the same thing to Harry.


    He sighed and his quill hesitated on adding the grade to the potion. He didn''t want to inflate the boy''s ego more than it already was, and yet if he didn''t give him an appropriate mark, the boy would know that he wasn''t marking him fairly. He sat there for a good ten minutes before he marked Acceptable on it and added it to the box.


    Snape frowned at his decision, mainly because he couldn''t get past the fact that Harry was James Potter''s son. The sins of the father had been unwittingly transferred to the son and that was a lot for Harry to fight against. Snape knew it was unfair. He knew it was. He also couldn''t let it go.


    There was something inside him telling him that there was something wrong with the boy. He wasn''t sure what it was and he knew he could never ask the boy what it was. Not only would it let the boy know that he was looking into his situation, it would also openly declare himself hostile. At the moment, all he was, was an annoyance to the boy.


    Snape would have to continue playing that role, mainly because the Dark Mark on the inside of his forearm hadn''t faded after Quirrell''s death at Harry Potter''s hand. The funny thing was, no one seemed to be investigating Harry after that death. Not only that, Quirrell''s family hadn''t made any kind of fuss and just quietly buried the ashes in the family plot. There wasn''t even a notice in the Daily Prophet about his passing.


    He looked at the small stack of papers that he had copied from Dumbledore''s office. Several of them contained detailed information about using the Mirror Of Erised to hide the Philosopher''s Stone and to give it to Harry, just so Lord Voldemort would come after the boy. Snape shook his head at the idiocy of using a cursed magical artifact to manipulate a boy into fighting the spirit of the man that tried to kill him when he was a baby.


    Insanity and inanity. Snape thought and pushed the top sheets aside. The sheets underneath were almost as convoluted and complicated as the ''tests'' Dumbledore had prepared for Harry to face to get to the mirror. He saw that the mirror was still involved, except it was a precursor and a tease for other events that the headmaster had planned.


    Snape shook his head again and started to write several quick messages. If he was lucky, he could get a school owl to deliver them anonymously and he could stop the old fool''s delusional plan before it started. He just hoped his tips were enough proof for them to act.

 75 The Difficult Truth

    Bokuboy


    Harry worked hard as he copied over the spell and memorized the proper visualizations and the wand movements. It wasn''t until he read a particular sentence for the hundredth time that it clicked with something that Amelia had mentioned about the rules for apparating. He needed to feel the entirety of the object with his magic before he could do it. Once he realized that it was just like apparating, the spell cemented in his mind.


    ¡°I... I got it.¡± Harry whispered.


    Both Neville and Hermione stopped what they were doing and looked at him.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hermione asked. ¡°It requires a lot of preparation and...¡±


    ¡°Watch.¡± Harry said and took out his wand. He made sure that no one was looking, even though it was getting late in the evening and no one but he and his friends were there. He took one of the original small expensive books and set it aside to concentrate on the one about the Dragon Heart Diamond. He used his wand as a focus, just like the instructions told him to, and he did the wand movement to send his unformed partial spell onto the book.


    He knew exactly what to do with that magic, since he had apparated as a side-along partner a whole bunch of times and had even done it on his own once. He copied that sensation and enclosed the book with his magic. Even though he had not read the contents, he somehow knew that he was going to copy everything that was contained within that half of the spell. He moved the wand and finished casting the Geminio spell and it created another area of the exact size with his magic.


    Harry felt a similar sensation in his magic as he did when using spells in transfiguration class when he was changing simple things to other simple things. The book, expensive as it was, was not exempt from Gamp''s Law of transfiguration, so Harry created something out of nothing and an exact copy of the book slowly formed next to the original. It had taken two full minutes for the spell to complete and he felt a little tired when it finished.


    ¡°Whew.¡± Harry whispered and sat down. ¡°I need to eat something, I think.¡±


    ¡°I have just the thing.¡± Hermione said and took out a shrunken thin cardboard box. She enlarged it and it was the box of cauldron cakes that Harry had given her. He opened it and there were only a couple left.


    ¡°Thanks, Hermione.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Careful! If Madam Pince sees food, even on your fingers...¡±


    Harry let out a hushed chuckle and levitated one up and ate it without using his hands.


    ¡°Ha. Sneaky.¡± Hermione said and looked at the two identical books. ¡°I can''t believe you did it.¡±


    ¡°I want you to check it.¡± Harry said and handed her the original. ¡°Neville, you check the copy.¡± He said and picked it up, then realized the problem. ¡°Just a second.¡± He said and used his wand to emblazon ''COPY'' under the title and handed it over.


    ¡°Page eighteen.¡± Hermione said and very carefully opened the original. ¡°Third paragraph.¡±


    ¡°The legend of the diamond had been lost for a short time, until it was rediscovered inside the family vault.¡± Neville read.


    Hermione nodded. ¡°Okay, we''ll check an illustration next.¡± She carefully looked through the book and found one on the sixtieth page. ¡°Oh, wow. Look at that.¡±


    Neville flipped to the right page and let out a low whistle.


    ¡°Let... me see.¡± Harry said as he finished his cauldron cake. He cleaned himself up and Neville handed over the copy of the book. ¡°Wow is right. That thing really sparkles.¡±


    ¡°Wrapping it up in brown cloth makes sense if this is what the headmaster is looking for.¡± Hermione said and closed the original book. ¡°You were right, Harry. It''s worth a lot more than a hundred galleons.¡±


    Harry nodded and closed the copy. ¡°I think I can do the second one.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should wait.¡± Hermione said. ¡°There''s only one cauldron cake left.¡±


    Harry took a breath and let it out. He checked his timepiece and there wasn''t much time left before curfew. ¡°You''re right.¡± He said and closed the box and shrunk it, handed it to her, then he shrunk the copy of the book and put it into his pocket.


    ¡°That''s funny.¡± Neville said and closed Harry''s book of curses. ¡°Most specialty books can''t be shrunk like that.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you''re right.¡± Harry said. ¡°I guess the only thing I copied was the physical book and not all of the magical protections the original has.¡±


    ¡°You''re going to want to cast the same spells on it.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Even a copy of important information is important, especially since there''s only one original.¡±


    Harry nodded and the three of them gathered their things up. They left the library and Hermione handed in the book with the Geminio spell in it. Harry had a copy of the spell now and he knew how to copy books, so their need to borrow books from the library to search for information became redundant. Hermione had a pensive look on her face as they walked back to Griffindor Tower.


    ¡°It''s all right, Hermione. I''ll show you how I did it.¡± Harry said in a normal voice, now that they were no longer in the library.


    Hermione chuckled and gave him a happy look. ¡°I was thinking that I need you to copy as many books as possible.¡±


    Harry barked a laugh. ¡°I just learned the spell!¡±


    The three of them laughed and went back to their dorm rooms to sleep for the night. Harry made a copy of the second book and he was a little surprised that it felt a little easier to do and still took the same amount of time as before. He wrote ''COPY'' on the copy and shrunk it to put in his pocket, then he very carefully bundled up the two expensive books.


    Harry added a note explaining the spells he cast on them to keep water and dirt from gathering on them, then wrote out the address for the bookstore on the envelope. With the package prepared to be delivered in the morning, he set it inside his trunk on the shelf he had put all along the side to make things easily reachable, rather than using the top of the bookshelf.


    He went to bed and snuggled down into the blankets. He was very happy with the day''s progress. He had done a lot and had even performed a very difficult spell while using knowledge that he had gained by doing something else entirely. He smiled as he thought about it. He had combined Charms, Transfiguration, and Apparating with a single spell.


    Harry knew the spell was very complicated and he had doubted that he would be able to do it so soon, right up until the moment he realized it was like apparating. Once he knew that, it was... easy. It still took a lot of his magic to perform; but, once the spell had formed in his mind properly, he could do it. In fact, he was tempted to do it to all of his books, just so he could shrink the copies to make them easily accessible.


    You put that idea in my head, Hermione. Harry thought with a soft chuckle. He checked his timepiece again to make sure it was set to a good time to get up in the morning, then fell right to sleep. Performing two high level spells so close together had tired him out even more than he thought it did.


    *


    Sirius Black lay in his bed and was curled up into a ball on his side. He had started to have another Dementor panic attack and then his eyes landed squarely on Harry''s face. Harry''s happy face. Then he saw his own. He looked proud, and then he and Harry looked at each other. Portrait Sirius became happy and Portrait Harry became hopeful, then both turned to look at him and gave him nods.


    ¡°R-r-right. I need... I need to keep it together.¡± Sirius said and they nodded again. ¡°He wants me... needs me to be there for him.¡±


    Healer Ela stood just outside the slightly open door. She listened to Sirius convince himself that he needed to get better. She smiled and stayed there for several minutes, until she heard his deep breathing. She risked a peek and saw him still on his side. He wasn''t as curled up on himself as he had just been and she smiled. She was very glad that her recommendation to have Harry visit had worked out so well.


    She had been worried about the wardrobe at first; but, for some reason, the Spongify spell cast on it wasn''t going away. She had taken to testing it occasionally at random times. Each time she did, Sirius would let out a laugh and tell her that Harry was amazing.


    Healer Ela had to admit that it was true, especially if he really was the one to cast the spell. She expected that it would have worn off after a few hours, and here it was, nearing the middle of the night, and it was still as soft and spongy as when he had placed it there that morning.


    Bertha was still sending her copies of Harry''s letters, just to make sure that he was adjusting to school life well. She had no idea that Bertha kept certain ones to herself, namely the parselmouth one and anything that revealed too much about the goings on at the Ministry and with Amelia. Ignorance was bliss, after all.


    Healer Ela left Sirius'' room and went back to her own. She climbed into bed and was glad that Sirius was determined to get better. She only hoped that made him a little less irritable when she brought him his potion in the morning. She chuckled and tucked herself under the blanket.


    There''s not much chance of that. He''s too ornery. Healer Ela thought and went back to sleep.


    *


    The next morning, Neville was up and dressed, practically ran through the Griffindor common room, then he was out and down the secret staircases to get to the Entrance Hall. He did his best to not show too much excitement as he waited for the large oak doors to open. His Gran would be there soon to pick him up to take him to Diagon Alley.


    ¡°Well, if it isn''t Neville Bigbottom.¡± A drawling voice said as three students came up the stairs from the dungeons. Draco led his two big bodyguards into the Entrance Hall and over to him.


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡± Neville said and took a step back.


    ¡°Why? Are you going to do something about it?¡± Draco asked with a sneer. ¡°A waste of a pure blood like you?¡±


    Neville flicked his wrist and his dad''s wand slid out of his sleeve and fell to the floor. In his nervousness, he had missed catching it, despite hours and hours of practising. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle laughed as he scrambled to grab it before it rolled too far away.


    ¡°You''re always good for a laugh, Bigbottom.¡± Draco said.


    Just as Neville recovered it and stood up, the large oak doors opened and a woman wearing a large hat with a stuffed vulture on it stood there.


    ¡°What''s going on here?¡± Neville''s Grandmother Augusta Longbottom asked.


    ¡°N-n-nothing, Gran.¡± Neville said, a little sheepishly.


    ¡°Really?¡± Augusta looked at him with his wand out and pointed at the three students. ¡°It looks to me like you were about to deal with three ruffians.¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Neville couldn''t deny that was what he was thinking about.


    ¡°Well? Don''t dilly dally. Hurry up and dispatch them.¡± Augusta said and crossed her arms and tapped her foot.


    ¡°You can''t be serious.¡± Draco said to her in disbelief.


    ¡°I''m quite serious.¡± Augusta said. ¡°Go ahead Neville. Show me that I''m not wasting my money by sending you here.¡±


    ¡°I think she''s nuts.¡± Crabbe whispered to Draco.


    ¡°I may be old; but, I do have excellent hearing.¡± Augusta said. ¡°Neville.¡±


    ¡°B-but... Gran...¡± Neville didn''t want to point out that he wasn''t defending himself now and didn''t want to attack someone unprovoked.


    ¡°Your parents would be disappointed in you.¡± Augusta said with a sigh.


    ¡°What? Those vegetables?¡± Draco asked with a laugh. ¡°They can''t even feed themselves! I doubt they can feel anything, let alone disappoint... AHH!¡± He yelled as a bright light blinded him and he covered his face, then all three of them were wrapped up tightly in ropes and fell to the floor.


    ¡°Don''t you EVER talk about my parents again!¡± Neville said angrily.


    ¡°What is going on out here?¡± Minerva McGonagall asked as she strode out of the Great Hall. ¡°I heard someone yell and... Goodness Gracious!¡± She exclaimed and went over to the incarcerated students. ¡°Mister Longbottom! Did you do this?¡± She asked and cast Relashio on them to make the ropes let them go immediately. She then swiped her wand at the ropes to vanish them.


    Neville''s anger had subsided and he realized that he was going to be in trouble.


    ¡°Yes, he did.¡± Augusta said as she walked over to her grandson. She put an arm over his shoulders and beamed a smile at the Professor. ¡°Wasn''t it a great feat?¡±


    ¡°Feat?¡± Minerva asked as she cast minor healing spells on the rope marks. ¡°He assaulted three students in the Entrance Hall in clear violation of the school rules!¡±


    ¡°Actually, there''s no rules against that.¡± Harry Potter said as he came down the main staircase with Hermione right beside him.


    ¡°Excuse me, Mister Potter. The rules specifically state to not use magic against other students.¡±


    ¡°You''re leaving off the parts about in the hallways and between classes.¡± Hermione said. ¡°I know. I''ve studied all the rules and regulations the school has.¡±


    Minerva opened her mouth to respond that it was supposed to be understood that it applied all the time, when a slightly excited voice spoke first.


    ¡°Neville! Are these your friends?¡± Augusta asked and turned Neville towards them.


    ¡°G-Gran, that''s Harry Potter and that''s Hermione Granger.¡± Neville said.


    Augusta let Neville go and reached a hand out to Harry. ¡°It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Potter.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure what to say, so he just nodded and shook her hand.


    Augusta smiled and held a hand out to Hermione. ¡°You were right, Neville. She is quite pretty.¡±


    ¡°Gran!¡± Neville exclaimed and his face and ears turned bright red.


    Augusta laughed. ¡°Don''t mind him. He only paid you both compliments. He''s not in love with you or anything.¡±


    ¡°L-l-love?!?¡± Hermione asked as she shook the woman''s hand and her face turned red, too.


    Augusta smiled warmly and let her hand go. ¡°I said not to mind it.¡± She said and looked at Harry. ¡°It''s so nice to meet his friends. Actual friends and not made up ones.¡±


    ¡°Gran!¡± Neville exclaimed again and his embarrassment increased.


    ¡°It''s all right. They know I''m an old woman that''s just spouting nonsense.¡± Augusta said and went back to Neville. ¡°Let''s go and do a bit of shopping.¡±


    ¡°Madam Longbottom.¡± Minerva said. ¡°Your grandson harmed his fellow students.¡±


    ¡°They''ve been picking on him for the last two months and you''ve done nothing to stop it, you old bag.¡± Augusta spat at her, making Minerva bristle and put on an angry face. ¡°I want my grandson to defend himself, and now I know he will, despite you telling him that he can''t.¡±


    ¡°That''s not how things are done in this school.¡± Minerva said.


    Augusta pointed a finger at Harry. ¡°Tell that to the boy right there that is ridiculed and talked about behind his back every day.¡± She said. ¡°No one does anything to stop it, except him.¡±


    ¡°Him?¡± Minerva looked at Harry in surprise.


    ¡°You don''t think a rash of seemingly random Langlocks and Silencio spells happen naturally, do you?¡± Augusta asked with a huge smile.


    Minerva opened her mouth to comment on that, then changed her mind. ¡°I cannot let Neville off from punishment, even if you believe that his retaliation was justified.¡±


    ¡°Then go ahead and give him detention.¡± Augusta said. ¡°My grandson will hold his head high as he does it.¡±


    Minerva looked at the three Slytherin students that she could clearly see were hamming up their injuries. ¡°A week''s detention and a foot of parchment on why it''s wrong to encourage bullies to come back after you.¡±


    Augusta laughed. ¡°Oh, they won''t be coming after my Neville anymore.¡± She said, satisfaction in her voice. ¡°They know what will happen to them if they do.¡±


    They all watched as Augusta led her grandson out through the large oak doors that closed behind them.


    ¡°All right you three.¡± Minerva said and helped the Slytherin students stand up. ¡°Take yourselves off to the hospital wing and have Madam Pomfrey take a look at you.¡±


    Draco and his two bodyguards pretended to hobble as they left the Entrance Hall.


    ¡°As for you two.¡± Minerva said. ¡°I will be making an announcement at breakfast tomorrow morning and clarifying the rules that you clearly misunderstood.¡±


    ¡°As long as you tell everyone that it only counts for offensive spells.¡± Harry said. ¡°Whatever rules you put in place, I am always going to use defensive spells and charms.¡±


    ¡°Harry...¡± Hermione started to warn him and Harry took her hand.


    ¡°It''s all right. Professor McGonagall won''t tell us to intentionally endanger ourselves by not protecting ourselves, right professor?¡± Harry asked with a big smile.


    Minerva stood there and didn''t say anything, because there wasn''t really anything she could say.


    Harry nodded and walked by her as he led Hermione by the hand towards the library. They had a few spells that they needed to dig up and research.

 76 The Spell Search

    ¡°Harry why did you say those things to Professor McGonagall?¡± Hermione asked as they entered the hallway that led to the library.


    ¡°Because they''re true. Draco Malfoy didn''t get any detention after he attacked you in the Entrance Hall that time.¡± Harry said. ¡°I cleaned with Filch all that next week when I didn''t have to, remember?¡±


    Hermione took in a quick breath. ¡°I didn''t realize...¡±


    ¡°No one did.¡± Harry said. ¡°He got away with it and wasn''t punished at all.¡±


    ¡°Is that why we waited at the top of the stairs?¡± Hermione asked and they stopped walking at the entrance to the library. ¡°You wanted to see what would happen?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°We both know how hard Neville''s been working and I wanted to see if he could use his dad''s wand properly.¡±


    ¡°Well, he did.¡± Hermione said with a smile. ¡°His Incarcerous spell was perfect.¡±


    ¡°The quick flash of Lumos Maxima that he focused on the Slytherins was brilliant, too.¡± Harry said. ¡°It definitely stopped them from casting defensive spells or even dodging.¡±


    ¡°You have to try that during your next lesson with Madam Bones.¡± Hermione suggested.


    ¡°I think I would rather have fun and not temporary blind Susan during a duel, thanks.¡± Harry chuckled. ¡°I''ll tell Amelia about the technique, though. She could use it almost like a pre-stun stunner for training her Aurors.¡±


    ¡°You mean like a warning?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°Yes, especially if they cast it soundlessly like Neville did.¡±


    ¡°Your trick to learn silent casting is wonderful.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°Neville''s Gran didn''t even notice that he didn''t say anything.¡± Harry smiled.


    ¡°She looked really happy when they left.¡± Hermione said as she opened the library door. ¡°Even though Neville said that she was almost as stern with him as Professor Snape is.¡±


    Harry nodded and didn''t wonder if Neville''s home life was as bad as his was. It wasn''t even close. He also had a ton of relatives that were still alive. It was the first Harry had heard of Neville''s parents, though.


    ¡°His parents must be on the fourth floor of St. Mungo''s.¡± Harry whispered as they entered the library and nodded at Madam Pince. ¡°It''s for the long term care patients.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Hermione whispered, sadly. ¡°Malfoy said they were vegetables and couldn''t care for themselves.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Something really bad must have happened to them if magic can''t heal them.¡± He whispered. ¡°The healers are supposed to be miracle workers, after all.¡±


    Hermione silently agreed and took out the spell list. She pointed her wand at a book on a high shelf and the book slid out and floated down to them. ¡°Do you want to get them all or do them individually?¡±


    ¡°How many did you find?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Six of them. I''m pretty sure they won''t be as complicated as the Geminio spell.¡± Hermione responded.


    ¡°Then we''ll gather them up and I''ll make one copy of each, then do the technique.¡± Harry whispered.


    ¡°This would be so much easier if they weren''t spread out all over the place.¡± Hermione whispered back. ¡°It''s like they wrote out an entire book for a single spell.¡±


    Harry held in his laugh. ¡°I just copied five books about magical gems. Believe me, Hermione. They can write books about anything.¡±


    Hermione had to smile at that and they gathered up the books they needed. They chose a table at the back of the library and quickly found the spells they wanted to copy out. They were what Hermione believed to be essential spells, ones they would need for most of their lives, especially if they wanted to survive anything that happened. Harry copied them out and read through them.


    Inanimatus Conjurus to make chairs, tables, and different things appear out of thin air. Deprimo was an upgrade to Bombarda and didn''t have the same recoil, it also had a much larger area of effect. The Disillusionment Charm, Invisibilia Deflectus, to make anything it is cast on to assume the colors of whatever they are in front of, almost like a chameleon only much better. Aqua Eructo, that shoots a jet of water like a fire hose and can be controlled by the caster. The Disarming Charm, Expelliarmus, used in duels to great effect. Surgito, which removes enchantments and spells from objects.


    ¡°I was tempted to add the Portus spell that creates portkeys to that.¡± Hermione whispered. ¡°It''s been restricted from use by the Ministry, though.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Harry asked, curious.


    ¡°I think they want to regulate travel.¡± Hermione responded.


    ¡°That doesn''t make sense.¡± Harry whispered back. ¡°Wizards can apparate anywhere they want. Why would they restrict portkeys?¡±


    Hermione shrugged. ¡°Hold on, I''ll go get it and we can check.¡±


    Harry waited for a couple of minutes and she came back with a thin book. ¡°What''s that?¡±


    ¡°A list of Ministry restricted spells.¡± Hermione said and sat down. ¡°I swear, they are hundreds of years behind the times with the stupid things they have on this list.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Harry asked, a little concerned.


    ¡°Mummy animation, banned hieroglyph etchings, and even flea breeding restrictions.¡± Hermione said and opened the book to the ''P'' section and found the spell. ¡°Ah, I see. Apparently, you can take any number of people with a portkey, as long as they are touching it.¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°You can do that with apparating, too.¡±


    ¡°Like I said. Some of it is stupid and outdated; but, a lot of it isn''t.¡± Hermione said. ¡°The three Unforgivable Curses are in this, as is Animagus transformations and intentionally infecting people to become werewolves or converting them to vampires.¡±


    ¡°Those are good things to have banned.¡± Harry said. ¡°Can I see it?¡± He asked and she handed it over. He quickly flipped to the ''U'' section and saw the page with the three Unforgivable Curses. Imperio, or control of another''s mind and body. Crucio, or the torture curse.


    Harry read the descriptions and was very glad that no one was allowed to perform them... then he read the last one.


    Avada Kedavra. The Killing Curse.


    The telltale bright green light of the spell is distinguishable from all other spells. If you see this light, it is the last light you ever see. Harry read, then suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his head and closed his eyes.


    A short scene played in his mind and he saw a flash of green light and heard a woman''s scream, then he had a wand in his face and a jet of bright green light hit him. His body jerked in reaction, then he realized he hadn''t died.


    Harry felt someone hugging him and he opened his eyes to see that Hermione had her arms wrapped around his neck. ¡°Hermione.¡±


    ¡°It''s all right.¡± Hermione whispered in his ear and held him tightly. ¡°You lived, Harry. Unlike everyone else that was hit by that curse, you lived.¡± She eased her hold on him to lean back and looked into his bright green eyes. ¡°You''re a miracle, Harry.¡±


    ¡°Hermione, I''m not. All I am is...¡± Harry tried to remind her of who he really was and she put a finger on his lips to stop him.


    ¡°If the evilest of wizards couldn''t kill you when he tried, then there''s nothing in this world that can.¡± Hermione said in a soft voice. She leaned in and gave his cheek a kiss, then she let him go. ¡°We need to prepare you for everything, just in case someone out there doesn''t believe the same things that I do.¡±


    Harry''s face was a little red and he couldn''t speak. All he could do was nod.


    ¡°Good. Start copying those spells out again while I put the books back and fill my backup spell list.¡±


    Harry raised his eyebrows at her and she smiled.


    ¡°Neville and I spent a lot of time searching for spells that could be useful. I cut them down for you to learn first and now I''ll go looking for the rest.¡± Hermione said and waved her wand at the books to make the stack levitate. She walked away with a smile on her face and disappeared down an aisle.


    Harry and Hermione worked until lunchtime and they put their books aside and asked the librarian to leave them on their table, because they would be back to study them after lunch. She agreed, as long as they agreed to wash their hands well. They left the library and were surprised to find a very happy Neville already sitting at the Griffindor table in the Great Hall.


    ¡°You won''t believe this.¡± Neville said as they sat down across from him. ¡°After I bought my new wand, which was awesome and shot sparks out and everything, Gran bought me ice cream!¡±


    ¡°Did you have to let Fortescue pick for you?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Yeah! How did you know?¡± Neville asked, surprised.


    ¡°I had to do the same thing when I went there over the summer.¡± Harry said. ¡°How do you choose a flavor with all those weird names?¡± He chuckled. ¡°What does Spider Web Surprise actually taste like? Who actually went through the trouble of tasting spider webs and then made it into ice cream?¡±


    The others laughed and the food appeared for lunch. The three of them ate and Neville asked them how the spell research was going. Harry and Hermione filled him in. The other first years of Griffindor House were a little put out that they were working so hard on a Sunday and it wasn''t even for school.


    The three of them went to the library and continued their work. They kept working until Hermione had found all of the extra spells that she thought would be useful, nearly twenty of them, and Harry had written out the six spells that she had initially chosen, a dozen times each. They put all of the books back and left the library at suppertime, ate in the Great Hall, and then they went their separate ways.


    Hermione had some light reading to do about the new spells and their applications, Neville wanted to practice with his new wand, and Harry wanted to read through the five gem books.


    Harry entered the dorm room and hopped into his covered bed, closed the curtains, and cast the silence spell. He opened his trunk and took out the copy of the book on the Philosopher''s Stone. He didn''t want to be mind weary, so he cast the energize spell on himself and started to read. He was halfway through it before he found the spot where it actually told him what he needed to do to use the stone for its intended purposes.


    Hermione''s short description of changing any metal into gold, making the Elixir of Life to make someone immortal, and the healing aspect, were all true. In fact, the stone''s powers were explained in detail and even examples were given of what it could do.


    It''s worth much, much more than a hundred galleons. Harry thought, because the stone''s ability to change any metal into gold would make anyone absolutely rich. He was already rich, so that didn''t interest him at all. He wrote down the simple chant and instructions anyway, just to try it later.


    The Elixir of Life was intriguing, if only for the novelty. Having to drink it all the time to extend your life wasn''t a good option, though. What happened if you forgot a day, or didn''t take it in time? Would you wither and die right away, or live the rest of the life you would have had if you hadn''t started drinking it? No, that was much too risky, even with the ease of the potion''s creation.


    What Harry was interested in was the healing properties. It was only a simple chant and you just held the stone to the sick person, just as if you were making gold from metal. The chant was different; but, the procedure was the same. Intent, concentration, and determination. A small amount of the Elixir of Life helped the recovery as well; but, it wasn''t necessary. He sat back and stared at the book, stunned.


    There was no way that it could be that easy to heal someone. Harry thought and copied out the instructions and the chant. There were so many spells that a healer needed to know to do their jobs, so how could a single object be more powerful than the most experienced healer?


    He read on and muddled through all of the different iterations and the history of the stone, stories and fables based on its use and the results, and also who else had made one over the centuries. The last one, the one he now had in his possession, was made by the famous alchemist, Nicholas Flamel. It had his picture and he looked to be in his late hundreds, not unlike Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.


    ¡°Maybe that''s what they have in common?¡± Harry asked himself and flipped the page to see Flamel''s wife Perenelle. ¡°They must be sharing the life extending potion and that''s why he wants it back so badly.¡±


    He flipped the pages back to the elixir''s preparation of ingredients and brewing instructions, and it was even simpler than the Boil Cure he had made during his first Potions class. It amazed him that such a potion, that could extend someone''s life, was so easy to make. There was actually no way to mess it up, it was that simple.


    Not able to resist the temptation, Harry took out his potions equipment, set everything up properly with the philosopher''s stone, and quickly made a cauldron full of the Elixir of Life in only ten minutes. It matched the picture, the description, and the odor. With his mind filled with disbelief, even though he just did it, he poured some into three crystal vials and then enlarged a vial and poured the rest of it inside. When he went to shrink it back down, it wouldn''t work.


    ¡°Oops.¡± Harry said with a chuckle. He put the cauldron sized crystal vial of potion into his trunk with the three normal vials. He packed everything up and put it all away, including the copy of the book. He changed into his bed clothes and tucked himself into bed with a smile on his face. He only had to test the ''any metal into gold'' part and then he would put his plan into action.

 77 The Next Lesson

    Monday morning arrived and everyone went down to breakfast. The food was served and halfway through the meal, the mail was delivered. Hedwig flew in and a lot of people were surprised when it didn''t go to Harry. The owl landed with a large package right in front of Lavender and she let out a loud squeal.


    Lavender opened up the parcel and squealed again, because inside was the very fancy and expensive outfit that she had always wanted. She had reluctantly told Harry about it, not really believing that he would actually spend that much money on her just for finding the ghosts for him, and here it was. Her dream outfit. She lifted out the top and hugged it, then caught her breath at squishing it.


    ¡°It''s all right.¡± Harry said as he handed Hedwig several owl treats. ¡°It has all the proper clothing enchantments like anti-wrinkle and dirt repelling.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Harry.¡± Lavender said and put the top down, saw it was fine, then she got up and walked over to him. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± She said and bent over to hug him for several moments. As she let him go, she gave his cheek a kiss and walked back to her seat.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± Pavarti asked, shocked. Her friend had just kissed a boy in front of the whole school. A lot of other people were looking at them with shock on their faces, too.


    ¡°I was just thanking him.¡± Lavender said and her eyes almost sparkled as she looked at the outfit.


    ¡°Are... are you... going out?¡± Pavarti asked, hesitatingly.


    ¡°No.¡± Harry, Hermione, and Lavender said at the same time, which made several people laugh.


    ¡°She just helped with a project and I thanked her by getting her a present.¡± Harry said. ¡°That''s all.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Seamus said, not believing a word. ¡°Who else have ya given presents to?¡±


    Harry''s head turned and his eyes immediately went to Hermione. A few people laughed, probably the same ones. Harry couldn''t tell, so he kept turning his head and looked at Neville. The laughs died out and were replaced with confusion.


    ¡°They really are just gifts of thanks.¡± Hermione said, her face red.


    Everyone had no choice but to believe her.


    ¡°What did he get you?¡± Lavender asked and Hermione shook her head.


    ¡°I let her get copies of the books she wanted.¡± Harry said to take the attention from his friend.


    ¡°And Neville?¡± Ron asked.


    ¡°He let me get a new wand.¡± Neville said, because he understood that he shouldn''t say a hundred galleons. He knew that everyone would freak out if he said that.


    ¡°WhatcanIdotohelp?¡± Ron asked so fast that no one heard what he said.


    ¡°What? Sorry?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± Ron asked in a normal voice. ¡°I''ll do anything! Anything at all!¡±


    ¡°Wow, Ron. Excited much?¡± Dean Thomas asked with a laugh. ¡°I know seven galleons is a lot in the muggle world...¡±


    ¡°It''s almost a hundred pounds.¡± Hermione said, quickly doing the conversion in her head.


    ¡°Blimey, I didn''t realize...¡± Dean took out his wand. ¡°I think I need to send my parents a really long thank you letter.¡±


    ¡°I''m using my brother Charlie''s old wand.¡± Ron said. ¡°It works, but... you know...¡±


    ¡°It didn''t choose you.¡± Neville said.


    ¡°It''s old, too.¡± Ron said, his voice sad. ¡°I know if I had my own...¡±


    ¡°Ron, can you go get Susan Bones for me? I need to ask her something.¡± Harry said and held out a single galleon. ¡°She''s the blonde haired girl next to the blonde at the Hufflepuff table.¡±


    Ron grabbed the galleon and stood up, then ran around the Griffindor table and over to the Hufflepuff table. He walked up and down it, then walked back. ¡°Which one was she again?¡± He asked and several people laughed, Harry included.


    Harry knew his blonde beside the blonde comment had gone right over Ron''s head. ¡°She''s that one right there.¡± He said and pointed to her. She was one of the people that had laughed, too.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Ron said and ran over to her, whispered something, and waved at Harry.


    Susan was a good sport and played along. She nodded and both she and Hannah got up and came over behind Ron. ¡°Hi, Harry. I just heard that you want to ask me something.¡±


    Harry gave her a big smile. ¡°I''m going to be practising spells after supper and wondered if you wanted to join in.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry, I can''t. We''ve got homework to catch up on.¡± Susan said.


    ¡°You didn''t do it already?¡± Harry asked.


    Susan shook her head. ¡°I spent too much time going over what Auntie told me to do.¡±


    ¡°I guess it was different than what she told me.¡± Harry said with a bit of a smirk.


    ¡°Of course it was.¡± Susan said with a laugh. ¡°She wants me to excel, remember?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Well, if you catch up or finish early, let me know.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Susan said and briefly touched his shoulder, then she and Hannah walked back to their table. They both let out little giggles and sat back down to finish eating.


    After that, Ron hovered around and was pretty much Harry''s gopher all week. Of course, Harry didn''t need that and he knew that Ron was only in it for the money, so he just made up stuff for Ron to do. Returning a book to the library, getting a dessert from another table, checking to see if the bathroom was clear for a private bath, and anything else he could imagine.


    Ron on the other hand, knew he was being given free money for doing stupid and probably unnecessary things, so he made sure he was enthusiastic about it and offered to do other tasks. He had even kept an ear out all week for Susan''s response to see if she did catch up on her homework. She didn''t, so all he could do was tell Harry that she was still busy.


    During that week, Harry did his best to master the extra spells that Hermione had given him. He also adjusted his Bombarda spell''s aim to hit properly. The upgraded spell Deprimo gave him the key. It included a wand steadying component and it let you aim, even while expelling so much explosive force from your wand. It was a great modification and Harry easily adapted it to Bombarda.


    In fact, because of that modification, he could use the powered up version called Bombarda Maxima. It created a more concentrated explosion into a smaller space and could cause a lot of damage, unlike the Deprimo one that started out creating craters. He couldn''t test any of the dangerous spells unless he was outside and he used the enclosing curtain and silence spells to hide his experiments.


    Hermione and Neville were great spectators and encouraged him a lot. It let Harry concentrate, especially when Hermione used her Protego shield spell to protect herself and Neville from flying dirt and rocks. Filing the hole back in was a bit of a pain, until Harry realized that he was ''packing'' the dirt back into the hole. He laughed and told Hermione, who gasped and then laughed as well. They quickly taught Neville the packing spell and he got the joke, too.


    After that revelation, they took turns packing the dirt back in and also using the spells. They had lots of time after school most days, since they did their homework quickly. The only day they didn''t do anything was Wednesday, because that was a Harry and Hedwig day. Even Ron was smart enough to not interrupt on that day.


    Both Neville and Ron stayed after flying lessons that day and to Harry''s surprise, Ron hopped on a broom and raced him. Hedwig enjoyed having another person to race against and the group delivered the brooms just as quickly as if it was just Harry and Hermione doing it. Hermione and Neville took turns levitating the brooms for Harry to catch as well, so they all had fun.


    It took Harry nearly all week to find... or better yet, discover... a good base metal to test the philosopher''s stone on. He had to do it when no one else was around, so that wasn''t a lot of time to search. It was when he was getting his potion equipment together on Thursday night for class the next morning, that his eyes fell upon the standard size 2 pewter cauldron. He had remembered seeing a solid gold cauldron in Potage''s Cauldron Shop.


    After a quick letter to the shop and an order for another pewter cauldron, he asked if it mostly consisted of one of the base metals. The next morning, Hedwig made the delivery at the breakfast table. Harry opened the attached note and smiled. The owner professed that his cauldrons had the highest quality and quantity of tin with only a small amount of copper mixed in.


    Harry was very happy with that, since both were base metals, and he only had to wait until the break before lunch to conduct the test. He put the unopened package into his trunk with the letter and no one mentioned it until they left breakfast to go to class. The others ran to go to Griffindor Tower to get their potion things, except for Harry, Hermione and Neville.


    Ron met them outside the Potions classroom as they stood there and waited for the door to open. ¡°If no one else is going to ask, I''m going to.¡± He looked at Harry. ¡°What was in the package you got?¡±


    ¡°A cauldron.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°That''s it?¡± Ron asked. ¡°Why didn''t you open it?¡±


    ¡°It''s just a cauldron.¡± Harry responded.


    Ron gave him an odd look, then he looked down at Harry''s trunk. ¡°I can carry that for you.¡± He said, despite having his arms full and them being right outside the classroom.


    ¡°No, you can''t. It has anti-theft charms on it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ron said. ¡°Yeah, I guess that makes sense.¡±


    Harry smiled and the door opened. They all entered the classroom and he gave Hermione and Neville their things. They quickly set up their equipment and waited for the potions professor to appear.


    Severus Snape strode into the room and the door closed behind him. He went to his desk and picked up the box there. Without a word, he walked around the classroom and handed back the potions that everyone had made in the last class. He didn''t look at Harry as he put the potion on the desk and then did the same to Hermione.


    Harry picked his up and was surprised the cork had been removed. He was also surprised by the mark on it. ¡°This sucks.¡± He said with a sigh.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hermione asked and didn''t try to hide her potion, despite getting Exceeds Expectations on it. It was because of Harry''s help that she had done so well and she wouldn''t hide that from him.


    ¡°The professor gave me ''Acceptable''.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Oh, Harry. I''m so...¡±


    ¡°Now I can''t complain that he''s been giving me all ''Troll'' results on purpose.¡± Harry said, to everyone''s surprise.


    ¡°Mister Potter.¡± Snape said and everyone looked at him, not just Harry. ¡°As long as you do your work, it is Acceptable and you will pass this class.¡±


    There was a lot of low chuckles from the Slytherin side of the room and Harry could see some of them hold up their uncompleted potions to show him that they had ''Acceptable'' written on them.


    ¡°Today''s class will be preparation only.¡± Snape said and a lot of the students let out groans. ¡°If you do not get this right, then next week''s class where you actually brew the potion will be a waste for you.¡±


    Both Harry and Hermione understood what that meant. If Harry didn''t perform perfectly today, he wouldn''t be allowed to attend the next class.


    ¡°We''ve got this.¡± Hermione whispered as Snape tapped the chalkboard.


    Harry and Hermione recognized the telltale sign of the Disillusionment Charm ending and smiled at each other, proud that they had figured out the writing was the same color as the chalkboard until the spell was cancelled.


    There was a lot of writing and a lot of ingredients. The preparation of them was many and varied, which meant it really was going to take a long time to prep them. Hermione copied it out as Harry read it through to find the one with the longest prep time. He copied them down in the time order, just like he had for the last potion, and the two of them got to work.


    The thing was, they only needed to prep one portion of the ingredients. Thanks to Harry''s experience with the Geminio spell and the Inanimatus Conjurus spell, he could make identical copies of whatever he had. Instead of using multiples of an ingredient, which used up his potions kit, he instead used one and copied it. Leaves, beans, prunes, snake fangs, and everything else that he might use, he created multiples of and used them.


    Any liquid he needed, he put a tiny bit of it into a flask and used the Refilling Charm to fill it. Even if it was juice from the prunes or sliced beans, he would only need a small amount to make as much as he wanted. Hermione copied him and did the same things herself, using the same techniques, and she had even transfigured all of her vials to crystal and made them unbreakable.


    As Harry and Hermione worked, deftly using their wands as well as knives to prepare the ingredients, everyone seemed to lose their concentration as they kept glancing over at the pair and the flurry of activity on their table.


    Professor Snape let this go on for several minutes, then he walked over to their table. ¡°Mister Potter.¡± He said and loomed over them. ¡°You are distracting the other students.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry looked up and saw that several people were looking at him. ¡°I''m sorry, Professor.¡± He said and waved his wand to create a red privacy curtain that cut the entire table off from view.


    ¡°Now you cannot see the chalkboard.¡± Snape said and successfully held in his sneer.


    ¡°We wrote it all down.¡± Harry said and tapped the parchment. ¡°It''s also charmed to repel dirt and liquid, so there''s no chance of it being smeared or ruined.¡±


    Snape looked at it and wasn''t surprised that it had been reorganized by preparation times.


    ¡°We also copied the original.¡± Hermione offered and showed the instructions as an exact copy of what the professor had on the board.


    Snape squinted his eyes for a moment, then turned around and walked into the curtain. Harry didn''t laugh as he cast the parting charm and it split open. Snape stood there for a moment, fought down his anger and embarrassment for not checking for the opening before walking into it, then he walked back over to his desk. He turned to see that the opening was gone and he couldn''t hear or see what was going on inside the curtain.


    ¡°Get to work.¡± Snape snapped at the students staring at the red curtain. He promised himself that no matter how well Harry Potter''s potion turned out, it would once again only get an ''Acceptable'' grade.


    Inside the curtain, Harry and Hermione were laughing.


    ¡°I can''t believe... you did that!¡± Hermione said when they calmed down.


    ¡°Me, either.¡± Harry said. ¡°I should have parted it first, except... I felt like... he wasn''t being fair. We were working and it''s not our fault we gathered attention.¡±


    Hermione took a breath and let it out. ¡°I don''t want to have the curtain up all the time.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°I''m sure by next class, the professor will have a reason why we can''t have it.¡±


    Hermione smiled. ¡°I guess you''re right.¡±


    ¡°We better get back to work. If we don''t get all of this done by the time class is over, I''m sure the professor will ask us to not come back.¡±


    ¡°You, anyway.¡± Hermione said with a grin and Harry had to laugh.

 78 The Test

    Harry and Hermione worked hard and used their knowledge to speed up their prep work considerably, then they put each prepped ingredient into a proper receptacle and sealed them. As an extra precaution, Harry duplicated the completed ingredients and the containers, then stashed them in his pockets. He cast the locking spell on the ones he was going to submit as well, then he banished the curtain.


    They still had half an hour left for class, so Harry and Hermione asked what to do with their ingredients. A box was provided and Harry added his to one section and Hermione added hers in another section. With that done, they were allowed to leave. They packed up and added everything to Harry''s trunk, then left with a whispered apology to Neville, who only smiled and showed them that he was working on the last ingredient.


    Harry and Hermione were in good spirits and made their way to the Griffindor Tower common room. Hermione had more reading to do and promised Harry that she would have the secondary spells ready for him to look over on Sunday to see what ones he might want to learn.


    ¡°Thanks, Hermione.¡± Harry said. ¡°I don''t know what I would have done if you weren''t here to help me so much.¡±


    ¡°You''ve helped me a bunch, too.¡± Hermione said. ¡°I even sent in the forms to have my house added to the magical residence registry.¡±


    ¡°Will your parents like not having their home noticed by the neighbours?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Or by robbers, or hooligans, or anyone else.¡± Hermione smiled. ¡°I think mom freaked out a little when I told her what it meant.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°It has nothing to do with knowing you can magically clean the house when it''s registered, does it?¡±


    Hermione laughed. ¡°She can''t wait until Christmas break to watch me cleaning the carpet!¡±


    Harry laughed, too. He had told Hermione about his aunt''s stunned look as he did it in the living room and she hoped her mother had a similar or better reaction.


    ¡°Neither of us thought that magic could be used that way. It was all flashes and bangs in the descriptions, so finding out it could be used to clean everything quietly...¡± Hermione shook her head. ¡°I really love magic!¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''m going upstairs for a bit to keep working on those gem books.¡±


    ¡°We''ve got a bit of time before supper, so try not to get too wrapped up in it.¡± Hermione said. ¡°I''ll holler if you''re not down by then.¡±


    ¡°You just want to test the Sonorus spell inside.¡± Harry said with a smirk.


    ¡°It''s a legitimate test.¡± Hermione said with a grin and they both laughed.


    Harry brought his trunk up to his dorm room and placed it on the end of his bed, then set the curtain and the silence spell. He quickly changed out of his robes and put on normal casual clothes, then he took out the things he needed to see if the philosopher''s stone really could do what the book claimed. He had his written instructions already and took out the copy of the book and read them over again, just to quadruple check that he had written them properly.


    He unwrapped the pewter cauldron and read the written instructions again, then he unwrapped the brown cloth bundle. Unlike with the potion creation where he could hold it with the cloth, he would have to touch the stone with his hands directly. He needed to share his magic with it, just as if he was apparating. He had to let it encompass the metal to be changed as well and then say the chant to change the metal to gold.


    Harry spent several minutes calming his mind and preparing for the spell, just as if he was using the copy spell, then he touched the blood red stone for the first time. It was warm to the touch and not cold like he thought it would be. When he shared his magic with it, it glowed slightly, showing that his magic wasn''t rejected or not compatible. He smiled and touched the cauldron and let his magic cover the object. He concentrated on letting the stone do its work and said the chant.


    The cauldron immediately started to glow with a gold light that seemed to seep through it from the point where the philosopher''s stone touched it. It was like when you put a drop of water onto a piece of paper. It spread out from a single point and soaked in. Harry could feel the magic sinking into the cauldron as it slowly turned into gold.


    After two minutes, which was the same time that the Geminio spell took to make a copy of a book, the once pewter cauldron was now solid gold. The stone''s glow disappeared and Harry felt a little tired, just like he had when first using the complicated copy spell. He looked at the stone in his hand and he wondered if repeated use would let him build up his resistance, just like the copy spell did.


    It didn''t tire him out anymore to make a copy of a book for Hermione. She absolutely loved it that he would shrink them into almost paperback novel sizes for her, too. She had excellent eyesight and the smaller print didn''t bother her at all. There was also no way for her to mix the original and the copies up, even if Harry didn''t mark them as copies.


    Harry packed everything up and put it away and left out the cauldron. Now that he had it and everyone had seen him getting a package that morning, he would have to show them what it looked like. He was a bit nervous, because if they believed he actually ordered it, they would think that he was wasting his money on something that had no real value besides brewing potions.


    He hoped that his friends would understand that he didn''t do that; but, he was still nervous about it. At least, he was until he realized that all he had to do was make more and give them to his friends. He chuckled as he wrote out an order for three more cauldrons... no, four... no, five. He had Hermione, Neville, Susan, Ron, and possibly Lavender. She would definitely want one when she saw Neville with one.


    Harry would have to wait to give them out until after his plan was completed, though. He didn''t want to give himself away, because no one would be stupid enough to spend all that money and then give away five solid gold cauldrons. He added that he wanted them shrunk for easy delivery, then folded the order up and had a really odd idea. He wasn''t sure why he had it, considering what had been going on between them.


    He opened up the parchment and next to the five standard size 2 cauldrons, he added one large cauldron to the order. There was only one person in the entire school that would use a large cauldron for potion making, because an identical one sat on the shelf right behind Professor Snape''s desk.


    Harry also wrote out letters to both Bertha and Amelia to let them know what went on at the school that week, especially about Neville''s encounter with his Gran the Sunday before, then sealed them and the order in separate envelopes. He went to the window and leaned out to see Hedwig fly over.


    ¡°Hi, Hedwig.¡± Harry said as she swooped in. ¡°I''ve got letters for Amelia and Bertha, and an order for 6 cauldrons from Potage''s Cauldron Shop.¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± Hegwig said.


    Harry chuckled as he guessed what she was saying. ¡°Shrunken, of course. You''re the best delivery owl in Britain; but, even you are limited by the size of things you can carry.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said and he gave her belly feathers a gentle stroke as he put the right amount of money into her leg pouch.


    ¡°I should buy more owl treats, too.¡± Harry said and wrote out a quick note for two large packages. He added the money to her pouch and gave her all four envelopes. ¡°Thanks a lot, Hedwig.¡±


    Hedwig touched his face with a wingtip and then dove out of the window.


    Harry leaned out and watched her swoop down close to the ground and shoot off into the sky. ¡°We have to try that together sometime!¡±


    The door to the dorm room opened and Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus piled in with their potions equipment.


    ¡°Who are you yelling at?¡± Ron asked as he put his things on top of his trunk.


    ¡°Hedwig.¡± Harry said and closed the window. ¡°She just did a great ground swoop and took off.¡±


    ¡°Wow, really?¡± Ron asked and darted over to the window to see Hedwig in the distance. ¡°She dropped from here to the ground?¡± He asked, surprised. ¡°Is she crazy?¡±


    ¡°No, she does it all the time.¡± Harry said and turned back to his bed... to see Neville, Dean and Seamus staring at the solid gold cauldron that he had left on his bed.


    ¡°It''s not real, is it?¡± Dean asked in a whisper. ¡°Tell me it''s not real.¡±


    Ron turned from the window to see the same thing. ¡°BLIMEY!¡± He yelled and darted over to it. He tried to pick it up and grunted at the weight of the thing. ¡°It''s... real.¡± He said and lifted it up about a foot and then dropped it. ¡°There''s no way you''re carrying that to potions class.¡±


    ¡°Forget carrying it!¡± Seamus said. ¡°How much money did he waste on buying the thing?¡±


    Ron, who had been getting money from Harry all week for pretty much nothing, had to defend Harry''s odd spending habits. ¡°Hey, it''s his money. If he wants a potion enhancing cauldron to try and rub it in Snape''s face, I''m all for it.¡±


    A gold cauldron does that? Harry asked himself.


    ¡°I doubt that having potions finish earlier and stronger is worth getting a solid gold cauldron!¡± Seamus exclaimed.


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Neville asked. ¡°I would have finished the last potion and not gotten ''Dreadful'' if I had one of them.¡±


    Seamus looked like he was going to keep arguing, then Dean took his arm and shook his head. They both looked at the gold cauldron and looked at Harry, then both shook their heads slightly and went to their own beds to put their things away.


    ¡°No wonder you didn''t want to open this at breakfast this morning.¡± Ron said and sat next to it. ¡°The whole school would have freaked out about it.¡±


    ¡°You''re not.¡± Harry said and looked at Neville. ¡°Neither are you.¡±


    ¡°I kind of expect new and slightly scary things now.¡± Neville said with a smile.


    Harry had to smile, because Neville had been secretly scared of the ghosts and being able to fight them off was something he was very grateful for. His Patronus charm was coming along well, too.


    ¡°I''ve seen my brothers do a lot of weird things, especially my older brother Bill.¡± Ron said. ¡°He''s a Curse Breaker for Gringotts.¡±


    ¡°He''s a what?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°The goblins love gold, in case you didn''t know that.¡± Ron said, which made Harry and Neville laugh. ¡°Bill''s a wizard they pay to enter old tombs, mausoleums, and ruins to search for treasure.¡±


    ¡°You''re kidding!¡± Harry exclaimed.


    ¡°Nope! He''s one of their top earners, too.¡± Ron said, a bit happy to have an audience. ¡°In fact, he told me about one time...¡±


    Harry sat down on the other side of the cauldron and Neville sat down on the floor in front of them. They both listened to Ron spin a tale of action, adventure, danger, and treasure.


    Sometime later, Hermione''s extremely loud voice interrupted the end of the story. ¡°HARRY! IT''S TIME FOR SUPPER!¡±


    The others let out yells and shouts of surprise and Harry burst out laughing.


    ¡°Blimey, what the hell was that?¡± Ron asked and rubbed his ears to try and stop the ringing.


    ¡°I think it''s suppertime.¡± Harry said and stood, helped Neville up from the floor, then tucked the gold cauldron into his trunk. He led Ron and Neville from the dorm room and down the stairs. ¡°I can''t believe you actually did it.¡±


    Hermione was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs with a huge grin. ¡°I did warn you.¡±


    ¡°He didn''t warn us.¡± Ron said a little loudly, because he couldn''t quite hear right.


    Harry smiled. ¡°You can tell us the end of the story on the way to the Great Hall, since it''s a long walk.¡± He said pointedly and Hermione and Neville understood that there would be no shortcuts this time.


    They all went to the Great Hall and listened to the end of Ron''s story about his brother Bill.

 79 The Hospital Again

    Ron was actually a fairly decent storyteller and had kept everyone entertained with a short story about his brother Charlie who was currently working in Romania with dragons. Everyone finished eating and went back to the Griffindor Tower in a much better mood then they had been when they had left. Harry opened the window when he entered the dorm room and went to his bed, opened his trunk, and took out the book on curses that Nevile had just returned.


    Not long after that, Hedwig came in through the window with a whoosh. The others saw the large bags of owl treats and missed the package from the cauldron shop, both of which Harry tucked into his trunk. He thanked Hedwig again, gave her several treats, then told her that he would see her again tomorrow to send a letter. She hooted happily and left, which gave Ron an opportunity to see her swooping dive.


    ¡°Okay, yeah. That was cool.¡± Ron said as Harry shut the window. ¡°Crazy, but cool.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°She''s the best.¡± He said and stretched as he faked a yawn. ¡°I''m going to bed. I need to get up early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Check your alarm.¡± Neville reminded him again.


    Harry laughed as he checked it and it was set to the wrong time. ¡°Thanks, Neville.¡±


    Neville nodded and changed out of his robes and put on normal clothes. ¡°I think I''ll go help Hermione with her spell sorting.¡±


    ¡°I''ll help!¡± Ron said and almost ran after him.


    ¡°She''s not going to give you a galleon.¡± Neville warned him as they went down the stairs. Harry smiled as Ron protested that he wasn''t doing it for the money, which made Neville laugh.


    Harry climbed into bed and closed the curtain, then cast the silence spell and took out the cauldron order. He opened it and took out the five standard size two cauldrons and cancelled their shrinking spells. They popped back to their normal size and he set everything up with the philosopher''s stone. He knew he needed to take his time and kept his wand handy, in case he needed the energize spell, and got to work.


    He managed to convert two of the cauldrons to solid gold, with a short break in between, and felt very tired. He used the energize spell and waited for several minutes, then did another cauldron. He had to wait for nearly ten minutes before he felt ready to do the next one. He was a little shaky, so he knew he was taxing himself a bit too much. He did the fourth cauldron and a wave of sleepiness came over him.


    Harry immediately cast the Energize spell and woke right up. He still felt weak, so he dug some food out of his trunk. He ate quite a bit before he felt good, which had taken a while, so he sat there and let it digest for a while more. Confident that he was okay, he used the stone on the last cauldron. To his surprise, it was a little bit easier. He hadn''t noticed the change as he did the others because he did them so close together.


    So, a longer break between lets me feel the difference if I''m doing multiples so close together. Harry thought. He ate some more, a little surprised that he didn''t feel full after eating so much, and he waited. He knew the large cauldron might need a bit more concentration and magic to convert, since it was nearly twice the size of the cauldrons he had just converted.


    He took the five solid gold cauldrons down into his trunk and put them on the bottom shelf, out of sight of the opening, and he went back up to look at the large one. He didn''t have to use the energize spell on himself as he concentrated on changing it. He took several deep breaths and shared his magic with the stone, then let his magic cover the large cauldron. The conversion went exactly the same as it did for the smaller cauldrons and took the same amount of time.


    Harry was surprised by this, because he thought that at twice the size, it would need more magic and take twice as long. Instead, it became solid gold just like the others. He looked at the stone as the glow faded and he smiled at it. He knew now that he could do what he wanted with it, so he wrapped it up and put it and the large cauldron into his trunk. He changed for bed, considering it was late, and he went to sleep with dreams of things to come. Things that he hoped no one would get angry at him for.


    The alarm went off extra early and Harry woke up, grabbed his bath things, and took off to the closest bathroom. No one else was up, so he had the whole thing to himself. He didn''t relax too much, though. He scrubbed properly and even used magic to help. He dried off and went back to the dorm, dressed for a day of magic, fun, and exhaustion.


    The last thought made Harry chuckle, because he knew when Amelia got her hands on the book that he and Neville had scoured through for great spells, she would want to know what ones he could do and would ask him to perform them for her.


    Harry wrote out a very important letter, one he had debated about sending for a while, then decided that it was the only proper thing to do. He sealed it and went to the window after casting a privacy curtain and silence. He wasn''t surprised when Hedwig swooped over to him and landed on the window sill.


    ¡°This might take you a while to deliver, so I want you to be careful and rest when you can.¡± Harry said and put his arms around her to give her a very gentle hug.


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said softly and he let her go, used his fingers to straighten her slightly ruffled feathers, then he gave her several owl treats.


    ¡°Please stay safe.¡± Harry said. ¡°Do you want a Disillusionment charm?¡±


    Hedwig shook her head from side to side.


    Harry reached down to use his wand to carve her name onto the small pouch on her leg, then he handed her the letter. ¡°I''ll see you when you get back.¡±


    Hedwig stared at him and gave him a long slow blink.


    ¡°I''m going to miss you, too.¡± Harry whispered and lightly touched her belly feathers.


    Hedwig used both wingtips to touch his cheeks this time, then she turned around and dove from the window. It gave her a lot of speed and she shot up into the air like a rocket and quickly disappeared from sight.


    Harry watched her for several minutes, then he dug into his trunk to put the things he would need on the top shelf, right by the lid of the trunk, and closed it. He picked it up and could barely contain his excitement as he left the dorm room. Barely anyone else was up this early, so he went down to the Entrance Hall and went out the large oak doors. He walked quickly down to the large iron gates and waited for Amelia to appear.


    Barely ten minutes later, Amelia popped into existence and Harry did his best to not hop from foot to foot anxiously as she tapped the gates with her wand to open them.


    ¡°Good morn...¡± Amelia started to say as Harry pretty much lunged at her in his excitement.


    ¡°Hi!¡± Harry said and hugged her tightly. ¡°Come on, let''s go!¡±


    Amelia chuckled and hugged him back. ¡°I think someone''s a little excited to get going.¡±


    Harry nodded and the two of them walked a short distance away with their arms around each other, then Amelia caught her breath as Harry shared his magic with her for them to apparate.


    It''s stronger again. Amelia thought in surprise. It''s only been a week! What has he been doing that he didn''t put into the letter? She asked herself. ¡°All right. Concentrate.¡± She said instead of what she was thinking, more for herself than for him. She calmed herself and cleared her mind, directed the magic properly, and covered them and the trunk with it. ¡°One, two, three.¡±


    They disappeared from there and reappeared inside the apparating room at the hospital. Harry turned and opened the door with his free hand, held it open with his foot, then took Amelia''s hand and dragged her out of the room.


    ¡°Harry! What are you doing?¡± Amelia asked as she jogged to keep up with him.


    ¡°I don''t want to run ahead and have to wait for you to catch up.¡± Harry said and had to let her hand go to open the door to the stairwell.


    ¡°What''s got you all worked up?¡± Amelia asked as he took her hand again and dragged her into the stairwell.


    ¡°Hopefully something that will work so well that no one will understand what happened.¡± Harry said, almost with a laugh, and he ran up the stairs.


    ¡°You should slow down. Sirius isn''t going anywhere.¡± Amelia said as she attempted to reason with him.


    ¡°If this works, he will be.¡± Harry said and he had to let her hand go again when they reached the third floor and opened the door. He slowed to a walk as he approached Room 303 and the door was open. He looked inside and Sirius was sitting up in the bed and had a big smile on his face.


    ¡°Harry, my boy!¡± Sirius said and waved. ¡°Good morning!¡±


    ¡°Morning.¡± Harry said and entered the room. ¡°Where''s Healer Ela?¡±


    ¡°I finally convinced her that I wanted to try eating actual eggs for breakfast instead of that god-awful potion.¡± Sirius said and Amelia let out a chuckle. ¡°I guess you''ve taken it, too.¡±


    ¡°I went through something that had me in here for a short visit, so I know what you''re going through.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°I know it''s supposed to be healthy and all that; but, why couldn''t they make it taste like fire whisky or even pumpkin juice?¡± Sirius shook his head. ¡°We can do magic! Why does it have to taste so bad?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it''s an exception to Gamp''s law.¡± Harry said and both Sirius and Amelia laughed.


    ¡°More than likely.¡± Amelia said and gave Harry a squinted look. ¡°I thought you were in a rush to get up here for some reason?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Right.¡± Harry said and put his trunk down. ¡°I''m going to do something and show you something that I don''t want you to get angry about.¡±


    Amelia gave him an odd look. ¡°Then why did you drag me up here to show me?¡±


    ¡°He doesn''t want to hide it from you, obviously.¡± Sirius said, catching on right away.


    ¡°Why do you think I''ll get angry?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°I don''t know that you will, just that you might, especially when you see what it is.¡± Harry said. ¡°Please, please don''t be mad.¡±


    Amelia let out a sigh. ¡°I''ll do my best to not get angry, no matter what you do.¡± She said. ¡°I''ve been lenient with you so far, haven''t I?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Sirius asked, curious.


    ¡°Destroying a ghost and apparating without a license and with a passenger.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°Harry!¡± Sirius said loudly. ¡°You apparated?!?¡±


    Harry nodded, his face red, and Sirius gave him a huge grin instead of a talking down.


    ¡°I should have known you''d be as ballsy as your mother!¡± Sirius exclaimed and then laughed. ¡°Well, I''m convinced. Go ahead and show us this thing, whatever it is.¡±


    Harry opened his trunk and took out a vial of red liquid and a small brown cloth wrapped bundle. He opened the cloth and both Amelia and Sirius took in sharp breaths at the bright red jewel in his hand that was the size of his palm.


    ¡°Blimey, Harry!¡± Sirius said. ¡°Where in the hell...¡± He shook his head. ¡°Never mind where you got it. Forget I asked. I assume that this thing is what Dumbledore lost and is looking for?¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Amelia asked.


    Harry didn''t want to say the name out loud, so he stepped close to Sirius. ¡°This won''t hurt.¡± He said and shared his magic with the stone to make it glow.


    ¡°Harry... what...¡± Amelia started to say.


    ¡°Hush, woman.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Harry has to concentrate.¡±


    Harry smiled at him and rested the glowing red stone against Sirius'' forehead. He then shared his magic with Sirius, as if they were going to apparate. The man took in a quick breath at the strength of it, especially in comparison to his own weak and fractured magic. They were both surprised when they felt his magic react to the stone.


    ¡°What...¡± Sirus stopped talking and reached out to take Harry''s free hand.


    Harry felt Sirius try to help and he concentrated on what he needed the stone to do. He spoke the chant in his mind and mouthed the words, as if he was actually speaking it, and wished with all his might for it to work.


    To their surprise, a ripple seemed to form on Sirius'' forehead where the stone touched. It rolled out, like tossing a stone into a calm lake, and then another ripple formed and followed it. They went out and out, flowed down over him and as they watched in astonishment, the skin plumped out and the atrophied muscles grew. That was only on the surface and visible.


    Inside him, the ripples fixed his partially failing organs, expanded his stomach out to the normal size, and repaired his damaged lungs from the lingering pneumonia that Sirius couldn''t shake. All of his ailments faded as the ripples rolled through him and when they reached his magic, all of the ripples converged and folded into it to repair it.


    Sirius put his free hand over his heart as he felt the magic inside of him be restored. The glow from the stone faded when its work was done and Amelia and Sirius stared at Harry.


    ¡°Drink this.¡± Harry said and handed him the vial of red liquid.


    Sirius didn''t hesitate as he popped the cork and upended it, drank it down, and smacked his lips. ¡°Now that is a proper potion!¡± He said with a smile. ¡°It didn''t turn my stomach!¡±


    Harry let out a laugh and relaxed, because in front of him was a completely healed man that looked healthy, happy, and energetic. The stone had worked!


    There was a clatter behind them and the sound of a plate smashing, so they all turned to look at the door. Healer Ela stood there with a shocked expression on her face.


    ¡°Wh-what... what...¡±


    Sirius pushed the blanket off and hopped out of bed, gave Harry a quick hug in thanks, then walked over to the healer. ¡°Guess what my brilliant godson just did?¡±


    Healer Ela took one long look at a completely restored Sirius and fainted.


    Sirius barked a laugh as he easily caught her, then he carried her over to his bed. ¡°I knew she was going to faint.¡±


    ¡°I''m pretty close myself.¡± Amelia said and waved a hand in front of her face.


    Harry put the stone into a pocket and stepped close as he put his arms around her to hold her.


    Amelia took several breaths and calmed down as she recovered. ¡°Harry, you... do you know what this means?¡±


    ¡°It means Sirius isn''t hurt anymore.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Harry...¡± Amelia took another deep breath and let it out. ¡°...this could change everything.¡±


    ¡°No, it can''t.¡± Harry said and let her go. He went to the trunk and grabbed the other two vials. ¡°I need your help.¡±


    Amelia looked at Sirius and saw him tending to the healer.


    ¡°I''ll stay here with her.¡± Sirius said and waved for Amelia to go. ¡°Help Harry in whatever he wants to do.¡±


    Amelia nodded and left the room with Harry right behind her.

 80 The Long Term Ward

    Amelia opened the stairwell door and they went up to the next floor. She knew what the floor was for. She looked at Harry''s hands and saw that he only had two vials. They left the stairwell and walked over to the door. Amelia put a hand on his shoulder, assumed that he could only heal two of the people inside, and knocked on the door anyway. After a few moments, there was a click and the door opened slightly.


    ¡°Yes?¡± A woman''s soft voice asked in a whisper as she peeked out at them.


    ¡°I am Madam Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.¡± Amelia whispered back.


    The healer gasped and opened the door a little wider. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± She asked as she stepped out and closed the door behind her.


    ¡°We require entry.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°I''m sorry. This is the long term care ward. Visitors aren''t usually permitted unless they are a family member.¡± The healer said. ¡°Some of the patients can get excited if there are people they don''t know around.¡±


    ¡°I''m here to see Neville''s parents.¡± Harry said and the healer looked at him and the two red potions in his hands.


    ¡°I can give those to Alice and Frank for you.¡±


    ¡°No, I have to do it.¡± Harry said. ¡°I promised Neville that I would visit them while I was here to visit my godfather.¡±


    ¡°Your godfather?¡± The healer asked.


    ¡°Sirius Black on the floor below.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°B-Black?¡± The healer asked, surprised. ¡°They tried to put him in here!¡±


    ¡°That was Bertha''s fault.¡± Amelia said with a smile. ¡°She thought he needed your expertise.¡±


    The healer blushed a little at that. ¡°Well... even so, I... I''m not sure I should...¡±


    ¡°I''ll make a nice donation to the hospital.¡± Amelia said and the healer smiled.


    ¡°Any generosity to improve the lives of the patients is greatly appreciated, Madam Bones.¡±


    ¡°We shouldn''t be long.¡± Amelia said and the healer used a big key to open the door and the three of them slipped inside. The door automatically locked when it closed and the healer quickly cast calming spells on the closest patients.


    ¡°I really should put them to sleep; but, they''ll be up all night if I do that.¡± The healer whispered and led them down the ward to a curtained off area. ¡°Let me see if they are up and...¡±


    ¡°That''s not necessary.¡± Amelia whispered and pat the woman''s arm. ¡°I''ll wave when we''re done and you can lead us out.¡±


    The healer nodded and held the curtain for them. Harry and Amelia slipped inside the enclosed area and the smell hit them first. Either someone had just gone to the bathroom or they hadn''t had any kind of bath in a very, very long time. Harry looked at Amelia with a sad face and saw her wrinkled nose, so he cast Immobulus on the two people in the beds.


    They weren''t awake, so Harry didn''t need to cast the sleep spell on them. It only took a moment to check and see if Frank and Alice had soiled themselves. Frank was the culprit and Amelia vanished the mess away. With them so close, they saw that the man and woman also didn''t have a bath in a while. There was a wash basin there and it was full, which meant they had just interrupted it.


    ¡°Spell time?¡± Amelia asked in a hushed whisper.


    Harry nodded and he put down the two potion bottles before he went to Alice and Amelia went to Frank. The two of them quickly undressed the two patients and cast the daily maintenance spells that they usually only cast on themselves. Surprisingly, Harry didn''t react to seeing Alice naked. He felt too sorry for her and her sweaty and smelly body didn''t appeal to him in the least. They put new underwear and hospital gowns on them and then Harry relaxed.


    The two people appeared almost normal. They were almost in the same state as Sirius had been that morning and Harry had already healed that much. He knew they were mentally damaged as well and he wasn''t as sure he could heal that part... until Amelia touched his shoulder.


    ¡°Let me help this time.¡± Amelia whispered.


    Harry turned to look at her, his eyes unsure, so she took him into a hug and held him.


    ¡°You don''t have to shoulder such a burden all on your own. I know you don''t really understand what they went through. I''ll help you with my magic and maybe we can fix what the Death Eaters did to them.¡±


    ¡°It was the Death Eaters?¡± Harry asked with a scowl.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Amelia said and looked into his bright green eyes. ¡°They were tortured with the Cruciatus Curse after you-know-who disappeared ten years ago.¡±


    Harry''s eyes grew hard with determination and he gave her a nod.


    ¡°That''s my boy.¡± Amelia whispered and eased her hold enough for him to turn around. She tightened her embrace again when he took out the philosopher''s stone.


    ¡°It''s just like apparating.¡± Harry whispered and Amelia understood. She concentrated on sharing with him to help as much as she could, which was a lot, and Harry shivered as the stone glowed brightly. He took control of all that magic and touched the stone to Alice''s forehead. The both of them included her in the sharing magic and they both felt Alice''s magic was perfectly fine. It was just held back by the damaged mind, so they did their best to concentrate on that.


    Harry had used the healing energy before to fix Sirius'' body and his damaged magic, so this time he fixed the body and Amelia helped concentrate on the damaged brain. She knew the majority of the healing needed to go there, so the ripples that spread out and fixed the body, quickly returned to Alice''s head and folded inside to her brain.


    They both fervently wished for Alice to be fully healed. Harry especially, because he knew that if Neville had a chance to get his mother back, he would do anything for it. Anything.


    When the ripples of healing finally stopped and the stone''s glow faded, Harry cancelled the Immobulus spell and they waited for several minutes. All they could hear was Alice''s even breathing, so Amelia pointed to the potion. Harry nodded and handed one to her and she popped it open to slowly pour a bit of it into Alice''s mouth.


    ¡°Drink up, Alice.¡± Amelia whispered.


    Thankfully, Alice complied and swallowed it instead of spitting it out. Amelia fed her the rest of it and nodded to Harry. He knew that enough time had passed for the both of them to rest between doing it again, so they went to Frank''s bed and Amelia hugged Harry tightly. They repeated the same thing with him and fervently wished for him to be healed. Amelia gave him the potion after urging him to drink as well.


    Harry tucked the wrapped stone into his pocket and Amelia put her arms around him and held him as the two of them waited... and waited... and waited some more. Both Frank and Alice were breathing normally and hadn''t woken up.


    ¡°It might take a while.¡± Amelia cautioned and gave Harry a squeeze. ¡°They probably haven''t had a good night''s sleep in years.¡±


    Harry nodded and picked up the two empty vials. ¡°Let''s go back down to see Sirius.¡±


    Amelia reached out through the curtain and gave the healer a wave. Silence seemed to descend across the ward and the healer came over to them.


    ¡°Oh! You didn''t have to tend to them.¡± The healer said as she immediately saw that Alice and Frank had been scrubbed clean. ¡°I was just about to do it.¡±


    ¡°We didn''t want them to wake up and not be clean.¡± Amelia said. ¡°They slept the entire time, though.¡±


    ¡°Aww, I''m sorry.¡± The healer said and looked down at Harry. ¡°You went through all the trouble to come and see them and they didn''t see you.¡±


    ¡°That''s okay.¡± Harry said with a smile. ¡°Neville will be showing up later with his grandmother.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± The healer asked, curious. The Longbottoms usually only visited on special occasions.


    ¡°I wished for him to have his parents back.¡± Harry said. ¡°Amelia helped, too.¡±


    The healer smiled and couldn''t help patting the handsome boy''s head. ¡°That was very nice of you.¡±


    ¡°We should go.¡± Amelia said and the healer nodded. She led them across the ward and unlocked the door. They left and went down the stairs to the third floor and Room 303.


    ¡°It''s not possible.¡± Healer Ela said as they entered the room. ¡°How can you be fine?!?¡±


    ¡°I''ve already told you. It was my brilliant godson.¡± Sirius said as he sat on the bed, quite happy as Healer Ela performed several spells on him. ¡°I''m pretty sure I was just a test subject, though.¡±


    ¡°More like proof, I think.¡± Amelia said with a smile.


    ¡°Ah, there he is!¡± Sirius said and pat the bed beside him. ¡°Come here and tell me where you went.¡±


    Harry walked over and sat on the bed. ¡°I went upstairs to see the Longbottoms.¡±


    ¡°Frank and Alice are here?¡± Sirius asked, concern in his voice. ¡°Wait, you said upstairs? They''re in the long term care ward?¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°They''ve been there for nearly as long as you''ve been in prison.¡± Amelia said.


    Sirius scowled angrily. ¡°It was the Death Eaters, wasn''t it?¡±


    ¡°With the Cruciatus Curse.¡±


    Sirius'' face lost the anger and went right to sadness. ¡°Oh, no.¡±


    ¡°It''s all right.¡± Harry said and took Sirius'' hand. ¡°We wished for Neville to get his parents back, just like I wished for you to get better.¡±


    Sirius looked at Amelia, who nodded, so he smiled and squeezed Harry''s hand. ¡°Then I look forward to seeing them back up and about soon.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°I wanted to get changed and leave right away.¡± Sirius said and gave Healer Ela a stern look. ¡°Someone said that they won''t let me go.¡±


    Amelia chuckled when she caught the undertone of those words. ¡°I suppose you should stick around for at least another day, just to make sure you''re all right.¡±


    ¡°That''s what she said.¡± Sirius said and nodded at the flummoxed healer that was rubbing her chin and muttering to herself. ¡°I told her that I won''t allow anyone else to examine me, either.¡±


    Amelia looked at Harry and saw his happy face, so she knew he completely missed the personal interaction between his godfather and the healer. ¡°You need to rest, especially if you''re planning on leaving soon.¡± She said. ¡°Do you even know where you''re going?¡±


    ¡°No, and I don''t know what the state of my savings are, especially if the Ministry confiscated my vault while I was in prison.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°They can do that?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    ¡°It''s the Ministry. They can do whatever they like.¡± Sirius said. ¡°I was a hardened criminal, according to them.¡±


    ¡°But... you were innocent.¡± Harry said and looked at Amelia.


    ¡°I was only an Auror ten years ago and I wasn''t involved in Sirius'' case until just recently.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I can''t speak of the state of your affairs, only that I was the one that overrode the Minister''s piddly settlement for your wrongful incarceration.¡±


    ¡°What settlement?¡± Sirius asked.


    Amelia sighed. ¡°They just put a bunch of papers in front of you to sign in the prison and didn''t explain at all, did they?¡±


    ¡°I... don''t remember.¡± Sirius said with a frown. ¡°How long ago was that?¡±


    ¡°It''s not surprising that you can''t remember.¡± Healer Ela said. ¡°I doubt you remember anything from that first week before they got you set up here and we started treating you.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, you need to stay here until you do get someone to look into your banking situation.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I''d suggest getting someone from the bank to...¡±


    ¡°Griphook takes care of my account and he even got back the money that''s been taken from my vault without my permission.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°What?!?¡± Sirius stared at Harry. ¡°Say that again!¡±


    Harry explained to his godfather about the banking situation and the mess it was, while Amelia nodded in agreement, letting Sirius know that she knew, too.


    ¡°I''m going to strangle the old bastard.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°You are going to strangle the most powerful wizard of our time?¡± Amelia asked and Sirius glared at her. ¡°You better not try, since Harry worked so hard to get you back and out of prison.¡±


    ¡°Harry?¡± Sirius asked.


    ¡°He was the one to tell Bertha about Pettegrew.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Otherwise...¡±


    ¡°Dumbledore would have covered it all up.¡± Sirius said and nodded. ¡°All right. I''ll stay here for now and keep Healer Ela company.¡± He said and saw the woman react with surprise. ¡°I''ll need to send some letters to the bank and Ollivander''s.¡±


    ¡°That''s a good choice.¡± Amelia said. She had seen Healer Ela''s reaction, too. She checked her timepiece and smiled. ¡°Harry, we need to go get Susan.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said and put the empty vials into his trunk, along with the cloth wrapped stone, and picked the trunk up. ¡°See you next week.¡±


    ¡°It might not be here.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Depending on how things go...¡±


    ¡°Tell Griphook that he can give you living expenses from my vault if you need them.¡± Harry said and gave his godfather a hug. He liked that he no longer felt like a bag of bones. ¡°He''ll send a message to me for confirmation.¡±


    Sirius chuckled. ¡°Smart lad. Smart.¡±


    ¡°See you later.¡± Harry said and waved at the healer, then he and Amelia left. They had some fun and exciting training to get to.

 81 The Great News

    Neville had his own wand maintenance kit out and was polishing both of his wands, to the consternation of several other students. They hadn''t known that someone could own two wands and he didn''t correct them. He actually only owned one and had borrowed the other. His purchased wand was a wonder. It was almost eager when he cast spells with it, as if it was as excited as he was when the spells worked perfectly and they weren''t slightly off like when he used his dad''s wand.


    ¡°Mister Longbottom.¡± A stern woman''s voice said into the Griffindor Tower''s common room.


    Neville looked up at the doorway and saw Professor Minerva McGonagall as she stood there with a solemn expression on her face.


    ¡°Come with me, please. It''s about your parents.¡± Minerva said.


    Neville jumped to his feet, swiped his new wand at the kit to pack it, which it did instantly. He tucked his dad''s wand in his left sleeve and his wand up his right sleeve, then he tossed a galleon at Ron, who easily caught it.


    ¡°Take my things back up to my room.¡± Neville said and waved at the book and the kit, then ran over to the professor. She touched his shoulder briefly as they left and the portrait closed behind them.


    ¡°I don''t have any details, only that St. Mungo''s contacted your grandmother about them and she is coming right here to get you.¡± Minerva said as they walked down the hallway towards the stairs.


    Neville nodded and ducked his head slightly as he thought about why they would want him to go as well. His mind drifted and he thought about Harry, who was visiting his godfather at the hospital. Or was. It was past time for their visit, so he wouldn''t have Harry there for emotional support. He shivered a little at the thought of what he might have to face, then he put his hand on his right sleeve.


    It was a comfort that he had his own wand, one that Harry made possible, so he actually did have Harry''s emotional support. Neville took a breath and let it out. Both he and the professor were quiet as they descended the stairs. He didn''t ask why they weren''t taking any of the shortcuts, because he knew that she was giving him time. Time to try and come to grips with whatever might have happened at the hospital.


    ¡°It''s about damn time!¡± Augusta Longbottom said loudly as Neville and Minerva appeared at the top of the stairs to go down into the Entrance Hall. ¡°Hop to it, Neville! We need to get over there right now!¡±


    Neville sped up his descent and almost tripped when he reached the bottom, caught himself, and ran over to her. ¡°Sorry, Gran.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s all right.¡± Augusta said and put her arm over his shoulders. ¡°I''m a bit too eager to get going and I snapped at you.¡±


    Neville''s eyes widened at the apology.


    ¡°Come. The Knight Bus is waiting for us at the gate.¡±


    ¡°At the gate?¡± Minerva asked, surprised.


    ¡°You''d be surprised at what a few galleons can do.¡± Augusta said with a smile and led her grandson from the Entrance Hall. They walked at a quicker pace than Augusta was used to and she started to breathe a little heavily.


    Neville flicked his wrist and his wand was in his hand. He silently cast the energize spell on her and his Gran''s breathing evened out and their pace quickened.


    ¡°You can cast silently?¡± Augusta asked, surprised.


    ¡°Harry taught me.¡± Neville said.


    Her arm tightened over his shoulder. ¡°I''m so glad you became friends with him, even if he is trouble personified.¡±


    ¡°What''s that mean?¡± Neville asked.


    ¡°He''s been hit by the killing curse and didn''t die.¡± Augusta said. ¡°He won''t ever have an easy life, not with the infamy that has given him.¡±


    ¡°Not fame?¡± Neville asked as she tapped the gates to open them.


    Augusta handed two tickets to Stan and they climbed onto The Knight Bus. ¡°Fame is when you do something to earn people''s respect and attention. Infamy is when you become known by everyone for something very bad.¡±


    Neville cast Spongify on everything as he thought about that. They sat down and Augusta nodded to Stan.


    ¡°Let''s go Ern!¡±


    ¡°First stop, St. Mungo''s.¡± Ernie said and the bus took off at full speed.


    Neville did his best to keep his Gran upright on her seat, despite the bus'' erratic movements. He couldn''t do anything about the bouncing and was very glad that Harry had taught him the secret to riding The Knight Bus safely.


    Augusta tried to keep a pleasant smile on her face as her grandson tumbled around and protected her from hitting anything. He was doing a valiant job of it, just as he had when they went to Diagon Alley to buy his new wand and the maintenance kit. She hadn''t asked where he got the money or the expensive money pouch on his hip.


    She had suspected it was from the Potter boy, since he and the bushy haired girl were all he could talk about when asked about school. She confirmed this when she saw them last weekend and they had similar money pouches on their hips. She was sure that her grandson wasn''t stupid enough to have his friendship bought by another student, since he was much too smart to fall for such an easy trick. No, Neville would only accept a gift from a real friend.


    The Knight Bus came to a stop at the end of the proper street. Augusta stood as Neville picked himself up and used his wand to clean his clothing, then they stepped off the bus and walked down the street to the proper shop. They didn''t even pause as they turned and walked right through the big display window and into the lobby of the hospital.


    They had made this trip many times before, except that this time, they had been called and asked to come urgently. Augusta did her best to stay positive, even though the odds that something bad had happened to them were very high, especially in their condition. She nodded to the Welcome Witch as they passed the line and went to the stairs.


    They went up to the familiar fourth floor and walked over to the long term care ward''s door. Augusta knocked and the door popped open slightly.


    ¡°Oh! You''re finally here.¡± The healer said. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± She said and turned away briefly as the ward quieted down. ¡°Please try to not make too much noise. You know how excitable the other patients are.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. We know. Open the damn door already.¡± Augusta said. ¡°The hospital said it was urgent that we come here.¡±


    ¡°It is. It really is.¡± The healer said and stepped back to open the door enough for them to get through and she shut it again. ¡°I honestly don''t know what happened.¡± She said and led them across the ward to the curtained off area. ¡°As soon as I saw them and the state they were in, I called the Head Healer right away.¡± She motioned to the curtain. ¡°She''s been here ever since.¡±


    ¡°What happened to my son?¡± Augusta asked.


    ¡°I told you that I don''t know.¡± The healer said. ¡°After the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement left...¡±


    ¡°Mom? Is that you?¡± A man''s voice asked.


    Augusta froze at those words. No! It... it can''t be!


    Neville let out an inarticulate half-cry and half-shout as he pushed open the curtain. ¡°MOM! DAD!¡± He yelled and all of the other patients in the ward started yelling, too.


    ¡°Oh, fiddlesticks!¡± The healer said and quickly left to try and settle them back down.


    Augusta turned and looked at the two people that she had dreaded seeing every single time she came here. They had been nothing more than husks with some motor function. She had seen their eyes move and never saw anything behind them. They sat up occasionally and could walk with assistance, and that was all. No speech, no real recognition, and no responses, despite years of attempts by all of the healers she could get to come and check on them.


    A Longbottom never gave up on family, though. Even though seeing the empty shell of her son crushed her heart every time she visited, she did her duty. She raised Neville as she had raised his father and tried to give him the same sense of pride that she had in their family. He was the last of them, after all. Or, he had been.


    ¡°N-N-Neville?¡± Alice asked, her voice shaking, as she looked at the boy that was crying in front of her. ¡°You... no, it can''t be... my Neville was only a baby.¡±


    ¡°I''ve been trying to tell you this for the last half an hour and you didn''t believe me.¡± The Head Healer said. ¡°You''ve been here for ten years.¡±


    ¡°That''s not possible.¡± Frank said in denial. ¡°We only just... got... here?¡± He blinked his eyes and looked at the eleven year old boy that stood there with tears streaking down his face. He looked just like his own pictures at that age and his mind wasn''t sure what to do with that knowledge.


    ¡°I''ve... I''ve been coming here... since I was little.¡± Neville said through his tears and took a step towards his mother''s bed. ¡°Every holiday, every birthday, every family gathering.¡± He said and took another step. He wiped at his eyes and dug his hands into his pockets. ¡°I... have proof.¡±


    Alice looked down at his hands as he took out two large handfuls of candy wrappers. Hundreds of them. They were her favorite and her eyes darted to the small bowl of them that could only hold a few of them at a time.


    ¡°I kept them all... because you... you gave me these wrappers.¡± Neville said and let out a sob.


    Alice looked at his hands again and she reached out and touched the wrappers. ¡°I... I gave these... to you.¡± She said tentatively, as if she wasn''t sure, and tears started to flow from her own eyes.


    ¡°One from every visit.¡± Neville said. ¡°Every time I left, you always stopped me and gave me one.¡±


    ¡°You have so many.¡± Alice said and wiped at her eyes.


    ¡°I keep them with me, so no one will ever throw them out by mistake.¡± Neville said and stopped beside her bed. He put them back in his pockets.


    Alice looked up at his face and his chubby little cheeks sparked in her memory. Her eyes darted to his nose and then to his eyes. Her mind immediately overlaid the remembered baby face over the boy''s face in front of her. Her hands reached up and touched his cheeks, then they slid around his neck.


    ¡°Neville.¡± Alice whispered, then she let out a sob of both sadness and joy as her heart accepted the truth. She dragged Neville into a tight hug and he hugged her back just as tightly as they both cried. ¡°My sweet little baby boy.¡±


    Frank looked at them and couldn''t stop his eyes from tearing up. When he looked at his mother, something about the tears allowed him to see the worn clothing and the extra wrinkles around her eyes and face.


    ¡°Mom? It''s true?¡± Frank asked.


    Augusta stepped forward and slowly nodded. She reached for him as tears appeared in her own eyes. She felt the exact same as Alice did as she wrapped her arms around her sweet little boy and thanked her lucky stars that she could hug him and hold him in her arms again.


    The Head Healer closed the curtain and cast silence on it, then walked down the ward. She wanted to give them privacy and she also wanted to know what the hell happened. She waved her wand at the unruly patients and they all were immobilized. She waved again and they all fell asleep instantly, then she used the levitation spell to put them all back in their beds.


    ¡°Whew, thank...¡± The healer started to say.


    ¡°Who was it that was here earlier?¡± The Head Healer asked and interrupted her.


    ¡°Madam Bones and a young boy.¡± The healer said.


    ¡°Who was the boy?¡±


    ¡°A friend of Neville''s. He knew the Longbottoms were here, so I assumed...¡±


    ¡°I will be in my office.¡± The Head Healer said. ¡°I will make arrangements for them to be moved to the floor below.¡±


    ¡°Are they ready...¡± The healer started to ask.


    ¡°Whatever affected them has to be checked out and that has to be done on another floor.¡± The Head Healer looked around. ¡°Look what this ruckus has done to your nice and orderly ward already.¡±


    The healer nodded. ¡°I''ll have them ready to be moved in half an hour.¡±


    ¡°You did an excellent job cleaning them up for their guests on such short notice.¡±


    The healer smiled awkwardly. ¡°Actually that was Madam Bones.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The Head Healer asked and the healer nodded. ¡°I''ll mention it when I contact her.¡±


    The healer unlocked the door for her and The Head Healer stepped out of the ward. It shut with a click behind her and she went down the stairs. She had some investigating to do. If whatever was done to the Longbottoms could be repeated, then there would be no more need of healers. That would be a folly that the wizarding world wouldn''t be able to recover from. She couldn''t allow that... wouldn''t allow that.


    Her first point of investigation was Madam Bones. She was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so she should understand the importance of not removing an entire field of study from magic. Healers were desperately needed and whatever this was, couldn''t replace them. It just couldn''t.


    I won''t have my whole life''s work, and every healer''s work, destroyed by one miracle. The Head Healer thought as she entered her office. Actually, two miracles. She admitted to herself as she sat at her desk and read a note left there by Healer Ela. ¡°Oh, for Merlin''s sake!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°Three miracles!¡±

 82 The Response Part One

    Amelia Bones and her niece Susan had a great time going through the book Harry had brought to show them the curses and hexes from it. He had been right when he thought that Amelia would want him to demonstrate them for her. She praised him when every spell he tried worked and Harry tried to not let the compliments distract him, even though his ears went red.


    After that and a little rest, Harry remembered to tell both Amelia and Susan about what Neville did to distract Draco and his two goons. He was right again that Amelia was very interested in that technique and asked him to demonstrate it. He had told her in a letter about the encounter but had forgotten to add that detail, so when he showed her, she actually applauded.


    ¡°I didn''t come up with it.¡± Harry admitted and his face went red. ¡°It was Neville and...¡±


    ¡°He wouldn''t have if you weren''t his friend.¡± Amelia said. ¡°You''ve helped that boy a lot since you started hanging out at school together.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°Who taught him Lumos Maxima and how many of these spells does he know?¡± Amelia asked with a smile as she pat the book on her lap.


    Harry couldn''t deny that it was him that had provided both things.


    ¡°What you did at the hospital today is going to help that boy so much more than you realize.¡±


    ¡°What did Harry do at the hospital?¡± Susan asked.


    Amelia opened her mouth to explain and looked at Harry instead. ¡°I''m sorry, Harry.¡±


    ¡°It''s okay.¡± Harry said and sat down beside her. ¡°She''s your family and you shouldn''t hide things from your family.¡±


    Amelia reached over and put her arm over his shoulder to give him a one arm hug. ¡°Then I need to thank you again for letting me in on your little secret.¡±


    Harry blinked his eyes for a few moments and then his face went red again when he understood.


    ¡°Okay, now you really have to tell me what happened!¡± Susan said loudly and Amelia chuckled.


    ¡°All right, calm down.¡± Amelia said and put her other arm over her niece''s shoulder to hug her, too. She took nearly twenty minutes to explain what she had seen and been a part of at the hospital.


    ¡°No... that... how can...¡± Susan looked at her aunt and then at Harry. ¡°You can perform miracles!¡±


    Both Harry and Amelia let out laughs.


    ¡°Not really... and not without some assistance.¡± Amelia said. ¡°If it was just Harry himself that did it, I would heartily agree with you. He used an ancient and magical device that he found, researched, and then implemented.¡± She looked at Harry. ¡°I am very proud of you for doing what you did with it, though. Very, very proud.¡±


    ¡°What did he...¡± Susan''s voice trailed off as she thought about it, then she gasped. ¡°You have it! The thing the headmaster was looking for!¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°Oh... oh...¡± Susan took several deep breaths and tried to calm her nerves. ¡°You''re going to turn it in to him for the reward, aren''t you? A hundred galleons?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Harry said. ¡°I have a plan for it.¡±


    ¡°Harry!¡± Susan gasped. ¡°You can''t seriously think that you can keep it!¡±


    Harry turned his head to look at her and saw Amelia''s raised eyebrows. ¡°You have to trust me.¡±


    ¡°Harry, really.¡± Susan said. ¡°Even if you found it, it belongs to the headmaster...¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn''t.¡± Harry said and she took in a sharp breath.


    ¡°But... but why...¡±


    ¡°That''s why he wants it back so badly. He lost someone else''s property.¡± Harry said and then he smiled as he remembered Sirius'' reaction when he told him about it. ¡°In fact, it''s been missing since the middle of summer and he only just now noticed it was missing.¡±


    Both Susan and Amelia gasped. After a few moments, Amelia recovered.


    ¡°I don''t think he''s absent-minded, just really busy.¡± Amelia said. ¡°He''s the headmaster of Hogwarts and that''s a huge demand on his time, as is the Wisengamut and the International Confederation of Wizards.¡±


    Harry shrugged. ¡°He''s not getting it back.¡±


    ¡°A hundred galleons.¡± Susan whispered.


    ¡°Is that all you want?¡± Harry asked and dug into his money pouch. He quickly counted out a hundred galleons and put them on the coffee table in front of Susan. ¡°There. Happy early Christmas present.¡±


    ¡°Wh-WHAT?!¡± Susan yelled.


    ¡°I was trying to come up with a good gift for you. I guess giving you money works better.¡± Harry said. ¡°You can go buy what you want now.¡± He looked at Amelia. ¡°I forgot to ask what a nice donation to the hospital costs.¡±


    Amelia was tempted to not answer and her eyes went to the stacks of gold coins on the table. ¡°It could be anywhere from five hundred to a thousand galleons.¡±


    Harry thought about that. ¡°How big is the hospital?¡±


    Amelia smiled, because she knew where he was going with that line of thinking. ¡°It''s four floors for patients and staff and the fifth is the tea and coffee shop with the store.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I''ll send a letter to Griphook and have a thousand galleons sent over to the hospital with it divided up between the four floors.¡±


    ¡°Harry!¡± Susan exclaimed. ¡°You can''t be serious!¡±


    ¡°I know. He''s my godfather.¡± Harry grinned and Amelia laughed.


    It took Susan a few seconds to catch on to what he said, then she chuckled. ¡°Okay, that was funny.¡±


    ¡°Harry, I was the one that promised the donation.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°You said that to get me in to see Neville''s parents. I would have said it if I knew what to say.¡±


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°I don''t think she would have believed you.¡±


    Harry let out a sigh. ¡°Yeah. I guess not.¡±


    ¡°So, don''t worry about it.¡± Amelia said and rubbed his back. ¡°I''ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Harry looked at her. ¡°I''ll just transfer the money into your vault if you do.¡±


    Amelia gave him a bit of a stern look and he gave her one right back. ¡°You''re not going to let this go, are you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Harry said. ¡°Sirius told you to do what you could to help me do what I wanted. I wanted to get into the ward and you helped me do that.¡± He took her hand and held it.


    Amelia took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°All right. I''ll let you take care of the donation... on one condition.¡± She said and waited for a moment before speaking. ¡°I want you to come with us on our Christmas break tour of the countryside.¡±


    Harry''s mouth dropped open in surprise.


    ¡°MOM! That''s brilliant!¡± Susan said loudly and hugged her. ¡°We usually have so much fun and now Harry can, too!¡±


    Amelia''s face flushed red at her niece''s yell and she hugged her back with one arm.


    ¡°You... y-you want me... to go t-travelling... with y-you?¡± Harry asked, his voice unsure and shaking.


    ¡°Of course we do!¡± Susan said before Amelia could and let her aunt go, then she came around the couch to where Harry sat and hugged him, too. ¡°It''s amazing and fun and you have to come!¡± She pressed her cheek to his for a moment and leaned back. ¡°Please say yes!¡±


    Harry''s face was red and he couldn''t quite speak. The emotions going through him had frozen his tongue, so he just nodded.


    ¡°YES!¡± Susan yelled and kissed his cheek. ¡°I promise that this is going to be something you''ll never, ever forget! I promise!¡±


    ¡°You said promise twice, Susan.¡± Amelia observed.


    ¡°I have to make sure that he understands!¡± Susan said with a laugh and let a very red-faced Harry go. ¡°Oh, I can''t wait!¡± She hopped up and almost did a little dance. ¡°I''m so hyped!¡± She reached down and took Harry''s hand. ¡°Come on! We need to do target practice!¡± She yanked on his arm and dragged him over to the hidden door before Harry knew what had happened.


    ¡°No Maxima spells!¡± Amelia said after them.


    ¡°We know!¡± Susan said with a laugh and the door closed behind them.


    Amelia sat there for several seconds before she heard two loud explosions. ¡°Dammit, girl!¡± She put the spell book aside and walked over to the hidden door and opened it. ¡°I said no Maxima spells!¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Susan said excitedly and blew another target apart with Bombarda Maxima.


    ¡°At least adjust your aim for the center!¡± Amelia nearly yelled.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Susan responded and blew up another target with her maximum firepower by hitting it in the head.


    Amelia sighed and shook her own head as she stepped into the room and let the door shut behind her.


    *


    The Head Healer did her best to track down Amelia Bones. She used the floo network and tried the Ministry and her office, the Auror office, and then called the woman''s secretary directly. She learned that Madam Bones was off for the day and was at home. After a brief conversation and expressing the urgency of the call, she was given a brief window to talk through Amelia''s home fireplace.


    ¡°Madam Bones?¡± The Head Healer''s face asked from the green flames in the living room fireplace. ¡°Madam Bones? I''d like to speak to you, please!¡±


    She looked around the room as she waited to see if anyone was going to come and her eyes saw the stacks of gold coins on the coffee table in front of the couch.


    What in the world? Why does she have stacks of galleons on her table? She asked herself. She tried to yell for Madam Bones once more and failed to contact her. She pulled her head out of her own fireplace and let out a sigh. There''s no point in going over there and knocking on her door if she isn''t there.


    The Head Healer stood up and dusted off her Healer''s White robes. She sent word to the long term care ward and asked the healer to come visit her. After another conversation with her, she learned of the donation that Madam Bones had promised the hospital and that the boy''s godfather was Sirius Black.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The Head Healer said and the healer returned to her ward. That explains the galleons I saw. She thought and stood up with a smile on her face. Donations were always welcome and she could use that money to spruce up the place. The meals would take a significant upturn as well for a while.


    The Head Healer left her office to go up to the third floor to visit Healer Ela and her sole patient, Sirius Black. She desperately wanted to find out who the boy was and how whatever happened had happened. She needed to know and she quickened her pace as she went up the stairs. In only a few moments, she would get to the bottom of this mystery if it was the last thing she ever did.


    She approached Room 303 and didn''t bother knocking. She tried the handle and the door was locked, so she waved her wand and the door opened onto a scene that would forever be burned into her memory.


    One of the hospital''s patients had buried himself deep inside one of her healers. They were both completely naked on the bed and covered in sweat and other things. The grunts and moans permeated the air and filled her ears as the sight of their bodies slapping together filled her eyes.


    ¡°Wh-what... what are you doing?¡± The Head Healer asked.


    ¡°Hush, woman!¡± Sirius barked. ¡°I am thoroughly thanking this beautiful woman for taking care of me.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh... ohhhhh Sirius!¡± Healer Ela moaned as he made passionate love to her.


    ¡°I''ve got ten years of sexual frustration for you to heal for me, Ela.¡± Sirius said and kissed her.


    ¡°MMMMMMM!¡± Healer Ela moaned into his mouth because he said those magic words and she wrapped her arms tightly around him.


    The Head Healer stood there for nearly a full minute before she realized she probably shouldn''t. ¡°I''ll come back later.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°Oh, Sirius.¡± Healer Ela shuddered and pulled him back down into a kiss.


    The Head Healer walked out of the room and locked the door. As an afterthought, she waved her wand and made a Do Not Disturb sign appear on it.

 83 The Response Part Two

    Harry wasn''t surprised when he arrived back at the castle that afternoon to find out that Neville had left earlier that day. He dropped his trunk off on his bed in the dorm room and thought about his experiences that day. Healing Sirius on his own, healing Neville''s parents with a lot of help from Amelia, and then one of the most dangerous training sessions he had ever had with Susan.


    She had been really enthusiastic after he had agreed to go along on their trip during the Christmas break. Even though it was two months away, she was already planning on what she was going to pack. She even had plans for the present money he had given her. Amelia cautioned her about wasting it and Susan promised to be responsible with it.


    Neither Harry nor Amelia believed her for a second.


    Of course, Harry wasn''t sure why he had agreed to go. He didn''t even know if he was allowed to leave the castle for Christmas, then he remembered that he had just come back from spending time with Amelia and Susan. It was only a normal Saturday, so leaving for an actual break would probably be allowed.


    He had eaten at The Three Broomsticks again, which seemed to become their normal thing now after training, and he received another smooshy kiss on the cheek from Madam Rosmerta. He tried to tell her that she didn''t have to kiss him, and she just laughed and kissed his cheek again.


    ¡°She''ll keep doing it if you keep tipping her so much.¡± Amelia had warned him and he had to shrug. He couldn''t give her less now, not after he kept giving her three galleons for the meals.


    Harry turned around and saw Ron sitting on Neville''s bed with a wand maintenance kit and a book he had borrowed from Harry. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Guarding Neville''s things.¡± Ron said. ¡°I only need one more galleon and I can get the kit with the wand.¡±


    Harry chuckled and took out a galleon and handed it to him. ¡°Read some of that book while you wait.¡±


    ¡°Thanks a lot, Harry!¡± Ron said and pocketed the coin, then picked up the book to read.


    Harry went down to the common room and found Hermione sitting in the far corner. He thought about sitting in the chair across from her, then he remembered the last time they had been tucked into that chair together. She hadn''t minded him being so close and he didn''t mind it either.


    ¡°Hi, Hermione.¡± Harry said. ¡°Any luck on those extra spells?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I''ll have you know they are a little more difficult than the standard spells and easier than the ones I gave you to study.¡± Hermione said and looked up at him.


    ¡°Let me see.¡± Harry said and motioned to the chair.


    Hermione understood right away and shimmied over and Harry sat down beside her. It was a little cramped until Harry remembered how Amelia saved space on her couch. He put his left arm over Hermione''s shoulders and half-hugged her, which eased the pressure their shoulders had been exerting on each other.


    ¡°Which one should we study first?¡± Harry asked and looked down at the list. ¡°I assume you know what one''s are the most useful, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡± Hermione said, her face a little red. ¡°I think the Impervius spell that makes thing waterproof and repels water would be the most useful.¡±


    ¡°Especially here where it rains a lot.¡± Harry said. ¡°What''s next?¡±


    ¡°After that, I''d say Nebulus. It creates a fog that encompasses a small area, or more the more magic you send into the spell.¡±


    ¡°That would be good for escaping.¡± Harry said. ¡°I wonder what it would do inside a room?¡±


    Hermione smiled. ¡°It would probably soak everything in dew and make it impossible to see with fog so thick you could cut it.¡±


    Harry chuckled and then leaned in close to whisper. ¡°We have to keep that spell away from the twins or the castle would be filled with fog constantly.¡±


    Hermione nodded. ¡°I think we need to concentrate on the Bubblehead charm from the sixth year spell book as well. It creates a bubble of air around you to let you breathe fresh air anywhere.¡±


    Harry''s face scrunched up. ¡°That would have been good to have this morning.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Hermione asked, then her eyes widened. ¡°It wasn''t your godfather, was it? I thought the healers bathed the patients every day.¡±


    ¡°It was Neville''s father, actually.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Neville''s...¡± Hermione closed the book she was using and turned slightly to look at Harry. ¡°Why were you up on the fourth floor in the long term care ward and not visiting your godfather?¡±


    ¡°I did visit him, and I also...¡± Harry looked around and saw several people give him furtive glances. He cast the privacy curtain and cast silence on it. ¡°Hermione, I have something to tell you.¡±


    Hermione wasn''t sure why she suddenly felt a little uncomfortable with Harry so close. It was almost as if she could feel that he was going to tell her something that she was going to disapprove of.


    ¡°I know what it was that the headmaster lost.¡± Harry said. ¡°It''s the philosopher''s stone.¡±


    Hermione took in a sharp breath. ¡°You found it.¡± She said as a statement and not a question, and he nodded anyway. She thought about the book she had read about it and her eyes widened. ¡°You used it!¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°This morning to heal my godfather.¡±


    ¡°Harry, you don''t know what that could have done to you!¡± Hermione said. ¡°The stories alone are...¡±


    ¡°It''s all right. I did it the right away.¡± Harry said. ¡°It also worked.¡±


    Hermione frowned anyway. ¡°Were you exhausted afterwards?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡± Harry admitted. ¡°Sirius wasn''t that bad off, really. Not like the people in the stories.¡±


    ¡°That''s not the point, Harry.¡± Hermione said. ¡°The stone could have taken your ability to use magic!¡±


    ¡°I had to try.¡± Harry said and Hermione let out a little huff. ¡°It''s okay. Really, Hermione.¡±


    ¡°Did you have one of the healers check you over afterwards?¡± Hermione asked.


    Harry''s face went a little red. ¡°I didn''t think of it.¡±


    ¡°Harry.¡± Hermione''s frown deepened. ¡°I''m tempted to order you to go see Madam Pomfrey right now.¡±


    ¡°If I promise to go and get checked after I finish telling you about what happened, will you go with me?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Yes, to make sure you actually go.¡± Hermione said, then her face softened and her hand found his. ¡°I also want you to be okay.¡±


    Harry nodded and told her about the reaction from Sirius, Amelia, and Healer Ela.


    ¡°Oh, Harry.¡± Hermione said and squeezed his hand. ¡°You did it in front of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I didn''t want to hide it from her.¡± He said. ¡°She wasn''t angry about it.¡±


    Hermione almost laughed. ¡°You used a powerful magical artifact in front of her and healed someone. I''m surprised she let you out of her sight with it!¡±


    Harry smiled a little sheepishly. ¡°I didn''t tell her what it was.¡±


    Hermione''s mouth dropped open in shock. ¡°You... how did you... but, she should know...¡±


    ¡°She just knows it can be used for healing.¡± Harry said. ¡°Sirius also told her to help me with using it.¡±


    Hermione gasped. ¡°That''s why you went to see Neville''s parents!¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I''m really glad that Amelia came along, because she really helped me a lot.¡± He said and relaxed, now that he was telling his friend about it. ¡°I had no idea what was wrong with them or what to do to help. If she hadn''t shared her magic with me and helped me focus it on their brains...¡±


    ¡°Harry, you were very, very lucky.¡± Hermione said and put her arm around him to hug him. ¡°Uncontrolled magic would have backfired and you could have ended up just like them. Or worse.¡±


    Harry nodded as he let out a sigh and then he rested his head against hers. ¡°I''m sure that it worked. I wished really hard and used as much magic as I could.¡±


    ¡°So you don''t even know.¡± Hermione whispered.


    ¡°They were asleep when we left.¡± Harry said. ¡°I know they''re fine, though. I just know it.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°Unlike with Sirius, their magic was still whole.¡± Harry said. ¡°It felt like it was stuck inside and we let it out.¡±


    Hermione blinked her eyes for a moment, then she smiled. ¡°That actually matches one of the story descriptions in the book.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I could feel that they were fine.¡± Harry said and closed his eyes. ¡°I''m pretty tired.¡±


    ¡°Then go to sleep and I''ll wake you when it''s suppertime.¡± Hermione said.


    Harry smiled and kept his eyes closed. ¡°Don''t use... the Sonorus spell. I''m... right here.¡±


    ¡°You need to stop giving me ideas.¡± Hermione whispered.


    Harry let out a chuckle and then fell right to sleep.


    Hermione didn''t mind at all.


    *


    Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk and looked over paperwork. Reams and reams of parchment passed over his desk daily, and he didn''t really know why. It was just something he did as the headmaster of the school. The occasional letter from the Wizengamut would break the monotony of it and sometimes it would be a welcome sight. Most times it was not, because it usually involved drudgery and things that the other members of the court could handle on their own.


    He didn''t want to admit that most normal matters were beneath his concern, because his view of protecting the wizarding world was much too grand for him to worry about if they should review the import standards on cauldrons. He tossed the letter aside to be addressed later and sat back in his chair. He reached for a sweet from the crystal bowl on his desk, a licorice snap, and he chuckled as they tried to snap at his fingers.


    Albus caught one easily and popped it into his mouth, careful to keep the end of his tongue away from it, then a light whistling sound appeared in the middle of his office. Only one thing made that noise and his heart trembled when suddenly a very wrinkled and grey haired old man popped into existence in front of his desk.


    ¡°Hello, Albus.¡± Nicolas Flamel said and dropped a solid gold Sneak-o-scope portkey onto the headmaster''s desk. ¡°It''s come to my attention that you''ve lost my only means to stay alive.¡±


    Albus looked at one of his oldest friends and managed not to sigh. ¡°Hello, Nicolas. If you would have a seat and make yourself comfortable, I can explain.¡±


    Nicolas held a hand out to make a plush chair appear out of nowhere and he sat down on it, as if he would break if he flopped down. He took several moments to make sure that he was properly supported and gave Albus a calm and pleasant smile, despite the current situation.


    ¡°Please, do enlighten me as to how you misplaced my Philosopher''s Stone.¡± Nicolas said in a fatherly voice.


    Albus actually sighed this time and did his best to tell the tale.

 84 The Philosopher

    Bokuboy


    ¡°You mean to tell me, who is a man that has lived for over six hundred and fifty years, that you entrusted the collection of my most precious possession to a half-giant in order to lure a Dark Wizard out of hiding?¡± Nicolas asked.


    ¡°I suppose it does sound bad when spoken of like that.¡± Albus said.


    ¡°Bad? It sounds just the tiniest bit insane, my old friend.¡± Nicolas said. ¡°Especially since he never handed it over for you to carry out the rest of your cockamamie scheme.¡±


    ¡°As I explained, the plan went a little awry when Quirrell ended up dead.¡±


    ¡°So, the plan actually worked, and yet you didn''t capitalize on it?¡± Nicolas inquired with an amused expression on his face.


    Albus sighed. ¡°There were too many witnesses...¡±


    ¡°Albus, Albus, Albus.¡± Nicolas shook his head. ¡°You are making the same mistakes that many other wizards have made over the centuries. You are too fond of your own machinations to see the flaws in them.¡±


    ¡°I only wanted to lure Voldemort to the school, not kill him.¡± Albus said. ¡°He cannot be killed in such a way, as many witnesses have testified.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Your plan to test the mettle of a young boy. Harry Potter, you said his name was?¡±


    Albus nodded. ¡°I''ve groomed him to become the perfect lure and temptation for Voldemort. He is desperate for a caring family, for friends to rely on, and authority figures that won''t verbally abuse him or allow him to come to harm.¡±


    ¡°Which of those were you going to provide for him?¡± Nicolas asked, curious.


    ¡°All three, over time.¡± Albus said. ¡°Authority figures in the teachers and his Head of House, a loyal friend in one of the Weasleys of the same age, and by extension, the Weasley family would become the caring family he needs in his life.¡±


    ¡°With you lording over it all.¡± Nicolas said.


    ¡°No, I was to be an adviser and an occasional inspirational speaker.¡±


    Nicolas sat back in his chair and folded his hands on his lap. He sat there and stared at the long white beard of his friend as he thought over what he was just told. He could see the wrinkles and the age spots on his friend''s skin and they locked gazes.


    ¡°When did you start wearing glasses?¡± Nicolas asked.


    ¡°When I became a teacher here at the school.¡± Albus said.


    ¡°The outrageous robes?¡±


    ¡°An affectation over the years.¡± Albus said with a smile. ¡°I''ve become quite well known and need to keep up certain airs.¡±


    Nicolas had to nod at that. Keeping up certain appearances was definitely beneficial to having people underestimate you and your skills. The problem he saw was that the man in front of him actually believed in his facade. He had spent so much time playing the wise old mentor and an accomplished wizard, that he seemed to have forgotten that he was only a man underneath it all.


    ¡°You know what I had to do to create the stone.¡± Nicolas said.


    Albus'' eyes grew sad and he took in a long slow breath and let it out. ¡°I do, and you know that...¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t ask you to make that kind of sacrifice, even if it is to save the life of myself and my wife.¡± Nicolas said and his eyes went to the ash covered perch where a baby phoenix cooed. ¡°One life for another is not a fair exchange, is it?¡±


    ¡°No, it is not.¡± Albus said and was quiet for a moment. ¡°May I ask what state your stocks of elixir are in?¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, old friend. Both Perenelle and I have just enough left to get our affairs in order.¡±


    Albus was a little surprised to hear this, considering the nearly endless years that Nicolas had been around. He should have had decades of potion left, not ''just enough''. It was then that he realized he had made a terrible mistake. A mistake so bad that not only would it end the very long life of his good friend, it would also end the life of his friend''s wife.


    ¡°Nicolas, I... I am very sorry.¡± Albus said. ¡°I didn''t realize...¡±


    ¡°You didn''t realize what? That I was getting so old that I have a difficult time preparing such an easy potion?¡± Nicolas asked. ¡°What was one of the conditions I gave you when you asked to borrow it?¡±


    Albus couldn''t hide the sorrow he felt. ¡°Make as much potion as I could, in case it was needed.¡±


    ¡°It was... and what did you do with the stone?¡± Nicolas prodded.


    ¡°It sat in the vault for three months and then went missing.¡± Albus said in a defeated tone.


    Nicolas looked at his old friend and thought about telling him to smarten up, then he realized all that would accomplish would be making Albus scheme even more. He sat there for several minutes... long and completely silent minutes... then he unfolded his hands from his lap and eased himself up and out of the chair.


    ¡°Well, it was nice seeing you again, Albus.¡± Nicolas said and made the chair disappear with a wave of his hand. He turned away from the desk and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Old friend?¡± Albus asked and Nicolas turned to look at him. ¡°Aren''t you going to use the portkey?¡±


    ¡°Keep it, for old time''s sake.¡± Nicolas said with a sad smile. ¡°If you don''t mind, I would like to take a little walk around the castle for a while.¡±


    Albus stood. ¡°I''ll come with...¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± Nicolas said and waved for him to sit. ¡°I have some things to think about and I don''t need the distraction.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Albus said and sat. ¡°Please feel free to look around as much as you want.¡±


    Nicolas nodded to him and opened the door to the office and descended the stairs as the door shut behind him. He rode the spiral staircase down and almost laughed at the simple transfiguration spell used to create it.


    It was just like Albus to show off like this inside of a school. Nicolas thought and stepped out into the corridor.


    The ancient man knew where he wanted to go and it would take him quite while to get there, considering his slightly decrepit state. His problem was that he didn''t know how to get there. He took out a piece of parchment and a sliver of a wand.


    Partum Regio. Nicolas thought and a basic map of the school appeared on the parchment. He saw where it was that he needed to go and smiled. Huminibus Revelo. He thought and the castle was populated with little dots and their names. He saw the one that he wanted and started walking. His dot moved on the parchment in the wrong direction, so he turned around and went the other way.


    *


    Neville was overcome with emotions. He wanted to shout happily, cry with sadness, yell to let everyone know that his parents were back, and keep extremely quiet in case it was all just a dream.


    His parents had been moved down to the third floor and more healers than he had ever seen before had come and gone in the time that he was there. They performed diagnostic spells of all sorts and made notes and talked in hushed whispers. They wouldn''t say anything to anyone else, not even to his Gran, Augusta Longbottom, when she demanded to know what they were doing.


    That wasn''t what had made Neville a nervous wreck, however. It was when a certain well groomed individual with long curly black hair showed up and barked at the healers for bothering his friends while they were recovering, then he had kicked them all out of the room.


    ¡°Sirius? Is that you?¡± Frank asked, surprised. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that''s a long story, my friend. A very long story.¡± Sirius said. ¡°One that can wait for another time, seeing as we''ve both been saved by my godson and have lots of time to catch up.¡±


    ¡°HARRY DID THIS?!?¡± Neville yelled at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°Easy there, lad. I just had these ears healed from the last person to scream into them.¡± Sirius joked and pat Neville''s shoulder. ¡°Yes, it was Harry. He and Madam Bones were here this morning and took care of us.¡±


    ¡°Madam Bones?¡± Alice asked, confused.


    ¡°Amelia Bones. Same year as us and sorted into Hufflepuff.¡± Sirius said. ¡°She''s the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement now.¡±


    ¡°A senior member of the Ministry came here to help us?¡± Frank asked, shocked. ¡°Why would she...¡±


    ¡°I asked her to help Harry and she''s taken a liking to the boy.¡± Sirius said with a smile.


    ¡°But... why would...¡± Alice looked at her husband and back at Sirius. ¡°It''s really been ten years.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, and we''ve suffered all this time, mostly out of our minds.¡± Sirius said. ¡°It doesn''t get much grimmer than that.¡±


    ¡°What... what do we do?¡± Frank asked, unsure.


    ¡°We live, of course.¡± Sirius said and they all looked at him. ¡°We both have young boys that need more parents in their lives, don''t we?¡± He gave Neville''s shoulder a squeeze and let it go. ¡°We have a job to do and we need to get to it.¡±


    ¡°It can''t be that simple.¡± Augusta said. ¡°They just woke up and...¡±


    ¡°It is that simple.¡± Sirius said. ¡°After they make you stay for a day or two, so they can poke and prod you to make sure you''re fine, go home and get yourselves up to speed. By the way, not much has changed, so you won''t take long adjusting.¡± He said with a chuckle.


    ¡°You seem to have already.¡± Frank said.


    ¡°No, I''ve got some work ahead of me to get my affairs in order. After that, I''m going to do my best to take care of the people in my life.¡±


    ¡°Sirius.¡± A woman''s soft voice whispered from the doorway. ¡°You need to rest.¡±


    Sirius turned to look at Healer Ela and her slightly red face. ¡°Yes, my dear Ela. I''ve finished my first visit and checked on my friends.¡± He walked over to the door and took her into his arms. ¡°Thank you for letting me out of your sight for a few minutes.¡±


    Healer Ela laughed and gave him a kiss. ¡°You''re such a scoundrel.¡±


    ¡°Guilty.¡± Sirius said with a grin and he looked back into the room. ¡°I suggest you two get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be the first day of the rest of your lives.¡±


    Augusta, Neville, Alice, and Frank watched him leave with his arms around the healer.


    ¡°He''s right.¡± Augusta said. ¡°You two need rest. This day has been... well, it''s been...¡±


    ¡°A revelation.¡± Frank said. ¡°Who would have thought that the boy who lived and saved us all from Voldemort, would be the one to save Alice and myself from his Death Eaters?¡±


    His words hung in the air as the implication that they needed a boy to save them was a heavy weight to bear.


    ¡°I should have.¡± Neville said.


    ¡°Neville...¡± Augusta started to say.


    ¡°You were right, Gran. Harry attracts trouble because of what was done to him, not because of who he is.¡± Neville said and looked at his father and then his mother. ¡°I''m glad I''m his friend.¡±


    ¡°So are we.¡± Alice said with a smile. ¡°You should go. I think I am feeling tired.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Neville said and gave her a hug. ¡°Bye, mom.¡±


    ¡°Goodb... what is in your sleeve?¡± Alice asked as it pressed against her side.


    ¡°Oh! I guess I need to give this back.¡± Neville said and flicked his left wrist. His father''s wand slid out of his sleeve and he caught it. ¡°Gran loaned this to me.¡± He said and handed the wand to his father.


    ¡°My... wand.¡± Frank whispered. ¡°You have my wand.¡±


    ¡°After Harry showed me how, I polished it every day at school.¡± Neville said.


    ¡°It looks brand new.¡± Frank said as he took it and the familiar feeling filled him.


    ¡°I have yours at home.¡± Augusta said to Alice. ¡°I''ll bring it tomorrow when we visit again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Augusta.¡± Alice said and looked at Neville. ¡°Really.¡± She said and looked back at her mother-in-law. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Augusta reached out and took her hand for a brief moment, nodded, then let go and put an arm over Neville''s shoulders. ¡°Let''s go, Neville.¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡± Neville said and waved to his parents as he and his Gran left the room.

 85 The Philosopher’s Stone

    Bokuboy


    ¡°...harry...¡± A soft voice whispered.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Harry turned slightly and hugged his nest of blankets tighter. It was a bit firmer than he remembered.


    ¡°...harry...¡± The voice whispered again.


    ¡°Tired.¡± Harry whispered as he reached out for the timepiece he usually left at his bedside. He touched it and instead of the alarm stopping, there was a gasp. Hold on... there wasn''t... any beeping. He thought lazily and hugged his blankets again.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Hermione said in a normal voice.


    Harry jolted awake and blinked his eyes. It took him a few moments to realize that he wasn''t in his bed like he thought he was and he could see Hermione''s red face that was right next to his.


    ¡°Where...¡± Harry looked around and saw that he was in one of the large comfy chairs in the Griffindor Tower common room. He also had his arms wrapped tightly around Hermione. ¡°I''m sorry, Hermione. I thought I was in bed.¡± He said and eased his tight hold on her.


    ¡°That''s okay, Harry. I liked...¡± Hermione started to say and her face went even redder. ¡°Forget it.¡± She said and pointed. ¡°Someone very important is here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Harry asked and turned to look where she pointed. He took in a sharp breath when he saw who it was. He had stared at the man''s picture in the book while he studied the procedures to use the stone. He let Hermione go and he didn''t even ask why his privacy curtain spell was missing.


    ¡°Hello, Mister Potter.¡± Nicolas said and nodded at Hermione. ¡°I am terribly sorry for interrupting your much needed nap.¡±


    ¡°It''s okay.¡± Harry said and extracted himself from beside Hermione and stood up from the chair. Just like Hermione, he felt the immediate loss of all that comforting warmth.


    ¡°I believe that you and I have a lot to discuss.¡± Nicolas said. ¡°Would you know a good place to do that?¡±


    Harry nodded and waved at the dorm room stairs. ¡°My bed is at the top of the stairs.¡±


    Nicolas chuckled and the sound rattled in his chest. ¡°More stairs.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said with a smile and walked over to him.


    ¡°If I could borrow your shoulder, I should be able to manage.¡± Nicolas said and Harry nodded. The ancient man put a hand on Harry''s shoulder from behind and Harry walked up the steps at a slow pace.


    Harry felt both the weight and the absence of weight in the hand on his shoulder. ¡°Can I ask you why you''re like this?¡±


    Nicolas chuckled as they entered the dorm at the top of the stairs. Before he could speak however, another curtain appeared and silence was cast on it.


    ¡°Ron''s on Neville''s bed, reading.¡± Harry said and moved his trunk off of his bed.


    Nicolas looked at the nest of blankets and at Harry.


    ¡°I always sleep like that.¡± Harry said and pushed the blankets out of the way.


    ¡°I suppose that explains your herculean grip on the girl downstairs.¡± Nicolas said with a smile as he sat.


    ¡°What''s hurc... herk...¡± Harry struggled with repeating the word.


    ¡°Herculean or Her-cue-lee-ann. It means massive strength.¡± Nicolas clarified for him.


    Harry''s face flushed red as he sat.


    ¡°It''s all right, Mister Potter. What''s the girl''s name?¡±


    ¡°Hermione. Hermione Granger.¡±


    ¡°Miss Granger didn''t mind you doing that, so you shouldn''t, either.¡± Nicolas said. ¡°Now, as for me, the healing properties of the stone are not a restorative in the sense that it will give someone eternal youth.¡±


    ¡°The book said it lets you live forever.¡± Harry said.


    Nicolas waved at himself. ¡°Like this. It extends your life, so you continue to age... and age... and age.¡±


    ¡°But... but...¡± Harry bent down and opened his trunk. He picked up the small version of the book and sat on the bed again. He flipped through the pages until he found the right section. ¡°It says right here that the stone will heal any ailment, with proper meditation and concentration.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Nicolas said. ¡°It''s too bad that age is not an ailment.¡±


    Harry opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. ¡°It''s not? I thought... well...¡±


    ¡°It is debilitating, yes. Unfortunately, it''s not something that can be healed.¡± Nicolas chuckled. ¡°Even I, the famous alchemist, haven''t found the fabled fountain of youth... or a similar elixir.¡±


    Harry looked down at his hands holding the book and smiled. ¡°I think you need to visit Madam Primpernelle in Diagon Alley.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Nicolas asked.


    ¡°She might not be able to do anything for your old age, but your looks? She''s an expert!¡± Harry said. ¡°She even made me regrow my skin!¡±


    Nicolas looked at the boy closely. He saw the skin was completely blemish free. Not a mark or spot was on its surface anywhere. He briefly touched the boy''s hand and felt the smooth surface.


    ¡°I believe the temptation to make myself handsome again must be resisted.¡± Nicolas said with a self-depreciating smile. ¡°I wouldn''t survive my wife''s amorous advances.¡±


    Harry was a little confused for a few moments.


    ¡°She would hug me harder than you hugged Miss Granger.¡± Nicolas said.


    ¡°Oh. I guess that would be bad for you.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Not that it matters, anyway. I don''t have much Elixir of Life left.¡± Nicolas said.


    ¡°I''ve got some if you want it.¡± Harry said. ¡°Just a second.¡± He climbed down into the trunk and picked up the cauldron sized crystal vial and shakily climbed the ladder again. ¡°I made a batch... to test the stone... to make sure... it worked.¡±


    Nicolas helped him with the heavy load when Harry reached the top of the ladder and they put the heavy thing on the bed. ¡°Why is the vial this big?¡±


    ¡°I can''t shrink it.¡± Harry said. ¡°I tried a couple of times and nothing happens.¡±


    Nicolas frowned. ¡°The engorgement charm wearing off should make it return to normal size.¡±


    ¡°My spells last a long time.¡± Harry said, not a hint of bragging in his voice. ¡°I read the stories in the book again and I think the potion is keeping the spell active.¡±


    ¡°Now that is an interesting hypothesis.¡± Nicolas said. ¡°The life extending properties of the potion is keeping the container itself like new.¡±


    ¡°I made the vial into crystal and unbreakable before adding the potion, too.¡± Harry said.


    Nicolas looked at him with an appraising eye, then he dug into his coat and pulled out Harry''s letter. ¡°When did you send this?¡±


    ¡°Really early this morning.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''m glad Hedwig made it all the way to you.¡±


    ¡°As am I.¡± Nicolas said. ¡°She refused to portkey here with me and took off before I could ask her why. Do you know?¡±


    ¡°She loves flying.¡± Harry said with a shrug. ¡°We even race after flying lessons.¡±


    Nicolas nodded, as if that was a valid reason to fly back to England from France. ¡°Your letter doesn''t say how you came to be in possession of my stone.¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t matter.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Nicolas asked and stared at him.


    ¡°I know that look.¡± Harry said and stared back into his eyes. ¡°If you want to know if I used it, I did.¡±


    Nicolas took in a sharp breath when he saw the memories in Harry''s mind. ¡°You used it, knowing the risks.¡± He said, shocked. ¡°Three times.¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°You could have lost your magic ability if anything went wrong.¡± Nicolas repeated the same warning that Hermione had given him.


    ¡°I had to try.¡± Harry said and he described his godfather and what he went through.


    ¡°What of the Longbottoms?¡± Nicolas asked.


    ¡°Neville lost his parents just like I lost mine.¡± Harry said. ¡°Only, his were still alive. Once I discovered what the stone was and looked up how to use it, I had to try and get them back.¡±


    Nicolas stared at Harry for several minutes and all he could get from him was how happy he was that they were healed, even though he hadn''t seen the Longbottoms awake.


    ¡°Why do you think it worked?¡± Nicolas asked.


    Harry shrugged again. ¡°I just know it did. I think I felt it through the stone, too.¡±


    Nicolas let a smile appear on his face and stopped his scrutiny of the boy. ¡°Well, since you were successful, I think I can tell you the secret of the stone''s use.¡±


    ¡°There''s a secret?¡± Harry asked. ¡°The book...¡±


    ¡°I wrote that decades ago.¡± Nicolas said and waved it away. ¡°I assume you used the Geminio spell?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Some of the original books I copied can''t be shrunk.¡±


    ¡°They are spelled to not be shrunk and easily stolen.¡± Nicolas said.


    ¡°So that''s why!¡± Harry said and Nicolas chuckled.


    ¡°It''s so simple, isn''t it? Once you know something, it makes other things easier to understand.¡± Nicolas said. ¡°Which brings me right back to the secret of the stone.¡±


    Harry listened intently and waited. He had used it without knowing the secret and it still worked.


    ¡°The use has to be selfless.¡± Nicolas said and he saw that Harry didn''t understand. ¡°You need to use it for others and not for yourself.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure what to say to that, especially since he thought he had been a bit selfish healing his godfather.


    Nicolas chuckled. ¡°No, dear boy. You still didn''t do that for yourself, since you don''t know what could become of that relationship in the future. You healed him because you knew he needed it. It''s the same with Neville''s parents. You healed them for him and not for yourself.¡±


    Harry thought about testing the stone by making the potion.


    ¡°Again, not for yourself. You didn''t once think to yourself that you wanted to live forever, did you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Harry said. ¡°It seems like a lot of work, especially since you didn''t put in the book when you''re supposed to take it or how often.¡±


    Nicolas laughed. ¡°I wasn''t going to give all of the secrets away.¡±


    Harry put the book into his trunk on the top shelf and then sat on the bed. ¡°You''re not angry at me for using it?¡±


    ¡°I would have been if you had run around and tried changing everything into gold.¡± Nicolas said with a knowing smile and Harry''s face flushed red.


    ¡°It''s all right, Mister Potter. You might have made six solid gold cauldrons; but, you still didn''t do it for yourself, especially since you didn''t know that it makes enhanced potions.¡±


    Harry relaxed at his words. ¡°You can call me Harry.¡±


    ¡°I would be honored to consider you a friend, Harry.¡± Nicolas said as reached out and touched his shoulder. ¡°You can call me Old Fogey or That Bag Of Bones.¡±


    Harry widened his eyes for a second, then he burst out laughing. Nicolas joined in and the two of them sat there for several minutes as they shared both humor and laughter.


    ¡°On second thought, you should probably call me Nicolas.¡±


    Harry smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Now my friend, if I could bother you for a while, would you mind making me some potion?¡± Nicolas asked.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Harry said. ¡°Does a refilling charm work on it?¡±


    Nicolas pat his shoulder. ¡°I''m glad you''re thinking about how to do things.¡± He said. ¡°Unfortunately, it needs the infusion from the stone directly to maintain itself.¡±


    Harry nodded and looked down into his trunk. He saw his original pewter cauldron and let a smile grow on his face. ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    Nicolas gave Harry an incredulous look for a moment, then laughed. ¡°My boy, you are a wonder!¡±


    ¡°It should work.¡± Harry said and went into the trunk to gather up the potion equipment he needed, piled it into the cauldron, then took the stone from its spot on the shelf. He closed the trunk and Nicolas followed him down the stairs.


    ¡°Harry? Is everything okay?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°Everything''s great.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''m just making something for Nicolas.¡±


    Hermione heard the man''s first name and not Mister Flamel, so she smiled and nodded.


    Nicolas followed the boy out of the common room. ¡°Harry, wait a moment.¡± He said as the portrait door shut. ¡°Could you tell me the password to get inside?¡±


    Harry turned and stared at him. ¡°But... you were just...¡±


    ¡°If you can keep a secret, I stunned the door guardian.¡± Nicolas said.


    Harry''s mouth dropped open in surprise as he looked at the portrait of the fat lady and she was slumped in the chair in the background. ¡°You can stun portraits?¡±


    Nicolas chuckled. ¡°I did it just as I was about to tell her the password.¡±


    ¡°It''s Caput Draconis.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Nicolas said. ¡°I suggest you ask the portrait to change it when I leave.¡±


    Harry thought about it, then shrugged.


    Nicolas laughed and turned to the portrait to revive her. ¡°It is Caput Draconis, dear lady.¡±


    ¡°That... is correct.¡± The Fat Lady said.


    ¡°Oh, look! The one I was looking for is already out.¡± Nicolas waved to Harry. ¡°I am sorry for bothering you, madam.¡± He said and bowed his head to the portrait.


    ¡°It''s quite all right.¡± The Fat Lady said.


    Harry led Nicolas to a shortcut staircase and past the joke door, then down another set of stairs to the Entrance Hall.


    ¡°I knew I should have done an extensive map.¡± Nicolas whispered to himself, then shrugged. The delay getting to the tower had given Harry some extra nap time. They went outside and around the side of the castle. ¡°Right here should suffice.¡± He said in a normal voice.


    Harry put the cauldron down and took his things out of it, then he used the philosopher''s stone to change the cauldron into solid gold.


    He didn''t even pause to prepare. Nicolas thought, surprised. What he didn''t know was that Harry had been preparing the whole time they were walking.


    Harry moved the cauldron out fairly far and flicked his wrist to take out his wand. ¡°Engorgio Maxima!¡±


    The cauldron was hit by the spell and instead of only doubling in size, it grew to eight times its size. It was now the size of a small car and Nicolas laughed at the thing.


    ¡°I''ll handle the heating part.¡± Nicolas said and levitated the cauldron, formed wood underneath it, then started magical flames. He set the pot down and nodded to Harry.


    Harry prepared a small amount of the ingredients, multiplied them, since they weren''t magical and could easily be copied, and he added some of them to the pot. He used the advanced water making spell Aqua Eructo that produced a hose-like jet of water and used the full power spell. The giant cauldron filled up in only a couple of minutes.


    ¡°I can''t believe we''re doing it like this.¡± Nicolas said as the potion quickly reached the middle stage and Harry added the rest of the ingredients. ¡°It never occurred to me to make the cauldron itself bigger.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t think of it until I couldn''t shrink the vial of potion.¡± Harry said. ¡°Now you can keep the potion in the cauldron and...¡± He stopped talking and looked at Nicolas. ¡°We forgot the big vial on my bed!¡±


    Nicolas pat his shoulder again. ¡°You can keep it in your trunk for a while.¡± He said and motioned to the ready cauldron. ¡°Go ahead and finish the infusion of the stone.¡±


    Harry took out the stone and closed his eyes. He made the stone glow as he shared his magic with it, then had to carefully reach up and dipped it into the potion. He felt through the stone as its magic filled the cauldron of potion. It took several minutes for the potion to finish and Harry felt the magic stop working.


    ¡°It''s done.¡± Harry said and took the stone out. He carefully wiped it off and wrapped it back up into the brown cloth, then handed it over to Nicolas.


    ¡°You were never going to keep it, were you?¡± Nicolas asked.


    ¡°What for? I have tons of money and I don''t want to live forever.¡± Harry said. ¡°Using it to heal people I don''t know or really care about is too dangerous, too.¡±


    Nicolas stepped close and put his arms around him. ¡°You don''t know how happy I am that you were the one to find the stone.¡±


    The hug was weak and the old man felt like Sirius did when he had just got out of wizard prison.


    ¡°Well, actually... I found it in Hagrid''s pocket.¡± Harry admitted.


    Nicolas stiffened for a moment, then he let out a rattling laugh. ¡°Oh, that... that made my day, young man.¡± He said and let Harry go. ¡°Thank you very much for that and for all of this potion.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know how you''re going to get it home.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Quite easily, actually.¡± Nicolas said and took out a gold coin. ¡°Portus.¡±


    Harry watched as Nicolas used a Ministry restricted spell. ¡°You can''t apparate in and out of Hogwarts.¡±


    ¡°Portkeys bypass nearly all other enchantments and spells on a place.¡± Nicolas said.


    ¡°That makes more sense as to why the Ministry restricted its use, instead of regulating it.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Only the British Ministry of Magic restricted it.¡± Nicolas corrected and then smiled. ¡°It was very nice meeting you, Harry.¡±


    Harry nodded and stepped back. He knew you needed to touch the coin to go along; but, it didn''t hurt to be at a safe distance.


    Nicolas pressed the coin to the side of the cauldron. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± Harry said and then Nicolas, the car sized cauldron, and the potion disappeared.

 86 The Revelation

    Harry shrank his potion things to make them easier to carry and tucked them into his pockets.


    ¡°HARRY!¡± A boy''s voice yelled.


    Harry turned to see who it was and saw Neville running towards him. ¡°Hi, Neville. How are...¡±


    ¡°THANK YOU!¡± Neville yelled and tackled him. Luckily, it wasn''t hard enough to make them tumble to the ground. He hugged Harry tightly and managed to not start crying again. Barely. He sniffled and let him go. ¡°Thanks a lot for what you did, Harry.¡±


    ¡°I know you''d do the same if it was my parents stuck like that.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°If I knew how.¡± Neville said. ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°I used a magic stone and then gave it back.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Neville looked at him with surprise on his face.


    ¡°I gave it back.¡± Harry said. ¡°The guy who owns it just left.¡±


    Neville looked around and didn''t see anyone.


    Harry chuckled. ¡°He was too old to walk all the way down to the gates. He used a portkey.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That makes sense.¡± Neville said and the two of them went inside the castle. They took the shortcut to get back up to the Griffindor Tower common room and went inside.


    ¡°Hi, you two.¡± Hermione said, fully recovered from Harry''s nap and his not quite tender embrace.


    ¡°Hermione! You''re not going to believe what Harry did!¡± Neville said loudly and ran over to her.


    Several people turned around to look at his near shout.


    ¡°He told me a little while ago after he came back from Amelia''s.¡± Hermione said. ¡°I''m so happy for you!¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Neville said and plopped down on the chair across from hers.


    Harry walked over and Hermione hadn''t moved to take up the extra space in the chair she sat in, so Harry sat down next to her again. She didn''t blush this time when he put his arm back around her.


    ¡°How did things go with Nicolas?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°I made a big cauldron of potion for him and he used a portkey to go home.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°You''re kidding!¡± Hermione exclaimed. ¡°Portkeys are restricted by the Ministry!¡±


    Harry smiled, because he had said the same thing to Nicolas, so he responded as Nicolas did to him. ¡°Only by the British Ministry of Magic.¡±


    Hermione opened her mouth to say that still applied, then she closed her mouth and started thinking.


    ¡°I know that face.¡± Harry said and she smiled. ¡°Nicolas told me that he was glad that I was thinking about how to do things.¡±


    ¡°Harry, he''s over six centuries old. I''m sure he''s thought of everything.¡± Hermione said, sure of it.


    ¡°He never thought of making a giant cauldron to brew potions.¡± Harry said, a little smugly.


    ¡°You. Did. Not!¡± Hermione exclaimed and Harry laughed.


    ¡°Engorgio Maxima on a cauldron.¡± Harry said and she gasped.


    ¡°That... that would make it...¡±


    ¡°...about the size of a car.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Aw! I just missed seeing it.¡± Neville lamented, remembering that Harry said that the man just left.


    ¡°I didn''t think you could portkey something so large.¡± Harry said and then told Hermione about what Nicolas said about portkeys.


    ¡°You''re right, Harry. That does make more sense as to why they would restrict its use.¡± Hermione said. ¡°People would be able to pop into the Ministry whenever they wanted, instead of at approved times and places.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°The same with the castle. Amelia said the apparating lessons for fifth years have to be conducted in an area where the enchantments are lifted.¡±


    Hermione stared at him for a moment. ¡°Can you imagine people popping in and out all the time? This place would be crazy!¡±


    Harry and Neville let out short laughs. ¡°I would do it, too.¡± They said at the same time to tease her.


    ¡°Oh, no you won''t!¡± Hermione berated them, then she saw them on the brink of laughing. ¡°You guys!¡±


    Harry and Neville laughed. After a few moments, Hermione laughed, too.


    ¡°I need to go upstairs and put my things away.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°My things!¡± Neville exclaimed.


    ¡°Ron''s still watching them and I told him to read some of the book I lent you.¡± Harry said and stood.


    ¡°Come back down so we can go over the spells.¡± Hermione said and pat the book on her lap.


    Both boys nodded and went up the stairs to the dorm room. Harry dismissed the privacy curtain he had left around his bed and took out his potion equipment and things. He resized them and put them and the giant crystal vial of Elixir of Life into his trunk.


    Neville thanked Ron for watching his things and put the kit away into his trunk. Ron asked to keep reading the great book, so Harry made him a copy and gave it to him.


    ¡°BLIMEY!¡± Ron yelled and clutched the book in his hands. ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Lots of practice.¡± Harry said. ¡°See you later.¡±


    Harry and Neville went downstairs and saw Lavender and Pavarti talking to Hermione.


    ¡°Hi, Harry!¡± Lavender said and did a little twirl. She was wearing the expensive outfit that Harry had bought for her. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Harry was a bit nervous about being put on the spot like that and didn''t know what to say.


    Pavarti laughed. ¡°I told you not to ask boys for their opinion, Lavender. They''re boys. They don''t understand the importance of looking good.¡±


    ¡°They can at least say they like it, can''t they?¡± Lavender asked her, then looked at the two boys. ¡°Do you like it or not?¡±


    Harry relaxed, now that he could give an easy answer. ¡°I like it.¡± He said and Neville only nodded.


    ¡°There, see?¡± Lavender beamed a smile at Pavarti, who just rolled her eyes.


    ¡°The blonde leading the blind.¡± Pavarti whispered and Lavender laughed. ¡°Come on, you said that you wanted to show your outfit off to the Hufflepuffs.¡± She said and took Lavender''s hand.


    ¡°They are going to be so jealous!¡± Lavender said and almost giggled as the two girls left the common room.


    ¡°What was all that about?¡± Harry asked and sat down with Hermione again.


    ¡°Ghost sightings.¡± Hermione whispered and both Harry and Neville nodded understanding. They had already removed half of the ghosts from the castle already. They were starting to become elusive and harder to find.


    After they discussed setting up some ambushes for tomorrow, since they didn''t have anything else planned for the whole day, the trio discussed the new spells to work on. They also talked about what things might be covered in the lessons during the next week and if it would be from their school books or something the teachers were going to add on their own.


    *


    A lowly Ministry official had gone to work on a Saturday of all days, just because she wanted to catch up on the paperwork that she had fallen behind in during the week. She was the secretary of the undersecretary to the Minister, so she was fairly important to the successful operation of the Ministry as a whole. Or so she had convinced herself.


    She sat down at her desk and was surprised to find a blank envelope on her desk''s blotter. It was odd to find it not in the ''in'' tray, which meant that someone had placed it there by hand or with magic. She quickly did several diagnostic spells including Revelio to reveal any spell and Priori Incantatem in case there were more than one on it. She discovered that it was just a normal envelope. She nodded and used her wand to open it, just in case, and it unfolded to reveal a single sentence.


    ¡°The Mirror of Erised is at Hogwarts.¡± She read out loud. ¡°What in the world... why would someone send me...¡± She mulled it over and then gasped. ¡°The Mirror of Erised!¡± She nearly yelled. It was a very dangerous magical artifact that could send anyone who stood in front of it into a trance! She thought and quickly wrote out several notes and tapped them with her wand. They folded themselves into paper airplanes and took off out through the space above her door.


    *


    The three Aurors on weekend duty sat around the office and didn''t have anything to do. Which was great. They always enjoyed having time off, even if they had to be at work to get it. That sounded odd when you thought about it; but, when you can be called in at any time during the day or night when an emergency happened, getting to sit and relax was a welcome relief.


    A paper airplane slid through the top of the door and came in for a landing on the middle desk. One of them grabbed it and it unfolded.


    ¡°We''ve got a hot one, boys!¡± The large black man said and stood.


    ¡°What is it, Kingsley?¡± Dawlish asked.


    ¡°Your girlfriend! Ha ha!¡± Williamson joked and laughed.


    ¡°Enough. We have the location of a class four magical artifact.¡± Kingsley said without having to glare.


    ¡°Apologies.¡± Williamson said and walked over. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The Mirror of Erised.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°It''s also at Hogwarts.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Dawlish yelled and came over. ¡°How in the world did it get to Hogwarts?¡±


    ¡°I don''t think that matters much right now.¡± Williamson said. ¡°You''re the lead on this, Kingsley. What do we do?¡±


    ¡°Two things.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°One is we assume this is a false tip and go investigate.¡±


    ¡°And the other?¡± Dawlish asked.


    ¡°We assume it''s real and go investigate.¡± Kingsley said with a smile.


    ¡°I''m definitely up for either of those.¡± Williamson said with a matching smile.


    ¡°I''m in.¡± Dawlish said. ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    Kingsley sent a note back to tell the secretary of the undersecretary that they were leaving right away. The three men left the Auror office to go to the designated apparating room. They would pop over to the school unannounced and while one of them asked the headmaster about the dangerous artifact he had in his school, the other two would expertly search for it.


    It was their job to keep everyone safe from such things.


    *


    Albus sat in his office and was in a depressed mood as he stared at the solid gold sneak-o-scope on his desk. He had failed his old friend multiple times, when he had thought he had only failed him once, and that was a hard and bitter pill to swallow. He was tempted to draft a very long letter of apology to Nicolas and Perenelle and rolled the ideas over in his mind and thought about what he would need to convey to them.


    He needed them to know that he deeply regretted that his mistake would cost them their lives, that he hadn''t realized how precarious their situation was, and that he would do almost anything to try and help them as much as he could. Not that he could do much. They were already rich, powerful, and had forgotten more about magic than he would ever learn.


    There was a dinging sound to let Albus know that someone had opened the gates of the school again and he wasn''t sure if he wanted to check it this time. Each one had jolted him out of his melancholy and it settled in harder each time for the distraction. He let out a sigh and stood, stretched his slightly aging figure, and left his office at a normal walking pace. He used a few quick shortcuts and arrived at the Entrance Hall long before anyone from the gate could walk up to the castle.


    Albus stepped out through the large double oak doors to see three Aurors approaching and smiled as he saw Kingsley. Unfortunately, Kingsley did not smile back and he had a feeling that was not going to bode well for him.


    ¡°Dumbledore.¡± Kingsley said and the three Aurors came to a stop.


    ¡°Kingsley, what brings you here on such a fine day?¡± Albus asked in his best jovial tone.


    ¡°Business.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°Do you mind if we take a quick look around?¡±


    ¡°Whatever for?¡± Albus asked, genuinely curious.


    ¡°I really shouldn''t say until you agree.¡± Kingsley said, evasively.


    ¡°By all means, please do come in and look for whatever it is.¡± Albus said, manganimously.


    ¡°Thank you, Dumbledore.¡± Kingsley said and nodded to the other two Aurors. They went inside and disappeared when they went in two different directions.


    ¡°Now can you tell me what you''re searching for?¡± Albus asked.


    ¡°The Mirror of Erised.¡± Kingsley said.


    Albus looked surprised for a moment and then schooled his features. ¡°What makes you think that it might be here?¡±


    Kingsley had seen the surprise and hid his smile. It really is here. He thought. ¡°I could lie and say it was a rumor; but, an anonymous hand delivered note was left at the Ministry.¡±


    Albus took a deep breath and let it out. Oh, Nicolas. What other secrets of mine will you spill before you pass from this world? He asked himself, not realizing that he was quite wrong in that assumption.


    ¡°You can just tell me where it is.¡± Kingsley said.


    Albus thought about staying quiet and sighed. ¡°It''s on the third floor. Classroom eight on the right hand side. The door is locked and the room is empty. The mirror is against the wall under a grey tarp to keep it concealed from prying eyes.¡±


    Kinsley couldn''t hide his surprise. ¡°Why would you keep it in the school where any student could find it?¡±


    ¡°It wasn''t easily accessible to all of the students.¡± Albus said and didn''t elaborate, even though what he said meant that it was accessible to some of the students. ¡°That doesn''t matter now.¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn''t.¡± Kingsley said and started to walk by, then stopped. ¡°Is there anything else you are hiding, Albus?¡±


    Albus closed his eyes for a moment, because he knew that Kingsley was asking as a friend and not as a professional Auror that was about to take one of the key elements to his plan.


    ¡°I cannot give up everything, my friend. You know why.¡± Albus said as he opened his eyes and looked at the tall black man.


    Kingsley reluctantly nodded and started walking. As he entered the castle, he sent his Patronus to the other two Aurors with a message to meet him on the third floor.


    They had a dangerous magical artifact to recover.

 87 The Next Step

    The next day, Harry, Hermione, and Neville used a combination of spells to ensnare, entice, and entrap ten more ghosts. It was the most they had ever done in a single day and they celebrated by pretending supper that day was a feast in their honor.


    They only had the four House ghosts left, and those they knew they weren''t going to be able to get. For the last few weeks, The Bloody Barron never left the dungeons where the Slytherin House was, The Grey Lady never left Ravenclaw Tower that was opposite Griffindor Tower and housed Sir Mimsy De Porpington who hadn''t been seen in a month, and the Fat Friar that lived in the basement just past the kitchens was a no-show.


    Of course, they knew that if they did try to do anything with those particular ghosts, they would definitely get into trouble. They were the House ghosts and were supposedly mascots or something, even though they didn''t actually do anything. That wasn''t the worrying thing for them, though. It was the rumor of a fifth ghost. One that was invisible most of the time and would only appear when it was sure of getting away after playing a trick.


    ¡°It''s a poltergeist.¡± Hermione whispered that night in the Griffindor common room. ¡°His name is Peeves and according to one of the Ravenclaws that Lavender talked to, Mister Filch knows him.¡±


    Harry was surprised by this, especially since he had spent the better part of three whole weeks with the caretaker and Missus Norris and hadn''t seen or heard about anything like that. When he thought about it, he guessed that his own presence there must have kept the ghost, or poltergeist at bay. He smiled at this, because it meant that the remaining ghosts were afraid of him and by extension, Hermione and Neville.


    ¡°I think we''re going to have to accept that we''re not getting them.¡± Harry said.


    Hermione frowned and opened her mouth to speak, so Harry took her hand and held it.


    ¡°They are actively hiding from view now. I''m sure we might stumble across them at some point, when they get bored and want to venture out into the castle. Until then, we have to be patient.¡± Harry said.


    Hermione sighed. ¡°It''s just so nice to walk down the corridors and not get frightened by a fluttering curtain or a groaning voice, because it''s not an actual ghost doing it.¡±


    Harry and Neville both nodded in agreement.


    Hermione tightened her grip on Harry''s hand. ¡°As long as we stay ready to cast the immobilizing spell, I think you''re right. We can relax about the ghosts until they show themselves.¡±


    After that, they went to bed to rest up for classes the next day. They didn''t get new material for either Charms or Transfiguration, so for the three of them, they were pretty much self-study periods. The teachers didn''t stop Neville from sitting next to them, as long as he kept quiet. They cast the silence spell and did their practice spell work without letting anyone know what they were actually doing.


    Most of the week passed by without incident. Wednesday was Hedwig and flying day, so Ron joined in on the group during the lesson and they had a great time. The next day passed and then it was Friday. A fateful day for a few people, because it was Double Potions day.


    Harry carried his trunk along, as he always did, because it let him carry his potion things without trouble, unlike every other student, except for Hermione, Neville, and now Ron. Once he knew the secret of the trunk and why Harry carried it around, he had asked, quite sheepishly, if Harry could take his things, too.


    The problem Harry now had was that he had converted and given his normal cauldron to Nicolas Flamel. He only had the solid gold one to use and there would be no way to hide it. He handed Hermione her things, Neville his, and Ron took his with thanks. They set up at the two tables at the front of the room and Harry was the only one to not bring out his cauldron.


    Professor Severus Snape strode into the class and the door shut behind him. He walked right up to his desk and turned around to glare at the class, as was his normal behavior, and he spoke.


    ¡°Some of you... have failed to fully prepare your ingredients.¡± Snape said and let those words linger in the air for several moments. ¡°However, since I have been instructed to teach you, regardless of the state of your ineptitude, I have adjusted your ingredients to match those of your classmates.¡±


    A few people were quite happy to hear that, since they had barely finished half of their ingredients. The ones that weren''t happy were Harry, Hermione, and Neville. After everything they had been through in that class, they knew that their hard work was now being shared with everyone and their ingredients would be less than ideal.


    This was confirmed when they retrieved their ingredients from the box they were stored in and all of the seals had been opened. Half of their prepared ingredients were perfect and half were what the other students had done. They didn''t complain as they took them back to their desks, since complaining would only earn them docked points.


    ¡°Your brewing must be precise, so follow the instructions on the board.¡± Snape said and tapped it to make the writing appear. ¡°Be sure to have your cauldron up to the proper temperature before starting.¡±


    Harry put his hand up.


    ¡°Yes, Mister Potter?¡±


    ¡°Can we fix our ingredients while the cauldron heats up?¡±


    Snape gave him a particularly intense stare and Harry diverted his eyes and read the instructions on the board. ¡°Are you... unhappy... with your work?¡±


    ¡°No, with yours.¡± Harry said, to several gasps.


    Snape strode over to Harry''s table and sneered at him. ¡°Would you care to repeat that?¡±


    ¡°You are supposed to be an expert potion maker. You could easily have fixed the other ingredients to give everyone the best chance to make the potion, right?¡± Harry asked and Snape didn''t respond. ¡°Instead, you made us all have the worst possible ingredients. How are we supposed to do it properly if you ruined it for everyone, even the ones that had proper ingredients beforehand?¡±


    ¡°Ten points from Griffindor.¡± Snape said. ¡°A student shouldn''t question a teacher''s teaching methods.¡±


    ¡°Can I pass in my potion right now to get an Acceptable grade? I did all the work and you said as long as I did it, I would get that grade.¡± Harry said.


    Snape looked down at the ingredients and back at Harry. ¡°It doesn''t look like you did it all.¡±


    A few of the Slytherin students laughed.


    ¡°Those aren''t my ingredients.¡± Harry said and pushed them aside and produced all of the ones he had made the week before. Each one was still sealed and perfectly prepared.


    Several gasps came from the Griffindor girls.


    Snape stared at the ingredients and didn''t comment.


    ¡°I guess I have to stay and brew it, then? Let me just get my cauldron.¡± Harry said and reached into his trunk and slowly lifted up the solid gold cauldron. He was very careful and put it onto the table with a heavy thunk. Even in the moderately lit dungeon room, the gold glinted and glittered.


    There were shouts of surprise, several more gasps, and even one shrill shriek. Harry suspected that one was Lavender and glanced around to see that her mouth was covered with her hand.


    ¡°Quuuiet.¡± Snape said in his signature drawl and silence fell across the room. ¡°Mister Potter.¡± He said and looked at him in the eyes. ¡°Where did you get that cauldron?¡±


    ¡°I bought it.¡± Harry said, completely truthfully. ¡°You all saw the delivery last week.¡± He said and looked around to take his eyes away from the professor''s searching look.


    Snape let out a huff, a bit surprised that the boy had left him such an obvious opening. ¡°Unless you brought enough to share with the class, you cannot use it.¡±


    ¡°I brought enough to share with my friends.¡± Harry said as he turned back to face front.


    Hermione gasped this time and the entire class started talking and whispering loudly.


    ¡°Prove it.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said and reached into his trunk and lifted out another solid gold cauldron. He struggled a little with it and Hermione helped him plunk it down onto the table. ¡°Neville? Give me a hand with yours.¡±


    Neville ran over and he and Harry carried his back to Neville''s and Ron''s table.


    Harry went back to his table and everyone thought he was done. ¡°Ron? Give me a hand with yours.¡±


    ¡°MINE?!?¡± Ron yelled, his face burned red, then he ran over and helped Harry carry his solid gold cauldron to his table.


    ¡°Help me with Lavender''s, will you?¡± Harry asked Ron.


    ¡°IEEEE!¡± Lavender squealed and then slapped both of her hands over her mouth.


    Everyone stared as Harry and Ron carried over the gold cauldron to her table.


    Lavender had tears in her eyes as they plunked it down onto her table. ¡°H-H-Harry... oh, Harry.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Ron asked, just as surprised as everyone else.


    ¡°There''s one more.¡± Harry said and they went back to his trunk. ¡°I knew as soon as I took mine out, people would freak out about it.¡± He said and the two of them tried to lift the large cauldron.


    ¡°Ugh, I think we need another set of hands.¡± Ron said. ¡°Oi! Neville!¡±


    Neville came over and with the three of them struggling, they barely lifted the heavy thing over the lip of the trunk. They let it thunk onto the stone floor with a solid metal twang sound that carried through the classroom and rang in everyone''s ears. They were all completely silent at the sight of the large solid gold cauldron that no one in their right minds would ever buy.


    ¡°Whew! That thing is heavy!¡± Harry said and stood up straight as he looked right at Snape. ¡°Happy Christmas, Professor Snape.¡±


    The entire class completely lost all decorum and pandemonium ensued.

 88 The Potions Master Again

    Severus Snape didn''t bother trying to calm the students down as he stared at the large cauldron. He was looking right at it and it was right in front of him, and yet, his mind refused to accept that it was real. The large cauldron that he normally used was old and had seen better days. He had meant to buy a replacement for quite some time and never got around to it. He always seemed to be too busy with work and the potion requests from the headmaster, the other teachers, and the hospital wing.


    Now he had been given a large solid gold cauldron.


    He had tried to be fair to the Potter boy; but, he was so arrogant and obnoxious that it was much too difficult to ignore it. Even the normal things he did always gained attention. Creating a privacy curtain in class to cut himself off from the rest of the class, as if he was better than everyone else, had been the last straw. He needed to discipline some sense... some common sense... into the boy before he got too out of hand.


    And now this happened.


    Snape''s eyes could see the boy as he stood there, a smug grin on his face, while the other students, even his friends, shouted and yelled in shock and surprise. His friends. He thought. His friends with solid gold cauldrons.


    He lifted his eyes from the glittering gold of his ''Christmas present'' that was two months early, and realized that Harry was staring at him.


    He''s staring at me. Snape thought. He''s... wait, he knows. His eyes widened at the realization that the boy knew he had been using Legilimens on him to fuss out his secrets. Secrets that had been previously elusive, because he always diverted his gaze and thought about something else. He was not diverting his gaze this time and Snape could easily see Harry receiving the shrunken cauldron order in secret.


    He planned to give this to me before, just not like this. Snape thought in surprise and lost his concentration as his hard won composure crumbled a little. Even in front of the Dark Lord, he had never lost focus or let his emotions show. It was a death sentence if he suspected that you weren''t genuine in your devotion to him.


    Now here he was, in front of an eleven year old boy that had a horrible upbringing, and he was losing that battle. He knew that Harry was verbally abused by his family, even more than he was as a child, and yet none of that showed in Harry''s behavior. Or so he believed. When he tried to use Legilimens again, specifically searching for anything like that, he saw the awkward interactions with people in authority, especially Professor McGonagall, and Snape finally understood.


    Snape knew that Harry saw in him a version of his uncle and McGonagall was a version of his aunt. He acted accordingly when confronted by people that verbally abuse him, now that he was away from that constant oppressive atmosphere at home. The thing was, Harry would encounter that same atmosphere whenever he came into conflict with the teachers. They weren''t family, so he could act out and respond like he wouldn''t at home.


    It was then that Snape saw how Harry had been acting at home the last while during the summer before coming to school. He had pretty much ignored his aunt and uncle. He still cooked the meals and cleaned the house, like a diligent house elf would, then he would disappear from sight and do whatever he wanted. Studying magic, practising in secret and at night. So many long nights reading and re-reading, copying spells and erasing them, and copying them again. Over and over.


    He''s still doing that. Snape thought in surprise as he saw Harry in his bed and doing the same thing. At the library. In the common room. In an empty classroom. Alone. With the bushy haired girl. With both her and the bumbling Longbottom. Then he saw Harry teaching the other two. He blinked his eyes and lost his concentration again as his eyes dropped to the large gold cauldron.


    He''s not keeping the knowledge to himself. Snape thought and closed his eyes. He''s not being greedy and he should be. He should be secretive, and deceptive, and... everything that a proper Slytherin should be. That was the moment the potions professor understood. He understood it all. Harry was supposed to be in Slytherin!


    It had been an underlying current in nearly all of the things Snape saw in the boy. That was why Harry''s actions had always seemed a little wrong somehow. The professor was trying to slip everything Harry did into the Griffindor ideals and they just didn''t fit. At all. Now he knew why. He wasn''t like his father, who was a real Griffindor and an arrogant prick.


    No, Harry was a Slytherin wearing Griffindor colors. He was a snake that was wearing a false skin to hide in plain sight. Snape''s thoughts went right to Harry''s reaction to Quirrell''s death and the memories of the boy''s reaction to it from the points of view of the witnesses. He had been calm, composed, and unfazed. With the realization that Harry was actually a Slytherin, it made sense. All proper Slytherins would stay calm in the sight of adversity, knowing that they were always watched and judged.


    Why didn''t I see it before? Snape asked himself and took several deep breaths to regain his composure. He needed to get the unruly class under control before things got too out of hand. He had been blinded by Dumbledore''s words about the boy''s nature before and he couldn''t grasp why he wouldn''t have taken everything he had learned about Harry and made his own conclusions instead. It was very... un-Slytherin-like of him.


    Snape opened his eyes and saw, to his surprise, the class was almost back to normal. The Slytherins were sulking on their side of the room and the Griffindors were chatting under their breath with each other. He could clearly see the jealousy from the students that Harry hadn''t given gold cauldrons to, especially all of the Slytherins and one of the Griffindor boys, Seamus Finnegan. He almost looked angry, in fact.


    ¡°That is enough.¡± Snape said and all chatter died as they all looked at him. ¡°Mister Potter. A word. In private.¡±


    Harry walked over to him and deployed his wand, then they were suddenly surrounded in a privacy curtain and silence was cast.


    ¡°You''ve become quite adept at those spells.¡± Snape observed.


    ¡°I cast them all the time.¡± Harry said.


    Snape got the distinct feeling that Harry was hiding his skills. ¡°You can cast them silently, can''t you?¡± He asked and Harry nodded. ¡°For how long?¡± He asked, even though he knew from Legilimens.


    ¡°Since the first week of learning magic.¡± Harry said. ¡°If you didn''t see it, it was Healer Ela that showed me how important silence was.¡± He admitted. ¡°I had to be quiet at home, so I cast silence on myself to practice.¡±


    ¡°Which let you learn to internalize the incantation.¡±


    ¡°I don''t even have to think about the words after a while.¡± Harry said and swiped his wand in a circle and made a bowl appear, then used the water charm to fill it with water and then vanished both without a single word spoken. What amazed Snape was that the boy was right. He had barely formed the concepts into his mind and had cast the spells as if it was as natural as breathing.


    ¡°Why did you buy me a cauldron?¡± Snape asked.


    ¡°I don''t know.¡± Harry said, truthfully. ¡°I just felt like I should. I was ordering the small ones and remembered seeing that old one you have on the shelf behind your desk.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I hadn''t planned on it being a Christmas present, though. I just made that up at the last second.¡±


    Snape saw it all in his head, exactly like that. The only difference was, they were normal cauldrons that he had ordered and not solid gold ones. ¡°Mister Potter, I am... aware... of some of the plans that the Headmaster has within the school...¡±


    ¡°If you mean the philosopher''s stone, I had it, used it, and gave it back to Nicolas.¡± Harry interrupted and his thoughts immediately became muddled with reading books on famous stones.


    ¡°You need more work to fight off Legilimens.¡± Snape said as he finally got a glimpse of Nicolas Flamel talking to Harry in his dorm room.


    ¡°I haven''t had time to meditate properly.¡± Harry shrugged again. ¡°I''m not too busy this weekend after I visit Amelia, so I''ll be practising it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°So, that''s where you''ve been sneaking off to.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°I don''t have to sneak. I walk out of the castle and meet her down at the gates.¡± Harry said. ¡°I have permission.¡±


    ¡°You would go even if you didn''t.¡± Snape said, without making it a question.


    ¡°Wouldn''t you?¡± Harry asked.


    Snape wasn''t sure if he should answer that, so he stayed silent.


    ¡°Did you know that a gold cauldron makes better potions and reduces brew times?¡± Harry asked. ¡°I didn''t know that until Ron told me.¡±


    ¡°I am tempted to tell you that you can''t use them for just that reason.¡± Snape said. ¡°Potion brewing is an exact science that must be followed to produce the best results.¡±


    Harry didn''t say anything and just filled his mind with all the mangled ingredients that Snape had given everyone.


    Snape was angered for a moment at having that thrown in his face, then he sighed. ¡°I will allow a thirty minute break for everyone to... adjust their ingredients.¡± He said, not wanting to admit that he had made a mistake that was against his own penchant for strict potion brewing. ¡°We will be staying that much longer after class.¡±


    ¡°What about the brewing times?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Can my friends and I follow your instructions, even with a gold cauldron to work in?¡±


    Snape wanted to say no, he really did.


    ¡°I gave my normal cauldron to Nicolas.¡± Harry said.


    Snape sighed. ¡°I will provide you... and your friends... the adjusted times. After that, I will only give you the proper formulas and you will have to work them out for yourselves.¡±


    Harry couldn''t stop the smile from growing on his face, because he was going to learn more magic secrets.


    He is actually happy to do it for himself. Snape thought, then he remembered that he was looking at a Slytherin wearing Griffindor colors. Yes, I suppose that is fitting. He waved his wand at the privacy curtain and it disappeared. ¡°Go back to your table, Mister Potter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Harry said, a bit more respectfully than he had previously.


    Snape walked back to his desk and turned to face the class. ¡°After a brief discussion, and some admonishment that it will mean more work for the affected students, I have decided that they may keep their gold cauldrons.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!?¡± Draco Malfoy yelled. ¡°That''s not fair! Why does HE get to...¡±


    ¡°Quiiiiet.¡± Snape drawled and Malfoy closed his mouth on his hot retort. ¡°As I stated, it will be more work, because the brewing times will be different. Most of the basic potions won''t be much different, so those can be made normally. Today''s is quite complicated and I will provide the proper time changes...¡±


    ¡°That''s a relief!¡± Ron said.


    ¡°...for this time only.¡± Snape finished.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ron said in a defeated tone and a few people chuckled.


    ¡°I will also grant you thirty minutes to make the best of the ingredients you already have.¡± Snape said and a lot of the students were happy to hear that. ¡°You will be staying that much longer after class.¡±


    A collective groan came from the students and Snape smiled. He always liked hearing that sound from them.


    ¡°You may begin.¡± Snape said and turned away from the class to levitate the old cauldron off of the shelf behind his desk and shoved it into a less used corner cabinet. He turned back and levitated the large solid gold cauldron from beside Harry''s trunk and placed it on the shelf. It was the only glittering thing on any of his shelves and stood out, as if nothing else was as important.


    Snape had completely ignored Harry going to his friends to help them duplicate their ingredients. For some reason, he wanted to see if they really would produce an adequate potion with their new cauldrons, even though he normally didn''t care much about their results. He had been truthful in his words to Harry before. As long as a student did the work and tried, he would give them a passing grade. He wouldn''t go out of his way to help them, since that was a waste of time for most of them. Most.


    Sometimes, he would find one or two students that would prove to be worth the effort. Snape glanced at Harry and in the back of his mind, he remembered seeing one particular memory of Harry Potter as he complained that he really liked making potions and wasn''t getting a fair chance from the professor to prove it.


    Now''s your chance, Mister Potter. An actual fair chance. Snape thought and walked over to the Slytherin side of the room and started to help them recover their ingredients, just like Harry was doing for the Griffindors. He had already sorted out his friends and their friends, and was now helping Dean and Seamus, despite the angry face on the latter.

 89 The Potions Class

    ¡°You bought more cauldrons.¡± Seamus said as Harry tried to show him how to use his transfiguration lessons to create the same ingredients as the better parts of what he had.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry said and pointed to the divided piles of ingredients. ¡°You just have to remember what it felt like when changing the burned match into a normal match.¡± He said. ¡°Only, you''re changing these bad ingredients into the good ones.¡± He said and pointed between the two piles.


    ¡°Even though I told you it was a waste of money.¡± Seamus said and ignored Harry''s words.


    ¡°Yeah. Now if you concentrate, you can...¡± Harry started to say.


    ¡°You bought six cauldrons!¡± Seamus said. ¡°Do you know what a guy could do with that much money?¡±


    ¡°Buy more cauldrons?¡± Harry asked and Seamus glared at him. ¡°I stopped at six.¡±


    ¡°Get away from me.¡± Seamus said angrily.


    Harry looked surprised for a second, shrugged and moved to help Dean. The black boy shook his head. ¡°Good luck making a bad potion.¡± He said and walked around their table, only to find that he had run out of Griffindors to help. He turned and looked at the Slytherin side of the room and he was going to go back to his seat, then he caught sight of one of the girls struggling to separate the good and bad ingredients.


    Harry debated not helping, since they had laughed at him, then he saw the potions professor as he tried, quite fruitlessly, to help one of the large overweight kids that guarded Draco. He was taking too long and wouldn''t get to them all in time. He held in his sigh and walked over to the blonde haired girl''s table.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± The dark brown haired girl on her other side asked, angrily.


    ¡°Nothing to do with you.¡± Harry said and looked at the blonde. ¡°Please excuse me. Do you need any help?¡±


    The blonde girl lifted her head and looked surprised for a moment. ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°I''ve already helped the Griffindors that wanted help and Professor Snape is too busy to get here in time.¡± Harry said. ¡°I can either do it for you or show you how to do it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The girl asked.


    ¡°Yeah! Why are you wasting our time?¡± The other girl asked.


    ¡°That''s not what I said, Pansy.¡± The blonde said as she looked at her.


    ¡°It''s what you meant, Daphne.¡± Pansy said with a smirk.


    ¡°No, it...¡± Daphne sighed and looked at Harry. ¡°Why help me?¡±


    ¡°I''ve always had to do things for myself and I know what it''s like to not have anyone around to help me.¡± Harry said. ¡°You look like you need help.¡±


    Daphne looked at him for a few seconds, trying to discern his motives. ¡°I laughed at you.¡±


    ¡°A lot of people do that, especially Slytherins.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Draco...¡±


    ¡°...has two huge bullies to help him.¡± Harry said. ¡°If Slytherins didn''t bully everyone they meet that''s not a member of their House, people wouldn''t hate you so much.¡±


    Daphne opened her mouth to respond with a hot retort to defend her Housemates, then she let out a sigh. ¡°I guess you''re not wrong.¡±


    ¡°Daphne!¡± Pansy exclaimed.


    ¡°You''re just as bad as Draco, Pansy.¡± Daphne said. ¡°How many girls have you made cry during the last week?¡±


    ¡°Seven, and I''m not counting that snivelling Ravenclaw. She''s always crying.¡± Pansy said, proudly.


    Daphne shook her head and looked at Harry. ¡°What do you get out of helping me?¡±


    ¡°I get to see the surprise on Professor Snape''s face.¡± Harry said and let a grin appear on his face.


    Daphne had to laugh at that. Softly, of course. She didn''t want to give it away. ¡°All right.¡±


    Harry''s grin softened to a small smile and he started to divide her ingredients properly. As he did that, he explained to her about using transfiguration to fix the bad parts to make them like the good parts.


    Daphne was amazed when he did it for her with one of the ingredients and she now had two good piles of it, instead of one good pile and one mangled. ¡°How did you do that again?¡±


    Harry asked her to take out her wand and she did so, even though Snape said there would be no wand waving in his class. ¡°Do you remember what changing the match was like?¡± He asked and Daphne nodded. ¡°What about the oven mitt?¡±


    ¡°That class was fun.¡± Daphne said. ¡°I made mine look like a dragon''s paw.¡±


    Harry''s mouth dropped open in surprise and Daphne let out a laugh before she could stop herself. A few of the other students turned to look at her and she muttered an apology and waved at them to turn back.


    ¡°Did the professor let you keep it?¡± Harry asked and she nodded. ¡°I''d like to see it.¡±


    ¡°I will bring it to our flying lesson on Wednesday.¡± Daphne said and then she was almost stunned when Harry beamed a smile at her. His bright green eyes almost sparkled and they were unlike any other eyes she had ever seen.


    ¡°You just have to remember that feeling of making the mitt.¡± Harry said and moved to put his hand around hers that held the wand. He shared his magic with her, which made her take in a quick breath, then he expertly did the motion and said the incantation. To her surprise, the next ingredient magically changed to be perfect. ¡°Did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡± Daphne said.


    Harry wasn''t so sure of that, so he had her do the next one while still sharing his magic with her. She did it, even though she was a bit distracted. ¡°That''s good.¡± He said and stopped sharing with her. ¡°You can''t copy the liquid like that, though. Do you know the refilling charm?¡±


    Daphne and Pansy took in sharp breaths. They both knew that was a fifth year spell and Daphne shook her head.


    ¡°I''ll loan you the book if you want.¡± Harry said and vanished the liquid she had in a vial. He poured in about a quarter of his and then used the refilling charm to fill both vials.


    ¡°That... I would like that.¡± Daphne said.


    ¡°It takes a lot of practice.¡± Harry warned and she nodded. ¡°I''ll bring it on Wednesday.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Daphne said.


    ¡°Do mine, too!¡± Pansy said and held out her vial with the discolored liquid in it.


    Harry thought about refusing and saw Daphne''s concerned face. ¡°I shouldn''t... but... I don''t want you switching with Daphne''s when I leave.¡± Harry said and did her vial, too.


    ¡°Sucker.¡± Pansy said out loud instead of in her head. She didn''t realize that, though.


    Daphne sighed and gave Harry an apologetic smile. ¡°Do you think you can help Millicent and...¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The girl at the next table said. ¡°I don''t want anything to do with ''The Boy Who Craves Attention''.¡± She said. ¡°I''m surprised you''re even looking at him, Daph.¡±


    ¡°I said to call me Daphne.¡± Daphne said.


    ¡°Whatever, Daph.¡± Millicent said and didn''t even turn around.


    Daphne sighed and shook her head at Harry, who shrugged and went back to his table. She looked up just in time to see the shocked look on her Head of House''s face as Harry walked away and then Professor Snape''s eyes went to Daphne''s restored ingredients. She schooled her features, even though she wanted to laugh at Snape''s face, because Harry had been right. It was worth the trouble of him coming over to help her, just to see that look.


    ¡°That was nice of you.¡± Hermione whispered as Harry came back to their table.


    ¡°She was doing a worse job at it than Lavender was.¡± Harry whispered back.


    Hermione covered her mouth with her hand to stop her laugh. ¡°She''s a danger with a knife, isn''t she?¡±


    ¡°Only to her fingers.¡± Harry responded and Hermione had to cast silence on herself and him as they both laughed.


    After that, Snape went back to the front of the class and the actual potion brewing commenced. He quickly provided the slightly altered brewing options to Harry and his friends that used the gold cauldrons. He then sat down and observed them all as they worked. Not surprisingly, now that they all had more appropriate ingredients, the procedures went smoothly for most of them, even for the difficult cases in his own House.


    It took them the entire class to brew their potions. Snape had done it as a test of their patience. One full double class to prepare the ingredients and one full class just to brew it. He knew that many of them thought of it as a pain to spend so much time on a single potion. A few... he reluctantly had to admit... didn''t complain or even ask why it had to take so long. They just accepted it and did their work.


    Snape noted them and wasn''t surprised that both Potter and the Granger girl were among them. What did surprise him was that Neville was right there with them. Unlike the last few classes, the boy had a lot more confidence and seemed happier for some reason. He looked at his own students and saw Daphne Greengrass was also diligently performing well.


    That had stumped him, he had to admit. Harry Potter helping one of the Slytherin girls, an occasional verbal abuser towards him, was not something Snape had ever expected to see. It was puzzling if he was a Griffindor, understandable if he was a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, and expected if he was a Slytherin.


    I need to continue to see him as a Slytherin, or I won''t make sense of his actions. Snape thought.


    Although, he knew that if he had gotten Harry Potter into his House, he would not have treated Harry well. He was man enough to admit that. He still hated the boy''s father and always would. The man was dead and no amount of retribution on the son could bring the fool back to life or make up for all the things that had been done to Snape.


    Snape sighed under his breath, as to not alarm his students into thinking he was disappointed in them. Having doubts and distractions in the middle of a delicate procedure that you needed to pay attention to, was not something he would do. That was also why he sat at his desk and didn''t roam around. He knew some of them, especially Longbottom and Weasley, would be too nervous to work properly if he hovered nearby.


    He smiled briefly and let it fade, then he sat there and watched everyone work. He could take a brief walk during the simmering portion of the instruction. The smile reappeared when that time came and he strode right over to Weasley''s table and earned a squeak from the redhead when he was finally noticed.


    Ah, the simple joys of teaching. Snape thought with satisfaction and continued on as he made his rounds to check the progress of the potions that the students were brewing. A higher number of students than was normally expected had their potions at the proper stage, to his surprise. What didn''t surprise him was that they were the students that Harry had helped.


    Snape offered advice to those that needed it, then the class continued on and he resumed his seat at his desk and didn''t interfere further. It was all up to time now and he would have to wait to see how everything turned out. His eyes went to Harry Potter and saw him working on his own potion while whispering to the Granger girl beside him. He couldn''t help but see that they were both happy as they worked and followed the complicated instructions without messing them up.


    He nodded mentally and he had already assigned double EEs to their potions in his head. They had earned Exceeds Expectations already.


    The class ended and Harry had to levitate the gold cauldrons into his trunk to carry them. Neither Lavender nor Ron knew how to use the levitation spell, so he ended up carrying them again. He made sure to mark them all with their names, so that they wouldn''t mix them up, and they all left the class fairly happy with how everything turned out.


    As Harry passed the Slytherins on the way out, among the sneers and a few whispered comments, he saw a smile and a slight nod from Daphne as her deep blue eyes locked onto his for a moment. The moment passed and she diverted her gaze. Harry left the classroom a little bit happier than he had been a few seconds before.

 90 The Slight Time Skip

    After that class, things seemed to settle down into a nice and normal routine for Harry. He did his normal spell practising and meditation Friday evening and visited with his godfather at the hospital that Saturday before his training with Amelia and her niece Susan. Amelia had a wonderful laugh at Snape''s expense about the gold cauldrons and giving the priceless artifact back. She gave Harry a big hug and a slightly embarrassing kiss on the forehead to congratulate him for handling the situation as well as he did.


    Harry wrote his normal letter to Bertha and even wrote one to Nicolas, with an apology to Hedwig for sending her so far again. Then he spent that evening and all of the next day with Hermione, Neville, and even some time with Ron, who had finally bought a new wand and his spell work improved by leaps and bounds, just like Neville''s did.


    Monday and Tuesday passed without incident, other than the normal whispers and comments behind his back. Harry barely had to point his wand at people to make them quiet now, and even managed to do what Healer Ela did by making several of them quiet without having to cast the spell on each of them. He was quite happy about that.


    On Wednesday, he had a great Hedwig day. It was even better when he was walking down to the flying lesson and a blonde Slytherin girl extracted herself from the others to hang back and walked with him, Hermione, Neville, and Ron. She took out the oven mitt and Harry gasped. It really looked like a dragon''s paw. The scales glittered when you turned it in the light and it felt rough. The mitt was split and two fingers went into one side and two into the other.


    ¡°That''s brilliant!¡± Harry said as he slipped it on. ¡°Look at this, Hermione! Rarrr!¡± He said and made a grabbing motion with it towards her.


    Hermione let out a fake shriek of fright and they all laughed.


    ¡°Thanks a lot Daphne... I mean Greengrass.¡± Harry said and slipped the oven mitt off and handed it back to her.


    Daphne gave him a searching look for a moment, then smiled slightly. ¡°Daphne''s fine.¡±


    The others looked a little surprised while Harry returned the smile.


    ¡°Here''s that book.¡± Harry said and took out the shrunken copy of the fifth year spell book.


    ¡°You shrunk it?¡± Daphne asked, surprised.


    ¡°It''s a copy.¡± Harry said and cancelled the shrinking spell to make it normal sized. ¡°Just use the general counter spell to make it bigger again.¡± He said and shrunk it and handed it to her.


    ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± Daphne said and accepted the book and put it in her pocket. ¡°I''ll get it back to you as soon as I can.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry about it. You can keep it.¡± Harry said. ¡°I made it for you.¡±


    Daphne let out a little shriek, not unlike Hermione''s fake one, and she stopped walking.


    Ron almost walked right into her. ¡°Oi! You can''t just stop like that.¡±


    ¡°S-sorry.¡± Daphne said and started walking again. ¡°Did you say you made this?¡± She asked Harry.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry said. ¡°Hermione''s getting good at the spell, too.¡±


    ¡°I''m having trouble.¡± Neville said. ¡°I can''t keep my wand still for the time needed.¡±


    ¡°That''s because you''re too excited.¡± Hermione said with a laugh. ¡°It''s an advanced spell and you need to be calm.¡±


    ¡°That''s why I can''t stay calm!¡± Neville admitted and that made Harry and Hermione chuckle.


    ¡°At least your patronus finally took form like mine did.¡± Hermione said, a bit proudly. ¡°I really like my otter! He''s so cute!¡±


    Harry laughed. ¡°It''s supposed to protect you against Dementors, not be cute!¡±


    ¡°Says Mister Snowy White Owl.¡± Hermione countered and reached out to touch Hedwig''s feathers. ¡°You better not tell me she''s not cute.¡±


    ¡°She''s beautiful.¡± Harry admitted and his ears went red.


    ¡°I like my barn owl, too.¡± Neville said. ¡°She''s not cute, though. She''s deadly.¡±


    ¡°Why an owl?¡± Ron asked. ¡°Was it because of your mum?¡±


    Neville''s eyes went right to Harry and he nodded. It was definitely his favorite and most precious memory, getting his mom back.


    ¡°How is she, anyway?¡± Ron asked.


    ¡°Still in the hospital with dad and Harry''s godfather.¡± Neville said. ¡°They said they want to bring in more healers to look at them.¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°They are just wasting time when they could be working on other patients that actually need it.¡±


    Neville nodded. ¡°Gran''s been to see the Head Healer three times already to get them released and she said if she has to go one more time...¡±


    ¡°I''d like to see that meeting.¡± Ron said with a smile. ¡°Neville''s Gran is terrifying when she gets going.¡±


    ¡°How would you know that?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°Wizarding Wireless.¡± Ron said and saw Harry and Hermione give him searching looks. ¡°Dad''s got this huge radio at home and he and mum listen to it all the time. Bit annoying sometimes, especially when they get to dancing.¡±


    Harry imagined his aunt and uncle dancing and had to agree. Hermione imagined her parents doing it and thought that might actually be nice.


    ¡°They talk about prominent witches and wizards all the time, too.¡± Ron said and started to describe the incident he had heard about Neville''s Gran, Augusta Longbottom.


    Daphne walked along with them in silence as her mind reeled from them talking about OWL and NEWT level spells like they were common spells that everyone could cast. Her hand felt the small book in the pocket of her robes and she wondered what other books Harry had and what else he knew about magic.


    She had been dismissive of him, just like everyone else, especially when he had gotten two weeks of detention and cleaned the floors she walked on. She knew that had been a mistake, as was joking and making fun of him. He wasn''t an attention seeker, as far as she could tell, because instead of listening to all the rumors, she had watched him with her own eyes.


    Daphne didn''t normally give anyone a chance like that, not after she had already made up her mind about them. Usually the first impression was the right one, like her parents had taught her. She always tried to make the best first impression that she could, and she knew that Harry hadn''t done that at the entrance ceremony or at the feast. Not at all. Everyone talked about it, and about him getting another week''s worth of detention for something. No one knew for what, though.


    It must have been really bad if it was kept such a secret. Daphne thought as the class arrived at the Quiddich field and waited for the teacher to appear. She turned and looked at Harry''s soft white skin and his styled jet black hair. Her eyes tried looking for the telltale scar that he was rumored to have and she couldn''t find it anywhere. They locked eyes and she blushed a little at being caught staring.


    ¡°I hide it with special cream.¡± Harry said, as if he knew what she was looking for.


    ¡°I didn''t mean to stare.¡±


    ¡°It''s all right. I''m used to it.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°All right, you lot.¡± Madam Hooch said as she walked onto the Quiddich field. ¡°We''re doing drills today!¡±


    ¡°YES!¡± Ron yelled and a few people laughed.


    ¡°Thank you for volunteering to go first, Mister Weasley.¡± Madam Hooch said and waved him forward.


    Ron was actually happy to be picked first this time and listened as the teacher gave him the proper instructions, and he mounted his broom to provide the visual aid for the rest of the class.


    ¡°Very good, Mister Weasley. Ten points to Griffindor.¡± Madam Hooch said as he landed. ¡°All right everyone, you saw what he did. Let''s see you try to copy him.¡±


    The class went by before everyone knew it and then Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville stayed behind to put the brooms away.


    Daphne was very tempted to stay, just to see what they did after every lesson, then Pansy grabbed her arm and pulled her along with the rest of the Slytherins.


    Griffindor first years had Astronomy that night and Harry, Hermione, and Neville did their work at the end and passed it in. Aurora Sinestra just shook her head with a smile as she accepted their sheets and sent them on their way.


    The next day went by and then it was Friday. Double Potions class and the day they would get the results of the potions that took them two weeks to prepare and brew. Most of the class was happy with their results, then Harry got his. He stared at the crystal vial and didn''t know what to say. He was stunned.


    ¡°Harry, what is it?¡± Hermione asked, a little worried.


    ¡°L-look.¡± Harry said and showed her.


    Hermione let out a gasp. ¡°That''s... oh, Harry!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry said. He couldn''t take his eyes from the potion in his hands and the large double EE on the cork. For some reason, knowing he had received ''Exceeds Expectations'' in his worst class of the year so far, gave him a bit of a tingling sensation in his heart. He felt a small soft hand touch his hand and he turned to look at the light skinned and bushy brown-haired girl beside him.


    ¡°I''m so happy for you.¡± Hermione whispered, completely understanding his feelings, then she leaned in close and kissed his cheek.


    ¡°Th-thanks.¡± Harry said, his face red.


    Professor Severus Snape did his best to not stare at the boy''s reaction. He didn''t believe that his approval was something that the boy wanted or needed... then he remembered his promise to himself to look at Harry as if he was a Slytherin. He let a brief smile appear on his face and wiped it away when he spoke.


    ¡°Today''s potion is much simpler and also uses a precious ingredient that... certain methods... cannot be used on it.¡± Snape said.


    ¡°It''s a magic ingredient?¡± Harry asked a bit excitedly, then his face went to a deeper red. ¡°I''m sorry for the interruption, professor.¡±


    Snape gave him a raised eyebrow for a second, then turned to the class. ¡°As Mister Potter has just stated, it''s an ingredient that has magical properties. Whether it is inherent in the growth of the plant alone or a product of the environment is debatable. However, it cannot be magically copied, expanded, shrunk, or transfigured.¡±


    A soft ''ooo'' sound came from some of the students, one of which was Harry.


    ¡°You must be careful in the preparation, or it will be useless for its intended purpose.¡± Snape said. ¡°I will be watching you very closely...¡±


    A few groans and one squeak responded.


    ¡°...so do not mess this up. Only so much has been provided for this class and there are no replacements.¡± Snape said and most of them nodded. ¡°Now then...¡± He said and explained what it was, its proper preparation for this potion, and the proper handling of it.


    Harry was fascinated with the entire class and performed excellently, even after having to do the calculations for the changed brew times. Both Ron and Lavender had chosen to use their normal cauldrons, so he only had to help Neville with it. Hermione was just as fast as him with her calculations and she had gotten the same answers, which meant they were both right.


    The class ended and they handed in their potions. No one significantly messed up their ingredients, thanks to Snape''s hovering and constantly staring at them. That hadn''t bothered Harry at all, though. Like he had told Daphne before, he was used to it.


    That weekend was a little different than normal, because Sirius and the Longbottoms had been discharged from the hospital on Sunday, thanks to a very successful rant and slightly explosive scene by Neville''s Gran. Sirius had arranged for a room at Healer Ela''s house... her room specifically... and Augusta took her son and his wife back to their home.


    Neville was ecstatic that they were home and his wand would occasionally shoot out sparks when he tried casting spells with it.


    ¡°Come on, Neville! You have to concentrate!¡± Hermione admonished him, except that she had a huge smile on her face. She was happy for him, too.


    ¡°I can''t help it.¡± Neville said with the smile he couldn''t remove from his face, no matter how hard he tried.


    ¡°We''re taking the day off.¡± Harry said and they looked at him. ¡°Who wants to have a picnic by the lake?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like fun.¡± Hermione said as they gathered their books and things up. ¡°Are you okay with using some of your food stores?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I can always get more during mealtimes.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Ron said as they went back to the Griffindor Tower to put their things away. ¡°Trying to come up with a happy memory is exhausting.¡±


    The other three laughed and quickly put their things in their rooms and Harry picked up his trunk. They met in the common room and Lavender saw them.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Lavender asked.


    ¡°We''re going down to the black lake to have a picnic.¡± Neville said.


    ¡°That sounds like fun!¡± Lavender said and hopped up to join them.


    Pavarti sighed and stood as well. ¡°Do you mind us coming along?¡±


    Harry shrugged and no one objected, so they all left the common room and took the long way down to the Entrance Hall. Quite a few people noticed them and whispers started. Harry ignored them this time and went out the large oak doors. The group made their way down to the side of the lake and Hermione picked a good spot with several nice flat areas for them to rest and relax on.


    Harry opened his trunk and put out the things they would need. A couple of clean bed sheets for them to sit on, a sheet for the food in the center, and then he piled out dishes and dishes of food that were easily edible with just fingers or a small fork. He added a small stack of empty plates and silverware if people wanted them, and napkins galore.


    It was a great day for a picnic and they spent several hours talking, relaxing, and tossing bits of food into the water that would mysteriously disappear without a trace.


    Needless to say, they all had a great time.

 91 The Christmas Trip Part One

    Time moved on. Harry''s days and nights moved along as if they had always been that way and he settled into a routine of spells, studying, homework, and hung out with others that he considered friends. On a few secret occasions Daphne Greengrass appeared, when she wanted to borrow another book or had snuck out of her own common room in the dungeons to get some sunlight.


    Halloween, or All Hallow''s Eve came and went. For the first time in Harry''s life, he had candy. All forms of candy. In fact, he had eaten so much that it made him sick. He still enjoyed it, despite that, and his friends had laughed and felt sorry at the same time. That''s what friends were for, after all. He now had a whole shelf of candy dishes in the food cabinet inside his trunk, too.


    November came and went, too. It was both a busy time and a slow time. Harry had become used to the routine he had stumbled into and started to thrive even more in this environment. With less hostile Slytherin encounters, he suspected were because of Daphne''s influence and possibly because of his completely unreasonable gift of the large gold cauldron to their Head of House, Harry started having fun. Actual, honest to goodness fun.


    He was also becoming an accomplished spell caster during Amelia''s training sessions. He blew past Susan''s record times for everything and their play duels were more often than not one-sided, even when Amelia put severe restrictions on his silent casting and offensive spells. His mind just seemed to go into hyperactive mode when in a dangerous situation and Amelia capitalized on that by giving him more and more limitations.


    Harry knew that she was trying her best to get him to keep thinking about what to do if he didn''t have certain options, and he was grateful for the extra attention and for her hard work in trying to make things harder for him. He was learning so much from her and from Susan during their time together... and then it was time for Christmas break.


    Ron and his brothers headed home, Neville went home to spend his very first Christmas with his parents, Hermione was going skiing with her parents, which made Ron laugh loudly when she explained what it was, and they all knew that Harry was going with Amelia for her work trip.


    ¡°It''s a great opportunity, Harry. You can''t refuse.¡± Hermione had said the week before when Harry mentioned the possibility after getting a letter from Sirius. ¡°I''m sure Madam Bones will pop you over to Healer Ela''s on Christmas day for a few hours, just so you can spend some time with Sirius.¡±


    ¡°I don''t want him to think that I don''t want to spend it all with him.¡± Harry had responded.


    Hermione laughed and tapped the letter. ¡°Then write to him and tell him just that... and also tell him that you don''t want to intrude too much on his and Ela''s first Christmas together.¡±


    Harry gave her a disbelieving look.


    ¡°Sirius knows how important this trip is for you and you''ve been planning to go for ages.¡± Hermione said. ¡°Trust me, Harry. Once you tell him that he gets to spend all of Christmas Eve with Ela and then gets to see you the very next day, he''ll be more than happy that you won''t be sitting around the house for two weeks and not doing anything.¡±


    So, Harry did just that and Hermione had been right. In fact, he even received a Howler, which was a letter so filled with emotions, it took on a life of its own when opened.


    ¡°THAT''S BRILLIANT, MY BOY!¡± Sirius'' voice echoed loudly. ¡°I''m looking forward to seeing you and hearing all about the trip!¡±


    Hermione, Neville, Ron, Lavender, and even Pavarti had laughed at the happy voice that cut through the air during breakfast that day.


    ¡°I was trying to keep the trip a secret.¡± Harry muttered with a sigh as a lot of people in the Great Hall looked over at him. ¡°Thanks a lot, Sirius.¡±


    That just made his friends laugh more and Hermione gave him a hug.


    On December twentieth, Harry wore his winter coat and had his trunk with him as he walked down the road from the castle with a very excited Susan beside him with her own trunk.


    ¡°I can''t believe it''s time already. Can you?¡± Susan asked him and didn''t wait for a response. ¡°I hope Mom... I mean Auntie takes us right to the train and doesn''t have to stop at the office.¡±


    Harry was quiet for a moment, then asked a question he meant to ask before. ¡°Why do you call her mom and keep correcting yourself?¡±


    ¡°She thinks I''ll forget I had a mom before her.¡± Susan said.


    ¡°But, you didn''t.¡± Harry said and Susan took in a sharp breath. ¡°Just like me and Neville, you lost her after you were born. Amelia took you in and became your mom.¡±


    Susan fell silent and didn''t say anything.


    ¡°I wish I had someone like her to take care of me.¡± Harry said.


    Susan grabbed his arm and brought him to a stop. ¡°Harry, you do.¡± She said in a soft voice. ¡°She likes you a lot and she''ll do anything for you, just like she''ll do anything for me.¡±


    It was Harry''s turn to not say anything in response.


    ¡°She''s the best mom in the world.¡± Susan said. ¡°I can almost feel how much she loves me when I''m near her.¡± Her hand moved up and touched the zipper of his jacket. ¡°I know when she hugs you that you can feel it, too.¡±


    ¡°I... I...¡± Harry wasn''t sure why the words he wanted to say were sticking in his throat.


    ¡°Hold this.¡± Susan said and he took her trunk to keep it out of the snow, then she unzipped his jacket and then opened hers. ¡°Let me show you.¡±


    Harry was surprised when she stepped close and slid her arms inside his jacket. She tucked herself in and rested her head on his shoulder. She was very warm against him as her body heat from inside her coat merged with his own.


    ¡°Can you feel it, Harry?¡± Susan whispered into his ear and hugged him tightly.


    Harry''s face turned bright red as he felt two small soft lumps and what he thought was a heart beating against is chest. ¡°Y-y-yes.¡± He stuttered and they stood there for several moments.


    Susan eased her hold on him and looked into his eyes. ¡°I''m glad.¡± She said and zipped up her own coat and then zipped his back up. She took her trunk back and took his hand. ¡°Mom should be at the gate now.¡±


    Harry could only nod as she led him down the road and to the gate. Amelia was there with her own trunk and waved to them. She tapped the gate with her wand to open it when they were close, then she gave Susan a brief hug and then him when they stepped out.


    ¡°I''ve got tickets on The Knight Bus to take us to the train station.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Susan exclaimed and Amelia laughed.


    ¡°I picked up what I needed last night, just for you.¡± Amelia said and Susan grinned at her.


    The three of them walked down the road towards Hogsmeade and to the spot that the bus normally stopped to drop people off. They only had to wait a couple of minutes for the bus to show up and they climbed aboard. The three of them cast Spongify in a second to make everything soft and plushy, then they bounced around and laughed as they were delivered to the train station.


    Harry hadn''t ridden on a normal train before and it was an actual normal train. Not a lick of magic was anywhere and Amelia warned him to not cast anything until she told him it was okay. He took her word as law, because he respected her. She was also the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which meant that if she wanted, it actually could be a law.


    They entered their compartment and put their trunks into the storage rack.


    ¡°This is going to be so much fun!¡± Susan said and took off her coat and hung it up in the little closet by the door. She wore a thin yellow top that went well with her short brown skirt.


    Harry took off his own coat and remembered the two soft lumps he had felt when Susan had hugged him. His eyes dropped slightly to look as he handed her his coat to hang up. He could see the shape of those small lumps clearly and he wasn''t sure why his face went red again.


    ¡°It''s not too hot in here, is it?¡± Amelia asked when she saw Harry''s red face and took off her own coat.


    Susan saw his face, too. ¡°No, Mom. It''s just perfect.¡±


    Amelia looked at her with raised eyebrows and waited for the correction as she hung up her coat. Susan just smiled at her and took Harry''s hand, then led him to the bench seat on the left and sat down with him.


    ¡°The countryside looks wonderful all covered in snow.¡± Amelia said and sat down across from them. ¡°I used to just apparate all over the place to get it all over with as soon as possible, then a few years ago Susan asked why we couldn''t make it like a vacation.¡±


    ¡°It was the best!¡± Susan said and held Harry''s hand tightly. ¡°I remember that first train ride like it was yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I bet everyone in the dining car remembers it, too.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°They served lobster!¡± Susan said. ¡°I couldn''t help scream at the creepy crawling creature they wanted me to eat!¡±


    Harry held his laugh for only a second and then it burst out. Susan and Amelia joined in and they laughed together. After a bit, the three of them talked about the other train rides Susan and Amelia had been on and what the first stop was going to be like.


    Harry had no idea that such a thing as a ''train tour'' existed, let alone would let you tour most of Britain and Scotland in the same trip. He asked what his share of the trip would be and Amelia immediately said that it was his Christmas present from both her and Susan. He gave a wide-eyed look to Susan and she smiled demurely and leaned in close.


    ¡°Can you guess where a lot of that hundred galleons went?¡± Susan asked.


    ¡°I thought you were wearing it.¡± Harry said and she laughed.


    ¡°You noticed! I''m so happy!¡± Susan gushed. ¡°What do you think of my outfit?¡±


    Harry''s eyes glanced down at her chest, almost against his will, and went back at her face. ¡°I like it.¡±


    ¡°You see, mom! I told you he would!¡± Susan said to Amelia with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°I guess I owe you an extra dessert.¡± Amelia said with a laugh.


    ¡°I''ll share it with Harry.¡± Susan responded. ¡°You are not going to believe what they serve here.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Harry asked, genuinely curious.


    ¡°Oh, it''s going to be a surprise.¡± Susan said with a devious smile. ¡°Just wait and see.¡±


    They spent the next few hours talking and then it was time for lunch. They went to the dining car and Harry was surprised that it was like a restaurant. They were seated and given menus, ordered their food, and had a great meal of normal muggle food. After a brief whispered order to the waitress by Amelia, the special dessert came to the table on a little cart. It was an odd looking white lumpy thing and then the waitress sprayed something on it and lit the whipped topping on fire.


    ¡°AH!¡± Harry jerked and Susan and Amelia laughed and laughed.


    ¡°I reacted the same way the first time to seeing a Baked Alaska dessert.¡± Susan said and hugged him as an apology. ¡°Mom laughed then, too.¡±


    The dessert was extinguished and placed on the table between Harry and Susan.


    ¡°It''s absolutely delicious.¡± Susan almost purred and picked up a spoon. ¡°Come on, Harry. Let''s do it together.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure why that made his heart tingle and beat a little faster. He picked up his spoon and on the count of three, they both dug into it and scooped cake, ice cream, fruit, and meringue into their mouths. Even after being at Hogwarts for four months, he had never tasted anything like it before. He let out an inarticulate sound and immediately took another spoonful.


    ¡°I knew you''d like it.¡± Susan whispered softly and took another spoonful herself.


    ¡°My moo.¡± Harry said, his mouth still partially full. He swallowed and spoke properly. ¡°I do.¡±


    Susan smiled and scooped out another spoonful. ¡°We have so much more to show you.¡± She said and held her spoon to his mouth. Harry took it and Susan''s smile grew really wide.


    ¡°This is going to be a great trip.¡± Susan said and ate another spoonful herself.

 92 The Christmas Trip Part Two

    The train''s first stop was a town that Harry had never heard of. Of course, he was only eleven and had little to no knowledge of the country''s towns and communities, thanks to his pretty sheltered life up until then. Both Amelia and Susan did their best to fill in his lack of information. Susan never let his hand go the entire time they were off the train and claimed that she didn''t want to lose him if they ever got separated.


    Harry appreciated it and he didn''t try to make her let go, even when it was a bit inconvenient, like when taking off their jackets. It led to a few awkward and sometimes funny moments that Amelia usually had to solve for them when they became too tangled up to do it themselves.


    They followed the tour group until they were granted roaming time and told to be back at the train at a certain time, which was Amelia''s cue to lead them off to a spot that was out of sight and they apparated to the office they needed to get to for her work. Susan and Harry occupied themselves at a nearby pet store while Amelia was busy. Thankfully, she was only gone for two hours and came back to pick them up with a smile on her face.


    They went to eat at a nice restaurant for supper and they had a great time. They walked around the town and Susan pointed things out to him as they passed them. They also stopped in a few places to buy snacks and things to eat on the train. They made their way back to the station and climbed aboard the train with plenty of time left before the deadline and went to their compartment.


    ¡°This was the best day!¡± Susan said excitedly and hung up her coat.


    ¡°You were covered in cat scratches, young lady!¡± Amelia admonished her.


    ¡°Those kittens were so CUTE!¡± Susan laughed and hung up Harry''s coat. ¡°As soon as Harry noticed I was hurt, he fixed me right up.¡±


    ¡°He did a good job of it, too.¡± Amelia admitted. ¡°I''m glad that I can trust at least one of you to be responsible.¡±


    Susan laughed and Harry''s ears turned a little red. ¡°Let''s dig out that famous duels book Mom loaned me and read for a bit.¡±


    Harry nodded and they sat down on the left bench seat, almost cuddled together, and browsed through the book. Amelia watched them for a few minutes and took out a folder with several papers in it and started reading herself. Paperwork was usually boring and there was a reason for that. This time, she had a very happy surrogate daughter and a slightly embarrassed and happy boy with her.


    She thought about telling Susan to not be so brash and she also thought about having a bit of a talk with Harry about girls... then realized that they were both only eleven. She wouldn''t have to worry about things like that for a few more years. She looked at Susan''s face and saw her eyes were full of mischief and amusement, and shook her head mentally.


    You''re lucky that Harry is such a nice and accommodating boy. Amelia thought. He''s let you drag him all over town so far and hasn''t complained once. She smiled and went back to reading. Maybe a quick talk with Susan about not pushing too much might be a good idea.


    The train left the station and the three of them read for quite some time, then Amelia''s timepiece made a sound. She put the report away and Susan finished up with the book and told Harry what the sound meant.


    ¡°Bed?¡± Harry asked and looked at the two bench seats in the compartment. ¡°I thought... well...¡±


    ¡°We are not sleeping sitting up for two weeks.¡± Amelia said with a laugh and waved for him to stand over by the closet.


    Harry did so and then he was surprised when she reached down to the bottom of the plush bench seat he was just on and lifted it. There was a click and the seat slid out and the back and bottom laid out flat.


    ¡°The other bench does it, too.¡± Amelia said and lifted the bottom part, there was another click, and she slid the whole bench seat back into place.


    ¡°That''s so cool!¡± Harry exclaimed.


    ¡°There''s lots of room for us to sleep with both benches down.¡± Susan said and lifted her trunk down from the rack. ¡°We just have to get changed for bed.¡±


    Harry nodded and retrieved his own trunk. He put his on the floor and climbed down to get his pyjamas and came back out to see a sight that he would never forget. Susan had dropped her skirt to the floor and lifted her thin yellow top up and over her head. She only wore socks and underwear and nothing else on top.


    He had only ever seen guys changing in the dorm room and he stared at her with his mouth slightly open. His mind immediately registered the differences that he could clearly see. Those two soft lumps he had felt against his chest before seemed a whole lot bigger without the top holding them. Boys did not have things like that, at all, then his eyes dropped to her underwear.


    Harry''s heart beat extremely fast when he didn''t see anything there. No bumps, no bulges, and nothing to indicate that anything at all was there. It was shocking for him to realize that she didn''t have anything between her legs! Nothing at all!


    His face turned to a deep shade of red for some reason and then he saw movement nearby. His mouth dropped open completely when he turned his head to see Amelia in just her underwear. His eyes immediately dropped to see that she didn''t have anything between her legs, either. His mind reeled over the implications.


    How do they pee? Harry asked himself as his eyes shifted up to look at Amelia''s chest. His mind forgot the previous question when he saw the fairly large lumps there. They were still covered by white cloth and they were so much larger than the ones Susan had. He remembered her hugging him and having his face between them, and his face didn''t lose any of its redness. His eyes went back to looking at Susan and saw that she had a nice frilly blue top on and frilly shorts.


    ¡°Don''t just stand there like a statue.¡± Susan said with a laugh at Harry''s red face. ¡°Get changed.¡±


    ¡°Oh! R-r-right.¡± Harry said and quickly pulled off his shirt and tossed it into the trunk. His pants were next and he completely missed that Susan stared at him just as much as he had stared at her while they changed clothes.


    Amelia was dressed in a nice white nightgown and they put their trunks back onto the rack, then she dropped the left bench into that half of the bed. She did the same with the other bench and then suddenly there was a huge bed in the middle of the compartment. Amelia and Susan spread out sheets and blankets to sleep on and then climbed on. Harry stood there a bit awkwardly and wasn''t sure what to do.


    Amelia saw the indecision on his face. ¡°You''ve got a choice of where you want to sleep.¡± She said. ¡°On my side by the wall, between us, or on Susan''s other side by that wall.¡±


    Surprisingly, Susan stayed quiet and didn''t ask him to choose beside her.


    ¡°I... don''t know.¡± Harry said and ducked his head.


    ¡°It''s all right. You don''t have to be embarrassed.¡± Amelia said. ¡°We''re going to be sleeping here for the next two weeks. You don''t have to stay in one spot the entire time if you don''t want to.¡±


    Harry let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Okay.¡± He said and pointed to the far side on the other side of Susan. ¡°I''ll try there.¡±


    Susan couldn''t stop the grin on her face as Harry turned off the light and climbed onto the bed beside her.


    ¡°I''m sorry if I bump into you or something.¡± Harry said sheepishly as he climbed under the blanket.


    ¡°I already forgive you if that happens.¡± Susan said and laid on her side to stare at him.


    ¡°Susan.¡± Amelia said with caution in her voice.


    ¡°I''m just seeing if he''s comfortable.¡± Susan said.


    ¡°You''re making him uncomfortable by staring.¡±


    Susan chuckled and touched Harry''s chest for a moment. ¡°I''m not staring at you like that, okay? I''m just looking at you to make sure you''re okay. Okay?¡±


    Harry smiled, despite actually being uncomfortable. ¡°You said okay a bunch.¡±


    Susan grinned and rolled onto her back. ¡°There, is that better?¡±


    ¡°You''re still looking at him.¡± Amelia said, amusement in her voice.


    ¡°As soon as he tells me he''s okay, I''ll be okay. Okay?¡± Susan said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Amelia said and Harry laughed a little.


    ¡°I think he''s okay.¡± Susan let out a snort and a giggle and Harry laughed a little more.


    They all fell silent for several minutes.


    ¡°I''m really glad you came along, Harry.¡± Susan whispered.


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Harry whispered back. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Harry.¡± Susan said and closed her eyes.


    Amelia smiled and closed her eyes, too.


    ¡°Goodnight, Mom.¡± Susan whispered a minute later.


    ¡°Go. To. Sleep.¡± Amelia whispered and Susan giggled again.


    ¡°Goodnight, Amelia.¡± Harry whispered a few seconds later and set Susan off again.


    ¡°It''s not too late to cancel the trip, you know.¡± Amelia whispered.


    ¡°Yes, it is. You''re stuck with us now.¡± Susan said. ¡°For two whole weeks.¡±


    ¡°Ughhh.¡± Amelia groaned and that made Susan and Harry laugh.


    *


    Amelia woke up in the middle of the night and felt a little chilly. She looked down to see that the blanket was gone. She was surprised for only a moment, until she looked for it and saw that most of it was bundled up around Harry in a kind of nest. Susan was huddled in around both him and the blanket, and Amelia wasn''t sure if she did that on purpose or was just looking for warmth.


    Either way, she was glad that they had extra blankets. Amelia grabbed one from the small cabinet and spread it out over herself and Susan. She quickly checked to see that Harry was okay, laughed mentally at the word, then settled down under the blanket and went right to sleep.


    The next several days passed by and Amelia, Susan, and Harry had a great time. Even though she had to work, she really liked having both Susan and Harry along to keep her mind focused on why she did her job. It was for them. It was so they could grow up in a world that was relatively safe from danger.


    Amelia hated that qualification, since being involved in the magical world always meant that there was some kind of danger, so she did her best to make sure that there was a minimal amount of it for them to face. Not only did it give her a sense of job satisfaction, it also gave everyone that knew about her work a sense of satisfaction, too.


    They still needed the extra blanket at night, because every night Harry somehow managed to make a nest of their regular blanket. Amelia didn''t even try to figure it out and just kept the other blanket nearby. Susan cuddled Harry every night, too. Neither Susan nor Harry ever mentioned it and Amelia decided that if they didn''t want to tell her about it, then she wouldn''t pry, despite her wanting to know what they thought about it.


    It was suddenly Christmas Eve, and the three of them had a great supper in the dining car. They went back to their compartment afterwards and changed for bed in front of each other, and none of them were red faced or embarrassed by it after doing it for almost a week. They climbed into bed together and laid there, quite happy and content.


    ¡°This has been the best Christmas break ever.¡± Susan whispered into the darkness. ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Amelia whispered back.


    ¡°What do you think, Harry?¡± Susan asked. ¡°How are you feeling about it?¡±


    ¡°I''m okay.¡± Harry said with amusement.


    ¡°Are you sure you''re okay?¡± Susan asked and giggled.


    ¡°Ughhh. Not this again.¡± Amelia whispered a bit loudly. ¡°Go. To. Sleep!¡±


    That set both Harry and Susan off and the darkness was filled with soft laughter and giggles.

 93 The Peakes House

    Bokuboy


    ¡°The train won''t be stopping again until tonight, so you need to wait until then for me to come and get you.¡± Amelia said to Harry as he finished getting dressed.


    ¡°I''ll be ready at six o''clock.¡± Harry said and closed his trunk.


    ¡°Don''t have too much fun without us.¡± Susan said and took him into a hug.


    ¡°I''ll only be gone for eight hours.¡± Harry said and hugged her back.


    ¡°That''s forever!¡± Susan said with a laugh and let him go. ¡°I''ll see you tonight.¡±


    Harry nodded and Amelia took his hand as he picked up is trunk.


    ¡°Have you got your godfather''s present?¡± Amelia asked as they left the compartment.


    ¡°Yeah. I just hope he likes it.¡± Harry said, a little worried.


    ¡°What about the wine for Healer Ela?¡± Amelia said and led him off the train and over to a secluded corner and out of sight.


    ¡°I have the box set on the top shelf of my trunk.¡± Harry said. ¡°Thanks for the idea.¡±


    Amelia smiled and took him into a hug. ¡°Sometimes women are hard to buy for.¡± She said and wasn''t surprised when Harry shared his magic with her. She had become accustomed to how strong he was and embraced him tightly and accepted his magic''s help.


    They popped from there to the alley next to Healer Ela''s house, then walked around to the front. As soon as they stepped onto the small porch, a little bell rang. A couple of seconds later, the front door of the house opened and Sirius jumped out.


    ¡°HARRY!¡± Sirius yelled and took the boy into a bone crushing hug. ¡°Welcome, welcome!¡± He said and let him go. ¡°You look well.¡± He looked at Amelia. ¡°Thank you for doing this.¡±


    Amelia held a hand out to shake Sirius'' hand. ¡°I had to bring him, since I sincerely doubted that I could keep him away from you for the whole two week vacation.¡±


    Sirius barked a laugh and let her hand go. ¡°That''s my boy!¡± He said and pat Harry''s shoulder. ¡°You''re only eleven and you already have a handsome woman in the palm of your hand!¡±


    ¡°Sirius! Show some decorum, please.¡± Ela Peakes said and moved him aside. ¡°Hi, Amelia.¡±


    ¡°Ela. You have a very nice house.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°It''s been in my family for generations.¡± Ela said and looked at Harry. ¡°You don''t mind a hug, do you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Harry said with a bit of a smile and she gave him a brief hug.


    ¡°Welcome to my home.¡± Ela said and looked at Amelia. ¡°I suppose you can''t stay.¡±


    Amelia shook her head. ¡°The train''s leaving soon and it won''t stop again until this evening.¡±


    ¡°Then we will see you again at six.¡± Ela said with a smile. ¡°Thank you for dropping Harry off so promptly.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure.¡± Amelia said and it was her turn to hug Harry. ¡°Behave yourself and I''ll see you tonight.¡±


    Harry nodded and turned his head to rest it on her chest. He hugged her a bit tighter than he normally did. His cheek sunk deeper into her combat armor and he let out a barely audible sigh.


    Amelia felt the difference and one of her hands reached up and pet his hair. ¡°You''re a good boy, Harry.¡± She whispered and held him for several moments, then let him go. She nodded to Sirius and Ela and left the porch to walk back to the alley. She felt the immediate loss of having Harry nearby and schooled her face to hide it, then decided not to. She looked at the porch and let the three people there see her sadness, then she disapparated.


    ¡°She really didn''t want to let you go.¡± Sirius said, his voice happy. ¡°I was kind of joking about having her in your palm before.¡± He put a hand on Harry''s shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. ¡°I''m glad that she actually does care about you.¡±


    Harry smiled and nodded, because he was glad about that, too.


    ¡°Let''s go inside.¡± Ela said and Harry picked up his trunk by the handle and the three of them went into the large house.


    Harry gasped when literally everything was covered in Christmas decorations.


    ¡°Please excuse your godfather''s eccentricities.¡± Ela laughed. ¡°What was it you said, Sirius? You needed to make up for ten years of missed holidays?¡±


    Sirius barked another laugh and took her into a hug. ¡°You agreed, my dear.¡± He said and slowly kissed her.


    Ela held in her moan, because she didn''t want him to know how much she liked that he would kiss her like that, even with someone else there. She gasped into his mouth at that realization, which made Sirius break the kiss and laugh.


    ¡°Sirius, Harry''s right there.¡± Ela whispered.


    ¡°I can''t very well hide it from him, since you''re too irresistible to not kiss when I feel like it.¡± Sirius said to make her blush, then he winked at Harry, who closed his mouth to stop his laugh.


    ¡°L-let''s go into the living room to sit down.¡± Ela said.


    ¡°Anything you want, dear.¡± Sirius said and the three of them went into the living room.


    Harry''s mouth dropped open in surprise when he saw a twenty foot tall tree with what looked like an actual glowing star on the top. There were so many decorations and garlands on it that you could barely see the tree under them.


    ¡°I decorated most of it myself.¡± Sirius said proudly and sat down, dragged Ela onto his lap, and she didn''t object in the least.


    ¡°Only because I didn''t want to ruin your garishly outrageous decorating practices.¡± Ela joked and the two of them laughed.


    ¡°It''s brilliant!¡± Harry said and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°How did you get it in here?¡±


    ¡°Temporary extension charm on the room.¡± Sirius said with a smirk. ¡°If we don''t have the thing out by January first, we''ll have the top half of the tree on the second floor.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, I know that look!¡± Ela said and poked his chest. ¡°You are not leaving it, just to see if it will blast through the ceiling!¡±


    ¡°But, dear...¡± Sirius said dejectedly, and Harry had to laugh at the sad state he projected, considering he looked blissfully happy only a second before.


    ¡°Sad puppy dog eyes can only get you so much.¡± Ela said sternly, then her face softened and she gave him a quick kiss. ¡°So much.¡±


    Sirius dropped the sad act and gave her another kiss, then he waved at the couch beside them. ¡°You can sit, Harry. You can also stash your trunk anywhere you can find a space.¡±


    Harry nodded and put his trunk down, opened it, and took out the large wine box set. ¡°Happy Christmas, Ela.¡± He said and handed it to her. It had the fancy wine bottle opener, a set of expensive glasses, and a hundred year old wine inside.


    ¡°Oh, Harry!¡± Ela exclaimed. ¡°Sirius, let me up.¡±


    Sirius let her go and she stood up, handed him the box, then she took Harry into a warm embrace.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Harry.¡± Ela said and he was a little surprised that her hug was quite a bit different than Amelia''s. He wasn''t sure why, until he looked up at her face. He didn''t see the same expression on her face as he did on Amelia''s. He knew then that the hug didn''t mean as much to Ela as it did to Amelia.


    ¡°Well, if we''re starting off with presents instead of visiting first...¡± Sirius stood up and waved at the tree. ¡°Go ahead, Harry. Start opening.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Harry asked as Ela let him go.


    ¡°Ela and I exchanged gifts last night.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Everything under the tree is yours.¡±


    Harry''s eyes went to the piles of wrapped gifts under the tree. ¡°But... but...¡±


    ¡°Before you freak out about it, a few of them are from other people.¡± Ela said. ¡°Your friends at school, Neville''s parents and grandmother, and a few others.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡± Harry asked, his voice full of doubt.


    ¡°Harry, you''ve made an impact on a lot of people.¡± Sirius said. ¡°It''s not until times like this that you start to see how much.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure what to say.


    ¡°It''s all right.¡± Sirius said and took him into a manly embrace. ¡°Sometimes it''s all right for a man to cry... if it''s for the right reasons.¡±


    Harry was suddenly overcome with emotions and tears came to his eyes. He wasn''t sure why though.


    ¡°Happy Christmas, Harry.¡± Sirius whispered and hugged him tighter, then Harry started crying. ¡°That''s it. Let it out.¡± He said and rubbed Harry''s back. ¡°Let it all out, my boy.¡±


    Harry did. Years of remembered pain from near starvation, verbal abuse by his aunt and uncle, endless beatings from his cousin and the other bullies from the neighbourhood, and doing chores that a child should never have to do. It all came out in Harry''s cries, sobs, and tears. He had people that cared about him now. Friends and family both.


    It took him a while to calm down and Sirius held him the entire time. When Harry was done, he felt like an enormous weight had been lifted from him. He couldn''t explain it, and wouldn''t be able to until he was much older and looked back at this moment... this first Christmas that was a real Christmas... was when things actually changed for him.


    Harry wiped the tears away from his face and he knew that he was wiping away much more than that. ¡°I have a gift for you, Sirius.¡± He said and reached into his trunk and pulled out a large wrapped package. ¡°I hope you like it.¡±


    Sirius opened it and pulled out a black motorcycle jacket. It was covered in zippers and metal studs, had double lapels that could fold up and zipper closed, and tassels tied to the zippers to make them all easier to open and close. It even had a belt around the bottom of it to help hold it closed.


    ¡°Harry... this... what in the world gave you the idea...¡±


    ¡°This.¡± Harry said and took out a set of motorcycle keys. ¡°Hagrid said he''ll drop it off after the holidays.¡±


    ¡°Harry.¡± Sirius said as tears came to his own eyes and he hugged Harry again. It took him several minutes to recover from the emotions and he let Harry go. ¡°It''s a wonderful gift. Thank you.¡±


    Harry smiled at his godfather and then it was his turn to open presents. There were ten years worth of gifts from Sirius, which made Harry chuckle as he opened them all.


    ¡°Just wait until your birthday.¡± Sirius joked and made both Ela and Harry laugh.


    There were gifts from all of his friends as well, just as Ela said. Neville, Ron, and Hermione had sent him little gifts. He was only slightly surprised to see one from Lavender and Pavarti as well, then he was really surprised to get one from Daphne. He knew he would have to come up with something special for her, considering how much of a risk she was taking by giving a Griffindor a present at Christmas.


    Harry opened an ornately decorated box that was a present from Nicolas Flamel. He laughed when he looked inside and saw that there were six shrunken solid gold cauldrons with cauldron cakes in them. There was also a note that said they were for ''future friends'' and Harry promised himself that he would write a long thank you letter of appreciation.


    There was one more gift and there wasn''t anything written on the tag, except for his name. When Harry picked it up, Ela spoke.


    ¡°We had it checked. There''s no malicious spells, curses, or traps.¡± Ela said. ¡°Sirius knows some people.¡±


    Sirius nodded. ¡°Ol'' Mad Eye checked it all over for me. If that old suspicious geezer couldn''t find anything wrong with it, then there''s nothing wrong with it.¡±


    Harry felt a warm feeling in his heart at the concern and the trouble they went through to make sure he was safe. ¡°Thanks.¡± He said to them, then he opened the gift. There was a card on top and he read it. ¡°This was left in my possession by your father. Try to use it a bit more responsibly than he did.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Sirius exclaimed and stepped forward. ¡°That rotten old bastard!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Harry asked as Sirius lifted out what looked like a very expensive cloak.


    ¡°It''s something James would have never left out of his sight, if he had the choice.¡± Sirius said and flipped it over his shoulders. When he pulled the hood up, he completely disappeared.


    ¡°AHH!¡± Ela yelped and reached out for her lover. Her hand touched his shoulder and she relaxed. ¡°Oh, thank Merlin. I thought it was a portkey or something.¡± She said and relaxed.


    ¡°No, it''s an invisibility cloak.¡± Sirius said. ¡°James always carried it. Always.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Harry asked.


    Sirius flipped the cloak off and folded it up and put it back into the box. ¡°There is only one way that Dumbledore would have that cloak.¡± His voice in a somber tone. ¡°He had to get it the night your parents died.¡±


    ¡°He was there?¡± Harry asked, surprised. ¡°I thought Hagrid...¡±


    ¡°It was quite the deception, wasn''t it? Having Hagrid deliver you to Privet Drive, even though he could have easily done it himself.¡± Sirius said and sat down on the floor next to Harry. ¡°Which means he was busy with other things, wasn''t he?¡±


    Ela knelt behind him and put her arms around him. ¡°Don''t stress yourself out, Sirius.¡±


    ¡°It''s all right, dear.¡± Sirius said and lifted her hand to kiss it. ¡°I won''t let the melancholy overwhelm me anymore, not with you and Harry around to keep me from doing horrible things to the old coot.¡±


    Ela chuckled and kissed his cheek. ¡°We both know you''re not that stupid.¡± She said and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°Do you, now?¡± Sirius joked and she laughed.


    ¡°You''re a good man, Sirius.¡± Ela said and eased her hold on him. ¡°You know better than to run off and try to take on the evils of the world all on your own now.¡±


    Sirius took in a deep breath and let it out. ¡°Yes, I learned my lesson.¡± He said and reached out to put an arm over Harry''s shoulder. ¡°Take my advice, Harry. Don''t use the cloak. There''s no reason for you to be sneaking around the castle and looking for trouble, is there?¡±


    ¡°Being invisible would be nice sometimes.¡± Harry said. ¡°I don''t want trouble, though. I get enough of that without the cloak.¡±


    Sirius chuckled and hugged him. ¡°Right you are, my boy. Come on. Ela''s made the best Christmas goose that anyone''s ever tasted.¡±


    Harry smiled and nodded, then the three of them stood up and went into the dining room to eat.

 94 The New Year Celebration

    For the rest of the day, Harry had the best time. He made Sirius laugh his ass off when he said how he had convinced Hagrid to return the motorcycle.


    ¡°I''ve been meditating and practising the techniques in the book Hagrid loaned me.¡± Harry said. ¡°Legilimens Creatora.¡±


    Healer Ela gasped. ¡°Harry! You''re much too young to...¡±


    ¡°Hush, woman!¡± Sirius barked, then he took her hand to apologize for snapping at her. ¡°That boy used an ancient magical artifact to heal me and the Longbottoms. If he thinks he can handle listening to animal whispers, then he''s smart enough to know to not listen to them all the time.¡±


    Ela sighed and nodded her head. ¡°You''re right, love. I shouldn''t be too surprised that he''s using such advanced techniques.¡±


    ¡°They''re advanced?¡± Harry asked, a little surprised. ¡°Hagrid uses it all the time and he was expelled from school.¡±


    ¡°Hagrid is about sixty-five years old.¡± Sirius said with a laugh. ¡°He''s also quite a bit nutters about dangerous creatures.¡±


    Harry had to agree about that. He used to own a large three headed Cerberus dog called Fluffy. ¡°I''ve been practising meditating as much as possible, thanks to the Immobulus spell...¡±


    Ela took in a sharp breath and Sirius pulled her over onto his lap to restrain her and to calm her down.


    ¡°You see how smart he is?¡± Sirius said. ¡°I bet that blanked your mind right out, didn''t it?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°It was Hermione''s idea to use it and to use a mirror, so I could cast the counter spell.¡±


    ¡°HA!¡± Sirius barked a laugh. ¡°I have got to meet that smart little witch one of these days.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, I made a breakthrough about two weeks ago.¡± Harry said. ¡°It was only for a brief moment when Hedwig came back from dropping off a letter in France...¡±


    ¡°FRANCE?!?¡± Ela yelled and Sirius kissed her to shut her up. She was distracted now, so Sirius waved for Harry to continue.


    ¡°I got the feeling from her that she was exhausted and invil... invid... invigorated! That''s the word.¡± Harry said. ¡°I was so surprised that I dropped the treat I was trying to give her. I heard her sigh and say that she wasn''t that hungry!¡±


    Sirius laughed into Ela''s mouth and that kind of woke her up to what she was doing. She broke the kiss and gave Sirius a stern look.


    ¡°I needed to distract you, dear.¡± Sirius said and held her tightly. ¡°Go on, Harry.¡±


    ¡°After that, we kind of... talked. I mean, she can''t really speak in full sentences. She said her mind isn''t like mine, whatever that means.¡± Harry said. ¡°I told her all about this trip and where I was going, and she was sad that I wouldn''t see her for two weeks. It was great!¡±


    ¡°I''m glad you managed to not go overboard with it.¡± Ela said. ¡°Some people tend to become too focused on listening to every animal they meet.¡±


    ¡°I only ever wanted to talk to Hedwig, ever since she let me know that it was possible.¡± Harry said. ¡°Anyways, I didn''t need the original book anymore and made a copy, then sent Hedwig to Hagrid to give the book back and to thank him for loaning it to me.¡±


    Sirius sat up straight. ¡°She was the one to tell Hagrid about me!¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°When she mentioned you, he remembered that it was your motorcycle that he had borrowed. When she told me, well...¡±


    Sirius laughed for several minutes. ¡°You arranged for him to give the motorcycle back!¡±


    ¡°...and bought the jacket.¡± Harry said. ¡°It''s a flying motorcycle and I almost bought a pilot''s jacket.¡±


    ¡°That would have been a good gag gift!¡± Sirius laughed again and then relaxed with Ela on his lap. ¡°I''m glad you went with black leather instead. I like it a lot.¡±


    ¡°I''m glad.¡± Harry said.


    After that, they visited for quite some time and talked as they waited for Amelia to show up. At five minutes past six o''clock, Amelia appeared and the little bell rang when she stepped on the porch.


    ¡°HI!¡± Harry said loudly and hugged her.


    ¡°I see you might have missed me a little.¡± Amelia joked and Harry, Sirius, and Ela laughed.


    ¡°When six rolled around and you weren''t here...¡± Ela started to say.


    ¡°The train ran slightly over schedule and didn''t stop until six on the nose.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I needed a couple of minutes to get to a good spot to pop over.¡± She looked down at Harry. ¡°I will never tell you that I''m coming and then not show up, Harry.¡±


    Harry took a breath and let it out. He nodded and she motioned to his trunk. He picked it up and went back to her side. ¡°Thanks a lot for letting me come over.¡± He said to his godfather and the healer.


    ¡°Harry, you are always welcome to visit whenever you want.¡± Ela said. ¡°At the school''s allowance, of course.¡±


    Sirius laughed and nodded. ¡°The next large break won''t be until school''s out for the summer, so I hope you''re ready to come visit for a couple of weeks.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Harry stared at him.


    ¡°I''ve already got your goblin looking into the Black estate and there might be a vault with a bit of gold in it, so my finances might be a bit better in the future.¡±


    ¡°There''s also an old house, isn''t there?¡± Ela asked.


    ¡°I never want to see that horrible place again.¡± Sirius said. ¡°I haven''t stepped foot in it since I was a teenager and mum disowned me for consorting with James and Lily. If the house is a part of the estate and it becomes mine, I''ll either have the damn thing demolished or sold.¡±


    ¡°That should get you a nice windfall if you sell it.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I did my best with the Ministry and your settlement...¡±


    ¡°I appreciate you doing that, Amelia. It''s been a great boon, especially after losing everything.¡± Sirius said and put an arm around Ela''s waist. ¡°It''s so nice to have dependable women in our lives, isn''t it, Harry?¡±


    Harry grinned at him and nodded as he put an arm around Amelia''s waist.


    ¡°Happy Christmas.¡± Amelia said and tried not to blush.


    ¡°Happy Christmas.¡± Sirius and Ela said back.


    Amelia and Harry walked around the house to the alley, waved at the two people on the porch, then they hugged tightly and disapparated.


    ¡°He really does have that woman in the palm of his hand.¡± Sirius said, quite proud of his godson.


    ¡°You do realize that we aren''t supposed to be prizes to be won.¡± Ela said with a bit of a frown.


    ¡°You aren''t?¡± Sirius asked and turned to put his other arm around her. ¡°How was I so lucky to be the one to win such a great lottery and have you be the one to help me, then?¡±


    Ela opened her mouth to say that it could have been any healer, then she remembered what the Head Healer had told her about her unhealthy obsession with one hopeless case named Sirius Black.


    ¡°You''re still a hopeless case.¡± Ela whispered.


    ¡°Hopelessly in love.¡± Sirius said and kissed her.


    Ela moaned this time, since she didn''t have to hide how much she liked it now, then realized that they were still on the porch. She gasped into his mouth and Sirius broke the kiss and laughed.


    ¡°My dear, I still have several years of sexual frustration for you to heal.¡± Sirius whispered to her and her face flushed red. He smiled warmly as he led her inside and shut the door.


    *


    The rest of the trip passed by like a flash. Amelia visited all the places she needed to go, did her work, and Susan and Harry had a wonderful time staying occupied together while she was busy. Susan definitely had a much better time with having someone else along to keep her company.


    The meals they ate all over the country were varied and delicious as well, even the ones like haggis (a meat pudding stuffed into a sheep''s stomach), a chip butty (a sandwich made with french fries - Harry had two of those), and Scotch eggs and pork shavings (both of which are covered in batter and fried). Harry ate everything and both Susan and Amelia made sure he sampled as much different cuisine as possible, since he hadn''t gone anywhere in his life except for home and school.


    The train stopped at a station that had a huge castle nearby on New Year''s Eve. People had the choice to stay onboard or to go out and enjoy the festivities. The fireworks would be seen all over, so the three of them decided to stay on the train and avoided the crowds. They had a nice supper in the dining car and went back to their compartment to wait. Harry had to use the energize spell at eleven-thirty to stay awake and Susan asked for one as well.


    ¡°I would have woken you up when it was time.¡± Amelia said as she took a small sip of champagne and ate a cracker to make sure it settled and the alcohol didn''t impede her judgment.


    ¡°We want to see it all.¡± Susan said and watched everything outside the window.


    Amelia tried to hide her amusement at her niece being so excited over something she had seen several times before, then her eyes fell upon the reason for her excitement. Harry was smart, worked hard, and didn''t mind trying new things. That had surprised her, actually. She knew all about his old home life and for the boy to be like he was, with curiosity and eagerness, and not reclusive and confrontational... she clamped her mouth shut to stop her laugh at that last thought.


    She remembered those first few letters from Bertha about Harry''s outbursts and his complete defiance of authority. She knew full well that he was overcompensating, because he would never do that at home. When finally given a voice to speak out, he did so and he made sure that everyone knew it. She had politely asked him to curb his outbursts, and to her surprise, he had.


    Amelia reached out and pet Harry''s hair and he turned to look at her. His bright green eyes were captivating and she saw in them a reflection of her own trials and heartache. She let her fingers run through his hair and smiled at him. Just then, there was a streaking sound as a small light shot up high into the air, then a loud boom sounded as a bright red firework exploded.


    Neither she nor Harry jerked at the sound. Amelia took her hand back and nodded at the window. He nodded back and turned to watch the fireworks display. The show went on for nearly fifteen minutes, and then suddenly everything stopped.


    ¡°Ten seconds.¡± A man''s voice said over the train''s speakers, then he counted down. When he reached one, a huge set of fireworks went off as one and lit up the night sky, brighter than daytime. ¡°Happy New Year!¡± The man said loudly and cheers came over the speaker before it cut off.


    Susan turned from the window and looked into Harry''s eyes as she moved closer. She glanced at her aunt for barely a second, let a wicked smile appear on her face for another second, then she leaned forward and placed a kiss right on Harry''s lips.


    ¡°Susan!¡± Amelia gasped.


    ¡°Happy New Year.¡± Susan said when she broke the kiss, her face bright red.


    ¡°H-happy N-new Y-year.¡± Harry barely managed to say back, his face burning red.


    ¡°Young lady.¡± Amelia said a bit sternly. ¡°I think we need to have another talk.¡±


    ¡°It''s all right, Mom.¡± Susan said and waved at the window. ¡°It was just a New Year''s kiss. Everyone''s doing it.¡±


    Both Amelia and Harry looked out the window and saw people celebrating. A lot of them were kissing, just as Susan said.


    ¡°Still...¡± Amelia started to say.


    ¡°I like Harry and he likes me.¡± Susan said. ¡°I know it''s just as friends, so it''s okay, right?¡±


    Amelia opened her mouth to say that it wasn''t, then she saw Harry''s face. ¡°You don''t have to be embarrassed, Harry. I should have told her not to do that, even if it is the custom to kiss at midnight.¡±


    Harry blinked his eyes at her for a second. ¡°You''re supposed to kiss someone?¡±


    ¡°Usually your date or sometimes a close friend.¡± Amelia said. ¡°In the latter case, it''s usually platonic.¡±


    ¡°What''s that mean?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I know that one.¡± Susan said. ¡°It means just as friends.¡±


    ¡°That''s probably as good of an explanation as any.¡± Amelia said. ¡°It means that it won''t lead to anything more and that it is just what it is and that''s that.¡±


    Harry sat there for several moments and thought about it. ¡°Okay. I think I understand.¡± He said and leaned close to Amelia, then gave her a brief kiss on the lips. ¡°Happy New Year.¡±


    Amelia sat there, completely stunned at what just happened. Susan laughed and laughed at the look on her aunt''s face.

 95 The End Of The Trip

    ¡°H-Harry... that... was not...¡± Amelia tried her best to form what she wanted to express into words, especially how that was not an appropriate act for an eleven year old to do to a woman that was old enough to be his mother.


    ¡°Harry! That was HILARIOUS!¡± Susan yelled as she pulled him off balance and hugged him. ¡°I never thought that you liked my mom that much!¡±


    ¡°She''s a close friend.¡± Harry said and didn''t try to pull away from the embrace, because he didn''t mind getting hugged by her. ¡°Just like you.¡±


    ¡°AWW!¡± Susan gushed and then she kissed his cheek. ¡°When do I get my cauldron that you only share with friends?¡± She asked, since it was all over the school about what had happened in Harry''s potions class. Everyone talked about it, despite her attempts to stop them.


    ¡°It''s in my trunk.¡± Harry said. He hadn''t had the chance to give it to her after he gave the others to his friends, then completely forgot about it.


    ¡°IEEEE!¡± Susan yelled and kissed his cheek several more times.


    ¡°Susan.¡± Amelia said a bit sternly.


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Susan said. ¡°Mom, he''s giving me a solid gold cauldron because we''re friends!¡±


    Amelia sighed. ¡°Harry, you shouldn''t be doing things like that.¡± She said and looked at her niece. ¡°Someone might get the wrong idea if you give them such an extravagant gift.¡±


    ¡°Professor Snape said that we don''t have to use them.¡± Harry said and looked at Susan. ¡°We have to use special formulas to figure out the changed brew times for potion recipes.¡±


    ¡°He gave them to you?¡± Amelia asked, surprised.


    ¡°He said that he wasn''t going to give us special treatment and we have to do the extra work ourselves.¡±


    Amelia had to nod in agreement. There was a reason that families chose to board their children at the school, rather than travelling from home all the time, even though that could have been easily arranged. It was to teach the children how to be more independent, to rely on themselves, and to develop friendships and long lasting work ethics.


    Some people thought that eleven was a bit too young to do that, not realizing that the earlier you started, the less chance that they were already set in their ways. It was easier for the younger ones to take direction and to accept things as how they were supposed to be, rather than trying to adapt to new situations. It worked for most of them and they came out of the school fully prepared to assume roles in the workforce and with the proper mentality that they can live on their own if necessary.


    ¡°At least he''s doing something right.¡± Amelia said with a smile and Harry grinned at her.


    ¡°I''ve had Exceeds Expectations on every potion so far.¡± Harry said, a bit proudly.


    ¡°I''m sure that has nothing to do with you going around and helping everyone prep their ingredients properly.¡± Amelia countered.


    ¡°I''ve only done it a few times while I waited for my potions to brew.¡± Harry said. ¡°Lavender is the worst at it.¡±


    Susan laughed. ¡°She''s a bit off at doing things like that, isn''t she?¡± She asked. ¡°That outfit you bought her was beautiful, though.¡±


    ¡°She picked it out.¡± Harry said. ¡°I just paid for it.¡±


    ¡°I think you and I need to have a little talk, too.¡± Amelia said to him.


    ¡°What about?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°The appropriateness of gifts, for one.¡± Amelia said and stood up to wave them out of the way, then she put the benches down to make the bed.


    ¡°She helped me, Hermione, and Neville with some of the things we were doing and I asked her what she wanted as a gift.¡± Harry climbed onto the left side of the bed. ¡°What was wrong with that?¡±


    Amelia took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°We can talk about it tomorrow.¡± She said and she climbed onto the bed on the far right and Susan climbed into the middle.


    The three of them settled down under the blanket and silence fell in the train compartment.


    ¡°I can''t believe you got me a cauldron, too.¡± Susan whispered.


    ¡°I got it for you months ago.¡± Harry said. ¡°I never had a chance to give it to you.¡±


    ¡°You forgot, didn''t you?¡± Susan asked.


    ¡°No, I... yeah.¡± Harry admitted, because he didn''t want to lie about it.


    ¡°I''m okay with that.¡± Susan said and then giggled.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry responded.


    ¡°Don''t make me use Silencio.¡± Amelia warned them and they broke into fits of laughs and giggles.


    Less than an hour later, Amelia was still awake and thinking over what she was going to say to Harry, when she felt the blanket over her lift up slightly. She was surprised when she looked over and Harry was slightly in the air as well. He was tucked up into a ball on his side and the blanket quickly formed into a nest around him and he settled back down onto the bed.


    Amelia sat up, careful to not disturb her niece, and stared at the boy. It wasn''t the first time she had seen accidental magic before; but, it was the first time she had seen it try to protect someone and not lash out instead. Her eyes caught the sight of her niece shivering slightly, then Susan slid over while still half asleep and hugged Harry. She pressed her face to his and let out a soft sigh.


    Amelia grabbed the extra blanket and draped it over herself and her niece, then laid back down. She wasn''t sure who she could talk to about this, since it was such an odd thing to happen. Most bouts of accidental magic were accompanied by intense emotional outbursts, not by a subconscious mind that was looking for comfort.


    He''s looking for comfort! Amelia thought and stopped her gasp before it escaped. Even now, after months of being away from home, he''s still looking for comfort.


    Her mind quickly reformed her words about the talk she wanted to have with him about gifts, girls, and how dangerous it was to do things without knowing the problems it could cause. He was overcompensating for anyone that shows even a bit of affection for him and she needed to caution him about people that might trick him because of that.


    With her mind set on a course of action, Amelia closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her. Morning came all too soon and the train pulled out of the station. Susan started to rouse and Amelia spoke.


    ¡°We''re sleeping in.¡± Amelia whispered. The train''s motion had woken her, too.


    Susan didn''t say anything and only nodded. She put her head back down and pressed her cheek to Harry''s. Harry hadn''t even opened his eyes.


    The three of them stayed in bed for several more hours, much longer than they should have, and they didn''t get up until an hour before noon. They were in no rush to get dressed, since Amelia''s work had finished at the stop before the fireworks and New Year celebration. The next two days were going to be an actual nice and relaxing tourist trip for the three of them.


    Amelia asked Susan to go and get lunch for them and to take her time. Her niece took the hint and left the compartment to give her and Harry some privacy. She moved over to the left bench seat and sat next to him and put her arm around him.


    ¡°Harry, please don''t think that I''m angry about what happened last night.¡± Amelia said. ¡°It wasn''t fair of Susan to kiss you like that without warning...¡±


    ¡°Like I kissed you?¡± Harry asked.


    Amelia sighed. ¡°Harry, you are much too young to be kissing anyone, let alone an old woman like me.¡±


    ¡°You''re not old.¡± Harry said adamantly. ¡°Neville''s Gran and Professor McGonagall are old.¡±


    Amelia had to agree to that. ¡°All right, someone as old as me.¡± She clarified. ¡°In fact, I had a talk with Susan when you were with your godfather about things like this.¡±


    Harry''s eyes widened. ¡°Susan wants to kiss someone as old as you?¡±


    Amelia laughed. ¡°No, don''t misunderstand. I meant about kissing in general, and about boys, and about how she needs to be careful.¡± She said. ¡°Unlike you, other boys might take her affection the wrong way and think it means a lot more than what she wants it to mean.¡±


    ¡°I don''t understand.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I''m going to do my best to explain.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Did you know that Susan hugs you at night?¡±


    Harry''s face went a little red and he nodded.


    ¡°You don''t have to be embarrassed, Harry. She cares a lot about you. When she saw you huddled up in the blanket, she wanted to make sure you were okay.¡±


    Harry''s mouth formed a smile at that last word.


    ¡°Just ignore me saying that word.¡± Amelia smiled back. ¡°You''ve huddled up every night and she''s held you every night. That''s all it was, though. She wasn''t trying to do anything bad. She was only making sure you knew she accepted you for who you are.¡±


    Harry nodded.


    ¡°Now, if she somehow snuck into the boys part of the Hufflepuff dorms and climbed into one of their beds and tried the same thing with a boy, that would be very, very bad.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because of her reasons. She would be intentionally breaking school rules and also getting close to a boy, that she would want to kiss and hold, and not in a friendly manner.¡± Amelia said. ¡°You see, sometimes a hug can mean a lot more than a hug...¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said and she widened her eyes a little. ¡°When Ela hugged me at Christmas, I could tell that she didn''t mean it as much as you do when you hug me.¡±


    Amelia was quiet for a moment. ¡°You could tell a difference?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°It''s your face. I can see that you''re happy when you hug me and Ela just had a smile.¡±


    Amelia wasn''t sure what to say about it, then she nodded. ¡°I think it''s because she hasn''t gotten to know you as well as I do. After a while, she should start caring as much about you as I do, then she should have the same look or something similar to mine.¡±


    ¡°So, the longer someone knows you, the more they care about you?¡± Harry asked and Amelia nodded.


    ¡°I warned Susan about taking your friendship too far and I want to tell you the same thing. You can''t be going around and kissing each other like that. You are too young to have those kinds of problems.¡±


    ¡°What problems?¡±


    ¡°Girlfriends, arguments, hurt feelings, and people talking about you behind your back and teasing you about it.¡± Amelia said. She saw Harry''s smile disappear and she realized her mistake in her choice of words. ¡°Harry...¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Harry said, his voice firm.


    Amelia sighed. ¡°You do; but, not the whole thing.¡± She said and hugged him a bit tighter. ¡°I need to tell you the differences between friends, girls that are friends and girls that are friendly, and girlfriends.¡±


    After half an hour, Harry''s interpersonal education had taken leaps and bounds.


    ¡°I have lunch.¡± Susan said and opened the compartment. She carried in three covered trays and placed them on the other bench seat.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting to come in.¡± Amelia said.


    Susan nodded as she handed a tray to her aunt and then gave one to Harry. ¡°I hope you don''t hate me now.¡± She said to him.


    ¡°I can''t hate my friend.¡± Harry said and put the tray aside and stood up. He gave Amelia a glance and she nodded. He nodded back and then he took Susan into a hug. ¡°Thanks for caring about me.¡±


    Susan hugged him back. ¡°It''s what friends do.¡±


    Harry let her go and his face went a little red as he spoke. ¡°I like you, Susan... but...¡±


    ¡°You don''t like me, like me.¡± Susan said and he nodded. ¡°Was it because I took your first kiss?¡±


    ¡°Susan.¡± Amelia said sternly.


    ¡°I know, Mom.¡± Susan said and took Harry''s hand. ¡°Just so you know, that was my first kiss, too.¡±


    ¡°It... it was?¡± Harry asked, a bit surprised. ¡°I thought... well...¡±


    ¡°I don''t go around kissing everyone I like, okay?¡± Susan said with a giggle.


    ¡°Don''t start that again.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry and Susan said as one. Amelia groaned and they couldn''t help it and laughed. Annoying her with the ''okay'' game had been too much fun for them to stop.


    The day passed as did the next. They did the tour of the last two places the train stopped and they had a great time. All in all, it was a great two weeks and Harry would remember it vividly for years.

 96 The Revealed Truth

    The train pulled into the train station on January third and Amelia, Susan, and Harry stepped off of it. They walked through the crowds and made their way out of the train station. Amelia held out her wand and they waited for about thirty seconds before they heard a cracking boom and The Knight Bus appeared at the end of the street. It skidded to a stop in front of them and Amelia paid all three fares.


    The three of them boarded the bus and cast the softening charm on everything, then they had another nice rumble and tumble ride back to Hogsmeade. They stepped off with their trunks, still in a good mood, especially since Susan and Harry had taken to pushing each other to see how far they could bounce on the last few turns. They were laughing pretty hard as Harry reached into his trunk and pulled out a box of cauldron cakes to give to Stanley.


    ¡°That''s my last one.¡± Harry said, a huge smile on his face. ¡°Happy Christmas!¡±


    ¡°You''re alright, Harry.¡± Stanley said. ¡°Hey, Ern! Harry''s giving us his last box of cakes!¡±


    ¡°He rides for free next time.¡± Ern said from his armchair and didn''t look.


    ¡°Ya hear that, Harry! Ern never does that!¡± Stanley said.


    ¡°Thanks, Ernie!¡± Harry said and waved to the both of them, then the bus took off and disappeared.


    ¡°That was so much fun!¡± Susan said loudly as they walked up the road towards the castle.


    ¡°You bounced three times!¡± Harry said and they both laughed.


    Amelia let them chatter and enjoyed these last few moments together, since school would be starting tomorrow. She knew it would only be a week before she would see them again and she was still going to miss them. She would miss them both, and for some reason, she wasn''t surprised by that. They approached the gates of the school and before she tapped them with her wand, she looked at her niece.


    ¡°Susan, I need to speak with Harry for a bit, so go on ahead.¡± Amelia said and tapped the gates.


    ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± Susan said and gave her a hug. ¡°See you later, Harry.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡± Harry said and he watched Susan walk away with her trunk as he waited for Amelia to talk. The gates closed and he turned to look up at her.


    ¡°Harry, I wanted to tell you something. Something very important.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°I remember what you said about girls and expensive gifts.¡± Harry responded. ¡°I''ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°I''m very glad that you understood what I told you; but, that''s not what I meant.¡± Amelia said. ¡°When I started bringing you into my home for weekend training sessions, I had a few people in my department look into you and everything to do with you-know-who.¡±


    Harry nodded, because she was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.


    ¡°Pushing aside all of the horrible things that happened, there was...¡± Amelia took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°I personally don''t believe in them... but...¡±


    Harry reached out and took her hand, because she never had a hard time speaking.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Amelia smiled at him and gave his hand a slight squeeze. ¡°One of my clerks found a reference to something inside the Ministry. Of course, I investigated personally and even spoke to one of the workers in that department.¡± She said and let out a sigh. ¡°Apparently, a prophecy was made about you.¡±


    ¡°About me?¡± Harry asked and looked confused. ¡°What''s a prophecy?¡±


    Amelia let his hand go. ¡°It''s when someone makes a prediction about future events.¡± She put her arm around him. ¡°I want to take you there to check it and see what it says.¡±


    ¡°You don''t know already?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    Amelia shook her head. ¡°Only people whose names are on it can check on it. Everyone would know about it if anyone could go into the department and check it.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°The Hall of Prophecy is very private.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Almost no one goes in there.¡±


    ¡°Then why does it exist?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I''m not sure what you mean.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°If only the people that the prophecy is about can check them and you don''t let anyone inside, what''s the point?¡± Harry asked. ¡°That''s like having a library and not letting anyone read the books because someone else owns them.¡±


    Amelia opened her mouth to respond, then she chuckled. ¡°How right you are, Harry. It does seem like a bit of a waste to keep copies of things that no one can look at.¡± She said and hugged him close. ¡°Share with me and we''ll apparate right over to the proper area.¡±


    Harry shared his magic with her and Amelia let the feeling flow through her. She didn''t have to count this time and took them from there and to the small hall where high level employees were allowed to apparate. Amelia let him go and led him over to the door and knocked. The door opened and a man stood there.


    ¡°Madam Bones.¡± The man said and bowed his head to her.


    ¡°I''m popping up to my office for a minute and then I have other business to take care of in the Department of Mysteries.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I also need a visitor''s pass.¡±


    The man made marks in the ledger and held a hand out. She handed over her wand and he checked it on some kind of device that printed out a little piece of paper. He licked it and stuck it next to her name.


    ¡°Name of visitor?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°Harry James Potter.¡± Amelia said and the man''s eyes widened. ¡°Yes, that Potter.¡±


    The man smiled and nodded as he made marks in the ledger, then held a hand out to Harry.


    Harry felt bad about handing over his wand, though.


    ¡°It''s all right, Harry. He''s just checking it and recording that it''s inside the Ministry at this time.¡± Amelia said. ¡°We do this so that if there''s any magic cast, we will know if it''s been approved to be inside the Ministry or not.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh.¡± Harry said and held out his wand. ¡°That''s smart.¡±


    The man chuckled. ¡°It sure is. As soon as an unauthorized wand is used, the Aurors are notified.¡± He put Harry''s wand on the device and the paper popped out. He licked it and stuck it next to Harry''s name and that was that.


    Amelia and Harry went to her office and they greeted her secretary, who gushed over how nice it was to see her boss a day early. Amelia dropped off all the paperwork that she had gathered during the two week trip and left it on her desk. She left her trunk by the door and Harry put his beside it, both under the watchful eye of her secretary. They left the office and went to the elevator and rode it down, and down, and down.


    The elevator dinged and said what was on the floor, which was a new experience for Harry. He didn''t ask Amelia about it, though. She looked way too serious at the moment and he stayed quiet as she led him down several hallways to a large black door.


    ¡°I need to blindfold you now, Harry.¡± Amelia said and Harry nodded. ¡°Thank you for not asking why.¡±


    Harry smiled and she put a red cloth over his eyes and tied it. He took in a breath through his nose and it smelled like her, so he relaxed and held a hand out for her to take.


    ¡°You are such a good boy.¡± Amelia said and took the hand, then they started walking.


    Harry couldn''t tell how long they walked, though. It seemed like it took a while and also like it didn''t take any time at all. It was a weird feeling.


    ¡°Here we are.¡± Amelia said let his hand go, then the blindfold was removed.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Harry whispered and looked out at shelves and shelves of small orbs. It was a vast hall that had a very high cathedral ceiling and the shelves went almost up to it.


    ¡°Welcome to the Hall of Prophecy.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Yours is down this way in aisle ninety-seven.¡±


    Harry nodded and followed her across almost fifty shelves to the right spot. Some of the orbs glowed brightly, some dimly, and some were dark. When they came to the right spot, Amelia pointed. He looked at the spot and sure enough, his name was on it.


    S.P.T. To A.P.W.B.D.


    Dark Lord and ? Harry Potter


    Harry didn''t ask what the question mark next to his name meant. Instead, he reached out and picked up the brightly glowing orb.


    ¡°The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.¡± A deep and raspy voice said from the orb. ¡°Born to those that have thrice defied him... born as the seventh month dies...¡±


    Amelia took in a sharp breath and stayed quiet.


    ¡°...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal; but, he will have power that the Dark Lord knows not.¡± The voice continued to rasp. ¡°Either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives...¡±


    ¡°Great Merlin.¡± Amelia whispered as the voice paused, then the whole thing was repeated.


    The two of them stood there for several minutes and listened to it, until Amelia remembered that she should be writing it down. She took out a quill and parchment and wrote it out. She read it over as it spoke again, just to make sure that she had the wording right, and then she nodded.


    ¡°All right, Harry. You can put it back.¡± Amelia said and put the parchment away.


    Harry looked at the orb and thought about it.


    ¡°Harry?¡± Amelia gave him a concerned look.


    ¡°I''m keeping it.¡± Harry said, to her surprise.


    ¡°Harry, you can''t just take...¡±


    ¡°It''s mine, isn''t? Only I can take it from here, since there is no way you would let you-know-who in here to get it.¡±


    ¡°That''s not the point.¡± Amelia said. ¡°It''s only a copy and...¡±


    ¡°Who has the original?¡± Harry asked and Amelia pointed again. He looked closely at the writing on the little golden plaque and on the top were the S.P.T. initials and A.P.W.B.D.


    ¡°The prophecy was made by Sybil Patricia Trelawney, a descendant of a great Seer, to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.¡± Amelia said. ¡°According to the date, it was a couple of months before you were born.¡±


    Harry took a step back and stared at the spot. ¡°He... he knew.¡± He whispered and tears came to his eyes. ¡°He knew and didn''t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Harry...¡± Amelia started to speak and then she gasped as Harry showed anger on his face for the very first time and then he smashed the glowing orb onto the stone floor. ¡°HARRY!¡±


    ¡°He knew.¡± Harry said and wiped at the tears on his face, only the tears didn''t stop. ¡°He let my parents die. He is supposed to be... the world''s most powerful wizard... and he did nothing.¡±


    Amelia glanced at the shards of the glass orb and then ignored the loss and stepped forward to take Harry into a hug. ¡°I''m so sorry, Harry. If I had known...¡±


    Harry put his arms around her and held on tightly as he buried his face into her chest. He fought to stop crying and to stop his anger from overwhelming him. There was a crack from one of the darkened orbs and it made Amelia jump slightly.


    ¡°We need to go. Right now!¡± Amelia said and let him out of the hug, grabbed his hand, and ran. The darkened orb broke apart with a tinkling sound and she heard several more. ¡°Harry! You need to calm down!¡±


    ¡°I can''t!¡± Harry exclaimed. ¡°I... I... I want to kill him!¡±


    There was a very loud cracking sound as hundreds of the darkened orbs shattered. Amelia ran as fast as she could. She knew, for some reason, that if they stayed in that room any longer, all of the prophecies would be lost and not just the dead ones.


    They reached the door and she yanked it open, swung Harry through, and then pulled him into a very tight hug. His face was buried into her chest again and she held him there as he hugged her back just as tightly. She needed to say something that would calm him down as quickly as possible... and then inspiration struck her.


    Comfort! He needs comfort! Amelia thought. ¡°I love you, Harry.¡±


    Harry''s whole body stiffened and his grip seemed a lot stronger than normal.


    ¡°I love you.¡± Amelia whispered and he lifted his still tear streaked face up to look at her. ¡°I can''t tell you when it happened, because I don''t know.¡± She said and used a hand to cup the side of his face. ¡°I just know that when I look at you and see you working hard and also enjoying it, I can''t help but see you like I see Susan.¡±


    ¡°Susan?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°She''s not the daughter of my body; but, I raised her and that makes her my daughter as much as anything else would.¡± Amelia said. ¡°If I had known you needed me as much as she did, I would have taken you in, too.¡±


    The tears in Harry''s eyes didn''t stop.


    ¡°These last few months with you have been wonderful, and this trip was the best trip that both Susan and I have ever been on.¡± Amelia said. ¡°That''s all because of you.¡± She leaned down and kissed his forehead. ¡°The look you see on my face when I hug you is love, Harry. It''s love.¡±


    Harry let out a sob and the tears flowed faster, then he put his face to her chest again as he cried.


    Amelia could no longer hear the creaking and cracking sounds on the other side of the door.

 97 The Return To School

    It took Harry quite some time to calm down. During which, nearly a dozen other people had shown up and Amelia had whispered to him to keep his face hidden and to not speak. The other people whispered questions to her and she directed them through the door and into the Hall of Prophecies.


    ¡°I need to blindfold you again, Harry.¡± Amelia whispered when his crying stopped.


    Harry closed his eyes and lifted his head from her comforting chest. The combat armor held the imprint of his face for a second before returning to its normal shape. Amelia regretting having to let him go as she applied the blindfold. Harry hadn''t let her go and held on just as tightly.


    ¡°Shift to the side, so we can walk.¡± Amelia said and he nodded. Harry moved over and took the side along apparition position and his arm around her waist gripped her tighter than he ever had before. Amelia didn''t complain about it, because Harry needed her and she didn''t want to reject him, or let him think that she ever would. She would give him comfort, even if she was going to be sore tomorrow.


    Harry stayed quiet as Amelia led him from the Department of Mysteries. When she closed the large black door behind them, she took the blindfold from him. She also took a moment to use the cloth to wipe at his face and dry up the tears.


    Amelia''s heart throbbed as she did so, because she had never had anyone break down like that. Or so she tried to convince herself. Her mind went back to all those years ago and she remembered sitting in her home with a brand new baby after losing her whole family. Her tears had flowed like rivers that day, and that week, and for nearly a month after that. It was a heavy weight to suddenly have no family and a child to take care of.


    Harry saw Amelia''s face change from support to remembered pain and he reached up and took the blindfold from her hand. ¡°I''ll be bigger some day and I''ll hold you and let you cry, too.¡±


    Amelia let a smile appear on her face. ¡°I think I would like that.¡± She said and held her hand up to the top of his head and moved it to her chin. ¡°It might be a long time before you''re big enough; but, I can wait until then, if you can.¡±


    Harry smiled back and nodded in agreement. The two of them walked down the several hallways and went back to the elevator, went up to her office, and Harry had to sit in a chair outside of her office as she dealt with a few things, namely what he had done inside the Ministry.


    A few other people passed by Harry as he sat there and he couldn''t hear anything, once the door was closed. He waited there for quite some time before the other people came out of her office and she stepped out herself. Her face was sad and Harry knew that he was in trouble.


    ¡°What''s going to happen to me?¡± Harry asked.


    Amelia took in a deep breath and let it out. ¡°A mark on your record for destroying Ministry property, the intentional one and not what happened after that... and a hundred galleon fine. They have to try and determine the full impact of what happened and then try to repair a lot of damage...¡±


    ¡°I''ll send a letter to Griphook as soon as I''m back at the castle.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°You will also be restricted from entrance to the Ministry for a year.¡± Amelia said and she thought about not telling him everything, then decided that he needed to know. ¡°After which, you will be assessed for the potential as a further threat.¡±


    Harry''s eyes widened.


    ¡°You will also need to hand over your wand for safe keeping whenever entering the Ministry after that, regardless if you are declared safe or not. You will get it back when you leave.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Ministry rules are... not very forgiving when you do bad things within these walls.¡±


    Harry didn''t say anything and just nodded.


    ¡°Let''s get you back to school.¡± Amelia said and they picked up their trunks, bid the secretary a good day, and left the office. They rode the elevator to the proper floor and stopped at the inspector in front of the apparition hall and he marked their names on the list. Amelia opened the door for them and they stepped through, went to the center of the room and hugged each other with their trunks in their hands, then shared magic.


    Amelia gasped at the trembling in Harry''s magic. ¡°Harry, you... I want you to meditate, all right?¡±


    Harry closed his eyes and started using the meditation technique that had been in the book Hagrid had loaned him. He felt his magic churning and rolling around like a stormy sea, in response to his churning emotions, and he did his best to make it a calm sea again. It took him nearly twenty minutes of concentration before he managed it. Amelia holding him had definitely helped and he told her so when he opened his eyes.


    ¡°I can''t be here to hold you all the time to help keep you calm, Harry.¡± Amelia said to him, then she used both hands to cup the sides of his face. ¡°I want to, though. I want to hold you and tell you that you are safe, and loved, and that I will do everything I can to protect you.¡±


    Harry took a slightly shaking breath. ¡°You gave me the lowest penalty for what I did, didn''t you?¡±


    Amelia smiled sadly. ¡°The lowest physical penalty, the fine, and I had to add the extra conditions to make sure that I couldn''t be accused of going easy on you.¡± She said. ¡°Both of which will protect you, in their own way.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure how keeping him out of the Ministry for a year would help him. He trusted Amelia, so he nodded and her sad smile became a genuine one and she kissed his forehead again.


    ¡°Ready to apparate?¡± Amelia asked and Harry shared his magic with her again. She nodded at the strong calmness and used their shared magic to cover them. They disapparated from the Ministry and appeared in front of the large iron gates of Hogwarts. ¡°I''m sorry that our great trip ended like this.¡±


    ¡°I''m not.¡± Harry said as he put his trunk down and then put his arms around her. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for coming along.¡± Amelia said and put her trunk down to give him a hug back. ¡°I want you to think over everything that happened during the trip and not what just happened at the Ministry.¡±


    Harry let out a sigh. ¡°But... the prophecy...¡±


    ¡°I told you that I don''t believe in prophecies.¡± Amelia said. ¡°If you put too much belief into things like that, they have a tendency to fulfill themselves, because you will them to.¡±


    Harry blinked his eyes at her for several seconds as he thought about that. ¡°Is... that... true?¡±


    Amelia nodded as her hand reached up and she rested her thumb on the spot next to where his lightning bolt scar was currently covered up. ¡°You don''t think it''s funny that you were marked by that evil curse?¡± She asked. ¡°Would that have happened at all if no one had heard that prophecy?¡±


    Harry''s mouth dropped open in shock and Amelia chuckled.


    ¡°Like I said, if someone believes too much in things like that, they tend to come true because you want them to.¡± Amelia said and reluctantly let Harry go. ¡°You better get inside. I bet your friends want to hear all about our trip.¡±


    Harry closed his mouth and nodded.


    Amelia tapped the gates with her wand and they opened for him. ¡°I''ll see you next Saturday.¡±


    Harry smiled and nodded again, much happier, and picked up his trunk. He walked through the open gates and turned to wave to her. Amelia returned the wave, picked up her trunk and took several steps back, then she disappeared.


    Harry''s smile faded and he walked up to the castle as he thought about the prophecy. He had memorized the words and he had to disagree with Amelia on one point. It wasn''t the belief in the prophecy that made it happen. It was the actions, or inaction of people to make it happen. Just like the prophecy said, he was born at the end of July, the Dark Lord came to hunt him, and marked him.


    Voldemort marked me as his equal. Harry thought and the smile started to reappear on his face. Me! The equal to the strongest Dark Wizard in a generation, who terrified the whole wizarding world! His smile grew wider as he entered the castle.


    A group of people were gathered together in the Entrance Hall and were chatting. Harry recognized the Slytherin colors on their robes and he tried to ignore them.


    ¡°Potter!¡± A drawling voice called out. ¡°Did you have fun with Bones during your little love trip?¡±


    Harry came to a stop and put his trunk down as several of the Slytherins laughed.


    ¡°Malfoy, leave him alone.¡± Daphne said. She hadn''t laughed.


    ¡°I''m just asking a question that we all want to know, Greengrass.¡± Draco said and looked back at Harry. ¡°I bet you did, didn''t you?¡± He asked with a laugh. ¡°How many times did you kiss her?¡±


    Harry''s face never lost the smile and he walked over to the Slytherins.


    ¡°Careful, here he comes.¡± One of the others whispered and held his wand at his side.


    Harry ignored him and stopped five feet away, because Draco''s two large friends tried to block him from getting closer.


    ¡°Harry, he''s all talk.¡± Daphne said. ¡°Just ignore him.¡±


    ¡°I will, right after I say something.¡± Harry said to her and looked at Draco. He reached up to his own forehead and wiped at the cream covering his lightning bolt scar and revealed it. ¡°I faced Voldemort himself, Malfoy.¡± He said and they all gasped at the name. ¡°I face him and I lived.¡± He tapped the scar and they all stared at it. ¡°Do you see that? He marked me, so that anyone that sees me would know that the most powerful Dark Lord tried to kill me and failed.¡±


    They all gasped again and Harry smiled at their reaction.


    ¡°Talk all you want. Spread lies. Make people laugh at me for no reason. I honestly don''t care.¡± Harry said. ¡°Do you know why?¡± He asked and no one said anything. ¡°It''s because you are nothing to me. Compared to Voldemort, you are nothing.¡±


    ¡°I''ll show you nothing, Potter!¡± Draco said and reached for his wand.


    ¡°Expelliarmus.¡± Harry said the disarming charm after flicking his wrist and deploying his wand. Because he was concentrating hard to remain calm, a lot of magic went into the spell and seven wands of the Slytherins flew over to him and clattered to the floor. He didn''t bother catching them.


    What had surprised Daphne was that her wand stayed in the pocket of her robes.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Severus Snape asked as he strode out of the dungeon stairwell and saw Harry standing over a pile of wands.


    ¡°Nothing, Professor!¡± Several of the Slytherins said and came to attention.


    Snape looked at them and raised his eyebrows at them. ¡°Malfoy.¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened, Professor.¡± Draco said and kept his angry eyes focused on Harry.


    ¡°Mister Potter.¡± Snape said and looked at him.


    ¡°Malfoy was making fun of me, implying I did bad things to Susan Bones during our trip, and I informed him that compared to The Dark Lord that gave me this mark...¡± Harry tapped it. ¡°...he means nothing. When he tried to attack me with a spell, I disarmed him and everyone else.¡±


    The Slytherin students stared at him, surprised that he would admit using magic.


    Snape stared at Harry as well and struggled with trying to get a clear image. ¡°You have been busy.¡±


    ¡°I practice every day, Professor.¡± Harry said, quite proud.


    Snape looked down at the wands and at his students. ¡°Pick those up.¡±


    The students scrambled to get them, even Draco, because they were desperate to get their wands back.


    ¡°Mister Potter, ten points from Griffindor for using magic against another student.¡± Snape said. ¡°You are lucky that it isn''t for each student.¡±


    ¡°So are they, Professor.¡± Harry said with a smile and saw several of the Slytherins look surprised.


    Snape gave him a searching look. ¡°Take your trunk to your room and then report to my office. I believe we have some things to discuss about what happened today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Professor.¡± Harry said, walked over to get his trunk, then jogged up the stairs and out of sight.


    ¡°As for you.¡± Snape said and turned to the group of eight students. ¡°How many times have I warned you about antagonizing other students?¡±


    ¡°It was just talking, Professor.¡± One of the students said.


    ¡°Then why were all of your wands on the floor?¡± Snape asked. ¡°He can only disarm you if you were holding your wands and ready to attack.¡±


    None of them said anything and he sighed.


    ¡°Go. Out of my sight.¡± Snape said. ¡°Malfoy, your father will hear of this.¡± He saw the boy''s ears redden slightly. ¡°I''m sure you will be hearing from him soon after.¡±


    Draco knew what that warning meant and nodded as he left with the others.


    Daphne stayed quiet as the others talked about Harry and what Snape was going to do to him. Unlike them, she knew that Snape was wrong in his assumption. It wasn''t having the wand in hand and ready to attack, it was that Harry only took the wands of those that he thought were a threat to him. Her hand went into the pocket of her robes and touched her wand. It hadn''t even twitched from Harry''s powerful disarming charm.

 98 The Talk With Snape

    Harry entered the Griffindor Tower common room and Hermione was in the same comfy chair that she usually claimed on the weekends. Neville and Ron were near her and were copying things out of a book.


    ¡°Hi, Harry.¡± Hermione said and the other two looked up.


    ¡°Hi, Harry!¡± Neville said.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Ron said.


    ¡°Hi, everyone.¡± Harry responded. ¡°I can''t talk right now. I have to report to Professor Snape''s office.¡±


    ¡°You better tell me what it''s about when you come back.¡± Hermione said, a little sternly.


    Harry chuckled and nodded, then he brought his trunk up to his room. After reapplying the cream to his face to cover the lightning bolt scar, he wrote out a quick letter to Griphook about the fine and to send it off as soon as business started the next morning. He opened the window and Hedwig flew over.


    ¡°Thank you for keeping watch on me.¡± Harry said to her and gave her a very gentle hug. ¡°I missed you a lot the last two weeks.¡±


    Missed you. Hedwig thought with a hoot. Only ate squirrel and mice.


    Harry chuckled again. ¡°I''ll be sure to have a plate of sausage and bacon for you in the morning.¡± He said and handed her an owl treat.


    Grateful. Hedwig thought and ate the mouse shaped treat. Delicious.


    ¡°I have a letter for Griphook at the bank.¡± Harry said and handed it to her. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Bertha. Hedwig thought.


    Harry nodded. ¡°I''ll have a letter for her later tonight, once I get a chance to sit down and write all about my trip.¡± He said. ¡°I''ll leave my window open and when you come back, I''ll take you down to the common room and you can hear all about it when I tell my other friends.¡±


    Happy. Hedwig thought and then hopped out the window. She swooped down to the ground to build up speed and soared into the air. FUN!


    ¡°It really is.¡± Harry said and left the window open. He cast a privacy curtain and a warming charm on it, to stop the cooler air from filling the room. He left the dorm room and jogged down the stairs, waved at the others as he passed them, and left the common room still at a jog.


    He took a different shortcut this time, one that used a different part of the castle''s secret stairways, and ended up in the first basement level. A short staircase put him in the dungeon and he entered the potions classroom. He walked right to the back of the room and knocked on Professor Snape''s office door.


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    Harry opened the door and stepped in, closed the door, and walked over to the professor''s desk. He hadn''t been inside the office before and he was a bit surprised that it was quite a small room.


    Snape saw his eyes dart around the room and hid his smile. ¡°I share space with my private stores.¡± He said and pointed to the side.


    Harry turned and looked to see a door was open and inside were shelves and shelves that were full of all different kinds of ingredients. Some glowed, some moved of their own accord, and others looked deadly.


    ¡°Sit.¡± Snape ordered and Harry sat down in the single chair. ¡°Mister Potter, is there anything you would like to say to me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Harry said, not rising to the bait about the incident with the Slytherins.


    ¡°No?¡± Snape let the smile appear on his face this time. ¡°I told you once that I was... aware of some of the things that the headmaster has been doing in the school.¡±


    Harry did his best to not think about it and his anger over it let Snape get a very vivid picture.


    ¡°You need to remain calm for Occlumency to work effectively.¡± Snape said. ¡°Anger, fear, excitement, all of it can allow an accomplished Legilimens to peer into your recent thoughts without even trying.¡±


    Harry took a deep breath and let it out. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Amelia and her words. After a few moments, his anger subsided and he opened his eyes.


    Snape nodded. ¡°You recovered well... except that no one will ever give you that time to recover in the real world.¡±


    Harry nodded back. ¡°I''ll keep working on it.¡±


    Snape sat there and debated on telling him what he saw, then decided that it was much easier to ignore that Harry was a Griffindor when he was wearing normal clothes. His decision made, he spoke.


    ¡°Unfortunately for your desire to keep it a secret, I saw what you discovered at the Ministry.¡±


    ¡°Did you get it all?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Snape said. ¡°I also did not get it all the first time.¡±


    Harry blinked his eyes in surprise. ¡°The first time?¡±


    ¡°Since you already know about the prophecy, I have chosen to admit my part in it.¡± Snape said and Harry sat up straight. ¡°Do not overreact to my words before you hear them all.¡±


    Harry took another breath and sat back in the chair.


    ¡°I was there that night that Dumbledore heard the prophecy, spying on him.¡± Snape said and Harry''s eyes widened. ¡°Yes, I was a spy.¡±


    ¡°For the Dark Lord.¡± Harry said and Snape nodded.


    ¡°You know the old saying. In for a shilling, in for a pound.¡± Snape said and Harry nodded this time. ¡°Before he became who he became, I was among those he recruited.¡± He said. ¡°I was young, ostracized from others, and was eager to believe pleasant lies.¡±


    Harry''s eyes widened and Snape smiled.


    ¡°Yes, you are familiar with that.¡± Snape said. ¡°I, on the other hand, did not have people to watch out for me. I fell into the wrong crowd and became even more despised when things turned darker than even I had suspected it would.¡± He looked at the boy across the desk and sighed. ¡°I am not looking for sympathy, nor do I deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I overheard the prophecy and was discovered by a third party. I fled from capture and returned to the Dark Lord.¡±


    ¡°You told him.¡± Harry said, his voice deep and his eyes shone with anger. A curio cabinet at the side of the room that had a glass window, shattered.


    ¡°I did.¡± Snape said. ¡°I told him exactly what I had heard.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Harry asked and did is best to imagine Amelia''s hands on his face and her lips on his forehead.


    ¡°He was the Dark Lord. It took me years to learn and be strong enough to keep my private thoughts hidden from him.¡±


    ¡°What happened after that?¡± Harry asked and Amelia''s kiss didn''t seem to be working. He thought of Susan and their New Year''s kiss and that didn''t calm him, either. It wasn''t until he thought of Hermione and sitting with her in the comfy chair that his emotions finally smoothed out.


    ¡°He was angry, of course. Incensed, actually. He started to hunt for those that fit the prophecy.¡±


    ¡°My parents.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Among others.¡± Snape said, which gained Harry''s attention. ¡°There were several others that had defied him on a couple of occasions... but... only two that had defied him three times.¡±


    Harry stayed silent this time and waited.


    ¡°The Potters and the Longbottoms.¡±


    Harry''s calm mind didn''t react like he thought it would. He thought he was going to jump up and shout, say how unfair it was, and then he remembered the state Neville''s parents were in. They had both lost their parents and he couldn''t be angry that he was chosen over Neville.


    ¡°He chose me.¡± Harry said, without inflection.


    ¡°Yes, for a specific reason.¡± Snape said and Harry stared at him. ¡°Dumbledore hid your parents.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Harry asked, surprised. ¡°I thought...¡±


    Snape smiled as he got Harry''s clear thoughts. ¡°He still did nothing to stop what happened. You see, he made them irresistible as a target.¡±


    ¡°He didn''t hide the Longbottoms?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, it wasn''t necessary.¡±


    ¡°But... but...¡± Harry''s mind reeled over this information.


    ¡°Calm yourself, Mister Potter.¡± Snape said and Harry did as asked. ¡°It still took the Dark Lord a year to track your parents down, which was what Dumbledore wanted. While the Dark Lord was busy looking for your parents, he wasn''t attacking wizards and muggles or trying to take over all of Britain.¡±


    Harry thought about that. ¡°They... were a... distraction?¡±


    ¡°Decoys, yes.¡± Snape said. ¡°Dumbledore eventually put your family under a Fidelus Charm. It is a specific defense against someone finding the whereabouts of those under the charm.¡±


    ¡°But... if that worked...¡± Harry started to say.


    ¡°They chose the wrong person to trust.¡± Snape said. ¡°For the last ten years, I had thought that person to be your godfather.¡±


    ¡°Sirius?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    ¡°It turns out that he was innocent and Peter Pettegrew was the one who betrayed your parents.¡±


    ¡°The RAT?!?¡± Harry yelled.


    ¡°Calm, Mister Potter.¡± Snape reminded him.


    Harry brought to his mind that time he had fallen asleep in Hermione''s arms and his churning emotions nearly disappeared completely.


    ¡°I did my best to intervene and to stop The Dark Lord...¡± Snape started to say.


    ¡°Why?¡± Harry interrupted.


    ¡°I think you are too young to understand my reasons.¡± Snape said. ¡°Needless to say, I failed. I fled from the Dark Lord and went to Dumbledore to warn him and begged for him to intervene.¡±


    Harry''s mind locked onto that fact. ¡°He really did know.¡±


    Snape nodded. ¡°Since he was the one that cast the Fidelus Charm to protect them, he also knew where they were.¡±


    Harry sat there and digested it all. Everything that Snape had said, his own involvement, and setting things into motion. He also thought about Amelia''s words about believing too much in a prophecy and making it come true.


    ¡°He still did nothing.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°To my shame and regret.¡± Snape said. ¡°I had abandoned the most powerful Dark Lord and betrayed him, only to be coerced into going back to him as a spy for Dumbledore.¡± He said and fell silent for a short time. ¡°It did eventually keep me out of prison after the Dark Lord was vanquished.¡±


    Harry sat there and stared at the floor. He kept thinking about it all and then realized something. ¡°Why are you telling me all of this?¡±


    ¡°Do not mistake my honesty with altruism, Mister Potter.¡± Snape said with a bit of a sneer. ¡°Even being honest can be used to manipulate people.¡±


    ¡°Like Dumbledore did to you.¡± Harry said and Snape reluctantly nodded. ¡°Then why?¡±


    ¡°Simple greed.¡± Snape said. ¡°I want to hear the rest of the prophecy.¡±


    Harry hesitated. ¡°What do I get out of it?¡±


    ¡°A week of detention.¡± Snape said and couldn''t stop a smile from appearing on his face. ¡°You must keep up appearances, such as they are.¡±


    ¡°The Slytherins.¡± Harry said. ¡°If I don''t have anything bad happen to me after this...¡±


    Snape nodded.


    So, Harry told him, word for word, what the prophecy said.


    Snape stared at him and Harry didn''t block the memory of seeing the glowing orb recite the prophecy. ¡°Is it still in the Hall of Prophecies?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Harry said and smiled as he let Snape see him smash the thing on the stone floor.


    Snape raised his eyebrows for a moment, then let another smile appear on his face. ¡°You may go, Mister Potter. Report to Filch in the evenings after supper for detention.¡±


    ¡°I always go early to detention, Professor.¡± Harry said and left the office with a smile on his own face. Now he could find out what Mister Filch and Missus Norris thought of their Christmas presents.

 99 The Trip Story

    Harry''s smile faded as he thought over what had just happened. He had learned a lot about Professor Snape and what he did. He wasn''t sure why he wasn''t angry at him over it, though. Without him, Voldemort might not have come after him. It was then that he realized what Snape said. He had been honest about it. He even said so. Once he knew Harry knew about the prophecy, he told him what happened.


    No one had ever done that before. Harry couldn''t muster the anger he knew he should feel over it, just because of that. Also, for some reason, he knew that Dumbledore would have hidden his parents anyway and made them a target, while also letting Voldemort know about the prophecy. It was then that it clicked in his head.


    He must have known Snape was listening or found out soon after. Harry thought as he walked down the hallway towards the stairs. He saw a blonde haired girl as she leaned against the wall near the bottom of the staircase.


    ¡°Hi, Harry.¡± Daphne said, her face slightly red. ¡°What did the professor give you?¡±


    ¡°A week''s detention.¡± Harry said and saw her surprise.


    ¡°That''s a little much.¡± Daphne said and started walking up the stairs with him. ¡°It should have only been a day or two.¡±


    ¡°It might be.¡± Harry said, using her idea. ¡°One for each wand on the floor.¡±


    ¡°He gave you the weekend, too?!?¡± Daphne asked, shocked.


    Harry couldn''t stop his smile. ¡°I''ve cleaned with Mister Filch on the weekends before.¡±


    Daphne nodded and fell silent. They reached the top of the stairs and walked down the basement hallway to go to the stairs up to the Entrance Hall.


    ¡°How did you sneak away from the others?¡± Harry asked.


    Daphne huffed. ¡°I didn''t have to sneak. I just stood up and left the Great Hall.¡±


    Harry was silent this time, until they reached the stairs. ¡°You might not want to walk up with me into the Entrance Hall. People might talk about it.¡± He said and managed to not smile as he used Amelia''s explanation.


    Daphne let out a sigh as she looked up the stairs. ¡°You''re right.¡± She said and looked at Harry. ¡°I only came to check on you, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said and smiled. ¡°You''re pretty good, for a Slytherin.¡±


    Daphne laughed softly. ¡°You''re pretty bad, for a Griffindor.¡±


    Harry reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He took her hand and placed it on her palm. ¡°Thanks for the Christmas present.¡±


    Daphne looked down at the tiny box and then at his face. ¡°Harry...¡±


    ¡°You know what to do with shrunken things.¡± Harry said and let her hand go. ¡°See you on Wednesday.¡±


    Daphne nodded and watched Harry walk up the stairs and disappear from sight. She turned around and went back down the hallway and the stairs to the dungeon, then went to the hidden door to the Slytherin common room. She entered and ignored the others as she went down the stairs to her dorm and entered the single room.


    She sat down at the small desk beside her bed and put the tiny box on it. She had no idea that her gift of a pair of transfigured dragon paw oven mitts would get her a present back. She hadn''t planned to do it, either. It was just a stupid idea she had when doing up the required presents she had to do for her ''friends'', the people her parents told her to be friends with.


    Daphne had done it almost in defiance of them, in fact. Plus, it had been fun. She remembered Harry''s face when he saw the one she had made and hoped that he liked having a pair for himself. She never thought he would reciprocate... like an actual friend would.


    She used the general counter spell and the box returned to its original size, which was huge to her eyes. She carefully lifted the lid and gasped at the glittering solid gold cauldron inside. There was another box inside it and a letter. She picked up the letter and opened it.


    Hi, Daphne.


    I hope you had a good Christmas. Mine was great! I spent it with friends and even had a day with my godfather. I really liked your gift. I made them unbreakable and permanent, just like the set of crystal vials inside the cauldron. I was going to give it to you in class, then remembered what the others would say if I did. You don''t have to use it, since that''s not the point. I told Professor Snape that I had enough cauldrons to share with my friends and I didn''t want you to think that I was a liar.


    Happy Christmas!


    Harry.


    Daphne stared at the letter for quite some time. She read it, over and over, then lifted out the large case that was filled with unbreakable crystal vials. She ran her hand over them, then she touched the solid gold cauldron.


    You''re right, Harry. Using it isn''t the point. Daphne thought and put the letter back inside the box, put the top on, and carefully put the heavy thing under her bed. Just having it is the point.


    Under the bed was where it was going to stay, because Harry was also right about what her classmates would say if they knew she had it. None of it good. Her mind went over what could happen and the danger she was in because of it gave her a bit of a thrill.


    Did he know it would? Daphne asked herself as she went to her trunk and exchanged her old pile of glass vials for the expensive crystal ones, even though she knew that they weren''t actually expensive, because Harry had transfigured them and hadn''t bought them. He did all that work, just for me.


    Daphne closed her trunk and left her room to rejoin her ''friends'' in the common room.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± Pansy Parkinson asked.


    ¡°Seeing what the professor gave Potter.¡± Daphne said, even though calling Harry by his last name seemed a little wrong.


    ¡°So, what did he get?¡± Pansy Parkinson asked.


    ¡°A week''s detention.¡± Daphne said and that made Pansy smile and a few others nod. ¡°The weekend, too.¡±


    ¡°HA!¡± Draco barked a laugh. ¡°Serves him right! He should be cleaning the floors I walk on!¡±


    Daphne tuned them out and she thought back to the letter Harry had written to her. None of her friends asked her why she was smiling. She would have lied about it, anyway.


    *


    ¡°Harry.¡± Hermione said as a reminder when Harry came into the common room.


    ¡°I just have to grab Hedwig. She wants to know about my trip, too.¡± Harry said and ran up the stairs. He dismissed the privacy curtain and the owl sat on the window sill. ¡°Ready?¡± He asked and held an arm out for her.


    Will listen. Hedwig thought with a hoot and hopped onto his arm.


    Harry closed the window and went back down to the common room. He put Hedwig on the back of the chair and sat down next to Hermione, who had moved over in the chair for him. He put his arm around her and held her close, then he started to tell her and his other friends about the incident in the Entrance Hall and getting detention for a week.


    ¡°The Slytherins really don''t know when to give it a rest, do they?¡± Ron asked.


    ¡°Professor Snape needs to do a better job with them.¡± Neville agreed. ¡°Image what McGonagall would do to us if we said things like that!¡±


    Hermione huffed and nodded her head. ¡°We would be getting detention, probably for a month, and not the person we were making fun of.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°I got that for using magic.¡± He said. ¡°You know what I think about detention.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know how you can enjoy cleaning.¡± Ron said. ¡°All that scrubbing? My fingers are wrinkling just thinking about it.¡±


    That made the others laugh.


    ¡°I''m just used to it.¡± Harry said with a shrug. ¡°Do you want to hear about the trip?¡±


    ¡°It must have been a blast.¡± Hermione said. ¡°A train tour of all of Britain for two whole weeks sounds like the best time!¡±


    ¡°It really was.¡± Harry admitted, then he told them all about it. The places they went, the food they ate, the sights they saw, the whole thing. He left out one specific detail on New Year''s Eve, though. The kisses. Those he was going to keep all to himself. Mostly. His arm reflexively gave Hermione a bit of a squeeze and he kept telling the tale.


    By the time Harry was done, nearly everyone in the common room had stopped what they were doing and listened to him.


    ¡°Your godfather is living with the healer.¡± Ron said, his mind focused on a little detail that everyone else seemed to have missed.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± Ron said, and that was the end of it. No one else commented or said anything about it.


    I go. ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said and a few people jumped, because she had stayed still the entire time and they had forgotten that she was there.


    ¡°All right.¡± Harry said and extracted himself from Hermione and the chair. ¡°Be careful and thanks for spending this time with me.¡±


    Bertha. Hedwig thought with a soft hoot.


    ¡°I know. I''ll get right on it.¡± Harry said and took her over to the window. ¡°I know how much you like fresh mice.¡±


    ¡°Hoot, hoot.¡± She give me two. Letter large.


    Harry chuckled and opened the window. ¡°I''ll do my best.¡±


    Hedwig hopped out the window and soared away as Harry closed it.


    Harry walked back over to the chair and sat back down with Hermione and put his arm over her shoulders again. ¡°Now it''s your turn, Hermione.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hermione asked and glanced at Ron. ¡°I don''t know if we want Ron to laugh so much.¡±


    ¡°It not my fault that I think strapping sticks to your feet and sliding down a snow covered mountain is funny.¡± Ron said. ¡°And bonkers. Let''s not forget bonkers.¡±


    Harry and Neville laughed.


    ¡°Oh, all right.¡± Hermione said with a huge smile and she told her Christmas tale.


    You could tell the muggle borns from the wizard raised as she spoke, because the wizards were like Ron and Neville, completely entranced about an airplane flight (You climb inside something bigger than the Knight Bus and it FLIES?!? Neville had asked, shocked), about the ski lift (Are you sure it''s not magic? That sounds like a Locomotor spell. Ron had commented), and about skiing itself (Yep, still bonkers. Ron had said when he was done laughing).


    ¡°Neville? How was your Christmas break?¡± Hermione asked, essentially passing on the story baton.


    Then it was Neville''s turn and he told us all about his ecstatic family all coming home to visit with his parents. It was the best time and everyone was really nice and understanding. His mom and dad had adjusted, after visiting a healer to talk about their problems from waking up after so long, and having so much family around made them all that much happier.


    ¡°Ron, your turn.¡± Harry prompted.


    ¡°Aw, we didn''t do much.¡± Ron said, a bit sadly, then he started with his older brothers coming home and telling their stories from their jobs. Everyone in the common room listened to him, and he liked having a much wider audience to talk to.


    When he was done, Lavender started in about her own Christmas break and travelling to Paris, which had most of the girls ooing and awing. After her, everyone seemed to take turns and shared their stories as well.

 100 The First School Year

    Bokuboy


    After everyone told their Christmas stories, some funny, some normal, and all of them happy with their presents, the impromptu gathering broke up and most of the others went their separate ways. Ron let out a big yawn and called it an early night, Neville went back to working on copying spells, and Hermione blushed a little and nodded when Harry asked her in a very low whisper to stay up for a while and he would be back down to talk to her.


    Harry left her and went up to his bed to get his writing things and quickly wrote out, almost word for word, what he had told everyone else. He included the events of New Year''s Eve and the events at the Ministry after the trip was over. That part had been a bit difficult to write, until he thought about Hermione waiting for him downstairs in the common room. He kept his emotions in check and told Bertha all about it.


    He filled a one foot roll of parchment and then half of another, without even really embellishing anything. His writing was small and concise, and he thought that it would take Bertha a long time to get through it all. Harry thanked her for the Christmas present of a new book called Charms of the Ages. He hadn''t had a chance to look through it yet and knew it was going to be a good one, especially since he thought it was going to tell him some of the old spells that people didn''t use anymore.


    At the bottom of the second roll of parchment, Harry added in what happened with the Slytherins and about getting detention afterwards. He left out telling Professor Snape about the prophecy, since he thought that was something no one else needed to know... except for one person. The only one that was better at meditation than him.


    Harry folded up the two sheets of parchment and made a large envelope for them, tucked them inside, and sealed it with a tap of his wand. He walked over to the window and opened it for Hedwig. She landed and Harry gave her the large envelope.


    ¡°Bertha might give you three mice for this one.¡± Harry whispered.


    Hedwig hooted happily and took the envelope, dove out the window, and disappeared from sight.


    Harry closed it, cast the warming charm to stop the cold air that had come in, then went down the stairs. No one else was in the common room and he walked over to the chair that Hermione sat in.


    ¡°You took your time.¡± Hermione said softly.


    ¡°You waited anyway.¡± Harry said softly back and sat beside her. He waved his wand and a privacy curtain surrounded them. Silencio was cast next and he put his arm over her shoulders.


    ¡°This must really be serious.¡± Hermione said, without worry that someone else would hear.


    ¡°Kind of.¡± Harry said, a little sheepishly. ¡°I... ah... left something out of my trip story.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Hermione covered her mouth. ¡°You cast magic illegally.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°Not during the trip.¡±


    Hermione caught her breath. ¡°Oh, Harry. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Before I get to that, I need to tell you about the trip first.¡± Harry said. ¡°I hope you don''t freak out about it.¡±


    ¡°You''re making me nervous, Harry.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°Well... I... um...¡± Harry stammered. Now that the moment had come, he wasn''t sure how to say it.


    ¡°Harry.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°Did you know that on New Year''s Eve, you''re supposed to kiss the person you''re with?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Well, yes. Mom and dad do it every year.¡± Hermione said. ¡°This year we were at the top of the mountain when the fireworks went off.¡±


    Harry relaxed a little. ¡°I didn''t know it happened... until... well...¡± His face went a little red. ¡°Susan kissed me.¡±


    Hermione''s mouth dropped open and she had a surprised look on her face. She didn''t say anything.


    ¡°She said everyone was doing it and then Amelia explained to me about it.¡± Harry said and Hermione kept staring at him. ¡°When she told me that it was a kiss that was usually shared with a date, I wasn''t sure what to say. Then she said you could do it with a close friend as well, as long as it didn''t mean anything more than wishing them a Happy New Year... and I kissed her.¡±


    Hermione took in a sharp breath and then seemed to stop breathing.


    ¡°Hermione! Breathe!¡± Harry said and gave her a little shake. ¡°Breathe! Please!¡±


    Hermione let out the breath she was holding and took another. ¡°Is... is that all you did?¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°I told Susan that I liked her... but...¡±


    Hermione closed her mouth into a thin line and her eyes squinted.


    ¡°No, don''t be angry at her.¡± Harry said. ¡°She didn''t reject me. I rejected her.¡±


    Hermione''s mouth opened slightly again and her eyes went back to normal.


    ¡°She knows that I like her; but, I don''t like her, like her.¡± Harry said. ¡°We''re just friends.¡±


    ¡°A-Amelia.¡± Hermione asked, barely above a whisper.


    ¡°No.¡± Harry shook his head. ¡°She sees me like she sees her niece Susan and I... I think I...¡±


    Hermione''s hand took his free one. ¡°You see her like Susan sees her, too.¡±


    ¡°She said... she would have taken me in if she knew.¡± Harry whispered and did his best to not cry.


    Hermione sat there and watched him fight to not cry. ¡°Harry, why... why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°You needed to know, so that... when I explain what happened... you would understand.¡± Harry said, then he told her about going to the Ministry, finding the prophecy, hearing what it said, and then everything that happened afterwards.


    Hermione stayed quiet and didn''t say anything, because she knew that he wasn''t done with the world changing information. After sharing his new version of the encounter with the Slytherins and what he said, revealing his scar, and everything about Professor Snape in his office, she was stunned.


    ¡°M-m-me?¡± Hermione whispered and her hand gripped his hand. ¡°I calmed you down?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I tried thinking of Susan and her kiss. It didn''t work, because it wasn''t very important. I tried Amelia and what she said as she kissed my forehead, and it wasn''t enough... then I thought about sitting here, like this, with you.¡±


    Hermione''s breathing sped up a little.


    ¡°It worked a lot better than anything else I thought of. When Professor Snape''s words surprised me again, I remembered falling asleep right here, in your arms, and it all stopped.¡± Harry said. ¡°My mind and my magic were calm, even though I had broken the glass in the cabinet a moment before.¡±


    ¡°H-Harry...¡± Hermione whispered. ¡°That''s why you told me about Susan.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I was upstairs and wrote about the prophecy to Bertha, because you know she''s going to know all about it.¡± He said and Hermione nodded. ¡°I started to get angry again and went right back to thinking about being here with you. I calmed right down and I still am, even after telling you everything.¡±


    ¡°You aren''t remembering it right now are you?¡± Hermione asked.


    Harry shook his head. ¡°I''m here with you.¡±


    ¡°H-Harry... take... take out your wand.¡± Hermione whispered as she let his wand hand go.


    Harry flicked his wrist and his wand popped out of his sleeve. He held it out to her and she put her hand around it and his hand. She shared her magic with him and his responded, almost eager, and she pointed their hands up to the ceiling. A small red spark popped out of the end of the wand, floated up to the ceiling, then popped apart like a firework. Another followed it, then another.


    ¡°Happy New Year, Harry.¡± Hermione whispered and kissed him.


    The wand shook and hundreds of multi-colored sparks shot out and lit up the entire common room.


    If anyone had been outside the castle at that moment, they would have seen that Griffindor Tower looked like the brightest lighthouse beacon in the country.


    *


    The next term started and Harry was happy. He and Hermione hadn''t done anything more than kiss that night, and hadn''t done it again since. They did sit closer together at mealtimes, pushed their chairs together during class and in the library, and they always sat in the same armchair in the Griffindor Tower common room, even if the place was empty.


    Harry did his detention and both Filch and Missus Norris loved their presents. Filch was sure he was never going to run out of a year''s supply of cleaning supplies and Missus Norris only left her giant cat treehouse with multiple levels and hiding holes when she had to accompany Filch on castle inspections once a week. Otherwise, she stayed inside and enjoyed her home.


    Harry ignored the jibes and jeers from the Slytherins for his cleaning duties. Like he had told Draco, he didn''t care. Nothing they said meant anything to him. They were not a part of his life and he paid them no attention. He didn''t even bother silencing them most of the time, unless he was walking with Hermione. No one was allowed to speak badly of her. He always did it silently, so that they wouldn''t catch him at it.


    Madam Pomfrey was quite busy for the rest of the school year.


    Classes continued and so did life at the castle. Wednesdays were Hedwig days and Fridays were Potion days. Harry kept getting Exceeds Expectations in all of his potions and did his work quickly and efficiently. He didn''t have to help Neville anymore with the potion formulas for the gold cauldron, either. He, Hermione, Neville and even Ron were getting excellent grades.


    The same was true for their normal classes of Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, and Astronomy. Once they realized that taking classes were fun, especially if you understood things and had friends to help when you struggled, everything became easier to handle.


    His Saturdays training with Amelia and Susan weren''t strained or awkward, even when Susan joked about the kiss. Harry joked right back and then they both laughed at Amelia''s red face from being reminded about Harry kissing her that night. The times they spent together made him feel even more welcome in their lives.


    Harry also promised to spend two weeks of the summer break going with them on the next train tour. It was just too much fun to say no to, especially since all the places would be almost completely different for the summer.


    Rumors spread randomly about odd creatures roaming the school, long lost magical artifacts turning up in random empty classrooms, and stairways taking students to parts of the castle that they hadn''t been before. Harry and his friends ignored all of it, unless they ran into them. Thanks to Hermione''s creature and spell list, anything they met was dispatched without so much as an eye blink and then vanished or reported to Filch.


    Harry always helped him clean up large messes, even when he didn''t have detention. No one said anything and assumed that he was being punished for something. He ignored those rumors, too.


    The year end exams approached and everyone went into serious study mode, even Harry and Hermione. They knew that they didn''t have to study, since their own research and spell work were so far above everyone elses; but, they also did their best to help their friends study. It also put the course materials freshly in their minds and helping their friends actually helped them, too.


    Harry wasn''t surprised that neither Amelia nor Bertha mentioned the prophecy to him again. Amelia didn''t believe in it and Bertha probably didn''t want to bring up such a sensitive subject. They didn''t have to worry about him, though. He and Hermione had been working on it and trying to decode it since Christmas, with an occasional visit by Harry to Professor Snape''s office. He added his own input, then gave Harry detention for bothering him.


    Harry took it gratefully, because they both knew what detention really meant for him.


    After everything that happened to him during his first year in the wizarding world, discovering who he was and then finding out how he became that way, made Harry realize one thing. Something he never, ever thought would happen.


    For the first time in his life, Harry Potter was genuinely happy.

 101 One Shot

    Bokuboy


    Edit: I finally got around to error checking it.


    Harry groggily opened his eyes and he wasn''t in his Hogwarts four poster bed like he was supposed to be. The trip home on the Hogwarts Express wasn''t going to be until tomorrow, which meant he had no idea where he was. He glanced around into the dimly lit room and he couldn''t really see anything.


    There was a soft cracking sound and a house elf appeared in front of him. It let out a keening sound as its eyes locked onto Harry''s and then it popped away. A few minutes later, the sound of the door opening and closing was heard and a set of footsteps approached.


    ¡°Am I still nothing to you, Potter?¡± A whiny and familiar voice said into the darkness.


    ¡°Malfoy.¡± Harry said with a sigh.


    ¡°My father wasn''t happy when I told him what you said.¡± Draco said as he stepped close enough to be seen and Harry noticed the cell bars. ¡°I hope you''re going to enjoy staying here for a while.¡±


    ¡°You have to be kidding.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°You''re going to wish that I was.¡± Draco said with a sneer. ¡°It''s summer holidays. No one is going to be looking for you until the next school year begins.¡±


    Harry smiled. ¡°You couldn''t be more wrong about that.¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t matter what you say. I''ve already had letters sent to your friends and your family.¡± Draco scoffed. ¡°You can beg all you want and I''m not letting you out.¡±


    Harry gave him a concerned look. ¡°Are you crazy? No one would believe anything you sent.¡±


    Draco laughed. ¡°I''ve already received responses and they all understand that you want to spend some time alone for a few weeks.¡±


    Harry didn''t say anything in response.


    ¡°Do you get it now? No one is coming for you.¡± Draco said, his voice full of satisfaction. ¡°I''m going to have so much fun cursing you this summer.¡±


    Harry waited for him to leave before he tried to search himself for his things. Unfortunately, all of his pockets were empty and he was still wearing his pyjamas. He didn''t have his wand up his sleeve, either. That was the worst part. He didn''t give up because Draco had miscalculated his scheme on three things.


    One, Harry had the cross country train tour with Amelia Bones and her niece Susan for the first two weeks of the summer break. In fact, he was supposed to step off the Hogwarts Express and onto the normal train barely an hour later. No one except Hermione and Neville knew, so there was no way Draco would know.


    Two, after a short break back home for a few days, he was to spend three weeks with his godfather, Sirius. They had planned to have Harry''s birthday party at Healer Ela''s house and it was going to be a huge event, which would end his visit there, and he would return to Privet Drive.


    Three, his trunk was still at Hogwarts. If he wasn''t the one to move it, then it would stay exactly where it was. When anyone went to his room to look for him, they would definitely see it. The best part was, it couldn''t be concealed or hidden. It was one of the anti-theft charms that the goblins had put on it. Trying to hide it from his sight was the same as taking it from him.


    The bad part about it all is that he didn''t have any idea where his wand was. He missed it already and he hoped that it was okay. Almost anyone seeing a spare wand anywhere would take it. It was a powerful magical tool and a free wand was a free wand.


    Harry laid back onto the cot and did his best to not overthink the bad things that could happen to his unattended wand and his owl, Hedwig. She was going to be lost if he didn''t pick her up from school. What was funny was that he wasn''t at all worried about himself. He was in a locked cell, he assumed in the basement of Malfoy''s house, and he had no chance of escape without help.


    Harry almost laughed when the house elf popped in with a meal tray and gave him a small bowl of soup and a piece of bread. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    The elf squeaked in surprise and popped away.


    Harry had almost laughed because it was a lot more food than what he would get at home from the Dursleys. He ate it all and left the tray beside the bed. The elf popped back in and took the tray, gave Harry a sad expression, and popped away again. He hadn''t tried to talk to it, considering it was a house elf. It would only follow the Malfoy''s orders and anything he asked for would either be relayed to them or ignored.


    Harry wasn''t worried, though. He had a day, maybe two, before two very irate and powerful people would be looking for him. He smiled as he thought about Amelia and Sirius, and how they would both be desperate to find him. He chuckled, because he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they would both react very poorly from Draco''s faked letters, especially since it wasn''t Hedwig that had delivered them.


    *


    ¡°We have to find him!¡± Sirius spat as he crushed the letter for the hundredth time. He stood in the kitchen of Healer Ela''s house and the ball of paper in his hands started to glow.


    ¡°Please calm down.¡± Amelia said as she plucked the nearly immolated paper from Sirius'' grip and cast a cooling charm on it. ¡°We have lots of information to go off of.¡±


    ¡°Lots!¡± Sirius exclaimed and Ela put her arms around his shoulders to try and calm him.


    ¡°We have two fake letters, his trunk that''s still at the school, and his wand.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Not only that, none of the portraits saw him leave wearing just his pyjamas and no shoes.¡±


    Sirius grumbled and waved at the kitchen table. ¡°How do we track fake letters?¡±


    Just then there was a tinkle of the little bell, which let them know that someone was on the porch. Ela went to the door and opened it, only to gasp at the bedraggled man in front of her.


    ¡°You can''t track them.¡± The man said.


    Sirius let out a surprised bark of a laugh as he shot out of the kitchen and across the living room. ¡°REMUS!¡±


    Remus opened his arms to try and catch his old friend in a hug. ¡°Hello, Sirius.¡± He said and then he was surprised when a fist slammed into the side of his face and he crumpled to the floor in shock.


    ¡°Sirius!¡± Ela gasped.


    ¡°What the hell happened to you?!?¡± Sirius spat and stared down at his old friend. ¡°Ten years! TEN YEARS!¡±


    Remus rubbed his face and sighed. ¡°I can explain.¡±


    ¡°I hope so, because I rotted in prison for a crime I didn''t commit while you were out and gallivanting around the countryside!¡± Sirius said, angrily.


    ¡°If I''d known...¡± Remus started to say.


    ¡°You DID know!¡± Sirius nearly yelled. ¡°When Lily and James were killed by him and I went after Pettegrew, you were supposed to stay with Harry to protect him!¡±


    A tear came to Remus'' eye. ¡°I wanted to...¡±


    ¡°If you give me the lame excuse that Dumbledore told you to stay away and you LISTENED to him, after he put me in prison without a trial, I''ll hunt you down and skin you alive after you change.¡± Sirius said, his voice deadly.


    Remus opened his mouth to respond and then realized he was actually going to say that. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°BAH!¡± Sirius spat and raised his arms briefly in exasperation. ¡°You always were weak willed.¡±


    ¡°Sirius, you shouldn''t...¡± Ela started to say and he turned to her.


    ¡°Do not finish that sentence, my love.¡± Sirius said, his voice sweet. ¡°Remus knows he did wrong. He can''t excuse himself like he always does when he recuses himself from a situation and hopes it doesn''t impact him negatively.¡±


    Ela blinked her eyes a few times.


    ¡°It''s true.¡± Amelia said as she came over to them. ¡°Any time there was a conflict at school, he would back away and let it resolve itself. He almost never got involved, even when it was James and Sirius on the receiving end.¡± She gave Sirius an amused smirk. ¡°Not that the second kind happened much.¡±


    Sirius had to laugh at that. ¡°All right, yes. James and I were hell raisers.¡±


    ¡°You didn''t need me to remind you.¡± Amelia said and held a hand down to Remus. ¡°I''m glad you finally showed up.¡±


    Remus took the offered hand and stood up. ¡°I would do anything for Harry.¡±


    Sirius huffed and Remus gave him a self-depreciating smile.


    ¡°You can get back to your horrible friendly reunion later. We need two things from you right now.¡± Amelia said and waved to the kitchen. ¡°If you would.¡±


    Remus nodded and went into the kitchen. He didn''t touch anything and bent down to smell Harry''s wand. He shuddered a little and his eyes went a little yellow as he did. He pointed at the flat note and Amelia released the preservation spell on it. He barely had to smell it and winced.


    ¡°That''s not Harry. It''s... it''s almost...¡± Remus shook his head. ¡°I can''t place it.¡±


    ¡°Try the other one.¡± Amelia said and he took a sniff.


    ¡°Sirius.¡± Remus said and Amelia sighed.


    ¡°I was upset.¡± Sirius said as he came over to the table and carefully unwrapped the ball. ¡°Try again.¡±


    Remus took another sniff from the flat part. ¡°It smells like the other one.¡±


    ¡°Neither were made by Harry.¡± Amelia said and Remus nodded in confirmation. ¡°I''ve performed my own tracking spells and I can''t find Harry. He''s behind wards of some kind.¡±


    ¡°Did you try to trace the wand?¡± Remus asked and took out his own and performed several spells on the wand. Light wisps of smoke came out of it and nothing else. ¡°Yes, he''s definitely behind wards if we can''t follow the wand back to him.¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Ela asked. ¡°He''s been missing since last night. He could be anywhere.¡±


    ¡°No, he wouldn''t be ''anywhere''.¡± Amelia said and crossed her arms. ¡°I''m sure if we knew...¡± She stopped talking and her eyes widened. ¡°Hedwig!¡±


    ¡°Son of a bitch! Why didn''t I think of that?¡± Sirius asked and slapped himself on the forehead.


    ¡°Language.¡± Ela said and kissed his cheek.


    ¡°Sorry, dear.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Amelia, if you could go and get her from the school.¡±


    ¡°I''ll be right back.¡± Amelia said and swiftly walked out of the house.


    *


    Harry laid there as another stinging hex hit him, only this one was on the side of his face. He didn''t bother reacting to the pain or the impact, because that would give Draco some semblance of satisfaction. Harry was never going to do that and he continued to chant in his head that Draco was nothing and was below his notice.


    ¡°I said wake up!¡± Draco said in frustration and swiped his wand down on an angle and cast the Diffindo spell. A foot long slice appeared in the sleeve of Harry''s pyjamas and cut into his upper arm slightly. It was barely deeper than a paper cut and yet the blood started to flow and could be easily seen. ¡°That should make you...¡±


    ¡°I''ve been awake this whole time, you idiot. I''ve just been ignoring you.¡± Harry said without reacting to the cut or wiping at the blood that was gathering on his arm and several drops fell to the floor.


    ¡°You!¡± Draco spat and raised his wand once more.


    ¡°Draco.¡± A cool male voice said from behind him and Draco whipped around to stare at his father''s cold expression. ¡°I told you not to come down here until we discussed things.¡±


    ¡°Father, I was just...¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Lucius Malfoy said and used his cane to move his son aside. ¡°Your mother wants you at the table for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡± Draco said and gave Harry a harsh glare before he disappeared into the darkness, his footsteps faded as he went up the stairs.


    ¡°I''m sorry for how my son is treating you.¡± Lucius said.


    Harry chuckled. ¡°Uh huh. Is there anything else you want to lie about? Like not arranging for my kidnapping or holding me at your mansion in the basement?¡±


    Lucius sighed. ¡°Despite what my son may have told you, I did not arrange this.¡± He said. ¡°However, now that I do have you...¡±


    ¡°You''re not going to have me for long.¡± Harry said with a smile.


    ¡°You are behind very strong family wards. No one can track you here.¡± Lucius said. ¡°If you come closer, I can heal the damage from...¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. I want everyone to see how your family treats people.¡± Harry said and rolled onto his side to keep both his face and his cut arm out of sight. ¡°I''m sure it won''t be a surprise to them.¡±


    Lucius sighed again. ¡°Don''t be stubborn. You''re bleeding and...¡±


    ¡°I''ve bled before.¡± Harry said without turning around.


    There was a soft crack as the house elf popped in and dropped the meal tray on the floor.


    Harry turned over to look and it was another small bowl of thin soup and a single piece of bread. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The elf let out a startled squeak and popped away instantly. Harry chuckled and didn''t look at Lucius as he quickly ate the meal, despite the swollen side of his face and then he laid back down to face away from sight again. The elf popped back in, grabbed the tray, and disappeared.


    Lucius stood there for another few moments as he gazed at the boy, who wasn''t panicking, or yelling, or complained about the poor quality of the food, or even about being hurt. His mind tried to make sense of the situation and he couldn''t understand how a boy so young could just stay there and take it calmly. He had counted six stinging hexes before Draco had switched to the cutting charm and Harry hadn''t reacted at all.


    Unlike Draco, he knew the boy had been awake the whole time, because he saw the tensing muscles as the hexes hit him. He gave one last look at the blood drops on the floor and went back upstairs. He had a few things to plan if Harry wasn''t going to react like a normal person. Perhaps even a cramping potion could be slipped into his soup for supper.


    If I dangle the antidote in front of him, perhaps he will be more accommodating. Lucius thought and entered the small dining room.


    ¡°How is our unexpected guest?¡± Narcissa asked her husband as he sat in the seat across from her at the small table.


    ¡°Surprisingly stubborn. He wouldn''t let me tend to him after Draco''s tantrum.¡± Lucius said and she laughed softly.


    ¡°It wasn''t a tantrum!¡± Draco exclaimed. ¡°I was trying to wake him up to eat and...¡±


    ¡°Calmly, Draco.¡± Narcissa said, her voice deadly.


    Draco snapped his mouth closed on his excuse and he looked apologetic. ¡°I''m sorry, mother.¡±


    Narcissa nodded and looked at her husband. ¡°What are we going to do when they realize he''s gone?¡±


    ¡°There''s nothing they can do.¡± Lucius said with a smirk. ¡°Draco might not have much experience with such things; but, he did manage to get Potter out of the castle without anyone noticing.¡±


    ¡°I disguised him as my trunk after using the full body bind curse.¡± Draco said, a bit proudly. ¡°He was all curled up in his bed and it was so easy to slip into the Griffindor tower undetected. No one even looked twice when I carried him out.¡±


    ¡°You''ve nearly perfected the ''Ignore Me'' charm, have you?¡± Lucius asked and Draco nodded.


    ¡°What of your actual trunk?¡± Narcissa asked, curious.


    ¡°Shrunken and hidden in my robes, of course.¡± Draco said. ¡°I would never leave behind anything you bought for me, mother.¡±


    ¡°Well done.¡± Narcissa said and her son preened a little.


    *


    Amelia apparated to the gates of Hogwarts and tapped them to open them and went inside. She knew where to go and went right over to the owlery. ¡°Hedwig!¡± She said loudly in the echoing space. She spotted the snowy white owl near the top and waved for the bird to come to her. It let out a hoot and flew down to land on her offered arm. ¡°Harry''s missing. I need you to use your magic to take us as close as you can.¡±


    ¡°HOOT!¡± Hedwig yelled loudly and nearly all of the owls responded with their own hoots.


    ¡°I''ll give you a message, just to ensure you can deliver it as closely as possible.¡± Amelia said and slipped a little piece of paper into her leg pouch that said ''we''re coming''. She also applied a very strong tracking charm on the pouch and took the bird over to the window. ¡°Godspeed, Hedwig.¡±


    Hedwig hooted as she took off and quickly disappeared from sight.


    Amelia nodded and ran from the owlery and back down to the gates. She tapped them, jumped through and apparated back to Healer Ela''s house. She didn''t even have to explain as Sirius and Remus met her on the porch. The three of them went to the alley and Amelia took out a piece of parchment and waved her wand at it. A map appeared and she saw Hedwig''s current coordinates before she showed it to the two men.


    The three of them apparated to the spot and saw Hedwig zooming away. They waited for several minutes and Amelia used the spell again. She was getting a good feeling for the direction and they apparated again. They appeared on a deserted street and looked around. It was an upscale neighbourhood and Remus whistled as he looked at the expensive homes.


    Amelia used the spell again and saw Hedwig performing large circles a mile away. ¡°Gentlemen.¡±


    The three of them apparated to the street just outside the place and Sirius let out a loud curse.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Remus asked and looked around. He couldn''t see anything except a barren field of grass.


    ¡°We''re at the Malfoy residence.¡± Sirius spat.


    ¡°What? How can that be?¡± Remus asked and looked again.


    ¡°It''s spelled to be hidden from anyone that hasn''t been there before.¡± Amelia said as she looked at the large iron gates with the family crest and name across them. ¡°I can''t believe they have Harry.¡±


    ¡°I can.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Remember Harry''s letters?¡±


    Amelia took in a sharp breath. ¡°No, they... why...¡±


    ¡°It was a grave insult to call a pureblooded wizard ''nothing''.¡± Sirius said. ¡°I can just imagine what they are doing to him in there.¡±


    ¡°We have to get in there!¡± Remus said loudly.


    ¡°We can''t without a warrant to search the premises.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°How are we going to get...¡± Sirius stopped talking when he realized who he was talking to. She was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. ¡°When can you be back?¡±


    Amelia smiled. ¡°An underage wizard, the savior of the wizarding world, is missing. I''ll be back with a dozen Aurors in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Sirius said happily and Amelia popped away.


    *


    After lunch, Lucius had just finished making several private calls to check on his options on what to do with his family''s guest, when he felt a very strong tremor in the house wards as someone challenged them. ¡°Dammit!¡± He said loudly when the wards fell as an authority figure used their power to drop them temporarily. ¡°DRACO!¡±


    There was no answer, which meant he was out of earshot and down in the basement. Lucius ran from the fireplace to the drawing room, informed his wife to expect more uninvited guests, and tried to run down to the basement. Just then, the front door, the back door, and the french doors to the patio opened at the same time and a dozen angry Aurors stormed in with a woman and two men behind her.


    ¡°Lucius Malfoy.¡± Amelia growled as she held out a search warrant. ¡°I have reason to believe that you are holding Harry Potter here against his will and we are here to search the premises for him and for any dark artifacts you may be concealing as well.¡±


    ¡°I can''t imagine why you would think that I have the boy...¡± Lucius clamped his mouth shut when a snowy white owl zoomed in through the front door and over their heads.


    ¡°Shacklebolt!¡± Amelia ordered and the tall black man ran after the bird that flew right over to the basement and somehow circled in the small space with her wings continuously flapping. Sirius and Remus were right there behind Shacklebolt as he broke through the locked door and they ran down the stairs.


    ¡°AHH!¡± Draco yelped as the three large men charged at him and he started to run.


    Shacklebolt sent a quick stunning spell at him and came to a stop at the bare patch of wall. ¡°There''s nothing here.¡±


    Hedwig flew down and landed on the floor beside him and hooted loudly.


    ¡°I know he should be here.¡± Shacklebolt said. ¡°I can''t see any doors or anything, however.¡±


    ¡°Remus.¡± Sirius said and stepped back as he dragged Shacklebolt back with him.


    ¡°I''ll try.¡± Remus said and tilted his head from side to side, making his neck crack a little, then he closed his eyes and growled. When he opened his eyes, they were tinted yellow and he took in a deep breath through his nose. He went down on his hands and knees and smelled along the floor, went back and forth several times, then his back arched and he turned his head right towards the wall that Hedwig was still softly hooting at.


    ¡°He''s behind the wall!¡± Sirius exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Get back, everyone.¡± Shacklebolt said as he pointed his wand at the wall. ¡°Bombarda!¡±


    Instead of the sound of concrete and stone that they had expected, there was a wrenching and clang of metal. The wall was still there, however.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Sirius asked and was about to step forward when Harry stepped out through the wall as if it wasn''t there.


    ¡°I knew you''d come.¡± Harry said and bent down to Hedwig to pet her. ¡°Another great delivery. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°HOOT!¡± Hedwig said loudly. Always come!


    In Sirius'' opinion, Harry looked awful. Half of his face was red and swollen up to twice its normal size and there was a long bleeding gash on his upper arm that he carefully cradled.


    ¡°What did they do to you?¡± Sirius asked and hugged him.


    ¡°Draco hit me with a bunch of stinging hexes all on my left side and then used a Diffindo charm on my arm to wake me up.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°That little bastard!¡± Sirius spat.


    Three more Aurors came down and saw Harry. One of them used a pretty creative string of curse words and one of the other two hissed a warning.


    ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± The man whispered back. ¡°It''s just seeing a child being abused like this really bothers me.¡±


    ¡°You and me both.¡± The man said and looked at Shacklebolt.


    ¡°It''s an illusion wall.¡± Shacklebolt said and waved at the offending wall. ¡°Gather up the Malfoy boy and take everyone back upstairs to Madam Bones.¡±


    ¡°I''ll send Wilkinson down.¡± The one that revived Draco said and the other two ushered Sirius, Remus, and Harry up the stairs. Hedwig happily rode on Harry''s shoulder.


    ¡°I''m so very glad you all showed up so quickly.¡± Narcissa said with a sweet voice as she held out a tray of tea and sweets. ¡°My husband was about to call you.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry, Lady Malfoy. That just won''t work.¡± Amelia said as Harry, Sirius, and Remus appeared. Her heart broke at the sight of his face and arm; but, she was a professional. It didn''t show on her face as she motioned towards him. ¡°As you can clearly see, he was not treated well while in your family''s tender care. I sincerely doubt you would have tried to contact us after he had been missing for so long. Not without healing him first.¡±


    Narcissa''s face lost the pleasant look and she called an elf to take the tray, since it wouldn''t be needed.


    ¡°Hi, there!¡± Harry said and waved at the elf. It let out a startled squeak, jumped and almost dropped the tray, then both the elf and the tray disappeared.


    The man holding Draco told Wilkinson to go downstairs to deal with the illusion wall and Wilkinson gave him a feral grin. Lucius and Narcissa exchanged sad looks as the Aurors spread out through the mansion, now that they knew what to look for.


    ¡°If you wouldn''t mind coming with us. We have a few questions for you both down at the ministry.¡± Amelia said as two of the Aurors stepped close to Lucius and Narcissa. They let out sighs and nodded, then they were led out of the mansion with Draco to get outside of the anti-apparition enchantment. The three of them disappeared with their escorts a moment later.


    ¡°We''re taking Harry to Ela''s.¡± Sirius said and Remus nodded.


    ¡°I''m sorry, you know you can''t just yet.¡± Amelia said and walked over to them. ¡°Harry, how are you?¡±


    ¡°I''m fine.¡± Harry said. ¡°Hedwig, you can go ahead to Ela''s.¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± Hedwig said and took off. I go!


    ¡°Your arm''s bleeding.¡± Amelia said and lifted her wand.


    ¡°No, don''t.¡± Harry said and stopped her with a hand. ¡°Don''t you need pictures and things as evidence?¡±


    Amelia chuckled and reached to hug him. Sirius let Harry go and Amelia wrapped her arms around him, careful of his injuries. ¡°Such a brave young man you are.¡± She whispered and kissed the top of his head. ¡°All right. I''ll hand the evidence gathering over to Shacklebolt and we can head over to the ministry.¡±


    ¡°There''s a whole bunch of barred cells down there behind the illusion walls.¡± Shacklebolt said as he came up the stairs, as if summoned by his name being spoken.


    ¡°I''m turning the scene over to you while I deal with Harry.¡± Amelia said and gave him the search warrant.


    ¡°I expected as much.¡± Shacklebolt said with a smile. ¡°I think Wilkinson''s got his work cut out for him. I can only guess how many secret doors and rooms we are going to find here, now that we know how to look as well as where.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°Good luck on the hunt and don''t touch anything directly. Levitation only.¡±


    ¡°You wound me.¡± Shacklebolt said with a chuckle and Amelia laughed.


    ¡°I''m sorry for the beginner orders. I''m a bit distracted.¡± Amelia said and looked down at Harry, who grinned up at her.


    ¡°No doubt.¡± The tall black man said and held a hand out to Remus. ¡°I''m glad you were here. We might have missed him with the sound barrier and repelling charms in place.¡±


    Remus smiled and shook the hand. ¡°I''m glad I could help.¡±


    ¡°Let''s go.¡± Amelia said and started to walk with her arm around Harry''s back. Sirius had a hand on Harry''s shoulder and Remus was right behind them as they left Malfoy manor and walked out through the gates. ¡°Here''s good enough.¡±


    Harry turned and hugged her tightly as he shared his magic with her. Amelia gasped at the strength of it and looked down at him. He gave her another grin and she shook her head with a chuckle, because he had surprised her on purpose.


    ¡°Do you want to side along or are you going directly?¡± Amelia asked Sirius and Remus.


    ¡°Side please.¡± Sirius said and grabbed Remus by the shoulders to tuck him in next to Harry. ¡°I can''t quite remember where to apparate safely.¡±


    Amelia nodded and accepted their help as they shared their magic with her. ¡°One, two, three.¡± She said and guided them as they apparated all the way to the ministry''s atrium.


    ¡°Wow, that was a great transition.¡± Sirius said with a laugh. ¡°I barely felt squeezed at all!¡±


    Amelia chuckled and pat Harry. ¡°Come on, let''s get you handled properly and the charges filed.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said and as they walked along the dark marble floors to the check-in station, the slapping of his bare feet echoed through the atrium.


    ¡°Oh, Harry! I forgot to give you something for your feet.¡± Amelia said and conjured up some slippers for him as the man at the desk checked Sirius'' and Remus'' wands.


    ¡°You didn''t have to.¡± Harry said and slipped them on. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Why didn''t you say anything when we left the mansion?¡± Sirius asked as Amelia had her wand checked and told the man Harry didn''t have his. The man checked Harry and nodded before he waved them through to go to the elevators.


    ¡°It didn''t bother me.¡± Harry said with a shrug. ¡°I didn''t even own a pair of socks until I was eight and they were Dudley''s old ones. They went right up over my knees, too.¡±


    ¡°What did you wear to school if you didn''t have socks?¡± Remus asked and then winced at the glares from Amelia and Sirius. He looked apologetic as he mouthed the word ''sorry'' to them.


    ¡°I had to wrap tape around my feet to hold Dudley''s old sneakers to my feet.¡± Harry said as the elevator doors opened. ¡°I think it was Dudley''s idea to give me shoes so that he could slow me down enough to catch me.¡±


    The three adults held in their sighs at Harry''s words as they stepped into the elevator and it took them right to the floor that Amelia''s office was on. The photographer took several pictures with rulers next to the damage to measure the cut on Harry''s arm and how much swelling there was from the multiple stinging hexes. He had to take off his pyjamas for those pictures and Amelia almost cried at the sight of all that red swelling over the left side of his body.


    Tears came to Remus'' eyes without falling while Sirius had an angry face and looked like he needed to punch something. Amelia dismissed the photographer and told him to go right over to the Malfoys to take more pictures, in particular the cell Harry was in. After that, he was to photograph everything that the Aurors found.


    ¡°I''ll have my assistant bring you these pictures when they''re ready.¡± The man said and left at a jog. He knew when to not waste time and now was that time.


    ¡°Harry.¡± Amelia said, tears now in her own eyes as she gave him another careful hug.


    ¡°I said I''m okay.¡± Harry said and pat her back, which made her chuckle.


    ¡°I''m supposed to be reassuring you, not the other way around.¡± Amelia said as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.


    ¡°You''re the one that''s crying.¡± Harry said with a smile and she had to laugh as he wiped at her tears.


    Amelia called for a healer and while they waited, Amelia handled the cut easily enough and wiped up the blood before the healer arrived.


    ¡°Goodness gracious.¡± The woman gasped when she saw Harry. ¡°Why aren''t you screaming your head off?¡±


    ¡°That wouldn''t help me at all.¡± Harry said. ¡°Plus, it''s not so bad. I can barely feel it.¡±


    The healer gave Amelia a brief incredulous look and then she got to work. Fifteen minutes later, the swelling was gone and the healer said that the redness would fade over the next hour or so. It was only an irritation and it would be unnecessary to use a creme to heal it.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said and started to get dressed.


    ¡°Hold on there.¡± Sirius said and waved his wand at the clothing to change them into jeans and a button-up shirt. ¡°There, that''s better.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Harry said happily and used the cleaning and freshening spells on himself before he got dressed.


    ¡°Now for the paperwork.¡± Amelia said and got to work herself as the healer left.


    After half an hour, everything was filed, statements were taken and verified with a witness (Amelia''s secretary), and the photographer''s assistant had even delivered the pictures. Boy, oh boy, they looked really bad.


    Harry looked at them and laughed. ¡°I look horrible! Isn''t that great?¡±


    Sirius, Remus, and Amelia exchanged concerned looks.


    ¡°What? There''s no way the Malfoys can claim I wasn''t hurt or Draco kidnapping me was a harmless prank, right?¡±


    The three adults had to laugh at that outlook and Amelia took them back to the ministry''s atrium that was used for apparating.


    ¡°Sirius, get him back to Hogwarts to grab his trunk.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Bones! You can''t honestly think that Harry can go on a trip right now, not after...¡± Sirius started to say.


    ¡°Not only do I expect him to, he wants to.¡± Amelia said and looked down at Harry. ¡°Although, I fully expect you to hug me tightly tonight and tell me every little detail, even if you don''t want to.¡±


    Harry opened his mouth to respond and saw her growing glare. He ducked his head a little. ¡°O-okay.¡±


    Amelia slid her arms around him to give him a hug and kissed his forehead. ¡°I just want you to know that you can tell me anything and you don''t have to be embarrassed, all right?¡±


    Harry nodded and she let him go.


    ¡°I''ll see you on the train platform in three hours.¡± Amelia said and Sirius and Remus hugged Harry close, then they disapparated.


    Amelia looked at the spot for another second, then she went back to the elevators. She had three very guilty suspects to interview and only two hours to do it. The third hour she would need to gather up the paperwork for her trip. She didn''t want to disappoint her niece by delaying their departure any more than she had to. Susan would complain non-stop if she did.

 102 The First Summer Vacation

    Bokuboy


    ¡°Harry!¡± Ela exclaimed when Sirius, Remus, and Harry came in through the front door. She ran over to him and knelt as she took him into a big hug. No adult had ever done that for him before, to put themselves down low enough for him to hug them properly.


    Harry was somehow happier as he put his arms around her to hug her back. It wasn''t until she eased her hold on him and he saw her face, that he knew why. She had the same kind of look that Amelia had when she hugged him and remembered what Amelia had said about it being love.


    ¡°Hi, Ela.¡± Harry said, his face slightly red.


    ¡°Dear, he''s fine.¡± Sirius said and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°The healer at the ministry gave him a complete once-over.¡±


    Ela sighed in relief and her hands checked him as if they were doing it automatically. She noticed the redness and nodded. ¡°It''ll fade after a while.¡± She said and lightly touched his face. ¡°I know you''re fine physically; but, how are you mentally?¡± She asked, concern clear in her voice. ¡°Who took you?¡±


    ¡°Draco Malfoy.¡± Harry said and she caught her breath. ¡°I''m fine. Really.¡±


    Remus chuckled. ¡°Not only is he fine, he actually stopped Madam Bones from field treating his injuries, just so they could get better evidence back at the ministry with photos and everything.¡±


    Ela looked conflicted at his words and Harry touched her face to put her attention back on him.


    ¡°I''ve been through worse than a cut on my arm and a bunch of stinging hexes. Draco''s not that strong.¡± Harry said.


    Sirius laughed and slid his hand across the boy''s shoulders and hugged him. ¡°That''s my boy! Never let them get to you! Ha ha!¡±


    Ela rolled her eyes. ¡°Sirius, you can''t possibly expect him to...¡±


    ¡°No, no. He knows what I meant.¡± Sirius said with a grin. ¡°He''s been doing well for himself all year and we can''t expect any less from him, right?¡±


    Ela looked at Harry and saw his happy smile. ¡°You''re really fine?¡±


    Harry glanced up at his godfather, who nodded, so he leaned in and placed a kiss on Ela''s cheek. ¡°Thanks for looking out for me.¡±


    Ela blushed a little at the sincerity. ¡°Harry, it''s me that should thank you. Even after everything you''ve been through, you''re more concerned over how I''m feeling than for yourself.¡±


    She absently rubbed her hands through his hair as if to straighten it, even though it didn''t need it, and she noticed that it was the same length as it was in Madam Malkin''s portrait of him in her shop. It was also the same in the smaller portrait that he had gifted to Sirius that hung in their living room, and it was the same as it had been during his Christmas visit. The times were months apart and that first portrait had been taken at the beginning of the last school year.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Sirius asked.


    ¡°Harry''s hair.¡± Ela said and examined it, then she took out her wand and did several spells.


    ¡°What''s wrong with it?¡± Harry asked, concerned.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ela said and looked at his worried face before she smiled and pat his head. ¡°There''s nothing at all wrong with it, which is such a relief.¡±


    Harry let out a breath and felt relief, too.


    ¡°Come into the kitchen and we''ll get you something for supper.¡± Ela said.


    ¡°He can''t yet.¡± Sirius said. ¡°We just stopped by to grab his wand before we head to the castle to get his trunk. He has to meet Amelia at...¡±


    ¡°You have my wand?!?¡± Harry exclaimed.


    ¡°It''s in the kitch...¡± Ela started to say and Harry ran off to get it.


    A moment later, there were several sparks that lit up the kitchen and a very happy Harry came back into the living room with his wand in his hand.


    ¡°As I was saying, he has to meet Amelia for their trip in three hours.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°What? Harry can''t go on a trip after what happened!¡± Ela said a bit loudly. ¡°He needs time to...¡±


    ¡°I''m going.¡± Harry said, a bit sternly. ¡°Amelia herself said it''ll help me to stay with her and Susan, rather than sit at home for the next two weeks before coming here at the arranged time.¡±


    Ela''s mouth closed on her response, because she had forgotten about that. If he didn''t go on the train trip, he would be sent home instead and not be able to stay with her and Sirius.


    ¡°We''ll be back in half an hour and we can have a nice sit down supper before we take him to the train station.¡± Sirius said and waved Harry over as he saw the look on Ela''s face. ¡°My dear, I said the same thing when she suggested it, not realizing he would have to go home and couldn''t come here instead.¡±


    Ela sighed with a nod and stood up. ¡°I just realized that, too.¡± She reached out and touched Harry''s shoulder. ¡°If anything happens or if you have any concerns or worries, you make sure you tell Amelia as soon as they happen, all right?¡±


    Harry nodded and she gave him another hug. He got that feeling again as he peered up at her face and saw the pleased smile on Ela''s face, so he did what he did with Amelia and tucked his head between her breasts and hugged her back. One of Ela''s hands rubbed his back and they stayed like that for several moments before Ela let him go.


    ¡°I''ll see you soon.¡± Ela whispered and watched as Sirius led Harry and Remus out of the house. As soon as the door shut, she went to write a message to Amelia and to Bertha. She saw Hedwig and smiled. ¡°I''ve got a quick delivery I need you to make. I want all the info on Harry''s ordeal and I need it as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± Hedwig responded.


    Ela wrote out the two notes, said who they were for, and Hedwig took off at her best speed from a low take off. Ela nodded and went into the kitchen to get supper ready. She had half an hour to make a nice home-cooked meal and she wasn''t going to disappoint Harry. She chuckled because she had immediately thought of him and not her live-in boyfriend, even though she and Sirius were very close.


    Her thoughts drifted slightly as she pondered if they were going to move on to formal courting soon. They had been together since he was healed and had a great relationship for half a year so far. She laughed as she pushed those thoughts aside. There was no need to rush.


    They were enjoying themselves and everything was going great, even with the things that Sirius was going through and what Harry was going through, too. They both still had mental issues that had to be dealt with and like she had warned Harry, they could only be dealt with over time and with lots of care and reassurance that they would get through it.


    By Merlin, she was going to give them both as much reassurance as she could. They both deserved it.


    *


    ¡°This is highly unusual.¡± Remus said as he tapped the gates of Hogwarts with his wand and nothing happened, except for them rattling a little. ¡°They are supposed to remain open for at least a week before shutting down for the summer and the protection and anti-detection wards go into full effect.¡±


    Sirius tried to tap them as well and nothing happened. ¡°Dammit.¡± He said waved his wand in a pattern that Harry recognized. Nothing happened, except for some wisps of white smoke. ¡°Remus, try Professor McGonagall.¡±


    Remus nodded and cast the Patronus charm. A white smoke covered dog-like thing appeared and ran off up to the castle.


    ¡°What was that?!?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    Remus and Sirius exchanged looks and didn''t say anything.


    ¡°Harry, that''s a bit of advanced magic that...¡± Remus started to say.


    ¡°I know it''s a Patronus charm. I recognized the wand movement.¡± Harry said as the thing disappeared and went right through the wall of the castle.


    Remus and Sirius looked surprised at Harry''s admission.


    ¡°Harry, how do you know...¡± Sirius started to ask.


    ¡°I know about a bunch of creature spells.¡± Harry said and turned to look at them. ¡°I want to know why you cast it and it''s not against a Dementor.¡±


    Remus seemed to slip into lecture mode as he spoke. ¡°If you don''t know it already, there''s two versions of the spell officially.¡±


    ¡°The smoky cloud for area defense and the corporeal manifestation for attacking.¡± Harry said.


    Remus nodded. ¡°There''s a little used variant that can carry messages of a few words. You have to be very strong with the charm in order to add your voice to it, and it''s only used for warnings.¡±


    The large doors of the castle opened and a robed figure came out. It took a minute for her to be close enough for them to make out Professor McGonagall.


    ¡°What did you tell her?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I have Harry Potter.¡± Remus said and tried to not smile as they watched the older woman jogging towards them with a frantic look on her face. Sirius didn''t even bother trying to hide his amusement.


    ¡°H-Harry!¡± Minerva gasped as she tried to catch her breath and waved her wand at the large iron gates. They were covered in a blue glow for a moment and then clicked and swung open. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Malfoy kidnapped him.¡± Sirius said and stifled his laugh at the shocked looked on her face.


    ¡°What? No, that... he wouldn''t possibly... another student couldn''t...¡± Minerva started to mumble something about dark wizards and a dastardly plan.


    ¡°If you mean his father, they were trying to plan something for my unexpected arrival.¡± Harry said. ¡°He said that he hadn''t planned on Draco bringing me home; but, now that they had me...¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Minera gasped and stepped close to wrap her arms around him. ¡°Oh, Harry! I''m so sorry that happened to you.¡±


    ¡°You should be.¡± Remus said and she looked surprised.


    ¡°Release my godson, please.¡± Sirius said with a stern voice.


    Minerva looked a bit shocked at their angry faces and did as she was asked. She let Harry go and stepped back. ¡°What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°You''ve been lax in your duties to your house, McGonagall.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Imagine having someone, and a Slytherin no less, being able to sneak into the tower and kidnapping a student right under your nose.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what? No, I...¡±


    ¡°Have you spent any time at all in the tower this year?¡± Sirius asked. He and Amelia had exchanged several letters as they discussed Harry''s school life and he knew for a fact that she barely talked to her Griffindors, let alone spent any time taking care of them.


    Minerva took a breath and let it out as a sigh. ¡°I''ve been busy with my duties to the school as a whole and...¡±


    ¡°...rather than ignore the entire school, you ignored the students in Griffindor house.¡± Remus shook his head.


    ¡°When you accepted the Deputy Headmistress job, you should have given up the Head of House position.¡± Sirius said. ¡°You obviously don''t have the time or the ability to do both jobs and teach at the same time.¡±


    Minerva stared at the two men and wasn''t sure what to say. She had never seen herself as lacking, except in one respect, and that was because Harry Potter had reminded her that she hadn''t been properly briefing the muggle born students about the wizarding world. Her eyes dropped to him and knew that he had now inadvertently shown her that she was once again lacking.


    As if he knew what she was thinking, Sirius spoke to distract her from blaming Harry. ¡°We just came to pick up Harry''s trunk and the gates have been warded against entry already.¡±


    ¡°Albus is...¡± Minerva stopped herself before she gave away where he had gone. ¡°...out. He locked the gates to stop anyone from entering while he was away from the castle.¡±


    Remus and Sirius exchanged looks and looked back at her. They both suspected they knew where the headmaster had gone to check for the missing Harry first. Privet Drive.


    ¡°We''ll only be a few minutes and you can lock the gates again.¡± Sirius said and nodded at Remus, who remained at the gates.


    Minerva started to move with them and Sirius waved her away.


    ¡°We don''t need an escort. Relax and recover here. We''ll be quick.¡± Sirius said and took Harry up to the castle at a fast walk.


    Harry didn''t have any trouble keeping up and they entered the castle. ¡°This way.¡±


    Sirius followed Harry up a different staircase and they stopped at a door. He was about to ask what was going on when Harry spoke.


    ¡°Knock knock.¡± Harry said as he knocked on the door.


    ¡°Who''s there?¡± The door responded.


    ¡°Boo.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Boo who?¡± The door responded.


    ¡°Aww, don''t cry. It''s just me, Harry.¡±


    The door laughed and opened for them with a click. They stepped through and went up the next staircase to arrive on the top floor where the Griffindor tower entrance was. Sirius stared at his godson and Harry grinned at him as they approached the spot.


    ¡°Password?¡± The fat lady in the portrait asked.


    ¡°Is it the same as it was yesterday?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°No.¡± The fat lady said.


    ¡°Oh! Then the password is...¡± Harry flicked his wrist and performed a silent stunner on the portrait.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Sirius gasped.


    Harry grinned again as the portrait swung open. ¡°Nicolas taught me that.¡± He said and they entered the Griffindor common room.


    Sirius looked around the place as they passed through it to the dorm stairs. ¡°It hasn''t changed at all since I went here.¡±


    ¡°Filch said it''s never changed and he''s been here for decades.¡± Harry said as they went up the stairs. ¡°He never gets tired of cleaning it, either.¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s his job.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Can you imagine having to do it all the time and not enjoying it?¡±


    ¡°I don''t have to imagine it. Neville and Ron have complained enough about it.¡± Harry said with a laugh. ¡°I think Ron was the most upset at having to polish all of the different trophies in the display case for hours. He said they were already shiny and had dirt repelling charms, what would they need polishing for?¡±


    Sirius laughed, too. He understood that the whole point was to keep a student busy and away from the real cleaning that mattered. He had had enough of his own detentions to get the point that it was makework and a time waster to keep the trouble students occupied.


    ¡°Hi, everyone.¡± Harry said when he opened the dorm room door and the elves that were cleaning the dorm let out squeaks of surprise, then they saw who it was and relaxed. ¡°I''m sorry my trunk''s in the way. I came to get it as soon as I could.¡±


    ¡°We cleans around it.¡± One of them said with a high voice.


    ¡°You can make the bed now, too. I won''t need it until next school year in the fall.¡±


    She let out a happy sound. ¡°We''s will have all the beds made for the first time this year!¡±


    The other elves let out happy sounds as well and got back to work.


    Harry picked up his trunk and waved to the elves before he left the dorm with Sirius right behind him.


    ¡°I don''t know how you can talk to them like that.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°The house elf I grew up with was a real piece of work.¡± Sirius said. ¡°I suppose he spent too much time listening to my nasty mother''s insane orders to even consider being nice to me, someone she hated.¡±


    Harry wasn''t sure what to say to that. He had suffered through having a parent figure hating him and it was the worst feeling in the world to know that you weren''t wanted by people that were supposed to be your family. He took Sirius'' hand with his free one and the older man smiled sadly at him as they crossed the common room.


    ¡°We''ve both had it bad, haven''t we?¡± Sirius asked.


    ¡°Yeah, and we''re both still here.¡± Harry said and pushed the portrait open with his trunk.


    ¡°What are you going to do with the portrait?¡± Sirius asked.


    ¡°Wake her, of course.¡± Harry said and let his hand go to shut the door to the tower and then revived the fat lady. ¡°I changed my mind. I don''t need to get into the tower now. Sorry to bother you, dear lady.¡±


    ¡°That''s... quite all right.¡± The fat lady said, slightly confused.


    Harry led Sirius over to the stairs and went down to the trick door. ¡°Knock knock.¡±


    ¡°Who''s there?¡±


    ¡°Owls say.¡±


    ¡°Owls say who?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they do!¡± Harry responded and the door laughed and clicked open.


    ¡°Harry, what was that?¡± Sirius asked.


    ¡°It''s a trick door. You need to tell it a knock knock joke or it won''t open.¡±


    ¡°Every time?¡± Sirius asked and Harry nodded. ¡°Have you run out of jokes yet?¡±


    ¡°A long time ago.¡± Harry said as they went down the stairs and came out in the Entrance Hall. ¡°I could use the same joke all the time if I wanted to, though.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sirius asked.


    ¡°It''s just a door.¡± Harry said with a grin and Sirius laughed.


    ¡°Good point.¡± Sirius said and they left the castle at a fast walk. Minerva and Remus were beside the still open gates as they discussed things.


    ¡°You really were quick.¡± Remus said.


    ¡°I was already packed.¡± Harry said and stepped out through the gates with Sirius. ¡°Bye, Professor.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Potter.¡± Minerva said and she watched the three of them hug and apparate away. She waved her wand at the gates and they closed and glowed blue again as she reactivated the wards. She slowly walked back up to the castle and thought over everything in her life.


    She liked keeping busy and had thrown herself into her work with enthusiasm, not realizing that she was being neglectful of certain duties that were expected of her. She should have been more dedicated to the students under her personal care as the Head of House and not just the student body as a whole. She might have been able to stop certain things from happening, or at least reduced their impact on the students.


    Minerva sighed as she entered the castle and went back up to her office. She had some serious thinking to do about her life and she was sure that whatever she decided, she wasn''t going to be happy with it in the end.


    *


    Sirius, Remus, Ela, and Harry had a great supper, then they spent the remaining two hours of his free time enjoying each other''s company. When the time to leave approached, Harry gave everyone hugs and thanked them for looking for him so quickly.


    ¡°We always will.¡± Ela promised and both Sirius and Remus nodded. ¡°Have fun and we''ll see you here right after your trip.¡±


    Harry nodded and wasn''t surprised that both Remus and Sirius came with him as they apparated to the appropriate spot on platform at nine and three quarters. They walked over to the large group of waiting parents and heard the train approach. It didn''t take long for them to find Amelia in the crowd.


    ¡°There you are, Harry.¡± Amelia said and hugged him. ¡°I forgot to mention to come here first.¡±


    ¡°I came here to show my friends that I was okay.¡± Harry said. ¡°I didn''t want to make them wait before I could send them a letter.¡±


    ¡°That''s very considerate of you.¡± Amelia said and didn''t let him go.


    Harry didn''t object until the train approached the stop. ¡°You might need to step back.¡±


    Amelia laughed softly and let him go, then moved back a little. Harry had an unobstructed view as the train slowed down and several train cars passed by where he stood and several sets of eyes stared at him through the windows. The train had barely stopped when a set of doors on one of the cars was blown open and a teary-eyed and bushy haired girl practically tackled him.


    ¡°HARRY!¡± Hermione cried and hugged him tightly.


    Harry put his arms around her and held her as she poured out her heart about her worries, about him, about everything she had thought could have happened to him, and everything else she could think of.


    It took her several minutes to wind down and by then, Neville, Ron and Susan had joined in on the comments and patted shoulders. Lavender and Parvati had briefly stopped by to tell him they were glad he was okay. Harry had also seen Daphne Greengrass give him a smile and a nod from across the platform before she left with her father and little sister.


    ¡°I''m fine now. Really.¡± Harry reassured them. ¡°I came here just so you could see that. I''ll send you letters the next chance I get and I''ll tell you all about what happened.¡±


    ¡°The first stop is in two days, so any time after that.¡± Amelia said and had Susan in a gentle hug, as if holding her back.


    ¡°All right.¡± Hermione said and wiped at her eyes when she finally let Harry out of the tight hug she had him in. ¡°I think I can wait that long to hear from Harry again.¡±


    Sirius chuckled and Hermione gave him a stern look. ¡°I wasn''t laughing at you.¡± He said and held a hand out for her to shake. ¡°I''ve been hoping to meet you all year, young lady.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡± Hermione asked and shook the offered hand.


    ¡°Harry''s told me all about you and his other friends.¡± Sirius said and nodded at Neville and Ron. ¡°You''ve been a reassurance for me that Harry''s not facing all of the things he''s gone through alone.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Black, we haven''t really done much...¡± Hermione started to say.


    ¡°Please, call me Sirius. Any friend of Harry''s can use my first name.¡± Sirius said. ¡°And you''re wrong. Harry''s only told me a few things and it''s clear to me that you''ve done a lot more than you realize. I want to thank you all for being there for him when I couldn''t.¡±


    Hermione blushed a little, Neville looked uncomfortable, and Ron had a goofy grin on his face because it wasn''t often that he was praised like that. As the youngest of six brothers, he always got everyone''s hand-me-downs and wasn''t anything except the baby boy of the family, even after his little sister had been born.


    ¡°Now that that''s out of the way, Harry''s got a trip to embark on.¡± Sirius said. ¡°I didn''t want him to go; but, Amelia''s right. He can''t hide at home and hope to deal with it all by holding it in and hoping it goes away.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t quite say it like that.¡± Amelia laughed. ¡°You got the point of it, though.¡±


    Sirius laughed as well and gave Harry a hug. ¡°Have fun and I''ll see you right after.¡±


    ¡°I can''t wait.¡± Harry said and looked at Remus. ¡°Will you be visiting, too?¡±


    Remus let out a sigh. ¡°Your godfather and I have a lot to discuss before we can make any definite plans like that.¡± He said and gave Sirius a pleading look. ¡°I also have a lot to apologize for.¡±


    Sirius clamped his mouth shut on his response, then let Harry go. ¡°I''m sure something can be worked out, even if... certain things... don''t go well.¡±


    Remus looked relieved to hear that and smiled.


    ¡°I didn''t promise anything!¡± Sirius responded.


    ¡°You might as well have.¡± Remus said and pat Harry''s shoulder. ¡°I''ll see you after the trip.¡±


    Harry nodded at him and looked at his friends. ¡°I''ll write, I promise.¡±


    ¡°You better.¡± Hermione said and heard a woman call her name. ¡°Oh! That''s my parents! I better go!¡± She said as she gave Harry a quick hug and then took off through the crowd.


    ¡°No worries, mate. See you later.¡± Ron said and walked over to the large group of redheads. He was quickly engulfed with them and Harry could no longer see him as the group moved off and out of sight.


    ¡°Bye, Harry.¡± Neville said and left to go meet with his own parents, who looked very happy to see their son. He was hugged and kissed by his mother and then he was gone from sight, too.


    ¡°Let''s go.¡± Susan said and took Harry''s hand and led him and her Aunt through the barrier to the normal train station. They carried their trunks over to the platform where their normal train waited and climbed aboard. They had the same compartment as last time and Amelia said she had a permanent reservation.


    ¡°Wow. You travel so much that you have your own compartment?¡± Harry asked as he put his trunk up on the rack.


    Amelia laughed. ¡°Just for the four weeks a year that we travel. I didn''t want to take the chance that I might not get a nice full compartment with enough room.¡±


    Harry nodded and helped Susan with her trunk and then sat down with her on the bench seat. He was suddenly taken into a fierce hug and Susan burst out sobbing and crying. He couldn''t really do anything except let her do what she wanted, since he couldn''t hug her back with his arms trapped in hers.


    ¡°Oh, Harry! I was so scared and worried!¡± Susan said and ducked her head into his neck and kept crying.


    ¡°It''s okay.¡± Harry said in the most reassuring voice he could muster. ¡°I''m okay.¡±


    Susan''s sobs were briefly interrupted as she let out a laugh at their ''okay'' game and then kept crying.


    It took her several minutes to calm down and then she took several deep breaths as she let him go. She wiped at her face and then looked at her fingers. They had a little make-up on them and she smiled.


    ¡°I messed up my make-up.¡± Susan said and went to the little bathroom to clean up.


    ¡°When did she start wearing that?¡± Harry asked Amelia, who shrugged. She hadn''t noticed, either. Susan came back and sat down and looked normal. Harry stared at her face to see where the make-up went and she laughed.


    ¡°It''s really subtle.¡± Susan said and saw Amelia''s questioning face. ¡°Lavender Brown taught me.¡±


    Amelia rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course a Griffindor girl taught you to be bolder.¡±


    ¡°She has great fashion sense.¡± Susan said in her defense. ¡°The outfit that Harry bought for her was awesome and she looked great in it.¡±


    Amelia waved the comment away. ¡°Let''s start our vacation on the right foot.¡± She said and looked at Harry. ¡°I''m very glad to have you along again and Susan couldn''t stop writing about all the things you can do differently, now that it''s the middle of summer and not the middle of winter.¡±


    ¡°I can''t wait to see what we can do.¡± Harry said, enthusiastically. ¡°It was fun with all the snow around.¡±


    ¡°It''s even better in the summer!¡± Susan said. ¡°There''s so much more to see with everything being officially open for visitors.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°The beach at the third stop is definitely a hot spot.¡± She said. ¡°It''s why that stop is usually a bit longer than the others this time around.¡±


    ¡°We''ll have nearly the whole day there!¡± Susan said, happily. ¡°It''s going to be so much fun!¡±


    Harry looked a little embarrassed. ¡°Um... I''ve... never been...¡±


    Amelia leaned over from her bench seat and pat his knee. ¡°It''s all right, Harry. We know you don''t know how to swim.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Harry asked, more than a little surprised.


    ¡°Harry, my mom''s the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.¡± Susan reminded him.


    Harry blinked his eyes a few times. ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Both Susan and Amelia laughed.


    ¡°Don''t worry, Harry. We''ve got this.¡± Amelia said and sat back. ¡°We''re also going to make sure you enjoy this trip as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°That''s how I know this is going to be so much fun.¡± Susan said with confidence and took Harry''s hand. ¡°We bought you swim trunks, blow up floaties for your arms, and everything.¡±


    ¡°You... you didn''t have to.¡± Harry said and ducked his head a little.


    ¡°Aww.¡± Susan leaned close and kissed his cheek. ¡°Of course we did. We love you.¡±


    Harry''s face flushed red as he thought about that, then he looked at her. ¡°I... I love you, too.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Susan said loudly and gave his face several kisses all over to make him laugh.


    Amelia shook her head as Harry gently pushed her enthusiastic niece away. ¡°Relax, Susan. We have two whole weeks to spoil him before we have to hand him over to his godfather so he can spoil him.¡±


    ¡°We get to do it first.¡± Susan said with pride and Amelia laughed.


    *


    Three stops later, Harry stood with his bare feet half-buried in the warm sand and stared at the wide expanse of water in front of him. ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Susan said and was practically hopping up and down as Amelia set up their umbrella and towels. ¡°Hurry, mom! Harry can''t wait much longer!¡±


    Amelia chuckled at her niece. ¡°Yes, it''s Harry that can''t wait.¡± She said and handed her the two blow up safety devices. ¡°Put them on his arm first and then blow them up.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Susan said and slid one on Harry''s arm and started to blow it up.


    ¡°Don''t blow it up as much as you can. You want it to save his life, not cut off his arm.¡± Amelia warned her.


    Susan laughed and a bunch of air escaped. ¡°Oops!¡± She put her mouth back on the little spout and kept blowing. She finished with it and checked that it wasn''t too tight before she did the other one.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said, grateful that she handled it, because he had no idea what to do with them. He felt a bit odd with two red balloons wrapped around his upper arms, though.


    ¡°If you''re going to go under the water, wear these goggles.¡± Amelia said and handed Harry a pair of swimmer''s goggles.


    ¡°Will they even fit?¡± He asked and held them up to his eyes.


    ¡°They only cover your eyes and are small enough that they won''t impede your vision when wearing them.¡± Amelia explained. ¡°It''s better than closing your eyes and trying to swim blind.¡±


    Harry had to agree with that reasoning.


    ¡°Are we ready? We''re ready, right? We can go, can''t we?¡± Susan asked, desperately.


    Amelia made her wait for five more seconds before she nodded.


    ¡°YAY!¡± Susan yelled and grabbed Harry''s hand as she took off running for the water. Harry struggled to keep up with her while running on such a soft surface.


    ¡°He''s not a beach toy!¡± Amelia said loudly after her.


    ¡°Yes, he is!¡± Susan said with a laugh.


    Amelia half-sighed and half-laughed, then walked after them. She wore a blue one piece bathing suit that covered her from neck to crotch while leaving her arms and legs bare. She had bought a similar one for Susan in yellow and she had watched Harry''s eyes and his reaction to seeing them wearing such revealing clothing.


    She successfully hid her relief when he hadn''t stared at them or had a certain part of his anatomy react in a pointed way, which would have been easily seen in the loose shorts she had him wear. Normally, a boy of his age, almost 12, was a bit too young to have those kinds of physical reactions.


    Unfortunately, Harry had a lot of things happen to him since he was little and after she had warned him about making a scene and controlling his temper, he was quite mature in his emotional reactions. She wasn''t sure if he would react sexually at seeing them wearing bathing suits.


    What she hadn''t connected in her mind was that both she and Susan had changed clothing in front of Harry in just their underwear so many times that he had seen them a lot more than she suspected. What was a bathing suit that covered everything, when compared to seeing Susan topless and only wearing panties, dozens of times? Or Amelia in just a cloth bra and her panties?


    After all of that, a bathing suit wasn''t at all surprising to Harry. What was surprising was that the water was cold and both Amelia''s and Susan''s bodies reacted to it. They had two protrusions quickly grow on their chests and that did get Harry''s attention after a few minutes. Luckily, neither Susan nor Amelia noticed his stares as they played and carried on, then they switched to swimming lessons.


    They spent several hours at the beach and took a break for lunch, then relaxed under the umbrella for a while before going back into the water to keep playing and for more lessons. When suppertime rolled around, they were exhausted and had enjoyed their day at the beach. Amelia packed everything up and they went back to the train to change and get ready for supper.


    After they ate, the train pulled away from the station and they went to bed very early. It had been a great day and sleep claimed them almost immediately.


    About halfway through the night, Amelia woke and sat up to check on Harry. He had the light sheet only half-wrapped around him and Susan was cuddled into him like she always was and had her arms around him. She smiled, because Harry wasn''t curled up in a ball like he usually was. He was on his side and only had one of his knees up close and not both, which meant Susan managed to get a little bit closer this time.


    He''s calming down some. Amelia thought happily as she laid back down. He''s not looking as hard for comfort, because I think he''s starting to realize that he already has it.


    She pulled the spare sheet over her bare legs and partially over Susan''s, then closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Her relief over Harry''s improving condition was a balm to her heart, especially after what had happened to him at the Malfoy''s.


    That first night when she held him tightly between herself and Susan, Harry had told them everything that happened and about how he had felt at the time, and it made her love the boy even more. She had wished very hard in that moment that she had found him that fateful night instead of Hagrid. His life would have been very different if she had raised him as well. She saw a similar look on Susan''s face and knew she wished for it, too.


    *


    The train pulled into the last station and came to a stop. The doors opened and three bedraggled and happy people stepped off of it with their trunks. They didn''t speak as they moved off through the crowd of people and left the station. Once in a secluded area, they huddled together and disappeared.


    ¡°We''re home.¡± Susan said, her voice sad as she put her trunk down.


    ¡°Hey, none of that.¡± Amelia said and kissed her niece''s forehead. ¡°We just had two of the best weeks of our lives.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and now it''s over.¡± Susan said with her lips in a pout.


    ¡°Can I come on the winter trip, too?¡± Harry asked and Susan took in a sharp breath.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Susan exclaimed and hugged him. ¡°You really want to go again?¡±


    ¡°It was fun the last time.¡± Harry said. ¡°I think I''d rather spend it with you than at home by myself.¡±


    ¡°Mom? Can he come?¡±


    ¡°I''ll pay my share like I did this time, too.¡± Harry said. ¡°You know I can afford it.¡±


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°I know. Who in their right mind pays three galleons a week for meals at Madam Rosmerta''s?¡±


    ¡°Me!¡± Harry said with a grin and she laughed.


    ¡°As long as you check with Sirius and Ela first and confirm that they don''t have anything planned, we can do the same thing we did last year and get you there for Christmas day.¡±


    ¡°It''s a deal.¡± Harry said and held a hand out for her to shake.


    Amelia pushed his hand aside and hugged him instead. ¡°I think we''re long past shaking hands to complete a deal, Mister Potter.¡± She said with a laugh.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said and Susan giggled.


    ¡°Don''t start that again.¡± Amelia warned and kissed the top of his head. ¡°Are you ready to head over to your godfather''s now?¡±


    Harry nodded and Susan stepped close to hug him again.


    ¡°I''ll see you again in three weeks at your surprise birthday party.¡± Susan said.


    ¡°Susan!¡± Amelia gasped and both Susan and Harry laughed.


    ¡°Mom, he''s known since last Christmas that his godfather''s throwing him a surprise birthday party.¡±


    Amelia sighed and chuckled. ¡°Can you at least pretend to be surprised when we all show up?¡±


    ¡°What''s this? A party? For me?!?¡± Harry said with a high pitched voice and Susan and Amelia laughed.


    ¡°You need to work on that a lot more.¡± Amelia said and Harry assumed the side along apparition position before he shared his magic with her. They both hugged the trunk closely. ¡°One, two, three.¡±


    They appeared in the alley beside Ela''s house and walked over to the porch. The little bell rang when they stepped on the first step. A moment later, the door opened to show them a happy Sirius.


    ¡°Harry, my boy!¡± Sirius said and hugged him. ¡°Do you need me to turn you upside down to get all the sand out?¡±


    Amelia chuckled and Harry grinned.


    ¡°Amelia took care of it when we stopped at the next ministry outpost.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Good, good. Ela might get angry if sand miraculously shows up in the house somehow.¡±


    ¡°I will not!¡± Ela''s voice said from inside the house.


    Sirius laughed and looked at Amelia. ¡°Thank you for looking out for him.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure.¡± Amelia said and rubbed Harry''s head before she stepped back. ¡°I enjoyed having him as company almost as much as Susan did. Almost.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine.¡± Sirius said and put a hand on Harry''s shoulder. ¡°Ela''s almost got the food ready, so go ahead and put your things in your room upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said with a glance and smile at Amelia and went into the house.


    Sirius waited until the door shut upstairs before he spoke. ¡°How has he been handling things, Amelia?¡±


    ¡°Like a champion.¡± Amelia said, her voice soft. ¡°He''s a remarkably resilient young man.¡±


    ¡°There hasn''t been any outbursts of accidental magic or emotions?¡± Sirius asked and she shook her head. ¡°That''s a relief.¡±


    ¡°It really is.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I better go. Susan''s probably wondering why I''m taking so long to drop him off.¡±


    ¡°Is she that scared that she might miss something going on with Harry?¡±


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°She made him promise to write every day.¡±


    ¡°She can''t expect Hedwig to fly over to her every day!¡± Sirius exclaimed and Amelia laughed.


    ¡°No, she''ll settle for a weekly letter, just as long as there''s daily entries.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Sirius barked a laugh. ¡°All right. I''ll make sure he does it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I''ll let Susan know.¡± Amelia smiled and left.


    *


    The next three weeks seemed to pass by like the wind with all of the activities that Sirius and Ela had planned for them to do with Harry. They knew that Harry hadn''t been out and around much, except for going to school and the train trips, so they had a lot to show him in the local area. Monuments, museums, libraries, parks, and everything else they could think of. Remus showed up for a lot of it, too.


    Harry was surprised by it all and enjoyed one of the best summer vacations he had ever had. He spent five whole weeks having the time of his life with people that actually cared about him. It was a great time that he would remember, even after the great thing that was going to happen next.


    His twelfth birthday party.

 103 The Birthday Boy

    Bokuboy


    During Harry''s train trip...


    Just like in the normal world, the wizarding world celebrated a child''s birthday with a party and invited the child''s friends over. Unlike the wizarding world, their parents and siblings were actually encouraged to attend an adjoining party to mingle with each other, to build tighter family relationships and to establish ties.


    Harry Potter didn''t have a lot of people he called friends, so the party itself would have only been a small affair if all they invited were his close friends, which were Hermione, Susan, and Neville. Sirius and Ela expanded the list to include potential close friends, which made Ron, Lavender, Parvati, Susan''s friend Hanna, and even Daphne Greengrass eligible, despite Sirius being adamant that she shouldn''t be invited.


    Ella laughed. ¡°Darling, she''ll have to refuse. Harry''s... well... Harry Potter. She wouldn''t dare ask her parents to attend a gathering meant for a Griffindor.¡±


    ¡°That''s a relief; but, still...¡±


    ¡°It''s only polite to ask.¡± Ela said and he sighed. ¡°Shall I include her?¡±


    ¡°We''re including that nasty Mr. Filch and his cat Missus Norris in the invitations.¡±


    ¡°Harry adores that scruffy old man and his cat, you know.¡± Ela reminded him.


    Sirius rolled his eyes. ¡°Even so, why would we ask a despicable Slytherin to come, too?¡±


    ¡°Even if her parents might have been on the wrong side of the last war, we can''t condemn them without proof that they actually were.¡± Ela said, wisely. ¡°As far as we know, they were neutral.¡±


    ¡°But, I want to condemn them!¡± Sirius said and that made her laugh. ¡°All right, go ahead and add her, even if it''s a waste of paper.¡± He sighed and covered his eyes. ¡°I''m lacking as a godfather already!¡±


    Ela chuckled and moved his hands to give him a kiss. ¡°You aren''t, darling. You''re just perfect.¡±


    Sirius put his arms around her and pulled her close to kiss her passionately. They made out for several minutes and when he finally broke the kiss, Ela''s face was flushed red and she was breathing a little heavily.


    ¡°I think... we can put this off... for a bit.¡± Ela whispered.


    ¡°An hour.¡± Sirius said and her eyes widened. ¡°For some reason, I''m feeling especially enamoured of you at the moment.¡±


    Ela glanced down at his pronounced crotch and her blush deepened. She nodded her head without saying a word and Sirius stood, swept her into his arms, and took her upstairs to bed.


    The invitations weren''t sent out until the next day.


    *


    A long-haired and blonde eleven year old girl walked across the same field she had crossed hundreds of times and went over to the large and completely unsafe-looking structure. She walked casually, as if she didn''t have a care in the world, and knocked on the door. She took a step back as if expecting something, then the top half of the door swung open unexpectedly and just missed her face.


    ¡°Oi! Who''s bothering... oh, it''s you.¡± Ron said when he saw the girl. ¡°Ginny''s busy.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± The girl said. ¡°Can I come in?¡±


    Ron shrugged and stepped away from the door to disappear from sight.


    The girl turned the handle on the door, opened it to latch it to the top half, like it was supposed to be, and closed it as she stepped inside. She stood there and calmly watched the pandemonium as six Weasleys ran around the kitchen and living room for apparently no reason.


    ¡°Mom! Where''s my favorite jumper?¡± Ginny nearly yelled.


    ¡°I think it''s on the cat, dear.¡± Mrs. Weasley said and pointed off up the stairs, which Ginny ran up.


    The young blonde girl stepped over to the kitchen table and moved the newspaper aside and picked up a small pair of glasses. She held them up just as Mr. Weasley stormed into the kitchen.


    ¡°Molly! Where''s my reading glass... ah, there they are.¡± Mr. Weasley said and took them from the blonde girl''s hand. ¡°Thank you, Luna.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Luna said and walked over to the cupboard under the sink and knelt as she opened the door. One of the twins, she knew was George, ran into the kitchen. He saw the cupboard door and was going too fast to stop, so he hopped over it and her like she was a hurdle, then he landed and skidded to a stop.


    ¡°Sorry about that, Luna!¡± George said.


    ¡°That''s okay.¡± Luna said and pulled out a sneaker from the cupboard. ¡°You might need this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I was just looking for that! Thanks!¡± George took the sneaker and ran off to get the other one.


    Luna walked over to the living room, successfully avoided being pounced on by a sweater-covered cat, and stood beside the fireplace.


    It took the Weasley family another half an hour to finish getting ready and they all gathered in the living room in front of the couch for inspection. Mrs. Weasley walked in front of them, like a drill sergeant in the army, and checked them over diligently.


    ¡°All right, you''re presentable.¡± Molly said and the twins, Ron, and Ginny sighed in relief. ¡°I wish your brother Percy could come with us. If he wasn''t so busy doing homework...¡±


    ¡°...and being a stuck up prat.¡± Fred and George said as one as they tried not to laugh.


    ¡°Don''t badmouth family.¡± Molly said.


    ¡°Sorry, mum.¡± They said and then snickered.


    Molly sighed with a shake of her head. ¡°Arthur, let''s go.¡±


    ¡°I was just checking the map of the floo network.¡± Arthur said as he came in wearing his reading glasses and holding a big folding piece of paper. ¡°It''s going to be a smooth ride this time. The Peakes have had a connection almost since it was first built.¡±


    ¡°Thank Merlin.¡± Molly said. ¡°All right, one at a time. Grab some powder and step in, then clearly say ''The Peakes House''.¡± She turned around and jerked as she finally caught sight of Luna standing calmly beside the fireplace. ¡°Luna! What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Dads gone off hunting again.¡± Luna said.


    Molly looked at her husband and he shrugged. ¡°Well dear, we''re just about to head off to a very important event and...¡±


    ¡°Molly, we can''t leave here here alone.¡± Arthur said as he put the map and his glasses into his inside coat pocket. ¡°Xenophilus trusts us to look after her.¡±


    Molly closed her eyes and managed to not sigh. ¡°All right.¡± She said and opened them to look at Luna. ¡°You''re lucky that Percy can''t go, so you can have his spot.¡±


    Luna smiled dreamily.


    ¡°I just hope Sirius doesn''t kick up a fuss at the change.¡± Molly whispered and nodded at the twins. ¡°Go ahead, George.¡±


    ¡°I''m not George, he''s George. Honestly, woman. You call yourself our mother...¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry, Fred. Go ahead.¡± Molly waved at the fireplace.


    The twin stepped forward and grabbed some powder. ¡°Just kidding! I am George.¡± He said with a grin. ¡°The Peakes House.¡± He threw the powder down and disappeared in a gout of green magic flames.


    Fred chuckled as he went next and disappeared after repeating the destination and the toss of powder. Ron went next and disappeared, then Arthur stepped forward to assist Ginny. They disappeared and Molly brought Luna to the fireplace. ¡°Snug in close, now.¡±


    Luna did so and Molly said the destination as she threw down the powder. The two of them were engulfed in flames and spun on the spot, like a tornado, then they were sucked through the floo network and popped up at the Peakes House barely a second later.


    ¡°That wasn''t bad at all.¡± Molly said happily as she stepped out of the fireplace with Luna and out of the way of anyone else that might come through.


    Ela stepped close and waved her wand at them to clean up some floating ash and powder. ¡°Welcome to my home, Mrs. Weasley.¡± She said and looked down. ¡°Oh, and who is this lovely young lady?¡±


    ¡°Luna Lovegood. She''s a neighbour''s child that came over to visit.¡± Molly said. ¡°Percy couldn''t make it, so I hope you don''t mind if Luna takes his spot, even though she wasn''t technically invited.¡±


    Ela laughed softly, as if she would turn anyone away. ¡°Of course it''s fine.¡± She held a hand out to the girl. ¡°It''s nice to meet you, even unexpectedly.¡±


    Luna smiled and shook the offered hand. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°I''m Ela, the scruffy looking man with the long curly hair talking to Arthur is called Sirius, and the tall scruffy short haired man that''s going to show up with Harry later is named Remus.¡±


    ¡°We''re the first to arrive?¡± Molly asked, slightly worried that they had started their visit too early.


    ¡°Oh, no. Neville and his parents have been here for half an hour already.¡± Ela said and pointed. ¡°They''re out back and enjoying the garden of healing herbs I''ve got growing.¡±


    Molly smiled in relief. ¡°Is there anything I can help with? Snacks? Decorating? Anything?¡±


    Ela laughed again. ¡°I''ve got everything done and set out already. We''re just waiting on the rest of the guests and the young man we''re celebrating.¡±


    No sooner had she spoken when the fireplace lit up and Susan stepped out.


    ¡°Hi!¡± Susan said, excitedly. ¡°I''m Susan.¡±


    Ela smiled at her. ¡°Welcome to my home.¡± She said and gave her the same people explanations, then added in Arthur, Molly, and their children. ¡°Neville and his parents are out back.¡±


    ¡°You should have waited to say that.¡± Susan said with a grin as the fire lit up. ¡°Here comes mom and you have to say it again.¡±


    Ela laughed softly. ¡°Your mom already knows everyone.¡±


    Amelia appeared in the fireplace and stepped out to see all the overly done birthday decorations. ¡°Ela, this place looks wonderful.¡±


    ¡°I could almost feel the sarcasm.¡± Ela said and Amelia grinned at her. ¡°Sirius is making up for missing so much.¡±


    ¡°Christmas all over again?¡± Amelia asked and Ela nodded. ¡°You are much more forgiving than I am.¡±


    Ela clamped her mouth shut to stop her laugh and Amelia winked at her.


    ¡°Is Hermione here?¡± Susan asked.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Ela said and looked at the time. ¡°Another ten minutes, unless they run late.¡±


    ¡°I''ll go say hi to Ron and Neville.¡± Susan said.


    ¡°Drinks are in the kitchen.¡± Ela said and Susan waved.


    The fireplace lit up and a blonde haired girl named Hanna stepped out. ¡°Hi!¡±


    ¡°Is your mother coming through?¡± Ela asked and the young woman nodded. A moment later, the woman appeared and Ela did her greeting speech and introduced everyone.


    ¡°Thank you for having us.¡± Mrs. Abbott said as her husband appeared, then he kissed her cheek and went right over to mingle with Sirius and Arthur.


    ¡°Susan''s in the kitchen getting a drink.¡± Amelia said and Hanna left to go find her friend. ¡°Should I ask who''s left to arrive?¡±


    The fireplace lit up and Lavender stepped out, looking spectacular in the latest fashion from Paris. ¡°Hello.¡± She said and stepped out of the way for her mother. The fireplace lit up and another woman, the near spitting image of her daughter, stepped out.


    ¡°Mrs. Brown.¡± Amelia said and stepped back to make room as the fireplace lit again.


    A man stepped out wearing a well tailored suit and nodded to his wife.


    ¡°Welcome to my home, Mr. And Mrs. Brown.¡± Ela said. ¡° Lavender, Susan and Hanna are in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lavender said and left.


    ¡°I''m glad your home isn''t small.¡± Mrs. Lavender said with a knowing smile.


    ¡°As am I, and this is only a small party. I couldn''t imagine trying to host anything bigger.¡± Ela said and returned the smile. ¡°I think the Patils are the only ones left to floo.¡±


    ¡°I hope they don''t bring everyone.¡± Amelia said with a chuckle. ¡°What are they up to now? Ten cousins?¡±


    Ela laughed. ¡°They responded and said that only they and their mother could make it.¡±


    ¡°How relieved are you feeling about that?¡± Mrs. Brown asked.


    ¡°I''ll just be happy if Harry''s happy.¡± Ela said and the other women nodded.


    ¡°That''s a great answer and a complete lie.¡± Sirius said as he came over to greet the newcomers. He gave Ela''s cheek a kiss. ¡°She''s already overly happy about Harry and it can only get better.¡±


    ¡°Quiet, you.¡± Ela said and pushed him away without any force behind it.


    Sirius chuckled. ¡°Mr. Brown, Arthur''s over in the corner trying to convince Mr. Abbot to invest into buying his own car.¡±


    Mr. Brown shook his head. ¡°He knows better than to pawn off confiscated tampered vehicles brought in to the Ministry for spell removal.¡±


    ¡°Does he?¡± Sirius asked with a smirk and Mr. Brown chuckled.


    ¡°All right, let''s go save him.¡± Mr. Brown said and they moved off.


    ¡°They can''t help themselves by getting into trouble sometimes.¡± Mrs. Brown said and Ela rolled her eyes, which made Amelia laugh softly.


    Luna stood off to the side of the living room, completely out of the way and ignored. She was used to this treatment, since she had spent quite some time at the Weasleys the last few years after her mother''s death. Her father just couldn''t brush off his wanderlust and his need to go looking for rare creatures.


    She smiled as she remembered father''s favorite book by Newt Scamander that described all of the exotic and rare creatures he had saved from extinction and relocated to safe areas where they could thrive and flourish. She turned her head to look out the front window and a muggle vehicle pulled up. She didn''t know it was called a station wagon and she watched as two adults and a bushy haired girl stepped out of it.


    The porch bell rang and Ela walked over to open the door. ¡°Ah, Hermione.¡± Ela said and smiled warmly at the young girl. ¡°Neville''s still out back and Susan and her friends are in the kitchen.¡±


    Hermione nodded. ¡°Mom, Dad, this is Healer Ela Peakes.¡±


    ¡°It''s nice to meet you.¡± Mrs. Granger said and her husband nodded in greeting.


    ¡°Welcome to my house.¡± Ela said and stepped back to wave them inside, then she pointed out people and said their names, making sure they knew who everyone was. ¡°Drinks are in the kitchen and we won''t split the party until after Harry arrives.¡±


    The Grangers looked confused and Ela smiled again.


    ¡°We leave the younger ones on their own and the parents and older family members mingle in a separate room.¡± Ela whispered and then she winked. ¡°That way, the adults and children get more enjoyment over not having to suffer through sharing space more than they have to.¡±


    Mr. Granger chuckled and Mrs. Granger covered her mouth to stop her laugh.


    Hermione gave them a questioning look and her mother nodded. ¡°See you later.¡± She said to her parents and went into the living room. She saw a blonde girl that she hadn''t seen before and thought about going over to her to ask her who she was. Her eyes widened when the girl shook her head and pointed with a thumb at a redheaded girl standing next to Mr. Weasley.


    Hermione wasn''t sure what to think of that. Does she want me to make friends with her first?


    Just then, the fireplace ignited and Mr. Filch stepped out with Missus Norris in his arms. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over at him, mainly because he was dressed in a fancy suit, which was something none of them had ever seen before. Some of the people in the room had known him since they were kids and they were shocked at the sight.


    I would have walked right into him. Hermione thought as the older man dusted off his shoulders.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Ela said and walked over to him. ¡°Argus, it''s so nice of you to come.¡±


    Filch huffed a barely heard greeting before Missus Norris meowed loudly. ¡°No, the lad''s not here.¡± He said and looked down at the floor. ¡°Not since this morning.¡±


    Ela was surprised that he had guessed so accurately. Little did she know that Filch had decades of estimating how long children had passed by and left tracks in the castle hallways.


    ¡°I hope Missus Norris likes fish.¡± Ela said and the cat perked right up. ¡°Is salmon okay?¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± Missus Norris said.


    ¡°It''ll do.¡± Filch said and a few people chuckled.


    ¡°It''s a good thing I have tuna as well.¡± Ela said with a smile.


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    ¡°Aye, she was teasing you.¡± Filch said.


    ¡°Me-ow.¡±


    ¡°I''m sure she''s still a nice person.¡± Filch said and that made nearly everyone laugh.


    ¡°Harry should be here soon.¡± Ela said and had barely managed to not laugh herself. ¡°I have the container in the refrigerator if you want to let her have some now.¡±


    ¡°Meow?¡±


    ¡°Is it canned?¡± Filch asked.


    ¡°Oh, Merlin! I would never serve canned anything!¡± Ela laughed. ¡°Harry insisted on freshly caught.¡±


    ¡°He''s a good lad.¡± Filch said, his voice full of approval.


    ¡°Meow mrow.¡± Missus Norris said and Filch put her down.


    Ela led him and the cat into the kitchen and the Grangers went over to Arthur to talk.


    Hermione debated going over as well, then glanced at Luna, who was now staring intensely out the living room window. I guess she''s busy. She thought and gave a slight wave to Ginny before going into the kitchen as well.


    Luna glanced at the fireplace and waited for a moment, then it flared and a pretty Middle Eastern Indian stepped out of the fire. Despite looking like she came straight from India with her brownish-gold skin, Parvati Patil was a British citizen. Her sister came right out after her and they were dressed almost as twins in traditional clothes, with the color scheme reversed, and they had flowing chiffon scarves over their shoulders.


    Their mother stepped out next and she was dressed in a similar fashion. Ela came back from the kitchen to greet them, just as Mr. Patil stepped out of the fireplace. Ela gave them the standard greeting and then introduced everyone around, like she had to all of the others.


    Luna admired the girls and their poise for several moments, unconcerned over being ignored, then she turned back to look out the window to wait patiently.


    *


    It was close to lunchtime and Remus apparated with Harry back to Sirius'' place after taking Harry to see the lions in the London Zoo. Harry hadn''t seen the Griffindor namesake up close before and it was a special treat that Remus had arranged as a birthday present.


    ¡°I can''t believe the workers there let me toss the lions a huge steak!¡± Harry said excitedly.


    Remus laughed. ¡°Most young people wouldn''t be so excited about touching and throwing blood covered meat or seeing wild animals tear that meat to shreds.¡±


    ¡°That big guy was pretty ferocious, wasn''t he?¡± Harry asked as they stepped onto the porch and the little bell rang. ¡°His mane was huge, too!¡±


    ¡°He is pretty old.¡± Remus said and opened the front door.


    ¡°SURPRISE!¡± Everyone inside yelled at the same time and Harry jumped a little.


    ¡°WOW!¡± Harry gasped and he didn''t have to fake his surprise as he looked around at the living room. He saw all of the people there and how everything was decorated. His heart trembled a little at the sight, because they had all gathered together for him. He had no idea that so many people would show up, just for his birthday.


    ¡°Mrraww.¡± Missus Norris mumbled at him from the front of the crowd and Harry laughed at the huge tuna she had managed to get her jaws around.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Harry said. ¡°Now you need to find a nice place to eat.¡±


    Missus Norris made an acceptance sound that was half purr and half growl, then sauntered off and swung her tail as she disappeared from sight.


    ¡°I''m not even going to ask how she can walk with that much weight in the front.¡± Remus said as he moved off to talk to Sirius and all of the young people crowded around Harry.


    ¡°Harry!¡± ¡°Happy birthday!¡± ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Hey, there.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°You stink.¡±


    Harry laughed as they all spoke as one and caught Ron''s comment. ¡°I just got back from the zoo!¡±


    ¡°I like the monkeys the best.¡± A dreamy voice said from somewhere.


    Harry looked at the people around him for the source and couldn''t see it. ¡°Um... who said that?¡±


    ¡°Just ignore her. Mum had to bring her because her dad abandoned her at our place again.¡± Ron said.


    ¡°Ron!¡± Molly gasped, easily hearing him over the other people talking.


    ¡°What? He does it all the time.¡± Ron said with a shrug.


    Harry put a hand out and moved Ron aside and he laid eyes on the blondest girl he had ever seen. Her hair was almost as light as the Malfoy''s, and that was saying something. It was all done up in waves and she wore an eclectic set of clothing. It was both odd looking and appealing at the same time, as were her eyes. The pale silvery orbs seemed to see you and also see through you at the same time.


    ¡°I''m Harry. Harry Potter.¡± Harry said and held a hand out to her.


    Luna beamed a smile at him and took the offered hand. ¡°I''m Luna. Luna Lovegood.¡± She said and if he had asked her, she would have said the same thing to him about his bright green eyes.


    ¡°I hope Ron''s not bugging you too much.¡± Harry said and shook her hand before letting it go.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Ron exclaimed and a redheaded girl next to Mr. Weasley giggled.


    ¡°No, he pretty much ignores me like everyone else does.¡± Luna said and looked at his forehead. ¡°I don''t see your scar. Did you heal it or something?¡±


    A few people took in sharp breaths at her blatantly bold and slightly inappropriate question.


    ¡°I tried to have it removed; but, it didn''t work.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Curses can be like that.¡± Luna said, as if she knew a lot about it.


    ¡°I use a cream to conceal it.¡± Harry explained.


    ¡°That''s handy.¡± Luna said. ¡°Madam Primpernelle''s?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°She made me a jar this big.¡± He said and held open his hands wide. It made a few of the adults whistle, because they knew how expensive her products were.


    ¡°Harry, you really do smell a little gamey.¡± Hermione said and Harry chuckled.


    ¡°I''ll be right back to greet you all properly.¡± Harry said and saw several nods before he ran up the stairs to wash and change. He quickly washed using both muggle techniques and magic, then he put on black dress pants and the bright green shirt that Ela had bought for him. He combed his hair, applied the cream to his forehead, and went back downstairs.


    What followed was two hours of the best party that Harry had ever been to. It was probably because he hadn''t been to any parties and had nothing to compare it to; but, that''s what he thought as he talked and had fun with his friends and acquaintances. He was only a little surprised that the extra people were a lot nicer to him, now that they were away from the school.


    They were currently in the living room and listening to Harry tell them about feeding the lions when the fireplace lit up. Ela was busy with the parents and adults, so Harry excused himself and stepped over to greet whoever it was... then his eyes widened as a very well dressed Daphne Greengrass appeared and had a bundle of something in her arms that she held close.


    It took Harry a moment to see that bundle was actually a girl with a similar hairstyle as Daphne. Her blonde hair was done up with a half-swirled bun on the top of her head with well placed strands of hair arrayed out behind her, like a curtain. She was also a head shorter than Daphne.


    That has to be magic. Harry thought and looked at Daphne''s face. ¡°Welcome to the Peakes House. Thank you for coming on such a special occasion.¡±


    Daphne couldn''t stop the smile on her face at him being so formal with the introduction. ¡°Thank you, Harry.¡± She said and barely managed to not laugh at all of the shocked faces staring at her. ¡°I''m sorry about showing up so late. My parents managed to delay going out until a little while ago and we couldn''t sneak out.¡±


    ¡°You had to sneak out? Are your parents daft or something? It''s just a party!¡± Ron said and a couple of the girls giggled.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Hermione hushed him.


    ¡°It might surprise you that they didn''t want me to publicly associate with the famous Harry Potter.¡± Daphne said with a bit of a sneer for Ron and those that laughed and also happy eyes for Harry, since they both knew that already. She eased her hold on the girl she held close and turned her around to face him while also keeping a tight hold on her. ¡°This is my little sister Astoria. She''ll be attending Hogwarts next year, during our third year.¡±


    Astoria had wide eyes as she looked at Harry and he looked right back. He could see that she was very thin and frail, as if she was starving, and Harry couldn''t help but look at Daphne with squinted eyes.


    ¡°I know.¡± Daphne said, understanding his accusing glare. ¡°It''s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°I have a blood curse.¡± Astoria said in a very clear and ear pleasing voice. ¡°It makes me weak and I can''t gain weight or much muscle.¡±


    ¡°It''s called a malediction and one of our ancestors was cursed to have future generations develop it randomly.¡± Daphne said, inadvertently sharing a private pain with someone that she actually considered a friend. Even the others that she hung around with in Slytherin didn''t know about it.


    Harry''s face showed surprise for a second, then he smiled and held a hand out to Astoria. ¡°It''s nice to meet you, Astoria. I''m Harry. Harry Potter.¡±


    Astoria stared at the hand and looked up at her sister.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Daphne urged her and Astoria reached for it and held it.


    Harry had a lot of practice dealing with weakness, since he had been that way for years, and he held the hand gently and barely moved it as he shook it. ¡°I''m glad you could come.¡± He said and let her hand go. ¡°I was just telling everyone about the zoo workers letting me feed the lions this morning.¡±


    Astoria gasped and covered her mouth with the hand Harry just shook. She was too shocked to realize she had inadvertently given his hand a second hand kiss at the time.


    ¡°How long can you stay before you get into trouble?¡± Harry asked Daphne as he waved them over to the couch.


    ¡°An hour, maybe a bit more.¡± Daphne said.


    ¡°Won''t they question why you both look so pretty all dressed up?¡± Harry asked and both Daphne and Astoria blushed as they sat down next to each other in the spot that Harry had been in.


    ¡°If they even notice us when we return, maybe.¡± Daphne said with a little laugh. ¡°I don''t expect them to come home for a couple of hours; but, it''s better to be back before they return.¡±


    ¡°We''ll be eating soon!¡± Ela''s voice came from the side room and Harry smiled.


    ¡°It looks like you arrived just in time for cutting the cake.¡± Harry said and both of them smiled brightly at him.


    ¡°Harry, what about the lions?¡± Hermione prompted, trying to get everyone''s mind off of the late arrivals.


    ¡°Right.¡± Harry nodded his thanks to her. ¡°Remus knew I hadn''t seen a lion before and arranged...¡±


    *


    Astoria had been so nervous about meeting the famous Harry Potter that her sister had to hold her tightly to stop her trembling. She wasn''t in love with him or anything, she just knew he had overcome an encounter with a dark wizard and survived the killing curse. In her mind, her facing a blood curse was insignificant to what he had faced.


    Her eyes went to his forehead as he talked about his death defying adventure at the zoo, feeding starving lions that would have torn him apart just as quickly as they tore into the steaks he had thrown them. Her eyes danced as she imagined the scene of him valiantly fighting the lions off by distracting them with meat and then cursing them.


    I wish he could do that with my blood curse. Astoria thought and her mind changed from Harry fighting lions to fighting blood colored blobs and blasting them with curses to kill them all. She snuggled into her sister''s side and was very thankful that Daphne had convinced her to come, despite her nervousness over meeting him.


    Harry had been nothing but nice, except for that first mean look when he saw how thin she was. The thing that struck her wasn''t that he was angry, it was that she didn''t see pity in his eyes like she had seen from everyone else when she mentioned the curse. She had won the most horrible lottery in her family by inheriting the curse that they had all but forgotten about, because it had been generations since it last appeared.


    Astoria remained quiet, even when the redheaded girl tried to talk to her. She wasn''t there for her, not at all. She came to see Harry Potter and she hoped that he remembered her when she started school. She kept to her sister''s side as they went to the kitchen for cake and she was surprised when she was one of the first to get a piece of cake, along with another blonde girl with a far-away look on her face.


    Thankfully, it was only a small piece and she managed to eat it all. She glanced at Harry and saw him giving her a knowing smile, almost as if he knew what she was going through. Astoria smiled back to thank him for being considerate.


    The next half hour passed by before she knew it, games and things happened in front of her eyes, and she watched attentively while secretly desiring to play for herself. Daphne had tried to let her play and Astoria refused politely and in whispers.


    After a short while, the game everyone started playing was ring toss. There were nine pegs and the closer to the center you landed the plastic ring, the more points you earned. They all laughed and tossed rings easily, threw them hard, flipped them through the air, and had a great time.


    ¡°Hey, want to be my partner?¡± Harry asked her.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Astoria looked up at someone she thought of as a hero.


    ¡°I can''t get my rings to do anything but roll away.¡± Harry said with a shrug and then whispered. ¡°I need a bit of help cheating.¡±


    Astoria stared at him for a second and then giggled. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°It''s easy.¡± Harry said and took out his wand. ¡°I want you to banish the rings for me.¡±


    Astoria gasped as he handed her his wand. ¡°I... I don''t...¡±


    ¡°I''ll show you.¡± Harry said and after fifteen minutes of him coaching and sharing his magic with her, Astoria could perform the spell half of the times she tried. ¡°That''s great.¡± He said and left her, with his wand, and went to play.


    What followed was the best time she ever had. Her wand flicks sent the ring flying off to careen from the walls, the ceiling, off of Ron''s head (Nice shot, Harry! Neville had said loudly to general laughter), and once she even managed to get the ring onto one of the pegs.


    ¡°Congratulations, Harry!¡± Ron said and draped his arm over his shoulder when the game was over. ¡°You suck at ring toss!¡±


    ¡°Get off.¡± Harry laughed and nudged him away, then he went over to Astoria and she discreetly handed him his wand back. ¡°Thanks for the help.¡±


    ¡°It was terrible!¡± Astoria said with giggle.


    Daphne smiled at the both of them and then she sighed. ¡°It''s almost time to go.¡±


    ¡°Aww.¡± Astoria groaned before she could stop herself and her sister laughed softly.


    Harry knew that he didn''t want to get them in trouble, so he didn''t try to convince them to stay any longer. ¡°I''ll get you some cake and treats to take home.¡±


    ¡°No, that''s okay.¡± Daphne said. ¡°We don''t want to impose any more than we already have.¡±


    Harry waved around at everyone and the house. ¡°You don''t seriously think this is going to end soon, do you?¡±


    Daphne looked around at all of the happy people having fun. She could also see into the side room where the adults were and they looked to be enjoying themselves as well. ¡°I guess not.¡±


    ¡°I''ll be quick and then I''ll see you both out.¡± Harry said and walked into the crowd.


    Daphne only had to wait a couple of minutes before Harry came back with two large birthday bags filled with things like treats and little toys and games. ¡°Harry, what...¡±


    ¡°Don''t freak out.¡± Harry said and handed one to Daphne and one to Astoria. ¡°Everyone gets one.¡±


    ¡°Are... are you sure? We weren''t supposed to show up.¡± Daphne whispered.


    ¡°We made up extra for unexpected guests.¡± Harry said and smiled slyly. ¡°We weren''t sure if all of the Weasleys were going to come, either.¡±


    Daphne clamped her mouth shut before she laughed. ¡°Okay, that''s a good point.¡±


    Harry shooed people out of the way and led her and her sister over to the fireplace. ¡°Thank you both for coming.¡±


    ¡°It was fun!¡± Astoria said before Daphne could.


    ¡°I''m glad you enjoyed it.¡± Harry said and then leaned in close. ¡°Do you want me to shrink the bags for you?¡±


    ¡°No, this is fine. Even if they see them, they won''t care or they''ll assume we dug them out of the attic.¡± Daphne said. ¡°Thank you for the concern.¡±


    Harry smirked. ¡°Believe me, I know all about having to hide things from parent figures.¡±


    ¡°I thought so.¡± Daphne said. ¡°There''s no way this is your normal home.¡±


    ¡°I wish it was.¡± Harry said and then took a deep breath. ¡°It will be as soon as I''m of age, so it''s only another five years. I don''t have long to wait.¡±


    Daphne chuckled. ¡°You do know that you can buy your own place when you''re of age, don''t you?¡±


    Harry looked at her with wide eyes and she laughed softly.


    ¡°I assume it''s different for muggles.¡± Daphne said and he nodded.


    ¡°They have secondary education called college and study for another three years or more.¡± Harry said. ¡°I don''t know what I''m going to do after Hogwarts, though.¡±


    ¡°You''re twelve!¡± Daphne exclaimed. ¡°Act like the rest of us and stop worrying about it.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°I''ve been planning to flee from my aunt and uncle for years, so it''s a hard habit to break.¡± He admitted and reached into his pocket. He looked around to make sure no one was looking and held out a crystal vial of bright red liquid. ¡°Astoria, I know you haven''t known me for long...¡±


    ¡°I''ll drink it.¡± Astoria said right away.


    ¡°Astoria!¡± Daphne gasped.


    ¡°He''s Harry Potter.¡± Astoria said, as if that explained everything.


    Daphne sighed at the adamant look on her sister''s face and looked at Harry. ¡°You won''t tell me what it is, even if I beg, will you?¡± She asked Harry and he shook his head. ¡°Is it harmful?¡±


    ¡°Not even a little bit.¡± Harry said. ¡°If it makes you feel any better about it, I''ve given it to three people so far and one even claimed it was delicious and tasted like a proper potion.¡±


    Daphne looked back at her sister, whose hands were twitching to take it. ¡°Go ahead, Astoria.¡±


    Astoria took the vial and admired the bright red liquid for a moment. She tried to pop the cork and couldn''t, so Daphne helped her and she smelled a nice aroma from it.


    ¡°I should taste it before...¡± Daphne started to say and Astoria downed it. ¡°Never mind.¡±


    Astoria handed the empty vial to Harry and waited for something to happen. When nothing did, she couldn''t hide her disappointment.


    Harry smiled at her and lightly touched her shoulder. ¡°Unlike spells, sometimes it takes time for potions to take full effect.¡±


    Astoria nodded, because she had taken a lot of potions since she was little.


    ¡°Thank you for not being upset that we showed up like this.¡± Daphne said.


    ¡°Better late than never.¡± Harry said and held the bowl of powder out for her to take some. ¡°I really liked seeing you both.¡±


    ¡°I like your shirt.¡± Astoria said as they stepped into the fireplace. ¡°It makes your eyes shiny.¡±


    ¡°Yep, it''s the shirt.¡± Harry said and Daphne laughed. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡± Astoria said and hugged her sister.


    Daphne tossed the powder down. ¡°The Greengrass Estate!¡±


    Harry watched as they disappeared in a gout of green flame and went back to the party. He was right, too. The party lasted nearly all day and went well into the evening. Remus had to cast a temporary extension charm on the dining room and the large table for everyone to sit down. They all ate supper together and then it was time for presents.


    Harry enjoyed it almost as much as Christmas as he opened gifts that his friends got for him. They were things he could use, like books and practical things for school, and he liked that a lot. He thanked them sincerely after opening each one, making sure that they knew he appreciated the gift.


    All of the adults that didn''t know Harry very well, silently approved of his actions and were appreciative as well, since a lot of them assumed that he had a rich upbringing and that he was going to be as arrogant and stuck up as his fame and his notoriety should have dictated. They were all pleasantly surprised that they were wrong and they found that they liked the young man before them for who he was and not for his supposed reputation.


    The party ended not long after and Ela, Sirius, and Harry stood beside the fireplace and saw everyone off and gave them the gift and treat bags. They thanked each person for coming, for the presents, and expressed the hope to see them again. Each of them felt appreciated and left with great impressions of the whole event and of the hosts that pulled it off.


    Out of all of the guests, it was Luna that had the best impression of them. She had fully expected to be treated like she always was, practically ignored and beneath everyone''s notice, and she had been by everyone except for Harry, Ela and Sirius, and she couldn''t have been more delighted.


    Even though she had shown up as a hanger-on of the Weasleys, Luna was asked to play games, given cake before anyone else, got to sit at the large table like an actual person, and was now being handed a huge gift bag that was stuffed so full of things that she didn''t know what to do with it.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Luna exclaimed a bit loudly and Harry chuckled.


    ¡°It''ll be easier to carry through the floo if you hug it.¡± Harry said and she clutched the bag in her hands with a nod. ¡°I''ll see you at school next month.¡±


    ¡°I''ve known for years that I''m going to be a Ravenclaw.¡± Luna said, matter of factly.


    ¡°I guess if you already know, the hat''s going to have an easy time sorting you.¡± Harry said. ¡°You can still talk to it before it makes an announcement, though.¡±


    ¡°I can?¡± Luna asked, surprised. ¡°I thought it was just a hat!¡±


    ¡°It''s Godric Griffindor''s hat.¡± Harry said. ¡°Think about it.¡±


    Luna''s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Ohhh. I get it.¡±


    ¡°This was a great time.¡± Arthur Weasley said and shook Sirius'' hand. ¡°Thanks for inviting us all.¡±


    ¡°How guilty would you make me feel the next time I saw you and we only invited Ron?¡± Sirius asked with a grin and Arthur had to laugh.


    ¡°You got me there.¡± Arthur said. ¡°Is everyone ready? Got your things?¡±


    All of the Weasleys nodded, as did Luna.


    ¡°Ginny.¡± Arthur said and the girl hugged him with the bag between them as he took her into the fireplace first. ¡°The Burrow!¡± He said and tossed some powder down.


    ¡°It was delightful.¡± Molly said and stepped forward to hug Luna close. ¡°I can''t remember the last time an event happened and I didn''t have to do anything!¡±


    ¡°You can stay to help clean up.¡± Sirius joked and Molly looked like she was going to step back out. ¡°I''m joking, Molly! Just joking!¡± He said and held his hands up to stop her. ¡°I''m helping with the clean-up.¡±


    Molly relaxed and took some powder. ¡°If you''re sure you don''t want me to stay...¡±


    ¡°Have a great evening, Molly.¡± Ela said.


    Molly followed her husband through the floo and the twins went next.


    ¡°Bye, Harry.¡± They said as one.


    ¡°You''re not as big of a twat outside of school.¡± Fred said.


    ¡°You''re not as troublesome for the same reason.¡± Harry shot back and that made them grin mischievously.


    ¡°We''ll earn your adoration yet. Just watch.¡± George promised and then hugged Fred as if he was a particularly gorgeous girl and mooned over her. It made Harry laugh, which was what they wanted, and Fred dropped the powder as he said the destination. They disappeared in the green flames that briefly appeared and then it was Ron''s turn.


    ¡°See ya, Harry.¡± Ron said and followed them.


    ¡°Thanks for inviting me, Harry.¡± Neville said when it was his turn.


    ¡°Thanks for coming.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''ll see you tomorrow for yours.¡±


    Neville looked really happy to hear that and stepped close to his mother.


    ¡°It really was fun. Thank you.¡± Alice Longbottom said to Ela and Sirius as she hugged her son tightly, then they disappeared into the flames as well.


    ¡°I can''t believe she convinced him to have it a day later.¡± Frank Longbottom said with a chuckle.


    ¡°I suspect that she didn''t want him to compete with Harry for guests.¡± Ela said with a smirk.


    ¡°I suppose you''re right.¡± Frank winked at her and shook the hand Sirius offered to him. ¡°Thanks again.¡±


    Sirius nodded and Frank disappeared into the floo. Lavender and her parents were next, then the Patil family left, and the only guests remaining were Hermione and her parents. Ela, Sirius, and Harry walked with them to the front door.


    ¡°Thanks a lot for coming, Hermione.¡± Harry said and gave her a hug, unlike what he did for everyone else, even the other girls. Neither her parents nor Ela and Sirius missed that fact.


    ¡°I had a great time.¡± Hermione said, her face slightly red from him doing that in front of her parents, despite them already seeing them hug on the train platform at the beginning of summer.


    Harry looked at her mother. ¡°How many times are you having Hermione clean around the house?¡±


    Mrs. Granger let a huge smile appear on her face. ¡°As many times as she can stand.¡±


    Ela put a hand over Harry''s shoulders. ¡°Harry showed me some of the things they can do, and even though I grew up in a magical household, I''m still surprised by it.¡±


    ¡°It''s wonderful.¡± Mrs. Granger said. ¡°We haven''t had to plug in the vacuum since last Christmas.¡±


    ¡°Or press the drapes, or fold the clothes, or made the beds.¡± Mr. Granger added and smiled as well.


    ¡°That''s because chores are easy.¡± Hermione and Harry said at the same time. ¡°Jinx!¡± They said together again, then they both laughed.


    Harry handed her a gift bag and then handed her another bag.


    ¡°What''s this?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°An early birthday present.¡± Harry said with a grin.


    ¡°My birthday...¡± Hermione''s eyes widened. ¡°You didn''t!¡±


    ¡°I can''t make you wait almost two months for all of the books I found for you during the cross Britain train tour.¡± Harry said, smugly. ¡°There''s a book cabinet in there, too.¡±


    Hermione handed both bags to her mother and slowly put her arms around Harry to hug him tenderly. ¡°Thank you, Harry.¡± She whispered into his ear and then kissed his cheek for several seconds. ¡°I know I''ll love them.¡±


    ¡°I... hope so.¡± Harry whispered back, his face red.


    Hermione let him go and stepped back. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    Harry nodded and watched her as she and her parents left and climbed into their car. He waved as they drove off and that seemed to be the permission that Ela needed to relax.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Ela exclaimed and leaned against Sirius. ¡°What a long day!¡±


    Sirius laughed and hugged her. ¡°You did wonderfully, my dear. Just wonderfully.¡±


    ¡°I can''t believe so many people showed up.¡± Ela said and kissed him. ¡°The dining room is huge and it still needed to be expanded.¡±


    Sirius nodded. ¡°Everyone had a great time.¡± He looked at Harry. ¡°Do you want a hand taking your things up to your room?¡±


    Harry shook his head and left them to do just that. He had everything gathered up and tucked onto shelves inside his trunk, quite happy at it all. It really had been a great day and the ending was just as great, if not better. He reached up and lightly touched his cheek and he could almost feel Hermione''s lips there. His grin was goofy as he closed his trunk and he went back downstairs to help with the clean-up.


    *


    Neville''s party was a lot more subdued, since he had only invited a few friends, and there was almost no associates to expand it. His grandmother hadn''t been exaggerating when she said that Harry and Hermione were the only real friends that he had.


    Luckily, Ron came as well and that meant Harry got to see all of the Weasleys again and Luna came as well. Harry wasn''t sure why he liked her, though. It was just one of those inexplicable things that just happens sometimes and you just go with it, because trying to make sense of it would just be too confusing.


    The party went off without a hitch, though. Even Neville''s grandmother had a good time with her entire family there as well as his real friends from school and their families. It gave her some reassurance that her grandson wasn''t going to be all alone for the rest of his life. That was something she had been quite worried about as he grew up and hadn''t made any friends.


    Now, he was really coming into his own. He had his parents back and she had her loving son and his wife back among the family. It had been a long ten years for her without them and she regretted every moment that they had been hospitalized.


    Augusta sighed happily, because that ordeal was all over now and things were getting back to normal. Neville would be starting his second year at Hogwarts and his grades would be arriving soon, along with his letter. She couldn''t wait to read it for herself and she suspected that she would be framing it and hanging it up next to some of his father''s report cards.


    Her eyes caught Harry Potter laughing and joking with her grandson and she nodded mentally. Harry Potter, the boy who lived. She thought and then changed her thought. No, he''s the boy who is changing everything. She smiled. We just have to wait and see if it''s for the better.

 104 The Real Summer Break Part One

    Bokuboy


    Harry arrived back at Ela''s house after Neville''s party and he was just as happy as he had been the day before at his own party. As he packed up his trunk to go home the next day, he thought over the events at the party. There had only been a couple of their friends there; but, it also let them all compete against one another on a more even level, even Ginny and Luna. They had their own wands, too. Ron had gifted Ginny his old wand that used to be Charlie''s and Luna had her mother''s old wand.


    When the games had become more like competition duels and Neville''s family forewent staying separate to watch the spectacle, the fun factor went well above what anyone had expected. They all also saw Harry''s expertise with Defense Against the Dark Arts. His personal training from Amelia for a year had him performing feats that most full grown wizards wouldn''t even contemplate, let alone pull off.


    ¡°Are you sure he''s only twelve?¡± Frank asked his wife in a whisper as Harry easily dodged Neville''s much slower spell casting and counter-attacked. Neville''s nose grew to three times it size and spewed out a deluge of fake snot, which made everyone laugh, even Neville.


    ¡°I''m sure, even though he seems more mature than the Weasley twins.¡± Alice whispered back with a smile as Harry cancelled the spell and vanished the mess.


    ¡°Everyone''s more mature than the twins.¡± Arthur said from beside them.


    ¡°Eavesdropping on ex-Aurors is a crime, isn''t it?¡± Frank joked and Arthur chuckled.


    ¡°I only heard you mention the twins and my ears picked that right up, automatically waiting to hear what they''ve done this time.¡± Arthur said and made the Longbottoms smile.


    ¡°Okay, that we understand.¡± Frank said and kept watching.


    Neville pulled off a nice spell combo against Ron, who was unprepared for both the Tantallegra spell that made your feet dance uncontrollably and an ice sheet on the floor. It was pretty comical to see him do all these fancy dance moves while staying completely still, then the ice started to melt and the toe of his sneaker touched the floor and Ron let out a yell as he flipped end over end and landed face down.


    ¡°I give that a solid 8, just for the face plant at the end!¡± Fred said loudly and a flaming 8 appeared on the end of his wand as he held it up, like in a real competition.


    ¡°That was definite 9 for me. The yell was classic!¡± George added and his wand lit with a 9.


    Of course, that made everyone in the room add their own scores and they all laughed as Ron got a decent average score of 7.8.


    ¡°In case you missed it, that was a resounding approval rating, Mr. Weasley.¡± Augusta said, her own wand lit with a 9.5, only because it had taken too long for her grandson''s opponent to be put to the floor. She would have given a 10 otherwise.


    That made everyone laugh, even Ron.


    Harry had quickly coached Luna and Ginny in several quick and easily cast spells, so they would have a decent chance if matched against anyone but each other. Ginny''s face was red the whole time and Luna''s dreamy expression was entirely focused on Harry as he talked to her like she was a normal person.


    They had just as much fun when they played, even when they knew some of the others let them win by intentionally missing them with their spells or letting them cast first. Harry was one them of course, since he knew he was much too experienced to do anything except win and handicapped himself by using his wand with his off-hand.


    The party ended after a huge and lavish meal and then they had all left. They all thanked Neville for a great party, which he mostly believed when Harry and Hermione said it. They had never lied to him, so he had to reluctantly accept that they all had fun.


    Harry chuckled as he ended his reminiscing and closed his trunk before he went to bed. He was going home tomorrow, because both Amelia and Bertha had emphasized that he needed to stay there in his room for at least a month each year for the protections to remain in place. He was very glad that Amelia had explained what the blood wards meant and their power in protecting him from being hunted down by evil wizards that could still be loyal to their vanquished dark lord.


    He drifted off to sleep, secure in the knowledge that he was being protected by powerful magic as long as he called the Dursley''s place home for the next five years. It would work until he was seventeen and a legal adult in the wizarding world. He didn''t mind it, because he now had a nice two bedroom apartment there and he wouldn''t even have to leave it, since it had everything that he needed inside.


    Harry woke up the next morning and washed and dressed in his normal clothes, then he carried his trunk downstairs to set it near the fireplace. ¡°I''m all packed. Again.¡± He said and that made Sirius chuckle and walk over to him from the kitchen.


    ¡°You''re not used to getting things from a party like your friends did yesterday and today.¡± Sirius said and gave him a quick hug. ¡°It''s just a family''s way of thanking you for being friends with their children.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for letting me pitch in for all the gifts and things that you and Ela did up for my friends.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I wasn''t going to accept the money if you hadn''t pointed out the potential of all the Weasleys showing up.¡± Sirius joked and Harry grinned.


    ¡°Not to mention the Patils.¡± Ela said as she came over and hugged Harry tightly. ¡°Their father wasn''t supposed to show up, so that was a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Not as much as seeing both Greengrass girls.¡± Sirius said with a shake of his head. ¡°Who would have thought the little scamps would sneak out on their parents?¡±


    Ela laughed softly and let Harry go. ¡°She was invited, dear.¡±


    ¡°She also gave me dragon paw slippers!¡± Harry said. ¡°They''re so cool!¡±


    ¡°Don''t you dare add a fire breathing spell to them or you''ll lose your toes.¡± Sirius warned him and Harry opened his mouth to say he wouldn''t do that, then he looked thoughtful. ¡°I said don''t, dammit!¡±


    Harry grinned and earned a vigorous head rubbing because of it.


    They went into the kitchen to have breakfast and shared a quick conversation over what he was going to do for the month he was stuck at home.


    ¡°I''ll come back over as soon as I get my letter from the school and find out what I need to buy for this year.¡± Harry said, which was perfect timing, because Hedwig tapped her beak on the kitchen window.


    ¡°I''ve got it.¡± Sirius said and went to the window to open it. ¡°Hey, girl.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig hopped inside and glided over to Harry.


    ¡°Thanks, Hedwig.¡± Harry said and gave her some of his bacon and a drink of juice. ¡°Yep, it''s my Hogwarts...¡± He stopped talking as his eyes saw the middle sheet and he read it over.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ela asked and barely stopped herself from leaning over to look.


    ¡°My... report card.¡± Harry said and handed it to her.


    ¡°Oh... oh, my.¡± Ela whispered and Sirius wasn''t as restrained as her as he darted around her to look over her shoulder.


    ¡°By Merlin''s scraggly beard!¡± Sirius said as he saw the word ''Outstanding'' for all of the marks, except for Potions, which was ''Exceeds Expectations''. ¡°Harry, this is amazing! Even Remus didn''t do this well his first year and he''s the biggest bookworm I know!¡±


    Ela handed Sirius the report card and leaned over to Harry to give him a gentle hug. ¡°Well done, Harry. Well done. We''re very proud of you.¡±


    Harry''s face and ears turned red at her praise and he wasn''t sure why his heart was all fluttery and beat like crazy.


    ¡°Try not to give the boy a heart attack.¡± Sirius said with a chuckle and Ela glared at him. ¡°I didn''t say stop, just be careful. He''s not as used to having a beautiful woman paw at him as I am.¡±


    Ela laughed softly with a shake of her head. Harry didn''t feel as embarrassed now and he saw Sirius wink at him.


    ¡°Well, it looks like your plan to go home this morning has to be postponed.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Ela and I will dress appropriately to go with you and pick up your school things.¡±


    ¡°We need to finish eating first.¡± Ela reminded him.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Sirius said and sat down again as he handed Harry the report card. ¡°I''ll expect a copy of that to hang up.¡±


    Harry nodded and performed the Geminio spell right there and handed Sirius an exact copy two minutes later. Both Sirius and Ela stared at him as he started eating again, exchanged surprised looks, then resumed eating.


    After a quick change, Ela wore a nice flowing white sun dress with a few flowers around the hem at her knees and Sirius wore a traditional suit with Black Family robes. Harry hadn''t seen anything like it before and asked about them.


    ¡°Most prominent families have family crests, colors, and robe designs.¡± Sirius explained. ¡°I was informed by the goblins at the bank that as the last male Black in the family, I needed to assume the mantle of the head of the family.¡±


    Harry raised his eyebrows. ¡°Needed to?¡±


    ¡°Their accounts are a mess.¡± Sirius said. ¡°The goblins weren''t allowed to interfere with them upon the orders of my crazy mother. Since she died and disowned me, the goblins have been pulling their hair out as everything they helped build up over the decades for the Blacks went to pot.¡±


    Ela chuckled. ¡°I just imagined that the goblin handling the account must be nearly bald by now.¡±


    ¡°He''s completely bald.¡± Sirius said with a grin. ¡°He even pulled out his ear hair from stress.¡±


    Ela barked a laugh and covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing more. ¡°The... poor... thing.¡± She managed to say through her struggle.


    ¡°We''ll stop in the bank if you want and you can get a good look at him.¡± Sirius teased and she almost cried as she fought to not laugh.


    Harry stood there beside the fireplace and watched their interaction. He somehow felt admiration for his godfather for how easily he interacted with Ela. He also liked that she had helped his godfather get most of his life back in order after being in prison for so long.


    He didn''t let his mind wander to the couple of times that he had seen Sirius as his mood went dark and he grew both irritable and snapped at her and him. Ela had warned him a long time ago that Sirius would need a lot of time to deal with the emotional toil he had suffered in prison. Just because his body was healed, that didn''t mean he could ignore his mental state.


    Harry wasn''t sure why he was asked to participate in the mental health sessions that Sirius went through at her behest, though. It wasn''t like he hadn''t known his godfather was troubled. He had to assume that him being there was helping Sirius deal with his problems in a more reasonable manner.


    What Harry didn''t know was that both Ela and Sirius wanted him there to go through the sessions for his own mental health. It was one thing to get someone to do it, it was another to have them accept the help on their own and try to help themselves.


    They knew Harry had trauma to deal with as well, so they made sure he learned just as many techniques as Sirius did to help deal with his emotions and potential outbursts. The therapy worked wonderfully for all three of them and their emotional moods had a significant upturn in happiness that they easily maintained while around one another.


    ¡°We should go.¡± Sirius said after Ela calmed down and the three of them left the house and went to the alley beside it. They hugged together with Harry''s trunk in the middle and then shared their magic. Ela was the primary apparator this time and Harry and Sirius went side-along with her as they apparated from there to appear in the designated area in Diagon Alley.


    A lot of other people were there as well getting their children their school things, so a few of the places were crowded. Madam Malkin''s was the worst, because just like every year, both the students and the parents wanted to get the longer and most tedious event out of the way first.


    ¡°Flourish and Blotts?¡± Harry suggested.


    Ela and Sirius nodded and they went there first. The second year textbooks were already bundled up and Harry asked for one, minus the second year charms spell book, because he already had it. The woman gave him a questioning look and he smiled.


    ¡°There''s no rules against buying the more advanced spell books.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°You bought them all, didn''t you?¡± The woman asked.


    ¡°All 7 years, as well as...¡± Harry recited the books he had bought and her eyes widened.


    ¡°You''ve read them all, too?¡± She asked, clearly surprised.


    ¡°I did.¡± Harry said, a bit proud of that fact, then decided to prove it. ¡°The bubble-head charm.¡± He said and cast it perfectly on himself to form a bubble of fresh air around his head.


    ¡°Well, I''ll be snookered.¡± The woman said with a laugh. ¡°I''m glad to have such a prolific book buyer as a client.¡±


    ¡°I''ve definitely bought a lot of books from here and I even rented two of the really expensive ones.¡±


    The woman gasped. ¡°You''re Hedwig''s owner?¡± She asked and Harry nodded. ¡°Thank you for casting the extra spells on those two books. Not having to worry about dust and dirt on them is such a relief.¡±


    ¡°It was only fair, since you were nice enough to not charge me the full and completely outrageous price for those two books. I almost threw up when I saw the bill!¡± Harry said and she chuckled.


    Sirius and Ela stood there and watched Harry talk to the clerk like they had known each other for a long time and hadn''t just met for the first time a few minutes ago.


    ¡°Well, we''ve got a few interesting things in this year if you want to take a look.¡± She said with a knowing smile.


    ¡°I''m not that rich!¡± Harry said and she laughed.


    ¡°I''ll be gentle, I promise.¡± The clerk said and came around the counter. A man came out of the back to replace her and Harry saw it was the man that served him the year before. The woman lead him over to a bookcase, then she started describing the book and its contents. She must have had some kind of book sense, because Harry actually wanted to buy the book. His opinion of her rose as she took him to another bookcase and showed him yet another book that he wanted.


    This went on for twenty minutes and Sirius and Ela followed them around the store until Harry had twice as many books than he came in for. The clerk rang it in for him and he paid, quite happily, then he had an idea.


    ¡°I know you''ll see a lot of people coming through here today.¡± Harry said and then smiled. ¡°You''re going to meet a pretty bushy haired girl about this big.¡± He held his hand just below his height. ¡°She''s going to ask you for most of these same books.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, you''re best friends and you don''t want me to double sell to her.¡± She said with a smirk.


    Harry nodded. ¡°She likes different things than me, so she''s still going to buy a lot of books anyway.¡±


    The woman chuckled. ¡°I''ll let her know you have them and she can borrow them from you.¡±


    ¡°My name''s Harry.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I know. I''ve been to Madam Malkin''s shop.¡± The woman said and barely managed to not give him the same looks that she gave his portrait. In her opinion, getting to tease the young man in the portrait to make him blush was the highlight of her day when she visited Madam Malkin. She knew she was one of several women that did so; but, it was just too tempting to resist the bashful reaction when she complimented him.


    ¡°She still has that up?¡± Ela asked.


    ¡°It''s still the most popular attraction she has.¡± The clerk said. ¡°She just brought in some new Acromantula silk dress slips and undergarments, too.¡±


    Ela caught her breath and couldn''t stop her glance at Sirius.


    ¡°We can go there next if the crowd''s thinned a little.¡± Sirius said and Ela leaned close as she took his hand. He would pay any price if it would make her happy. Plus, he got to see her wearing them, so he was essentially buying them for himself, too.


    Harry put his purchases into his trunk and they bid the clerk goodbye as they left the store. Harry, Sirius, and Ela walked down the street to see that the crowd had diminished a little at the clothing shop and went inside. No sooner had the door closed behind them that one of the workers noticed Harry. She excused herself from the customers she was helping and darted away to tell her patron.


    ¡°Harry''s here?!?¡± Madam Malkin''s voice carried through the shop.


    Everyone stopped what they were doing as they watched the older woman appear from a back room and she strode across the room towards him.


    ¡°Harry, it''s so nice to see you.¡± Madam Malkin said and quickly took him into a hug. She held on a bit longer than she normally would have, then she let him go and put her hands on his shoulders as she looked at his outfit. ¡°Yes, I see you''ve been keeping up with your maintenance spells. Good, good.¡± She said and then smiled at him. ¡°You''re a bit taller than the last time I saw you. Do you need your robes adjusted?¡±


    ¡°They''re a little tight on the shoulders, too. I tried extending them and all it did was add extra fabric.¡± Harry said. ¡°I even tried transfiguring them and it just made them bigger all over.¡±


    Madam Malkin laughed and gave his shoulders a squeeze. ¡°Unless you want to take up tailoring as a profession, you should leave the clothing alterations to the professionals.¡±


    ¡°That''s why we''re here.¡± Sirius said. ¡°We''ll wait over there for someone to finish with...¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I''ll deal with Harry''s alterations myself.¡± Madam Malkin said and put her arm over Harry''s shoulder. ¡°Come with me into the back and we''ll get you sorted out right away.¡±


    ¡°What about your other clients?¡± Ela asked as they moved towards the back.


    ¡°I''ve already given them an excuse and this won''t take long. Harry''s always a delight to help!¡± Madam Malkin said. ¡°He''s also the mascot of my store and everyone understands that I''ll look after him first.¡±


    Sirius and Ela didn''t object further and followed her and Harry into the back. It was just his school robes that needed alteration, as well as his expensive dress robes. All of his normal muggle clothes had been bought a size bigger to allow growth, so she was finished fairly quickly.


    ¡°You see? That wasn''t painful at all.¡± Madam Malkin said and handed Harry the last set of robes for him to hang up in his trunk. ¡°I''ve allowed a bit more room for movement, too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Harry said and took out some money to pay her.


    Madam Malkin told him the price and accepted the money he gave her. ¡°Thank you, Harry.¡± She said and pocketed it. ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you?¡±


    ¡°Ela wants a few of those Acromantula silk underthings.¡± Harry said and Ela caught her breath.


    ¡°We have lots in stock, so I only need to know your style.¡± Madam Malkin said and she and Ela stepped off to the side to talk in whispers.


    ¡°We''ll wait out front.¡± Sirius said and both women waved to him in dismissal. ¡°Come on, Harry.¡±


    Harry went with his godfather out of the back room and they went to the small waiting area that had several other men and younger boys waiting there.


    ¡°It''s always like this the first day.¡± They heard one of the men said. ¡°You''d swear they thought the clothing wasn''t here yesterday with the way some of them act.¡±


    ¡°My Maisie is the same way.¡± The man next to him said with a sigh. ¡°If I didn''t have such a good paying job, she would have bankrupted me years ago.¡±


    Several of the men laughed and agreed.


    Ela and Madam Malkin came out of the back ten minutes later. Ela had a one foot wide box in her hands and she blushed a little as Madam Malkin discreetly handed Sirius the bill. He didn''t even look at it before he went to the counter to take care of it.


    ¡°I''m so glad I could help my favorite customer today.¡± Madam Malkin said and smiled at Harry. ¡°If you need anything else, you just let me know in one of your letters, all right?¡±


    Harry nodded and Sirius came back over to them. They said their goodbyes and left the shop to keep buying the things Harry needed for the next school year. It took a while, because of the extra people. The man at the apothecary sold this years potions kit to Harry and he still refused to sell any additional years of kits to him.


    ¡°I told you last year that you need more experience before I''ll sell you ingredients that you''re not ready for.¡± The man said. ¡°I won''t endanger a student like that.¡±


    Harry had expected it and didn''t complain that he had done really well in Potions class last year, despite the very poor start. They left there and went to several other shops, including the owl emporium. Harry bought two dozen bags of the premium owl treats, to the surprise of the clerk. He also bought a few toys for Hedwig to try, even though he was sure that she wasn''t really interested in things like that.


    He also bought a bunch of the small cat treat bags for Missus Norris, for when he received detention again. He knew it was going to happen, mainly because he couldn''t help himself when casting magic against other students when they spoke ill of Hermione and his friends where he could hear. He still hated bullies and he dealt with them when he could.


    Harry glanced at his trunk where the new books were and smiled wickedly. Madam Pomfrey is going to be very busy this year, too.


    ¡°One more stop.¡± Sirius said as they walked down the street to leave.


    ¡°Ice cream?¡± Harry asked and Sirius smiled.


    ¡°Okay, two more stops.¡± Sirius said and they went to Fortesque''s Ice Cream shop to get some. Harry had Dirigible Plum, because Madam Malkin had that when she had taken him there last year. After staying there for ten minutes to eat their chosen ice cream, they left to go to the last shop.


    Harry''s eyes widened as they entered Quality Quiddich Supplies and the crowd seemed to part for them as they went to the counter. Sirius didn''t say a word as he pointed over to the window display at the new broom there, the Nimbus 2001.


    ¡°Good choice, sir. Very good choice!¡± The clerk said and ducked into the back and came out with an identical broom. ¡°It has the best flying charms that exist and the latest safety features that they are using on all official competition brooms.¡±


    ¡°It''s an official Quiddich League broom?¡± Someone asked from nearby.


    ¡°It was approved just last week!¡± The clerk said to the man. ¡°I couldn''t have been happier at the announcement!¡±


    Harry''s eyes widened as the broom was carefully wrapped and then handed to Sirius, who paid for it and handed it right to Harry, which made Harry catch his breath.


    ¡°Congratulations on passing the year, Harry.¡± Sirius said, his voice a bit deeper than normal.


    ¡°S-Sirius.¡± Harry said and hugged the wrapped package. He wasn''t sure what to say.


    ¡°I know how much you love to fly, and you''re starting your second year. You''re allowed to bring your own broom and won''t have to use the school brooms anymore.¡± Sirius said and then chuckled. ¡°Not that there''s anything wrong with that. I just thought you might give Hedwig some good sport if you had a proper broom to race her with.¡±


    Harry stared up at his godfather with adoration. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡±


    Sirius looked a bit uncomfortable, so Ela gave him a hug and whispered something to him. She let him go after a quick kiss and then helped Harry put the broom into his trunk and gave him a hug, too.


    ¡°I told you that we were proud of you.¡± Ela whispered to him and kissed his forehead.


    ¡°Th-thank you.¡± Harry said as he hugged her back and they stood there for nearly a full minute.


    ¡°I think you need a broomstick maintenance kit and possibly a pair of flight gloves, too.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°I''ll get them.¡± Harry said as Ela let him go and the clerk recommended the most expensive kit with the most options in it, so Harry bought that one. The gloves had detachable fingertips for use in cold weather and warm weather, so Harry bought the dragon hide versions that were adjustable. He would be able to use them for years before needing to buy new ones.


    Harry, Sirius, and Ela left the shop with happy expressions that matched the clerk''s, who just had a great sales day because of them. Despite all of the people browsing, most were only looking and didn''t really buy a lot.


    The three of them went to the apparating area and hugged once more to apparate back to Ela''s home. They went inside and to the fireplace to send Harry home, then suddenly Ela took Harry into a tight hug and held on.


    ¡°Thank you for staying over this long.¡± Ela said as she looked down at the growing young man in her arms and her heart fluttered at the bright green eyes and the happy face she saw, because she knew what kind of environment he had grown up in. She was constantly amazed that he wasn''t an unholy terror and almost laughed at the thought of Harry being like that.


    ¡°We both enjoyed having you here.¡± Ela leaned down to place a two second long kiss on his forehead.


    Harry''s face flushed red and he ducked his head a little. ¡°Th-thanks for inviting me over. I had a great time staying here.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome to come over whenever you want.¡± Ela offered as she let him go. ¡°We''re just a floo connection away.¡±


    Harry nodded and Sirius gave him a brief hug, too. ¡°Bye.¡± He said and picked up his trunk, hugged it to his chest as he stepped into the fireplace and dropped some powder. ¡°Privet Drive!¡±


    Harry disappeared in a gout of green flames and reappeared in his two bedroom apartment. The place was a little dark with only one window, so he kicked off his sneakers beside the fireplace and turned on the lights. He went to the window to open it, because he was sure that Hedwig would be there soon. He took his trunk into his bedroom. He opened it and looked at the well organized room inside, then looked at the empty room around him.


    ¡°I might as well get to unpacking.¡± Harry said and did just that.


    The first thing he did was transfer out the old bookshelf and all of the original books he had to stack on the shelves because they were all odd sizes. He had made copies of them a long time ago and shrunk them for easy access, so he always had them available and within reach from the top of the trunk.


    He took out some of his muggle clothing that he would be wearing and hung them up in the closet and put some in the dresser. He would have to pack them again in a month when he went back to school, and he was fine with that. At least the room didn''t look so empty now.


    Harry took out his new school things and put them on the table to look through them later and then he left the bedroom and went to the kitchen. He dug out several piles of food and put them into the refrigerator, even though they didn''t really need to be refrigerated. The preservation spells kept them fresh and at the same temperature when it was cast on them.


    For the hot dishes, he put several of them in the large oven. For the room temperature things, like fruit baskets and things, he left on the counter for easy access. Since he only had a month to stay here by himself, he had about three times the amount of food that he had planned on needing for the whole summer.


    He wasn''t going to complain about it, mainly because it was better to have more than you needed than it was to not have enough. Also, his tuition for Hogwarts paid for the food, since he took it from mealtimes when he should have eaten it when it appeared. Not only that, he had finally gotten back the same number of dishes that had been stolen that first day. He would never get back the feelings those gifts of food had given him, though.


    Harry took his trunk back to the living room and left it next to the fireplace, then he took a deep breath and let it out. He looked around his home that looked much nicer than the house it was inside, and he smiled. If he was careful, they wouldn''t even know he was home. He cast the silence spell on the door, so that no sound would pass through it, and he went into his bedroom.


    He had a pile of new books and things to read over and opened the bundle of school books to see the potions book on top. He didn''t even bother opening it and put it aside, wrote out a quick note to send to Professor Snape about it, and picked up the next edition of the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook. He sat down at his desk and dove right into reading it.


    *


    Hermione was ecstatic as they left the bookstore and her parents had been quite happy that she had bought some of them for herself. They didn''t ask where she had gotten the money last year, so when she had gone home for the summer, she told them it had been a gift from Harry. She had saved as much of it as she could, too.


    ¡°I''m glad we didn''t have to go into that madhouse today.¡± Mrs. Granger commented as they passed by Madam Malkin''s clothing shop.


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Hermione said. After her long talks with Harry and him relaying how much things cost in the wizarding world, she knew that even simple things could cost a lot of muggle money, because the conversion to galleons was horrendous. She knew she would have to earn money in the wizarding world after she graduated and pay her parents back for all that they do for her.


    She looked up at their caring faces and knew that they would refuse at first. They were just those kind of people. She would pay them back anyway, because if it wasn''t for them making so many sacrifices for her, she would never have had the chance to go to a school that taught real magic. Real, practical magic.


    The first thing Hermione did was refuse her allowance, once she learned the real conversion for money. Her parents couldn''t afford to give her free money each week for just being their daughter. It sparked an argument, because Hermione still did her chores while at home. Hermione politely stated that she could do magic and the chores weren''t really chores. She couldn''t take money for something like that.


    Her parents, exasperated with her unflappable mind, decided that if she wouldn''t take the money, they would put it aside for her as she did chores. When it reached a certain amount, they would use it to by her a book she wanted or something she needed for school. Hermione couldn''t find fault with that, so she accepted it and the compromise was set.


    The Grangers walked on and stopped at the owlery for Hermione to send off a quick letter to Harry, with a copy of her report card and how excited she was over the books he had bought and would share with her. She included the list of the ones she bought, two of which were bought with her chores money.


    Hermione promised to do extra work at home to make up the difference, too. Her repairing spell was almost as powerful as Harry''s was and her parents couldn''t have been happier. She had saved them so much money already that they didn''t feel guilty over how expensive things were in the wizarding world.


    ¡°Let''s go home.¡± Hermione said and they left to go out the normal way. They had parked the car down the street from The Leaky Cauldron and drove home. Hermione was filled with excitement as she thought about all the books Harry had bought her for her birthday and the new ones she now had. Her parents were happy that she was happy, since it had been so rare to see her like that while she was growing up.


    Her intelligence was just too intimidating for most people to take, even adults. However, she was still just a young girl. It would take her years to understand that people in general didn''t like it when you showed how much smarter than them that you were. Little did they know that she was already learning.


    Hermione was actually well aware of the situation, having had to deal with it in every school she had attended. It wasn''t until meeting Harry Potter that she started to see how much her own personality was off-putting to others. Harry was suffering nearly the same thing, because of how he had acted those first few days at the beginning of the year last year.


    Harry''s vocal support of her, especially her habit of trying to correct people''s mistakes, finally made her see that people didn''t necessarily want to be corrected. He did, though. He even said that he appreciated that she cared so much about him to help him like that.


    Hermione''s face flushed a little red as she remembered that scene at the Griffindor table during breakfast. It had made her so happy that he had defended her behavior and it still made her react the same way, even nearly a year later. She looked out the car window and did her best to not let her mind go to something that kept popping up in her mind at random times.


    The New Year''s kiss she had given him after the Christmas holidays.


    They hadn''t done it since and she was in no rush to repeat it. It had been a magical moment when he had declared that she was the reason his Occlumency lessons had been perfected and that neither Professor Snape nor Headmaster Dumbledore could penetrate his mind. Because of his feelings for her.


    It had sent Hermione''s heart over the moon and ever since then, if she was anywhere near her wand when she thought of that kiss, it would send out a little spark.


    That made her smile and she rode the rest of the way home in a great mood. She only had a month left before she would be meeting Harry to ride on the Hogwarts Express to head back to school. It was their second year and they were both going to read up as much as they could before going. They both really enjoyed that part and they both knew they would be able to do more, now that they lived in magically protected houses.


    It wasn''t that they wanted to be ahead of everyone else, it was because they wanted to learn as much as possible from the books, so they could understand the things the teachers taught that weren''t in those books. Several of the things they did in classes last year weren''t even mentioned in the school books, especially in Transfiguration and Potions.


    Both teachers knew a lot more than they let on, especially Professor Snape.


    Hermione stopped her train of thought when they pulled into their driveway. She took some of her things and her father carried in the rest for her. They dropped them off in her room and went back downstairs to have lunch where she and her parents shared a short conversation about pretty much nothing.


    When Hermione was done eating, she went back upstairs and pulled out the sheets and sheets of parchment that she and Harry had covered in writing. It all concerned the prophecy and it had all of their musings and research over the words themselves, the context of those words, and what they could possibly mean. She pulled out the sheet on the bottom and on it were all the insights of Professor Snape that Harry had gotten, at the cost of a detention for every one.


    She almost hugged the thing, since Harry had paid a high price for it, and it meant a lot to her because of that. She didn''t mean the detentions themselves. Harry didn''t mind them at all. No, it was everyone''s reaction to him being in detention so much. The whispers of troublemaker, being a bad influence, and a nuisance, almost made her curse people whenever they said such things.


    Hermione took a deep breath and let a sigh out as she sat down at her desk. She was sure that they had almost cracked the real meaning behind the key phrases. The wording itself was odd, considering the content, and she pondered over it to get her mind in the mood to read.


    ¡°This... this is the key to Harry''s life.¡± Hermione whispered and lightly pet the parchment. ¡°All of his troubles, all of his anger, all of his emotions... it was all caused by this.¡±


    Her thoughts went to Amelia''s take on it, that she didn''t believe in prophecies at all and that no one should. It was a good outlook, except that would only have worked if they had all been normal people and not witches and wizards. That was the problem with the whole thing. It was a magical prophecy. It was going to happen, especially because there were people who believed in them and ensured they came true.


    Hermione sat back and closed her eyes. Headmaster Dumbledore is trying to make this prophecy come true. He''s succeeded in making half of it be valid, and now he''s trying to fulfill the second half.


    She sat there for nearly twenty minutes and mulled it all over, then she took in a sharp breath as her body jerked. She opened her eyes very wide, because she had figured part of the riddle out.


    ¡°Oh, my god.¡± Hermione whispered and stared at the papers on her desk. ¡°He''s not dead. Voldemort''s not dead.¡± She said and wrote out a note to Harry, then realized that she didn''t have a quick way to get it to him. ¡°Damn, what do I...¡± She stopped talking and decided to ignore magic and do it the normal way.


    A letter was sent out an hour later in the muggle mail.


    *


    Harry was a bit lonely. He was in his huge two bedroom apartment by himself and it was quiet all the time. He had tried to watch the television and nothing interested him on it. He had also tried to read all of his school things and seemed to lose interest partway through and his motivation wasn''t as strong as he thought it should be. It wasn''t until he sat down to eat at the large kitchen table by himself that understanding finally hit him.


    It was the first time that he had been left alone in his whole life. Each an every day was busy and he had at least one or two people around him at all times, ever since he was a baby. They were verbally abusive and Dudley beat him up as soon as he was old enough to get away with it; but, they were still company. He hated them and the neighbourhood kids. Even most of the adults wouldn''t give him the time of day if he asked.


    It wasn''t until going to Hogwarts that his opinion of other people had started to change slightly. Most of the students at the new school still treated him the same as the ones in his old school did, except for a select few. If he hadn''t met Hermione on the train, he wasn''t sure what his school life would have been like. She had grown on him so quickly and he liked having her around, even though she was a girl.


    Hermione was smart, too. She knew more things than him and knew how to find things that he didn''t, so they really got along well. She had helped him so much those first few weeks and then she had become a good friend. It had made him relax while around her and that allowed others to also appear. Neville seemed to slot right into their dynamic as if he was supposed to be there and he was benefiting even more from their friendship than even Harry could suspect.


    Ron was getting there, too. It had been a really rocky start after they first met and Harry wasn''t sure if he was going to pay attention to him at all, then Ron brought up his older brothers that were so different from the twins that he couldn''t help but reevaluate Ron''s relationship with his brothers.


    Harry had mistaken Ron''s interactions with his twin brothers as the way they all were and it had soured Harry on getting to know Ron at all. He was glad to find out that he was wrong and that Percy''s words on the train had been right. They were just brothers and that was that.


    Of course, these thoughts on larger families and friends brought Harry''s current problem to the forefront. He was completely by himself right now. Luckily, it never once crossed his mind to open the cupboard door and greet the other people living in the house. He had cut them off and ignored them as if they didn''t exist, the same as they had done to him for years. The less interactions he had with them, the better.


    Harry heard a swooshing sound and turned around on the couch to look at the owl perch and watched as Hedwig swooped in and landed expertly. ¡°Hi, Hedwig!¡± He said and then smiled at her as he came up with an idea. He just hoped that Hermione would agree and would be able to come. It all depended on one mitigating factor and his eyes went to the large fireplace.


    He quickly wrote out a note and went over to Hedwig with it and several owl treats. ¡°Don''t make Hermione rush with her reply, okay? You can just hang out there until she''s done.¡± He said and gave her the envelope. ¡°I wrote that in the note, so she won''t feel rushed if you stay.¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± I go! Hedwig said and took off again.


    *


    Hermione sat on her bed with one of her new books and she just couldn''t get her mind off of Harry. Her little breakthrough about the prophecy had wormed its way into her mind and dominated it to the point that she couldn''t concentrate on anything else properly. It was frustrating, because she wanted to hear back from him quickly, even knowing it would take days for a letter to reach him by muggle mail.


    *TAP* *TAP* *TAP*


    Hermione hopped up and stared out the window of the bedroom at the snowy white owl standing there on the sill with an envelope in its beak. ¡°Hedwig!¡± She exclaimed as she put the book down and quickly walked over to the window to open it and take the envelope. ¡°I was just thinking of Harry.¡±


    ¡°Hoot hoot.¡± Hedwig responded and looked a bit smug.


    Hermione chuckled and opened the letter. She caught her breath as she read it, then she read it again. She looked at Hedwig and her heart went out to her, because she was going to have to deliver bad news to her friend.


    Hedwig didn''t have to wait long at all. A piece of parchment later with a sad note written on it, with another bit of important information at the bottom, was given to the owl and it took off to return to her owner. Hermione watched the bird as it flew away and she let out a sad sigh as it disappeared from sight. She went back to her bed and looked at the book she had been trying to read.


    She sighed again as she put the book back with her school things and changed for bed. It was still really early in the day, barely past 6 o''clock in the evening, and she climbed into bed and laid down anyway.


    Hermione felt like crying, because for the very first time since they had become friends, she would have to tell the handsome Harry Potter something that she had promised herself that she would never say to him if she could help it.


    Unfortunately, this time she couldn''t help it. She had to respond to the only boy she had ever liked and she hoped he wouldn''t be upset by her answer. Despite the other words she had written as an explanation around it, her answer was a simple one.


    That answer was ''no''.

 105 The Real Summer Break Part Two

    Bokuboy


    Amelia sat in her office and she stared down at the three magically sealed items on her desk that continuously glowed red. She wasn''t sure what to make of them, considering the results of the extensive tests that the Unspeakables Department had performed on them. Two of the items she easily discerned the uses of, however.


    The first item was a six inch long black-bladed dagger that was enchanted with some of the deadliest spells known to man, some of which were one way tickets to Azkaban. It was a weapon used to torture and kill people. Why someone would invest so much time and magic into creating the thing with runes wasn''t something she wanted to try to work her mind around.


    The second item was something she had only heard stories of. It was labelled as a ''fey lantern'' for some reason and the thing emitted a harsh yellow light. Kingsley Shacklebolt had almost lost one of her Aurors when he had entered the thing''s range and the innate illusion spells had grasped the man''s mind and caused him to freak out and start attacking everything in sight, object and person alike.


    Luckily, Kingsley was in charge and had seen the cause of the man''s sudden snap and had stunned him before the Auror had done any real damage. He had also cast a sealing spell, as if the lantern was a wound that was bleeding, and then he levitated it out of the hidden room at the Malfoy Manor and dropped it into a conjured sack and then into a metal trunk. The Auror was fine and no lasting effects were found by the healers.


    The third and last item was a complete puzzle to her. The other two items were class four forbidden objects and easily categorized; but, the small black book in front of her was something entirely different. As far as the Unspeakables were concerned, there was literally nothing in it. No writing, no spells, and no engravings. It was nothing and shouldn''t even have appeared on their detection spells.


    Unfortunately, it had. It was treated just like the other two items and put through the same rigorous tests. All of them came up negative, except for one. One very important one. It was a dark object and the inherent power inside the thing rivalled that of one of her Aurors. It was extremely dangerous and it was also the first class five magical object that she had ever seen.


    Amelia sat at her desk with her arms crossed and stared at the thing and waited for her last appointment of the day. It had been a late one, because of the time difference for travelling, and she heard her time piece beep at the appropriate time. She stood and walked around her desk as the door to her office opened.


    ¡°Madam Bones, your appointment is here.¡± Her secretary said and led a very oddly dressed man into the room. He wore a stylish muggle business suit and a long brown leather trench coat, which was both eye-catching and off-putting at the same time, because they were not the traditional combat robes she was used to seeing. His face had distinct Native American features, despite being fairly light skinned, and it made him strikingly handsome combined with his long chestnut hair done up in a braid.


    ¡°Thank you. Bring in the tea and biscuits, please.¡± Amelia said and the secretary nodded as she left. ¡°Professor Fontaine, thank you very much for coming on such short notice.¡± She said and held a hand out for him to shake.


    ¡°Agilbert, please.¡± The man said as he accepted the hand and shook it. ¡°Thanks to the travel connections from the International Confederation of Wizards, the trip here from Ilvermorny was an uneventful one.¡±


    Amelia chuckled at the casual mention of travelling halfway around the world from the United States as uneventful. She waved to the chair in front of her desk. ¡°Have a seat and my secretary will be back momentarily with the refreshments.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Agilbert said and sat in the offered chair. He did his best to not stare at the three glowing red items on the desk in front of him. He didn''t want to be rude or try to rush the woman before she was ready to let him do his work.


    The secretary came in with a tray and an unfolding table. She served tea to them both, left a large plate of cookies and sweets, then left as quietly as she had entered.


    Amelia sat and had a sip of tea and nibbled at a cookie as she tried her best to assess the man in front of her as he drank the tea and ignored the cookies. He looked very professional and held a certain air about him, as if he was ready for battle at a moment''s notice. She liked that and let a smile appear on her face as she easily noticed his slight impatience with her for stalling him.


    Agilbert saw her smile and had to chuckle. ¡°You''re making me wait on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Of course. How else can I determine your suitability for this little exchange?¡± Amelia said with a bit of a twinkle in her eye.


    Agilbert laughed. ¡°Of course you have my interest piqued, Madam Bones. A class five magical object with no markings or indications that it''s actually a cursed object?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I was on the first transport I could book as soon as I heard!¡±


    Amelia put her tea down and used a bit of magic to push the three items onto his side of the desk.


    Agilbert waved his hand and the lantern and the dagger were pushed to the sides and he had eyes only for the book. ¡°I assume you have a list of detection spells you used?¡±


    Amelia waved her wand and a piece of paper appeared on the desk.


    Agilbert took it and read the long list and his eyes widened. ¡°It still didn''t show any indication?¡±


    Amelia shook her head. ¡°It''s a puzzle that I hoped an outside expert could help us deal with.¡±


    Agilbert gave her a crooked smile. ¡°You''ve already arranged for a work room for me, haven''t you?¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°I want this to be your top priority. Help me figure out what the hell that is, so I can charge the people that had all three of the objects.¡±


    Agilbert glanced at the dagger and the lantern. ¡°Those looked to be unused for years, so I assume they''ve been stored for a long time. Have the owners claimed as such?¡±


    ¡°The dagger is apparently a family heirloom that was hidden away specifically because of the dark nature. The lantern... well, they claim they didn''t know what it did.¡±


    Agilbert gave her a searching look. ¡°It was found in front of the dagger, wasn''t it?¡±


    ¡°On top of the case it was in, actually.¡± Amelia said with a smile.


    ¡°A deterrent, assuredly.¡± Agilbert said with a nod. ¡°This, though...¡±


    ¡°In a drawer from a desk covered in dust.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°You''re joking!¡± Agilbert exclaimed and then chuckled. ¡°No, you''re not joking.¡± He looked at the black book. ¡°They had no idea what they had.¡±


    ¡°Not a clue. They said a family friend gave it to them over a decade ago and it''s been in that desk ever since.¡±


    ¡°Good lord, almightly.¡± Agilbert whispered. ¡°They are either very lucky or this thing has a very specific activation to work.¡±


    ¡°My bet is on both, since none of the people that have worked on it have gotten it to react at all, no matter what spells they used on it.¡± Amelia said.


    Agilbert looked at her with surprise on his face. ¡°They attacked it?¡±


    ¡°The first spell was a sure sign of frustration, according to the testers. It was a blasting hex, too.¡± Amelia chuckled at the look Agilbert gave her. ¡°Yes, I''m completely serious.¡± She waved her wand again and produced another piece of paper. ¡°These are the spells they tried to use on it.¡±


    Agilbert stared at the very long list of charms, hexes, and even curses they tried on the thing. ¡°I don''t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should say to lead you to your new work space?¡± Amelia asked with a grin.


    Agilbert couldn''t help but laugh. ¡°Yes, please. I should get started right away.¡±


    Amelia called in Kingsley to take possession of the other two dark artifacts and then she led Agilbert to his spacious work room with the levitated book. ¡°If you need anything, let me know.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Agilbert said and cancelled the spell to let the black book drop to the table with a thump. He put the two pieces of paper to the side and took out his wand. He had always loved a good challenge.


    *


    Harry was a bit speechless as he read Hermione''s note for the tenth time. Hedwig had come back to him much quicker than he had anticipated and he wasn''t sure what he was going to do about the note''s contents. He had never had a problem before and he was a bit at a loss about what to do.


    ¡°I can''t believe this.¡± Harry said and looked at Hedwig. ¡°I paid for the floo connection months ago! It should be there already!¡±


    ¡°Hoot hoot.¡± Hedwig said. Not work. Friend sad.


    Harry sighed and shook his head. The ministry was closed now and he knew he wouldn''t get an answer from official channels until at least tomorrow or the next day, assuming they got to his letter as soon as it was sent. However, he knew a couple of people in the ministry, so he chose the one with the best chance to know all of the goings on there.


    ¡°Let me just write up a couple of notes and you''ll have more work to do.¡± Harry said and Hedwig preened a little. He chuckled and wrote out a note to Bertha, then Hedwig hooted and begged for a longer letter. ¡°All right, fine.¡± He said and wrote out a quick note to Hermione and gave it to his owl. ¡°I might be done telling Bertha all about the parties I went to by the time you get back.¡±


    ¡°HOOT!¡± Hedwig hooted loudly. THANK BIG!


    Harry laughed and Hedwig took off. He got to work and extended the parchment out, then he began to write. He started with how sorry he was that she couldn''t make it to his party, thanked her for the dark detector called a Sneak-o-scope, and described all of the goings on at both his and Neville''s parties.


    *


    An hour later, Hermione heard the tapping on her window and she hopped up to look at Hedwig with surprise on her face. She opened the window and Hedwig dropped the letter in her hands.


    ¡°I hope he''s not begging me to reconsider.¡± Hermione said and wiped at her tears. ¡°I really can''t go.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said and a tip of her wing touched Hermione''s face.


    Hermione blinked her eyes at what she thought was a caring look from the owl and she smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said and opened the letter. She read it and sighed. ¡°Even if he gets the maintenance department off their butts to do mine before the others on the list that they are installing, it''ll still be a week or two before the magic settles enough for safe travel.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said.


    ¡°I know, I know. I hate saying no. I really do.¡± Hermione said, accurately guessing what Hedwig answered. ¡°I can''t ask my parents to drive me, either. It''s just too far for a couple hours of studying and then having to drive home.¡±


    ¡°Hoot?¡± Hedwig asked.


    ¡°I''ll write him and make sure he knows why.¡± Hermione walked over to her desk and wrote out a longer note than she intended, reminded Harry to read the bottom of her previous note more carefully, and then sealed it and gave it to Hedwig. ¡°I''m going to bed, so if he sends me something else, you can leave it on the window sill.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig replied.


    ¡°If it''s urgent, which it won''t be, you can knock. It should wake me.¡± Hermione clarified for the owl and Hedwig hooted again and took off. She watched the owl until it disappeared from sight before she closed the window and went back to her bed. She climbed under the thin bed sheet and took several deep breaths before she closed her eyes. Her mind and heart were much calmer now, knowing that Harry was trying to get her floo connection up and running.


    She had tried to protest about him paying for it, she really had. Harry pretty much silenced her when he claimed that he needed it, just so he would always have a permanent physical connection to her when they weren''t in school. He told her that if he had to stay at home and couldn''t leave until school started, because of the protections on the house, then he wanted to know that she was right there, just a short trip away by floo.


    She had tried to research how the floo operated and it was a closely guarded Ministry secret, so she was at a loss to how any of it was done, not even how they made the magical connections between places. She dozed off with the image of Harry writing endless letters to help her and she had a smile on her face all night.


    *


    The next morning, Bertha almost laughed as a heavy and quite thick roll of parchment was delivered to her. ¡°Hedwig, you dear owl!¡± She said and held out the small box of real mice that she had preserved just for her visits.


    ¡°HOOT!¡± Hedwig said and gobbled one immediately.


    Bertha laughed at her pleased expression and motioned with the box again. Hedwig preened a little and accepted another that she held in her beak.


    ¡°No, no. You go on. It''s going to take me ages to read that monster.¡± Bertha said and Hedwig''s eyes went to the box. ¡°Oh, all right. Go on. One more for the size of the thing.¡±


    Hedwig gulped the one she had in her beak, grabbed another mouse and let out a muffled hoot, then took off with a squealing mouse that apparently didn''t like heights.


    ¡°That bird.¡± Bertha shook her head and closed the box to put it back beside the window. She sat down at the kitchen table to enjoy her morning tea and opened the seal on the roll of parchment. ¡°That boy.¡± She chuckled and started to read. ¡°I wish I could have been there.¡±


    *


    Luna Lovegood sat in the corner of the Weasley''s living room, well out of the way of all the traffic and hubbub that was the Weasley family, and slowly unpacked the gift bags she had received from the two birthday parties that she got to attend. She had snuck her way into the first and somehow was taken along to the second without even being asked.


    She honestly couldn''t believe her luck. She knew her mother had been right to tell her to go with her gut, whatever it told her. After her mother''s death, Luna took the advice to heart. The first time she had ever felt the urge so strong was when she had to come over to the Weasleys. She hadn''t really known why, only that she felt like she was going to meet someone really important. Then she met him.


    Harry Potter.


    She didn''t know what to make of him at first, until he shook her hand. It was then she knew that their lives would be forever touching each other. She didn''t know how or why, only that the feeling made her genuinely smile at him. Since the party went on for most of the day, something she had never experienced before, she had enjoyed it immensely.


    The second day rolled around and she went to yet another party with him involved. She knew then that her feeling was both accurate and true. She would be somehow gravitating towards him and floating around him in some capacity for years to come, which made her very happy. Unlike everyone else she had ever met, he treated her like she was normal. Not even Ginny treated her like she was normal and they had grown up together.


    Luna looked over the piles of treats and little gifts from those bags and she had a hard time not casting protection spells on everything to keep them exactly as they were. She wanted to treasure them for as long as possible and made her decision. She started to do just that and carefully put each item right back into the respective bag it came from.


    When she was done, she daintily picked them up by the handles, and walked across the living room. No one noticed her, so she went into the kitchen and then left the house through the kitchen door. She ducked as a nasty looking gnome, that looked like a gnarled potato, was punted out of the garden and over the white picket fence.


    ¡°Nice one, George!¡± Fred called and laughed when the gnome sat up and shook its little fist at them and cursed at them in Gnomish.


    ¡°I think he did a nice mid-air tumble.¡± George responded. ¡°Want me to try again?¡±


    ¡°Go for it!¡± Fred said and held his arms up like a Quiddich goal post. ¡°I bet you can''t get it in the hoop.¡±


    ¡°Watch me!¡± George said and hefted a gnome up, dropped it, and swung his foot to punt him. The little gnome flipped end over end and let out a squeal of fright as it went right through Fred''s arms. It landed on its head and bounced before laying flat on the ground, unconscious.


    ¡°Oho! Nice one! You stunned it!¡± Fred exclaimed.


    ¡°Yes!¡± George said and did a little victory dance.


    Luna smiled at their antics and opened the gate in the white picket fence. Two other gnomes snuck in and Luna made a shush sound as they giggled. The two gnomes gave her a thumbs up gesture and ducked back into the garden.


    Luna walked all the way back to her home and used her key and a touch of magic to enter. She closed and locked the door and brought the two bags up the stairs to her bedroom. She cast preservation spells on the bags as well and opened her hidden stash under her bed. She kept all of her important things in there.


    Most of them were keepsakes from her mother, a few preserved plant clippings she knew she would need later, a couple of mementos from the Weasleys, and now two very full bags of treats and little gifts were added. She closed it up and let a brilliant and beaming smile grow on her face as they were now safe from being used or lost. She would keep them for as long as she could and she left her room and then the house at a leisurely walk.


    Luna made her way back over to the Weasleys just in time for George and Fred to finish clearing the squatting gnomes from their mother''s garden and followed them inside. She didn''t bother telling them that the two gnomes that had sneaked back in earlier had already started to dig a nice hole on the far side of the garden beside the fence to let their families and friends back in.


    Who was she to stop the twins and the gnomes from having their fun?


    She sat down at the kitchen table and lunch appeared in front of her and everyone else that seemed to appear from the chaos in the house to have a sit down meal. She ate wordlessly and listened to everyone talking at once with several different conversations going on, with some crossing over into each other. She smiled because unlike at the parties she had attended, she didn''t bother trying to speak up. They wouldn''t hear her soft voice anyway.


    *


    Harry woke up from a fitful and restless sleep that he had forced to last until noon and he sighed. He had been up most of the night writing several letters and had sent Hedwig off first thing that morning, with the last one to be delivered to Bertha. He padded barefoot to the kitchen and was careful to not wake a sleeping Hedwig that had been very busy yesterday and that morning.


    He took the milk out of the refrigerator to pour himself a glass. He wasn''t very fussy on plain milk, since he had gotten quite used to all of the odd flavored juices at the school. Unfortunately, Ela had ordered that he follow her ''at home'' meal plan and she had been so sincere in her concern that he hadn''t refused.


    He was kicking himself that he hadn''t snagged a jug or two of pumpkin juice or something similar while in school and would remember to try and get some this year for his stash. He set to making breakfast, even though he was quite tired. His brand new bed was comfortable and he had rolled over dozens of times and couldn''t get to sleep. He had even created a nest and it didn''t work, which was frustrating.


    Harry wasn''t sure why he felt so frustrated and it irked him that he couldn''t figure it out. He had to assume it was Hermione''s last letter that explained if she had the floo installed today, which wasn''t going to happen, it would still need a couple of weeks for it to become safe to use and the connection to stabilize. He was not going to see his good friend until at least a week before school started and that did not make his mood improve at all.


    He sat at the table and ate his breakfast for one. He sighed because he barely tasted it and ate it on autopilot. When he was done he used magic to clean the dishes and banished them back to their places. He looked down at his pyjamas and didn''t feel like getting dressed at all. The floor and carpets had heating charms on them, so he didn''t have to worry about staying barefoot.


    Harry had no motivation, now that his immediate indignation on Hermione''s behalf had worn away. He had really hoped that she would have accepted his invitation to visit every day and perhaps even stay over for a night or two, just so he could have his best friend right there with him while he suffered. At the very least, he wouldn''t be alone with someone else there.


    He caught his breath and quickly wrote out a note. When he was done with it, he had the brilliant idea to write out another one and almost laughed at not thinking about it before. He wouldn''t be able to write a third one until he got responses to the other two letters, though. He set them in envelopes and put them in front of Hedwig''s perch. He wasn''t going to wake her on a whim, especially if the recipients didn''t agree. If they did, he suspected that they were both going to be happy.


    Harry went to the bedroom and grabbed the Defense Against the Dark Arts schoolbook and went back out into the living room to recline and relax as he waited for Hedwig to wake. He smiled at the thought of her possible indignation that she had letters to deliver and he had let her sleep instead. He was two chapters into the book before he heard Hedwig stir, then a loud hoot cut through the silence.


    Harry chuckled as she ruffled her feathers and hooted at him several times, barely able to string a sentence together for him to understand. ¡°It''s all right, girl.¡± He said in a soothing tone to calm her down and went over to her perch to pet her. ¡°You did a lot of travelling last night and there''s no rush. It''s only afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said. Late.


    Harry smiled and offered her an owl treat. ¡°If it makes you feel better about it, I should have another letter when you come back with their responses.¡± He held the envelopes up and told her who they were for. ¡°Like I said, there''s no rush. You can stick around for a response, just like with Hermione.¡±


    Hedwig almost sighed as she accepted both letters, then she took off through the open window.


    *


    ¡°I''m sorry, that''s just not possible.¡± Professor Agilbert Fontaine said to Amelia Bones as he finished his first shift with overtime at the ministry.


    ¡°I''m telling you it is. I''ve seen it with my own eyes.¡± Amelia said with a bright smile.


    ¡°You have to be joking. Accidental magic doesn''t comfort people.¡± Agilbert said. ¡°It lashes out and damages things. It always has.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know how else to describe the phenomenon.¡± Amelia admitted. ¡°I can show you the memory if you want.¡±


    ¡°I would be honored to witness something that''s completely unheard of. Again.¡± Agilbert said and she laughed softly.


    ¡°Any luck with the object yet?¡± Amelia asked and he handed her several pieces of paper.


    ¡°My preliminary report on the tests so far. It''s quite the conundrum to have something that''s nearly completely impervious.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean nearly?¡± Amelia asked, curious.


    ¡°Look at the eighteenth test results.¡± Agilbert said and tapped the second sheet.


    Amelia flipped the top sheet over to look at the correct spot and her eyes widened. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Completely.¡± Agilbert said with a smile. ¡°It can absorb ink.¡±


    ¡°What in the world could make it do that?¡± Amelia asked, her mind rolling over what it could mean.


    ¡°I have no idea; but, once I stared at the thing for a good half an hour after experiment seventeen, I realized that all of the pages were blank. Every single one.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It''s quite simple, Madam Bones. Can you think of nothing that you can easily buy that''s full of blank pages?¡± Agilbert asked with a grin.


    ¡°I can think of several things that...¡± Amelia stopped talking and her eyes widened. ¡°It''s a personal journal!¡±


    ¡°Or a diary. We don''t know the source, male or female, and the inks on the pages are either vanished or spelled to remain hidden until somehow coaxed into revealing itself.¡±


    ¡°Sweet merciful Merlin.¡± Amelia whispered and looked at the last few experiments. ¡°Did you try anything along that line?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. I plan to get a good night''s sleep first.¡± Agilbert said and Amelia smiled. ¡°Yes, yes. I know. I''m still living in a different time zone. I''ll catch up over the next few days, I''m sure.¡±


    ¡°You were smart to schedule shift times to gradually bring you into sync with us here in Britain.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I''ve already noted the acclimation technique and registered it for all of the ministry''s foreign correspondents and field agents.¡±


    ¡°I''m glad my discomfort will help so many.¡± Agilbert said with a sly smile and Amelia had to laugh.


    ¡°Go on to the safe house and get some much needed rest. You''ve done some great work here and I''ll hopefully get through reading all of this before you come back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Madam Bones.¡± Agilbert said and left her office. He had already formulated several ideas and he couldn''t wait to see what the results of his new experiments were going to show him. He hadn''t felt this excited in a while and he was sure that when he got to the bottom of whatever that journal actually was, it was going to be a revelation to everyone.


    *


    Neville came back from talking to his parents and his grandmother and wrote out a quick note. He had to apologize to Harry, because he was pretty much in the same position and wasn''t allowed out of his house for the remainder of the summer. It wasn''t nefarious like Harry''s forced sequestering, though. It was the first summer he had to spend with his parents, ever, and they didn''t want him to disappear from their sight for the rest of the summer.


    ¡°Tell him I''m really sorry.¡± Neville said and gave the owl the note. Hedwig took it and hooted before flying out the window.


    ¡°You''re really sad that you can''t go, aren''t you?¡± Alice asked her son.


    Neville nodded and hadn''t jumped from his mother suddenly speaking from behind him. His nerves had calmed down significantly during the school year after he, Hermione, and Harry had cleaned the castle of nearly all of the ghosts.


    ¡°I wouldn''t have objected to a few hours once or twice a week.¡± Alice said and hugged her son from behind. ¡°All day and every day is just a bit too much, even if you used the floo to come home every night.¡±


    Neville sighed and reluctantly nodded again. He couldn''t say no to his mother if she wanted him home. He hadn''t had her in his life since he was a baby and he had to stay with her when he could.


    ¡°Come on. Your father''s in the mood to teach you a few more things.¡± Alice said with an enticing smile as she let him go and turned him towards the drawing room.


    ¡°You''re already trying to distract me?¡± Neville asked and his mother laughed.


    ¡°You''re so smart, my cute little boy.¡± Alice said and led a blushing Neville to his father.


    *


    ¡°Oh, wow.¡± Ginny said as she read Harry''s letter over her brother Ron''s shoulder. ¡°He''s really asking you to come over every day!¡±


    ¡°This is great news!¡± Molly exclaimed and hugged her son. ¡°You''ve finally become good friends with him! I''m so happy!¡±


    ¡°Me, too!¡± Ginny said.


    Ron rolled his eyes, not really understanding why his mother and sister were so happy.


    ¡°You have to respond right away and gather up your things.¡± Molly said and handed him a piece of parchment and a quill that she had gotten from somewhere.


    ¡°Mom, I''m just going over to...¡±


    ¡°Now, now. I know what''s best. He''s desperate for your company and I''m sure that he''ll let you stay over for a few nights, too.¡± Molly said and tapped the letter. ¡°He''s practically begging for you to be there for him and you are going to be.¡±


    Ron sighed. ¡°Mom, you can''t just expect...¡±


    ¡°Dumbledore has always known what''s what, you know that.¡± Molly insisted. ¡°He said Harry would be desperate for a friend last year and now look. There''s the proof.¡±


    Ron was smart and refused to point out that it had taken nearly half the school year last year for him to have Harry speak civilly to him, let alone pay enough attention to him to be called a friend.


    ¡°I want to go, too!¡± Ginny said, happily.


    ¡°No.¡± Ron said, sternly.


    ¡°Ron!¡± Molly gasped. ¡°Don''t be mean to your little sister!¡±


    ¡°I''m not bringing her.¡± Ron said with a shake of his head. ¡°You don''t want me to piss him off, do you?¡±


    ¡°Ron, I''m sure that...¡± Ginny started to say.


    ¡°I''m not showing up with you right away.¡± Ron said, adamant. ¡°It''s a bloke thing, all right? Just guys hanging out. Just. Guys.¡±


    Molly rolled her eyes this time. ¡°It wouldn''t hurt to ask if you can bring Ginny along.¡±


    Ron growled and sighed at the same time. ¡°Mom, are you even listening?¡±


    ¡°Tut tut. Of course I''m listening. Now write back that Ginny''s coming as well.¡± Molly said and gave him the ''listen to me now'' stare.


    Ron, for the first time in his life, didn''t listen to her. He knew without a doubt that if he showed up with his little sister right off the bat, he wouldn''t be asked to come back. It was one thing for Harry to entertain while a party was going on, since there were so many people around. It was a completely other thing to just hang out with someone and then tell them that you were bringing along someone else. That was just rude.


    Ron wrote out the note of acceptance and folded it over before his mother could read it, darted over to the window, and gave it to Hedwig. ¡°Quick! Go!¡± He said and Hedwig hooted and took off.


    ¡°NO! MOOOM! He didn''t write it!¡± Ginny yelled and pouted as she pointed to her brother. ¡°I watched him over his shoulder and he didn''t mention me at all!¡±


    ¡°Of course I didn''t!¡± Ron spat back. ¡°He wants a friend to visit, not have you along to babysit!¡±


    ¡°Ronald Bilius Weasley.¡± Molly said, her voice as hard as steel. ¡°How dare you snub your sister like that!¡±


    ¡°Mom, he didn''t invite her. It''s not right to...¡± Ron said.


    ¡°You are to write another note and send it right away.¡± Molly ordered and handed him another piece of parchment, then stood right over him and watched him write out that he and his sister would be pleased to come and visit later. She nodded and sealed it up in an envelope.


    ¡°I''ll send it off right now.¡± Ron said and stood.


    ¡°No way! I''ll do it!¡± Ginny said and grabbed the envelope as she ran to the door outside. ¡°Errol''s going to be so happy that he''s got something to deliver!¡±


    Luna had watched the whole thing from her practically invisible position right beside everyone and she smiled, because she knew that it would take Errol at least a day to fly that far. It wasn''t the distance, it was that he was really old and lost direction fairly easily, so he would circle multiple times to try and remember where he was supposed to go. Ron''s delay tactic had worked perfectly and Ginny wouldn''t be getting her way today.


    *


    Bertha sat in her office and shook her head at the six opened envelopes from one Harry Potter. He had sent two formal letters to each of the relevant departments, one general for the staff and one specifically for the head of the department. He had very politely asked why a floo connection he purchased way back in February, nearly six months previously, hadn''t been installed yet.


    She was surprised at the wording, unsure how he had cottoned on so well to the same type of language that the ministry used in all of their correspondence, then she chuckled. Her mind immediately went to Amelia''s influence and also Harry''s quite intelligent best friend, Hermione.


    Bertha thought about if she should let them handle it themselves or send him a personal response. She didn''t want anyone to think that she was interfering in the workings at the ministry, even though she was, since the evidence was literally right in front of her.


    ¡°I''ll send missives to them and let the departments know I''ll handle it.¡± Bertha said and looked at the installation timetable to get the numbers right.


    The summertime was their busiest time and things didn''t slow down again until Hogwarts was back in session. She sighed and saw the appointment wasn''t scheduled until mid-September. Even with Harry''s prominent name attached to it, it couldn''t cut through all of the bureaucracy and red tape that installing a new floo connection into an existing muggle home entailed.


    Harry''s magically expanded two bedroom apartment had been an exception, because they were creating the space and adding in the floo connection came with the package he had bought. It was easily installed, since the magic was fresh and modifying it to accept it was simple.


    Adding a magical connection to an initially non-magical dwelling and sorting out all of the problems with modifying the fireplace, not to mention fixing the huge thing into an existing structure without drastically changing the wards and protections the house already had, was a daunting task and had been pushed back to a less busy time for the departments handling it.


    Bertha wrote out a quite long letter to explain everything to Harry, in the hopes that he understood all of the intricacies and problems that arise when doing things like this, and also included the projected dates and times for the floo connection to be installed. After she had sent it off with a ministry owl, she wrote out the missives to the departments and let them know that she was taking the headache from their hands.


    *


    Hermione wasn''t surprised when she hadn''t found a note on her windowsill that morning and tried her best to put it out of her mind. She was a bit worried that Harry still hadn''t commented on her revelation about the prophecy and it wasn''t something that he should ignore. She wasn''t going to wait around for Hedwig to show up, though. She had some studying to do and did just that.


    She had a lot of experience working around and through her emotions to get her work done. She had lunch and kept at studying until supper. She had made some progress through her school books and she ate a mostly silent meal with her parents. When she went back to her room, Hedwig was there and stared at her through her bedroom window.


    Hermione opened it for her. ¡°I''m sorry. I was downstairs eating.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said and hopped inside.


    ¡°I hope you weren''t waiting long.¡± Hermione said and Hedwig held out her leg. She took the rolled note and had to smile. Harry had asked Ron to come over to visit and he agreed. She had to chuckle that Neville had to refuse because of his parents as well, so her heart wasn''t as pained over refusing such a simple request for a visit. Now Harry wouldn''t be alone, even though he had preferred Hermione to be there instead.


    Her heart went pitter-patter as she read that part. She remembered that she was why his mind was so well shielded and she hugged the note. ¡°I''ll write up a nice letter for you to take back, all right?¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± Hedwig responded and Hermione went to her desk and started writing.


    *


    The Weasley''s fireplace lit up for a second and then a paper airplane flew out.


    Ron flinched when it hit the back of his head. ¡°Hey! Who hit me?¡±


    Luna picked up the plane and admired the design, because she had never seen anything like it before, then she politely held it out to Ron.


    ¡°What''s that?¡± Ron asked and unfolded it. He almost shouted out loud when he saw it was from Harry.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ginny asked and tried to snatch it.


    ¡°Nothing. Just a prank.¡± Ron said and crumpled it up before his eyes caught Luna''s smile.


    ¡°He''s waiting.¡± Luna whispered.


    ¡°I need a distraction.¡± Ron whispered back.


    Luna gave him a beaming smile and took a deep breath. ¡°Is that a gnome in the garden?!?¡± She said loudly.


    Molly gasped and started yelling for the twins. The twins weren''t far away and showed up within moments, then a heated argument broke out.


    ¡°Thanks, Luna.¡± Ron whispered and grabbed his overnight bag, jumped into the fireplace, and tossed some powder down. ¡°Privet Drive.¡± He whispered and disappeared in a gout of green flame.


    Luna hummed under her breath and went back over to the side of the room to stay in plain sight and out of sight at the same time. No one noticed Ron was gone until later that night when he was ordered to go to bed and didn''t answer. They also didn''t notice the blonde girl in the corner trying hard to not laugh at them.


    *


    ¡°Thanks a lot for coming over.¡± Harry said as he brushed his teeth at one of the double sinks in the huge bathroom. He and Ron had hung out all evening watching television and talking about school.


    ¡°No problem, mate.¡± Ron said as he brushed his own teeth. ¡°It gets me out of the madhouse for a while.¡±


    Harry chuckled and accidentally spit out some froth onto the sink. ¡°Oops.¡±


    Ron laughed at him and sprayed froth over part of the mirror. ¡°Oh, damn! I''m sorry!¡±


    Harry flicked his wand and the stuff disappeared. ¡°It''s okay. Everything''s spelled for protection.¡±


    ¡°Sweeeeet!¡± Ron said in appreciation. ¡°You''ve sure got the life now, Harry.¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°Does it look like I''m enjoying it?¡±


    ¡°No, you looked a bit pathetic when I showed up, actually.¡± Ron admitted and Harry had to laugh.


    ¡°Being alone sucks.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Being surrounded sucks, too.¡± Ron countered.


    ¡°It''s too bad we can''t split the difference.¡± They said together, then laughed.


    ¡°Are you sure you''re okay with Ginny coming over tomorrow?¡± Ron asked. ¡°Mom''s pissed enough at me as it is for not bringing her over right away.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Just make sure you sneak Luna in, too. That distraction was brilliant.¡±


    ¡°It''s funny that I barely notice her most times when she''s around.¡± Ron said with a shrug. ¡°Then out of nowhere she helped me like that. It''s weird.¡±


    ¡°You don''t think she planned it, do you?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Naw, she had no clue what that paper airplane was.¡± Ron said and rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Nice shot, by the way.¡±


    Harry laughed and they left the bathroom. ¡°If I was aiming for your head, I''d take that compliment. I was just trying to get the message to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, it worked.¡± Ron looked at the nice couch. ¡°That doesn''t look too bad for sleeping on. Where do you keep the extra blankets?¡±


    Harry smiled and opened the door to the second bedroom. ¡°On the spare bed, of course.¡±


    Ron''s eyes widened. ¡°Did you say spare bed?¡±


    Harry nodded and opened the door to his room. ¡°This is my room.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow.¡± Ron said and looked around. ¡°It''s bigger than our living room.¡±


    ¡°I''ll have more original books on the shelves by the start of school year.¡± Harry said as Ron looked them over.


    ¡°Did you buy out Flourish and Blotts?¡± Ron asked and Harry laughed.


    ¡°Not even close.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''ll show you some of the new ones tomorrow.¡±


    Ron nodded and left the bedroom, picked up his overnight bag, and went to the spare room. ¡°Are you sure I''m allowed to sleep in here? It''s awfully big for just me.¡±


    Harry rolled his eyes. ¡°Get changed and go to bed. I''ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Night, Harry.¡±


    ¡°G''night.¡± Harry said and went back to his own bedroom. He climbed into bed, since he had worn his pyjamas all day, and laid down under the sheet. He fell asleep almost right away and wouldn''t realize he had been asleep until the next morning.

 106 The Real Summer Break Part Three

    Bokuboy


    Ron woke up in the very comfortable bed and waited for the assault from his twin brothers that he received every morning. When it didn''t come, he listened intensely for several minutes for their breathing. He didn''t hear it and opened his eyes to look over at the other beds in their small shared bedroom. He blinked his eyes when all he saw was a spacious bedroom with a dresser, shelves, and nightstands.


    ¡°Oh, right. I''m at Harry''s.¡± Ron said and sat up. He pushed off the blankets and rubbed at his face for a moment, then climbed off of the bed. He stretched, completely unused to not having to deal with his prankster brothers, and opened the spare bedroom door. He was hit in the face with the smell of delicious bacon and his mouth drooled.


    He dashed into the huge bathroom and did his business quickly, washed his hands, and practically ran over to the kitchen. The door was open and he peeked in to see Harry diligently cooking at the stove. Ron sat down at the table and watched as Harry deftly handled several pans with seasoned scrambled eggs in one, bacon in another, hash browns in another, and pieces of ham and cheese in the last.


    The toast popped and Harry quickly darted over to the four slice toaster and buttered them with only two swipes of a knife each, then he added them to the other stack of four. He darted back to the pans and stirred the eggs again, checked the ham and saw the cheese was melting nicely, then grabbed four plates. He divided up the eggs properly with two plates getting full shares, one plate getting three quarters, and one getting a half.


    Harry portioned out the ham and cheese on top of the eggs on each plate, filled the rest of the plate with hash browns, dropped the bacon onto a separate plate, then served the plates in the spots they were supposed to go at the table. He added the toast in the middle of the table with the bacon and then put the jam, marmalade, and extra butter in the center, too.


    ¡°Um... Harry?¡± Ron asked, tentatively. ¡°You know it''s just us, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry blinked and looked up from his smaller portioned plate. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Mate, it''s just you and me. What''s with the four plates and all the food?¡± Ron asked.


    Harry looked down at the four plates, one in front of Ron, one on each side of the table, and one in front of Harry. He had automatically served breakfast like he always did, one to Vernon, one to Dudley, one to Petunia, and one for himself. He took a deep breath and let it out before he spoke.


    ¡°Sorry, I just did it without thinking. This is what I used to do every morning.¡± Harry admitted.


    Ron looked at the piles of food on the other plates and then at Harry''s smaller portions and understood. ¡°No worries, Harry.¡± Ron said and picked up what was Dudley''s plate and halved it to give it to Harry. ¡°I''ll be right back.¡±


    Harry sat there with surprise on his face as Ron left the kitchen. He looked down at the pile of food on his plate and a small smile appeared on his face. He wasn''t sure why. After a minute, there was the sound of roaring flames and then a delighted squeal. Another roar of flame later, Ron led his sister and Luna into the kitchen through the open door and Harry saw that they still wore their pyjamas.


    ¡°Hi, Harry!¡± Ginny said excitedly and practically hopped over to the table and sat where Dudley would be sitting if he had been there. ¡°Thanks for inviting us over for an early breakfast!¡±


    Luna gave him a little wave and sat where Petunia would have sat. The happy smile on her face didn''t look like it was going away anytime soon.


    ¡°Harry made a bunch of extra food by mistake and we can''t let it go to waste.¡± Ron said and sat down at Vernon''s place. ¡°Doesn''t it smell great?¡±


    ¡°I bet it tastes even better!¡± Ginny said and scooped up a spoonful of eggs and cheese. ¡°MMM!¡±


    ¡°Dig in!¡± Ron said and did just that.


    Luna glanced at Harry, who nodded, and she started eating as well.


    Harry looked at the three people at the kitchen table with him. It couldn''t have been more different than what he was so used to seeing while at home if he had tried. He smiled and started to eat, too.


    *


    Hermione woke up with an open book on her chest, which made her chuckle. She had fallen asleep while reading. Again. Her mother wouldn''t be pleased if she knew and Hermione checked the book to make sure it wasn''t damaged or had any bent pages. It was fine and she marked where she had reached and closed it.


    She climbed out of bed and by reflex, went to the window. She saw a letter tucked under the edge of the window on the sill and she opened the window to grab it. Hedwig had listened and just dropped the thing off instead of trying to wake her. At least, she assumed the owl didn''t try. She had been out like a light and might not have been able to wake, no matter how much noise there was.


    Hermione opened the letter and she caught her breath at the contents. ¡°No, Harry! You can''t!¡± She gasped and ran to her desk, grabbed some parchment and wrote out a quick note, then realized she still had the same problem that she had the day before. ¡°Oh, damn!¡±


    ¡°What was that, young lady?¡± Her mother asked as she opened her bedroom door.


    ¡°I''m sorry, mother.¡± Hermione said, her face red. ¡°It just slipped out.¡±


    ¡°I guess something''s got you worked up.¡± Mrs. Granger said with a smile.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Hermione said and handed her Harry''s letter.


    Mrs. Granger took several moments to read through it and was completely shocked at the contents. ¡°Surely, he''s joking. There''s no way he would do this, is there?¡±


    Hermione gave her a severe look and her mother sighed.


    ¡°Well, we always did want to build an addition on the house.¡± Mrs. Granger said.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Hermione gasped.


    ¡°It''s not like we can tell him no before he orders it, is there?¡± Mrs. Granger asked and Hermione held out her note and shook her head. ¡°If we''re lucky, it''ll be done long before the actual floo connection would have been installed.¡±


    Hermione took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°I''m going to owe him money for the rest of my life.¡±


    Mrs. Granger laughed and put the letter down on the desk and hugged her daughter. ¡°He''s never asked you for anything like that, has he?¡±


    ¡°No, but...¡±


    ¡°Personally, I think it''s better that he''s buying you things because he likes you instead of picking on you or making fun of you.¡±


    ¡°Harry would never be mean to me like that!¡± Hermione gasped. ¡°He hates bullies!¡±


    ¡°I seemed to have made that deduction for myself.¡± Mrs. Granger said and let her go. ¡°Get dressed and come down for breakfast.¡± She took the refusal note from Hermione''s hand and crumpled it up, tossed it in the trash with a smile, and left.


    Hermione looked at the trash can for a moment, sighed, then went to the bathroom to wash up and get dressed. She would have to wait to see Harry in person before she could give him a piece of her mind. He couldn''t keep spending all of his money on her and not expect anything in return. It just wasn''t right. She was going to have to figure out something to do about it.


    *


    ¡°That was delicious!¡± Ginny gushed and wiped at her face with a napkin. ¡°You''re a great cook, Harry!¡±


    ¡°Th-thanks.¡± Harry said, not used to being praised for something so simple that he did at home all the time. He waited for Ron and Luna to finish before he stood up and swiped his wand at the table. All of the dirty dishes flew over to the sink and started washing themselves. He grabbed a piece of plastic wrap and covered the uneaten toast and put it in the refrigerator.


    ¡°So, what are we doing today?¡± Ron asked. ¡°Are we starting on the new books or what?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean the ones I bought or the school books for second years?¡±


    ¡°Bought, of course. We can look at the school books whenever we want.¡± Ron said.


    ¡°All right. Wash up and I''ll get them.¡±


    ¡°YES!¡± Ron yelled and took off out of the kitchen.


    ¡°What about us?¡± Ginny asked.


    ¡°Did you go through your party bags yet?¡± Harry asked as he, Ginny, and Luna left the kitchen and followed Ron.


    ¡°I did!¡± Ginny said, excitedly. ¡°Those treats were delicious and the games were fun! George practically raided my bag to get another set to try spelling them to move.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°He blew his up, of course.¡± Ron said when he came out of the bathroom. ¡°Or Fred did. They kind of had a war with them and then kablooie.¡±


    Harry laughed. ¡°It''s a good thing I packed the spares after the party.¡± He went into the bathroom and washed his hands. When he came out, he waved at the bathroom. ¡°We don''t have to take turns. There''s two sinks.¡±


    Ginny gasped and ran into the bathroom, then she gasped again when she saw the size of the place. ¡°It''s HUGE!¡±


    Harry couldn''t help but laugh at her shock. He turned and lightly touched Luna''s lower back and waved at the bathroom with his other hand. ¡°Help yourself.¡±


    Luna beamed a smile at him and went inside.


    Harry went into his bedroom and opened his trunk to get the new books he had bought and also grabbed four of the party bags. He had a dozen of them left. They really had prepared a bunch extra in case more people showed up than they were expecting. He went back out to the living room and handed two bags each to Ginny and Luna.


    Ginny let out a squeal of delight and dove into them with abandon. Luna had a slightly open mouth and just stared at Harry.


    Harry pretty much knew the emotions that she had on her face, because he had shown the exact same ones when he had received his first Christmas presents last year. He handed Ron one of the new books and the redhead leapt over the back of the couch to plop down and started reading all of the new hexes and curses.


    Harry chuckled and looked back at Luna to whisper. ¡°It''s all right. You can have them. I''ve got a dozen more in my trunk.¡±


    ¡°But... you already...¡±


    ¡°We made up a bunch of them up because we didn''t know who was going to show up.¡± Harry explained to her. ¡°I''ll be going through them later to separate them out and cast preservation charms on the treats, so they won''t go bad before school starts.¡±


    ¡°You''re going to eat them all yourself?¡± Luna asked, a bit surprised. It was a lot of treats.


    ¡°Nope!¡± Harry said and then grinned. ¡°I''m going to leave them for the house elves that clean the Griffindor dormitories.¡±


    Luna''s mouth dropped open in shock and Harry couldn''t help but admire how cute she was like that.


    ¡°Have fun with them.¡± Harry said and lightly touched her shoulder. ¡°You don''t have to save them all this time, okay?¡±


    Luna closed her mouth and looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°How did you know I did that?¡±


    ¡°I saved everything that was given to me during my first real Christmas with my godfather last year. The presents, the treats, the wrapping paper, the crackers, and everything else.¡± Harry admitted and he didn''t see Ginny''s surprised face or Ron''s slightly embarrassed one. ¡°I''m going to remember it for the rest of my life and I just couldn''t bring myself to lose anything.¡±


    Luna briefly closed her eyes and nodded before she opened her eyes and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Harry.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Harry said and walked over to the couch, saw Ron''s slumped figure, and chuckled as he put the other books down on the coffee table and grabbed one for himself. ¡°You''re lucky the armchairs are just as comfy as the ones in the common room or I''d be shoving you over.¡± He plopped down into one and let out a sigh as he opened his chosen book.


    *


    Amelia stared at the latest report from Agilbert Fontaine and she couldn''t believe what it said. She read it again and again, shaking her head the entire time. ¡°How by Merlin''s beard did you figure this out?!?¡±


    Agilbert chuckled at her surprised face. ¡°I spent half my ''night'' going over what I could possibly do with the thing.¡±


    Amelia leaned closer and was a bit too eager for him to enlighten her.


    Agilbert smirked at her and Amelia noticed what she was doing, then she laughed softly and sat back in her chair.


    ¡°All right, I won''t pry too much. Your thought processes are your own, after all.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°That''s why you called me in, my wonderful brain is quite intriguing.¡± Agilbert joked and they shared a short laugh. ¡°It''s a journal, so I had the brilliant idea to write in the thing.¡±


    ¡°Not personally, surely.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Writing by hand onto a Class Five object? Are you insane?¡± Agilbert asked and laughed. ¡°I didn''t want to touch it, let alone pour my thoughts into it.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you discover the secret?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°A quick-quotes quill took the hit for me.¡± Agilbert said and Amelia gasped.


    ¡°Sweet Merlin.¡± Amelia said and looked back at the report. ¡°How long did it last?¡±


    ¡°About three minutes, then it pretty much exploded when the dark energy of the thing tried to transfer over to it.¡± Agilbert said, all joking forgotten. ¡°I ran tests during the experiment and on the remains of the quill. Page five has the results.¡±


    Amelia flipped to the page and read what was written there. ¡°I glanced at this before and I don''t understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡°It''s quite simple, really.¡± Agilbert said and pointed to the last sentence on the page. ¡°The reason it''s coming up as a Class Five object without any outward signs or markers is because it''s a soul container.¡±


    ¡°No, I get the words your wrote. I just don''t understand what you mean. How can a book be a soul container?¡±


    ¡°Didn''t you speak to any of your Unspeakables?¡± Agilbert asked. ¡°I added the request to the beginning of the report so you could get the proper background before we spoke.¡±


    ¡°I did and the head of the department can''t explain it, either.¡± Amelia admitted.


    Agilbert sighed. ¡°Your ministry is going a bit too far in outlawing certain magics to the point that they are forgotten by those in charge.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Amelia blinked her eyes for several seconds. ¡°What magics?¡±


    Agilbert waved his wand at the room and a silencing charm flowed over everything. ¡°I''ll humor your ministry''s shortsighted internal secrecy policy just this once.¡± He said and leaned forward. ¡°That journal is a horcrux.¡±


    Amelia took in a sharp breath. ¡°No! You can''t be serious!¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you''ve heard the term before. That''s a relief.¡± Agilbert sat back. ¡°I was worried I would have to teach you about them from scratch.¡±


    ¡°I''ve heard about them. They really are the darkest of magics.¡±


    ¡°I assume that you also know that there''s only one way to create one?¡± Agilbert asked and she nodded.


    ¡°Murder.¡± Amelia said with a sigh.


    ¡°Correct.¡± Agilbert said with a crooked smile. ¡°Depending on the version of the spell used, there could be a ritual involved or just the intent is enough.¡±


    ¡°How did a simple journal become a soul container?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°Most believe that in order to contain a piece of one''s soul, what you need is something with strong metal barriers or an expensive item to work.¡± Agilbert explained. ¡°However, all that''s really needed is a personal connection with the item and a deep desire to have it work.¡±


    Amelia couldn''t help but stare at the man across the desk from her. ¡°You can''t mean...¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. It could be anything. Anything at all.¡± Agilbert said, to her dismay. ¡°As long as it''s important to the individual casting the spell and they believe it''s a fit container for storing a piece of their soul.¡±


    Amelia put the report down and wasn''t sure what to say.


    ¡°Do you want me to continue testing it to see if I can figure out who is actually inside the thing?¡± Agilbert asked. ¡°We may need to have a few of your people cast some spells and protections on the quill to stop it from exploding right away, though.¡±


    Amelia gave him a skeptical look. ¡°Would an unbreakable charm work?¡±


    Agilbert chuckled. ¡°The one I used had an unbreakable charm on it.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Amelia asked, shocked. ¡°How? How did it explode?¡±


    ¡°The soul fragment used up every bit of magic inside the quill, including the charms cast on it.¡±


    Amelia sat there and thought about it for a few minutes. ¡°You''re thinking about layering as many spells and charms on it as possible, aren''t you?¡±


    Agilbert gave her a pleased smile and nodded. ¡°The more magic cast on it, the longer it should last.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Amelia said and went to her door to tell her secretary to gather the Aurors in the department that weren''t out on cases and to contact the Unspeakables department to send up several representatives and the head of the department. They were going to need to witness the experiment this time.


    ¡°I''m glad you''ve listened to me.¡± Agilbert said and stood to join her in waiting for the others to come.


    ¡°I wouldn''t dismiss the expert I''ve asked for help. That''s just asking for trouble.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Although I want to dismiss your results. I really, really do.¡±


    Agilbert chuckled. ¡°Don''t worry, Madam Bones. We''ll get to the bottom of this by the end of my shift today or I''ll hang up my wand.¡±


    Amelia gave him a concerned look, then she nodded. ¡°If you can be that confident to stake your field career over this, then I won''t argue about how stupid it is to bet something you care about so much.¡±


    Agilbert laughed. ¡°I''ve grown to love teaching for the rest of the year. Relaxing during the summer months won''t be too big of a stretch for me. I hope.¡±


    Amelia had to smile at his nonchalance. The Aurors showed up quickly and then a minute later three heavily cloaked men appeared from the elevator and Amelia greeted them. With them assembled and after a quick explanation about what was going to happen, they went over to Agilbert''s assigned testing area. They spent the next twenty minutes casting as many different charms and spells onto the quick-quotes quill that they could come up with.


    They all had to be careful with what ones they used, because they didn''t want to interfere with the quill''s normal enchantments. That would defeat the point of doing all of this. When they were done, the quill was vibrating with all of the magic that it had been charged up with.


    ¡°This is going to feel really weird, I just know it.¡± Agilbert said as he picked up the quill and he stuck out his tongue to lick the tip to activate it. ¡°WHHHALLLL!¡± He yelled as the quill vibrated violently and then shot out of his hand and through the open door to the closed off area.


    One of the Aurors shut the door and they all watched as the quill went right to the open journal and started to write. The book was tilted up and they all saw what Agilbert thought to the quill and it wrote out onto the blank page.


    ¡°Day two. This journal is great! I wrote in it yesterday and it wrote back! What an amazing piece of magic!¡±


    The words faded away and half of the Aurors in the room were shocked when words appeared again.


    ¡°I''m glad you like it. It''s one of the very first bits of magic I created.¡± The journal wrote and then the words faded.


    ¡°Merlin''s beard.¡± The Head of the Department of Mysteries whispered.


    ¡°You created it? That''s brilliant!¡± The quill wrote. ¡°What else did you make? No wait! Who are you? I want to look you up as soon as possible and see what other things you''ve done!¡±


    Amelia chuckled as the words faded into the journal. ¡°Nice ego stroking there, Agilbert.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Agilbert said with a grin. ¡°Let''s hope whoever it is takes the bait.¡±


    Thankfully, they were not disappointed.


    ¡°I''m glad you''re as eager as I am to find out what other great things I''ve done since I made this journal.¡± The journal wrote and the words faded. ¡°My name is Tom. Tom Marvolo Riddle.¡±


    ¡°I''m on it!¡± One of the Aurors nearly yelled and took off running.


    ¡°Agilbert, try to find out when it was made and how old he is.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°I can''t just ask outright.¡± Agilbert warned. ¡°That''s too suspicious.¡±


    ¡°I trust you to do your best.¡± Amelia said, confidently.


    ¡°We''re past the three minute mark.¡± Kingsley Shacklebolt said.


    Agilbert concentrated on the quill and had it write. ¡°You don''t know how relieved I am that you''re a boy like me. I think I''d be too embarrassed to keep writing if you had been a girl.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. I''m glad as well. If you had been a girl, this would be really awkward.¡± The journal responded and then the quill shivered and glowed red for a second.


    ¡°Sweet Merlin! Did you see that?¡± One of the Unspeakables asked. ¡°That burned away nearly half of the protective spells we cast on it!¡±


    ¡°Amelia.¡± Agilbert said and she nodded to the Unspeakables to start their diagnostic spells.


    ¡°I wouldn''t mind having a girlfriend, though. Some of them are really pretty.¡± The quill wrote.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± The journal wrote back.


    ¡°Excellent idea to go for a younger age, Agilbert.¡± Amelia said in appreciation.


    Agilbert nodded. ¡°I''m only sixteen. I mean, I''m sixteen and I''ll be seventeen in two months. How old are you?¡±


    One of the Aurors chuckled at the awkward writing.


    ¡°You shouldn''t really mind my age.¡± The journal wrote and the quill glowed again and started to smoke.


    ¡°It''s almost out of magic.¡± One of the Unspeakables warned.


    ¡°Are you sure? You''re not some old guy, are you?¡± The quill wrote and several of the Aurors laughed.


    ¡°I''m seventeen.¡± The journal wrote back. ¡°I finished this the same year I graduated from Hogwarts.¡±


    ¡°End it for now, Agilbert. We''ll come back as soon as we find out something else.¡±


    ¡°Darn it! My mom''s calling me for supper. I gotta go, Tom! Bye!¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± The journal wrote and Agilbert mentally pulled the quill away from the journal just as it was being covered in another red glow. It was an inch away from the page when it lit of fire and exploded spectacularly.


    ¡°Don''t tell me that you were in the room the first time that happened.¡± Amelia said as she looked at all the little flaming bits that pretty much covered the entire room.


    ¡°Okay, I won''t tell you.¡± Agilbert said with a sheepish look on his face. Nearly everyone laughed and even one of the Unspeakables joined in, which was something the others didn''t expect.


    ¡°Okay, people. We have some information to check out, so let''s get to work.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Coordinate with my office and let me know what you find. I''ll keep you all informed when someone else discovers something.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma''am.¡± They all said, even the Unspeakables. They all left the room, except for Amelia, the Unspeakable that was the Head of the Department of Mysteries, and Agilbert.


    ¡°It must be destroyed.¡± The Unspeakable said.


    ¡°No doubt.¡± Agilbert said. ¡°It''s a nasty piece of work.¡±


    ¡°I can only imagine what would be happening to anyone using that thing as an actual journal.¡± Amelia said and hid her shiver at remembering the red glow that had tried to take over the quill three times.


    ¡°There are few spells that can destroy a Class Five object.¡± The Unspeakable said. ¡°I doubt even the unforgivable curses would do much.¡±


    ¡°It''s difficult to kill an object, even with the killing curse.¡± Amelia said and looked at Agilbert. ¡°What do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°It''s paper, so I''d say Fiendfyre would be the most efficient.¡± Agilbert said.


    Both Amelia and the Unspeakable stared at him in shock.


    ¡°A well controlled short burst would do it. There''s no need to make fully fleshed out creatures to do the job.¡± Agilbert said with a shrug.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°You''re talking about Fiendfyre! The last time someone unleashed something like that, it burned down half of London before the ministry could contain it and let it burn itself out!¡±


    Agilbert looked just as shocked as they did. ¡°What? Why?¡± He asked and then remembered his statement about the ministry restricting magic to the point of practically forgetting about it. ¡°Well, it seems you aren''t teaching proper magic control to your citizens or having them practice meditation and Occlumency.¡±


    ¡°Why would we teach...¡± The Unspeakable stopped himself from confirming the population''s ignorance of the obscure branch of magic.


    Agilbert sighed. ¡°If you did bother to teach them to strengthen their minds and didn''t try to hide important life-saving magic, none of them would be worried about runaway Fiendfyre. It''s easily contained, assuming the caster isn''t stupid enough to not have a set goal when it was cast and then properly ending the spell when the task was done.¡±


    Amelia wasn''t sure what to say to that, considering that Fiendfyre was as dark of a spell as anyone could cast. It was right up there with the unforgivable curses, as far as she was concerned.


    Agilbert saw the concern on her face and didn''t sigh again. ¡°I can tell that our general philosophies and our country''s teaching methods are very different. We teach to enlighten and prepare our students for anything that could happen, making sure that they can handle themselves and won''t panic too much when they are surprised.¡±


    ¡°Do you teach them how to cast Fiendfyre?¡± The Unspeakable asked, his face a blank mask.


    Agilbert chuckled; but, it was without mirth. He knew what the man was really asking. ¡°No, we don''t teach them the spell and we aren''t a dark wizard factory.¡±


    Amelia winced and the Unspeakable''s blank face had a bit of a frown.


    ¡°Any student can learn the spell after graduation if they have already proven that they have the mental fortitude to handle casting the spell. However, we teach everyone to control it if its ever cast around them. They can all defend themselves from it, block it, and contain it.¡±


    Amelia was surprised by that and she couldn''t keep it off of her face.


    ¡°As with everything, accidents can happen. I''ve personally seen a classroom gutted by a returning student that wasn''t happy with their graduating marks.¡± Agilbert said and laughed at their shocked faces. ¡°She had a tumultuous relationship with the teacher, who had given her average marks for the entire year. The final mark barely let her pass and she took it personally.¡±


    ¡°Personally!¡± Amelia gasped.


    ¡°Yes. After the fire was contained and extinguished, the faculty conducted an investigation. The teacher in question had propositioned her and she firmly rejected him. He didn''t take it well and made sure that her marks reflected his opinion of her.¡±


    ¡°Merlin''s beard.¡± The Unspeakable said.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°She was fined the cost of replacing the classroom and everything inside that was destroyed. She was also charged for threatening a teacher with death if he didn''t fix her grades.¡± Agilbert said. ¡°She served six months in prison for her crimes and the teacher was fired and stripped of his credentials before he was ostracized. Her work for the year was independently graded and she was awarded the highest marks in the class.¡±


    ¡°That didn''t help her much if she was in prison.¡± Amelia said, sadly.


    Agilbert laughed. ¡°Are you kidding? She unveiled a very subtle corruption that had been in the school for about ten years and even though she had complained to the administration, there was no real proof that he had been doing anything wrong until after her attack and we investigated everything thoroughly. We found out that the teacher had been using his position to manipulate several young women into having relationships with him.¡±


    Amelia closed her eyes and let out a sigh. ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°We don''t know and none of the other previous students we''ve approached have said anything.¡± Agilbert said. ¡°I''m sure that if we did the same thing to them by having their work examined independently, the jobs they have now might not be theirs anymore.¡±


    ¡°You can''t investigate unless there''s a charge?¡± The Unspeakable asked. ¡°How did you establish there was more than one if no one else officially complained?¡±


    ¡°Rumors, of course.¡± Agilbert admitted. ¡°Girls gossip about everything, even when sworn to secrecy, apparently.¡±


    ¡°How would they...¡±


    ¡°No names were mentioned and that kept the secrecy intact. Everyone knew who they were talking about and it didn''t matter, because no one ever admitted that it was going on.¡±


    ¡°That''s a lot more than I ever wanted to learn about a teacher abusing their position.¡± Amelia said, her face grim.


    ¡°I can tell you something else that will make you feel better about the whole thing.¡± Agilbert teased with a smile.


    ¡°All right, let''s hear it.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°She''s now a teacher at the school and everyone loves her.¡± Agilbert said and laughed at their shocked faces. ¡°No, we don''t hold people''s criminal records against them if they served their time and felt remorse for their crimes.¡±


    ¡°But... but she...¡± Amelia mumbled.


    ¡°She paid the school back in record time by doing extra work and assignments, tutoring, and even did several favors for the school.¡± Agilbert admitted. ¡°She''s quite remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that prison changed her?¡± The Unspeakable asked.


    Agilbert laughed. ¡°No, she was always remarkable. She came out just the same as she did when she went in. She was just too wrapped up in her revenge to think clearly before that point.¡±


    ¡°You admire her.¡± Amelia said in understanding.


    ¡°Of course I do. She''s my wife.¡± Agilbert said and then laughed again at their shocked faces. ¡°She''s going to love seeing this memory! Ha ha ha!¡±


    ¡°You can''t show her...¡± The Unspeakable started to say.


    ¡°It will only be this private conversation and none of the experiments. I never share any extracurricular work with her, unless she''s brought in as a consultant as well.¡± Agilbert said. ¡°I was tempted to call her and consult on the detector, though.¡±


    Amelia wasn''t sure she heard that right. ¡°Excuse me? What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I want to alter a dark detector to find more of them.¡± Agilbert said and waved at the journal. ¡°With the way your ministry has hidden and forbidden so much knowledge, I''m sure there''s more than one of the damn things around here.¡±


    Amelia couldn''t really refute the accusation about the ministry. She knew the Wizengamot restricted more things every year by passing laws to either ban or remove certain magics and books. She would have to go back and look up who had set the restrictions on horcruxes, because she would be derelict in her duty if she didn''t properly educate her Aurors about the threats they might be facing.


    ¡°I doubt a sneak-o-scope would be strong enough to hold a fraction of that energy, though. You wouldn''t happen to have a foe glass I could borrow, would you?¡± Agilbert asked.


    Amelia blinked her eyes for several seconds. ¡°A foe glass? How would that even work?¡±


    ¡°You change the visual of enemies and their reflections where you see the whites of their eyes. You know as they get closer to you, the image becomes clearer and then fully forms when they are practically on top of you.¡±


    Amelia and the Unspeakable nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°The foe glass physically detects the distance that enemies are away from you. You just have to change it to a map instead of a reflection and it will show you how far away they are.¡±


    Amelia was stunned by that revelation and the Unspeakable stood there like a statue.


    Agilbert gave both people searching looks and then smiled. ¡°Do you want me to call my wife?¡±


    *


    Luna was having a great time. She and Ginny were playing with the games and toys in the gift bags and had eaten several of the delicious treats. The little cauldron cakes decorated the same as Harry''s birthday cake were the best and the little boxes of Bertie Bott''s Every Flavor Beans were a close second.


    Ginny gagged as she tried one and Luna held in her laugh, then Luna plucked a cherry flavored one and pretended that it was really sour. She didn''t want Ginny to think that she was intentionally giving her the worst flavored ones. She was; but, she didn''t want her to know that.


    ¡°Can I have one?¡± Harry suddenly asked and Luna turned her head to look at him. ¡°I hope it''s nothing too disgusting. I had a liver flavored one the last time I tried. It wasn''t even cooked.¡±


    Ginny and Ron laughed and Luna giggled.


    ¡°I''ll try and get you a good one.¡± Luna said and dug her hand into the box and made a show of rolling them around and making noise, then pulled out a pitch black one.


    ¡°I bet that''s tripe!¡± Ron exclaimed.


    ¡°No, it has to be truffle.¡± Ginny said. ¡°Oh! Maybe it''s dark chocolate!¡±


    Harry took it from Luna without even a bit of trepidation and popped it into his mouth. He chewed on it for a second and winced a little.


    ¡°What is it?!?¡± Ron and Ginny asked at the same time.


    ¡°Is it disgusting?¡± Luna asked, her voice unsure.


    ¡°It kind of tastes like burnt licorice.¡± Harry said. ¡°It''s a good thing I like it, because it''s really strong.¡±


    Luna beamed a smile at him and he sat down beside her.


    ¡°Do you guys want to order out for lunch or are you okay with what I''ve brought home?¡± Harry asked and pointed at one of the games. ¡°Wanna play?¡±


    ¡°YES!¡± Luna gasped and then blushed. ¡°I mean, yes. I''d like to.¡±


    Harry chuckled and he quickly set up the little board game and Luna passed him the dice.


    ¡°Let''s do four player.¡± Ron said and he and Ginny sat on the floor across from them. They used the two pieces from the second game and Harry changed their colors to be different from Luna''s and his pieces, then they started playing.


    ¡°I''m good with food you already have.¡± Ron said a minute later when it was his turn. ¡°Assuming you''ve got enough for the four of us here.¡±


    Harry almost laughed. ¡°I could have the three of you over for the rest of the month and I might run out of prepared food. Maybe. That''s not counting everything I''ve stocked up in the cupboards and fridge.¡±


    Ron laughed. ¡°You really went all out, huh?¡±


    ¡°I planned to have enough food for the whole summer, then spent two weeks travelling with Amelia and Susan and spent three weeks with Sirius, Ela, and Remus afterwards.¡± Harry said. ¡°I doubt I could eat all of the snacks I bought, too.¡±


    ¡°I have to see that!¡± Ginny exclaimed and shot to her feet.


    ¡°Second cupboard on the right from the stove.¡± Harry said and she took off. ¡°Above the counter!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Ginny said and disappeared into the kitchen. ¡°OH, MY GOD!¡±


    Luna giggled and Harry smirked at her, then Ginny came back into the living room and her arms were full of prepackaged cookies, pastries, tarts, candy, and chocolate frogs.


    ¡°LOOK AT THIS!¡± Ginny yelled and dropped them on top of the game. ¡°I can''t believe it! There''s more here than on the train''s trolly cart!¡±


    ¡°Most of it''s muggle stuff.¡± Harry said and picked up a miniature jelly roll. It was strawberry with icing and red coconut on it. ¡°I like these ones the best.¡± He said and opened it, broke it in half, and gave it to Luna. ¡°Try it.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you.¡± Luna said and took a bite. Her eyes lit up at the sweet flavor and the soft consistency.


    ¡°I told you.¡± Harry said and shoved the half he kept into his mouth, which made Ron laugh.


    ¡°After seeing that, I don''t know why everyone complains that I eat like a maniac.¡± Ron said and picked up something called a wagon wheel. ¡°I''m not even going to ask why it doesn''t look like the name.¡± He said and opened it. It was a marshmallow pancake between two large cookie wafers. The whole thing was covered in a thin layer of milk chocolate and he bit into it. ¡°Oh, that''s good.¡±


    Ginny picked up something that looked like a big chocolate chip cookie and opened the package, then discovered it wasn''t hard and crumbly like a normal cookie. ¡°It''s soft and chewy!¡± She said happily and started eating it.


    Luna laughed as Ginny tried to hold the cookie to bite it and it kind of squished between her fingers. ¡°You''re getting chocolate all over!¡±


    ¡°My moh.¡± Ginny mumbled and then laughed. She had to cover her mouth to stop from spitting any out and kept chewing.


    ¡°The butter tarts are good, too.¡± Harry said and picked a pack up. There were two in it and he glanced at Luna, who gave him another smile. He opened the pack and he took one and she took the other.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Luna said as she bit into it. ¡°Muggles make good treats.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Luna just discovered the best reason to keep muggles around!¡± Ron said loudly and that made everyone laugh.


    The four of them played the little board game several times and picked at the various treats for quite some time. They enjoyed hanging out and chatting so much that they had completely forgotten about getting something for lunch.


    *


    Albus Dumbledore was in low spirits and his hope of getting out of the trial had drifted away. He sat in the outer chamber of the Wizengamot and waited to be called for his turn to give evidence in his own case. He personally thought it was an injustice for them to make him wait outside while others spoke and gave evidence against him and he wasn''t allowed to hear it or even counter it.


    He held in his sigh at the thought of going in there blind and not knowing what was in store for him. He knew it was going to be bad, especially since after calling in as many favors as he could in both the Wizengamot and in the International Confederation of Wizards, all he had managed to do was delay the proceedings until the summertime. He tried to get the case dismissed for lack of hard physical evidence and he was almost laughed out of the meeting of the review board.


    ¡°Mr. Dumbledore.¡± A young woman said as she stepped out of the door to the courtroom.


    Albus opened his mouth to correct her with adding his job titles, then realized what her calling him ''mister'' actually meant. He sighed as he stood and followed her into the room.


    ¡°Please take the stand.¡± She said and waved at the chair in the middle of the room, then she sat in the small seat below the Chief Warlock''s seat. It was the assistant''s seat that he had never filled, because he didn''t need to keep explaining himself or his actions to a subordinate.


    Albus sat on the uncomfortable chair and his gaze roamed around the completely packed room. Not a single face showed any emotions whatsoever. He glanced at the Minister for Magic and Cornelius Fudge pointedly looked away, which meant he was already distancing himself, despite them corresponding at least once a week on matters that concerned the wizarding world.


    ¡°Please state your full name for the collective Wizengamut and the representatives from the International Confederation of Wizards.¡± The temporary replacement for Chief Warlock stated as he looked at Albus.


    ¡°My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.¡± Albus said, quite superfluously. Everyone knew his name, because he had made sure of that. There wasn''t one single person in the room that didn''t know it or of him.


    ¡°You have been duly informed of the charges that have been levied against you on this day.¡± The man said, his voice a bit stern.


    ¡°Yes, I have been informed and I would like to dispute...¡±


    ¡°Just yes or no is sufficient.¡± The Chief Warlock interrupted. ¡°How do you plead on the charges?¡±


    ¡°Innocent.¡± Albus said and there were a lot of hisses and mumbles of disbelief.


    The Chief Warlock leaned forward and frowned as he squinted his eyes at him. ¡°Did you just claim to be innocent?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Albus said. ¡°Is that so shocking?¡±


    ¡°Frankly, yes.¡± The Chief Warlock said and sat back. ¡°You have some gall to claim that you didn''t send an innocent man to prison without a trial, despite all of the witnessed statements and court documents that confirm it.¡±


    ¡°There were extenuating circumstances.¡± Albus said. ¡°At the time, I was under pressure to...¡±


    ¡°No pressure could have made anyone sign off on that. You didn''t even make the alleged accused give an official statement.¡±


    ¡°He was quite mad at the time. He was ranting and raving that he did it and laughed hysterically.¡± Albus said as the start to defend himself and his actions.


    ¡°Records show otherwise.¡± The Chief Warlock said and held a hand down to his assistant. She quickly handed him the relevant document and he read it. ¡°According to written documents at the time, both Minister Bagnold and Auror Fudge, the man named Sirius Black swore that he wished he had done it, because he deserved to go to prison for letting his friends be killed.¡±


    Albus was surprised at that. He didn''t remember there being any documentation for that.


    ¡°I see you look confused.¡± The Chief Warlock said with a smile. ¡°Unlucky for you and your attempt to cover it up, memories of nearly a dozen people have been viewed and copies of the documents were found in the archive backups.¡±


    Albus wasn''t sure how to counter that, so he remained silent.


    ¡°I even had Mr. Black brought in for a mental probing, under the direct supervision of his dedicated healer, of course.¡± The Chief Warlock said. ¡°We eventually found out that he had several obliviated memories and he couldn''t remember anything after being arrested or even his trip to prison. He just assumed he had a trial and just forgot about it, because of the conditions at the prison. Isn''t that interesting, considering you were the primary interviewer at the time, and no one else had access to him between his arrest and his illegal sentencing?¡±


    Albus'' face drained of color when he heard those words.


    ¡°Once we told him all of that, Mr. Black had a lot of very interesting things to say to us and then voluntarily shared a lot of memories he had of you. In fact, he was downright eager to tell us everything he had ever done.¡±


    Albus couldn''t say anything, since he hadn''t heard anything of what was said and couldn''t counter it.


    ¡°Also, it appears that he was an unregistered animagus since he was a teenager and was encouraged, by you, to remain that way to become an even better infiltrator and collaborator in the fight against he-who-must-not-be-named.¡± The Chief Warlock said and had a satisfied look on his face. ¡°Needless to say, he was sentenced to five years in Azkaban for his blatant criminal behavior. Thankfully, he had already served ten years and I happily commuted his sentence to time served.¡±


    Albus looked like a deer caught in the headlights, with wide eyes and unable to move with the lorry truck racing towards him at high speed.


    ¡°We''ve thoroughly investigated everything Mr. Black told us and we''ve compiled everything together. It''s been quite the adventure for you, hasn''t it? Manipulating everything to suit your needs for the last twenty years. You''ve been playing with people''s lives and letting people be killed that you could have easily protected... and all because of your belief in the greater good.¡±


    Albus let out a sigh before he could stop himself, not really realizing that was exactly what the Chief Warlock was waiting for.


    ¡°I''ll give you one more chance to save some dignity, Mr. Dumbledore. Do you wish to change your plea?¡± The Chief Warlock asked.


    Albus straightened his shoulders and looked at the man right in the eye. ¡°I plead innocent with cause.¡±


    The entire room broke out in chatter, shouts, and a general uproar. Dumbledore''s supporters stood right up and started shouting down the detractors and defended the previous savior of the wizarding world.


    The Chief Warlock look at the man that sat on the chair in the middle of the room and he didn''t know what to make of him. He was either completely delusional or he had so much influence and dirt on a majority of the people that would be voting that he was confident in getting off with almost no punishment.


    The Chief Warlock picked up the gavel and slammed it down once, then again. Complete silence fell in the room and everyone returned to their seats. ¡°It seems your adamant denial of guilt has sparked quite the debate in the Wizengamut.¡±


    Albus did his best to stop the smile from appearing on his face.


    ¡°It is unfortunate for you that I am adding two additional charges to your extensive list of crimes.¡±


    ¡°I object!¡± A man said as he shot to his feet. ¡°All defendants are to be given prior notice of any charges!¡±


    ¡°I am the Chief Warlock, Special Advisor Doge.¡± The Chief Warlock said with a frown. ¡°I know all about the proper procedure.¡±


    ¡°Then you know you can''t do this.¡± Doge said with a satisfied grin.


    ¡°You seem to have forgotten that I can easily schedule the rest of the trial until tomorrow, which gives more than ample time for the defendant to be informed of the additional charges.¡±


    Doge looked stricken and wavered on his feet a little, then sat down. He knew he was beaten and his objection meant less than nothing.


    ¡°Now.¡± The Chief Warlock looked at Albus Dumbledore. ¡°The first charge I am adding is aiding and abetting multiple illegal animagi for over a decade.¡±


    ¡°Multiple?¡± Someone shouted.


    The Chief Warlock nodded. ¡°It seems that he had access to three of them and used them extensively. Mr. Sirius Black, who is now officially registered and documented, a recently deceased Peter Pettegrew, who was actually a Death Eater with the dark mark, and also... the most shocking of all... Mr. James Potter, Harry Potter''s father.¡±


    Shock and awe went all around the room and Albus knew he was going to have a very difficult time fighting that charge.


    ¡°As for the second charge, I am adding a combined charge of child abandonment, endangerment, and misappropriation of said child''s inheritance.¡± The Chief Warlock said with a glare at Albus. ¡°I declare a recess of these proceedings until tomorrow morning, to give the defendant enough time to prepare whatever lies and feeble defense for himself that he can.¡± He looked at the side of the room. ¡°Take him to the holding cells. We can''t have him fleeing from justice.¡±


    ¡°I object! He hasn''t been found guilty of anything!¡± Someone besides Doge said.


    ¡°Mr. Diggle, if you wish to assume responsibility for him, be my guest.¡± The Chief Warlock said and the man didn''t respond. ¡°No? Will anyone assume the task to keep him in line until tomorrow?¡±


    No one responded right away and looked to be weighing the odds. Albus couldn''t really blame them. He had thought he had more reliable defenders than this, however.


    ¡°I''ll do it.¡± A drawling voice cut across the room and surprised everyone as the man stood up.


    ¡°Very well.¡± The Chief Warlock looked at the regal looking blonde haired man. ¡°Mr. Malfoy, you are charged with the responsibility of bringing Mr. Dumbledore back to these proceedings in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best to ensure your trust in my abilities, Chief Warlock.¡± Lucius Malfoy said and he couldn''t stop a smile from briefly appearing on his face. He stepped down from his seat and strode across the room to the chair in the middle. ¡°Dumbledore.¡± He said and waved his cane towards the door. ¡°This way, please.¡±


    Dumbledore looked both affronted and upset for a moment, as if in disbelief, then he schooled his face and proceeded Lucius Malfoy to the door. When both left, the room exploded again and the Chief Warlock didn''t bother trying to get them back under control. He nodded to his assistant and they both left the room, with only a pair of guards remaining to watch the ensuing chaos.

 107 The Real Summer Break Part Four

    Bokuboy


    ¡°You won''t get away with this, Lucius.¡± Albus said in as much of a jovial tone as he could while the patriarch of the Malfoy family escorted him down the hallway.


    ¡°I wouldn''t be too sure of that, Dumbledore.¡± Lucius said as four other people seemed to form out of the shadows and surrounded them like a guard.


    ¡°I see.¡± Albus said as two wands from behind him jabbed into his back.


    ¡°I wasn''t going to let this opportunity slip past me like the Potter boy did.¡± Lucius said.


    ¡°How did you get out of that, by the way?¡± Albus asked, not really caring one way or the other. His mind was firmly on how to escape his escorts within the next few minutes.


    ¡°It was quite simple, really.¡± Lucius said with a chuckle. ¡°I volunteered to undergo questioning under Viritaserum.¡±


    Albus was startled to hear that and almost tripped as he skipped a step.


    ¡°You''re actually shocked.¡± Lucius said, amused. ¡°The great Dumbledore has been thrown off his game by someone admitting the truth.¡±


    Their escorts chuckled, also amused.


    ¡°Is it the novelty or that I actually didn''t have anything to do with Draco''s prank?¡± Lucius asked.


    ¡°Prank? Oh, of course.¡± Albus said with a sigh. ¡°However, I can''t believe that you got away with hurting the boy in your care.¡± He said to try and divert his answer from what he really thought, which was that Lucius probably had an antidote to the truth serum.


    ¡°As I told Madam Bones while under the truth compulsion, I had nothing to do with either the kidnapping or Draco''s trying to force Harry to respond.¡± Lucius said and then smiled. ¡°I must say, even under the haze of the serum, I was quite delighted by the surprise on her face.¡±


    ¡°You gave up your son to face criminal charges?¡± Albus asked, surprised.


    ¡°Hardly. Like I said, it was a childish prank as revenge for Harry slandering my son.¡± Lucius said. ¡°Imagine! A half-blood telling a pure blood that he was nothing. It was both disgraceful and hurtful.¡±


    Albus didn''t say anything and Lucius schooled his face to not show his anger.


    ¡°Draco reacted in the only avenue available to him and Madam Bones knows this. He was forced to attend several meetings with a healer from the long term care ward that deals with mentally unstable people. What a waste of time that was.¡± Lucius said with a chuckle. ¡°Yes, I attended as well.¡±


    Albus thought about commenting and decided to change the subject slightly. ¡°Did Amelia ask you what you were going to do with Harry?¡±


    ¡°I believe he prefers to be called Mr. Potter.¡± Lucius said with a smirk at Albus'' slight wince. ¡°Yes, she asked and I answered. I told her that I performed several calls and asked advice on how I should proceed after discovering the boy was tucked away in my basement.¡±


    ¡°You didn''t admit to nefarious purposes?¡± Albus asked as he tried to reach into his robes, then he felt two distinct jabs into his lower back to stop him retrieving his wand.


    Lucius barked a laugh and then caught himself. ¡°You are delusional if you think I would ever admit to any such thing. My sole concern was for the boy and what my family was going to do about him.¡±


    Albus knew this was a losing conversation and trudged on anyway. ¡°What of Narcissa? Did they question her, too?¡±


    ¡°They did and also allowed me to remain in the room.¡± Lucius said. ¡°Thankfully, they declined her volunteering for the serum, since I had already undertaken it and proved that we weren''t involved.¡±


    Albus sighed and Lucius waved at the closest fireplace.


    ¡°She spun a wonderful tale for them, one of half-truths and twisted facts. The best part? She offered memories for them to view to corroborate it. It was beautiful.¡± Lucius said. ¡°I love her so much.¡±


    Albus stopped dead in front of the large fireplace and stared at the man.


    Lucius gave him another smirk. ¡°So, genuine feelings from your enemies shock you as well? That''s good to know.¡± He turned to their escorts. ¡°One on each side, gentlemen.¡±


    Albus sighed as Lucius reached into his robes and disarmed him by taking his wand. Lucius nodded to the two men and they grabbed Albus by the upper arms and dragged him into the fireplace. Albus was an old man and he couldn''t fight off two much younger and stronger men physically, so he resigned himself to going wherever they were taking him.


    ¡°Carrow Manor.¡± One of the men said and threw down some powder.


    Oh, no. Albus thought as the gout of green flames engulfed him and whisked him and his two escorts away to a known death eater''s mansion.


    ¡°Did you see his face?¡± One of the remaining escorts asked, delight clear on his own face.


    ¡°Yes, and I''ll remember it for the rest of my life.¡± Lucius said with a happy smile, then he and the escorts followed their compatriots. They had some important work to do before tomorrow.


    *


    ¡°I can''t believe this.¡± Amelia said as she stared at all of the research she had been handed by everyone.


    ¡°It''s amazing, isn''t it?¡± Kingsley asked and sat back in the chair in front of Amelia''s desk. ¡°That''s everything we could dig up for Tom Marvolo Riddle.¡±


    ¡°No one with such high marks in the history of Hogwarts just up and disappears for a year after graduation and then starts working at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley.¡± Amelia said. ¡°It doesn''t make sense.¡±


    ¡°Neither does working there for a couple of years and then disappearing for a few more years.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°He''s not seen or mentioned again until he returned to Hogwarts.¡±


    Amelia flipped through the pages to the right spot. ¡°Oh, damn. He''s responsible for it?¡±


    ¡°You caught that, too?¡± Kingsley said with a chuckle as she nodded.


    ¡°The curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts job.¡± Amelia sighed.


    Kingsley handed over several more sheets. ¡°Here are the records for all of the teachers that only lasted a single year after he applied for the job.¡±


    Amelia quickly glanced over them. ¡°He really did curse the job.¡± She looked up at Kingsley. ¡°How in the world do you curse a job?¡±


    Kingsley laughed. ¡°He didn''t.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Amelia blinked her eyes for a few seconds. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He cursed the title of ''Professor'' of that course. Anyone referring to the teacher that way would strengthen the taboo and by the end of the year, something drastic always happened and they have to vacate the position.¡±


    Amelia sat back in her own chair. ¡°That... that''s diabolical.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t have come up with that if I hadn''t talked to the current teacher of the course.¡± Kingsley said, pleased.


    ¡°Wait, how?¡± Amelia asked, a little confused. ¡°Wouldn''t Mr. Rowle have to be gone by now?¡±


    ¡°You just answered your own question.¡± Kingsley said and Amelia caught her breath.


    ¡°Mister Rowle.¡± Amelia whispered. ¡°He didn''t claim the professor title.¡±


    ¡°He told his students to call him sir or Mr. Rowle, since he didn''t qualify as a professor. It was quite the ingenious workaround.¡±


    ¡°So, it''s still taboo to be called professor for the Defense Against the Dark Arts course?¡± Amelia asked and Kingsley nodded. ¡°Did you approach the Unspeakables about removing a taboo?¡±


    ¡°They''re working on it and should have something by the end of the week.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°How is Agilbert?¡±


    ¡°Quite happily consulting with his wife.¡± Amelia said with a chuckle while she remembered leaving him in his work space with a telephone receiver tied to his head, which left his hands free. ¡°I swear, I''ve never seen two people working so closely together while so far apart.¡±


    Kingsley chuckled with a nod. ¡°It''s going to be quite an achievement if he can get that foe glass conversion to work.¡±


    ¡°Possibly.¡± Amelia said, unsure. ¡°He warned us that it might only work once, especially since we''re dealing with a class five dark object that we''re going to use to detect other class five dark objects.¡±


    ¡°You''re worried about overload?¡± Kingsley asked and she nodded. ¡°Are you setting up the projector as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If we only get the thing working for an instant, we want a copy to be captured and saved. It would be a waste of time and resources if we didn''t.¡±


    ¡°When will it be ready?¡±


    ¡°He''s hoping by tonight.¡± Amelia said. ¡°He''s already used the energize spell on himself half a dozen times already. He''s actually supposed to be in bed right now and getting a good night''s sleep.¡±


    Kingsley chuckled. ¡°That poor man''s still working with time from the other side of the world?¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°He only just started to adjust and now he''s completely out of sync again.¡±


    ¡°You better give him the day off tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°He''s already booked off and he''s been working so hard that I won''t even hold him to his bet that he would get to the bottom of this by the end of his shift.¡± Amelia said with a laugh and Kingsley joined in.


    The two of them dove into the paperwork and started to make different connections as they went through everything that happened while Tom Riddle was visible in the wizarding world. That was the best thing about having magical records. They never degraded or faded, so everything looked the same as it did when it was first filed.


    After a quick search warrant that had been served on Borgin and Burkes for business records, they quickly discovered all of the deals that Tom Riddle had made during his time there. The biggest thing they found was that he had visited a specific older lady, a miss Hepzibah Smith, over a dozen times to try and procure two very special pieces. A locket and a cup. Those alone wouldn''t have gotten their attention if they hadn''t read the annotations.


    The locket was rumored to be Salazar Slytherin''s and the cup was Helga Hufflepuff''s. Both Amelia and Kingsley scrambled after that to dig up everything they could find out about them and the woman they visited. It didn''t take them long to find the report of the death of the woman with the unverified claim that she was the heir of Hufflepuff. They both hid their sighs as they read it.


    ¡°That evil, evil man.¡± Amelia said after reading about how the woman''s house elf had mistakenly poisoned the older woman and that her family claimed that both the locket and the cup had gone missing. Since they couldn''t prove that the woman had either things, their claim remained unsubstantiated. ¡°Why in the world would he do it?¡±


    ¡°He left Borgin and Burkes after that.¡± Kingsley said and showed her the dates of the crime and Tom''s quitting his job had matched.


    ¡°Ah, once he got what he wanted.¡± Amelia said in understanding. ¡°Well, that explains why he was working at that shop. He was looking for rare and expensive things.¡±


    ¡°You''re wrong.¡± Agilbert said from the open doorway that he was leaning against. ¡°I told you that he was looking for things that were personal and meant more to him than their intrinsic value.¡±


    ¡°How would the founding members of Hogwarts mean something personal to him?¡± Kingsley asked.


    ¡°Agilbert! I get it!¡± Amelia said when it finally clicked. ¡°Tom was an orphan and raised in a muggle orphanage until he was brought to Hogwarts!¡±


    Agilbert smiled. ¡°Yes, you do get it. He was enamoured of the school that rescued him from poverty.¡±


    ¡°That means he might have something else from the founders as well.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I don''t know what they could be, though.¡±


    ¡°Send word to the school and ask the headmaster. He should know...¡± Agilbert''s words trailed off as he saw Amelia''s sad face. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°We''ll have to contact the deputy headmistress instead because Dumbledore''s trial is today.¡±


    ¡°His trial? What did he do?¡± Agilbert asked.


    ¡°What didn''t he do.¡± Kingsley said with a shake of his head.


    Amelia pat his hand. ¡°None of us realized that it was him who sent an innocent man to prison without a trial. We didn''t work in this department back then, remember?¡±


    ¡°We also couldn''t review old policies or cases when we did start working here, which seems like such an oversight now.¡± Kingsley said and then he chuckled. ¡°We were so green back then.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievably so.¡± Amelia smiled. ¡°So much so that some of us were so clean that we squeaked.¡±


    ¡°Ha. The good old days.¡± Kingsley said with a nod as he stood. ¡°All right. I''ll contact the school and get McGonagall to send over any information on any artifacts from the school, rumored or otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I''ll debrief Agilbert with what we know and then we can take another shot at the journal.¡± Amelia said and Kingsley left.


    ¡°You two work well together.¡± Agilbert commented as he sat down.


    ¡°We''ve spent years working together.¡± Amelia said and Agilbert smiled.


    ¡°I heard a huge ''it''s not going to happen'' there.¡±


    Amelia chuckled. ¡°We''ve joked about something developing and both of us have accepted that neither of us has the time nor the inclination to devote to each other.¡±


    ¡°That''s a little sad, actually.¡± Agilbert said.


    ¡°You don''t have to tell me something that obvious.¡± Amelia said and slid over the reports. ¡°We''re happy with our work and the job we''re doing to protect the wizarding world. If we put some of that aside just to date, we''d both be even sadder because we would be ignoring the duty we swore to uphold.¡±


    Agilbert gave her a searching look for a few seconds and then smiled. ¡°It''s good to hear that you have your priorities straight.¡±


    Amelia chuckled again. ¡°Start reading and I''ll fill in any gaps you see, then I''ll answer your questions.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma''am.¡± Agilbert said and started reading.


    *


    ¡°Wow, look at all the food!¡± Ron exclaimed at the extended table that Harry had made in the kitchen.


    ¡°I mixed in a few dishes that I cooked myself, just so we''re not eating the same food we ate at school.¡± Harry said and waved for them to sit on the chairs he had set on either side. Ginny sat down and eyed Harry as she practically held the seat out for him.


    ¡°Thanks, Gin.¡± Ron said and sat down on the chair... and her hand.


    ¡°HEY! Watch it!¡± Ginny yanked her hand back before he crushed it. ¡°Ugh! Now I gotta wash again!¡±


    Luna laughed and sat down across the table from her and a smiling Harry sat down next to her. Ginny glared at her brother when he shrugged.


    ¡°Thank you all for attending the very first Harry Potter House Feast. Please note: The treat cupboard is out of bounds until 8 o''clock and curfew is at 9 o''clock.¡± Harry said and waved his hands. ¡°That''s it for the announcements. Tuck in!¡±


    Ron laughed and the two girls looked a little confused. ¡°The headmaster says something like that for every meal at school.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That''s funny because most of this is school food. I get it.¡± Luna said with a chuckle and started eating. Ginny and Ron exchanged a look and started eating as well. Harry smiled at the blonde''s explanation and started eating, too. The meal went on pretty much silently for nearly half an hour.


    Harry sighed and leaned back as he rubbed his belly. ¡°Wow, I don''t know if I can fit dessert in here.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± Ron said. ¡°Bring it on!¡±


    Both Ginny and Luna laughed at him and Harry stood as he pulled out his wand.


    ¡°I hope you''re ready for this.¡± Harry said and swiped his wand across their dirty plates to make them jump to the sink and wash themselves, then he tapped the table with the wand tip to activate the switching spell. All of the half empty food dishes disappeared and were replaced with pies, cakes, cookies, pastries, tarts, puddings, and trifles.


    Ron, Ginny, and Luna stared at the table and didn''t know what to make of everything. Even growing up in the Weasley house, or nearby in Luna''s case, they had never seen so many different desserts stacked up on the same table before.


    ¡°Well, help yourselves.¡± Harry said and picked up a strawberry trifle. It was in a tall dessert glass and had layers of strawberries, cream, caramel, more cream, strawberry jam, more cream, and topped with a strawberry. He dug his spoon into it and sighed in satisfaction as he put it in his mouth. He was no longer worried about not fitting dessert into his stomach.


    ¡°H-Harry, what...¡± Ron tore his eyes from the mounds of desserts that he had only dreamed about. ¡°What is all this?¡±


    ¡°You know I cooked the food all the time at home before I started school, right?¡± Harry asked and he nodded. ¡°They had several dinner parties the last few years for people that work with my uncle. I had to learn how to make a bunch of different desserts.¡±


    ¡°But... but... when did you do it?¡± Ron asked and couldn''t resist the temptation as he cut into the thickest lemon meringue pie he had ever seen to take a piece. It filled his dessert plate and he drooled over it.


    ¡°I''ve been sneaking off all day when you weren''t looking.¡± Harry said with a smile. ¡°Each dessert only takes a few minutes, especially with magic to help. It''s really easy.¡±


    The three of them stared at him for a few seconds before he waved at the food.


    ¡°You better hurry up and eat it before it gets cold.¡± Harry joked and Luna giggled.


    ¡°You''re really funny, Harry.¡± Luna said and dug a huge spoon into the large bowl of chocolate pudding with whipped cream to fill her bowl with a single scoop.


    Ginny grabbed a raspberry tart and was almost as bad as Ron as she drooled over it and licked the whipped cream. ¡°It''s so sweet and light.¡±


    ¡°It''s great, isn''t it?¡± Harry asked and ate another scoop of whipped cream himself. ¡°If you want more, let me know.¡±


    ¡°I want more.¡± Ginny said without hesitation.


    Harry chuckled and went to the refrigerator and took out a two foot wide bowl that was full of it.


    ¡°Oh, my god.¡± Ginny whispered and did drool this time.


    Ron handed her a napkin. ¡°Easy there, Gin.¡±


    Ginny ignored him and only had eyes for the big bowl of cream.


    ¡°How much do you want?¡± Harry asked as he walked over to her.


    ¡°Just... just leave the bowl.¡± Ginny whispered and her eyes went wide when she saw exactly how big the bowl really was.


    ¡°I should tell you to not eat it all and save some for later; but, I can always whip up some more.¡± Harry said and put the bowl in front of her. ¡°You can have this all to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Th-thanks, Harry.¡± Ginny said and looked at his face. ¡°Really. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I know what it''s like to not get a fair share when eating.¡± Harry said and looked at Ron. ¡°It explains why someone eats like they do at school.¡±


    ¡°Yep! If it''s near my mouth, I''m eating it!¡± Ron said proudly and they all had a good laugh.


    Dessert went on for about ten minutes before they were all quite full. Harry did the switching spell again and cleared the table. He would go to the pantry later to use the proper charms to expand the food to fill the dishes again. He really loved magic.


    ¡°I''m soooo full.¡± Ginny said and laid her head down on the table. ¡°I could sleep for a week.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that''s not a bed.¡± Harry said and walked around the table to pat her back.


    Ginny let out a long and drawn out sigh. ¡°Yeah, you''re right. I guess we better go home.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Harry asked. ¡°You''re still wearing your pyjamas.¡±


    ¡°Um... to go to bed?¡± Ginny asked, unsure.


    ¡°You can do that here if you want.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Huh? How? There''s only two beds.¡± Ron said.


    ¡°Magic. Duh.¡± Harry said and Luna giggled. ¡°Come on, I''ll show you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, this I gotta see.¡± Ron said and followed.


    Harry led them to the second bedroom and handed Ron his things.


    ¡°You''re kicking me out? Really?¡± Ron asked a bit indignantly, and Ginny and Luna laughed.


    ¡°You''re staying in my room. Geez.¡± Harry said and looked at the girls. ¡°Do you want smaller separate beds or one big one?¡±


    ¡°Big!¡± Both girls said at the same time and shared a laugh.


    ¡°We both have really small beds at home.¡± Ginny explained.


    Harry nodded and cast the extending charm on the side of the bed and it spread out to nearly touch the walls on either side. ¡°If you want a bath or shower, wear a towel when you''re done and leave your clothes in a pile by the bathroom door. I''ll clean them and give them back to you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± Luna said and climbed onto the bed. ¡°Wow. I''ve never been on a bed this big.¡±


    ¡°The spell should last until I cancel it, so enjoy it.¡± Harry said and left the room to lead Ron to the main bedroom. ¡°Same thing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That huge bed looked comfy.¡± Ron said and Harry made his bed bigger because the room was bigger. ¡°Harry!¡± He said and quickly shut the door. ¡°You can''t let them see it. They''ll force us to switch.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°Of course they will.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they will. Believe me.¡± Ron said. ¡°Girls can almost smell it if you''ve got something they want and...¡± He stopped talking when there was a knock on the door. ¡°Too late.¡±


    Harry opened the door and both girls let out little squeals, then he suddenly found Ron and himself standing outside his own bedroom and the door was shut in their faces. There were several thumping sounds and lots of laughs and giggles.


    ¡°Hey! Don''t jump on my bed!¡± Harry said through the door and the laughing increased.


    ¡°I warned you.¡± Ron said with a shrug and put his things back into the second bedroom. ¡°I''m taking a bath.¡±


    Harry nodded and watched Ron disappear into the bathroom. He grabbed a book and sat down on the closest chair to wait his turn. If he had realized it when he ordered the apartment, he could have gotten two bathrooms. He laughed under his breath at that, because it had taken Amelia pointing out that he could have someone stay over before he realized what the second sink in the bathroom was for.


    Ron came out of the bathroom a little later wearing a towel and Harry quickly cleaned his clothing with several spells, cast warming charms on them, and handed them back. ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± He said and went into the second bedroom to change. ¡°Dammit, they jumped on this one, too!¡±


    Harry laughed and went into the bathroom. He did a couple of quick spells to clean the tub and then refilled it with hot water. Thanks to the magic taps, the huge tub filled almost instantly and he stripped off his clothes to leave beside the door. He climbed into the bubble filled hot water and sighed as he laid back and relaxed.


    He had been pretty busy all day with cooking, cleaning, playing games with everyone, reading up on some new spells, and hanging out. Harry closed his eyes and let his body soak without bothering to scrub himself right away. He could do that during the few minutes before he climbed out, so he wasn''t worried about washing himself for a while.


    At least, that''s what he had assumed. After ten minutes, the bathroom door opened and two laughing girls came in.


    ¡°That was so much fun!¡± Ginny said and Luna closed the door behind them. ¡°Having such a huge bed is great!¡±


    ¡°We can sleep with our arms spread out and we won''t even touch each other.¡± Luna said and Ginny laughed some more.


    ¡°It''s going to be awesome to sleep on.¡± Ginny said and pulled off her pink one piece pyjama top. ¡°Harry''s bed is bigger than my whole room at the Burrow.¡±


    ¡°It really is.¡± Luna said and unbuttoned her blue top before she pulled it off and tossed it on the floor on top of Ginny''s. ¡°He''s so nice to let us claim the bigger bed.¡±


    ¡°I really thought he was going to complain or holler at us.¡± Ginny said and pulled off her pyjama pants.


    ¡°He did tell us not to jump on it.¡± Luna reminded her and pulled her own pants off.


    ¡°We were already jumping on it by then, so it doesn''t count.¡± Ginny said with unflappable logic and Luna giggled.


    Both girls pulled off their panties at the same time and added them to the pile, then their socks went next. They were now completely naked and fully prepared to climb into the bath, so they turned and took two steps towards the bathtub...


    ...then froze still at what they saw.


    In front of them was a very surprised Harry Potter, who was sitting up in the tub with his back straight and his chest half covered in bubbles.


    ¡°H-Harry!¡± Ginny gasped and then she blushed. Since her skin was so light, the blush could be seen from the top of her forehead to partway down her torso.


    ¡°Um... hi.¡± Harry said and gave her a little wave, which splashed the water a little and split the bubbles some.


    Complete silence fell between them and no one said anything for nearly a full minute.


    Luna looked at Ginny''s blushing face and then at Harry, who wasn''t blushing at all, and she made her decision. She shrugged and walked forward, picked up a facecloth, and climbed into the bath.


    ¡°Luna!¡± Ginny gasped, scandalized that she would do what she just did.


    ¡°He''s not staring at us.¡± Luna said with a shrug and looked at Harry''s face as she lathered up the facecloth. ¡°Why aren''t you embarrassed to see girls naked?¡± She asked, pretty bluntly.


    Harry sat there and he wasn''t sure if he should explain why.


    ¡°We won''t say anything.¡± Luna said and rubbed the cloth under her arm to scrub the armpit. ¡°Having fun really makes me sweaty.¡±


    ¡°Luna... you... you''re having a bath with... with...¡± Ginny stammered and wasn''t sure what else to say. With a boy? With Harry? With the Boy-Who-Lived? With the most famous boy on the planet?


    ¡°It''s just Harry.¡± Luna said and scrubbed her other armpit, completely oblivious to Ginny''s dilemma.


    Harry looked at Luna''s casual attitude and it reminded him of Susan, so he nodded. ¡°I''ve taken two train trips with Amelia and Susan, one at Christmas and one at the beginning of the summer.¡± He explained. ¡°We shared a large travelling compartment that only has one room with a small toilet across from the closet used for coats and things.¡±


    ¡°The seats fold down to make a big bed, right?¡± Luna asked and he nodded. ¡°That means there''s no real privacy unless you hide in the bathroom or in your trunk until the girls you''re with are done changing and casting cleaning spells.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°You sound like you''ve done it, too.¡±


    ¡°Daddy and I have travelled a lot during the summers when he knew it wasn''t dangerous to take me along.¡± Luna said as she rinsed off the cloth, wrung it out, and then lathered it up again. ¡°Trains are the best.¡±


    ¡°They really are.¡± Harry said as he remembered some of it. ¡°We had a lot of fun this last time, too.¡±


    ¡°I know. Just the ride and seeing the countryside is fun.¡± Luna said and lightly rubbed the soapy cloth over her budding chest. ¡°Getting to stop in different places and going out on adventures makes it so much better.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Harry said and watched Luna rub the cloth over her arms. ¡°Do you want me to do your back?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Luna said and wrung out the cloth, lathered it up, and handed it to him before she turned around. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Harry copied her motions and her light touch that he had seen her use on her chest, so he wouldn''t be too rough with her or possibly hurt her. Her back was slim and she seemed thin to him. He knew it wasn''t from starving, though. He knew exactly what that looked and felt like from washing himself when he was younger. As he rubbed his hands over her back to wash her, he could feel that she was healthy because the skin and the flesh was firm. She just has a small body structure.


    ¡°Your turn.¡± Luna said and turned around to take the cloth, wrung it out and lathered it, then Harry turned around for her and she scrubbed his back for him. Her small hands took a lot longer to scrub his back, since he was quite a bit bigger than her, not to mention a year older.


    Ginny stood there and watched for several minutes as her blush faded. She could see that neither Harry nor Luna were nervous or upset at what was happening, namely being naked with each other in the bath and bathing each other. When she felt like she could finally move, after convincing herself to act normal despite how nervous she was feeling inside, she took those last few steps and joined them in the tub.


    ¡°Skooch over a bit.¡± Ginny said to Luna, who complied without a word and handed her the cloth. Her blush came back and she looked a bit lost, so Luna lathered it up for her and then put the cloth and Ginny''s hands on Harry''s shoulders.


    ¡°I did his back, so you can do his pits.¡± Luna said with a giggle and Harry laughed.


    ¡°I can handle them myself.¡± Harry said and started to turn around.


    ¡°N-no, I... I can do it.¡± Ginny said and stopped him. ¡°Lift your arms.¡±


    Harry gave her a brief glance and turned back around as he lifted his arms over his head and folded them as if he was going to lay down on them.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Luna said and poked Ginny''s side.


    ¡°Ow.¡± Ginny hissed. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°Hurry up.¡± Luna said. ¡°I only grabbed one cloth and we have to share.¡±


    Ginny sighed. ¡°You''re not supposed to be this pushy.¡±


    Luna giggled and Harry chuckled. Ginny gave Luna a short glare and then leaned close to Harry and washed one of his armpits. Harry laughed a little and the two girls exchanged looks, then shared identical feral smiles before they attacked.


    Harry burst out laughing and started splashing in the water as the two girls tickled his armpits relentlessly. He only halfheartedly fought them off. ¡°S-stop... stop, we... need to finish... bathing!¡±


    ¡°In a minute.¡± Ginny said, her voice full of confidence that she hadn''t felt before, then she did her best to make him laugh even more with Luna''s enthusiastic help.


    A few minutes later, the three of them were panting and rested against the side of the tub to catch their breaths.


    ¡°That was... as much fun... as jumping on the bed.¡± Luna said with a dreamy smile as she forced her mind to memorize everything that had just happened.


    ¡°M-more fun.¡± Ginny said and leaned her head back against the edge of the tub. ¡°I think I need a bath.¡±


    Luna laughed and then she nudged Harry''s arm and nodded at Ginny. He gave her a skeptical look and then she lathered up the cloth to hand to him. Harry chuckled briefly and then it was Ginny''s turn to laugh as Harry and Luna gave her a bath, starting with her ticklish armpits.


    *


    Amelia, several Aurors, three Unspeakables, and Agilbert were back in his work space with a new quill they had spent twenty minutes casting spells on. After a very brief hello and a slightly long written explanation about what they had found out about Tom, including him finding Slytherin''s locket, the quill glowed bright red.


    ¡°Put it to the foe glass before it blows!¡± Amelia gasped.


    Agilbert wasted no time doing that and as soon as the tip of the quill touched the base of the foe glass, which looked like a round make-up mirror mounted on a round brass stand, the glow transferred over immediately.


    ¡°By Merlin''s scraggly white beard!¡± One of the Unspeakables exclaimed as the map of the entire British Isles appeared and then six bright red dots popped up on it. ¡°There''s six of them!¡±


    ¡°We have it on the projector.¡± One of the Aurors said. ¡°Setting the map to scale. Adding details. Place names. It''ll be a minute for the addresses.¡±


    ¡°Agilbert, how''s the foe glass?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°It''s surprisingly stable after that huge magic infusion.¡± Agilbert said with a bit of pride as the quill burst into flames and fell to the floor. ¡°My wife is a genius.¡±


    ¡°Is it safe to touch?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°Hell, no!¡± Agilbert said with a laugh. ¡°Whatever snaked up into the quill slid right over into the foe glass without pausing. If anyone so much as goes near it, they might get the full blast of whatever that was.¡±


    ¡°All right, lock and block the door. We can get the rest of the information from the projector.¡± Amelia ordered and Agilbert and one of the Unspeakables blocked the door with both magic and physical objects. No one would be allowed in to touch either the foe glass or the journal.


    ¡°It''s too bad that we can''t bring it along and see if it will pinpoint them as we get closer to each one.¡± One of the Aurors said.


    ¡°We can''t levitate it around the countryside the long way and there''s no possibility that I would let anyone try to apparate with the thing, not after Agilbert''s warning.¡± Amelia said and several people nodded.


    ¡°Good decision.¡± Agilbert agreed.


    ¡°How''s the map looking?¡± Amelia asked the Auror on the projector.


    ¡°The addresses are coming up now.¡± The Auror said.


    ¡°You added in all the magical exceptions, didn''t you?¡± Amelia asked Agilbert. ¡°I don''t want to miss anything that might be behind wards or enchantments like the journal was at the Malfoys.¡±


    ¡°All exceptions were put in, even the ones I myself didn''t think to add and my wife helped me with.¡± Agilbert answered.


    ¡°Okay, they''re all up.¡± The Auror said and flicked his wand at the bare white wall next to the projector. The list names of the locations and the addresses popped up on the wall.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Amelia said as she looked at the list. ¡°No, no, no.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Agilbert and Kingsley asked at the same time with worry in their voices.


    ¡°The middle one. Look at the address.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Yeah, what of it?¡± Kingsley asked.


    ¡°Number 4 Privet Drive is Harry Potter''s home address.¡± Amelia said and her heart skipped a beat as she said it. She hoped, hoped beyond all hope, that it was something he had on him. She knew it wasn''t, since he hadn''t really had anything of his own before coming to school. She still fervently hoped, though.


    Kingsley wrote out the addresses and the directions on separate pieces of paper. ¡°I''ll go to Hogwarts.¡± He said and handed the paper with Harry''s address on it to Amelia.


    Amelia looked at it and it said ''bathroom, magically expanded side apartment, Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging''. ¡°I don''t want to do this.¡± She whispered, because she now knew for a fact that her hope was in vain. Only a person could be in the bathroom at this time of night. He''s probably bathing. She thought and looked up when a hand gripped her shoulder.


    Agilbert gave her a sad smile. ¡°I''ll work on something to help. I promise.¡±


    Amelia closed her eyes for a moment and then she opened them. ¡°No, you can go to the safe house and go to bed. These things are going to take a while to gather together.¡±


    ¡°In separate rooms.¡± Agilbert said sternly. ¡°We don''t know what could happen if we put that many class five objects together.¡±


    The Unspeakables around them nodded.


    ¡°I''ll get a couple more of my department up here to accompany you all.¡± The Head of the Department of Mysteries offered.


    ¡°You''re with me.¡± Amelia said to the man.


    ¡°Of course. That''s the most delicate one.¡± The Unspeakable said and sent word for more people.


    ¡°Kingsley?¡± Amelia asked as he finished handing out the other three assignments, since the sixth one was the journal and they already had that one. ¡°Full battle gear and full alert. We don''t know what kind of situations we''re going into.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Kingsley said and looked at the others. ¡°You all heard the lady! Full gear! Let''s go!¡±


    Everyone jumped and left at a jog to get ready.


    ¡°I assume we''re hitting all five locations at the same time.¡± The Unspeakable asked and Amelia nodded.


    ¡°We can''t let anything impede gathering them up as soon as possible.¡± Amelia looked at her paper with Harry''s address on it. ¡°No matter what it is.¡±


    Ten minutes later, five teams of two apparated from the ministry to go to five different locations.


    The Gaunt residence in Little Hangleton, under the floorboards in the living room.


    Number 12, Grimmauld Place, second floor living room, in the cupboard.


    Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, in the bathroom of the side apartment.


    Gringotts Bank, the Lestrange family vault, top shelf.


    Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the come-and-go room of lost things, seventh floor.


    *


    ¡°We have to do that again sometime!¡± Ginny said boldly, even though at first she had spent a third of the time standing there and watched Harry and Luna bathing each other before she had plucked up the courage to get into the tub with them. She and Luna left the bathroom wearing only towels.


    Luna didn''t bother pointing out that Ginny shouldn''t have been embarrassed when she and Harry were bathing her, because Ginny had been completely naked the whole time she stood near the tub, too. That was before she climbed into the water with them and Harry had seen all of her long before she got in the bath.


    ¡°He tickled my feet when he washed and scrubbed between my toes.¡± Luna said with a giggle instead.


    ¡°Mine, too.¡± Ginny said and went into the big bedroom with Luna. ¡°Who does that? I usually just rinse them off. That''s enough, right?¡±


    ¡°You should warn your shoes about that.¡± Luna joked and then laughed.


    ¡°Luna!¡± Ginny swatted at her playfully. ¡°My feet don''t stink!¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Luna said with a grin as she climbed onto the bed.


    ¡°I''ll get you for that!¡± Ginny said as she jumped onto the bed after her and tackled her. The two of them rolled around and wrestled a little as they laughed.


    ¡°I can take your towels now.¡± Harry said and the two girls flopped onto their backs and looked over at him. They saw he had their sleep outfits and they looked and smelled clean.


    ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± Ginny said and rolled over to the end of the bed and stood up. She pulled off the towel and let it drop to the floor, then she picked up her panties from the folded pile of clothes that Harry held in his arms. ¡°Ooo, they''re warm!¡± She almost purred as she pulled them on. ¡°Thanks a lot!¡±


    ¡°It''s just a quick heating charm.¡± Harry said, his face a little red.


    Luna came over to him and dropped her towel before she picked up her own panties. ¡°They really are warm.¡± She said and hugged them to her face and took a deep breath. ¡°You''re so nice, Harry. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Harry said and watched her put them on as Ginny slipped her pink top on at the same time.


    ¡°You really aren''t bothered that we''re naked.¡± Luna said as she took her pants first and slipped them on, leaving herself topless, just to see if he would look. She kind of knew that he wouldn''t, since he hadn''t during the whole bathroom thing; but, she wanted to see if he would anyway.


    Harry knew better than to stare, though. Susan had teased him enough for being curious about her and looking at her. If it hadn''t been for Amelia tempering him all year to be relaxed around Susan and herself while in close proximity to him, fully dressed or no, Harry might not have survived going to the beach with them wearing bathing suits, let alone taking a bath with not one but two girls at the same time.


    Harry smiled at Luna and kept looking into her eyes as he handed Ginny her pyjama pants and gave Luna her top. Luna beamed a smile at him and put the top on, quickly buttoned it, and she sighed as the toasty warmth hugged her. Harry almost laughed at her happy face over something so simple.


    ¡°Goodnight, Harry.¡± Ginny said and faced away from him to climb onto the big bed.


    Harry watched her get under the blanket before he spoke. ¡°Goodnight.¡± He said and looked back at Luna. She reached out and lightly touched his pyjama top, then she stepped close and rested her head against the spot.


    ¡°Your heart''s beating really loudly.¡± Luna whispered and looked up at his face.


    ¡°I can''t help it if I get nervous around pretty girls sometimes.¡± Harry whispered back, honestly.


    For the first time in as long as she could remember, Luna felt a blush come to her face.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡± Harry said and stepped back to close the bedroom door.


    ¡°G-goodnight.¡± Luna said as the door closed.


    *


    Amelia sighed as she and the Unspeakable appeared in front of Number 4, Privet Drive. ¡°I really don''t want to do this.¡± She said and walked over to the window that she knew led to Harry''s apartment, rather than use the door to the house. She waved her wand at the window and it grew to be big enough for a person to step through when it was opened. It was a fire safety feature the window had for easy escape and she knocked on the window as if it was a door.


    Harry appeared on the other side and opened it for her with a big smile. ¡°Hi, Amelia!¡±


    ¡°Hi, Harry.¡± Amelia said and stepped in to give him a hug.


    ¡°What are you doing here so late?¡± Harry asked. ¡°I was just going to bed, so it must be important.¡±


    ¡°It is, Harry. Very, very important.¡± Amelia said and tried to stop her tears from forming as she let him go.


    Harry saw the change in her face right away. ¡°What is it? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Harry, I... I don''t know how to say this.¡± Amelia said and took a deep breath and let it out.


    ¡°I''ll tell him.¡± The man beside her said and she nodded.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I can''t tell you.¡± The man said and then smiled. ¡°It''s part of the job. I''m an Unspeakable.¡±


    Harry had no idea what that was.


    ¡°You can forget that term for now.¡± The man said. ¡°We''ve been investigating several dark objects recovered from the Malfoy mansion and one is of particular interest.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°It''s a class five restricted object.¡± The man said and Harry''s eyes widened.


    ¡°That''s the top of the scale! The worst kind!¡± Harry said and the man nodded.


    ¡°During the investigation, we found out that it was one of a set. A set that shouldn''t technically exist, because no one has ever heard of so many being around at once.¡± The man said. ¡°We sent out teams to recover them all before anyone else discovers them.¡±


    ¡°That was smart to go and get them at the same time.¡± Harry said and then he realized something. ¡°That''s why you''re here, isn''t it? I have one?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man said and took out his wand. ¡°I want to cast a simple detection spell, so don''t panic.¡±


    Harry glanced at Amelia and she sighed.


    ¡°Just humor him and hope that it doesn''t work.¡± Amelia said and stepped back. Just like I am.


    The man chanted something and did a weird wand movement before he finished talking, then Harry''s forehead glowed bright red.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Amelia whispered and the tears couldn''t be held back anymore. ¡°Oh, Harry!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Harry asked. He could see the glow coming from his forehead and didn''t understand what was going on. ¡°Amelia, tell me what''s happening!¡±


    ¡°It''s... it''s too much to go into right now.¡± Amelia said and knelt as she looked into his eyes through her tears. ¡°I''m so sorry, Harry.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Harry?¡± Ron asked as he stepped out of the second bedroom and rubbed his eyes.


    ¡°Harry? What''s all the noise about?¡± Ginny asked as she opened his bedroom door and Luna stepped out.


    ¡°Harry''s forehead is glowing red.¡± Luna said and looked at the Unspeakable. ¡°Please don''t kill him.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± The man asked, shocked. ¡°No, I... I wouldn''t...¡±


    ¡°You shouldn''t lie to children.¡± Luna said and squinted her eyes at him. ¡°It''s your job to do what Aurors can''t.¡±


    The man stared at her and wasn''t sure what to say. There was no way that she could know that.


    ¡°Harry, you have to come with us.¡± Amelia said and wiped at her face. ¡°We need to check you over and try to deal with... with... you need to come with us to the Ministry of Magic.¡±


    Harry waved his wand at the kitchen and set out as much food as he could. ¡°You guys can stay here for as long as you want, okay? I''ll be back when... well, I don''t know when I''ll be back.¡±


    Luna walked over to him and held a hand out to him.


    Harry was sure what she wanted and he gave her his wand, since he knew he would have to hand it over to the ministry if he took it with him. ¡°Keep it safe for me, okay?¡±


    Luna hugged the wand to her chest and nodded.


    ¡°Let''s go.¡± Amelia said as she stood, transfigured Harry''s pyjamas into jeans and a t-shirt, then took his hand and led him to the window.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Ginny gasped and looked about to cry.


    ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll be fine and I''ll be back before you know it.¡± Harry lied and went with Amelia and the Unspeakable out through the window. It shrunk and went back to its normal size while the three young people he left behind watched their feet reach the sidewalk and then the feet disappeared.


    ¡°I''m calling mum!¡± Ginny said and ran over to the fireplace, grabbed some floo powder, and yelled into the flames. ¡°THE BURROW!¡±


    She stuck her head into the flames and her body shook and her hands moved, as if the people on the other side of the fire could see them as she told them what was going on. Neither Ron nor Luna had to imagine the ruckus Ginny would cause as she informed her mother what had happened. They both knew exactly what was going to happen.


    Molly Weasley was going to explode with fury that Harry had been taken prisoner by the Ministry of Magic.

 108 The Real Summer Break Conclusion

    Bokuboy


    Even so late at night, the ministry seemed to be in a state of panic. Amelia and the Unspeakable checked their wands and told the man at the desk that Harry didn''t bring his. The man checked anyway and waved them through when no extra wands were found.


    Harry didn''t say anything about the frantic people until he, Amelia, and the Unspeakable were in the elevator. ¡°What''s going on?¡±


    Amelia''s arm over his shoulders tightened. ¡°Give me a few minutes, Harry. I need to...¡± She stopped talking when the elevator door opened and she led him down a hallway and to one of many identical doors. ¡°I want you to wait here for me, all right.¡± She said and opened the door. It was a blank room and she sighed. ¡°I''ll have a chair brought in for you in a minute.¡±


    Harry gave her a pointed look and she moved her arm to cup the side of his face.


    ¡°I''m sorry. I''ll explain everything in a few minutes.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I promise.¡±


    Harry stepped into the room and the door was shut, locked, and then it glowed for several seconds. He looked around the completely empty room with no windows or anything and realized that he couldn''t get away. Not that he was going to try to, anyway. He was only twelve and there were a dozen adults between here and the many fireplaces he had seen in the lobby.


    He walked over to the back wall and leaned against it, then sat down on the floor. All he could really do now was wait.


    *


    ¡°He''s only tiny.¡± One of the Aurors said as he looked through the monitoring equipment. ¡°What is he, eight?¡±


    ¡°He''s twelve.¡± Amelia said and did her best to stay composed. ¡°He''s starting his second year at Hogwarts next month.¡±


    ¡°No, he isn''t.¡± One of the Unspeakables said. ¡°We can''t let a class five walk around among the students. Who knows what could happen with all of that dark energy floating around in his head.¡±


    Amelia turned to glare at the man who spoke. ¡°If you utter one more stupid comment like that, I''ll curse your ass off before I have you stripped naked, hog-tied, and thrown out of the ministry on your face!¡±


    The Unspeakable leaned away from her venomous voice with a surprised look on his face.


    ¡°Amelia.¡± The head Unspeakable said with a stern voice, even though he was smiling. That was a good threat and he would have to remember it.


    Amelia took a deep breath and calmed down. ¡°Harry has had that thing in his head since he was one year old. If anything was going to happen because of it, it would have happened a very long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Since he was...¡± Kingsley stopped talking. ¡°Merlin''s beard, the horcruxes! They all belong to you-know-who!¡±


    Complete silence met his words and everyone in the room looked at the monitoring equipment. Four of the rooms were currently occupied by the retrieved horcruxes with the only one missing being Hufflepuff''s cup. The goblins had stated that taking anything from a client''s vault without their permission was against their magical vows to protect their client''s valuables.


    ¡°I have a call to make.¡± Amelia said and looked at everyone in the room. ¡°No one, and I mean no one, is to bother Harry. If they do, they will answer to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma''am.¡± A chorus of voices responded immediately. All of them remembered her threat and none of them wanted to experience it.


    Amelia left the room to go to her office to call Harry''s godfather, Sirius Black. Perhaps she could use his returned influence as the Head of House Black to convince the goblins to let them retrieve the cup. Bellatrix Lestrange was actually a Black before she was married. She was his first cousin on her mother''s side and his third cousin on his father''s side, which bothered Amelia a little.


    Their family tree was actually quite messy and she didn''t wonder why some of them were a little crazier than normal. If Amelia was lucky, since Bellatrix was in prison, Sirius should have control over the vault because of his status. If she wasn''t that lucky, she would have to seriously consider some less than admirable options to do what she had to do. She didn''t like that option very much.


    Amelia closed the door to her office and went to the fireplace. She wasn''t looking forward to this. She knew she was going to be in trouble when she told Sirius about having to take Harry and she couldn''t help it, not now. There was no way to hide his involvement or stop whatever had been put into motion with the discovery of the journal, which made her very sad. She took a deep breath and tossed some powder into the fireplace.


    ¡°The Peakes House.¡± Amelia said and stuck her head into the flames.


    *


    Twenty minutes later, five of the ministry fireplaces in the lobby lit up at the same time. Molly Weasley stormed out of one with her husband right behind her, nearly equally as angry. Sirius and Ela came out of the next one, both quite angry and upset. Remus Lupin came out of the next one and joined them, his face a tight mask. Bertha Jorkins came out of another and Professor McGonagall came out of the last one with Thorfinn Rowle.


    The man at the security check-in station was a bit overwhelmed with so many people practically yelling at him to hurry up with checking their wands and to let them through. He hadn''t checked so many people through in so short a time before and he let out a relieved sigh as the group moved off as one to the elevators. It was no longer his problem and he almost laughed at the thoughts of the poor sucker that had those very unhappy people coming for them.


    *


    ¡°I couldn''t contact anyone else to meet us on such short notice.¡± McGonagall said as the elevator doors shut.


    ¡°Thank you for trying, Minerva.¡± Molly said. ¡°Bringing another teacher along with so much experience should be a benefit all on its own.¡± She glanced at Thorfinn. ¡°I''m a little surprised you managed to get him here at the same time.¡±


    McGonagall blushed slightly before she stopped herself and spoke. ¡°We were consulting on certain procedures that we need to follow when we go back to the castle this month.¡±


    Thorfinn raised an eyebrow at her and then smiled. ¡°Yes, consulting. Our future meetings need to be much more controlled than they have been during the summer months.¡±


    Molly nodded and faced forward again. She completely missed McGonagall''s light swat at Thorfinn''s roaming hand that had carefully grazed the older woman''s backside. Sirius hadn''t missed it, though. Ela clamped her mouth shut to stop her giggle when he whispered about it into her ear.


    The elevator doors opened and the entire group quickly walked down the hallway to the door that Amelia had told them to go to. It wasn''t locked, so they entered to see Harry as he sat on a straight wooden chair and Amelia knelt beside him.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Sirius exclaimed and darted to the chair and hugged the boy tightly.


    ¡°Hi Sirius.¡± Harry said and hugged him back.


    ¡°I''m sorry for getting you out of bed so late.¡± Amelia said to the bedraggled man and then looked at the others. ¡°I''m not even going to ask how you all got the message so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Ginny called me as soon as you abducted Harry!¡± Molly accused loudly and Arthur put a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°I didn''t abduct him. He came along willingly.¡± Amelia said, her voice said. ¡°Unfortunately, if he had refused to come, I would have taken him by force.¡±


    ¡°You bitch!¡± Molly spat.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Harry said and glared at her.


    ¡°Molly, please.¡± Arthur said. ¡°That''s not helping.¡±


    ¡°She took Harry from his home in the middle of the night and now he''s sitting in a bare room in the ministry!¡± Molly said without looking away from Amelia. ¡°He doesn''t have a bed or even a decent chair to sit on!¡±


    ¡°That''s because this wasn''t planned out at all.¡± Sirius said and Amelia nodded.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Bertha asked. ¡°I''ve only seen the ministry this buzzing after I did some stirring.¡±


    ¡°I already told Harry what was going on and I was waiting for Sirius to arrive before I told Harry everything else. Now that you''re all here, you might as well stay and listen as well.¡± Amelia said and waved at the room. ¡°Minerva, if you would.¡±


    McGonagall waved her wand at the room and conjured up enough chairs for everyone and even formed a table for them all to sit at.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Amelia said and sat down beside Harry as everyone else sat around the table. ¡°Harry, if you want to break the news to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Harry said and looked at Sirius for a second and then looked at everyone else. ¡°I''m a horcrux.¡±


    McGoangall let out a squeak of horror, Thorfinn choked and put his arm around her, regardless of propriety. Molly burst out crying and Arthur looked extremely sad as he tried to comfort her. Bertha looked shocked and stared at the handsome boy without knowing what to say.


    ¡°What''s a horcrux?¡± Sirius asked, confused.


    ¡°It''s a nasty piece of the darkest magic known to exist.¡± A man''s voice said from the corner of the room. They all looked over and the Disillusionment charm ended as the man faded into view, just like the text on the chalkboard.


    ¡°How long have you been there?¡± Molly asked, clearly surprised.


    ¡°He was here when we entered the room.¡± Remus said and Sirius nodded, as did Thorfinn.


    Harry didn''t bother nodding, since he had heard the man''s shallow breathing a while ago. He had followed the man that had brought the chair into the room and Harry assumed that the hidden man was there to keep an eye on him. He was right.


    ¡°As I was saying, it''s the darkest of magics and only a depraved lunatic would even attempt to make one of them, let alone make six of them.¡± The man said.


    ¡°Six!¡± McGonagall gasped and started to wave her hand in front of her face. ¡°Oh, dear lord.¡±


    ¡°That can''t be true.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°There''s no way... you would have to...¡± He stopped talking and looked at Harry.


    ¡°You have to be a murderer like Voldemort to make one.¡± Harry said and Molly sobbed harder and Ela buried her face into Sirius'' chest. He couldn''t tell if it was because he said the name or because of the murderer part, though. ¡°Amelia and that man think that when he killed my mother, he made one by mistake.¡±


    ¡°Oh, god!¡± Molly nearly wailed.


    Amelia waved her wand and cast a muffling charm on her. ¡°Now I''ll tell you the rest.¡± She said and began to tell the story of Tom Riddle. It was a long one after all of the evidence she had gathered up.


    An hour later, everyone around the table were stunned, except for Harry. His aunt and uncle had been telling him for years that there was something wrong with him and now he had the proof. He was sure this wasn''t what they meant, though. They were just horrible people and hated magic. And him. They had no clue that he had a piece of a dark wizard''s soul stuck into his forehead.


    ¡°No, that... how...¡± Sirius mumbled, unable to accept it.


    ¡°It makes sense.¡± Remus said and rubbed the stubble of his chin with the back of his hand. ¡°We all knew he was crazy during the last war. We just never suspected that he went this far around the bend.¡±


    ¡°Where is Albus?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I tried to contact him at the Malfoys...¡±


    ¡°What?!?¡± Harry said loudly. ¡°Why would he be there?¡±


    ¡°Lucius spoke up for him and took custody until the second part of the trial tomorrow.¡± Amelia said. ¡°It was odd, I know.¡±


    ¡°You let the Malfoys go?¡± Harry asked, surprised. He had thought for sure that she would have gotten them for something after the Aurors raided their mansion.


    ¡°Yes, and I''m sorry. They really didn''t know anything about Draco kidnapping you.¡± Amelia sighed. ¡°Lucius even testified under Viritaserum, which also cleared him from the three dark items he had in his possession that his family had stored in his house.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It''s not against the law to inherit a dark object, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°I assume you tested him for the antidote for the serum.¡± Thorfinn asked and she nodded. ¡°Well, damn. He really did take it and was under the effects when questioned.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and Draco is underage.¡± Amelia said with another sigh. ¡°He also committed the majority of the crime while at school.¡±


    ¡°Which means it falls to his Head of House to discipline him.¡± McGonagall maintained her composure and didn''t sigh, even though she wanted to. ¡°Professor Snape is his godfather as well.¡±


    ¡°That''s just great!¡± Sirius said, angrily. ¡°I''ll kill Snivellus if he lets Harry''s kidnapping go unpunished!¡±


    ¡°It''s not like we can force him to be a horrible godfather.¡± Amelia said and rubbed her hand over Harry''s head. ¡°He will want to protect young Malfoy as much as you want to protect Harry.¡±


    Sirius growled and then huffed. ¡°According to Harry, Draco''s never been punished, not even after using magic in the hallways against him and Hermione.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± McGonagall said with squinted eyes and a stern face.


    ¡°It''s true.¡± Thorfinn said and she turned her gaze to him. ¡°I saw the aftermath and took him right to Snape for punishment. I had no idea that Malfoy wasn''t punished.¡±


    McGonagall''s look softened. ¡°Well, it''s not your fault. I''ll have to talk to Severus and see about changing his mind.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s not going to work.¡± Harry said and they all looked at him. ¡°You said it yourself that first day when you gave me detention and docked points. No one can tell a Head of House how to discipline the students under their care, not even the headmaster.¡±


    McGonagall looked like she was sucking on something sour, mainly because she didn''t like having her own words thrown back at her, no matter how correct they were.


    ¡°This discussion has taken you all very far from the reason you''re here.¡± The Unspeakable said and nodded to Harry.


    ¡°Yes, right.¡± Amelia said. ¡°As you all can see, we have a severe problem.¡±


    ¡°I''ve got it!¡± A voice said in the hallway and the door to the room opened to show a group of Aurors. ¡°Bless the little monsters! They delivered Helga''s cup!¡±


    ¡°Who said that?!?¡± Amelia asked as she stood up and no one responded. ¡°I''ll check all of you and dock everyone''s pay if no one admits to it.¡± She said in a fairly good growling imitation of Sirius.


    Harry glanced at his godfather and he looked amused.


    ¡°Dawlish.¡± The voice said and he stepped forward with a locked box in his hands.


    ¡°You''re staying for the night shift.¡± Amelia said and he groaned. ¡°You''ll get the morning off.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam Bones.¡± Dawlish said, dejectedly.


    ¡°Put the cup in the last room and get the diagnostic tests and spells going on all of them.¡± Amelia said and she looked at Harry. ¡°I''m sorry, Harry. That means you as well.¡±


    ¡°What''s going to happen to him?¡± Sirius asked and put a protective arm over his shoulders.


    ¡°Nothing too invasive.¡± The Unspeakable said and motioned to the door. ¡°I''ll need to ask you all to leave and...¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Ela exclaimed and stood, her anger clear on her face and the pressure in the room seemed to increase for some reason. ¡°I am a dedicated healer to Sirius Black! Harry is his godson, which means I am his healer as well. I will remain to observe what you call your ''not too invasive'' procedures and ensure their legality.¡± She said, almost in a snarl. ¡°If you do anything that harms this wonderful young man, I''ll have you charged with assault on a child and have your wand broken!¡±


    Everyone around the table looked surprised as Sirius stood up to put an arm around her.


    ¡°That''s my girl.¡± Sirius whispered to her and kissed her cheek.


    Ela blushed a little and the pressure in the room disappeared. When she looked down at Harry, she saw his happy face and her blush deepened a little before she composed herself and looked back at the Unspeakable.


    ¡°I''d rather she stay, too.¡± Amelia admitted. ¡°We''ve never had to perform any of the item diagnostic spells on a human being before, so he needs to be monitored and checked after each one.¡±


    The Unspeakable gave her a pointed look, looked at the healer''s defiant face, and he sighed. ¡°All right. Keep that chair and go to the side of the room. I can''t have you too close to the subject because it might change the results.¡±


    Ela accepted that and moved over to the side of the room with her conjured chair as everyone else reluctantly left the room. Harry was now alone with just the healer and the Unspeakable and he waited patiently for whatever tests the man was going to perform.


    Ela took her seat and quickly performed her own diagnostic spells and she didn''t find anything wrong with Harry at all. She wouldn''t know that her knowledge was a little lacking in the spells available for diagnostics until the Unspeakable started chanting. Her eyes widened as a light white glow puffed out of his wand and covered Harry''s head.


    Harry started coughing and his eyes watered as whatever it was seeped inside. ¡°It itches!¡± He exclaimed and tried to rub at his face and scratch his cheeks at the same time.


    ¡°Don''t do that.¡± The Unspeakable said as the white glow disappeared and he stood there for a minute and waited.


    ¡°ARGH!¡± Harry yelled and gripped his forehead with both hands. ¡°IT''S BURNING!¡±


    ¡°End the SPELL!¡± Ela yelled and tried to end it herself, to no effect. She stood up to smack the Unspeakable and he waved his wand at her to freeze her in place.


    ¡°It''s almost done.¡± The Unspeakable said and flicked his wand to have a piece of parchment appear. ¡°Here it is now.¡± He looked at the parchment as it was filled in with writing. ¡°All right. I see. I''ve got the full shape of the thing mapped out.¡± He unfroze Ela and she glared at him.


    ¡°I''m charging you with...¡±


    ¡°He''s not hurt.¡± The Unspeakable said and nodded to Harry, whose face was covered in tears and light scratches.


    ¡°You bastard! What does that look like?!?¡± Ela exclaimed and pointed to Harry.


    ¡°He did that to himself.¡± The Unspeakable said and handed her the sheet. ¡°Now I need to test the amount of energy it contains.¡±


    ¡°You will do no such thing!¡± Ela spat at him and raised her wand at him.


    The Unspeakable laughed. ¡°What are you going to do? Tickle me? You swore a magical binding oath to never do harm.¡± He turned to Harry. ¡°Your head is going to hurt because of this. Normally, testing the energy inside a container is straightforward and is easily measured. The problem is, your container is the frontal lobe of your brain. It''s going to throb and give you a massive headache until the spell ends.¡±


    ¡°You don''t care that Ela''s right there, do you?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°No, because she can''t legally do anything to me to stop the investigation.¡± The man said. ¡°Even if she binds me or freezes me, that will cause the both of us harm. Me for being restrained and you for having to witness it and not finish the tests.¡±


    Ela let out a growl and the man chuckled.


    ¡°All bark and no bite.¡± The Unspeakable said. ¡°Not even Madam Bones can impede the proceedings now.¡±


    ¡°She''s the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.¡± Harry said and wiped at his face. ¡°How can she not stop you?¡±


    ¡°It''s simple, really. I''m allowed to break the law.¡± The Unspeakable said and pointed his wand at Harry.


    ¡°No!¡± Ela gasped and tried to move and found herself frozen again as the man swiped his wand at her.


    ¡°You see, we need that leeway to do our jobs effectively. If we couldn''t bend or break the law to get the job done, then there would be no point to have Unspeakables in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Luna was right. You do what the Aurors can''t.¡± Harry said in understanding.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man said and muttered something, then Harry felt like his head was going to explode.


    ¡°STOP!¡± Amelia yelled as she burst into the room, then she was caught by a pair of arms. ¡°I said diagnostic spells, dammit! You''re not supposed to experiment on him!¡±


    ¡°You don''t have the authority to tell me what I can and can''t do.¡± The man said as Harry''s head dropped to the table and he whimpered and cried from the pain. ¡°Class five objects, even living ones, need to be tested for their voracity and their potential harm to people.¡±


    There were several bangs and pops from down the hallway and Sirius Black and Thorfinn Rowle jumped at the man holding Amelia in the doorway. They tumbled to the floor and then several stunners flew from their wands and went around the room. Amelia, the man holding her, Sirius, and Ela were stunned.


    ¡°Stop what you''re doing.¡± Thorfinn said and levelled his wand at the Unspeakable.


    ¡°Go ahead and stun me. Harry''s head will keep building pressure and then he might die because I wasn''t awake to end the spell at the right time.¡± The Unspeakable said without turning around. ¡°If you do, I hope you enjoy spending some time in prison for causing the death of a child.¡±


    Thorfinn looked at the writhing form of the young boy that was screaming incoherently and he couldn''t choose what to do. If the Unspeakable was telling the truth and he stunned him, the spell cast on Harry could kill him. If the man was lying, then Thorfinn was culpable in the torture and possible death of a student. He felt torn about what to do for about three seconds before a stunner from behind knocked him out.


    ¡°Take their wands and tie them up before going to get the others.¡± The Unspeakable working on Harry said.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The group of Unspeakables said and did as they were told.


    ¡°Who would have thought that Madam Bones would try to interfere?¡± One of them asked and sat her by the wall with everyone else that had come to Harry''s defense.


    ¡°She''s close to the boy, which let me get him away from the other children he was staying with without any fuss.¡± The Unspeakable said and ended the spell on a now unconscious Harry. The man created another piece of parchment to look at the results and he was surprised. Harry had twice as much dark energy inside of him than the journal had. ¡°Look at this.¡±


    The group gathered around the table and one of them whistled. ¡°How is that possible? He should be shooting off random spikes of magic with that much dark energy in his system.¡±


    ¡°At minimum, he should be infecting everyone he''s touched with it, just like the quill in the journal.¡± The head of the Unspeakables said.


    ¡°He... hasn''t.¡± Amelia said as she blinked her eyes open.


    ¡°You can''t know that.¡± The Unspeakable said.


    ¡°Test... me.¡± Amelia said and shook her head to try and get rid of the stun after-effects to clear her head. ¡°No... dark energy in me.¡±


    The Unspeakable chuckled. ¡°You haven''t spent enough time with him to...¡±


    ¡°We have.¡± Ela said, fully awake. She nodded at Sirius as he started to come around.


    ¡°I''m impressed that you''ve had some practice to shake off the stunning spell.¡± The Unspeakable said.


    ¡°We just spent three whole weeks with Harry for summer vacation. If anyone here had the most recent exposure to that much dark energy, it was either Sirius or I. We would have a trace of it, at least.¡±


    The Unspeakable gave her a pointed look and thought about doubting her.


    ¡°I''ll testify under Viritaserum.¡± Sirius offered and that convinced the man.


    ¡°All right.¡± The Unspeakable said and performed the initial trace spell on Sirius. Nothing showed up, so he did the same two spells on Sirius that he had performed on Harry. Sirius didn''t react, because he didn''t have any horcrux energy in him at all. The man did the same spells to Ela and nothing happened. Just in case, he checked Amelia as well and nothing happened.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± One of the Unspeakables asked. ¡°He''s twice as powerful as the sentient journal. Why isn''t everyone he touches filled with dark energy?¡±


    ¡°Maybe with prolonged exposure...¡± One of them suggested.


    ¡°His relatives.¡± The head Unspeakable said with a smile. ¡°Keep them here until I return.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The others said and he strode from the room with a purpose.


    While he was gone, the others slowly came to. Ela was the most vocal and yelled at them for hurting Harry, breaking their word, and the men laughed. She berated them and called their manhood into question, as well as their bravery for torturing a defenseless child. The men stopped laughing and one looked angry.


    ¡°Ela, that''s enough.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°I''ll have them all charged for this.¡± Ela said, her voice full of threat and promise.


    ¡°Good luck with that. You don''t even know our names.¡± One of them said with a laugh. ¡°Oh, Mr. Auror, go arrest that man that''s from the Department of Mysteries, would you? What does he look like, you ask? He looks like a man! Ha ha ha!¡±


    The other Unspeakables laughed as well.


    *


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Harry groaned as he started to wake up. His head was throbbing and he didn''t know where he was, even after he opened his eyes. His face was squished onto a table, so he slowly lifted it up to look around.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Amelia and Sirius gasped at the same time.


    ¡°Huh? What...¡± Harry looked at the group of people that had come to be with him and saw them all tied up and sitting by the wall. None of them looked happy to be there. ¡°What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that concerns you.¡± One of the Unspeakables said.


    ¡°You''re so stupid.¡± Harry said and the man frowned at him. ¡°I''m here and they came for me. Why wouldn''t it concern me?¡±


    The man didn''t have an answer for him and went back to watching the prisoners.


    ¡°Harry, just stay there and don''t do anything.¡± Amelia cautioned him.


    ¡°Why are you all tied up?¡±


    ¡°We tried to stop them from experimenting on you.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Apparently, they don''t care that they are endangering a child''s life or torturing him.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t think I''d meet people just as bad as the Dursleys.¡± Harry commented and rubbed at his face.


    Molly gasped and started crying again. ¡°H-Harry... no... why...¡±


    ¡°Dumbledore.¡± Sirius almost spat the name. ¡°He put me in prison and sent Harry to his aunt and uncle to keep him safe from the wizarding world and being famous.¡±


    ¡°That... that... why would he do that? It doesn''t make sense!¡± Molly asked and looked at Minerva. ¡°You were there, weren''t you? What happened? How did you let that happen?¡±


    Minerva closed her eyes and let out a sigh. ¡°I honestly don''t know.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Molly asked, shocked.


    ¡°I had watched them all day and told Albus that they were the worst kind of muggles that I had ever seen... and then I felt like everything would be fine and watched as he left Harry on the doorstep without ringing the bell. I left when he told me to and didn''t look back.¡± Minerva said. ¡°Every now and then I would ask about Harry and his welfare, to which Albus replied that everything was fine and he was being treated well. I stopped asking after a while.¡±


    ¡°That''s such a lie.¡± Harry said. ¡°I never saw him before I showed up at the school.¡±


    ¡°Harry...¡± Minerva started to say.


    ¡°You were under a subtle compulsion spell. Probably multiples.¡± Thorfinn said and she caught her breath. ¡°I knew that the headmaster was an accomplished Occlumency expert to block thoughts. I only suspected that he was a Legilimens as well. It would make any compulsion seem like your own idea.¡±


    ¡°No, he... he would never...¡± Minerva sighed. ¡°He did, didn''t he?¡±


    ¡°You know he did, especially since you were supposed to do your job and go pick up Harry Potter for his school things.¡± Thorfinn said.


    Minerva winced slightly and then she gasped. ¡°I didn''t go get Harry Potter, even though I knew he was raised by muggles!¡±


    The other adults looked with concern at Minerva and she shook her head.


    ¡°Thorfinn, I am going to need your help when we leave here.¡± Minerva said.


    ¡°Well, you better write him a note to remind him, because we''ll be obliterating you all when we''re done here.¡± One of the Unspeakables said.


    ¡°You can''t do that!¡± Amelia spat at him. ¡°I''m the head of the department!¡±


    ¡°We do it to Fudge when he orders us to do things and he doesn''t want to remember.¡± The man said with a shrug.


    ¡°Oh, that goddamn stupid idiot.¡± Amelia said through a clamped jaw. ¡°He gave you free reign.¡±


    There was a light clapping sound at the door and they turned to see the head of the Unspeakables there clapping his hands slowly.


    ¡°You finally got it.¡± The man said and stepped into the room and went over to the table.


    ¡°Well? What happened?¡± Amelia asked, angrily. ¡°I hope that Mr. Dursley spit in your face for waking him up so late.¡±


    The man looked angry for a second as his hand twitched to go to his cheek, then he sighed. ¡°The tests came up negative.¡±


    ¡°I know they did.¡± Amelia said and nodded at Minerva. ¡°She''s already told us that the Dursleys were horrible people before Harry was anywhere near them.¡±


    The head Unspeakable sat down and didn''t say anything at all for several minutes.


    ¡°Sir? What are we going to do?¡± One of the Unspeakables asked.


    The man sat there for several minutes more before he spoke. ¡°We have to destroy them.¡±


    ¡°You are NOT using Fiendfire inside the Ministry of Magic!¡± Amelia nearly yelled. ¡°Agilbert would be the only one I would trust to do it and even he''s nervous about using it five times on the horcruxes!¡±


    ¡°You''re wrong.¡± The head of the Unspeakables said.


    ¡°No, I''m not. I''ve talked to him and...¡±


    ¡°It''s six times, not five.¡± The Unspeakable said and cut her off.


    ¡°NO!¡± Everyone in the room yelled, except for the Unspeakables and Harry.


    ¡°We can''t let a threat this large remain in existence.¡± The man said, his face firm. ¡°We won''t be using Fiendfire, either.¡± He pulled out a vial of dark black liquid. ¡°Basilisk venom works just as well.¡±


    ¡°No! Harry''s just a boy! You can''t poison him!¡± Molly said loudly.


    The Unspeakable glanced at her and stood up. ¡°I''ll do the other ones first.¡± He said and left the room. After a minute, there was an unholy scream that cut through the air and made them all shiver at the torturous sound of a soul piece dying. After another minute, another similar scream was heard. It still made everyone shiver. Three more followed over the next few minutes and then the man came back into the room.


    ¡°It''s done.¡± He said, his face a blank mask. Being right next to the items and hearing the screams had shaken him. He tried to hide the effect it had on him. He wasn''t successful.


    ¡°Sir, you...¡±


    ¡°I take full responsibility.¡± The head of the Unspeakables said as he walked over to stand beside Harry.


    ¡°You''re wiping all of our memories after this, so how is that taking responsibility?¡± Thorfinn asked.


    The man gave the teacher a glare before he sighed and looked at Harry. ¡°I need you to drink this.¡±


    ¡°NOOOOO!¡± Amelia yelled, as did Sirius, Ela, Molly, and Minerva. Remus growled and his eyes flicked to yellow.


    One of the Unspeakables stunned the werewolf before he could do more than growl. ¡°Sir, maybe we shouldn''t...¡±


    ¡°It has to be done.¡± The head of the Unspeakables said. ¡°Harry...¡±


    ¡°That''s Mr. Potter to you.¡± Harry said. ¡°Only my friends and people I care about can call me Harry.¡±


    The man felt a little proud at his defiance. ¡°Mr. Potter, drink this and everything will be over. You won''t be bullied, or talked about, or have to suffer any more.¡±


    Harry stared at him. ¡°I''ll also lose everything good that I have in my life, too.¡±


    The man closed his eyes briefly. ¡°I can make you do it.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and use the Imperious curse on me. It''s not like you''ve never done that before, right?¡± Harry asked and the man looked surprised. ¡°What? You didn''t think I''d look up what it was that a murderer did to me after he killed my parents and also find out what the other two Unforgivable Curses were?¡±


    The Unspeakable gave him an appraising look. ¡°I''m impressed you would bother.¡± He said and looked at the nearly empty vial in his hand. ¡°You know we have to do this, don''t you? It''s too dangerous to...¡±


    ¡°You''re a bloody coward that''s trying to convince a boy to kill himself!¡± Sirius nearly yelled. ¡°You make me sick! If I wasn''t bound up, I''d tear your goddamn throat out with my teeth!¡±


    ¡°That''s why you are bound like you are, Mr. Grimm.¡± The head of the Unspeakables said. ¡°We can''t have you transforming and escaping, can we?¡±


    ¡°I''ll do it if you let them go.¡± Harry said and the women started crying again.


    ¡°I promise we will let them go as soon as you''re dead.¡± The Unspeakable said.


    ¡°I''m going to kill you!¡± Sirius growled and struggled against his bindings.


    ¡°I think we are all in agreement with that.¡± Thorfinn said with a deep voice filled with hatred. ¡°I give you my word that none of you will live past morning.¡±


    A couple of the Unspeakables chuckled.


    ¡°You''re not going to remember that threat, let alone that we were involved with the kid killing himself.¡± One of them said.


    ¡°Oh? And where exactly would that kid be getting his hands on a vial of basilisk venom that''s a class four controlled substance?¡± Thorfinn asked and he almost laughed at the doubtful reactions on their faces. ¡°Like Mr. Potter said, you''re really stupid.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Harry.¡± Harry said and Thorfinn nodded, appreciating the gesture.


    The head Unspeakable looked at the vial in his hand and sighed. He knew Thorfinn was right. There was no way to explain that Harry had somehow gotten his hands on basilisk venom, smuggled it into the ministry past the security check, and then drank it while in custody.


    ¡°You all leave me no choice.¡± The man said and motioned for the other Unspeakables to move away from the table and Harry.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amelia asked, worry on her face.


    ¡°Solving all of our problems.¡± The Unspeakable said and raised his wand at the boy.


    ¡°NO! You CAN''T!¡± Amelia screamed.


    ¡°Avada Kadavra!¡± The Unspeakable said and a jet of green light shot out of his wand and slammed into Harry''s forehead. Harry''s body was flung backwards off of the chair and flopped onto the floor, lifeless.


    ¡°NOOOOOOO!¡± All of the prisoners yelled as they saw Harry fall.


    ¡°No! No no no!¡± Sirius said as his face went pale. ¡°Nonononono...¡±


    ¡°Sirius!¡± Ela gasped through her tears and tried to get out of her restraints to comfort the man she loved and to stop him from falling into his Dementor depression nightmare, while also fighting to fall into it herself.


    ¡°It''s not real. It''s not real.¡± Sirius mumbled, over and over as his eyes glazed over.


    ¡°Oh, my god. You killed him.¡± Minerva whispered, stunned at what had just happened. ¡°A boy... a mere boy that has never hurt anyone... and you killed him like he was nothing.¡±


    ¡°You monsters.¡± Arthur said, his eyes filled with as much tears as his sobbing wife''s were. ¡°You didn''t even wait for the expert to see if he had anything to remove the horcrux safely, like he promised Amelia.¡±


    The Unspeakables looked both uncomfortable and guilty as they tuned away from the little body on the floor.


    ¡°This couldn''t wait until tomorrow night.¡± The head of the Unspeakables said and looked at the prisoners. ¡°It had to be dealt with before any of you managed to escape.¡±


    ¡°You better kill me, because as soon as these bindings are off, I''m going to kill you.¡± Amelia said, her face a deep red from her anger.


    ¡°You''re not going to remember any of this.¡± The head of the Unspeakables said. ¡°You won''t be able to block my Obliviate spell.¡±


    ¡°Block it? I''m going to counter it.¡± Amelia said with a smile. ¡°Did you think I wouldn''t have defenses against you and your men? I''m not a wandless young man that can''t fight back, you bastard. I am a fully trained combat wizard and also the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I know a few things that even the vaunted head of the Department of Mysteries doesn''t know.¡±


    The head Unspeakable looked a little surprised at her claim and stood there with his wand at his side. He was sure that she was bluffing. She had to be. No one had a defense for the Obliviate spell. It didn''t exist, because he would know about it if it did.


    ¡°Are you still doubtful? Go ahead and try your spell. Let''s see how well it works.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°I can just stun you first.¡± The man said as he felt something tug his wand out of his hand. He felt his entire body snap together into a frozen pose, then he slowly fell forward into the table, bounced and rolled off to the side, then fell to the floor with a thump like a toppled tree.


    ¡°You know, I really hate bullies.¡± Harry said and waved his wand at the bound prisoners to cut all of the bindings at once before he started sending stunners at the Unspeakables. All wordlessly.


    ¡°GET THEM!¡± Amelia yelled and suddenly all of the Unspeakables were tackled to the floor like muggles.


    Molly had knocked hers out with a punch, Arthur had his in an arm lock of some kind as he looked for the wand the man dropped, and Amelia was the first to get her wand back. When she turned to look, she saw that Harry had already stunned the ones not in a fight. With them taken care of, Amelia helped the ones struggling by stunning their opponents.


    ¡°HARRY!¡± Ela yelled and Harry turned to wave at her and Sirius, then he walked around the table to kneel in front of his godfather.


    ¡°H-Harry?¡± Sirius asked as his eyes seemed to come back into focus. He blinked them a few times and then he realized what was in front of him. ¡°HARRY!¡±


    Harry grunted as he was gripped in the tightest hug he had ever received.


    ¡°You''re not dead. You''re not dead. You''re not dead.¡± Sirius mumbled repeatedly and held his godson.


    It took several minutes for everyone to retrieve their wands and to calm Remus down after reviving him.


    Harry was hugged by everyone for the next few minutes and they all held him much tighter than he thought possible, even Professor McGonagall.


    ¡°How? How is this possible?¡± Ela asked as she sat down on the floor beside Sirius and pulled Harry onto their laps, which embarrassed him a little, until Ela hugged him close and gave his cheek several kisses. Now he was really embarrassed and his face and ears turned bright red.


    ¡°We all saw the killing curse hit him square in the face.¡± Thorfinn said and he held Minerva in his lap just as tenderly as Ela was holding Harry. ¡°I''ve never seen anything like it.¡±


    ¡°None of us have.¡± Amelia said and her hand reached for Harry''s face and stroked his other cheek. ¡°Harry, you''re a miracle.¡±


    Harry remembered Hermione saying the same thing and he wasn''t sure how to respond.


    ¡°You should be dead.¡± Arthur said and Molly let out a little sob before he hugged her to quiet her.


    ¡°This is the second time that you''ve survived the killing curse.¡± Remus said, his voice full of wonder. ¡°The world''s going to explode when they find out.¡±


    Amelia and Sirius exchanged looks and then looked at the others. ¡°We shouldn''t tell anyone.¡± They said together.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Molly asked. ¡°Everyone will love him that much more...¡±


    Harry snorted a laugh. ¡°Love me? Everyone talks about me behind my back and sometimes in front of my face. They mostly call me a troublemaker and a delinquent.¡±


    Minerva let out a sigh and reluctantly nodded. ¡°I''ve tried to squash the rumors and to ease the gossip; but, all it does is make it worse and adds to it.¡±


    ¡°It does.¡± Thorfinn said and caressed her arm and held her hand. ¡°The Slytherins are the worst.¡±


    ¡°You mean Malfoy.¡± Harry said and Thorfinn nodded. ¡°I''m not allowed to hex him in the halls.¡±


    ¡°Students shouldn''t hex others at all.¡± Minerva said with a stern voice, then she sighed. ¡°Although, Malfoy does deserve it a lot more than the average student.¡±


    ¡°He''d hate you if you ever said he was average where he could hear it.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Look at what he did to Harry when Harry said he was nothing.¡±


    ¡°I said he was nothing compared to Voldemort.¡± Harry said and most of them winced at the name. ¡°I wasn''t lying. He really is.¡±


    Minerva gave him a stern look. ¡°Mr. Potter, you can''t say such things, even if you believe it''s true.¡±


    Harry smiled at her and she sighed.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Arthur asked and glanced at everyone''s faces.


    ¡°This is a nasty mess we''re in.¡± Remus said and looked at the unconscious men on the floor. ¡°If they take orders directly from Minister Fudge...¡±


    Amelia sighed this time. ¡°Unfortunately, their work tonight is what the minister is going to notice and not the crimes they''ve committed to do it.¡± She said and looked at me. ¡°Then there''s the question about the-boy-who-lived-twice.¡±


    ¡°Can you do the dark detect spells?¡± Harry asked her and her eyes widened.


    ¡°I... Harry, you...¡± Amelia floundered with her words.


    Harry leaned over and touched her face. ¡°Just the first one is all you need.¡±


    Amelia nodded and Harry stood up to put the stolen wand on the table and to move away from the others. She cast the slightly complicated spell and nothing happened. No pain, no red glow, nothing.


    ¡°It''s gone?¡± Amelia asked, shocked. ¡°Then... then that means...¡±


    ¡°Yep. I died.¡± Harry said with a grin. ¡°No more horcruxes! I was the last one.¡±


    ¡°Harry, you... you shouldn''t be happy about dying.¡± Ela said.


    ¡°Well, it worked.¡± Harry said and picked up the wand and walked around the table to go to the head of the Unspeakables. With a flick of the wand, the man was flipped over to face up. ¡°Did you hear that? You killed me.¡±


    The man''s eyes didn''t actually get wider, it was just an automatic reaction that Harry thought he saw as he bent down to take the vial of basilisk venom out of the man''s pocket. Harry didn''t say anything as he popped the cork and tipped some of it into the man''s open mouth.


    ¡°Harry, what are you doing?¡± Sirius asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Harry said and put the cork into the vial, erased his fingerprints from it, and then put the vial into the hand the man had held his wand in. ¡°I''m just seeing if he wants me to end the spell on him.¡±


    ¡°Don''t bother. Just leave him there.¡± Amelia said and waved Harry over to her. ¡°I''ve got half a mind to actually go through with my threat of killing him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me.¡± Thorfinn said and eased Minerva off of his lap. ¡°I have a promise to keep.¡±


    ¡°You can''t do that in front of me!¡± Amelia gasped as Thorfinn poked his wand at the closest Unspeakable''s chest and there was a slight popping sound.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Organ Shattering Curse.¡± Thorfinn said and went to the next man.


    ¡°Thorfinn!¡± Both Amelia and Minerva exclaimed together.


    ¡°A magical oath is a magical oath.¡± Thorfinn said and performed the spell again. ¡°These men ruthlessly killed a child.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Harry said, indignantly.


    Thorfinn chuckled. ¡°You won''t be a teenager until next year.¡±


    Harry opened his mouth to respond, then sighed as he closed it.


    Sirius had to laugh at his godson''s resigned expression.


    ¡°I gave my word that they wouldn''t survive until morning because of this.¡± Thorfinn said and went to each of the underlings to smash their hearts. They each died in their sleep and none of them felt any pain. ¡°It''s more humane this way, too. I''d rather they die than me, which would have happened if they obliviated me and I didn''t complete my oath.¡±


    Amelia sighed, knowing this was going to be one hell of a mass of paperwork. ¡°Leave the department head.¡± Amelia said, her face stern. ¡°He''s going to face as many charges as I can lay against him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good luck with that.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Even if you manage to get the charges to stick, which you won''t, Fudge will delay the trial until he can get enough sympathy votes to get the man off with little more than a slap on the wrist.¡±


    Amelia didn''t look too happy about that, mainly because she was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It was supposed to be her job to handle all of that, not the minister''s.


    ¡°Done.¡± Thorfinn said and walked back over to them. He sat down and didn''t wilt under Minerva''s glare. ¡°I''ll face any charges that Amelia sees fit to apply to me as well.¡±


    All of the faces turned to look at her and she turned to look at me.


    ¡°It was the cursed horcruxes that killed them, right? They shouldn''t have touched them.¡± Amelia said.


    Harry looked surprised for a moment, then he nodded and leaned over to hug her around the neck. ¡°I love you.¡± He whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.


    Amelia hugged him back and pulled him onto her lap. ¡°I love you, too.¡± She whispered and kissed his cheek back.


    ¡°So, how long will your spell hold?¡± Sirius asked Harry.


    ¡°Is your clothing cabinet still spongified?¡± Harry asked him with a smile, which made Sirius laugh.


    ¡°It lasted for four months.¡± Ela told everyone and they let out laughs, too.


    ¡°All right.¡± Amelia said and looked at Arthur. ¡°I''m glad you''re here. You can be an official witness to the destruction of the physical items that contained the horcruxes.¡±


    ¡°I can do that.¡± Arthur said. ¡°I am from the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°I''ll gather all of the records for everything and we can tie this all up into a nice little package. No one is going to question it.¡± She looked around at everyone''s faces. ¡°Agreed?¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± They all said, even Harry.


    ¡°Let''s get to work.¡± Amelia said and that was what they did.


    They didn''t even have to convince anyone else that their story was what happened, because the Unspeakables had cleared everyone else out during the testing of the horcruxes. When they checked the other rooms for the horcruxes and any related damages as they put the bodies of the Unspeakables inside, they saw that all of the items were melted and almost unrecognizable, even the foe glass that Agilbert had made with the help of his wife.


    ¡°Agilbert''s not going to be happy that we broke his toy.¡± Amelia said with a chuckle and levitated it into the cushioned evidence box they had. ¡°At least there''s no dark energy left in any of these things.¡±


    ¡°Amen to that.¡± Arthur said and a few people turned to look at Harry, who looked quite happy.


    ¡°When can I go home?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I''ll need your statement and then I''ll take you through the floo.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I''m going to be up all damn night handling the paperwork for all of this.¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Harry said and she gave him a surprised look. ¡°The Unspeakables don''t have names.¡±


    Everyone stopped working and gave him surprised looks themselves, then they all let out laughs, especially Sirius.


    ¡°Ha ha! No one''s going to be looking for them! Ha ha ha!¡± Sirius laughed and laughed.


    *


    Inside a large dark forest in Albania, the wisp of a spirit was on the hunt for its latest victim. It could only possess a creature for a short period of time before its life force was used up and it expired. Normal creatures weren''t meant to house a spirit that could perform magic.


    The spirit suddenly felt a shuddering shift in its being, let out an ungodly howl, then faded away. It''s last tether to the living was severed by the signature spell that had made it into a spirit in the first place.

 109 Trials and Tribulations

    Bokuboy


    ¡°ARGHHH!¡± Severus Snape yelled as an intense burning seared his forearm and woke him up. He threw off the blanket and pulled up the sleeve of his night shirt. Even in the darkness of his room, he could see the red glow of the dark mark. His mind whirled over how it was possible for the dark lord to call, when he was supposed to be dead, and then the mark started to dissolve and the pain intensified.


    Black wispy smoke flowed out of his arm and left an intense burn mark in the exact shape of the mark. Severus stared at the spot as the burn settled and then it stopped glowing. He couldn''t understand what was going on and had been too surprised by the sight to continue screaming, because it wasn''t possible to get rid of the mark.


    Even when the dark lord had been vanquished, the mark had only faded from the loss of power. It never disappeared, which meant that the dark lord was out there somewhere. It was a constant worry on Severus'' mind, mainly because he had been a spy for Dumbledore and he was afraid of what would happen to him when the dark lord came back into power. He knew that Dumbledore would enlist his services again to spy and he hadn''t been looking forward to it at all.


    Now... now he didn''t know what had happened. His dark mark was gone. There was a clear burn in its place; but, there were several things that would take care of it, assuming it wasn''t a magical wound or cursed to remain. Even that would be handled if he didn''t mind a little mutilation and a day or two regrowing the parts that he would have to cut off.


    Severus laid back down on the bed and didn''t bother putting the blanket back over himself. His arm stung and he really should put some salve or something on it. He didn''t, because he wanted the reminder. He wanted to keep the feeling that he was no longer bound magically to an insane megalomaniac.


    He imagined that similar scenes were happening all across the British Isles as all of the other Death Eaters suffered the same or similar damage. He was grateful that his devotion had been in platitudes only and he never meant any of it. He had been trapped at a young age and sucked into the whole thing before he knew what it all meant.


    It was his deepest regret next to losing the only woman he had ever loved. Just like he had admitted to Harry, it was his words and actions that had led to Lily''s death. His remorse over it had brought his life to a very different path than he ever imagined, and now... now... he didn''t know what to do. His whole purpose in life had just evaporated like the black wispy smoke of his mark.


    Severus couldn''t help but smile his trademark smirk as he imagined walking into Dumbledore''s office and telling the old fool off. He never wanted to teach and it was a chore to teach students that couldn''t care less about the craft. It irked him daily how they didn''t pay attention, even when the potions required rapt attention.


    Only a select number of students knew the importance of brewing properly and those were few and far between. His harsh teaching methods were used to weed out those not suited for the high pressure that the sixth and seventh year students would be under to perform properly. It was a constant struggle for him to keep his composure and not let any of his students die from their incompetence.


    Severus let his mind float around some more as he lay there, not really trying to go back to sleep, and his thoughts drifted to Harry Potter. The boy-who-lived. He almost snorted at the ridiculous title that Dumbledore had saddled the child with. He rubbed his hand over the burn mark, it''s searing pain a harsh reminder of what was there, and he smiled again.


    So much for the prophecy. Severus thought with more than a little regret.


    *


    Ginny was a nervous wreck as she sat on the floor in front of the fireplace with a blanket wrapped around her. So much time had passed and she couldn''t get to sleep, not with Harry taken by the ministry. She knew that her mother would contact her as soon as she knew something and she waited anxiously for any flickering in the fireplace.


    ¡°You should go to bed.¡± Luna''s voice said from the couch behind her.


    ¡°You can''t sleep either.¡± Ginny said without turning to look at her. ¡°You''re as worried about him as I am.¡±


    They fell silent and after a few minutes, a particularly loud snore cut through the silence.


    ¡°Ron seems to be okay with everything.¡± Luna said with a giggle.


    Ginny rolled her eyes. ¡°Ron''s not big on the whole worry thing, especially with a full stomach.¡±


    ¡°I can''t believe he ate more after Harry left. His stomach must be huge.¡± Luna said, a little impressed.


    Ginny had to laugh. ¡°He''s spoiled by the school meals and even mum thinks he needs to cut back. She''d never tell him that, though.¡±


    They fell silent again and both of them waited. One patiently and the other anxiously.


    After a long time, according to Ginny''s nervousness and not the clock that had only said that a few hours had passed, the fireplace flickered. Ginny sat up straight and stared into the fireplace, expecting to see her mum''s face, then the fireplace flared up and Amelia stepped out of the flames with Harry.


    ¡°HARRY!¡± Ginny yelled and jumped to her feet, throwing off the blanket around her, and she hugged him even tighter than her plump mother had, which was saying something. ¡°I was so scared! What happened to you? Are you okay? Did the ministry hurt you?¡±


    She was hugging him with her head buried into Harry''s chest and didn''t see the reaction on his face as she asked those questions. Luna did, though. She had seen his face twitch and knew something bad had happened. She didn''t know what, only that it was very bad and something that no one was ever going to talk about.


    Luna slid off of the couch and calmly walked over to him. She tapped Ginny''s shoulder to get her attention, then poked her hard in the side.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Ginny yelped and jumped away to rub the spot. ¡°Luna! That wasn''t nice!¡±


    Luna ignored her and looked into Harry''s eyes. She didn''t say a word and reached up to put her arms around his neck to pull him down into a tender hug. Harry''s arms went around her automatically and he held her just as tenderly. They rested their heads on each other''s shoulders and stayed like that for several minutes.


    Amelia stood there with an odd expression on her face. She had watched the two very different exchanges and had stayed quiet, in case Harry said anything about what had happened. She hadn''t made him swear an oath like she had the others, because he was too young to accept that responsibility or to understand the consequences of breaking that oath. She had just made him promise to not tell anyone what had happened.


    ¡°Luna, that''s enough! You can let him go now!¡± Ginny said, her jealousy obvious. ¡°Luna!¡± She said and went to poke her in the side like Luna had done to her.


    Harry''s hand moved and grabbed her finger to stop her. Ginny was surprised by that and looked at his face, only to see it streaked with tears. She didn''t know how to react now, with Harry so obviously upset. He let her finger go and lightly rubbed Luna''s back for a moment, then pat it.


    Luna took the hint and slowly let the hug go and stepped back. Her face was streaked with tears as well and she reached up to wipe at his face. Harry let her and she smiled dreamily at him.


    ¡°Here.¡± Amelia said and handed her a handkerchief.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Luna said and successfully cleaned off Harry''s tears.


    Harry took it next and wiped at her face, too.


    The fireplace flared again and Molly Weasley stepped out.


    ¡°MUM!¡± Ginny yelled and jumped into her mother''s arms.


    ¡°I''m sorry for worrying you, dear.¡± Molly said as her husband came out of the floo behind her. ¡°We came here as soon as it was all over.¡±


    ¡°I''m so glad Harry''s okay!¡± Ginny said loudly.


    Molly, Arthur, and Amelia looked slightly worried, then Amelia put a hand on Harry''s shoulder.


    ¡°I need to get back to work. There''s a few things I need to put into place for the morning.¡± Amelia said.


    Harry nodded, because he knew she had a few things to do for when the Minister of Magic came into work in the morning. Her whole department would be waiting for him and they were going to get to the bottom of everything.


    ¡°No one is above the law.¡± Amelia said and ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Thank you for not fighting about coming back here. Until we can root out all of Tom Riddle''s supporters, you''ll need to stay under the blood wards and your mother''s protection.¡±


    ¡°I know there''s more danger out there than an old angry spirit.¡± Harry said with a smile.


    Amelia almost laughed. ¡°Go to bed and get some sleep.¡± She looked at Luna. ¡°Make sure he stays in bed until at least noon. He''s missed a lot of sleep tonight.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, Madam Bones. I''ll watch him for as long as it''s necessary.¡± Luna promised. ¡°I''m really good at it, too.¡±


    Amelia did laugh a little at that. ¡°Thank you, Luna.¡± She said and pulled Harry into a hug. ¡°I''m so glad that you''re okay.¡±


    Harry''s face sunk between her breasts and he hugged her back. ¡°I''m glad you are, too.¡±


    Amelia smiled. ¡°Don''t be so cheeky.¡±


    ¡°Oops.¡± Harry said and she laughed.


    ¡°Go on, go.¡± Amelia said and let him go as she waved to his room, then she motioned to the fireplace. ¡°Molly, Arthur. After you.¡±


    ¡°I think I should stay here for a while and...¡± Molly started to say.


    ¡°Molly, let''s go.¡± Arthur said and pulled her to the fireplace. ¡°You have your own children to worry about in the morning.¡±


    Molly looked like she was going to refuse, then she sighed, let her daughter go with a promise to call tomorrow afternoon, then she and Arthur were gone through the floo.


    Amelia waved to Harry and saw Luna''s nod, then she was gone back to the ministry.


    ¡°Hey, she didn''t change my clothes back.¡± Harry said and looked down at the jeans and t-shirt he was wearing. ¡°These are supposed to be my comfy pyjamas.¡±


    ¡°Just do the transfiguration reversion spell on them.¡± Luna said and Harry raised his eyebrows at her. ¡°What? I''m going to be a Ravenclaw. I like to read.¡±


    Harry smiled and cast the spell Reparifarge and his clothes changed back into his pyjamas. ¡°Hey, it worked.¡±


    ¡°Just because an adult cast the spell, that doesn''t mean we can''t undo it.¡± Luna said and slipped her hand into Harry''s. ¡°Come on. It''s time for bed.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry asked eloquently and Luna giggled as she pulled him towards the main bedroom. ¡°W-wait...¡±


    ¡°Madam Bones ordered it.¡± Luna said, her dreamy smile wide. She led him inside and then climbed onto the bed while still holding his hand. Harry didn''t fight against it and let her pull him to the very center of the bed. She pat the spot and he gave her a wide-eyed look. She didn''t react or say anything as she fluffed the pillow and pulled the blanket over some more. Harry sighed and laid down on his back where she wanted him to sleep.


    Luna pulled the blanket up over him, then she did the same to her pillow and laid down right next to him on her side before she pulled the blanket over herself. She stared at him without blinking for several moments and Harry could almost feel her gaze on him.


    Harry turned his head to look at her and she still had that dreamy smile on her face. ¡°You''re not going to stay awake and watch me all night, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, just until you fall asleep.¡± Luna said.


    ¡°You can''t keep your eyes open for that long.¡± Harry commented.


    ¡°Watch me.¡± Luna said and he chuckled.


    ¡°Good one.¡± Harry said and then looked up at the ceiling. ¡°I don''t know if I can fall asleep after what just happened.¡±


    ¡°You will.¡± Luna said and reached over to rest her hand on his chest. ¡°Don''t think about what could have happened or what''s going to happen next. Push all of that out of your head. All that matters is that right now, you''re here and safe.¡±


    Harry thought about saying something, then he moved his hand to cover hers as he used some meditation techniques to do what she said and cleared his mind. A moment later, Luna was pressed into his side and he felt her breath on his cheek. He glanced at her and she was still staring at him with that smile on her face. He felt a wave of exhaustion pass over him and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Here and safe.¡± Harry whispered, then he took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°With you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Luna whispered and lightly kissed his cheek.


    Harry liked the slight ticklish feeling that kiss had given him, probably because he actually did feel safe with her so close. He drifted off to sleep with her comforting warmth beside him and if his mind plagued him with either dreams or nightmares, he wouldn''t remember them come morning.


    Ginny stood in the doorway to the bedroom and she stared open-mouthed at what she just witnessed. For some reason, she thought it was even more embarrassing than bathing together. Luna and Harry were cuddled up in bed together and her face burned bright red at what it meant.


    Of course, she was jumping to conclusions and things wouldn''t go the way that she had seen her older brother Charlie do once with his girlfriend. She hadn''t meant to watch it, since they were supposed to be hiding from everyone while they had ''fun''.


    Ginny wanted to know what they meant, since she knew what her older twin brothers meant when they had fun, which consisted of jokes and pranks. She fully expected something else until she saw them get naked and then stared with wide eyes at what they did. She never imagined that a boy''s thing being used like that could be fun and the girl had really enjoyed it.


    Now, she stared at the bed with Harry and Luna huddled in close and her mind whirled over imagining them doing that kind of fun, too. Her jealously spiked and she made fists with her hands. She wanted so much to run over and hop onto the bed and tear the two of them apart. If anyone was going to have fun like that with Harry, she wanted it to be her.


    Ginny remembered the way that Charlie had hugged his girlfriend and kissed her, then he told her that he loved her. Ginny really really wanted to hear that from Harry. She knew that a lot of things needed to happen between them for that to happen, though. It had taken Charlie a long time to get his girlfriend to do what they did and he was really happy with her, until she refused to go with him to Romania for his new job.


    ¡°Love isn''t enough for me to give up the rest of my life for you, Charlie.¡± The young woman had said and then stormed out. Charlie left not long after that and moved away to take care of dragons.


    Ginny still remembered the joke he had made and said dragons were easier to handle than women. I don''t want to be like that. She thought and eventually calmed down. Her urge to go smack Luna for being so bold, receded from the forefront of her mind. Her blush faded and she walked around the bed to climb on.


    She saw Luna watching her with those staring eyes as she slid under the blanket. Ginny didn''t try to get closer to Harry, though. She knew that she had missed her chance by being too pushy and demanding earlier. She hated that Luna''s quiet acceptance had beaten her to comforting Harry and she vowed to do better in the future. If he needed her, then she would be there for him.


    *


    Sirius and Ela came out of the floo and pretty much collapsed onto the couch of the living room. Neither of them spoke and just stared at each other. They could see it in each other''s eyes as the events of the night played out in their minds and then they each reached for the other and started tearing their clothes off.


    Ela moaned as Sirius made frantic and passionate love to her right there on the couch. She had enjoyed them having sex each and every time, because he was a great lover; but, this time she was just as wrapped up in the desperation and urgency that he felt. She needed to do something, just like he did. For tonight, that something was making each other feel so good that they would forget what they had witnessed, even if it was only for a few hours.


    *


    Minerva McGonagall stepped out of her fireplace and her mind was filled with the events of the night. The horrible things she had been a party to, the terrible things she had witnessed, and then the deplorable acts of a man she was currently seeing.


    The fireplace flared behind her and she whirled to argue with the man that had followed her, for committing acts of murder, right in front of her and a very impressionable young man named Harry Potter. She barely opened her mouth when Thorfinn''s mouth was on hers and his passion for her was unmistakable.


    Minerva had never been kissed like that before and she let out a little purr as his hands deftly touched her. She didn''t protest at all, outwardly at least, as the man took full control of her and brought her to her bedroom. He stripped her off and tossed her onto the bed, both playfully and forcefully, and she watched with anticipation as he stripped off his clothes.


    Thorfinn''s prominence was as startling to see now as it had the first time, and Minerva''s purr grew louder as he approached the bed. He flipped her over onto her stomach and yanked her hips up, getting a snarl of complaint from her at the roughness, then he was inside of her and she growled and purred at him. He bit the back of her neck and Minerva completely forgot what she was angry about.


    *


    Azkaban prison was in an uproar. Nearly half of the inmates, most in the high security ward, were freaking out and tried to cause a riot. The worst offender was Bellatrix Lestrange, who''s howls of pain and anguish cut through the air and filled all of the ears of the prisoners with despair. Her angry shouts of defiance were just as bad and her husband bashed his head against the bars of his cell, trying to somehow break it.


    The dementors were called in and it still took nearly an hour for the prisoners to be calmed down. The guards left the dementors there and let them suck in as much magical energy as they could until the prisoners fell unconscious. The dementors were sent off to guard the outside again and the prison was once again a nice and orderly institution.


    For now.


    *


    Albus Dumbledore sat in the holding cell in the Carrow''s basement and he wondered what was going on above him with the Death Eaters. He easily heard the half-dozen screams of pain and anguish that were somewhat similar to his own that he had let out earlier. He had never had the Cruciatus curse unleashed upon him before, or so many times, and he didn''t like it very much.


    Even with his Occlumency in full effect to strengthen his mind and reduce the impact he felt on his body, he couldn''t stop his mouth from eventually letting out the screams of pain his body experienced. He was grateful that they were only men and needed to sleep, which gave him a short reprieve during the night to recover enough of his strength to put up a more valid defense in the morning. He was sure that they would try again to get his secrets and he was not going to divulge them.


    Little did he know that that was not what they were planning at all.


    *


    Amelia laid in bed after hours of working to clean up the mess and to set up the traps for the ministry workers that would be showing up in the morning. With her eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling, her mind churned over everything that had happened. The multitude of crimes that had been committed in front of her, the worst the blatant murder of a child... a child she dearly loved... had changed her.


    She knew in her head that it was wrong to watch Thorfinn do what he did to clean up the rabble. She knew it, as she knew there were only four fingers and a thumb on her hand... and yet, she was also completely incensed that anyone could do what they did to her Harry. Her mind only had to work for a short time before it justified everything as retaliation for that horrific crime. She almost smiled as her mind settled into a calm that she hadn''t known since the end of the last war where her predecessors had taken down and brought in so many death eaters for trials and punishment.


    Amelia closed her eyes with the thought of her dead family members getting the same justice that Harry had gotten last night. It warmed her heart that Harry had so many people that would do that for him. She almost lamented the fact that she didn''t get to kill anyone for him, too. She let out a little chuckle at that thought and then she sighed. She could only imagine what her niece was going to say when she found out in the morning.


    Harry''s not going to be able to get rid of her when school starts up again. Amelia thought with a smile and drifted off to sleep.


    *


    The morning came and in various households across all of the British Isles, the results of last night''s events were taking place. The worst was the utter disbelief for the death eaters that it hadn''t been a dream the night before and their burned arms were the evidence. They rushed downstairs to their prisoner and saw his smug face.


    ¡°Did you do it?¡± One of them nearly shouted and the old man didn''t respond. ¡°CRUCIO!¡±


    Albus sat there and didn''t even twitch, the smile never leaving is face.


    ¡°Dolohov.¡± The man said and ended the curse.


    Dolohov raised his wand and Albus let out a startled yell as his arm broke.


    ¡°Crucio!¡± The other man said and Albus let out a scream, because his broken arm had ended his concentration and also ended the petrification spell he had cast on himself.


    The other Death Eaters continued taking turns using the torture curse for only short bursts, because they knew that prolonged exposure would cause irreparable damage and that was not what they wanted. No, they worked Albus over and weakened him to the point that a silent Imperius curse would work.


    Albus had been too busy trying to fight the torture to also counter the second Unforgivable curse and he cursed himself mentally for not preparing himself for the possibility.


    ¡°You are going to act like you normally do. Arrogant and full of yourself. You can do no wrong and no authority has the right to counter your decisions, since you are the one that controls everyone else.¡± The Death Eater said and Albus nodded. The curse always worked better when you told them to do what they would have done anyway. ¡°You are going to go into the courtroom today and you will maintain your innocence while also informing everyone of what you''ve done.¡±


    The other Death Eaters let out chuckles at the thought of Albus using arrogance to admit his crimes while also proclaiming innocence.


    ¡°Obliviate him and heal his injuries. When Malfoy shows up, we''ll take them both to the ministry.¡± Yaxley said, pleased with the result of their custody of the famous Dumbledore.


    Albus was healed and cleaned up, his mind fully entrapped by the Imperious curse, and Malfoy showed up with a very sour look on his face. No words were spoken by anyone as they assumed their roles and took Albus through the floo network to go to the ministry.


    It was going to be quite the show today.


    *


    Harry woke up and felt something warm against him that was hugging him. He remembered Luna comforting him the night before and turned and put his arms around her and snuggled in. Amelia had told him to stay in bed until noon and he wasn''t going to disappoint her.


    Luna had felt Harry stir and she fully expected him to push her away and apologize. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised when he turned in her arms and then hugged her back and cuddled into her like she was a teddy bear. She had never been held like that before and she was a little unsure what to do, then Harry went right to sleep with his face pressed to hers.


    A thrill went through her when she realized that if she wanted to, she could pucker her lips and kiss his cheek again like she had the night before. She didn''t know why she felt like that, since they were only friends, then she gave in to that feeling and puckered her lips and kissed his cheek. He didn''t react or try to move away and she thought she heard him whisper ''thank you''.


    Luna''s heart beat a little faster and she closed her eyes and hugged him tightly. She wasn''t sure why Harry thanking her made her so very happy. Her happiness hadn''t been based on other people since her mother died. She always tried to keep her own feelings hidden, because no one really deserved to know how she felt... until now.


    For some reason, she knew that unlike everyone else, Harry wouldn''t call her strange or a freak. He had been the only one to treat her normally and included her in things that no one else had. He had even talked to her like a normal person and didn''t dismiss her whenever she mentioned fantastic creatures or what other people called weird thoughts or theories. He also didn''t look down on her interests or told her that she was wasting her time daydreaming.


    What Luna didn''t know was that Harry had done the same thing when he was younger. His daydreaming was what got him through the day and his interests were completely different than other kids his age, thanks to Dudley and his gang keeping him from making friends. He literally didn''t know what other kids were supposed to be interested in, so his own interests were all he had.


    Harry knew he was different than them and he had made peace with that years ago. Meeting someone else that was odd like him, was interesting in and of itself. That Luna was also fun to hang around with and almost always made him laugh, really was the best thing that Harry could have come across.


    Of course, no one really knew that he really missed Hermione. She had been by his side all year and her absence during all of this was a huge hole in his heart. His grip on Luna tightened a little and then he relaxed. He would send Hedwig to her in the morning with a letter, asking her to wait until they saw each other to talk, since a letter wouldn''t let him hug her like he wanted. Like he needed.


    Harry felt a little guilty that he was using Luna like that, until he remembered her hugging him the night before and letting him cry on her shoulder. He had really needed that and not the clingy whining that Ginny had offered. No, he needed the quiet support that Luna gave him and he appreciated it.


    Both of them drifted off to sleep and didn''t notice that Ginny was awake and stared at them with wide eyes.


    *


    The chief warlock entered the room and he was pleased to see both Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore were present. He nodded to the blonde aristocrat and took his seat that was slightly above everyone else. His assistant sat by his side and handed him the relevant papers. His eyes roamed over the assembled people and he noted the absence of Minister Fudge. He would need to check on that later.


    ¡°All right, this court is now in session.¡± The chief warlock said and lightly tapped the gavel. All other conversation stopped. ¡°Having had a full night to go over the new charges and to mull over the previous charges, Mr. Dumbledore, do you have something to say to this court?¡±


    Albus gave him that arrogant and self-assured smile that he knew the chief warlock hated. ¡°Despite doing all that I am accused of and more, I am innocent.¡±


    An immediate uproar came from the assembled members of the Wizengamut and the ICW. Complete pandemonium was not tolerated and they held their hollers and shouts to that of a controlled outburst. Debates raged between the factions and the chief warlock could only stare at the smug man that sat in the chair in the middle of the room. The crimes he was accused of were at a minimum of ten years apiece in prison.


    It was completely unheard of for someone to openly say that they did it and also claim innocence.


    The chief let it go on for nearly ten minutes before he lightly tapped the gavel three times. ¡°That''s enough.¡± He said without looking at anyone except Albus. ¡°Do you consent to the use of Viritaserum?¡±


    ¡°No, since I did everything anyway. Why do you need me to repeat myself? I''m innocent. I did it all for the greater good.¡± Albus said.


    ¡°He''s delusional!¡± Elphias Doge, one of his main supporters, exclaimed. ¡°He spent the night in the custody of a suspected Death Eater and they could have done anything to him!¡±


    ¡°Normally, I would strongly object to that completely biased and slanderous statement.¡± Lucius said and stood to get everyone''s attention. ¡°However, I would submit myself to Viritaserum again to inform you that I did nothing to Dumbledore except deliver the man to a cell for the night and then brought him here this morning. I even gave him back his wand when my custody of him ended.¡±


    More mutterings and conversations broke out, since Lucius hadn''t blown up at being called a suspected Death Eater inside the Wizengamut. They knew he wouldn''t let it go for long, however.


    ¡°Does anyone object to administering Viritaserum to the accused?¡± The chief warlock asked and only a few of Dumbledore''s strongest supporters mumbled that it wasn''t necessary. The majority wanted to hear the truth, so the chief warlock had a healer check Albus for potions, which he hadn''t ingested any, and Amelia gave three drops of the truth serum to Albus.


    ¡°Get the dicta-quill ready.¡± The chief warlock said to his assistant as a backup to her own notes. ¡°Albus Dumbledore, tell us in your own words what you have done.¡±


    ¡°It all started when I was thirteen...¡± Albus started to talk... and talk... and talk.


    No one in the room, let alone the spectators and the reporters, expected to hear about the life and times of Albus Dumbledore. It went on for nearly six hours as the man spilled the full tale, telling of his crimes, his nefarious acts, and all of the things he had done to ensure his control of the wizarding world.


    He told of his affair with Gellert Grindelwald, his sister''s death, the cover-up, letting the first wizarding war drag on just long enough to go and confront his old lover. It wasn''t a great duel like everyone had assumed. No, it was a lover''s quarrel. It was one of the oddest things that they had to listen to as Albus easily disarmed the love-struck Grindelwald and then slept with him as a final goodbye.


    He told of how the world had accepted him as their savior and how the power that was literally handed to him afterwards had been such a rush that he couldn''t help but manipulate things to keep that power. He rose to fame and prominence quickly and secured the Chief Warlock position of the Wizengamut and then through various acts, proved he had what it took and also won the Supreme Mugwump position of the International Confederation of Wizards.


    Then came Tom Riddle. Oh, how he had failed to see what the monster was when he was younger. Albus would have removed the danger before it even began. A quick expulsion and a snapped wand would have stopped him long before he learned enough to become a problem to Albus'' power.


    Albus knew that he needed to make sure that a dark lord wouldn''t rise to power and campaigned for the headmaster position at the school of Hogwarts. He was granted it without question, even if Armando Dippet wasn''t even close to retirement age. With his position at the school secured, he started to cut subjects, curtailed teaching certain spells, and even removed full sections of books from the public library.


    Unfortunately, he was too late. Tom Marvolo Riddle had become Lord Voldemort.


    The second wizarding war started and Albus lamented that Tom was actually worse than Grindelwald, mainly because he wasn''t in love with the man and didn''t have any way to manipulate him into behaving. He assembled those students that he had cultivated over the years and formed The Order Of The Phoenix. It was a vigilante group he used in countering the evil that Tom wanted to perpetuate on the wizarding world.


    Albus admitted to lying, manipulation, compulsion spells and love potions, to create the perfect soldiers to fight in the war. He knew it was going to be a decades long endeavour, just like the last time, and he was ready for it. It all changed with the prophecy and so did his plans.


    The Wizengamut sat there, stunned, as Albus told them what the prophecy was and what he did to ensure that it was accurate and would be fulfilled. It worked and he had saved the world again. He also had his future champion and the dark lord was nothing more than a spirit.


    He told them of his suspicions of why Voldemort hadn''t died completely, about the horcrux he suspected was inside Harry, and that he was trying desperately to manipulate the young boy into doing his bidding. He needed the weapon to fight Voldemort and no one in the wizarding world was going to stop him from saving them for a third time.


    He explained his removing Sirius from Harry''s life and then ensuring that Harry''s upbringing would prime the young man to readily accept help from outsiders and to be grateful for it. He wanted a nice and pliable weapon that he could mold and shape to fulfill the prophecy and to die for everyone when it was time.


    ¡°As you can see, everything I did was for the greater good. Now you all understand that I am completely innocent of all charges.¡± Albus said with satisfaction in his voice. They didn''t even need to renew the Viritaserum while he gave his speech, because he barely paused to take a breath. It was almost like once it started to come out, he just couldn''t stop it until he was done.


    ¡°We will have a brief recess to eat lunch while we discuss this new evidence.¡± The chief warlock said, his face a stone mask. He was fighting his urge to lunge at the old man and to pound him like a muggle. ¡°We will resume in thirty minutes.¡±


    A lot of the members stated that they didn''t need thirty minutes and only agreed because they were starving. They left the room and the spectators and reporters didn''t so much as twitch to leave as well. They needed to see what was going to happen, even if they already knew what it was.


    Not one person dared to approach Albus, not even his own supporters. The man sat there with a smug smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. They all sat there and waited for the Wizengamut to return.


    *


    ¡°Harry, wake up. It''s time for lunch.¡± Luna whispered to him. She didn''t speak loudly, because she really didn''t want to get up. She had never felt so needed or held so tenderly in her life, not even when her mother was alive. She was warm and felt really comfortable. She didn''t want to give that up; but, she also knew that they both needed to eat, since they hadn''t had anything since supper the night before.


    ¡°G''morning.¡± Harry mumbled and didn''t let go or move.


    ¡°Harry.¡± Luna whispered.


    ¡°Just a few more minutes.¡± Harry grumbled and rubbed his cheek on hers. ¡°You''re so warm and I don''t want to let go.¡±


    Luna blushed a little and didn''t say anything else. She really liked that he felt the same way and they stayed that way for another ten minutes before Harry''s stomach rumbled and Luna giggled.


    Harry let out a long and drawn out sigh. ¡°I guess we better get up before my stomach eats itself.¡±


    Luna giggled again and she slowly let Harry out of the embrace she had him in. He held on for another moment and let go as well. Luna sat up to look down at him and Harry looked up at her with all that long blonde hair handing down around her.


    Harry reached up and ran a hand through it. ¡°Why does it look longer?¡±


    ¡°I don''t have my hair clips in to hold it up.¡± Luna said and shook her head to make the hair cascade over Harry''s face. He let out a laugh as it tickled him. ¡°Come on. We need to get to the kitchen before Ron eats everything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, damn! I didn''t renew the food charms to fill the dishes again.¡± Harry said and sat up. ¡°If he finished anything off, I''ll have to make them again.¡±


    ¡°I think that would be fun.¡± Luna said and Harry gave her a smile.


    ¡°Then I won''t worry that he''s eating us out of house and home.¡± Harry said and climbed off of the bed. Luna followed him and they left the bedroom to go to the kitchen.


    ¡°Hey, guys.¡± Ron said with a huge plate of food in front of him. ¡°I was just working on the leftovers.¡±


    Harry and Luna exchanged a look and hid their laughs behind coughs.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Ginny asked and did her best to hide her envy. She wanted Harry to hold her like that and she didn''t understand how Luna had managed it. She promised herself that she would get Luna alone later and would ask.


    ¡°It was great.¡± Harry said and held a chair out for Luna to sit and he sat down across from her and beside Ron. ¡°I didn''t want to get up at all, only my stomach didn''t have the same idea.¡±


    ¡°It practically shouted for him to get up.¡± Luna said, a huge smile on her face. ¡°It almost shook the bed!¡±


    Ron laughed and Harry chuckled.


    ¡°It wasn''t that...¡± Harry started to say and his stomach rumbled really loudly. ¡°...bad.¡±


    That set them all to laughing, even Ginny. The four of them dug into the mounds of food and fed themselves a very filling lunch. Harry had taken Luna''s advice and didn''t worry when they finished off several of the dishes of food and he sent them to the sink to wash themselves.


    ¡°This is even better than Hogwarts.¡± Ron said as he sat back and pat his belly. ¡°That was really good.¡±


    ¡°I don''t have any plans for today, so I''ll be doing some cooking and things.¡± Harry said. ¡°What are you guys going to do?¡±


    ¡°We need to go home and check in with mum.¡± Ron said and stood. ¡°The girls need changes of clothes and things, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. They didn''t bring overnight bags like you did.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°We''ll be back before you know it.¡± Luna said and took his hand. ¡°I don''t even have to go home to get anything. I have some stuff stashed in Ginny''s room.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Ginny asked, a little surprised as she stood. ¡°I didn''t notice anything...¡±


    Luna smiled at Harry and he smiled back. She waited for Ron and Ginny to leave before she stood. ¡°By the time you finish putting the food away, I''ll be back.¡±


    ¡°Just you?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Mrs. Weasley isn''t going to let her youngest kids go right away.¡± Luna said. ¡°She won''t even notice me.¡±


    Harry gave her hand a squeeze. He didn''t say anything about it, because he knew all about being ignored by people while in elementary school and he had used it to his advantage. They shared a knowing look and she let his hand go before she left the kitchen. He heard the floo a couple of times and knew they were gone.


    He picked through the dishes and used the expansion and copy spells needed to refill the food dishes that he could and stored them back where he kept them when not using them. The others he had marked down on a sheet by the refrigerator to show that they had been used up. He was meticulous in his food management, mainly because he had grown up doing it.


    Harry went through the cupboards to start the prep work to make replacements and he heard the floo flare up again. A moment later, Luna came in wearing jeans and a short sleeved blue top that looked really tight. He raised his eyebrows at her and she let out a little chuckle.


    ¡°I might have grown a bit after stashing some of my clothes the last time.¡± Luna said, clearly amused.


    ¡°You were smaller than this?¡± Harry asked and she giggled.


    ¡°I have naturally small bones.¡± Luna said and preened a little, as if it was a point of pride.


    ¡°I wish I could say the same.¡± Harry said and his expression became a little sad.


    ¡°It''s all right.¡± Luna said and gave him a quick hug. ¡°You''ve gotten so much bigger since last year.¡±


    ¡°I have?¡± Harry asked, surprised. ¡°Wait, how would you know that?¡±


    ¡°Ginny''s pictures, of course.¡± Luna said and went to the counter. ¡°What are you making?¡±


    Harry pushed the thought of Ginny having pictures of him aside for now and stood beside Luna. ¡°Diced chicken with white rice and steamed vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Is it difficult to make?¡± Luna asked and her eyes roamed over the ingredients.


    ¡°It''s one of the easiest, actually. I wanted us to start small and work up to the complicated stuff.¡±


    Luna beamed a smile at him. ¡°Show me what to do.¡±


    Harry nodded and started to explain what to do first, prepping the chicken, then explained about the best way to cook the rice and what pot to use for the vegetables. Luna listened and did as he instructed and they cooked up the very first food that Luna had ever made. She had a lot of fun, mainly because Harry didn''t get angry when she made a mistake. He just laughed and corrected it for her, like it was nothing.


    They moved on to the next dish when that was done and they both had a lot more fun than either of them expected. Harry hadn''t really enjoyed cooking while growing up, mainly because he was forced to do it. It was a chore and he would be whacked and punished when he didn''t do it right. He had learned from that and he did everything he could to make sure the food was cooked well and tasted delicious.


    *


    ¡°We, the Wizengamut, with the approval of the austere members of the ICW, do hereby find you guilty on all charges. After a very short debate, your sentence is fifteen years each for all admitted offences, not counting the ones you weren''t charged with yet. We will save those for when your 150 year sentence is up.¡± The chief warlock said. ¡°Secure the prisoner and send him to where he belongs.¡±


    ¡°I can''t believe it.¡± Augusta Longbottom whispered as Albus was put in chains and two dementors came into the courtroom to retrieve him. ¡°Guilty on all charges.¡±


    Albus didn''t look repentant at all as he was led from the room, his head held high, and he assured the people near him that it was all a misunderstanding and that he would get a retrial soon, because he was innocent.


    Neville''s grandmother winced as Albus'' wand was snapped by the Aurors. The little pulse of magic as it happened was a bit of a shock to everyone, then it was over and everyone was dismissed. She left the courtroom, almost in a daze, and took the floo back to the Longbottom estate. She had a lot of soul searching to do, now that the full extent of Albus'' manipulations were exposed. Her own son, under compulsion to marry, just so he would produce a child, hurt her more than she ever expected.


    It would take her some time before she finally understood what had happened and she would do her best to make it up to her grandson. She knew that he had blossomed so much while being friends with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. He wasn''t as shy, he wasn''t as skittish, and he was starting to grow a nice backbone, something that all great wizards had.


    Yes, she would start tomorrow. Tomorrow, it was going to be a new household, right after a quick visit to both the healers and a master potions maker. She wanted to make sure that neither Frank nor Alice had anything left in their systems.


    From this point forward, her family was going to be one that everyone in the wizarding world was going to envy.


    *


    Lucius was overjoyed as he left the courtroom. He had never imagined that the old fool had done so many horrible and nasty things during both wars, then to hear what he did to Harry Potter had made his own sense of parental responsibility nearly explode. To leave a magical child be abused for ten years, by muggles no less, nearly made him lose his composure.


    He ignored those feelings and briefly talked to several of his accomplices, then he took the floo home to talk to Narcissa. She was going to be just as livid as he was about everything. She was also going to be very relieved that the manipulative old man was going to be out of the picture for a very long time.


    The only problem was, when he stepped out of the floo, he was inside a large bare room with a dozen Aurors.


    ¡°Incarcerous.¡± One of the men said and wrapped Lucius in magical ropes.


    ¡°What''s the meaning of this?¡± Lucius asked and hid his outrage at being captured.


    ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Malfoy.¡± Amelia said as she stepped forward. ¡°I''m just cleaning up a few things that the previous Minister of Magic left behind.¡±


    ¡°The previous minister?¡± Lucius asked as his mind started working out how to get out of this.


    Amelia smiled. ¡°I doubt that you would be surprised at the things that Fudge has been up to.¡±


    ¡°Surely, I don''t know what you mean.¡± Lucius said and she let out a chuckle.


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry. We have all the records needed of all the things that the two of you have been up to.¡± Amelia said and pointed to the side of the room. A small picture frame hung there and if he remembered correctly, it was the very first Minister of Magic. ¡°As you can clearly see, we have a first-hand witness to everything.¡±


    ¡°A portrait''s testimony is not admissible in court.¡± Lucius said, knowing the law for such things.


    ¡°You say that as if I didn''t know it myself.¡± Amelia said, amused. ¡°But you see, there''s this funny little law that no one pays attention to. Whenever a painting is mounted into a building, it becomes bound to that building. Anything that can harm it can be used for the purposes of the law. Testimony can''t be given, that''s true. However, a corroborated statement can be admitted.¡±


    Lucius opened his mouth to say that he would never admit to anything, then he said a name like it was a curse. ¡°Fudge.¡±


    Amelia grinned at him. ¡°Once the spineless little man admitted to a few things that broke his vow to the ministry, he lost his right to refuse the use of Viritaserum.¡±


    The floo flared behind him and another man was captured. Lucius didn''t like that it was Yaxley, who had been unmarked as a Death Eater, precisely for his integration into the ministry. The floo flared again and another man appeared. A woman was next, Deloris Umbridge, and then another man he didn''t know.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Deloris screeched. ¡°I will have you know that I am...¡±


    ¡°...a criminal hiding in plain sight.¡± Amelia cut off the horrible woman''s tirade before it began. ¡°It''s all right. I''m going to be sure that you all get a fair and unbiased trial before you''re put in Azkaban for the rest of your lives.¡±


    The floo flared again and again as more people were redirected from their destinations to the holding room. They were captured and bound before being moved off to the side to wait for the others. The list that Fudge had given them was a long one.


    *


    After supper and suffering their mother''s smothering embrace for the entire afternoon, Ron and Ginny finally made their escape and went back to Harry''s place. They could hear laughing coming from the kitchen and they went inside, only to be shocked at the sight of Harry and Luna nearly covered from head to foot in flour and other things.


    ¡°What are you doing?!?¡± Ginny asked, her voice a little shrill. She realized then that she had missed yet another chance to have fun with Harry and that Luna had kept him all to herself. It just wasn''t fair!


    ¡°Oh, hey guys!¡± Harry said as he looked at them and a clump of damp flour fell from the top of his head and plopped onto the floor. ¡°You just missed an epic food fight.¡±


    Ron and Ginny just stood there and stared at the huge mess the kitchen was in and with dirty pots and pans everywhere.


    ¡°Oh, not those.¡± Luna motioned to the pots and pans. ¡°We cooked all afternoon and dirtied those. It wasn''t until we were making a batch of cookies when ''Mister Potter'' decided that my cheeks needed a bit of powdering.¡±


    ¡°She looked so cute concentrating on sifting the flour while I was stirring the other ingredients that I wanted to distract her.¡± Harry said with a shrug. ¡°Before we knew it, we were covered and everything was... well, everywhere.¡±


    Luna laughed. ¡°We better get cleaned up.¡± She said and took his hand. As she led him by a still stunned Ron and Ginny, she spoke. ¡°Don''t bother cleaning up. We''ll handle it when we come back.¡±


    ¡°There''s chocolate cake in the fridge.¡± Harry said and let Luna pull him out of the kitchen.


    Ginny''s mouth fell open as she watched Luna take Harry into the bathroom and then the door was shut and locked. The water started soon after, then there was a bit more laughing and giggling.


    ¡°I... I can''t believe...¡± Ginny muttered.


    ¡°I wonder how big it is.¡± Ron said and went over to the refrigerator and looked inside. ¡°It''s huge!¡± He exclaimed and completely missed Ginny''s blush as she misunderstood what he was talking about.


    Ginny didn''t even look at Ron as he took out a giant three layer chocolate cake and cut off a huge slice for himself.


    ¡°Hey, Gin. Do you want some?¡± Ron asked.


    ¡°Y-yes.¡± Ginny said, her eyes staying on the bathroom door.


    ¡°Come and get it.¡± Ron said and slid a plate with a small slice of cake on it across the kitchen table.


    Ginny let out a sigh and went to the table to eat the piece of cake. It was delicious.

 110 The Rest Of Summer (New!)

    Bokuboy


    Harry and Luna dried off and dressed after their shared bath and joined Ron and Ginny in the kitchen. They ate some of the cake and after talking for a bit, Ron and Ginny watched as Harry and Luna cleaned up the kitchen by hand while Harry also used magic to clean the dishes.


    Ginny kept her opinion of the whole situation with Luna and Harry being so close, to herself. She also wondered how she was going to try and become someone that Harry needed in his life. Little did she know that she didn''t have to do anything to stand out. That wasn''t how Harry thought. They were all friends and that was what mattered to him.


    They went to the living room and Harry brought out the second year books and made copies for Ron, Ginny, and Luna. Ron was more than happy to accept, especially since it was going to save his family that much more money. He wasn''t allowed to tell anyone, though. Harry didn''t want to get in trouble for it.


    Luna quickly asked for copies of his first year books as well and checked them against her list. It was the same and she gave Harry a long and lingering hug. ¡°Thank you so much, Harry. You don''t know what this means to me.¡± She said softly.


    ¡°You''re welcome. Do you want them shrunk as well?¡± Harry asked as he held on and didn''t try to let her go. For some reason, he didn''t mind her hugs. He wouldn''t be able to make sense of his feeling until he was older and realized it was because Luna was completely non-threatening. ¡°You just tap them with your wand and cast the general counter spell to enlarge them.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Luna said and Harry did so. ¡°Can you give Ginny a set, too?¡±


    ¡°Easily.¡± Harry said and quickly did so. ¡°I''m sorry that I didn''t give you these as soon as I knew that you were going to school.¡±


    Harry was getting really good at the copy spell and it didn''t take much of his energy at all now, since he had done so many of them and was practising the spell all of the time. He also knew that Hermione would have a few more for him to do when they got to school. He would keep any books she gave him in pristine condition and would use the copies instead.


    ¡°I can''t believe you can copy them so easily now.¡± Ron said and held up a copy of the newest hex spell book that Harry had bought. ¡°Thanks, mate.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°I figured I wasn''t getting it back unless I gave you a copy anyway.¡±


    ¡°That''s true.¡± Ron said with a grin. ¡°Some of these are great!¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I only flipped through the index and I thought the nose reversal spell looked interesting.¡±


    ¡°Just wait until Malfoy has to breathe through the back of his head!¡± Ron said with a laugh. ¡°That''s going to be so funny!¡±


    ¡°Don''t get caught using it.¡± Harry warned. ¡°You know what he''s like.¡±


    Ron nodded in agreement. ¡°That git is going to suffer for what he did to you.¡±


    ¡°Why did he get away with kidnapping you?¡± Ginny asked, confusion on her face. ¡°He should have been suspended at least.¡± She didn''t see the slightly angry look that Luna gave her.


    ¡°Money.¡± ¡°Politics.¡± Ron and Harry said at the same time.


    ¡°It doesn''t really matter how. All that matters is where you go from here.¡± Luna said, wisely.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you''re right.¡± Harry said and turned to smile at her. ¡°Thanks, Luna.¡±


    Luna waved his thanks away. ¡°As long as you don''t let it interfere with your schoolwork.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Not another one!¡± Ron groaned.


    Harry had to laugh. ¡°She''s a potential Ravenclaw, remember?¡±


    ¡°Don''t remind me.¡± Ron said and ducked his head down into the book to study that nose spell.


    ¡°We need to study if we want to stay ahead of our subjects anyway.¡± Harry said and Luna beamed a smile at him, which made him feel warm inside.


    ¡°Can you give me a hand, Harry? I haven''t had a lot of practical experience.¡± Ginny asked.


    ¡°Maybe later. I need to study up a bit first.¡± Harry said and picked up the revised potions book that Professor Snape had recommended instead of the basic potions book for the school. He also grabbed several pieces of parchment and sat down to start doing out the calculations he would need to modify the potions with and for the adjusted times that his gold cauldron would need.


    Almost an hour later, Harry had three of the potions reconfigured and then realized that he hadn''t given Luna and Ginny their cauldrons. He closed his book with the parchment inside and went to his bedroom.


    ¡°Harry?¡± Ginny asked as he passed her.


    ¡°Just a second.¡± Harry said and disappeared into his bedroom for a minute. He went down into his trunk and retrieved the case of the shrunken cauldrons with cakes inside that his friend Nicolas Flamel had sent him to give to his friends. He grabbed two of them and tucked them into his pockets. He closed the case and then left his trunk to go back out to the living room.


    Luna caught her breath and stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°H-Harry! You can''t!¡±


    Harry barked a laugh. ¡°You''re really smart.¡± He complimented her and pulled out the two small gold cauldrons. ¡°Chocolate or double chocolate?¡±


    Luna looked like she was going to cry. ¡°D-d-double chocolate, please.¡±


    Harry handed the one he had in his right hand to her and her hands shook slightly. ¡°Hey, it''s all right. All my friends have one.¡±


    ¡°It''s true.¡± Ron said when he saw what he handed over. ¡°Mind you, he gave me mine before he figured out that he could shrink the damn things.¡±


    Harry laughed. ¡°Professor Snape sure was surprised, wasn''t he?¡±


    ¡°So was my back! That thing was huge!¡± Ron exclaimed, then they both laughed at the remembered look that had been on Snape''s face at the time.


    ¡°Here you go, Ginny.¡± Harry said after he calmed down and passed the other small gold cauldron to her. ¡°Don''t enlarge it until you get home. It really is quite heavy when its full size.¡±


    Ginny stared at the glittering cauldron in her hand. ¡°Harry, are you serious? You''re giving this to me?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why wouldn''t I? You''re my friend.¡± Harry said, completely missing the point.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Ginny said, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Harry saw the look on her face and put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Yes, I know what you''re thinking... and yes, you can sell it if you want. It''s yours and you can do whatever you want with it.¡±


    Ginny''s eyes nearly bulged out of her head and her eyes snapped to his. ¡°Harry, I... you gave this to me and...¡±


    Harry pat her shoulder and walked back over to the big comfy chair where he had left his book. ¡°You don''t have to use it. If you do, it''s more work.¡± He said and quickly wrote out the formulas that he had memorized for use in the potion conversions. He walked over to Luna on the couch and handed her the sheet. ¡°These are the formulas you need for the different brew times and other things that change when switching between a normal pewter cauldron and a gold cauldron.¡±


    Luna''s eyes lit up at the new information and put the cauldron down to take the paper. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Harry said and went back to his seat.


    It was quiet in the apartment for the rest of the afternoon. Harry stopped working and studying when it was time for supper. He had already made several dishes and brought Ron, Ginny, and Luna into the kitchen to eat. He used the switching spell and set out the different dishes, just like the house elves did at Hogwarts.


    ¡°Eat up.¡± Harry said and sat down after setting out the different drinks. ¡°It''s not like I don''t have a lot for you to choose from.¡±


    Ron nodded and helped himself. ¡°You need to tell the elves how to make mashed potatoes.¡±


    Harry barked a laugh. ¡°Are you sure you want me to tell them some of my family secrets?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Everyone will love this new creamy deliciousness and won''t miss the old lumpy version.¡±


    Ginny took some and had to agree. ¡°If they don''t taste this good, you really should tell them.¡±


    ¡°It''s better than mum''s.¡± Ron said and took another scoop before pointing the large spoon at Ginny. ¡°You better not tell her that!¡±


    Ginny snorted. ¡°I''m not stupid. She''d kill you.¡±


    ¡°She really would.¡± Luna commented and helped herself to some of the mashed potatoes. ¡°I agree, Harry. I think if you helped the elves make better food for the castle, it can only benefit you... and everyone else in the castle.¡±


    Harry sat back and thought about what she said. ¡°All right. I''ll see if I can find the kitchens and see if they want to listen to my tips and tricks.¡±


    ¡°Just ask Fred and George. They''ve been going to the kitchens for ages.¡± Ron said and bit into a pork chop. ¡°Oh, this is tender!¡±


    ¡°I''ll do that.¡± Harry agreed and the four friends enjoyed the food. They finished their meal some time later and it was time for them to go home.


    ¡°Thanks for having us over, mate.¡± Ron said and clapped Harry on the back. ¡°It''s been fun.¡±


    Harry nodded and followed them to watch them get their things. ¡°I''ll see you next week?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I don''t think we''re doing anything else next weekend.¡± Ron said and tossed some powder into the fireplace before he stepped in. ¡°The Burrow.¡±


    Ginny went next and seemed to glare at Luna before she disappeared in the flames.


    ¡°Is she angry at you or something?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Kind of.¡± Luna said with a dreamy smile. ¡°She''s nervous about leaving me here.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°I don''t want to know why, do I?¡±


    Luna''s smile became a bit bigger as she stepped close to hug him, showing him why. ¡°See you later.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡± Harry said and hugged her back. He held on for some reason and her grip tightened after a moment.


    Luna eventually let go and stepped back, then she tossed some powder into the fireplace and disappeared after the two redheads.


    Harry let out a sigh and looked around at the place. It was untidy after having four people staying there, so he got to work fixing the place up. He didn''t want to go to bed with the place out of sorts. It always bugged him when Vernon and Dudley did that on purpose to give him more to do before going to bed and also when the boys at school did it to the dorm room.


    Ten minutes later, the fireplace flared up and he turned to look and see who it was.


    ¡°Luna?¡± Harry asked, more than surprised to see the little blonde girl standing there with a big suitcase.


    ¡°Hi, Harry.¡± Luna said and walked over to the second bedroom. She put her suitcase inside and came back out. ¡°Daddy''s going on another trip.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°He''s pretty happy that I have somewhere other than the Weasleys to go to now.¡± Luna said and smiled.


    ¡°Luna...¡±


    ¡°It''s okay. I went home first and got some actual clothes.¡± Luna said and plucked at the normal top she now wore instead of the too tight blue top she had worn before. ¡°I used the floo from home and not from the Weasleys.¡±


    ¡°They don''t know you''re here?¡± Harry asked, slightly concerned.


    ¡°Nope.¡± Luna said and beamed a smile at him.


    Harry opened his mouth to tell her that she shouldn''t be there when no one else knew where she was... then he looked around at the now straightened up apartment... that had been empty of everyone but him. His protest died before he could voice it, because he really didn''t want to be alone for a whole week.


    Luna let out a yawn and stretched her arms over her head. ¡°I think it''s bedtime.¡±


    Harry looked at the time on the living room clock and it was getting pretty late. ¡°You''re right, Luna. Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Night.¡± Luna said and went to the second bedroom to get changed.


    Harry went to his bedroom and didn''t bother changing the bed back to its normal size. He changed into his night clothes and climbed under the blanket. His door opened and Luna came right in, as if she owned the place.


    ¡°Luna?¡± Harry asked.


    Luna didn''t say anything as she climbed into the bed and slid under the blanket with him.


    ¡°Luna? What are you doing?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Sleeping.¡± Luna responded and turned onto her side and stared at him.


    ¡°It looks like you''re keeping an eye on me, not sleeping.¡±


    Luna smiled and did a long and slow blink of her eyes. ¡°There. I''m no longer staring. Happy?¡±


    Harry had to laugh at her breaking eye contact for only a second. ¡°Surprisingly.¡±


    Luna''s smile slowly disappeared and she shimmied closer to cuddle in. ¡°Goodnight, Harry.¡±


    ¡°Luna.¡± Harry whispered as he felt her all down his side.


    ¡°You can hug me if you want.¡± Luna said. ¡°It was really nice the last time.¡±


    Harry blinked his eyes several times as his slightly sleepy brain processed that statement. ¡°You... really...¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Luna breathed and lifted her head. ¡°Arm, please.¡±


    Harry didn''t resist and put his arm around her shoulders. She rested her neck on it and easily tucked the pillow in close to not make either her or Harry sore.


    The two of them stayed there and were quiet for some time before Harry turned onto his side to face her. He took a shallow breath to speak and Luna beat him to it.


    ¡°Thank you and you''re welcome.¡± Luna whispered as her arms went around him to hug him close. ¡°You should send more letters out to the people you were there with.¡± She said and closed her eyes, as if she knew that he didn''t want her to see his face.


    ¡°Luna...¡± Harry whispered back and closed his own eyes to try and stop the tears. After a few moments, he stopped fighting the feelings he had repressed since the night he had died and let the tears flow down his face and onto the pillow. He started to sob and cry silently, and all the while Luna held him tightly and added her own tears to their shared pillow.


    Neither of them said another word before the both of them had cried themselves to sleep.


    By the morning, the both of them felt much better about everything.


    *


    The days went on in almost the same vein after that for the rest of the summer. Harry and Luna would study for several hours, do practical spells for several hours, then they would cook and share meals. They quickly fell into the familiar and comfortable pattern that they had established, including sleeping in the same bed, and they were both enjoying it more than they thought they would.


    Letters were exchanged with their friends and Harry had also taken Luna''s advice. He sent letters to Amelia, Sirius, Ela, and Remus, the four people that he knew the best that had also been there that night. He told them how he was dealing with everything and how Luna was helping him by being there to support him.


    Ela responded first and praised him for taking it in hand and for letting her know that he was dealing with it. She visited when she had gotten off work that day and Luna tried to give them privacy. Neither Harry nor Ela were having that and included her in their therapy session. The three of them benefited from it, especially Luna. She liked Sirius'' not-yet-wife and her hugs were almost as nice as Harry''s.


    Ron and Ginny visited the next weekend and had no idea that Luna had been there the whole time. In fact, they only visited once more a week before the end of the summer.


    *


    The incident at the ministry with Harry and the horcruxes was easily covered up, much to everyone''s relief, especially when it was all attributed to the Unspeakables. No one questioned it at all. Sirius had been right that no one would come looking for the dead Unspeakable agents, which was fantastic, because without anyone to look into it, nothing that happened had been discovered.


    It took two weeks for Amelia to sort through all of the messes that the old minister had left in the ministry and to root out all of the corruption, bribery, misplacement of funds, and promised favors that were either broken or undone because of all of the arrests. Restructuring the different departments to get all of the outside influences removed from everyone''s offices was going to take much longer than that, though.


    The trials were going to take a while as well. The depth of the corruption in the Ministry of Magic was deep and pervasive, with some things being years and sometimes decades old. For every person that was brought to light in the conspiracy to cover it all up, it only revealed several more members to be implicated. The domino effect would be something that Amelia would be well acquainted with by the time it was all said and done.


    *


    Summer came to an end, as did Harry''s sequestered time at the Dursley''s. He had only seen them once, when they had gone for a drive and had looked into the window when they were coming back into the house.


    Needless to say, the Dursleys were not happy that Harry''s apartment was much nicer than the rest of the house. Harry never heard the bangs on his cupboard door or the demands to open it up. He also never heard the threats they made to kick him out if he didn''t let them in.


    The Dursleys didn''t know that he wouldn''t have answered, even if he did hear them, because he had promised himself that he would ignore them. He had to call the place home until he was of age, which was seventeen in the wizarding world. Harry wasn''t going to do anything to mess up the protections that had been set onto the house, not for the next five years. Until then, they were kind of stuck living under the same roof.


    ¡°I can''t believe it''s that time already.¡± Harry said as he shrunk his trunk and tucked it into his pocket.


    ¡°I know. I''m really going to miss sleeping with you every night.¡± Luna said and pointed to her trunk.


    Harry let out a laugh and shook his head. ¡°That''s not what I meant.¡± He said and shrunk her trunk.


    ¡°You''re going to miss your cuddle-buddy.¡± Luna said pointedly with that dreamy smile of hers.


    Harry took her hand and gave it a squeeze. ¡°I can''t miss you if I see you every day.¡±


    Luna''s smile turned a little sad. ¡°Harry...¡±


    ¡°Hey, it''s okay.¡± Harry said and stepped close to give her a tender hug. ¡°We might be in different houses when at school; but, that doesn''t mean you aren''t still my friend or that I''m going to ignore you.¡±


    Luna sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. ¡°I miss your food already.¡±


    Harry laughed and rubbed her back. ¡°I swear, the first thing I''m doing is getting Fred and George to tell me where the kitchens are.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Luna said and let him go. ¡°Come on. The Knight Bus waits for no one.¡±


    Harry gave one last look around to make sure he had everything put away and packed up, then he cast the fire escape spell to make the single window enlarge into a screen door. The notice-me-not charm on the outside made sure that no one saw this and both he and Luna stepped out onto the front lawn. Harry locked the window and cancelled the fire escape spell while Luna summoned the bus.


    There was a bang and a flash of light down the street a few moments later. The Knight Bus swerved several times, making a hedge and two parked cars jump out of the way as it passed.


    ¡°One day, I''ll learn what spells do that.¡± Harry commented and Luna nodded in agreement.


    The bus picked them up and the two students cast the Spongify spell on everything. They had a blast rolling around and bouncing off of everything as the bus did its normal erratic driving to take them to Kings Cross Station.


    ¡°Thanks, Stan and Ernie.¡± Harry said and pulled out a shrunken box and enlarged it. ¡°I made this for you when I knew I''d be taking the bus.¡±


    ¡°Harry! You da man!¡± Stan said happily as he opened the large box and it had two dozen small cauldron cakes inside. ¡°Oi! Ern! Harry''s got more cakes for us!¡±


    ¡°He''s not riding free again. Bribes work one time only.¡± Ernie said with a stern voice as his hand grabbed a random cake.


    Harry did his best to not laugh. ¡°It''s not a bribe. I know you guys like them, so just enjoy them.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Harry.¡± Stan said with a big grin on his face.


    ¡°Bye!¡± Luna said and took Harry''s hand to lead him off the bus. The two young people went inside the train station and waved at the ticket man at the security station.


    ¡°Catching a train, are you?¡± The man asked and peered at them.


    ¡°Yep! Same time every year. Boarding school, you know.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Ah, so that''s why there''s so many kids and adults coming through. I figured it was something like that, considering I never see the kids coming back.¡±


    ¡°Not until Christmas for the holiday break...¡± Harry then added the correction. ¡°...or June.¡±


    ¡°Well, good luck and have fun at school.¡± The man said and waved them through.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Harry said and it was his turn to lead Luna through the crowds and to the right spot between platforms 9 and 10. ¡°There''s a magical barrier between the platforms.¡± He whispered to her and moved her to the side and to a good watching spot. ¡°You can see it when the next person goes through it.¡±


    The two of them stood there for nearly ten minutes before a man and two children walked by them with a cart and two trunks on it. The man didn''t even pause as he led them through the barrier.


    ¡°There must be a notice-me-not charm on the area just around it.¡± Luna whispered.


    ¡°That''s my guess, too.¡± Harry said. ¡°Do you want to head over now?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Luna said and followed Harry over to the barrier. ¡°It''s not going to hurt, is it?¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°It''s more visually jarring, since I assume it''s not just a barrier and actually transports us to another track.¡±


    Luna blinked her eyes and then smiled at him. ¡°I see. Thank you for explaining.¡±


    Harry held her hand and led her through the barrier. After a second of disorientation, they appeared on the other side of a brick wall and on the side of the platform they needed to get to.


    ¡°You''re right, Harry. That was a displacement spell that was covered by an illusion spell.¡±


    ¡°Two, actually. One''s on this side as well for some reason, as if we didn''t know it was a doorway going back.¡± Harry said with a bit of a chuckle.


    Luna smiled and had to agree. It didn''t make a lot of sense to conceal the magical side at all. Her thoughts were cut off when she caught sight of the large steam engine that they were going to ride behind.


    ¡°Wait until you see inside.¡± Harry said and led her along the outside of the train to let her take it all in. ¡°I didn''t get to see it all up close like this last year.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Luna asked, curious.


    ¡°It was hectic and too busy for me to do more that get a glance.¡±


    ¡°That''s why we''re here so early.¡± Luna said in understanding.


    ¡°You got it on the first guess again.¡± Harry responded and Luna beamed a smile at him. ¡°It gives us time to check things out and also to get a good compartment to wait for our friends in.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention getting a bit more studying in.¡± Luna said and he nodded.


    Harry led her down to the engine and knocked. The door opened and a man wearing a conductor''s uniform stood there with a bit of a perplexed look on his face.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°Hi. I''m Harry and this is Luna. It''s her first time and I was hoping we could get a look at the engine.¡±


    ¡°Ticket, please.¡± The man said and held a hand out. Luna handed over her ticket and the man examined it for precisely two seconds and used a handheld hole punch on it before the ticket disappeared with a soft glow. ¡°Welcome aboard, Miss Lovegood.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Luna said with a happy smile.


    ¡°We don''t normally let students tour the engine room.¡±


    ¡°That''s okay. We just thought we''d ask.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°We really want to know everything about magic. It''s all so fascinating.¡± Luna said.


    The conductor gave them each a brief look, the same look he gave the ticket, then he nodded. ¡°It''s early enough that it shouldn''t cause a disruption. If you will come this way?¡±


    Both Harry and Luna had huge smiles on their faces as they followed the man inside the engine compartment and then gasped as they beheld the magical controls. The conductor showed them around and then opened the main chamber. The room seemed to be very thick with ambient magic and Luna had to grip Harry''s arm tightly to not be overwhelmed by it.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Harry whispered and reached out to wave his free hand through it.


    ¡°You can feel that?¡± The conductor asked, slightly surprised.


    ¡°We both can.¡± Harry said and put the hand on Luna''s cheek. ¡°Are you okay, Luna?¡±


    ¡°M''fine.¡± Luna said a little lazily as she rested her head on Harry''s shoulder. ¡°There''s just so much.¡±


    ¡°I know! We never thought it would be like that. Thanks for showing us, sir.¡± Harry said and turned around as he eased Luna back out of the compartment. ¡°Let''s find somewhere to sit down.¡±


    Luna nodded slowly and let Harry take her into the train proper and to the passenger compartments.


    Well, it looks like I was right to keep an eye on him. The conductor thought as he watched the two young people leave. It''s pretty rare to find one child in a year that''s sensitive enough to feel the poweful enchantments. His eyes darted to the girl with the long blonde hair and smiled. He just happened to bring the one from this year, too!


    *


    The platform started to fill up with families seeing their children off to school. Most stood around to chat, as if it was a social gathering and not them dropping off their kids for boarding school. The kids mostly did the same thing, except there was a lot more noise and running around.


    ¡°You know he''s here already.¡± A very familiar woman''s voice said as she followed her daughter towards the barrier that kept the muggles from seeing anything magical.


    ¡°Oh, I''m sure he is.¡± Hermione said, her voice a bit sterner than usual.


    ¡°Hermione, please don''t do this.¡± Emma Granger warned her daughter. ¡°You need to...¡±


    ¡°I know what I need to do.¡± Hermione said, determined.


    Emma managed to not sigh at her daughter. ¡°It''s not really a legal document that can be enforced.¡±


    ¡°Not on this side of the barrier.¡± Hermione whispered just loud enough for her mother to hear.


    Emma actually sighed this time.


    ¡°I know what I''m doing.¡± Hermione said.


    ¡°No, you don''t. But, you''ll learn that not all things need to be handled this way.¡± Emma said and gave her daughter a hug. ¡°Be good and be safe.¡±


    Hermione gave her mother a hug back. ¡°See you at Christmas.¡±


    ¡°Alone?¡± Emma asked, even though she knew what the answer was going to be.


    ¡°If he doesn''t agree to the terms.¡± Hermione said.


    If he''s smart, he won''t. Emma thought and let her daughter go. Unfortunately, I''m sure that Hermione is going to force him to... and that''s not going to end well for anyone. ¡°Bye, sweetie.¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡± Hermione said as she walked over to the barrier and then went through it.


    *


    ¡°Hey, guys.¡± Neville said as he entered the compartment with his trunk. He didn''t comment about Luna resting her head on Harry''s shoulder and put his trunk up on the rack.


    ¡°Hi, Neville.¡± Harry said with a bit of a wave. ¡°Luna''s a bit tired after we visited the engine room.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!? You got to see it?¡± Neville asked, shocked. ¡°No one''s allowed in there!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Harry asked, surprised himself. ¡°The conductor only said that they don''t normally give tours.¡±


    Neville shook his head and almost laughed. ¡°That''s the polite way to tell you off for asking.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Harry said and gave Luna an apologetic look.


    ¡°He let us in anyway, so it''s okay.¡± Luna said and closed her eyes. ¡°So much magic.¡±


    ¡°What was it like?¡± Neville asked as the compartment door opened.


    ¡°HI!¡± Lavender yelled and hopped into the compartment, her trunk tumbling in after her. She quickly gave Harry a hug and sat down next to Luna.


    ¡°Let me get that for you.¡± Harry said and levitated the trunk to the rack.


    ¡°Thanks, Harry! You''re the best!¡± Lavender gushed. She was really easy to please.


    ¡°Hi, there.¡± Parvati said with a normal voice and closed the door before she put her trunk down. ¡°What was what like?¡±


    ¡°Harry and Luna visited the train''s engine.¡± Neville said as Parvati sat beside him and Harry took care of her trunk, too.


    ¡°You''re kidding! Trying to get in there is worse than getting into the restricted section in the Library!¡± Parvati said, just as shocked as Neville.


    ¡°It''s not that big of a deal.¡± Harry said and tried to downplay the visit. He hadn''t known it would be that big of a deal.


    ¡°It''s like finding the ancient Chamber of Secrets!¡± Lavender said, not realizing that Harry was the one that had found that very thing. ¡°I didn''t even know you could get in there, let alone look around!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it''s been a mystery for years.¡± Neville said and Parvati nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Spill! I wanna hear all about it.¡± Lavender said and turned on the seat to face Harry and Luna.


    Harry looked around at their expectant faces and relented to the peer pressure. ¡°All right, it was...¡±


    *BANG!*


    ¡°Whew! We made it!¡± Ron said loudly as he stumbled into the compartment after slamming the door open. ¡°It was close, but we did it.¡±


    Everyone stared at him and his face flushed a little red.


    ¡°Uh, sorry. I kicked the door a little hard.¡± Ron said and hefted his trunk up to the rack.


    ¡°Anyways...¡± Harry started to say.


    ¡°I need to go find Ginny.¡± Luna said and cut him off. ¡°I''ll see you later.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Harry asked, concern clear in his voice.


    Luna lightly touched his cheek and nodded, then she walked to the door and slowly closed it. She started to walk away and suddenly stopped to turn and leaned against the wall. She stood there and waited for several minutes until a head of bushy hair appeared at the door of the next train car entrance.


    Luna didn''t have to look to see that the face under that hair was angry. She didn''t move or say anything as Hermione practically stormed through the train car and looking into the compartments, until she found the one she was looking for just passed where a practically invisible Luna stood.


    ¡°Of course it''s the very last one I check.¡± Hermione grumbled in a whisper. She took a deep breath to try and hold her anger in, straightened her shoulders, and opened the door.


    This isn''t going to be good. Luna thought as the door closed and she felt the silence spell be applied to the door.


    Barely five minutes later, the door opened again as the silence spell dropped. Hermione huffed and closed the door, barely restraining her need to slam the thing, and started to stalk away.


    ¡°You are an idiot.¡± Luna said as she stepped out in front of her.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Hermione asked, her confusion of Luna''s sudden appearance was muddying her anger temporarily.


    ¡°I don''t know what you just did; but, you hurt him.¡± Luna said, her voice sad. ¡°You don''t know what he''s gone through...¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t matter! He has no right to spend all that money on me for no reason! I swear I''m going to pay him back every knut, even if he doesn''t sign the loan agreement I drew up.¡± Hermione almost spat.


    Luna had to take a moment to process the meaning behind the words and she took a step forward. ¡°I changed my mind. You are a stupid self-righteous idiot.¡± She said and walked around her to go back to Harry''s compartment.


    ¡°You can''t talk to me like...¡±


    ¡°Ignoring you.¡± Luna said and opened the compartment door. She went inside and closed it, just as Ginny entered the train car.


    ¡°Is Harry in this car? I''ve looked everywhere else.¡± Ginny said and Hermione pointed to the right compartment. Ginny went over to it and looked in the window of the door. ¡°Merlin, dammit! She beat me to it again!¡±


    Hermione gave her a questioning look. ¡°Beat you to what?¡±


    ¡°Come and see for yourself.¡± Ginny said with a sigh and motioned to the window.


    Hermione walked over to the compartment and looked inside. She gasped when she saw Luna practically wrapped around Harry and Harry had his head ducked down onto her shoulder and had her in a tight embrace. Anger filled her, only it was a different kind from what she had felt moments before. She wasn''t sure why she was feeling it or why it was different, though.


    Hermione didn''t know that it was jealousy and she was a bit too young to understand why she was feeling it. She steeled herself and let out a huff. ¡°I wonder how long he can go without having me around to help him study all the time.¡±


    Ginny gave her a surprised look for a moment, then quickly replaced it with a blank face. She didn''t say anything and watched as Hermione walked away. When she was gone, Ginny gave the compartment another glance before she made her decision. She turned and walked away to go back to the other first years that she had met. Luna was supposed to meet them as well, only she was now occupied comforting Harry after whatever Hermione had done.


    *


    ¡°Shh.¡± Luna whispered as she held a sobbing Harry and she pressed her lips to his ear. ¡°She doesn''t realize what she''s done.¡±


    The others in the compartment were quite uncomfortable after witnessing the argument between such good friends like Harry and Hermione. To argue so much over some gold that was given as a gift, then to threaten to break off the friendship if he didn''t agree to change the gift into a loan... it wasn''t a good thing to witness.


    Lavender''s normally happy demeanor was as subdued as it had ever been and Parvati was close to tears herself. Neither of them had thought that they would ever see their friend be so quickly reduced to tears by another friend. That was mainly because they didn''t know that Harry didn''t have any friends before coming to school and that Hermione had been his very first one.


    For Hermione to threaten to break their friendship over something he thought wasn''t even worth mentioning between friends, hurt him more than anything else she could have done. He thought that he meant more to her than that and all she could see their friendship as, was a bargaining chip.


    It took Harry a long time to recover his composure and eased his hold on the young blonde that had held onto him the whole time. He took several shaky breaths and pulled out a tissue to wipe at his own face, then took out another to wipe at Luna''s face. He vanished both used tissues and used a drying charm on her top and on his shirt to clean up the large wet spots that his sadness had left behind.


    ¡°Thanks, Luna.¡± Harry said sincerely as he put his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into his side.


    Luna cupped the side of his face and leaned in to place a light kiss on his other cheek. ¡°I only did what any good friend would do.¡±


    Neville saw an opportunity to lighten the mood and jumped on it. ¡°Don''t hold me to that standard, Harry.¡± He said with a forced grin. ¡°I mean, we are good friends and I like you... but, there''s no way I''m crying on your shoulder or kissing you afterwards!¡±


    Ron barked a laugh. ¡°Me neither! I don''t kiss my sister''s cheek after she has a crying fit, so I sure as bloody hell ain''t kissing your cheek after you have one!¡±


    Neville laughed and Harry rolled his eyes, even as a smile slowly appeared on his face.


    ¡°That''s because boys are terrible at stuff like that.¡± Lavender said with a shake of her head.


    ¡°My brothers are the worst.¡± Parvati added, then she smiled. ¡°They pretty much laugh if Padma or I try to cry on them.¡±


    ¡°Was it always sincere?¡± Luna asked, curious.


    ¡°Well...¡± Parvati started to say and then grinned. ¡°...sometimes.¡±


    That made everyone laugh a little and the tension in the room lessened just enough that no one felt uncomfortable, not even Harry after his breakdown in front of them. He shifted his gaze to each person and looked at their faces.


    ¡°I''m sorry about all that.¡± Harry said, his voice back to normal. ¡°I don''t usually cry like that.¡±


    ¡°Or at all.¡± Ron offered.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it. We all have our moments.¡± Lavender said. ¡°I had a horrible hair day just last week and nothing I did could fix it. I cried for an hour!¡±


    ¡°That was why it was a hat day?¡± Parvati reached over and pat Lavender''s knee as the girl nodded. ¡°I had mine three weeks ago and not even my mother could avert my sorrow.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you keep it in a braid at school? You''re worried about bad hair days?¡± Neville asked.


    Parvati gave him a knowing look. ¡°You''ve been keeping that close of an eye on me all last year to notice that?¡±


    Neville sputtered incoherently as his face flushed red, then he turned his head to look out the train''s window without answering her. Pavarti and Lavender exchanged a different knowing look and slightly nodded to each other.


    Several minutes of silence passed before it was broken.


    ¡°Who wants to play Exploding Snap?¡± Ron asked and took out the old deck he had been given by Percy. ¡°You better be careful though. This deck is old and might just snap in your hand instead.¡±


    ¡°I''m in!¡± Neville said and moved over to sit beside Ron. He would do anything to distract everyone from Parvati''s comment.


    The rest of the ride passed by without the expected visit from Malfoy to antagonize them, which seemed a bit odd. What they didn''t know, since the trial had been held in a closed Wizengamut session to keep it from the press, was that Lucius Malfoy was sentenced to ten years in Azkaban prison for his crimes. The only people who knew this were sworn to secrecy.


    There was a tense moment when the compartment door opened and a very frazzled Susan Bones stood there to stare at Harry. Her eyes took in Luna tucked into his side and the faint tear streaks on both of their faces. Word had already spread through the entire train about Harry and Hermione''s argument and Susan had come right to him, after getting the story and Harry''s location from Ginny.


    Susan didn''t say anything as she stepped into the compartment. Luna sat up straight and Harry stood to take what he knew was going to happen. Amelia had warned him about it and he opened his arms to accept it. Susan stepped into his arms and the two of them hugged tightly.


    ¡°I''m sorry that I couldn''t come visit.¡± Susan said. ¡°You know with everything going on at the Ministry that the Bones House was on lock down all summer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was, too.¡± Harry said and didn''t look at Luna. They had agreed that no one needed to know that she had spent most of the summer at his place and with her father''s blessing. In fact, her father hadn''t bothered trying to see her off at the train station and let her go with Harry instead. Xenophilus didn''t tell them that he was too saddened at the prospect of sending his little girl off to school, so he let Harry handle it for him.


    ¡°It''s okay now, though. We''re at school and I''m not letting you out of my sight!¡± Susan promised.


    Harry had to chuckle as he let her go. ¡°We''re in different houses. There''s no way you can keep that promise.¡±


    ¡°Just watch me.¡± Susan said, determination in her voice.


    Harry''s chuckle became a laugh, because he remembered Luna saying the same thing to him after Amelia charged her to keep an eye on him that fateful night. He sat down and saw Luna had a big smile on her face, so he knew that she was thinking the same thing.


    ¡°Budge over and let me sit.¡± Susan said and waved a hand at Luna.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Luna said and briefly stood. Instead of trying to squish up next to Lavender, she turned to the side and sat right down on Harry''s lap. She put her arms around Harry''s neck and cuddled into his chest.


    ¡°That''s... not what I meant.¡± Susan said and wasn''t sure what to do.


    ¡°I didn''t want to squish Lavender.¡± Luna said as an explanation. ¡°There''s now lots of room for you to sit down, too.¡±


    Susan saw Harry''s face and didn''t see any stress or objection to having Luna on his lap, so she shrugged and sat down in the available space. ¡°So, what did you do all summer?¡±


    ¡°Ginny, Luna, and me stayed at Harry''s for a couple of weekends.¡± Ron said and felt a card in his hand heat up. He tossed it in the air and it popped and fizzled. ¡°See? The enchantments are getting weak and not holding a charge.¡±


    ¡°Want me to try fixing them?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Can you do that? It''s not like they''re broken or anything.¡± Ron responded and gathered them up.


    ¡°It''s a pretty versatile spell. I fixed everything back at the house before I got my apartment.¡± Harry said as Luna took the deck of cards from Ron to hold them for Harry. Harry let his magic flow out and encompass the deck of cards, then cast the repair spell. ¡°REPARO!¡±


    The deck of cards glowed for several seconds. When the glow faded, the previously worn out deck of cards was now a pristine deck of cards that were fully charged magically.


    ¡°Woooow.¡± Lavender said as she stared at the cards. ¡°I didn''t know you could fix things like that.¡±


    ¡°Most wizards and witches have a different mindset than someone raised by muggles. Things we see as disposable and replaceable are seen as fixable and reusable by others.¡± Luna said and everyone but Harry turned their heads to look at her. ¡°It''s true.¡±


    ¡°How would you know? You''re part of a magical family, aren''t you?¡± Parvati asked.


    ¡°Harry''s my friend.¡± Luna said, as if that explained everything.


    ¡°We need a bit more than that.¡± Lavender said and a few of the others nodded.


    Luna glanced at Harry and he nodded slightly. ¡°Most witches and wizards grow up in an environment of magic that can easily produce the things we need and in abundance when necessary. We learn from an early age that magic can give us almost anything we want.¡±


    They all had a contemplative look on their faces.


    Luna smiled a little and continued. ¡°Muggles, muggle born, and muggle raised grow up in an environment where they have to work hard to get what they want and learn that unless you take care of it, it won''t be easily replaced when it''s gone... if at all.¡±


    Lavender''s and Susan''s eyes widened at that realization.


    ¡°That does make sense.¡± Neville said and rubbed his chin. ¡°I mean, I wouldn''t even think of trying to repair a deck of cards and would just buy a new one the next time I''m in Diagon Alley or have Gran get it for me.¡±


    The compartment fell silent and Ron kept his mouth shut and didn''t say anything. He wasn''t going to complain that he was poor in front of a compartment of people that he knew wouldn''t understand what it was like to go without.


    ¡°I didn''t have anything of my own until just before coming to Hogwarts.¡± Harry admitted after a few minutes. There were a couple of gasps, two sad looks, and Susan''s hand found one of his to give it a squeeze. Luna snuggled in again and one of her hands lightly stroked the back of his neck.


    ¡°You don''t have to do this.¡± Susan whispered.


    ¡°It''s okay.¡± Harry said and pointedly looked at Ron for a moment and nodded, to let him see that he understood, and then he looked at the others. ¡°I was raised by my relatives and they hate magic almost as much as they hate me.¡±


    Lavender covered her mouth to stop her yell and Parvati''s face became a scowl. Neville''s was blank, which meant he was either angry or about to strangle someone. Ron looked surprised and thoughtful at the same time.


    ¡°The beatings my cousin and his gang gave me weren''t that bad, once I was big enough to run away.¡± Harry said and tried to ignore the sad looks on everyone''s faces. ¡°The verbal abuse by my aunt and uncle only came to blows a few times and they usually left me alone for a while afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Oh, god.¡± Lavender whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks.


    ¡°They used to lock me up for days at a time in my old bedroom, the cupboard under the stairs.¡± Harry said. ¡°It was the starvation that was the worst, though. Not eating for several days and having to do all the chores around the house and garden, really made me small and weak for my age.¡±


    ¡°That''s why there was such a huge change in you during those first few months at school last year.¡± Susan said, finally understanding what had happened.


    Harry nodded. ¡°Healer Ela really came through for me with her special breakfasts last summer when I found out that I was a wizard. It gave me the strength to go up those boat stairs as if I was a normal person. I can never thank her enough for that.¡± He let out a chuckle. ¡°I had no idea that she had arranged for the house elves to keep feeding me nutrient and growth potions mixed into my food all year.¡±


    ¡°Did she tell you that?¡± Susan asked.


    ¡°No, Sirius let it slip the last time we had a group therapy session.¡± Harry said and saw that several of them looked confused. ¡°It''s just us getting together and discussing things that happened to us.¡±


    ¡°Like Stubby Boardman being in prison for trying to choke a rat.¡± Luna said, which made Harry laugh.


    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Harry said and used the hand Susan wasn''t holding to lift Luna''s head from his chest. He kissed her cheek to thank her for making him laugh during such an emotionally sad conversation.


    Luna blushed a little and ducked her head down again.


    ¡°Of course, thanks to me finding a few things out, like having some money that I had no idea about, I started to change everything that had been happening to me. New clothes that weren''t Dudley''s oversized cast-offs, a new haircut, a trunk that I could store things in, and some supplies.¡± Harry had to smile at that first shopping spree. He hadn''t had a clue about how to do anything.


    ¡°Are you really rich?¡± Ron asked. He couldn''t help himself and had to know.


    Harry shook his head. ¡°I''m not like super-rich or anything. I''ve got a bit of an inheritance from my parents and that should last me for a long time, especially since my schooling has already been paid for. If I''m careful about how I spend what I have and let the goblins handle some investments for me, I might not even have to work after I graduate.¡±


    ¡°Okay, wow. That''s the best thing to know!¡± Lavender said and Parvati nodded. ¡°You can work if you want, which means anything you do make will just be extra that you can spend on whatever you want!¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°That''s what I''m hoping for. I mean, I''m not going to be a miser and never spend anything...¡±


    ¡°We know.¡± Lavender said and blushed a little at remembering her very first expensive outfit that he had bought for her. ¡°You don''t have to explain any of that.¡±


    ¡°Says the girl that looked like a million galleons when she wore her outfit several times last year.¡± Parvati said with a laugh.


    Lavender blushed a bit more and then she smiled happily. ¡°I looked great, didn''t I?¡± She asked and gave Harry a look that said ''thank you''.


    ¡°I liked it.¡± Harry said the default response automatically and both Ron and Neville nodded.


    ¡°The solid gold cauldrons are nice, too.¡± Luna added and everyone nodded, except for Parvati.


    Harry noticed and whispered in Luna''s ear.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Luna said and reached over to take Parvati''s hand. ¡°Harry said we just have to hang out a bit more and he can give you yours.¡±


    ¡°Wh-wh-WHAT?!?¡± Parvati gasped.


    ¡°He doesn''t want anyone to call him a liar.¡± Luna explained and let her hand go. ¡°He said that he had enough for his friends and he does.¡±


    Parvati ducked her head and tried to stop the tears before they started. ¡°Harry, you... don''t have to...¡±


    ¡°I already have it, so don''t worry about it. I have a few left.¡± Harry said and this made the others stare at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You have a few left?¡± Susan pointedly asked. ¡°How many is a few?¡±


    ¡°I actually have four more. When I give Parvati hers, I''ll have three left.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°He''s definitely not a miser.¡± Lavender whispered and everyone nodded.


    The compartment fell into silence after that revelation and they were all thankful that it wasn''t uncomfortable. Ron and Neville went back to their game of Exploding Snap and it was a much better affair than it had been. The crisp cards and the powered up enchantments really made the game that much more fun. They both got into it and used exaggerated moves and made a spectacle of themselves, to the amusement of the others in the compartment.


    *


    The train made its way along the tracks towards its destination and the occupants enjoyed the ride. Very soon, they were going to be in school and most of them would learn more magic than they knew before. Little did the students realize that there was a hidden conspiracy within the Ministry to commit one of the wizarding world''s most dangerous crimes for the community.


    A prison break.

 111 The Second Year Begins (New!)

    Bokuboy


    The train ride soon ended and the students piled out of the train. When Hagrid called for the all of the first years to come over to him, Luna ignored him and took Harry''s hand to lead him to the carriages.


    ¡°The thestrals are looking a bit thin.¡± Luna said and pointed to the front of the closest carriage.


    Harry caught his breath at the skeletal winged horses that were attached to what he was going to ride in.


    ¡°It''s all right, you''re not going crazy.¡± Luna said and looked at the carriage.


    ¡°I''m not?¡± Harry asked and helped her to climb up inside.


    ¡°No, only those that have seen death can see them.¡± Luna said and ignored the looks on everyone''s faces as they stared at her. ¡°I''m not riding a tiny boat across the lake to walk up hundreds of stairs when I can ride right up to the castle with my friend.¡±


    ¡°She does have a point.¡± Harry said and climbed in, only to have Luna resume her seat on his lap. He wasn''t sure why he wasn''t uncomfortable with her doing that, even after sleeping in the same bed with her for most of the summer.


    When Luna''s arms went around him, Harry remembered that she had been holding him like that, completely undemanding, since that night. His arms hugged her close and she let out a soft sigh. Before he could ask her what she was feeling, the others climbed into the carriage and they were off towards the castle at a fast trot.


    They arrived only a few minutes later and piled out with the other students and Luna held Harry''s hand as they entered the castle. No one questioned why someone not wearing Griffindor colors was with them, as if they didn''t notice her, and she even sat next to Harry at the Griffindor table. Hermione was conspicuous by her absence and was now sitting at the far end of the group of second years and pointedly not looking at Harry.


    It took another fifteen minutes before the first years were brought into the Great Hall following Professor McGonagall. As they passed where Harry sat, Luna stood up and slipped right into the group with no one the wiser. Harry thought about asking her how she always did that when she wanted to remain unnoticed, then realized he didn''t want to ruin her mystique.


    As if she knew what he was thinking, Luna turned to give him a wink. Harry had to hold in his laugh and waved at her to pay attention forward. She rolled her eyes and nodded before looking back at McGonagall. Almost no one was significant in the names as they were sorted, as if their mere existences mattered little to the overall situation, until it was Luna''s turn.


    The hat sat on Luna''s head for several minutes, as if they were having a lively conversation because everyone could see Luna''s happy face. The hat suddenly opened its brim to speak. ¡°GRIFFINDOR!¡±


    Harry was shocked, because Luna was as Ravenclaw as they came, not including Hermione. Also, her sorting had been nearly as long as Harry''s, which meant that she must have convinced the hat to sort her where she wasn''t really supposed to go and where she wanted to go instead.


    ¡°Nice talking to you, Kevin.¡± Luna said and handed the hat to McGonagall. ¡°Could you tell Headmaster Dumbledore that there''s a spider''s next to and under Kevin''s shelf because he''s worried he might get infested if it''s not dealt with soon?¡± She asked and McGonagall nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Everyone stared at her as she skipped back over to the Griffindor table and her robes changed colors.


    ¡°Luna, what happened?¡± Harry asked as she sat down beside him again.


    ¡°Kevin is a cunning hat. He tried to put me in Hufflepuff.¡± Luna said and Harry snorted. ¡°I know! Just because I''m a hard worker and loyal to you, doesn''t mean I''ll stay that way if we''re not in the same house. He eventually came to the same realization.¡±


    ¡°What about Ravenclaw?¡± Ron asked.


    ¡°He mentioned something about the smartest witch of your year.¡± Luna said with a shrug. ¡°If the brainiest student, whom I won''t mention by name, doesn''t have to go to that house... why should I?¡±


    ¡°That''s a good point.¡± Ron said. ¡°I never could figure out how she managed to get into Griffindor.¡±


    ¡°She asked, just like Neville and I did.¡± Harry said and saw their surprised looks. ¡°No, I''m not saying where I would have been.¡±


    Luna smiled and leaned in close to whisper. ¡°You can tell me later.¡±


    ¡°Why? I know you already know.¡± Harry whispered back.


    ¡°Because I want to hear you confirm my guess.¡± Luna breathed and rested her head on Harry''s shoulder.


    Hermione turned to glare at them for talking and she saw Luna resting on Harry. She huffed and frowned before looking back at the sorting.


    ¡°She''ll understand what she did soon.¡± Luna whispered. ¡°When are you going to sign it?¡±


    ¡°In the morning.¡± Harry whispered back. ¡°I just... I wanted one more night where my friendship with her means more than what she''s reducing it to.¡±


    ¡°Friends fight sometimes.¡± Luna offered.


    ¡°I know. It''s just that she was my best friend and I thought we were going to be... maybe we...¡±


    ¡°It''s too late now. You already know the damage is done because you said ''was my best friend'' and not ''is''.¡±


    Harry took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. ¡°This sucks.¡±


    ¡°I know, Harry. I know.¡± Luna said and closed her eyes. ¡°Wake me when Ginny comes over.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Harry promised.


    The rest of the sorting happened and Harry nudged Luna when Ginny ran over to the table to start pestering her with questions as the starting feast appeared on the table and everyone started eating.


    Luna didn''t comment about how Ginny''s face showed anger and belied the impassive tone of her voice. ¡°Hermione gave up her friendship rights over money. If I didn''t make sure that Harry still had a friend that he could trust implicitly, he might have become reclusive and cut off all of his friends.¡±


    ¡°Harry wouldn''t do that.¡± Ginny said and looked at him. ¡°Would you, Harry?¡±


    Harry was going to say no, then his eyes went to Hermione. She was trying to not look at him and was listening intensely, as if she wanted him to do exactly that.


    ¡°I think... if my best friend could so easily toss me aside, I... I wouldn''t know who to trust that much ever again.¡± Harry said and saw the smug look on her face. He shook his head. ¡°It doesn''t matter now, though. Luna''s right. She sacrificed her entire future to change house affiliations, just to be with me. If that''s not dedication, I don''t know what is.¡±


    ¡°I was sorted into Griffindor.¡± Ginny said, smugly.


    ¡°You were always going to go into Griffindor.¡± Luna said and Ginny frowned at her. ¡°What I did, Harry had done it for Hermione after only knowing her for a few hours, because she was already his friend and he didn''t want to leave her alone.¡±


    Hermione sucked in a sharp breath at the reminder that Harry had asked to be in the same house as her.


    ¡°It''s just too bad she has completely forgotten how dedicated he was to her.¡± Luna said with a shrug.


    ¡°Well, we''re going to be bunking together from now on.¡± Ginny said with an odd look on her face.


    ¡°Ginny!¡± Harry said in a stern voice and she winced. ¡°Don''t you dare do anything to Luna! No pranks, no teasing, and definitely no talking down to her or telling her to leave me alone!¡±


    Ginny''s eyes widened as his voice rose and the others at the table turned to look at them. ¡°I... I didn''t say anything about...¡±


    ¡°I''ve seen Fred and George enough last year to know when they are planning something, so if I hear even one word about you doing anything at all to Luna, including ostracizing her or saying things behind her back to make others not like her...¡±


    Ginny''s face paled at being so easily figured out. ¡°I... would never...¡±


    ¡°...you are not going to like it if the same thing happens to you.¡± Harry said and squinted his eyes at her. ¡°Promise me that you are going to forget everything about getting revenge for whatever problems you have with Luna.¡±


    ¡°Harry, I... I just...¡± Ginny started to pout.


    ¡°Promise me, or our friendship can go the same route that mine and Hermione''s is about to.¡± Harry said, his voice flat and without emotion.


    Ginny and Hermione gasped at the same time, because that didn''t sound good at all.


    Harry took out the scroll of parchment that Hermione had given him, unrolled it, and started scribbling on it. He changed a few things, signed it, and stood up with a determined look on his face. The others sitting around them stared at him as he walked several seats down to where Hermione sat.


    ¡°I was going to wait until the morning when it was a bit more private to give this back to you.¡± Harry said and held out the scroll to her. ¡°Read it.¡±


    Hermione looked at his face and saw that it was blank. He wasn''t angry or sad, and that made her heart wither a little. Her mother''s words came back to her about this being a mistake that she would regret. She couldn''t help but realize that her mother was going to be right.


    She took the scroll and unrolled it to read it. She saw that he had changed the terms of repayment to only a galleon a week, two a week during the summer, and the remainder was due in larger payments as soon as she had a job that paid enough to do so.


    ¡°I certainly hope that cutting me off and losing me as a friend was worth the cost of me buying you a floo to have permanent access to Diagon Alley and all of the books you could ever want or need.¡± Harry said and his voice sounded pained this time.


    Hermione gasped again, not realizing he hadn''t only done it to be selfish like she thought, and her eyes went to his face. ¡°Harry, I never said that...¡±


    ¡°...you told me that we couldn''t be friends if I didn''t sign that and I had to choose what meant more to me.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°...and you signed it.¡± Hermione said, only her voice wasn''t as convincing or as confident as she thought it would be when she finally got what she wanted.


    ¡°No, Hermione. You made me sign it.¡± Harry said with a shake of his head. ¡°That told me exactly what my friendship meant to you, which is apparently less than what I paid for the floo. It was a present so that we could stay in contact during the summer breaks and also to escape any trouble that might happen at your place. All of my other friends have one and you were the only one that didn''t.¡±


    Hermione blinked her eyes and looked around at the other people at the table. She saw their sad faces and she didn''t know what to say.


    ¡°You wouldn''t have to rely on mail to talk to any of us if it was an emergency, like the one I had over the summer.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Wh-what e-emergency?¡± Hermione asked, her voice cracking, and the others winced.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Harry said and walked back to his seat. ¡°If you hadn''t stormed into my compartment and...¡± He stopped and shook his head again. ¡°Never mind. You were so concerned over your own self-importance and self-righteousness that you didn''t even bother to ask me if anything happened. You came in, made your demands and argued without listening to anything I said, and left. If someone else wants to tell you, I won''t stop them or tell them not to.¡±


    ¡°Harry, what happened?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°It doesn''t matter now. My real friends were there for me and... I''m... fine.¡± Harry said and looked down at his half-eaten food. ¡°I''m not hungry anymore.¡±


    Luna hopped up and gave a peculiar look to Hermione, who flinched. She gave that same look to Ginny, who also flinched, and she took Harry''s hand. ¡°Let''s ask Percy what the password is.¡±


    Harry nodded and they walked down the table, stopped briefly to talk to the only prefect they knew, and left the Great Hall.


    ¡°Now that he''s gone, I can finally say how stupid you are.¡± Ron said.


    ¡°Ron!¡± Lavender and Parvati gasped.


    ¡°For someone that''s so smart, she does really dumb s... stuff.¡± Ron said, correcting himself at the last second. ¡°He''s never done anything but be your friend and gave you everything you''ve ever wanted. I''m not the smartest guy around; but, even I''m not stupid enough to spit in his face when he gets me a present that would benefit my whole family.¡±


    ¡°Ron, do you even know how expensive an attached magical room with a floo is worth?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°Of course I do. My dad works for the Ministry. Plus, like Harry said, we have one.¡± Ron responded. ¡°You were his friend long before I was. What did you think he was doing?¡±


    ¡°I thought... he said he was buying it for himself, and...¡±


    ¡°...and that he missed his best friend.¡± Ron said and she winced. ¡°Yeah, he''s such a bastard to want access to you when he was trapped at home and unable to go anywhere.¡±


    ¡°RON!¡± Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati yelled.


    ¡°Do you know how guilty Ginny and I felt because we could only be there for a couple of weekends during the summer when he was there all alone?¡± Ron asked and she didn''t answer. ¡°You know how he grew up. You know he''s never had anyone to depend on before. You know how caring he is and how much he likes you.¡±


    Hermione felt the tears forming in her eyes and she ducked her head to stare at the scroll in her hands.


    ¡°You also didn''t think about any of that and did what you wanted and got what you wanted.¡± Ron said and started eating again. ¡°I know he''ll eventually forgive you for thinking he was trying to buy your friendship and for hurting him so much, because that''s who he is. The only problem is, he''s never... ever... going to forget.¡±


    Hermione finally let the tears go and they dropped onto the parchment she held. It was soon soaked. Now she knew that her mother was right. She really regretted what she had done, because she realized that she had just lost something that was much more precious and valuable than galleons.


    No one said a single thing for the rest of the feast.


    *


    ¡°Are you sure this is safe?¡± A ministry employee asked as they went through the transfer records and procedures for prisoners.


    ¡°I''ve confunded the clerk and cast the Immobulus spell at the alarms. We''ll be long gone before they activate.¡± The other employee said.


    ¡°How much are we getting for this?¡±


    ¡°We already got a thousand galleons and will get another when... ha! Got it.¡± He said and pulled out the apparition coordinates that only Aurors used and their security procedures. ¡°Let''s go!¡±


    The two of them ran to the door out of the restricted section of the records office and then calmly walked out as they shut the door behind them.


    They made their way through the Ministry to the main atrium and used the floo to go to the Leaky Cauldron. They sat and ate supper, like they did nearly every day, and went up the stairs to one of the rooms when they were finished. They knocked three times and waited. A single knock was returned and they entered.


    ¡°Do you have it?¡± A disguised voice asked from a cloaked figure and one of the men handed over the paper with the information on it. ¡°Excellent. Thank you, gentlemen.¡±


    The second man rubbed his hands together. ¡°I can''t wait for my part of the reward.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have that right here for you.¡± The voice said and raised a wand. ¡°Avada Kedavra!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The first man exclaimed and stared as his partner dropped to the floor, dead.


    ¡°I''m just giving you what you rightly deserve, blood traitor.¡± The voice said. ¡°Avada Kedavra!¡±


    The man dropped dead to the floor like his partner and the cloaked figure snatched up a hair from the man''s collar. They took out a vial of ugly potion and added the hair to it, then let the Polyjuice Potion do its work.


    ¡°Ugh, that''s disgusting.¡± The transformed man''s voice said and stripped the other man of his clothing and valuables, spelled the clothing items clean, and dressed. He changed the two bodies into a suitcase and a pile of clothing, packed them together, and left the room. The man went down to Tom the bartender, paid for the room as he mentioned going on a trip abroad, and left.


    Once outside, the man apparated back to his residence and tossed the suitcase at one of the men standing in the meeting room. He opened the case before dumping it and the clothes onto the floor and transfigured the bodies back. They would be needed for what was to come.


    ¡°Any trouble?¡± He asked.


    ¡°None.¡± The transfigured man said and quickly stripped to toss the clothing to him, and the other man switched them onto the body. The naked man walked out of the room and into a side room, took the antidote to Polyjuice Potion, then dressed appropriately. The figure walked back into the meeting room and smiled.


    ¡°As I promised him, I will do anything to get my husband out of prison.¡± Narcissa Malfoy said and handed the paper with the information on it to the men. ¡°We will strike at noon tomorrow just after the guards have changed shifts.¡±


    The men smiled and unconsciously rubbed the spots on their arms where the Dark Mark used to be.


    *


    Harry laid in bed and he fought hard to not cry. He had cried over Hermione enough that day and he didn''t want to do it anymore. He hurt so much and he didn''t know what to do about it.


    The curtains of his four poster bed opened and a nightgown wearing Luna climbed inside. He didn''t ask her what she thought she was doing sneaking into the boys dorm and only held his arms open for her. She climbed under the blanket and into his arms.


    ¡°It''s okay, Harry. I cast Silence on the curtains.¡± Luna said in a normal voice.


    Harry''s face crumbled and he pulled her in close and started crying again. ¡°Why? Why can''t I stop?¡±


    ¡°Some wounds don''t heal right away.¡± Luna said and wiped at his face as he cried. ¡°Some are so deep that they are always going to hurt.¡±


    Harry looked into her eyes and understood as she started to cry, too. ¡°I think... I think I would have liked your mother as much as I like you.¡±


    ¡°M-more. Daddy says I''m... just like her.¡± Luna said through her tears. ¡°She was the best and I miss her every day.¡±


    Harry nodded and they cuddled into each other to share their pains. They had both been touched by death and sometimes there wasn''t really anything to say when a pain so strong overwhelms you to the point that nothing else can console you, except sharing that pain with someone else who knows.


    Before they realized it, they had drifted off to sleep. After a very cathartic sleep, morning came bright and early.


    Harry woke first and checked the time. ¡°Luna, you need to go back to your dorm room before...¡±


    ¡°Don''t care.¡± Luna whispered and clutched onto him tighter.


    ¡°I don''t want to get in trouble.¡± Harry responded.


    ¡°Not me?¡± Luna asked.


    ¡°No one would blame you.¡± Harry said and then sighed. ¡°Except Ginny.¡±


    ¡°She''s focused too much on you and doesn''t understand that she''s only pushing you away with how she''s acting.¡± Luna said and her hand lightly caressed his neck.


    ¡°I know. That''s why I said what I said to her last night. If she doesn''t stop being angry at you for something that neither of us want to control, I don''t want her to be my friend anymore.¡±


    Luna released her hold on him and sat up. She looked down at his calm face and smiled. ¡°You don''t want to control our friendship?¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to strangle something so great?¡± Harry asked and saw her smile go wide. ¡°I mean, look at what happened with Hermione when she tried to control it, and we''ve been friends for a year. If Ginny keeps trying to do the same thing...¡±


    ¡°I''m too young for you to tell me that you love me.¡± Luna said and Harry''s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Maybe you can tell me tomorrow?¡±


    It took Harry a couple of seconds to have that register, then he started laughing. Luna laughed as well for a few moments, then she leaned down to kiss his cheek.


    ¡°I''ll see you in the common room before breakfast.¡± Luna said and rolled over to get to the curtains and slipped out through them.


    Harry didn''t see or hear anything, probably because of the silencing charm, so he rolled over and left through the curtains as well. He grabbed some personal things from his trunk and went to get a shower. He needed to get cleaned after a night of crying and to wash away some of his shame. He had enjoyed having Luna in his bed and felt guilty that he was taking advantage of her in his time of need, which seemed to be a lot lately.


    Harry dressed and went downstairs to see Luna sitting in a chair facing the stairs. The longing look in her eyes disappeared when she saw him. He knew that she was using him for comfort as much as he was using her and his guilt about taking advantage of her lessened some.


    ¡°No one else is up yet.¡± Luna whispered and Harry nodded. ¡°Do you want to read a little or...¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want to do is fine.¡± Harry said as he walked over to her.


    ¡°Can you show me that advanced opening spell again?¡± Luna asked.


    ¡°Sure. Let''s go over to the window.¡± Harry said and the two of them walked over to the small couch that let you look out over the grounds and sat down.


    Luna cuddled in and put his wand arm over her shoulders. ¡°Okay, I can see it up close now.¡±


    Harry chuckled and did the wand motion slowly and whispered the spell. The window popped open and made a loud creaking noise. ¡°Oops! I forgot the silencing charm first.¡±


    Luna giggled and she cast the charm. ¡°There.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. This is the advanced locking charm.¡± Harry said and did the wand movement slowly and whispered the spell.


    The two of them sat there for nearly an hour as Harry made sure that Luna could do both spells.


    ¡°You''re a really great teacher, Harry.¡± Luna said.


    ¡°I''ve just had a lot of practice with those spells. A lot of practice.¡± Harry said with a smile.


    Luna smiled back. ¡°We should go down to breakfast soon.¡±


    ¡°Good idea. We didn''t get to eat much yesterday.¡± Harry said and Luna stood to let him up. He didn''t want her to think he didn''t want her close, so he took her hand and they walked out of the common room while ignoring the comments and staring from the other students that had filled the room while they were busy.


    When they reached the Entrance Hall, a voice called out from off to the side that made them stop walking.


    ¡°Already got yourself a new little slut after breaking up with the mudblood, Potter?¡±


    Harry let Luna''s hand go, flicked his wand out of his sleeve, pointed it in the direction of the voice, let off a spell with a very loud bang, and had his wand back up his sleeve and Luna''s hand back in his own in barely a second.


    ¡°GAHHH!¡± Draco''s voice echoed through the Entrance Hall and several gasps came from around him.


    ¡°You may need to get someone to look at that, you nasty little insect.¡± Harry said, his voice full of disdain, then he continued to walk into the Great Hall with Luna beside him.


    Luna had seen it and she barely believed it, which was saying something. She hadn''t known that anyone could move that fast, let alone a twelve year old. Also, the spell he used, whatever it was, had changed Draco''s face into the shape of a beetle''s.


    ¡°Harry...¡± Luna whispered.


    ¡°I know. I just didn''t want to deal with his idiocy this early in the day.¡± Harry said and sat her down at the Griffindor table like a gentleman should, and sat beside her. ¡°Actually, I didn''t want to deal with him at all today.¡±


    ¡°You''re going to get in trouble.¡± Luna said and took his hand again.


    ¡°It was worth it.¡± Harry said and leaned over to kiss her cheek. ¡°No matter what anyone says, it''s just whispers on the wind and it doesn''t mean anything.¡±


    ¡°Harry, you... you''re too good.¡± Luna whispered.


    Harry chuckled. ¡°No, I''m not. I''m an attention seeking delinquent. I''ve spent more time in detention last year than Fred and George combined since they started school.¡±


    ¡°Almost none of that was deserved.¡± Neville said as he sat down across from them. ¡°Morning.¡±


    ¡°Morning.¡± Harry and Luna said back.


    ¡°Did you sleep okay? I didn''t hear anything last night.¡± Neville said.


    ¡°Silencing charm.¡± Harry said and as Ron sat beside him.


    ¡°You''re probably not going to see Hermione until just before McGonagall hands out the schedules.¡± Ron said and filled his plate with food.


    ¡°She was crying a lot, too.¡± Lavender said as she and Parvati sat on either side of Neville. ¡°It took her a few minutes after you left last night before she finally understood what she did.¡±


    Dean and Seamus sat down on the other side of Ron.


    ¡°Ron pretty much told her what she meant to you and how much she hurt you.¡± Parvati offered and started to take some of the scrambled eggs from the large bowl. ¡°She''s not very happy right now.¡±


    ¡°Neither am I.¡± Harry said and sighed.


    ¡°At least she knows now, mate.¡± Ron said. ¡°She''ll come around and apologize.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Harry said and Luna squeezed his hand, then she let it go and they all started eating.


    About halfway through breakfast, the owls showed up and delivered the mail. Not surprisingly, Hedwig showed up with a letter for Luna.


    ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± Luna said and handed over three strips of bacon in exchange.


    ¡°I''m not going to ask.¡± Ron said and kept eating.


    Harry chuckled. ¡°Hedwig was chosen by the other owls as the Princess of the Owlry. Luna won''t call her anything else.¡±


    ¡°HOOT!¡± Hedwig responded. Favorite!


    ¡°Luna is also her favorite, apparently.¡± Harry said and everyone laughed.


    Luna pet Hedwig''s feathers before she opened her letter. ¡°Daddy''s glad that I was sorted where I was needed and not where fate said I should go. That was nice of him.¡±


    ¡°How did he know?¡± Lavender asked.


    ¡°Now you''ve done it.¡± Ron groused and took some more eggs.


    ¡°Daddy''s an investigative reporter for our magazine, the Quibbler.¡± Luna said and then launched into the extensive sales pitch for the magazine to try and drum up subscribers, which pretty much stunned the others.


    ¡°Told you.¡± Ron said when Luna was done talking. He sat back from the table with his belly full.


    Hermione walked by them, her eyes red, and she sat at the end of their group without talking to anyone.


    ¡°Miss Lovegood.¡± McGonagall said as she approached. ¡°Do I need to ask why you are not sitting with your fellow first years?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Luna said and held a hand out for her schedule.


    McGonagall handed it over and sighed. ¡°You should be more sociable with your classmates.¡±


    ¡°I''m not part of their pride.¡± Luna said and looked at her schedule.


    McGonagall looked confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Lions roam in prides. There''s always a strong leader and others gather around them. They prosper and always move and hunt together.¡± Luna said and saw everyone''s surprised faces. ¡°It''s basic animal behavior.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here with Mister Potter... oh.¡± McGonagall said. ¡°You should have been in Ravenclaw.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Luna said and folded the letter up. ¡°My king needed me more than my pursuit of knowledge did.¡±


    Harry let out a choked sound and then coughed.


    ¡°It''s just a metaphor, Harry.¡± Luna said with a dreamy smile and pet Hedwig. ¡°It fits perfectly with Princess here, however.¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± Hedwig said. Right!


    ¡°She... agrees.¡± Harry said and cleared his throat as he rubbed it. He was very glad that he hadn''t been taking a drink at the time. Neville would have had a face full of juice.


    ¡°For now, please join the other first years. A prefect will show you to your first class.¡± McGonagall pointed at the end of the table only ten feet away.


    ¡°Okay. Bye, Harry.¡± Luna said and stood. ¡°Bye, guys.¡±


    A chorus of ''bye'' answered her and she walked six feet away and sat.


    ¡°Here are your schedules.¡± McGonagall said and handed Harry and the others their schedules.


    ¡°Double potions today and on Friday? Are you trying to kill us?¡± Ron asked.


    ¡°I assure you, Mister Weasley. Teachers rarely allow a student to die in their class.¡± McGonagall said and walked up the table to the third years and handed out their schedules.


    ¡°Rarely!¡± Ron whispered and his face paled a little.


    Harry and Neville chuckled, Dean and Seamus grinned, while Lavender and Parvati rolled their eyes.


    The prefects took the first years past them and Luna waved with a wiggle of her fingers at Harry. He responded in kind and she smiled as they left.


    ¡°We should go, too.¡± Neville said and they all stood.


    Hermione walked past them with her head down and they followed her. For some reason, they all thought that today was going to be a long day.


    *


    That afternoon, Sirius sat on the couch and cuddled with his soon-to-be wife, Ela. They always enjoyed her days off this way and they couldn''t have asked for a better day to do it. It was dark and dreary and they had already cancelled their plans for a day trip to visit her parents. This was fortunate, because the fireplace burst into red flames and not green.


    ¡°It''s an emergency!¡± Ela jumped to her feet. She ran from the living room and up the stairs, used a switching spell to exchange her casual clothes for her uniform, and ran back downstairs.


    ¡°Be safe, love.¡± Sirius said and gave her a quick kiss.


    ¡°Thank you for understanding!¡± Ela said and tossed some floo powder into the red flames to change them to green and she jumped in without having to call the destination. Only St. Mungos used red flames and she disappeared with the flames.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of emergency would require everyone to go in?¡± Sirius asked himself. He sat down on the couch and thought about how he could find out. It took him a couple of minutes before he smiled and went over to the fireplace and tossed in a pinch of floo powder. ¡°Longbottom Residence.¡±


    After a very short conversation with Frank, who was actually on his way out to go to the Ministry, Sirius ended the call and sat back on the floor.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Sirius whispered and pulled his knees up to his chest. ¡°No no no. It''s not true. It can''t be.¡± He said and started to rock slightly forwards and backwards. He started doing the proper breathing exercises and the mental visualization that Ela had told him to do whenever he was having a panic attack about the worst place on earth.


    He was justified in his panic, because Azkaban prison just had a massive break-out.


    *


    All of the students at Hogwarts sat down to eat supper that night. Just as the food appeared on the tables, a deluge of owls flew into the Great Hall to everyone''s surprise.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Harry asked as an owl landed in front of Neville.


    ¡°It''s a special edition of the Daily Prophet.¡± Neville said and paid the owl before unrolling the newspaper. He barely read a single sentence before he reacted. ¡°NO!¡±


    His shout made most of the students around him jump, except for Harry and Luna.


    ¡°That can''t be good.¡± Luna said and put some food on her plate and Harry''s plate.


    ¡°It''s not true! It can''t be!¡± Neville said, eerily copying Sirius'' words from earlier.


    ¡°Can I see that?¡± Harry asked and Neville handed it over as his hands shook. ¡°Easy, Neville. Whatever this is, we can deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Harry, read that and try to tell me the same thing afterwards.¡± Neville said as his hands became fists.


    Harry spread the paper out so that he and Luna could read it at the same time. ¡°Oh, no.¡±


    ¡°I was right.¡± Luna said, her voice sad. ¡°Does it say who escaped?¡±


    Harry skipped over most of the article and shook his head. ¡°It only mentions the seven high profile prisoners. Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband and her brother in law, Barty Crouch Jr, Avery, Dolohov, and Lucius Malfoy.¡±


    ¡°I think that''s bad enough, don''t you?¡± Ron asked and shivered a little.


    Harry could only nod. He remembered how unphased Draco''s father had been about Harry being kidnapped by his son. Harry also saw the look of loathing on Neville''s face. Lavender''s hand touched Neville''s and he grabbed onto it and held on tightly. She didn''t wince, even though it hurt a little, and she leaned in to rest her head against his shoulder.


    ¡°We should eat.¡± Parvati said and nudged Neville, then looked across the table at Harry.


    ¡°Good idea. We need to keep our strength up if there''s this much danger out there.¡± Harry said. ¡°Neville, you can borrow Hedwig after supper to send a letter to your parents. She can stay there until they respond.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Harry.¡± Neville said and started to eat after he whispered a thank you to Lavender as well.


    The meal was a sombre affair with the horrible news of the Death Eaters and their escape from prison hanging over everyone''s heads. When the food was gone, all of the students went back to their common rooms. Harry sat Luna on one of the small couches and ran upstairs to get the special mirror his Godfather had given him. He came back down and sat on the small couch.


    Harry pulled her in close and cast several privacy spells before holding up the mirror. ¡°Sirius Black.¡±


    There was no answer for several minutes, then the mirror cleared of Harry''s reflection and a pale looking Sirius stared back at him.


    ¡°Harry, this... this isn''t a good time.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°I know. I just read about the breakout in the paper.¡± Harry said and Sirius looked a little surprised. ¡°It was a special edition of the Daily Prophet.¡±


    ¡°It figures they would get it out as soon as possible.¡± Sirius said and wiped at his face. ¡°This means...¡± He sighed and shook his head. ¡°Merlin! My cousin was crazy before she went in there and I can''t even imagine what she''s going to be like now.¡±


    Harry saw over his godfather''s shoulders that he was in the living room. ¡°Where''s Ela?¡±


    ¡°Emergency at the hospital. I can only assume it''s for the Aurors that were guarding the prison.¡± Sirius said and then shivered as his eyes drifted away from the mirror.


    ¡°Sirius! Do your breathing.¡± Harry advised and Sirius nodded before he took several minutes to calm down. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I''m a wreck.¡± Sirius admitted. ¡°I haven''t left the living room since this afternoon. I don''t want to be away from the floo in case something else happens.¡±


    Harry sighed and it was his turn to rub his face. ¡°I don''t think I can get away from the castle until tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°No, Harry. You stay there. It''s safe there.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°You need me there.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I... I do.¡± Sirius said and rubbed his face again. ¡°I don''t know what to do! When I was younger, I could handle things like this as if it was nothing. It was just another day. Now, though...¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said and tilted the mirror to show Luna''s face. ¡°We both found someone that understands us almost better than we understand ourselves.¡±


    Sirius saw the girl blush slightly and nodded. ¡°Ela should be taking a break soon. When she calls, if it''s something important, I''ll let you know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Sirius.¡± Harry said and leaned back to pull Luna in closer. ¡°Do you mind if I leave this thing on for a while?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Sirius said and leaned back on his living room couch and copied Harry''s pose. ¡°It''s nice to have a familiar face to keep me company.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing.¡± Harry said and used a sticking charm on the edge of the mirror to stand it up on the arm of the couch.


    ¡°Good idea.¡± Sirius said and copied him. ¡°So, how has school been?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said and looked over at one of the study tables to see Hermione sitting there all alone. ¡°I did have a falling out with Hermione on the train here.¡±


    Sirius chuckled. ¡°Most friends argue at some point, even over something stupid. What happened?¡±


    Harry retold the whole thing to his godfather and to Luna, who hadn''t really heard about it all. By the time he was done, Sirius was holding his head in his hands and pulling on his hair while Luna had somehow cuddled in so close that Harry could feel her breathing with just his body.


    ¡°I thought she was supposed to be the brightest witch of her age?¡± Sirius asked and sounded confused.


    ¡°We thought so, too.¡± Luna said. ¡°Even though I didn''t know what she said in the train compartment until now, I did call her an idiot when she came out.¡±


    Harry smiled. ¡°You also came right in afterwards and held me while I cried my eyes out.¡±


    ¡°She hurt you. I didn''t know how, just that she did.¡± Luna said and lightly touched the side of Harry''s face. ¡°I couldn''t let you face that alone.¡±


    ¡°Luna, I... you''ll never know how much I appreciate that.¡± Harry said and closed his eyes as her hand caressed his cheek.


    ¡°I''ve been there for you all summer. Why would I stop now?¡± Luna asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sirius asked.


    ¡°Luna''s been staying over to keep me company. She would have been at home alone, just like I was, so she stayed with me.¡±


    Sirius blinked his eyes several times. ¡°Harry, you... you''re too young to...¡±


    ¡°If you finish that sentence, I''m hanging up.¡± Harry said and Sirius clamped his mouth shut. ¡°I don''t know if I could have made it on my own after... you know.¡±


    ¡°Harry, we tried to get you out of that house to stay here. Dumbledore...¡±


    ¡°...has no idea what happened. At least, he better not.¡± Harry said and Sirius nodded. ¡°He is still working with the knowledge that I''m hiding my scar and that I''m still a horcrux.¡±


    Luna sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Harry!¡±


    ¡°Shh. It''s okay. I''m not one anymore.¡± Harry reassured her.


    Luna gasped and put a hand over her mouth, because she just realized what happened. Tears flooded out of her eyes and she sat up to stare into Harry''s eyes. ¡°You... you... that''s what happened that night! That''s why I felt... why there was so much...¡±


    ¡°Shhhh.¡± Harry hushed her and cut off what she was going to say. ¡°If you know what a horcrux is, then you know what has to happen to them.¡±


    Luna''s tears didn''t stop as she whispered. ¡°You... had to... die.¡±


    Harry nodded and felt her entire body as it started to shake. He smiled and spoke. ¡°I got better.¡±


    Luna let out a loud sob and lunged at him to bury her face into his neck and hugged him tightly while she cried and cried. Harry rubbed her back with his hands and whispered sweet words into her ear.


    Sirius stayed quiet and let the scene play out, because he knew if the girl reacted like that, she really cared for Harry and needed to get those feelings out of her system. He had learned to do the same because of Ela and he didn''t bottle anything up, positive or negative. He had to vent and Ela was a wonderful woman to help him with that.


    ¡°T-t-tell me.¡± Luna whispered as she moved back slightly to look into Harry''s eyes again. ¡°Please.¡±


    Harry was just as emotionally strung out as she was and his mind went over everything they had gone through with comforting each other. ¡°You have a special place in here.¡± He said and touched his chest above his heart. ¡°You earned it the hard way.¡±


    ¡°The words.¡± Luna said and wiped at her face with Harry''s sleeve.


    ¡°I love you.¡± Harry said, sincerely.


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± Luna said and leaned in to kiss him. It was her first real kiss with him while he was conscious and her mind immediately discarded the one that she had stolen weeks ago while he was asleep. It didn''t compare at all. Not at all. Her mind exploded with feelings, images, and ideas that a normal eleven year old girl shouldn''t have so soon in her young life.


    However, Luna was a powerful witch. She also had an uncanny ability to give people the things they needed. Right now, she knew with all of her heart that Harry needed her more than anything else in the world and she was going to make sure that he was never going to be without her. She started to glow softly, as did Harry.


    Sirius watched through the mirror and it was like a train wreck, because he knew he should do something to stop it and all he could do was watch it happen right in front of him.


    The privacy and concealing spells hiding Harry and Luna from everyone in the common room failed and made several popping sounds as they were broken. Everyone turned to look at the noise and saw Luna on top of Harry. She was also snogging him silly, as if they were much older.


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± Lavender exclaimed, fairly loudly, then she fell into the same trap that Sirius had fallen into. She knew she should do or say something to break it up and all she could do was watch. Parvati was right there with her and stared at the kissing duo, along with a shocked Neville and a slack-jawed Ron.


    A couple of minutes later, the soft glow around Luna and Harry faded away and the epic kiss that everyone had watched came to an end, finally. The younger girls were blushing hard and hoped to have a boyfriend that would do that with them. The older girls were also blushing a little, mainly because they had picked up a few tips and had learned from the experience.


    The guys on the other hand were unsure if they had just seen something they could do some day with their future girlfriends or had seen something they wouldn''t see again or get to do it for themselves.


    ¡°Woooow.¡± Luna and Harry whispered as one and stared at each other.


    Sirius snapped out of the trance-like state he had been in. ¡°That''s enough of that, you two. If you haven''t noticed, the silence spell was broken.¡± He said, because he could hear the talking in the common room now.


    Luna gasped and slid off of Harry''s lap to look around at all of the staring faces.


    Harry sat up and saw Hermione''s angry glare before she went up the stairs to the girl''s dorm. ¡°Just so you all know, in case no one caught it, Luna''s my girlfriend now.¡±


    The other people in the common room were quiet for barely a second before laughs, wolf-whistles, and a few congratulatory words were shared.


    ¡°Damn, Harry.¡± Ron said and looked from him to Luna. ¡°You don''t do things by half, do you?¡±


    Harry shook his head and touched Luna''s shoulder. She turned to look at him, her face still surprised at being caught doing something years before she thought she would be, so Harry put his arms around her and gave her several quick kisses.


    ¡°I believe you just became a fully qualified Griffindor.¡± Harry said and gave her another kiss. ¡°Brave and bold and jumping in with both feet before looking.¡±


    That comment made a few people cheer and clap before someone spoke. ¡°You tell her, Harry!¡±


    Luna''s surprised face changed to happiness as she giggled. ¡°Harry, I... didn''t mean to...¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Harry said and looked around at the common room to see everyone going back to their own business. ¡°I was going to tell everyone tomorrow anyway. Now it''s out there and we don''t have to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°What about the Slytherins?¡± Luna asked.


    ¡°I didn''t hear from any teachers about what happened to Malfoy, so I''m ignoring him. If he dares to come near me again, I''ll see what else I can change his appearance to and have it match his personality.¡±


    Luna nodded and cuddled into his side. ¡°I''m really tired for some reason.¡±


    ¡°I think that kiss blew out the spells I cast.¡± Harry said and she nodded.


    ¡°You were glowing a little, too.¡± Parvati commented. ¡°Was that accidental magic?¡±


    Luna shook her head. ¡°I don''t think so. I was thinking that I wanted Harry to know that I would always be his.¡±


    ¡°I think we all got that message.¡± Ron said and pointed over his shoulder with a thumb. ¡°Ginny''s never had a face that was the same color as her hair before.¡±


    Harry sighed and leaned around Ron to look. Sure enough, Ginny looked as angry as he had ever seen her. He very distinctly pointed to where Hermione had sat moments before and then at the stairs. The anger faded slightly and she made a huffing sound before she looked away.


    ¡°That''s not going to work for long.¡± Luna whispered. ¡°She knows she already lost to me.¡±


    ¡°It wasn''t a competition.¡± Harry sighed. ¡°No one was competing for...¡±


    ¡°Ginny always was.¡± Ron said, to Harry''s surprise. ¡°Mum''s got her convinced that she''ll be Mrs. Potter one day.¡±


    ¡°Ron, I''m only twelve!¡± Harry exclaimed.


    ¡°Yeah. Loads of time to change your mind about who you''re dating. Years, even.¡± Ron said and went back to the hex book he was reading.


    Harry looked at Neville, who shrugged. He sighed again and turned his head to look at Luna. He was about to ask her what she thought and then her lips were on his again for several moments.


    ¡°I meant it.¡± Luna whispered, her face had a knowing smile on it. ¡°I''ll always be yours.¡±


    Harry felt her sincerity and had to smile, too. ¡°I know. I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°You''re not angry about it?¡± Luna asked.


    ¡°What? That no matter what, I''ll always have you?¡± Harry asked and she nodded. ¡°I''ve always wanted a real family.¡±


    ¡°That has to wait until I''m older. I am only eleven right now.¡± Luna said. ¡°Maybe ask me tomorrow.¡±


    That made Harry laugh, because it was similar to what she had said the day before about him needing to tell her today that he loved her.


    Sirius could see it all and he shook his head. Kids these days. He thought with a chuckle. With the calm that settled in the common room after Harry''s and Luna''s display of affection, he slowly drifted off to sleep.


    The students all eventually went to bed and Harry brought the mirror up to his dorm room after kissing Luna goodnight. Luna snuck into Harry''s dorm again after a short time and they shared a much better sleep together. No tears and no emotional upheavals appeared, which was such a relief to them that they fell asleep almost immediately.


    *


    Ela came out of the fireplace just past midnight and she saw Sirius was sound asleep on the living room couch. The mirror showed Harry and Luna cuddled up in bed together, also sound asleep, and Ela held in her laugh at the sights. She ended the mirror call and used her wand to expand the couch out, then stripped off her uniform and laid down with her future husband.


    She unconsciously copied Luna''s position in Harry''s arms and Sirius automatically grabbed onto her and held her close. She sighed in contentment and fell asleep, her hands clutching onto Sirius like Luna clutched onto Harry, and the both of them were completely comfortable with always staying that way.

 112 The Second Year Continues

    Bokuboy


    Amelia Bones was having an absolutely horrible day. It was so horrible that she had vehemently denied that it ever happened and would curse anyone entering her office with any more problems. There was a knock on her door and she readied her wand as the door opened.


    ¡°Sorry, Amelia. There''s no word from the Auror scouts we''ve sent out looking for the escapees.¡± Kinglsey said and ignored the wand pointed at him. ¡°Either they''ve gone to ground somewhere we don''t know...¡±


    ¡°...or they know our procedures and are easily avoiding the search pattern.¡± Amelia spat. ¡°I should curse you for giving me another problem to deal with!¡±


    Kingsley chuckled a rumbling laugh. ¡°You already had the problem and I''m just reminding you.¡±


    Amelia sighed and put her wand away. ¡°What can you tell me about it?¡±


    ¡°Two people entered the restricted records yesterday. Neither were identified.¡± Kingsley said and handed over a report. ¡°We suspect an obliviation, a confundus, or just a simple timing irregularity for them to slip in.¡±


    ¡°You tracked them down?¡± Amelia asked as she skimmed the report. ¡°Oh, for Merlin''s sake! He''s taking a trip abroad?¡±


    ¡°That''s what Tom the bartender at the Leaky Cauldron said.¡±


    Amelia shook her head at the apparent dead end. ¡°You know that was a trick the death eaters used during the last war.¡±


    Kingsley sat back in his chair and thought about it. ¡°You think they''re using polyjuice potion?¡±


    ¡°Did.¡± Amelia corrected. ¡°We''ll probably find one or both bodies within a week or two.¡±


    Kingsley sighed. ¡°You think they''re going to start up again without their leader?¡±


    Amelia tapped the top file folder on her desk. ¡°Oh, I think they have a leader.¡±


    Kingsley looked at the name and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Please tell me you''re joking.¡±


    ¡°No. I''m almost sure of it.¡± Amelia said and opened another folder to show him. ¡°These are the Aurors that are still alive in St. Mungo''s.¡±


    Kingsley looked at the photos and he couldn''t help seeing the mutilations and the spell damage that were a telltale sign of Black Family magic. ¡°Bellatrix.¡±


    ¡°Helped by her sister, Narcissa.¡± Amelia said. ¡°The investigation team easily found their magical signature, thanks to that magic detector Agilbert made for us before he left.¡±


    ¡°He didn''t take your offer for permanent work?¡± Kingsley asked with a grin.


    Amelia laughed. ¡°He had his ass on the next plane to America after I made the offer.¡±


    ¡°Smart man.¡± Kingsley said and closed the folder. ¡°Are we sending someone over to Malfoy Manor?¡±


    ¡°Already there and back. No one is there.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Of course, that is assuming they are going to be where we expect them to be.¡±


    Kingsley nodded. ¡°You want me to call in the recruits from Auror Training to get them to spread our search net wider.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday.¡± Amelia said and her best Auror nodded. ¡°Assign each one to an experienced Auror with at least a year under their belt.¡±


    ¡°I''ll do it right away.¡± Kingsley said and stood. ¡°Are you available for lunch to discuss the details?¡±


    Amelia shook her head. ¡°I''m meeting the new minister and briefing him on everything so far.¡±


    Kingsley winced and went to the door. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    ¡°I''m going to need it.¡± Amelia said and waved as he left. ¡°At least he isn''t Cornelius Fudge.¡±


    *


    Harry woke up early the next morning with Luna laying on top of him, as if he was as comfortable as a bed. She was even drooling a little and he felt it on his neck. He was amused at the sight and he wondered how he went from having a girl for a best friend, to losing that friend, to gaining a girlfriend that somehow made others jealous. He was only twelve, and yet, his life had changed so much in only a year. Having magic had definitely made his life better, if only that it let him have friends for the first time in his life.


    ¡°Luna.¡± Harry whispered and the girl moaned a little and snuggled in. He was surprised how much he liked that sound and he felt her lips pressed against his neck.


    ¡°Go... to sleep.¡± Luna whispered and there was a little flash of light. ¡°Bad dreams... go away.¡±


    Harry felt something wash over his head and felt really tired. He thought about fighting the feeling, then couldn''t remember why he wanted to. He fell back asleep as he hugged his girlfriend close.


    *BEEP!* *BEEP!* *BEEP!*


    ¡°Oh! My alarm!¡± Harry exclaimed and jerked sometime later, only to find that Luna was still using him as a bed.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Luna said and reluctantly let Harry go as she rolled off of him and reached out through the curtains to hit the alarm. It wasn''t until she rolled back to get on top of him again that she realized what had just happened and looked surprised. ¡°The silence spell fell!¡±


    Harry nodded and gave her cheek a kiss. ¡°Don''t worry. I can get you out of here without anyone noticing.¡±


    Luna looked unsure for only a moment before she smiled and nodded. She trusted Harry implicitly and would do whatever he wanted. When Harry disappeared through the curtains for a minute and came back inside to hand her a cloak, she stared at the silvery cloth.


    ¡°It''s an invisibility cloak. Slip it around your shoulders and put up the hood.¡± Harry said.


    Luna did as asked and she shimmered and disappeared. ¡°Oh, Harry.¡±


    ¡°Come on. I''ll walk you out.¡± Harry said.


    Luna followed him to the dorm room''s door and stepped through with him. They went down the stairs together and saw a few people were already up and chatting.


    Harry pretended to look around, then he went over to the couch that was facing towards the windows. ¡°Lay down and take off the cloak.¡± He whispered. ¡°We''ll pretend you were sleeping here.¡±


    Luna did that and sat up when Harry pretended to shake her awake. ¡°Oh! Good morning, Harry.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Luna.¡± Harry said and sat beside her. ¡°I know the view out the window is great; but, you really should sleep in the dorms. That''s what they''re for.¡±


    Luna laughed a little, because she had slept in the dorms, just not her own. ¡°I''ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°You should head up to wash and get changed for school.¡± Harry said and stood as he tucked the cloak into his pocket. ¡°I''ll meet you back down here in twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thanks, Harry.¡± Luna said and stood to follow him to the stairs.


    ¡°Anytime, Luna.¡± Harry said and they went up their separate stairs. The whispers behind them were filled with Luna once again sleeping on the couch and not staying in the dorm room for a second night.


    Twenty minutes later, Harry was downstairs and waited for Luna. When she came down, she was wearing her butterbeer cork necklace and not her earrings.


    Harry gave her a concerned look. ¡°Where are your earrings?¡±


    Luna looked surprised that he would even notice. ¡°I need to pick some new dirigible plums.¡±


    Harry raised his eyebrows at that, then he smiled. ¡°Why don''t we head out during lunch and see if we can find any bushes near the castle?¡±


    Luna beamed a smile at him and wrapped her arms around him to give him a kiss.


    ¡°If we can get a bunch of them, we can pick as many as you want and I''ll cast the stasis charms on them.¡± Harry said as they walked towards the common room door. ¡°You won''t have to worry about replacing them for a long time.¡±


    Luna was once again surprised. ¡°Harry, you... why aren''t you telling me to be more normal?¡±


    Harry snorted a laugh as the door opened. ¡°I absolutely HATE being normal. My muggle relatives abused me constantly to beat the magic out of me and to make me normal like them.¡±


    There were gasps and comments throughout the common room at his words.


    Harry ignored them and led Luna out through the door. ¡°If you want to prance around wearing your uniform inside out or upside down, I won''t tell you not to.¡± He said and looked at her face to see that she had wide eyes and her mouth made a little ''o'' of surprise. He immediately thought to take advantage of her lip shape and stopped walking to give her a kiss.


    Luna quickly put her hands around his neck and kissed him back for several moments. ¡°Harry, I didn''t think I could love you more.¡±


    Harry laughed and took her arm to keep walking. ¡°You''re eleven and I''m twelve. Neither of us have ever had a girlfriend or boyfriend before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry about that.¡± Luna said and leaned her head on his shoulder until they reached the staircases. ¡°Daddy told me all about relationships and what to do when I finally get a boyfriend.¡±


    Harry wanted to ask what he would tell his daughter about stuff like that. He wisely kept his mouth shut, because he had a feeling that Luna would eventually tell him in her own time.


    They sat for breakfast and their other friends soon joined them and they talked about little things, like what classes they were looking forward to today. Most thought that Charms was going to be good while Harry had a feeling that his first lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts was going to be the best.


    ¡°We have twenty minutes before class.¡± Luna said and stood. ¡°Harry, want to go for a short walk?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Harry said and they left the Griffindor table. He noticed that no one commented about Luna''s necklace or lack of earrings. He knew not to ask about that, because he didn''t want to ruin Luna''s mystique.


    They walked along one of the side corridors until they came to a door that was only half as wide as a normal classroom door. Luna stopped them and she knocked twice on it.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Checking for occupancy.¡± Luna said and didn''t hear anything, so she opened the door and dragged Harry inside.


    ¡°Luna, this is a broom cupboard.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I know. It''s where boyfriends and girlfriends go for privacy.¡± Luna said and looked into his eyes.


    ¡°Privacy? For what?¡± Harry asked, then Luna grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a kiss that quickly became a snogging session. It was like the one they had in the common room the day before and Harry reacted appropriately and kissed as good as he got. Or so he hoped. This was all new to him, after all.


    *


    ¡°Where were you, mate?¡± Ron asked as Harry came into the defense classroom with a goofy grin on his face.


    ¡°Brilliant.¡± Harry responded, which didn''t make sense.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ron looked at his face and saw that his hair was a little messier than normal.


    ¡°Luna. She''s bloody brilliant.¡± Harry said.


    Parvati and Lavender at the next table giggled and started whispering.


    ¡°Was a short walk really that fun?¡± Ron asked, disbelief clear on his face.


    Harry nodded his head several times and the girls at the next table giggled even more.


    ¡°All right, settle down.¡± Thorfinn Rowle said as he entered the classroom. ¡°I assume you''ve all read the paper or heard about the disaster yesterday?¡±


    All of the students nodded their heads.


    ¡°Good. Today I''ll be teaching you how to recognize the darker spells. Their colors, their effects, and their shapes.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°I''m glad I have you for a double class today, because we have a lot to get through.¡±


    A few of the students groaned, mainly the Slytherins.


    ¡°I know a few of you already know some of this, so those that think they can already do this, you can treat this as a study period.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°I''ll be giving a test at the end of class, so if you try to fake knowing it, you''ll be getting a detention tonight. Filch said he needs a few extra hands scrubbing the Owlery.¡±


    Every single student picked up their quills and was ready to write down what he told them, even Harry, despite his desire to volunteer to help Filch anyway.


    Thorfinn smiled. ¡°All right. The very first spell I''ll be showing you is the Organ Liquefying Curse.¡±


    I knew this was going to be a great class. Harry thought, happily. He wrote down the distinctive color and shape of the spell as it left Thorfinn''s wand. He also noted the speed and how the teacher''s aim was both accurate and lazy. He put his hand up in the air while everyone else was still writing.


    ¡°Yes, Mister Potter?¡± Thorfinn asked.


    ¡°I noticed that your aim was both targeted and also off.¡± Harry said and noticed Thorfinn''s mouth twitch into a small smile. ¡°Why is that, sir? Is it because you don''t need to hit anything in particular on a person when using it?¡±


    ¡°That''s it exactly, Mister Potter. Ten points to Griffindor for noticing that.¡± Thorfinn said, a little proud that his prized student had seen it. ¡°Hitting anywhere on a person has varying degrees of severity. Hitting an arm could cause just the arteries to melt, leaving the arm unusable and also savable. Hitting the leg could potentially kill, since the main arteries are in the thighs. A crotch shot...¡±


    Groans came from nearly all of the boys in the class.


    ¡°...will be very damaging and would liquefy the testes, the bowels, and the lower intestines.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°A torso shot is almost always fatal, as the heart and lungs are usually the first to go. Without immediate medical attention, like a freezing or immobilization spell, there''s no chance of recovering.¡±


    ¡°This topic is disgusting.¡± Hermione whispered, except in the silence, her voice seemed loud and carried to everyone''s ears.


    ¡°It really is.¡± Thorfinn said and she looked at him in surprise. ¡°Dark wizards are disgusting. They do despicable things like torturing and killing people for fun. It''s not a job or a vendetta for them. It''s not even personal for most of them. No, they enjoy doing it and seeing others suffer.¡±


    All of the students looked uncomfortable, except for a couple of the Slytherins and Harry Potter.


    ¡°Let''s move on to the Blood Boiling Curse.¡± Thorfinn said and cast the spell at the training dummy. ¡°It will make you feel like you are being cooked from the inside out and you will die within ten minutes unless treated.¡± He looked around the classroom. ¡°Can anyone tell me the counter curse?¡±


    ¡°Glacius.¡± Harry responded immediately.


    ¡°Correct. Another ten points, Mister Potter.¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°The two curses use your blood to either burn you from inside or freeze you from inside. Cast at the same target, they fight and cancel each other out.¡± He said and cast a different spell at the dummy. ¡°That was Glacius, the next spell I was going to talk about. It will give you near instant hypothermia and will also kill you within ten minutes unless treated.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡± Den Thomas said as he raised his hand. ¡°Can you cast them again? I didn''t get the shapes.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I''m here to teach you. Getting to show off is just a bonus.¡± Thorfinn said with a smile and a few of the students laughed. ¡°Watch closely now...¡±


    *


    Harry quickly packed a lunch at the Griffindor table before Luna came into the Great Hall with the other first year students. ¡°Hi, Luna. Ready to go?¡±


    Luna nodded and she and Harry walked out of the hall with a lot of curious stares following them.


    ¡°I''m sure that I have enough food for our hunt to find the elusive Dirigible Plum.¡± Harry commented as they went to the large oak front doors. The doors opened for them to pass through and Luna almost seemed to bloom as the sun hit her face and she beamed a smile at Harry.


    ¡°You look really pretty, Luna.¡± Harry said and she blushed.


    ¡°Harry, I...¡±


    ¡°I''m only saying the truth.¡± Harry said. ¡°The look on your face when the sun hit it, was the best thing I''ve seen in a long time.¡±


    Luna kept blushing as Harry led her over to the first set of bushes he had seen.


    ¡°Hey, Luna.¡± Harry said as he peered at the closest bush.


    ¡°Yes, Harry?¡± Luna asked.


    ¡°I have absolutely no clue what I''m looking for.¡± Harry admitted.


    Luna looked surprised for a moment, then she laughed and laughed. She had been a little worried that he might say something else that might make her blush again, because she hadn''t blushed so much in her life.


    ¡°It''s not my fault that I don''t know what they look like.¡± Harry said and she kept laughing. ¡°It''s not!¡±


    ¡°I... I know. I was just...¡± Luna snorted and laughed some more.


    Harry grinned at her and led her around the bushes and just pointed at random things to keep her laughing.


    They stopped at one point to have a little picnic and talked about the classes they had attended that morning. When the food was mostly gone, they packed up and continued their search of the castle grounds. They eventually found a sole bush that was pretty much hiding inside a group of bushes near the Forbidden Forest.


    ¡°Just in time, too.¡± Harry said and peered at his expensive timepiece. ¡°Lunch is almost over.¡±


    Luna plucked only certain floating plums from the bush and Harry didn''t ask her what her requirements were for choosing them. It was just easier to let her do it than to try and pick them at random while hoping that she could use them.


    ¡°Thank you very much for doing this for me, Harry.¡± Luna said and held out the small bag that was filled with her chosen dirigible plums.


    ¡°I had fun helping you, so you don''t need to thank me.¡± Harry said and started casting the stasis spells as they walked back towards the castle. ¡°I''ll have them all preserved by the time we pass through the front doors and they''ll stay fresh for as long as you need them.¡±


    Luna walked beside her boyfriend and she couldn''t help but thank the powers that be for giving her a chance to find someone that actually paid attention to her and cared about how she felt. She glanced up at the sky and for a moment, she thought she saw a peculiar-shaped cloud move. She blinked her eyes twice and the cloud looked normal again and it continued to drift on the wind.


    On a whim, Luna waved at the cloud and suddenly felt happier for some reason. She didn''t question it and embraced the feeling as she and Harry walked on towards the castle''s front doors.


    Harry closed the bag of plums and handed it to Luna just as they reached the steps to go into the castle. ¡°All done. They should last a really long time.¡±


    ¡°You''re the best, Harry.¡± Luna said and took his hand to lead him down a particular corridor.


    They reached a thin door and she knocked. There was a bang and shuffling sound inside.


    ¡°Not this one.¡± Luna said and hauled him up the stairs to a different corridor and found another door. She knocked and there was no answer, so she smiled and pulled Harry inside.


    ¡°Luna, we only have a few minutes.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°It''s okay. You have to wait a year or so before you can grab my boobies.¡± Luna said with a straight face.


    Harry coughed and his face flushed red as he blushed. ¡°L-Luna, I... I wasn''t even thinking about doing that.¡±


    ¡°I know. I was just letting you know that I was.¡± Luna said with a dreamy smile.


    ¡°Oh. Um... thanks? I guess?¡± Harry said, unsure.


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Luna said and pulled him close to snog him senseless.


    *


    Severus Snape sat in his office and stared at the letter in his hand. He was sure that he didn''t want anything to do with what it was asking him to do. The problem was, he no longer had Albus Dumbledore to protect him if he did try and do anything that seemed even remotely evil. His spy excuse wouldn''t be accepted by anyone without the old man''s backing, not even with the old members of the Order of the Phoenix.


    The weary man sighed and looked at the letter he had received the night before and shook his head. He was in a right pickle, as the muggles would say. He had his old faction asking for him to resume his potion making duties for them and he also had the presumed new leader of the Order of the Phoenix asking him to tell them anything he could about his old faction.


    ¡°Screw it.¡± Severus said and picked up both letters, set them on fire, and tossed them into the fireplace to burn up into ashes. ¡°I no longer have sworn masters that I need to serve.¡±


    Little did he realize that his choice would have both foreseen and unforeseen consequences.


    *


    After two weeks had passed, every time Hermione saw Harry''s goofy smile when he arrived just before class started, she felt angry because she knew that Luna was putting the smile there. She had cried herself to sleep several times after their friendship had ended and she thought that he would have come right to her for help when his grades started slipping.


    Only, he was actually earning points in nearly every class and his test scores were just as high as they had been with her helping him. That only made her angrier, because she realized that they had been sharing more than she thought. Harry didn''t actually need her help and he just liked being with her because he used studying as an excuse to do so.


    Half a week later, Hermione followed them once and she saw that Harry was encouraging Luna''s odd behaviour. She understood then that it was a part of his personality. He would adapt and be whatever someone wanted in a friend. He was like a chameleon that changed for whoever he was with, and that thought made her gasp.


    Harry was supposed to be in Slytherin! Hermione thought in surprise and ran back to her dorm room to look over her notes. She still couldn''t understand why Harry wasn''t concerned about Voldemort still being alive and trying to kill him, though. She wrote it up again and thought about sending it by owl, then shook her head at the crazy thought. Instead, she went down to the common room and pretended to study as she waited for the right moment.


    ¡°You have got to finish that transfiguration essay for McGonagall.¡± Luna reminded Harry.


    Harry opened his backpack. ¡°Oh, right. I put it on my desk so I wouldn''t forget it.¡±


    Luna giggled. ¡°You left it out so you wouldn''t forget it and forgot it because you left it out.¡±


    ¡°Don''t make me tickle you for pointing out the obvious.¡± Harry said and grabbed her sides to make her laugh.


    ¡°S-s-stop!¡± Luna managed to say between laughs.


    ¡°I''ll be right back.¡± Harry said and stood, then looked back at her. ¡°Assuming Ron hasn''t taken it.¡±


    ¡°Go ask Ron first before you waste time looking for it.¡± Luna said, wisely.


    ¡°Okay. See you in a bit.¡± Harry said and gave her a quick kiss before he left the common room to go find Ron.


    Hermione waited for the door to close before she grabbed her things and went over to Luna. ¡°Hi, Luna. Can you give Harry something for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Luna said and held a hand out.


    Hermione took out the letter and handed it to her. ¡°Make sure he reads that and understands what it means.¡±


    ¡°I will do everything I can to help him.¡± Luna said and tucked the letter into her robes. ¡°When are you going to apologize to him for your behaviour?¡±


    Hermione caught her breath and looked guilty before she turned her face away. ¡°I... I''ve been angry...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know all about that. Everyone in your year comments about the evil stares you send Harry''s way when he goes to class after we snog.¡±


    Hermone gasped. ¡°I knew you were the reason he''s looked so happy!¡±


    Luna beamed a smile at her. ¡°That makes me very happy, too.¡±


    ¡°Luna, you can''t think that kissing him will keep him happy.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I''m not stupid.¡± Luna said and her huge smile didn''t reduce at all. ¡°I listen to everything he says, I offer my opinions, and I never lie or try to make him do things he doesn''t want to do.¡±


    ¡°But... but you...¡±


    ¡°I did warn him that he needed to wait for a year or so to touch my boobies, though.¡± Luna said and Hermione looked apoplectic. ¡°It''s okay. He said he wasn''t thinking about it, even though I was.¡±


    That didn''t do Hermione''s whirling mind any favors.


    ¡°I wonder if I offered to let him touch my butt would make him happy?¡± Luna asked absently as her eyes seemed to lose focus. ¡°He really likes it when I sit on his lap.¡±


    Hermione''s face was red now and Luna looked back at her.


    ¡°Did I say that out loud? I''m sorry.¡± Luna said and actually looked apologetic. ¡°Anyways, I''ll wait for a month and see if he asks me or just does it for himself before I mention it.¡±


    Hermione didn''t know what to say to that.


    ¡°Is there anything else? Harry will be back in a few minutes.¡± Luna said.


    ¡°N-no, I... just the letter.¡± Hermione responded.


    ¡°I''ll be sure that he gets it.¡± Luna promised.


    Hermione walked away and her mind went over everything that she had just heard. It was the oddest conversation that she had ever had. So far, anyway. With Luna in Griffindor, she was sure that there would be many more conversations that she wasn''t going to know how to navigate safely.


    A few minutes later, the common room door opened and Harry came in carrying a piece of parchment. ¡°You were right, Luna. I would have been searching for a while because Ron had it on him.¡±


    Luna beamed a smile at him and pat the couch beside her. ¡°You''ll have to rewrite some of it.¡±


    ¡°Try all of it.¡± Harry chuckled and sat down to let Luna cuddle in to his side. ¡°He actually had to copy it twice because the first time he did it, he copied my name at the top, too.¡±


    Luna laughed and Harry grinned at her.


    ¡°Did anyone bother you while I was gone?¡± Harry asked as he pulled the coffee table closer and then waved his wand at it to make it taller for an impromptu writing desk.


    ¡°Not really.¡± Luna said. ¡°Hermione gave me a letter to give to you.¡±


    Harry waved his wand and the air shimmered slightly as he cast several silence and privacy spells.


    Hermione watched as Luna handed over the letter. She couldn''t read lips, so she could only guess what was being said as she and Harry talked. To her surprise, Harry opened the letter right there and let Luna read it. They kept talking and exchanged several meaningful looks, as well as a few nods.


    Harry folded up the letter and he talked with Luna for several more minutes before he dismissed the spells around them and he walked over to the fireplace to kneel in front of it. A quick Incendio later, the parchment was turned to ashes. He stood and walked over to Hermione and then knelt on a knee beside her chair at the table.


    ¡°I assume you wanted no evidence left.¡± Harry whispered to her.


    Hermione shook her head. ¡°I didn''t.¡± She looked over to Luna. ¡°You showed her, though.¡±


    ¡°Luna has a lot more information about it that you don''t know.¡± Harry said and Hermione''s eyebrows raised and seemed to disappear under her hair. ¡°You can ask her about it later if you want.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Hermione said, doubt in her voice as her eyebrows returned to their normal position. After the conversation she just had with the girl, she was unsure if she could take a repeat performance so soon. ¡°What about my conclusions?¡±


    ¡°They would be accurate if they were still valid.¡± Harry said, to her surprise. ¡°Like I said, Luna knows a few things that you don''t.¡±


    ¡°But... what happened to change...¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to talk about it now.¡± Harry said and stood. ¡°I wanted to as soon as I saw you on the train and you wouldn''t listen or let me get a word in before you finished having your say.¡±


    Hermione sighed and looked down. ¡°I''m sorry I did that, Harry.¡±


    Harry stood there for thirty seconds to see if she would say anything else. ¡°Yeah, I can see how sorry you are if you only apologize for verbally assaulting me and not for why you were doing it.¡±


    Hermione sucked in a breath and lifted her head to look at his face.


    ¡°Yes, Hermione. I could tell the difference. I stood here waiting for the follow up apology and you stayed quiet.¡±


    ¡°Harry, I... I am sorry about...¡±


    ¡°No, you''re not. You thought you were right and you still think you were right.¡± Harry said and she couldn''t deny it. ¡°You''re only sorry that when you got what you wanted, it cost you a lot more than money.¡±


    Hermione could only nod. She really did think that she was right, because Harry shouldn''t have spent so much money on her. She accepted the books because she knew he would keep copies and they both benefited from it. The normal floo and then the enchanted room with the floo inside was just too much for her to accept as a simple gift. It went against her personal beliefs.


    Harry saw her pensive face and held in his sigh. He had only guessed at her thoughts and was saddened that he had been right. He took out something from his pocket and handed it to her.


    ¡°What''s this?¡± Hermione asked.


    ¡°It''s a permission slip to leave the castle tomorrow.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Huh? Why are you giving me this?¡± Hermione asked, confused.


    ¡°I asked McGonagall to escort you to the Three Broomsticks in the morning. You can use the floo there to go home and spend the day with your parents.¡±


    ¡°HARRY!¡± Hermione shouted and then gasped as she covered her mouth at how loud it was.


    ¡°Happy Birthday, Hermione.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°But... how... you... why? After what I said, I didn''t think you would still...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and that also tells me how little you thought about how much you meant to me and what I would do for you.¡± Harry said with a sad face and walked back over to Luna.


    Hermione watched with a pained heart as her best friend was hugged by his girlfriend. She thought she saw tears in his eyes before the air shimmered around them and the couch turned around to face away from the middle of the room. It hid them from view and a few people were making comments about what they just saw.


    Hermione looked down at the permission slip that was a special day pass for her birthday. He still cares about me, even after I hurt him. She thought and her tears started again. She thought she had cried herself out weeks ago and now she was crying again over the same thing.


    ¡°You really need to sort out your priorities.¡± Parvati said from the next table, startling her.


    ¡°Yeah, you have to stop believing you''re right when you''re wrong.¡± Lavender said and her hand reached over to touch Neville''s hand. ¡°I thought Neville wasn''t worth getting to know, because he''s an heir to his house and I''m just from a normal family.¡±


    ¡°Your family''s not normal!¡± Neville exclaimed, which made a few people around them laugh. Parvati giggled and Lavender pretended to look angry. ¡°That... that didn''t come out right. That''s not what I meant.¡±


    Lavender dropped the angry look and giggled like Parvati. ¡°I know, Neville.¡± She said and glanced around to see who was looking, then she shrugged and leaned in to kiss his cheek.


    Of course, this brought whistles and shouts of ''more''.


    Neville''s face turned beet red and he ducked his head slightly. ¡°You''re great, Lavender.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. You''re pretty great, too.¡± Lavender said and leaned against him. ¡°Can I borrow your brain while I do Professor Sprout''s essay?¡±


    ¡°You can borrow anything you want.¡± Neville said and then blushed again as Lavender and Parvati giggled. ¡°I... ah... I meant... you know what I meant.¡±


    Lavender and Parvati exchanged looks and laughed again. ¡°We know.¡± They said and then Lavender took out some parchment to start her essay.


    Hermione had watched the exchange and felt another pang in her heart, because she no longer had that kind of interaction with the one person that always indulged her, no matter what she wanted to do. She folded up the permission slip and would go home tomorrow for her birthday. She would need to have a long talk with her mother about a lot of things.


    *


    Minerva McGonagall sat in her office that night and she wondered where her life was going. She was suddenly the headmaster of the school she worked at and she had a much younger man as a lover. She hadn''t had a man in her bed since her husband had died in the war with Grindelwald and she sure was surprised in the differences that had happened in sex acts since then. It was a pleasant surprise, though.


    There was a knock on her door and she smiled as she stood up and then walked over to it. She opened the door to see Thorfinn standing there with a large bouquet of flowers that smelled divine.


    ¡°You have to stop bringing me these for our weekend meetings.¡± Minerva whispered as she accepted the flowers and stepped aside to smell the catnip stashed between the flowers.


    ¡°Only when you bar me from your bed.¡± Thorfinn said and grinned at her blush. He knew exactly what to do to get her randy and he always liked it when she let her more cat-like tendencies out. He especially enjoyed it when she lapped at him with her tongue and used his back as a scratching post.


    ¡°You are spoiling me.¡± Minerva whispered.


    ¡°That wasn''t a complaint, was it?¡± Thorfinn asked as he escorted her to the apartment behind the headmaster''s office. He magicked the flowers to the vase left out for them and started to undress her.


    ¡°No, and it never will be.¡± Minerva said and kissed her younger lover passionately.


    They were soon on the bed and Minerva purred as her man took her, again and again. She loved his dominating personality and the feline within her was content to submit to a male that was strong and could protect her, while also doing what was necessary. She had never felt so happy in her life.


    *


    Another month passed and Luna had never been happier in her life. She had a few acquaintances in her own year, despite Ginny refusing to talk to her. Everyone knew why Ginny was upset and didn''t hold it against Luna. Luna was also becoming friends with Harry''s friends, because she was spending so much time with her boyfriend. She liked that they could be her friend and also ignore anything odd she said. She suspected it was because of Harry and she didn''t push things.


    She also had a boy who genuinely liked her and listened to her, even when she shared her views on wrackspurts and nargles. She explained that they were mostly invisible creatures that affected people and that her mother had been the one to explain them to her.


    ¡°I guess that means the both of you could see them?¡± Harry asked and she nodded. ¡°Is there a name for that ability?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Luna said and relaxed against his chest as she thought about it. They were currently snuggled together on the couch in the common room and looked out the window that showed the castle grounds. ¡°I don''t even know who we could ask about it.¡±


    ¡°Me, either.¡± Harry said and kissed her cheek.


    Half an hour later, Harry was surprised that he didn''t automatically think about Hermione to ask her if she knew where to look or whom to ask. He mentioned it and Luna turned in his arms slightly to look at his face.


    ¡°She''s not really talking to either of us.¡± Luna said.


    Harry sighed. ¡°I had hoped her present would have given her the motivation to at least discuss things.¡±


    Luna laughed softly. ¡°Harry, she did. Except it was probably her mother she talked to.¡±


    Harry blinked his eyes several times, then chuckled. ¡°Yeah, that option went right over my head.¡±


    Luna laughed a little more. ¡°I think it''s because your mind is filtering out all of the things you used to consider when you were with her.¡±


    ¡°I wasn''t really with her.¡± Harry said and Luna raised a single eyebrow at him. ¡°Okay, maybe I was and she wasn''t.¡±


    Luna nodded. ¡°She didn''t realize what she was losing when she hurt you. Even after she gave you that kiss for New Years, she should have suspected that you meant a lot more to her than she realized.¡±


    Harry nodded back. ¡°She''s at least being nice to me instead of pretending I don''t exist.¡±


    Luna leaned in and gave him a tender kiss. ¡°She was jealous. You are happy and she didn''t want to see it, because it wasn''t her doing it.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That makes sense.¡± Harry said and then sighed. ¡°Why are things so complicated?¡±


    ¡°We are all different people.¡± Luna said and turned back to look out the window as she relaxed against him again. ¡°Even we have our little fights.¡±


    Harry grinned at her. ¡°Cuddle fights are not real fights.¡±


    ¡°No? Who won last night, hmm?¡± Luna asked, smugly.


    Harry couldn''t stop his snort and laugh, because Luna had somehow wrapped herself around his head like a pillow at the time. ¡°I bow to the evidence of your cuddle fight winning streak.¡±


    ¡°That''s definite proof that you''re smart, too.¡± Luna said and Harry laughed again.


    Luna was extra happy as well, because Harry had actually managed to grab her butt during last night''s little tussle. When she didn''t mention it, he actually left his hand there and gave her several kisses that she thoroughly enjoyed. Touching and kissing were now her new favorite things... right behind the crumpled horned snorkack and the blibbering humdinger. Or maybe they were tied. She would have to test it later to find out for sure.


    *


    A month later, Kingsley ran into the office of his boss without knocking. ¡°They just hit St. Mungo''s.¡±


    ¡°Why? It was so goddamn quiet that I was enjoying it.¡± Amelia said as she shot to her feet. ¡°Who do we have available right now?¡±


    ¡°A few of the newer Aurors and their recruits.¡±


    ¡°Where''s Moody?¡± Amelia asked as she pulled on her armored coat and followed her chief Auror out of the office.


    ¡°On the case by the docks.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°He thinks the bodies they found are the two missing men that stole the Azkaban plans and procedures.¡±


    ¡°Great. It''s all coming out.¡± Amelia said and gathered up who she could. ¡°We''re going in, wands blazing. Immobilize everyone that even looks hostile, even the staff.¡±


    ¡°What if they are death eaters and fire at us?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°I am authorizing lethal force for this. No one gets away with attacking a hospital.¡± Amelia said with a feral grin and saw matching looks on their faces. ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    *


    ¡°We have to go! They''re sending in the Aurors!¡± A man shouted and shot off a Skin Shredding curse. He didn''t take solace in the light scream he heard, because it meant it was only a grazing shot.


    ¡°Tell me how they healed Sirius Black!¡± Narcissa shouted as she used a bone shattering curse on the nurse''s hand.


    ¡°AAHHH!¡± Ela screamed in pain as her finger bones disintegrated into splinters and severely damaged the flesh around them.


    ¡°Tell ME!¡± Narcissa yelled.


    ¡°I told you already! It was magic! Magic I didn''t see!¡± Ela said, fighting against the tears streaming down her face. ¡°I left the room to get him breakfast! When I came back, he was completely healthy!¡±


    ¡°BAH! That doesn''t help me at all!¡± Narcissa said and used the same curse on the nurse''s other hand. She ignored the woman''s pained scream. ¡°What? Your hands are useless anyway. You just admitted you didn''t heal him.¡±


    Ela held her shattered hands against her chest and cried.


    ¡°Who else was there?¡± Narcissa asked.


    ¡°N-no... no one.¡± Ela whispered.


    Narcissa squinted her eyes at the lie and aimed for the nurse''s foot. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Bones! Amelia Bones!¡± Ela sobbed and tried to curl in on herself. ¡°She was here visiting about Sirius'' compensation!¡±


    ¡°You are very lucky that I don''t enjoy killing.¡± Narcissa said and went over to the man guarding the door. ¡°Use a blasting curse on the ceiling. We can dash to the stairwell and get away before anyone can get to us.¡±


    ¡°What about the others in the supply office?¡± The man asked and ducked back from a red cutting curse.


    ¡°We hope they retrieved what I needed. If not, they won''t like it.¡± Narcissa said.


    The man grimaced, then he nodded. ¡°On three. Your wand aimed to the floor after mine in the ceiling.¡±


    Narcissa nodded and the two of them ducked out into the hallway to blast the ceiling and the floor of the hallway where the Aurors were trying to get to them.


    ¡°ARRGH!¡± A man''s voice yelled and crumpled to the damaged floor, his arm bloody.


    Narcissa and her accomplice ran to the door to the stairwell, dodged random stunners and immobilizers, and made their escape. She didn''t question getting away so easily as they ran down the stairs, two at a time, and came out on the second floor. A stunner just missed her face and she turned to growl out the Organ Expelling curse.


    ¡°AHHGGGRRLLL!¡± The Auror half-screamed and then choked as her organs were pushed out of her body up through her throat and out of her mouth. They were all still attached; however, the floor was dirty and covered in debris from another magic fight.


    Narcissa and her accomplice ran down the hallway to the supply office and saw one of their members was impaled on a metal spike and there was blood everywhere. The others were gone and they had left several bags behind.


    ¡°The cowards ran.¡± Narcissa said and handed two bags to the man with her and then picked up the other two. They already had expansion charms and weight cancelling enchantments, so they easily left the room and didn''t meet anyone else.


    ¡°They will be dealt with.¡± The man said and opened the stairwell door. ¡°The lobby is going to have the highest number of opposition.¡±


    Narcissa smiled and pointed up. The man with her took a second to realize what she meant and smiled. If they could get above the building''s wards, they could apparate away without trouble. They entered the stairwell and quickly made their way up to the top floor, surprised there wasn''t anyone chasing them when they had to have known they were using the stairs.


    ¡°They are waiting for us to exit.¡± Narcissa said and thought about her options.


    ¡°I doubt they could get too many Aurors into the gift shop to oppose us.¡± The man said.


    ¡°Let''s see, shall we?¡± Narcissa said and knelt on the floor as she put the end of her wand through the space under the door. Nebulus Maxima.


    ¡°POISON GAS!¡± Several voices yelled and there was a mad scramble to fight of the quickly encroaching fog. Several spells were shot off and none of them had any real effect.


    ¡°Shields and wind spells!¡± A female voice commanded. ¡°Dammit! Retreat to the elevator!¡±


    Narcissa sighed at the familiar voice of the Head of the DMLE, Amelia Bones.


    ¡°It''s all right.¡± The man with her said. ¡°You couldn''t question her here, anyway.¡±


    ¡°You''re right. It will have to wait until later.¡± Narcissa said and listened. When the elevator doors closed, she opened the stairwell door and shot several blasting curses in a line across the space she could barely see. No one reacted, so she sighed in relief and led her accomplice out into the fog. It was like walking inside a cloud and she could barely see as she entered the gift shop.


    After a repeat of the expanded fog spell under the door at the back of the shop, there was no response. She opened the door to reveal a tiny stairwell and both she and her accomplice went up the stair to the exit and cautiously opened the door. The roof was completely empty and they both relaxed. A second later, they both apparated away.


    *


    ¡°Former Death Eaters.¡± Amelia sighed as she looked at the bodies and their identification. ¡°How by Merlin''s beard did we miss this many?¡±


    ¡°We don''t know how many got away.¡± Kingsley pointed out and Amelia glared at him. ¡°It''s the truth. We only have one witness still alive and she said the two with her, a man and a woman wearing death eater masks, said the others were in the supply office.¡±


    ¡°How is Ela?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°Devastated.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°They shattered all of the bones in her hands, which tore up all of the muscles, nerves, and flesh around them. She''ll never hold a wand again, let alone keep being a healer.¡±


    ¡°Oh, god.¡± Amelia whispered and put a hand over her eyes. ¡°What else did she say?¡±


    ¡°They wanted to know how Sirius was healed so quickly after spending so much time in prison.¡±


    Amelia could only nod. She had suspected it as soon as she learned that Ela was the witness the death eaters questioned. ¡°How''s Hestia?¡±


    ¡°They''re still working on her.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°They got to her quickly, so there''s no trouble with keeping her alive.¡±


    Amelia knew what that meant. It would be difficult to go back to work after throwing up all of your insides, knowing that it could easily happen again with all of the Death Eaters that hadn''t been arrested and tried or had escaped from prison after being tried. It was now a lot more dangerous to be an Auror.


    ¡°I''ll talk to her after I go see Ela.¡± Amelia said and Kingsley nodded as she walked away. Her mind reeled over the Death Eaters going so far as to release poison gas inside of a hospital, just to escape. She was relieved that whatever spell it was had dissipated after only twenty minutes and it hadn''t passed any farther than the gift shop, which had to be gutted.


    Amelia entered the private room where Ela laid in the bed and saw that the woman''s face was full of sorrow and pain. ¡°Ela.¡±


    ¡°I already told the Aurors everything I remembered.¡± Ela said without looking at her.


    ¡°I''m not here for that.¡± Amelia said and Ela turned her head to look at her as she approached the bed. ¡°I''ve been on the receiving end of the same curse.¡± She pat her upper arm. ¡°Luckily, it wasn''t as debilitating and it''s only numb on the underside.¡±


    Ela let out a sob and the tears flowed down her face. ¡°My career... something I''ve worked my whole life for... it''s over.¡±


    ¡°Don''t speak like that.¡± Amelia said and lightly touched the other woman''s shoulder. ¡°You have Sirius and...¡±


    ¡°SIRIUS!¡± Ela gasped and cried harder. ¡°Oh, god! You... you have to go to my house and help him!¡±


    ¡°Ela...¡±


    ¡°Please! Drag him here if you have to!¡± Ela pleaded. ¡°He can''t be left at home alone. Not now.¡±


    Amelia wanted to protest, to let Ela recover for the night and at least regrow her finger bones before she had to deal with Sirius... and she couldn''t. ¡°I''ll go right to him after I speak with Hestia.¡±


    ¡°Hestia? Hestia Jones?¡± Ela asked and Amelia nodded. ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    ¡°Organ Expelling Curse.¡± Amelia said, not bothering to ease the impact of the news.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Ela said and laid back on the bed, her tears still slowly flowing. ¡°How soon did they...¡±


    ¡°It was quick. I don''t know the exact timing.¡±


    Ela sighed and tried to blink the tears out of her eyes.


    Amelia saw what she was doing and conjured a handkerchief to wipe at her face.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ela said. ¡°She''s going to need time off.¡±


    ¡°At least.¡± Amelia said and sighed, too. ¡°I''m going to recommend retirement.¡±


    Ela was surprised by that. ¡°But, you need as many Aurors as you can get.¡±


    ¡°I can always use more office workers or trainers for the Auror Training Program.¡±


    Ela thought about that and nodded. ¡°She might go for the second one.¡±


    Amelia nodded back. ¡°Is there anyone else I can contact on your behalf?¡±


    ¡°Harry.¡± Ela said and more tears came to her eyes. ¡°He needs to know that I can''t take care of him at Christmas like I promised.¡±


    ¡°Ela, you don''t have to give up on everything.¡± Amelia said, her voice full of sympathy.


    Ela nodded at her deflated hands that were strapped down to a flat board to stop her from moving them. ¡°I can''t even hug him and he gives the best hugs.¡±


    Amelia held in her sigh. ¡°You can still do that.¡±


    ¡°Not for weeks at least.¡± Ela said. ¡°I might get some feeling back in the palms, since they were the least affected. My fingers, though...¡± She shook her head. ¡°There''s no hope.¡±


    ¡°Ela, there''s always hope. You can''t give up.¡±


    ¡°I''m a healer and I know the damage I''ve suffered. I felt my hands shredding from the inside.¡± Ela said and closed her eyes as the tears kept going. ¡°I just hope that Sirius still wants to get married to a woman that won''t be able to run her fingers through his soft shaggy hair.¡±


    ¡°He loves you, not your hands.¡± Amelia said. ¡°He won''t let you go, even if you were completely immobilized.¡±


    Ela took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°I hope so.¡±


    ¡°I know so.¡± Amelia said and gave her shoulder a squeeze. ¡°I''ll post an Auror on the door.¡±


    ¡°Why? They won''t be back.¡± Ela said and opened her eyes.


    ¡°It''s so Sirius won''t destroy the door coming in here to rescue you from yourself.¡± Amelia joked.


    Ela huffed and then laughed a little.


    ¡°Rest and he should be here in half an hour.¡± Amelia said and wiped her face off again before she walked over to the door.


    Ela nodded and watched the Head of the DMLE until she opened the door. ¡°Amelia, thank you.¡±


    ¡°We''re friends, Ela. If I have to kick your ass to get you to stay positive, I will.¡±


    Ela smiled and nodded again.


    Amelia left the room and went to see Hestia, who was slightly panicking at all of the healers checking in on her. ¡°All right, you lot. OUT!¡±


    ¡°We need to check...¡±


    ¡°I. Said. OUT!¡± Amelia shouted and glared at them as if she was going to curse them. They all took off like scared rabbits.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Hestia whispered. ¡°They are really annoying.¡±


    ¡°They told me that you shouldn''t speak. Your throat was ripped inside out and even with magic and potions, you need to relax and heal.¡± Amelia said.


    Hestia sighed. ¡°Boss...¡±


    ¡°No, I''m not here as your boss.¡± Amelia said and saw the surprise on the woman''s face. ¡°I came to see how you were and if you wanted to retire.¡±


    Hestia blinked her eyes at the woman for several seconds. ¡°Really?¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°I can''t say I''ve experienced what you have; but, I''ve had a lot of experience with others who have.¡± She said and lightly touched Hestia''s shoulder. ¡°Ela has, too.¡±


    ¡°How...¡± *cough* ¡°...how is she?¡± Hestia whispered.


    ¡°She''s lost the use of her fingers and possibly her hands.¡± Amelia said and Hestia sighed.


    ¡°Poor... woman.¡±


    ¡°I''m going to get Sirius for her after this.¡± Amelia said.


    Hestia smiled for a second and then sighed. ¡°He''s going to be upset.¡±


    ¡°We all are.¡± Amelia said. ¡°If I hadn''t ordered you all to take down everyone and only authorized lethal force for death eaters...¡±


    ¡°My... fault. Shot too quick to... see death eater.¡± Hestia whispered. ¡°Should... have waited... a second.¡±


    Amelia shook her head. ¡°We can all second guess ourselves when an incident is over. You did what you did and that''s that. It''s not your fault you were the only one remaining of your squad watching the hallway while the others cleaned up or that there were two more death eaters coming after the other death eaters to check their progress.¡±


    Hestia nodded. Her squad had fought hard to incapacitate the death eaters, killed two of them, and secured the last two. She had been walking towards the elevator when the stairwell door behind her had opened unexpectedly.


    ¡°I want you to rest and recover for a few weeks. When you''re feeling better, contact me and I''ll see what I can scrounge up for you to do.¡±


    ¡°Amelia...¡± Hestia whispered.


    ¡°Like taking a teaching position in the Auror Training Program.¡± Amelia said and smiled at the other woman''s shocked expression. ¡°Or maybe you can be my new desk jockey to do my paperwork for me.¡±


    ¡°Teacher!¡± Hestia croaked and then coughed.


    Amelia laughed and pat her shoulder. ¡°Rest and relax for now. You can tell me again when you''re ready to.¡±


    Hestia nodded and whispered. ¡°Thank you, Amelia.¡±


    Amelia nodded back and left her there to meet with Kingsley again to fill him in on what she had said and done and where she was going now. She went to the apparition room and nodded at the Auror guards, then disappeared to the right spot near the Leaky Cauldron. She entered the pub and went right to the floo to go to Ela''s place.


    ¡°ELA?!?¡± Sirius yelled and shot to his feet, only to deflate at the sight of Amelia. ¡°Oh. It''s just you.¡±


    Amelia took in a breath and let it out. ¡°Sirius, I have something important to...¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Sirius lunged forward and grabbed Amelia''s arms before she could react. ¡°Not my ELA! She can''t be dead!¡±


    Amelia was stunned at Sirius'' speed and strength. She knew would have bruises tomorrow. ¡°No, she''s not dead.¡± She said and Sirius let her arms go. ¡°She was attacked, however.¡±


    Sirius let out a growl. ¡°Who?¡± He asked as a murderous glare overcame his face.


    ¡°Death Eaters attacked the hospital for supplies and to find out how you healed so quickly.¡± Amelia said, once again not bothering to sugar-coat it or to lie to soften the blow.


    Sirius nodded and walked over to the floo and he threw in some floo powder. In a blur of motion, he grabbed Amelia by the arms again and tossed her into the flames as he shouted the hospital''s name and ''emergency''.


    Amelia was whipped around inside the floo for several seconds and then she shot out of the Administrator''s office fireplace on her back and slid into a group of Aurors and Kingsley. Everyone tumbled and fell from the impact, shocked at the sudden appearance of their boss from a supposedly closed floo.


    Sirius stepped out of the fireplace and glared at everyone. If they had been standing at the time, they would have taken a step back from the anger he exuded. ¡°What room is my wife in?¡±


    ¡°F-f-four oh two.¡± The administrator of the hospital said, her voice shaky.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Sirius said and his face never lost the glare as he left the office and went to the fourth floor that was for permanent spell damage. Everyone he saw or met on the way to the room suddenly realized that they had somewhere else to be.


    The Auror on Ela''s door saw him coming and opened the door as he stepped out of the way. He knew not to stop or question a man that looked like that.


    Sirius nodded to him and slammed the door shut, cast several locking charms and privacy charms, and stomped over to the bed.


    Ela''s eyes were wide as she saw the man she loved approach her with a look that she never thought she would ever see. ¡°S-Sirius.¡±


    ¡°My dearest love.¡± Sirius said and sat down beside the bed. ¡°Tell me everything, then let me take a copy of the memory. I will identify them and then hunt them down to end them like the scum they are.¡±


    Ela shivered at the magic and deadly intent emanating from him. ¡°I... I was just doing some work in...¡±


    Sirius sat there, sucking in everything she said. He asked questions when appropriate, like how they moved, what they said specifically, and what spells they used. He stood when she was done talking and examined her hands. He took out his wand and performed several spells.


    ¡°Dammit, the healers erased the curse''s magical signature.¡± Sirius growled when nothing showed up. He walked over to the door and undid everything he did to secure it and opened it. ¡°I need to speak to Amelia and Kingsley immediately and to see any files they have with as much evidence as possible.¡±


    ¡°Sir, you don''t have the authority to demand...¡± The Auror started to say and then felt something slam into his chest and he was thrown across the hallway to slam against the wall.


    ¡°Get your ass moving or the next curse will be worse than a simple banishing hex.¡± Sirius spat. ¡°Those bastards hurt my wife and I am going to go through everyone and everything to get to them, which can also include you.¡±


    The Auror scrambled to his feet while rubbing his chest. His armor did nothing to soften the irate man''s simple hex, so he took off at a fast walk to get a higher authority to deal with the problem.


    Sirius watched to make sure he actually left and closed the door. He walked back over to the bed and sat down again.


    Ela looked at him, worry on her face, and she didn''t know what to say.


    ¡°I won''t be going after them right away.¡± Sirius said and his hand reached out to touch Ela''s face. ¡°If they stole supplies, they are working on rehabilitating the Azkaban prisoners. Wherever they are, they are going to be there for a while longer.¡±


    Ela sighed in relief. ¡°I thought... I was worried that you were...¡±


    ¡°No, I made that mistake with Harry.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Thanks to you, I know I can''t go off half-crazed from grief and anger.¡±


    Ela looked at his face. ¡°You''re still really angry.¡±


    ¡°I am, and I will be until I wipe those... filth... from the face of the planet.¡± Sirius said. ¡°I swore after I got better that I would protect my family with everything I have.¡±


    ¡°S-Sirius.¡± Ela whispered.


    ¡°You are my family.¡± Sirius said. ¡°We don''t have a piece of paper saying so; but, I''ve been living as if you were my wife this entire time.¡±


    Ela let several tears out. ¡°I''ve been treating you like my husband, too.¡±


    ¡°I know. Who else but a loving wife would ever put up with me?¡± Sirius asked.


    Ela couldn''t stop her laugh as she cried. ¡°My love... I''m ruined. My hands...¡±


    ¡°They are not what made you a great healer, Ela. Your enormous heart did that.¡± Sirius said and she let out a sob. He stood and leaned down to kiss her, only for her to moan when their lips met and she tried her best to kiss him passionately. He wasn''t going to leave her wanting, so he embraced her carefully and accepted her passion and desperation as if they were his own.


    After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door before it opened. Sirius broke the kiss and turned to see Amelia standing there with Kingsley behind her.


    ¡°Sirius, what you did to the man guarding the door wasn''t necessary.¡± Amelia admonished him.


    ¡°He tried to tell me no.¡± Sirius said, as if that was all the reason he needed.


    Amelia opened her mouth to keep talking about it, then sighed.


    ¡°That was better than his reaction.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Do you know what magical signature the curse was?¡±


    Amelia shook her head. ¡°The healers were already working on Ela before I could get here to stop them.¡±


    ¡°What does it matter?¡± Ela asked.


    ¡°The Department of Magical Law Enforcement has a record of every magical signature that''s ever been used in Britain.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Unfortunately, Minister Fudge, under Lucius Malfoy''s bribes, made it nearly impossible to access pure blood family records without Wizengamut approval.¡±


    ¡°Which we can never get, because it''s their magic that we would be able to trace back to them.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°We have bits from the spells used in the hallways...¡±


    ¡°...that are too muddled with each other to be of any use.¡± Sirius said and Kingsley nodded. ¡°What about the Apparition office? Who was apparating at the time?¡±


    Amelia frowned and shook her head. ¡°The person working there was out for lunch. No records for an hour can be found for around that time.¡±


    ¡°I assume you fired them.¡± Sirius said.


    ¡°Charged and put into a holding cell, actually. It was awfully convenient to go out for an extended lunch at the specific time of day that the hospital was attacked. I''ll be conducting the interview myself and applying veritaserum as well.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I doubt I''ll get more than a conspiracy charge to stick.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure the very last question you ask is, ''are there any offences or law breaking that you''ve committed that I would think are crimes or are punishable if discovered''.¡± Sirius said with a wicked smile. ¡°That should get them singing like a cat on catnip.¡±


    Amelia had to laugh at that. ¡°I think I''ll do that.¡±


    ¡°Now show me everything you''ve got.¡± Sirius said and Amelia didn''t hesitate as she handed over the folder. Sirius was already involved and would continue to be so, so having him cooperate with her would only help the both of them and stop them from being at odds with each other. ¡°Mulciber and Avery.¡±


    ¡°They took out two Aurors before they responded and killed Avery.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°Avery was trying to desperately escape when he saw us using deadly force against them and not stunners.¡±


    Sirius nodded. ¡°They are cowards for the most part. If they don''t have the advantage, they''ll leave and regroup.¡±


    Amelia was surprised to hear that. ¡°Sirius...¡±


    ¡°James and I fought a few times with Death Eaters that we didn''t tell Dumbledore about.¡± Sirius said and then smirked. ¡°No one ever questioned why the Death Eater numbers kept dwindling. They assumed Voldie was dispatching them in his little fits of anger.¡±


    Amelia''s eyes almost lit up at this new source of information. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    Sirius waved at the chair. ¡°Step into my office. It will be open at all hours as long as my wife is here.¡±


    Amelia glanced at Ela, who looked surprised by Sirius'' words. ¡°Kingsley, grab us a couple of chairs. I think we''re going to be here for a while.¡±

 113 The Return of a Legend

    Bokuboy


    Harry felt trepidation after the summons by the headmistress. He walked at a fast pace to her office, because he knew that if she wanted to talk to him, it had to be something serious. The gargoyle blocking the staircase hopped aside as he approached and Harry was too nervous to wonder at the magic needed to perform that function. He stepped onto the moving staircase and rode it up to the top, only to see the door was already open.


    ¡°Please come in, Mister Potter.¡± Minerva McGonagall said when she saw him.


    Harry entered the office and didn''t have to look around to see the woman standing beside the desk. ¡°Amelia?¡±


    Amelia strode across the room and took him into a hug. ¡°Don''t overreact to what I say, all right?¡±


    Harry nodded and didn''t speak, worry clear on his face.


    ¡°St. Mungo''s was attacked by Death Eaters yesterday.¡± Amelia said and saw Harry''s face go cold. ¡°I won''t hide anything from you, Harry.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°There were several deaths, of both hospital staff and death eaters.¡± Amelia said and Harry didn''t react. ¡°We almost lost an Auror to an organ expelling curse.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn''t be here if that was all.¡± Harry said and she nodded.


    ¡°Ela was also attacked and her hands were damaged by overpowered Bone Shattering curses.¡±


    ¡°Sirius?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°I went to get him personally and he''s been by Ela''s side since yesterday. It''s why he didn''t call on the mirror to tell you himself.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I came here as soon as I could after talking to both her and him until last night about how to handle things.¡±


    Harry took several breaths and looked into her eyes. ¡°Why Ela?¡±


    Amelia explained that the death eaters were there to get supplies for treating the Azkaban prisoners and interrogated Ela about how Sirius was healed so quickly.


    Harry''s face went from impassive to anger. ¡°So, it''s my fault.¡±


    ¡°Harry, it''s not your...¡±


    ¡°It is. I did something that shouldn''t have been possible and caused the death eaters to come after Sirius'' healer to find out the secret.¡± Harry said and took another deep breath. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll handle it.¡±


    Amelia sighed. ¡°Harry, it''s not your responsibility to...¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Harry said and let her go as he stepped back. ¡°Are you taking me to the hospital?¡±


    ¡°I can''t lift the restrictions until we''ve finished gathering up the evidence.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°When can I go see her?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°We can go on Saturday. I should have everything done by then.¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°Okay. I think I can manage it by then.¡± He said and walked towards the door to leave.


    ¡°Mister Potter, where are you going?¡± Minerva asked, a little shocked that he was going to leave without being dismissed.


    ¡°I have an urgent letter to send to a friend.¡± Harry said and opened the door that had apparently closed behind him when he entered. ¡°Bye, Amelia. See you Saturday.¡±


    ¡°Harry.¡± Amelia said and thought about asking what he was going to do, then changed her mind. ¡°Is there anything you want me to say to Sirius and Ela?¡±


    Harry turned to look at her. ¡°Yeah. Tell them I got this.¡±


    ¡°Harry, Ela''s hands...¡± Amelia sighed again. ¡°She said to tell you that she won''t be able to take care of you this Christmas break.¡±


    ¡°That''s okay. I''ll be taking care of her instead.¡± Harry smiled and left the office at a fast walk.


    ¡°I knew I shouldn''t have cancelled my train tour.¡± Amelia said after the door shut. ¡°Damn those death eaters!¡±


    Minerva stood and touched the other woman''s arm. ¡°You needed to stay here and investigate. It''s not your fault this happened.¡±


    Amelia sighed and rubbed her face. ¡°That boy has the entire wizarding world''s hopes riding on his shoulders. He finally got rid of all that pressure with Voldemort''s vanquishing, his second vanquishing I mean, and now he''s got to deal with the idiots that can''t accept that their dark lord is really gone.¡±


    Minerva sighed as well. ¡°He''s still just a boy. People can''t expect him to be the one to deal with things.¡±


    Amelia huffed a laugh. ¡°Minerva, he''s the Boy-who-lived. Twice. Even I''m looking at him as an example now and I know he''s only twelve.¡±


    Minerva sat down and it was her turn to rub her face in frustration.


    ¡°Have you noticed any changes in his behavior since that night?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°Only that he and Miss Granger seemed to have had a falling out and he fell right into Miss Lovegood''s waiting arms.¡±


    Amelia blinked her eyes at that statement. ¡°Excuse me? Can you repeat that?¡±


    Minerva did and also relayed what the two students do with their behaviour all around the castle and in the Great Hall during meals.


    ¡°He''s only twelve!¡± Amelia gasped.


    ¡°They''ve also visited every broom cupboard in the school and have the same dreamy smiles when they go to class.¡± Minerva said. ¡°I''m sure they are only kissing, because it''s all that Miss Brown and Miss Patil can talk about.¡±


    Amelia was sure that wasn''t a relief to hear, except that Harry wasn''t doing other things to that innocent little girl. She didn''t realize it was that not-so-innocent little girl''s idea in the first place.


    ¡°I''m keeping an eye on them and nothing untoward has happened. I''ll continue to monitor them and if they do step out of line, I''ll be sure to correct their behavior.¡± Minerva promised.


    Amelia nodded and went over to the floo. ¡°Thank you for letting me come straight here this morning.¡±


    ¡°I know how busy you are.¡± Minerva said. ¡°My floo is always open for you.¡±


    Amelia nodded and took the floo back to her own office. She had a lot of work to do.


    *


    ¡°You be careful, Princess.¡± Luna said as Harry tied the letter to her leg. ¡°It''s a long flight.¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± Hedwig responded. Thanks!


    ¡°She said thanks.¡± Harry said and pet Hedwig''s feathers. ¡°You know how important this is to our family, so if anything comes close to trying to delay you, make sure it doesn''t survive.¡±


    ¡°HOOT!¡± Hedwig shouted. ALWAYS!


    Harry nodded and gave her several strips of bacon before Hedwig took off.


    ¡°I''m sure she''ll make it.¡± Luna said and hugged her boyfriend.


    ¡°She''s flown it before; but, it''s a very long flight like you said.¡± Harry said and hugged her back as they watched Hedwig disappear. ¡°Now we wait.¡±


    ¡°And hope.¡± Luna said and gave his cheek a kiss. They walked arm-in-arm back to the castle to go to class.


    *


    Harry and Luna laid in bed that night, cuddled in close, and worried about Hedwig. They barely slept all night and only dozed off a little. The morning came very early and they were both exhausted. There was a little shimmer of something at the foot of the bed and then Hedwig was suddenly there with a package in her beak.


    ¡°You''re safe!¡± Harry and Luna exclaimed at the same time and lunged at her to briefly hug Hedwig carefully. Harry took the package and opened it up to see exactly what he had hoped to see.


    ¡°Is it really real?¡± Luna asked as she peered into the box and saw the red stone, a galleon, and a note.


    Harry opened the note and read it out loud. ¡°You know what to do with it. When you are done healing your healer, lay the stone on the galleon and say my nickname.¡±


    ¡°I''m curious about what it is and also don''t want you to say it.¡± Luna said and nodded at the coin. ¡°It''ll activate if you do.¡±


    Harry chuckled and closed the box. ¡°It''s hilarious and we laughed when he visited the last time.¡±


    Luna smiled and watched as Harry took out his invisibility cloak, turned it inside out, and wrapped it around the box. It disappeared from sight and Harry tucked it into his trunk.


    ¡°Let''s get showered and dressed for class.¡± Harry said and both he and Luna left the bed.


    Harry opened the window to let Hedwig out and then cast an energizing spell on himself and one at Luna to get them through the day. Neither of them reacted as they stripped off and showered beside each other. They had long ago gotten used to seeing each other naked and dried off before they dressed in their school uniforms and robes.


    They didn''t bother trying to hide that Luna had stayed in his dorm room, because they had found out that everyone knew they were sneaking around anyway. They went down to breakfast and ate, the both of them in much better moods. They only had to wait until the weekend for Harry''s plan to be completed.


    *


    Harry was excited as he waited by the castle gate for Amelia to appear. When she did and opened the gate for him, he jumped at her and hugged her tightly.


    ¡°I''m happy to see you, too.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I''m sorry that our weekend training sessions have been on hold for so long. With the death eaters active again, I don''t have as much free time as I used to have.¡±


    ¡°I know. It''s okay.¡± Harry said and shared his magic with her.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Amelia gasped as his magic flooded through her. ¡°Harry, what... how...¡±


    ¡°I''ve been feeling great since the summer.¡± Harry said and beamed a smile at her. ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    Amelia nodded and apparated them to the room at the hospital. She took his hand and led him out of the room, through the library, and to the stairs. They went up to the fourth floor and the Auror on the door gave them a nod and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Just... a minute!¡± Sirius exclaimed loudly and then started cursing.


    Amelia covered Harry''s ears so that he wouldn''t hear the majority of them, only for Harry to laugh under his breath. ¡°You are to never repeat those words. At any time. Ever.¡±


    Harry gave her a smile and didn''t agree.


    ¡°Harry, it''s bad enough that you''re snogging the heck out of Luna all the time. I don''t need to hear that you''re cursing, too.¡± Amelia said, her voice stern.


    Harry laughed. ¡°Okay, no bad words.¡±


    After a couple of minutes, the room''s door unlocked and a dishevelled Sirius stood there. Everyone could tell that he had hastily put on his clothes and Ela''s blush from across the room was quite bright.


    ¡°HARRY!¡± Sirius yelled and scooped him up into a hug. ¡°I''m sorry I haven''t called. I''ve been by Ela''s side this whole time.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said and hugged him back.


    ¡°Come in, come in.¡± Sirius said and let him go and waved Amelia in before shutting the door and locking it with magic.


    Harry walked over to the bed that Ela was in and he saw where her hands were strapped down. ¡°Did they regrow the bones yet?¡±


    Ela nodded. ¡°They''re working on trying different techniques to get my nerves to respond.¡±


    ¡°Did they try the Cruciatus curse?¡± Harry asked and Amelia gasped, Sirius cursed, and Ela''s face paled.


    ¡°Harry! How could you say that?!?¡± Sirius asked, angrily.


    ¡°That''s what it used to be for.¡± Harry said. ¡°It was a medical spell to test people''s nervous system and to revive them from shock.¡±


    Amelia and Sirius stared at him.


    Ela nodded. ¡°It wasn''t called that back then.¡±


    ¡°It was called the Twitching Curse.¡± Harry said. ¡°They don''t use it anymore, do they?¡±


    ¡°No. The stigma from the Torture Curse has tainted it too much for it to be acceptable for use.¡±


    ¡°Well it doesn''t matter anyway.¡± Harry said and turned to cast the immobilizing spell on Amelia and Sirius.


    ¡°Harry! What are you doing?¡± Ela asked, shocked that he would do that to them.


    ¡°I can''t let them interfere.¡± Harry said and reached for Ela''s strapped down hands.


    ¡°No! Don''t touch them!¡± Ela exclaimed.


    Harry stopped reaching for them and moved his hands to her face to cup the sides. ¡°You''re family. I would never do anything to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°It''s not that.¡± Ela said and tears came to her eyes. ¡°I can''t feel anything and it''s really odd to have someone touch them and not know that they are, even though I can see they are being touched.¡±


    ¡°You won''t have to worry about that for much longer.¡± Harry said and took out a vial of red liquid. He placed it between her thighs on her lap and then touched Ela''s wrist as he undid the things holding her hand steady.


    Ela watched as Harry did his best to not touch her deadened hands and released them from their bindings. With no feeling in them, as soon as they were released, they curled in on themselves and stayed that way. It was almost as if they were in defiance of being held flat for nearly a week.


    Harry took out the Philosopher''s Stone and heard two inarticulate sounds from behind him. ¡°Yes, it''s real. No, I don''t need the help.¡±


    ¡°Harry, what is that?¡± Ela asked.


    ¡°It''s what I borrowed to help Sirius and my friend let me borrow it again.¡± Harry said and poured his magic into the stone.


    It glowed very brightly and Ela squinted her eyes at it. ¡°Harry!¡±


    ¡°Shh. It''s okay. You have the knowledge to heal yourself, so all I''m doing is giving you the magic to do it.¡± Harry said and reached up to cup the side of her face again with one hand to share his magic with her, as if they were going to apparate.


    Ela gasped at the flood of magic and then Harry pressed the glowing stone to her forehead. ¡°OHHH!¡±


    The ripples of magic flowed over her rapidly, much faster than they had for either Sirius or the Longbottoms. Ela''s magic easily joined with Harry''s, because it was eager to be used once more, and the ripples flowed down her body to her hands. Her hands glowed and trembled as the ripples of magic flowed through them and down her fingers.


    Ela moaned as her medical knowledge let the magic go through her damaged flesh and repaired the torn and badly healed muscles and tendons to return to the way they were before the bone shattering curse ruined them. The feeling returned to them in a rush and she gasped almost in pain as her brain remembered that she still had hands.


    The stone''s glow faded and Harry picked up the vial from her lap and opened it. ¡°Drink this.¡±


    Ela didn''t ask what it was and drank it down immediately. She normally wouldn''t do that, except she had moved her hand automatically to grab it and actually felt it! ¡°It''s delicious!¡±


    Harry took the vial back and corked it before tucking it back into his pocket with the stone in his other pocket. He then grabbed both of Ela''s hands and held onto them as he looked into her eyes.


    Ela couldn''t stop the tears and she stared back into Harry''s eyes. ¡°Harry, you... you need to...¡±


    Harry nodded and let her hands go, then stepped back from the bed and waved his wand at the two still immobilized people.


    Sirius lunged past him to Ela and his hands replaced Harry''s as he grabbed onto Ela''s with a tender strength. ¡°He did it. He really did it.¡± He mumbled and kissed her hands several times each.


    ¡°You and I are going to have a long talk later, young man.¡± Amelia said, her voice harsh.


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said and stepped close to her to let Sirius and Ela get reacquainted.


    They stood there for nearly ten minutes before Sirius and Ela stopped kissing, then Ela''s hands started to pull Sirius'' clothes off.


    ¡°Time to go.¡± Amelia whispered and quickly dragged Harry to the room''s door, dispelled the lock spell, and took Harry outside into the hallway. ¡°Don''t disturb them for a while.¡± She said to the Auror guard. ¡°If any healers come to check on them, send them away. No one gets in to see them without my approval.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma''am.¡± The man said and saluted.


    Amelia took Harry''s hand and led him back to the stairwell. She didn''t say anything as they went down to the ground floor or when they reached the apparition room. She took him into a hug and didn''t react when Harry''s magic flowed over her. They disappeared from there and reappeared in Amelia''s home. She walked with him over to her couch and took off her coat and Auror armor to leave herself in just a thin blouse before she sat down.


    Harry sat beside her and waited for her to start asking questions. As soon as she opened her mouth to do so, he smiled and sat forward, took out a galleon and put it on the coffee table before he placed the Philosopher''s Stone on top of it.


    ¡°Old Bag Of Bones.¡± Harry said and both the stone and the galleon disappeared.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Amelia gasped.


    ¡°I didn''t want you to think I was going to keep something like that around. I''m not that stupid.¡±


    Amelia sighed and rubbed her face. ¡°Harry, if anyone finds out that it was you that healed Sirius...¡±


    ¡°Ela wouldn''t tell them that.¡± Harry said, confidently. ¡°She loves me too much to do that.¡±


    ¡°I do, too.¡± Amelia admitted. ¡°That''s why I''m so worried about...¡±


    Harry sat back and put an arm around her. ¡°You don''t have to worry. Sirius will get them, whoever they are.¡±


    ¡°Harry, Sirius is suffering from...¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Harry interrupted again. ¡°No one''s ever threatened Ela before, though.¡±


    Amelia thought about her conversation with Sirius the night before and she had to agree. He seemed like a completely different person than he had been since getting out of prison. The confidence, the insight, and the conclusions he came up with over who he suspected were still active death eaters, were all things he hadn''t shown previously or volunteered to tell her about.


    Just learning that he and James Potter were a miniature Hit Squad for the Order of the Phoenix twelve years ago during Voldemort''s first rise to power, was a shock to her. A pleasant shock. She now had new attack patterns for the death eaters that she hadn''t known before. She had scrambled to get Kingsley to disseminate the information to the other Aurors.


    With the new information, their own search patterns changed. Amelia hoped that they could track down the missing death eater prisoners quickly. The sooner they had the criminals in hand and back in prison, the sooner she could get to sleep at night and not be constantly worrying about Susan and Harry.


    ¡°Sirius is in no condition to help fight the death eaters.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Harry said. ¡°As soon as he gets Ela out of the hospital and safe at home, he''s going to take his motorcycle and he''s going to hunt them down.¡±


    ¡°He didn''t see Ela''s memory of her attack.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°He will.¡± Harry said with a smile. ¡°Professor McGonagall offered to let him use the school''s pensieve to go over his old memories to try and remember my parents better after being in prison for so long. It''s part of the therapy Ela has him on.¡±


    Amelia took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°Did you use it, too?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I didn''t want to share my memories, because I didn''t want to think about them.¡± He leaned his head on her side and Amelia put her arm around him to hug him. ¡°Ela said repressing them or ignoring them won''t let me get past them. It''ll just simmer and keep my anger at the unfairness of it all in the back of my mind.¡±


    ¡°You''ll be angry at the wrong things if you held it back.¡± Amelia offered.


    Harry nodded again. ¡°I didn''t know that could happen and tried to hide it all, not telling anyone about it. After my first session and showing Sirius and Ela my earliest memories, they told me that it wasn''t my fault and that if I didn''t tell anyone, no one would ever know how horrible my relatives are and that Dumbledore put me there on purpose, because he knew they were like that.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°Professor McGonagall was there when I was dropped off that night and told Dumbledore that the muggles were the worst sort that she''s ever seen after watching them all day.¡±


    Amelia hugged him tightly and sighed. ¡°You really shouldn''t be dealing with all of this.¡±


    ¡°I know. I''m just a kid.¡± Harry said and lifted his head to look into her eyes. ¡°I''m also the chosen one and I lived. Twice.¡± He smiled. ¡°I''m sorry I did what I did to you today. I knew that you couldn''t help, because only Ela had the knowledge to fix her hands.¡±


    ¡°The extra magic I could provide...¡±


    ¡°It wasn''t needed. Ela''s magic wasn''t damaged and it really wanted her hands to be fixed. I could feel it.¡± Harry said. ¡°Ever since that night, I... it''s weird. I can feel things even more than I did before. I can feel the wards you have on your house.¡±


    Amelia sucked in a breath. ¡°You can?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it''s like a little pressure in the back of my head. I can''t tell what they are, though. I looked at a ward book at school and it doesn''t describe stuff like that.¡±


    Amelia thought about it for a minute. ¡°Does Hogwarts give you a headache?¡±


    Harry shook his head. ¡°If McGonagall''s explanation is right, the headmaster feels the same thing.¡±


    ¡°You asked her about it?¡± Amelia asked, surprised.


    Harry chuckled. ¡°No, I''m not stupid enough to tell everyone what I can do. I just asked about the wards of the school and she told me how she can feel them and knows when something bad enters the castle.¡±


    Amelia closed her eyes and leaned back on the couch to rest, pulling Harry along with her to keep him tucked into her side. ¡°Harry, I don''t even know what to do with everything you''re telling me.¡±


    ¡°I still can''t believe you''ve never asked me what it was I was using to heal people and you''ve seen me use it four times now.¡± Harry said.


    Amelia laughed and it shook him slightly.


    ¡°I like your laugh. Do it again.¡± Harry almost demanded, which made her laugh again. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Amelia shook her head and opened her eyes as she turned her head to see that Harry was still looking at her face. ¡°How many times have I warned you about being cheeky?¡±


    ¡°At least once. I think. I honestly wasn''t listening.¡± Harry joked and grinned at her.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Amelia barked the laugh and then they both laughed for a few moments. ¡°Do you want to do anything for the rest of the morning?¡±


    ¡°I think this is good enough for me.¡± Harry said and put his head down on her chest. ¡°If that''s okay?¡±


    ¡°It''s more than okay.¡± Amelia said and her hand ran through his hair on the top of his head. ¡°I don''t remember the last time I did anything like this.¡±


    ¡°I did it this morning with Luna.¡± Harry admitted.


    ¡°Harry!¡± Amelia gasped and Harry laughed. ¡°If I thought it would make a difference, I would tell you to not do that at school.¡±


    ¡°The others don''t care or bother us about it now.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°Wait, they know?¡± Amelia asked, surprised.


    ¡°There''s only so many times Luna can sneak into the boys dorm before someone sees her.¡± Harry said and hugged her tightly. ¡°After the twentieth time, Neville pretty much told us that we were idiots if we thought we were actually sneaking around and no one knew about it.¡±


    Amelia snorted and then laughed and laughed.


    Harry kept his ear on her chest and enjoyed listening to Amelia laugh and the feel of her chest jiggle against his face. He wasn''t sure why it felt so nice, except that Luna''s words about getting to touch her boobies later kept coming back to him.


    I think this was why. Harry thought and closed his eyes. He liked the soft feeling and took several deep breaths to relax. He felt tired suddenly and let sleep claim him.


    Amelia calmed down and felt Harry''s dead weight. She stopped petting his hair and looked at his face, only to see he was fast asleep. He actually fell asleep with me laughing. She thought with amusement. He must have used a lot of magic to heal Ela and it wiped him out. She put her arms around him and closed her own eyes. A nap sounds good right now.


    The two slept for quite some time because the both of them really needed it.


    *


    Severus Snape once again at in his office at school and held two missives. One from his godson''s mother and one from Mad Eye Moody. Both demanding, quite viciously, for his services. He had discarded the previous letters and burned them, because he didn''t want to deal with them. He still didn''t.


    Unfortunately, his refusal had precipitated the attack on St. Mungo''s Hospital and he felt guilty about that, even though he could never have predicted that it would happen. So, this time he actually wrote out his responses, just to make his position clear to both parties.


    I am out. I have been for the last twelve years, as have you. Your threats are meaningless, since you need my services. Attack me for my refusal at your peril, however. According to the law, I can kill you if you come for me, no matter who you are or who you bring with you.


    Severus Snape


    Severus read it over, copied it, and folded them into envelopes. He went to the owlery and sent both off, knowing they would be delivered promptly and his life would now be in danger.


    It''s not like that hasn''t happened before. Severus thought and walked back into the castle. He had some things to prepare if anyone did believe that they could attack him in retribution. With no Dark Lord to back them up, their words and motivations are as hollow as their souls are.


    The Order of the Phoenix didn''t worry him very much, because they almost never used lethal force. They would stun him and then beg for him to help. He wouldn''t, as he just promised. If they wouldn''t take no for an answer, then he would have to make sure that they would think twice about coming after him again. He wasn''t the youngest Potion Master in the world for no reason.


    *


    Padma sat on her sister''s dorm room bed and stared at the solid gold cauldron as she ate a piece of the delicious marble cauldron cake that had been inside of it. ¡°That can''t be real.¡±


    Parvati giggled as her hand rubbed the rim of the golden treasure. ¡°It''s one of the benefits of being friends with Harry.¡±


    ¡°One of?¡± Padma asked.


    ¡°He''s really good at everything.¡± Parvati said. ¡°His notes from class are eagerly copied by all of his friends, even Luna, and she''s not even in our year.¡±


    Padma blinked her eyes for a moment. ¡°You''re kidding.¡±


    ¡°Nope! Harry''s at the top of our class, right along with Hermione.¡± Parvati said. ¡°She''s a little peeved about that, too.¡±


    Padma chuckled. ¡°I can imagine.¡±


    ¡°He beats her in every practical lesson, too.¡± Pavarti said, smugly.


    ¡°What? How?¡± Padma asked.


    ¡°He practises constantly.¡± Pavarti said. ¡°I think he said he went through the entire charms book before school started.¡±


    Padma''s mouth dropped open. ¡°H-how... how did he do THAT?!?¡±


    Pavarti laughed at her sister''s shocked expression. ¡°He''s great, that''s how.¡± She said and broke off another piece of cake. ¡°Thish is sho good.¡±


    Padma remembered her piece and took another bite. ¡°He gave you a whole cake and a solid gold cauldron.¡±


    ¡°Yesh.¡± Pavarti said and swallowed. ¡°I really need to come up with something to get for him.¡±


    ¡°What about Neville?¡± Padma asked.


    ¡°Lavender''s got him well hooked.¡± Pavarti said with a smile. ¡°She even let him touch her boobs yesterday.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Padma gasped.


    ¡°Yep! His face was so red that I thought his head was going to explode.¡± Pavarti said and laughed. ¡°I think Harry was right about girls maturing faster than boys.¡±


    ¡°Well, some girls do.¡± Padma said and looked down at her own budding chest. She hadn''t developed enough to warrant a training bra, let alone the smallest size called an A cup.


    Pavarti laughed. ¡°We haven''t started puberty yet!¡±


    Padma thought about that for a minute. ¡°Lavender has?¡±


    ¡°She did and her boobs were a bit sore. She complained about them and wished she had someone nice to rub them for her, because her hands were busy.¡±


    Padma burst out laughing. ¡°Poor Neville!¡±


    Pavarti nodded. ¡°He got right in there to help her and felt her up for a few minutes before he realized what he was doing.¡±


    The two sisters laughed and laughed.


    *


    Harry woke up warm and wrapped in someone''s arms, so he felt very comforted. He lifted his head to kiss Luna, like he did every morning, and she responded enthusiastically. He broke the kiss with a chuckle and sat up on the edge of his dorm room bed, then he turned to push open his curtains... only they weren''t there and he stumbled out into the darkness.


    Harry knees hit something wooden. ¡°OW! Goddammit! How did my nightstand get out here?¡±


    ¡°H-Harry?¡± A woman''s voice asked.


    Harry caught his breath and reached for his wand. It lit up and showed him the entire room. It wasn''t his dorm room and the bed he just got up from was actually a couch. His mind immediately filled in the forgotten details and he remembered falling asleep with Amelia. He also remembered kissing her like he kissed Luna.


    ¡°A-Amelia, I... I''m sorry.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I''m sure the table''s fine.¡± Amelia said as she sat up. She rubbed her face and pulled out her timepiece. ¡°Oh, no. We really overslept.¡± She said and stood as she drew her wand. She waved it at the walls and the lights turned on. ¡°I need to get you back to the castle before curfew.¡±


    Harry put his wand away and looked at his own timepiece. ¡°We really did sleep the whole day away.¡±


    Amelia nodded. ¡°We won''t be eating at Rosmerta''s today.¡± She said and put her hand on his back to lead him to the hallway. ¡°I''ll explain to McGonagall about what happened.¡±


    Harry gave her a concerned look.


    ¡°I meant about sleeping, not healing Ela''s hands.¡± Amelia clarified.


    Harry wasn''t thinking about that, though. No, he was thinking about how nice it was to kiss her, even though he didn''t think he liked her like that. When she put her arms around him to apparate, he looked up into her eyes.


    ¡°Concentrate, Harry.¡± Amelia said and he nodded.


    Harry closed his eyes and pushed out his magic strongly.


    Amelia barely caught her breath at the strength of it and they disappeared. She was glad that she had the apparition point in her mind, because she wasn''t sure where they would have ended up if she hadn''t been thinking of getting Harry back to the gates of Hogwarts.


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Harry said and blushed.


    Amelia gave him a warm smile. ¡°It''s all right.¡± She said and gave him a slightly tighter hug before letting him go. ¡°Let''s get you inside.¡±


    Harry nodded and Amelia opened the gates to go up to the castle. They walked in silence as they went across the grounds and came to the front doors. They opened for them without Amelia doing anything and Minerva McGonagall was waiting there for them.


    ¡°I certainly hope there''s a good explanation for you being away all day, Mister Potter.¡± Minerva said.


    ¡°I healed Ela''s hands with a magical artifact that I''ve already returned to its owner and then collapsed from magical exhaustion.¡± Harry said with a grin. He had been debating telling her, then remembered her being there the night he died. There was no point in hiding the truth from her after she kept that secret.


    Minerva''s mouth dropped open and she stared at the young man in front of her.


    ¡°I guess I don''t have to make an excuse for you.¡± Amelia said with a soft laugh. ¡°Go on inside and I''ll fill Minerva in about what happened.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said and took a step away, then turned back. ¡°Amelia, I... about when...¡±


    ¡°We all do things automatically when we wake up, if we''re used to doing them.¡± Amelia said and then smiled. ¡°If the weekend situation changes and we can start up training again, I''ll let you know.¡±


    Harry nodded and walked over to the grand staircase, then he looked back at her to see that her smile was still on her face. He gave her a smile back and then he jogged up the stairs.


    ¡°I think you''re about to tell me an interesting story.¡± Minerva said as Amelia stepped inside the castle and the doors closed behind her.


    ¡°Only if you want to believe the impossible.¡± Amelia said and the two women walked through the castle to go to the headmaster''s office.


    Minerva thought about that and gave her a knowing look. ¡°I think we''ve both seen too many impossible things to discount anything.¡±


    Amelia laughed and nodded. ¡°One being the young man that just ran up the steps to get back to his girlfriend that he''s too young to do anything with and she''s too young to appreciate that!¡±


    Minerva laughed as well. ¡°They do tend to grow up so fast.¡±


    ¡°Susan''s already at the training bra stage and she hates it!¡± Amelia said, amused.


    ¡°Well, you could let her languish with having to feel all the different types of fabric directly on her pointy bits.¡± Minerva suggested and Amelia laughed some more.


    ¡°I think I might just do that.¡± Amelia said as they entered the headmaster''s office. ¡°Please tell me that you have access to some nerve tonic.¡±


    Minerva chuckled at her slang for alcohol. ¡°Wine or fire whiskey?¡±


    ¡°Whiskey, please.¡± Amelia said and sat down in front of the desk. ¡°Harry, he...¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don''t know what to do with him.¡±


    ¡°He is a bit of an odd duck.¡± Minerva said and served her a large glass of amber liquid.


    ¡°He''s quacking in places he shouldn''t and he''s laying golden eggs that we need to hide as quickly as possible.¡± Amelia said and took a long swallow of fire whiskey.


    Minerva sat down behind her desk and took a sip of her own drink. ¡°All right, tell me what happened.¡±


    Amelia did, right from picking Harry up until they had to rush out of the hospital room and went to her place, only to quickly fall asleep on her couch.


    ¡°Is that why you''re not wearing your armor?¡± Minerva asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Amelia looked down at herself and saw that she only wore a loose blouse and not even a coat. She barked a laugh and shook her head. ¡°We left in such a rush after waking up that I completely forgot to get properly dressed to go out.¡±


    ¡°You really were asleep all this time?¡± Minerva asked.


    ¡°Yes, and I hadn''t realized I needed it, let alone Harry. Neither of us showed any signs, then he decided that my couch was comfortable and we laid down for a nap.¡± Amelia laughed. ¡°A full day nap!¡±


    Minerva laughed as well. ¡°I won''t hold Harry responsible for overusing his permission to leave for half of the day today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Minerva.¡± Amelia said and took another sip of whiskey. ¡°Things have been too hectic and dangerous to have Harry over for training like we did last year.¡±


    ¡°I know. I''ve been trying to get the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix to start gathering information.¡± Minerva said. ¡°Unfortunately, a few members don''t feel the need to risk themselves when Albus isn''t here to back them up.¡±


    Amelia huffed and finished off her glass of alcohol. ¡°That man has never had anyone''s back... except his own.¡±


    ¡°Amelia...¡±


    ¡°He only helped those that he knew could be beneficial to him later.¡± Amelia said. ¡°That''s why he never helped me when I asked him to stop sending my brother and his wife out against the death eaters.¡±


    Minerva sighed and nodded. ¡°I can''t argue on his behalf, because you''re right. He''s done too much to hurt those he was charged to protect.¡±


    Amelia nodded, because they had both just seen the boy whom had received the worst of Albus'' help. ¡°Have you gone to see him before?¡±


    Minerva shook her head. ¡°I was told to stay away, because I was one of his staunchest supporters.¡±


    ¡°They are afraid he might manipulate you.¡± Amelia guessed.


    ¡°Worse. That he already has and that if I showed up, I would bring a means for his escape without knowing I did so.¡± Minerva admitted.


    Amelia opened her mouth to comment, then closed it. ¡°I assume Thorfinn took your words that night to heart?¡±


    Minerva nodded and took a big swallow of her drink. ¡°He found three compulsion spells, loyalty potion residue, and he couldn''t count how many obliviations I''ve had.¡±


    Amelia just stared at her friend with wide eyes.


    ¡°No, the healers can''t fix them.¡± Minerva said, sadly. ¡°Even if they had his wand, which I broke, they couldn''t go back decades to start undoing the erased and altered memories.¡±


    Amelia sat there and thought about the problem. ¡°Are you both going over them in a pensieve?¡±


    ¡°We tried. I can''t pull them out because they aren''t memories that I''m remembering. We can get the ones around key events and then the event itself is just a black space.¡±


    Amelia nodded. That was the telltale sign of an altered memory. ¡°You''re not going to do anything else about it, are you?¡±


    ¡°No. I''m just going to live my life and forget Albus as much as I can.¡± Minerva said.


    ¡°More obliviations?¡± Amelia asked with a smile.


    Minerva snorted. ¡°I wish it was that easy.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, one of the compulsion spells embedded him into your subconscious.¡± Amelia said and she nodded.


    ¡°At least he won''t be getting out anytime soon.¡± Minerva said.


    Amelia caught her breath at her words. ¡°Minerva, I... I told you months ago.¡±


    ¡°Told me what?¡± Minerva asked.


    Amelia took out a piece of parchment and wrote something on it. She handed it over and Minerva read it.


    ¡°N-no... no, it''s not possible.¡± Minerva whispered.


    ¡°It''s true.¡± Amelia said and stood. ¡°You should get Thorfinn to check you for forgetfulness curses as well.¡±


    ¡°How? How could I forget this?¡± Minerva asked and waved the parchment around.


    ¡°I don''t know.¡± Amelia said and went to the door. ¡°I''m also wondering what else you''ve been forgetting that no one''s noticed.¡±


    Minerva nodded and looked down at the paper again. ¡°I''ll have him check me as soon as I see him tomorrow.¡±


    Amelia nodded and left her office.


    Minerva dropped the paper into the top drawer of her desk and used a sticking charm, then wrote ''checking with Thorfinn'' under the other words. She closed the drawer and went to her apartment behind the office. She undressed and changed into her sleeping attire, then laid in bed. Her mind replayed the words in her head, over and over.


    Albus Dumbledore had escaped from Azkaban.

 114 The Aftermath

    Bokuboy


    Albus Dumbledore felt himself being shaken slightly. He thought that was odd, because he was supposed to be alone in his cell. Perhaps I am dreaming? He asked himself. Not hearing anything about the wizarding world during his imprisonment had worn on his mind even more than the Dementors did.


    ¡°He''s waking!¡± A man''s voice exclaimed.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Albus asked eloquently and opened his eyes.


    ¡°My Lord! Welcome back!¡± A man wearing a mask and a cloak said and bowed deeply. Four others did the same and Albus stared at them.


    ¡°What... what''s going on?¡± Albus asked.


    ¡°We have worked hard to return you to the wizarding world, My Lord.¡± The man in front said. ¡°It has been touch and go the last few weeks; but, we finally achieved it. You have been restored.¡±


    Albus was concerned over this man''s words. Restored? What does he mean? He asked himself and sat up. He felt a little weary and looked around the small room he was in. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°A safe house that we use for recovering Azkaban escapees.¡± The man said and snapped his fingers. ¡°A mirror for our lord! He must see his recovery is complete!¡±


    One of the others handed him a hand mirror that the man in front enlarged and handed over.


    ¡°We hope you are pleased, My Lord.¡± He said and watched Albus raise the mirror.


    ¡°NOOOOO!¡± Albus yelled and dropped the mirror. It shattered on the stone floor.


    ¡°My Lord, what is it?¡± The man asked, concerned. ¡°Did we not do well?¡±


    ¡°NOOOOO!¡± Albus yelled and fell back on the bed and covered his face with his hands.


    ¡°Perhaps we should leave him alone until he feels better.¡± One of them suggested and the men in masks and cloaks left the small room and shut the door.


    Once they were outside and the door was locked and spelled silent, the men started laughing.


    ¡°Did you see his face! He was terrified!¡± The man who had the mirror said and took off the mask. Theodore Nott''s father kept laughing and took off his cloak as well.


    ¡°It was quite enjoyable.¡± Lucius Malfoy said and took off his own mask. His face was slightly sallow and his skin lighter than normal. ¡°I need to rest again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my husband.¡± Narcissa said and took his arm to lead him back to his recovery bed.


    ¡°How long are we going to leave him looking like the dark lord?¡± Pansy Parkinson''s father asked.


    ¡°Is there a time limit for our fun?¡± Lucius asked and the men shook their heads. ¡°Then we leave him as he is. When those of us that need to recover are better, we shall give the wizarding world a dark lord to rally against. Their own.¡±


    They all laughed and Narcissa took her husband to his room. She hadn''t seen him this happy in a long time and was pleased that he was coming along well with the treatments they had devised, even without Severus'' help.


    Lucius laid down on the bed and Narcissa laid down with him. ¡°Severus refused again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear. He was quite adamant that he is out.¡± Narcissa said.


    ¡°Then he will need to be dealt with.¡± Lucius said.


    ¡°He''s our son''s godfather.¡± Narcissa said.


    ¡°If he has turned his back on our cause, we will have to change that.¡±


    Narcissa sighed. ¡°He''s not a fighter, dear. You know that.¡±


    ¡°He is either with us or against us.¡± Lucius said. ¡°Have you told Bellatrix yet?¡±


    ¡°No, because she''ll defy me and try to leave to gut him.¡± Narcissa said.


    Lucius nodded. ¡°Make sure to give her extra attention and more food. We need her healthy to be effective. When the real dark lord returns, he will want his most loyal ready and waiting.¡±


    Narcissa nodded and hugged him. She would do as he asked, because she always would.


    *


    Life at Hogwarts didn''t change, even with the threat of new death eater attacks looming over everyone. Harry enjoyed his classes, spending time with his friends, and learning more magic. He was a little surprised that Padma started hanging around her sister a lot more, since they hadn''t done that a lot before.


    Harry was even more surprised when Pavarti presented him with what she called a traditional gift from her society, in the common room after supper. It was a very nice painting that she had painted herself of the view from her bedroom window back in India. He wasn''t much of an art person; but, he knew that it took talent and a lot of work to do something like this.


    ¡°Wow, Pavarti. This is really great! Thank you.¡± Harry said as he stared at it.


    ¡°You''re welcome, Harry.¡± Pavarti said with a blush, then she stepped forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. ¡°You''re a great friend and I don''t think I''ve said that to you before.¡±


    ¡°She''s said it to everyone else, though.¡± Padma said with a laugh and her sister blushed a little more.


    ¡°I think we can all agree that Harry''s a great friend.¡± Neville said and Lavender nodded.


    ¡°Geez, guys! I''m gonna blush!¡± Harry said and they all laughed. ¡°I''m going to put this in my trunk for now and I''ll hang it up at my apartment when I go back there.¡±


    ¡°You''re really going to hang it up?¡± Pavarti asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah. I''ve got some room on the walls in the living room.¡± Harry said and then smiled. ¡°I can even hang it across from the painting of myself and Sirius, so they can see what a great job you did, too.¡±


    Pavarti blushed again and nodded, quite happy that he accepted her gift so well.


    ¡°It will also let them see something besides the blank wall across from them.¡± Luna said with a big smile.


    Harry laughed and put an arm around her. ¡°I guess Pavarti did reveal my lack of decoration.¡±


    ¡°You know what that means! An Art Party!¡± Lavender said loudly and the others laughed.


    ¡°I''m not going hang just anything up, you know!¡± Harry said as they all scrambled to get things to work with.


    ¡°You''re gonna have to now, mate.¡± Ron said with a laugh, then grabbed some parchment himself and stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth and started drawing.


    ¡°Thanks a lot, Lavender.¡± Harry said, sarcastically.


    ¡°You''re welcome!¡± Lavender said, quite unrepentant.


    ¡°You can help me with mine when you come back down.¡± Luna said.


    Harry nodded, thanked Pavarti again, then went up to his dorm room to shrink the painting and put it on a shelf until he went home for the holidays. He would have to come up with something good to thank her for it and he also had to get everyone Christmas presents. He sighed as he thought about staying home for the first time in a couple of years, because he was going to miss the train trip.


    He really enjoyed getting out and seeing everything and spending all that time with Amelia and Susan. He also wondered what they were going to do at home for that time, since they had always taken train trips. He grabbed some parchment and things himself and went back down to the common room with everyone else.


    ¡°You have some of the best ideas.¡± Luna said as he sat down beside her.


    ¡°I learned from the best.¡± Harry said and kissed her on the lips. ¡°I''ll just be a minute writing it out.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Luna said and went back to work on her drawing.


    Harry did up a letter to Amelia and also to Susan. They hadn''t spent as much time hanging out as either of them wanted, so he wanted to make sure she knew what was going on and what he was asking. He also wrote out a letter to Sirius and Ela to ask permission for them to come over and he would pay for everything.


    He made envelopes for the letters and tucked them into his robes, then watched as Luna drew the outline for a weird looking creature. ¡°If I remember correctly, that''s a Blibbering Humdinger.¡±


    Luna caught her breath and turned her head to stare at him. ¡°H-Harry, you...¡±


    ¡°I''m always listening to you.¡± Harry said and Luna put her quill down to hug him tightly. ¡°I thought you would try for the Snorkack, though.¡±


    ¡°Daddy had an artist do one, so it''s been done before.¡± Luna said and then kissed her boyfriend heatedly. She broke the snog after a minute and saw Harry''s goofy smile. She felt very happy that he still looked like that each time, even though they kissed all the time. She let him go and went back to her drawing.


    Harry stayed right there by her side and helped her remember the description she had told him. He noticed the dreamy smile she had the whole time and he knew that she was very happy that he remembered. It gave him a satisfied feeling deep inside that he was being a good boyfriend and he promised himself that he wouldn''t take their time together for granted.


    Curfew soon approached and everyone packed up their things, fully prepared to continue the next day. They were all going to give Harry something they each drew for him.


    Harry and Luna went up to his dorm room, in full view of everyone, and entered his bed. No one commented anymore about it, not even the prefects, because they knew that nothing was going on. They were only kids, after all.


    Little did they realize that Luna had a much different view of ''nothing happening'' than normal people did. She changed into her nightgown and climbed into bed with Harry, who wore his pyjamas, then they laid on their sides and hugged each other. Luna cuddled in close to stare into his emerald green eyes for several moments, then she started to snog him slowly and tenderly.


    Harry knew that she liked it when he was touching her, so he slid a hand down to her butt and rested it there. Luna let out a happy little moan when he did and her kissing became a bit more passionate. They had done this a lot in broom closets all over the school; but, this was the first time they had done it this heavily before going to bed.


    ¡°I love you so much.¡± Luna whispered and kissed him again.


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± Harry said and he wiggled his fingers on her butt.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Luna moaned and they kept kissing for quite some time. She wasn''t ready for more than that, even though she really wanted to be. Feeling frustrated was a new feeling for her and she wasn''t sure how to handle it.


    Harry felt her stiffen slightly and broke to kiss. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Luna let out a soft sigh. ¡°I want you to grab my boobies and I don''t have any for you to grab.¡±


    ¡°Luna...¡±


    ¡°Lavender lets Neville grab hers.¡± Luna said and saw Harry''s surprise. ¡°They''re growing and tender, so he rubs them for her.¡±


    Harry laid there and thought about that. ¡°Does it work?¡±


    Luna nodded. ¡°Neville blushes and Lavender looks really happy afterwards.¡±


    Harry thought about Susan and her chest. ¡°I bet Susan wishes she had someone to do that for her.¡±


    ¡°She''s growing, too?¡± Luna asked and he nodded. ¡°I feel bad for her. If I feel like this and I don''t have boobies yet, what is she feeling having them and no one to help?¡±


    Harry looked down at Luna and back at her face. ¡°You''re getting some there.¡±


    Luna shook her head. ¡°I''m no different than I was during the summer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are.¡± Harry said and she raised her eyebrows. ¡°You''re my girlfriend now.¡±


    Luna smiled. ¡°Harry, that won''t speed up my boobs growing.¡±


    ¡°Why not? You said I need to feel them.¡± Harry said. ¡°Maybe with the both of us wishing for it, they''ll start before you know it.¡±


    Luna caught her breath. ¡°You want them to grow, too?¡±


    Harry nodded. ¡°I once fell asleep on Amelia and rested my face on her chest. Hearing her laugh and feeling her move was really nice.¡±


    Luna rolled onto her back and pat her chest. ¡°It might not feel the same, since she''s a lot older than me.¡±


    Harry carefully rested his head on her chest and he heard her heart beating fast. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Luna put her arms around him and pet his hair. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Your heart is racing.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°You''re using me like a pillow and we haven''t done this before.¡± Luna said and felt him put an arm over her belly.


    ¡°If I''m too heavy, let me know and I''ll move.¡± Harry said.


    I would never say that! Luna thought and laughed.


    Harry heard it through her chest and he liked the sound, just like he liked it when Amelia did it. ¡°You''re the best, Luna. Thank you for trying this.¡±


    ¡°Anytime, Harry.¡± Luna said.


    Harry nodded and his ear rubbed her chest a little. Luna made a little sound that he hadn''t heard before and he was sure she liked it. He didn''t nod again, though. Just like with Amelia, they were going to sleep and not doing anything else. He drifted off to sleep like that and didn''t notice Luna''s slightly red face.


    Luna had felt a tingle right on her left pointy bit and she was sure that Harry''s ear had done it. She didn''t think ears had that kind of power and she debated if it was all ears or just Harry''s ear. It took her an hour to finally decide that it was Harry''s ear, because she wouldn''t want any other ear this close to her. She fell asleep with the resolve that only Harry''s ear would ever get to touch her so.


    *


    Time passed again and the Christmas break soon arrived. The castle was left nearly completely empty this time. Even most of the teachers had left for the holidays, Severus Snape included. There was a reason for that. He knew that if he stayed in the castle that the Order of the Phoenix would be after him. He wasn''t sure why they refused to accept his adamant denial that he wasn''t involved and wouldn''t be.


    The problem he now had was that he would be returning to his home in Spinner''s End. He knew that the inner circle of the dark lord''s death eaters had his address there and he fully expected to be ambushed. He was fully prepared for it, though. Different potions tucked into his pockets and two spare wands were hidden in his robes and boots. They were also spelled with anti-summoning charms.


    Severus apparated to the end of the street where it was safe to do so. It was out of sight and also outside the protections of his home. Without a thought, he immediately tossed a vial towards the tree nearby and cast a silence charm. A man hidden under an invisibility cloak yanked it off and screamed silently. The acid dissolved both the cloak and part of the man''s face. A quick stunner felled the man that Severus didn''t recognize and the man died silently.


    Severus walked down the street, noting the subtle changes, because things never changed at Spinner''s End. He cast revealing charms and broke their disillusionment charms, then he tossed different potions at each of them.


    Wrongly brewed Boil Cure potions made two of the men scream with pain as their faces and hands grew giant boils. A Draught of Living Death ended the existence of another as he fell face down in a puddle of water. A Shrinking Solution tossed onto another man''s head ended his life.


    ¡°You always were cautious.¡± A woman''s voice commented as Severus approached his home. She ended her disillusionment and Narcissa stood on his porch.


    ¡°I see.¡± Severus said and sighed. ¡°You shouldn''t have come here.¡±


    ¡°Lucius tasked me with this.¡± Narcissa said.


    ¡°No, he''s killed you and your sister.¡± Severus said and heard a cackling laugh. His home''s door opened and Bellatrix stepped out to stand behind Narcissa. She was skinny and pale and didn''t look healthy at all, despite being out of prison for so long.


    ¡°If you meant the meagre wards on this place, you''re far from good enough to take us.¡± Bellatrix said.


    ¡°I''m not going to fight you.¡± Severus said and waved his wand at the hidden potions lab in the basement. The spell wouldn''t have worked with the wards intact. ¡°I''m not going to save you, either.¡±


    ¡°What do you mea-AAAARRRRHHHHHH!¡± Narcissa screamed as the entire house blew up around her. Bellatrix died immediately, her frail body giving Narcissa some protection. They landed at Severus'' feet and he kicked Bellatrix''s body off of Narcissa.


    Severus knelt by her face and she was crying in pain. ¡°Did you think I wouldn''t feel you severing the magical godfather tie I had to Draco?¡±


    ¡°Severus... you... why...¡±


    ¡°The dark lord is dead. Harry Potter killed him.¡± Severus said loudly, making sure the people he didn''t kill would return to tell the others. ¡°I am marked as cattle no longer and my oaths based on the dark mark are completed.¡±


    ¡°Lucius will... kill... you.¡± Narcissa breathed and tried to catch her escaping breath.


    ¡°No, he can''t. He''s still weak from prison and I can remove him at any time I wish.¡± Severus said. ¡°I knew you were all coming here for me and prepared for it.¡±


    ¡°Make... pay.¡± Narcissa closed her eyes.


    ¡°Why? I''ve done nothing.¡± Severus said and levitated the bodies of the people he killed over to the raging fire that used to be his home. ¡°Robbers and thieves came to loot an old rundown house. They damaged the gas line and boom, no more robbers.¡±


    ¡°Your... family home... gone.¡± Narcissa said as she was levitated up.


    ¡°I hate this place. I always have. I''ve only used it as a convenient place to stay when I''m not in the castle.¡±


    ¡°Tricked... us.¡± Narcissa said as her head dropped.


    ¡°Of course. Knowledge freely given is easy to use to advantage, which I have used against you.¡± Severus said. ¡°Goodbye, Narcissa. Say hello to the dark lord when you meet him.¡±


    With a flick of his wand, Narcissa was flung into the fire. She didn''t have the strength to scream anymore and then died when Bellatrix''s body was tossed on top of her.


    Severus waved his wand at the flames and increased their intensity, then he dropped the silence spell as he stepped back between two other houses.


    Almost immediately, people from the nearby houses were shouting in alarm and running over to look at the flaming wreckage. No one tried to put the flames out and no one went back home to call the fire department in the next town. They would never get there in time anyway.


    When the house finally finished burning down, they saw the bodies. Two women screamed and then someone ran to their home to call the police.


    Severus cast a summoning charm on the wands the bodies had and nothing came to him, which meant that they had burned up in the fire. He nodded at the scene and disillusioned himself as he snuck around the houses to go back to the apparition point. When he reached there, he walked calmly down the street, as if he had just arrived. His neighbours recognized him and quickly informed him of the situation.


    Severus played his part well, even when the police showed up half an hour later. The neighbours told the police what happened and that Severus hadn''t shown up there until the fire had gone out. He had house insurance and the police would investigate the bodies found. When asked if he recognized any of them, Severus raised his eyebrows at the officer.


    ¡°Yes, right. You weren''t here.¡± He said and wrote it down. ¡°Where can we contact you later about the details of the case?¡±


    Severus pointed to the ruined house. ¡°Everything I had was in there.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have anywhere to go?¡± A woman asked.


    Severus shook his head. He wasn''t surprised when none of them offered to let him stay with them for a day or two. ¡°I will try and find some money somewhere and then hope to find a cheap room to stay in.¡±


    His words made a lot of them feel bad, especially since he lost everything, and they quickly pooled some money for him. Even a couple of the officers threw in a few pounds each.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Severus said as he accepted the money, then he walked back towards the apparition point. He ignored the people looking at him with sad eyes and took the corner to get out of sight. He apparated away and went to the Leaky Cauldron. He rented a cheap room for the night and ignored the bartender''s nosy questions. The last thing he needed was for anyone to know his business.


    Half an hour later, Severus wasn''t surprised when a knock sounded from his room''s door. What did surprise him was who it was. He opened the door and looked at Kingsley''s blank face.


    ¡°Shacklebolt.¡± Severus said, his own face blank. ¡°Does Madam Bones know you''re here?¡±


    Kingsley glanced to the right and to the left. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then I must assume this isn''t official business.¡± Severus said and started to close the door.


    Kingsley took a step forward and stopped the door from closing. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°No, you need to leave.¡± Severus said.


    ¡°You have to help us.¡± Kingsley said. ¡°Let me in and I''ll explain.¡±


    Severus shook his head. ¡°I gave you my answer. Once by not responding and once by letter. You clearly did not take my refusal to heart.¡±


    Kingsley used his wand to push Severus back and stepped into the room as the door closed behind him. ¡°You don''t realize how important it is that...¡±


    ¡°I know exactly what it means to put my life on the line every day, you ignorant fool.¡± Severus snapped. ¡°Unlike you, I no longer have anyone to help me if I do end up in a compromised position.¡±


    ¡°We would help you when we can. I can assure you that...¡±


    ¡°...Madam Bones will not protect a former spy returning to his spying ways, even if she had any idea that you are undermining her authority by trying to coerce me into doing your dirty work.¡±


    ¡°It''s not like that.¡± Kingsley said.


    ¡°No? Then tell me. What exactly it is that you want me to do? Spell it out for me and I will consider your words very carefully.¡±


    Kingsley took a deep breath and raised his wand again. ¡°Swear that you will not tell anyone what I am about to reveal to you.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to make a vow to stop myself from saving myself.¡± Severus said.


    ¡°You only need to agree to never tell anyone.¡± Kingsley said.


    Severus glared at the man and sighed. ¡°Very well. I swear that I will not utter a word to anyone about whatever you tell me during this coerced meeting that I didn''t agree to and you are forcing upon me.¡±


    Kingsley sighed in relief at the brief flash of magic and put his wand away. ¡°Thank you. This is what we have planned out for you and for everyone else in the know...¡±


    Severus listened intensely and memorized everything, making sure to hear what was being said and not being said. At no point was he promised amnesty or even leniency when the death eaters were caught. If he was anywhere near them when he betrayed them, he would be taken as a death eater as well.


    Kingsley also told him that he wouldn''t be allowed to betray the Order of the Phoenix or tell the death eaters about the plans, or he would be abandoned and left to fend for himself. From both sides.


    Severus stood there when Kingsley was done talking and thought about it all. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Kingsley said.


    ¡°Who are you going to visit next?¡± Severus asked.


    ¡°You don''t need to know that part.¡± Kingsley said.


    ¡°So, I can only know my own role and those of the key players, and only when you deem that it won''t endanger anyone but myself?¡± Severus asked for clarification.


    ¡°I wouldn''t have put it like that; but, essentially yes.¡± Kingsley said.


    ¡°And both Minerva and Mad Eye agreed to this?¡± Severus asked.


    ¡°Mad Eye has. I haven''t visited Minerva yet. She is at Hogwarts until the day after Yule.¡±


    ¡°And you don''t want to be conspicuous about meeting with her at the castle, in case anyone makes note of you appearing there.¡± Severus said and Kingsley nodded. ¡°Very well. I will sleep here for tonight and will think over what you have told me.¡±


    ¡°When can we expect an answer?¡± Kingsley asked.


    ¡°You will hear about it as soon as possible.¡± Severus said.


    Kingsley sighed in relief and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Severus. You won''t regret this.¡±


    ¡°I already do.¡± Severus said and waved at the door. ¡°Get out.¡±


    Kingsley nodded and left.


    Severus didn''t wait for him to get far before he followed and stood at the bottom of the stairs as he heard Kingsley''s destination at the floo. He held in his own relieved sigh and went over to the fireplace.


    ¡°Do you fancy a bit of supper, Professor?¡± Tom asked from behind the bar end closest to the fireplace.


    ¡°No, and I will be returning soon to ask you some very pointed questions about how an Auror knew exactly where I was and what room I was in, when I haven''t told anyone and no one else was here to see me arrive.¡± Severus said.


    Tom''s eyes widened and he started to sweat.


    Severus gave him a glare and pointed to the other end of the bar. ¡°Stop eavesdropping to hear where I''m going!¡±


    Tom jumped slightly and scampered to the other end of the bar with a worried look on his face.


    Snape used some floo powder and whispered his destination. He knew exactly where he needed to go and he hoped beyond all reason that she agreed to see him. He appeared in the large fireplace in the Ministry''s Atrium and and walked over to the guard waiting by the check-in station.


    ¡°Is Madam Bones in?¡± Severus asked as he handed over his wand.


    ¡°She''s in her office and swamped with work.¡± The guard said and checked the wand, handed Severus a ticket and his wand back, and waved him through.


    Severus went to the elevator and rode it down to the floor that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was on. He went right over to the office and ignored the secretary. She had barely opened her mouth to protest when he knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come!¡± Amelia''s voice snapped.


    Severus opened the door without wincing at the biting tone of the woman''s voice and stepped inside as he shut the door behind him.


    ¡°Professor Snape? What are you doing here?¡± Amelia''s harsh tone evaporated at the highly unexpected visitor.


    ¡°I have some vital information about your hunt for the escaped death eaters.¡± Severus said.


    Amelia jumped to her feet. ¡°Please tell me you know where they are!¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I do not.¡± Severus said and Amelia sighed as she sat again. ¡°I also cannot confirm that nearly a dozen of them may or may not have assaulted my home at Spinner''s End and burned it to the ground.¡±


    Amelia gasped and jumped to her feet again. ¡°Severus!¡±


    ¡°I cannot in good conscience tell you that most of those involved are dead.¡± Severus said and then smiled a little. ¡°Narcissa and Bellatrix may or may not have been among them when they may have burned up in the fire. The clearly muggle fire.¡±


    ¡°Sweet Merlin.¡± Amelia whispered and sat down again with shock on her face. ¡°Merlin.¡± She wiped at her face and then gave him a sorrowful look. ¡°Why are you telling me... not telling me this?¡±


    ¡°I would have kept quiet, as I have since the dark lord was vanquished all those years ago.¡± Severus said and pulled out a clear vial, then used his wand to pull out the memory he needed. ¡°I was just visited by one of your senior Aurors and threatened no less than six times after being forced to have a meeting with him against my will.¡±


    Amelia let out a groan of pain and rubbed her forehead as Severus placed the vial on her desk. ¡°I don''t want to know who, do I?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t want to know... and I am quite happy that my previous oaths have been invalidated with Dumbledore''s conviction and incarceration.¡± Severus said. ¡°However, I am not allowed to tell you anything about it and swore to the same.¡±


    Amelia looked at the vial of memory. ¡°You are a smart man.¡±


    ¡°Much smarter than a very tall black man that is defying you and trying to coerce me into breaking the law.¡± Severus said. ¡°I assume you can view that to see what I mean?¡±


    Amelia nodded. She knew exactly where she could go to watch it. ¡°You know you''re making my job much harder.¡±


    Severus couldn''t stop his smile. ¡°I am only revealing what you''ve been unable to see hidden in front of you.¡±


    Amelia sighed and picked up the vial. ¡°I hope you are going to refuse whatever he asked you to do.¡±


    ¡°I already have, twice.¡± Severus said and conjured a copy of the letter. ¡°I sent that to Narcissa as well.¡±


    Amelia read it and she shook her head. ¡°I didn''t read that.¡±


    Severus smiled as the letter faded from her hand. ¡°I''ve never had a propensity for transfiguration.¡±


    Amelia huffed and smiled. ¡°All right, I understand. I''ll see what I can do to ease whatever pressure has been placed on you.¡±


    ¡°I''m staying at the Leaky Cauldron.¡± Severus said and went to the door. ¡°Room Six, not that Tom kept that a secret for more than a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Please don''t main or kill him. He is a valuable resource of information.¡±


    ¡°I will do nothing except emphasize that reporting my whereabouts to those he knows are up to no good, is a mistake he won''t be repeating more than once.¡±


    Amelia thought about that. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking something that removes his voice for a week. Or two.¡± Snape said and smiled at her, then let his blank face return and left her office.


    Amelia watched him leave and then went to her door to talk to her secretary. ¡°I''m stepping out for half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma''am. I''ll let anyone looking for you know.¡±


    Amelia nodded to her and closed and locked her door, then went to her floo. ¡°Hogwarts headmaster''s office.¡± She said as she added some floo powder and stepped through.


    Minerva wasn''t there, so Amelia went to the cabinet with the pensieve inside and opened it. The water was clear, meaning no one had left anything inside, and she poured in the memory that Severus gave her. She entered the pensieve and was shocked when she saw Severus arrive at Spinner''s End and followed him as he was constantly attacked and dealt with the threat.


    ¡°Sweet Merlin!¡± Amelia gasped as Severus blew up his own house and killed Bellatrix. The conversation with Narcissa was enlightening, to say the least. That Snape then tossed all the dead bodies into the fire and made sure the wands were destroyed gave her a shiver down her spine. She was also glad that ruthless man was trying very hard to remain neutral.


    The memory shifted to the room at the Leaky Cauldron and Amelia felt anger as Kingsley, one of the people she trusted with her life, demanded that Severus risk his life and commit crimes for the Order of the Phoenix. The not so subtle threats weren''t even thinly veiled as Kingsley told Snape that he would be sacrificed if he betrayed them or actually worked with the death eaters against the Order of the Phoenix.


    Amelia also learned several very concerning names that were current members of that secret vigilante organization that had gotten her brother and his wife killed, as well as her parents. Hestia Jones, Emmeline Vance, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Mad Eye Moody, and his protege Nymphadora Tonks. Not to mention Kingsley himself and a known criminal, Mundungus Fletcher.


    The worst offender in her mind was Minerva McGonagall, since she had thought the older woman had given up on helping Albus Dumbledore manipulating everyone. Amelia remembered her mentioning the Order the last time she saw her, only she thought Minerva was only getting them motivated, not that she was a part of the whole thing or was behind it.


    Amelia caught her breath when she remembered Minera''s problems with her memory and forgetting things. She would need to take steps to give Minera the help she needs and also to remove her from any apparent influence she may be under. It wasn''t until she saw Snape follow Kingsley and heard her Auror whisper, ''The Burrow'', that she realized the entire family might be in the Order.


    She couldn''t have them influence so many departments in the Ministry, no matter how good their intentions were. She exited the pensieve and put the memory back in the vial before she closed the cabinet.


    ¡°Amelia?¡± Minerva asked as she entered the office. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I had a memory I needed to view.¡± Amelia said and walked over to her. ¡°How are you feeling? Did you check with Thorfinn about Albus?¡±


    ¡°What? Why would I do that? Albus is in prison.¡± Minerva said with a smile. ¡°I think you''ve been getting into the tonic a bit much, Amelia.¡±


    Amelia sighed and took out a piece of paper and wrote on it. She handed it to Minerva and the older woman gasped, then went to her desk and opened the top drawer. There was another piece of paper, with the same sentence and ''check with Thorfinn'' on it. ''Confirmed forgetful curse. Caster: Kingsley Shacklebolt'' was written under that.


    Minerva sat, her strength leaving her. ¡°No, I... oh, no.¡±


    Amelia looked into the drawer and scowled. ¡°I can''t believe that...¡±


    The floo flared to life and Amelia immediately jumped to the side to hide from sight and disillusioned herself. Her years of being a paranoid Auror had always held her in good stead.


    ¡°Minerva? Are you alone?¡± Kingsley''s voice asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Minerva said without looking at the fire.


    ¡°We''re coming through.¡± Kingsley said, which proved that what he told Severus about not meeting Minerva until after the Yule holiday was a ruse. With her under a curse to forget anything to do with Albus and possibly the Order, they could meet at any time and Minerva would never remember it. Kingsley, Bill Weasley, Arthur Weasley, and Molly Weasley stepped out of the fireplace, one after the other.


    ¡°The others are going to be delayed for a few minutes. It took me this long to let them all know about Severus agreeing to work for us.¡± Kingsley said.


    ¡°Not with us?¡± Minerva asked, still without looking at him.


    ¡°No, he can''t know that we''re concentrating on finding Albus before searching for the death eaters.¡± Bill said. ¡°I''ve paid one of the goblins at the bank to monitor his accounts and to let me know if anyone accesses them.¡±


    ¡°What did you pay them with?¡± Minerva asked.


    ¡°You approved the transfer of funds from the Hogwarts accounts, just like Albus ordered you to do.¡± Kingsley said and Minerva sucked in a sharp breath. That was apparently the phrase to use to make her forget.


    A bright flash of light blinded everyone and then they were all taken down with silent stunning spells. They were bound in magical ropes and disarmed of their wands and then any magical devices. Amelia moved them off to the side and cast disillusionment on them to hide them from the others coming through.


    None of them even asked to come through and just came in a steady stream. There were a lot more than the ones Kingsley had told Snape about, confirming Snape''s statement about him not being important enough to know everything.


    Amelia quickly stunned them and pulled them aside as each one appeared. Some came out a little quickly, meaning they were coming from the same location, so their shock at seeing the person in front of them on the floor gave her enough time to stun them, too.


    This went on for nearly ten minutes until the very last ones out of the fireplace were Mad Eye Moody and Nymphadora Tonks. Moody came first and jumped aside at the spellfire coming his way and his magical eye found Amelia through her disillusionment spell.


    ¡°Amelia! What are you doing?¡± Mad Eye asked as he aimed his wand at her and Nymphadora came out of the fireplace.


    ¡°I am arresting members of an illegal vigilante organization that''s committing blatant crimes against wizardkind.¡± Amelia spat as she dropped the disillusionment. ¡°Just like you should be doing, old friend.¡±


    Mad Eye sighed. ¡°Amelia, there are things you don''t know...¡±


    ¡°Why don''t you tell me all about how Albus recruited you all to break the law and coerce an innocent man into spying and doing your dirty work for you, just so you can all claim your hands are clean and then let him take the fall for it all.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Go ahead, Alastor. Tell me.¡±


    ¡°That''s not how it is, Amelia.¡± Mad Eye said and stood up. He didn''t lower his wand, though.


    ¡°Mad Eye? What do I do?¡± Nymphadora asked.


    ¡°Stand down, Auror trainee.¡± Amelia ordered in her command voice. ¡°If you raise your wand against the head of the DMLE, your career will be over before it starts.¡±


    Nymphadora gasped and looked at Mad Eye, who still had his wand pointed at Amelia.


    ¡°Aye, lass.¡± Mad Eye said. ¡°I''ll be drummed out by the end of the day...¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and finish that statement, old friend.¡± Amelia said with a scowl. ¡°...if Amelia remembers it.¡±


    Mad Eye let his eye swirl around and focused on the people bound and hidden. ¡°You''ve gotten us all.¡±


    ¡°Have I?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Or just the ones that could make it to this emergency meeting?¡±


    Mad Eye sighed and lowered his wand. He knew when he was beaten.


    ¡°Tell me everything, you old fool.¡± Amelia said and didn''t lower her wand. ¡°Tell me about cursing an old woman into forgetting that she''s helping you all rob a school full of children to fund your illegal organization.¡±


    Mad Eye said down on the chair in front of Minerva''s desk. ¡°It wasn''t supposed to happen like that. Albus always funded us...¡±


    ¡°...with Harry Potter''s inherited wealth and any other money he could steal from innocent children that he didn''t care about, because they didn''t matter to the greater good!¡± Amelia spat. It had all come out in the trial against Albus. ¡°Keep going!¡±


    ¡°We are trying to fight against the forces of darkness. The dark lord will return. When he does...¡±


    Amelia barked a harsh laugh. ¡°You''ll what? Do nothing? Gather intelligence that you never share with the Aurors or myself? What good will that do? WHAT GOOD WILL THAT DO?!?¡±


    Moody rubbed the good side of his face with a mangled hand. ¡°Amelia, Albus assured us that...¡±


    ¡°He is a convicted criminal that abused and robbed a baby! Then he let Harry be TORTURED for TEN YEARS by HIS OWN RELATIVES!¡± Amelia nearly screamed at him. ¡°Tell me how you can even stand to be around that man! HOW? HOW CAN YOU CHOOSE HIS EVIL OVER GOOD? HOW?¡±


    Mad Eye groaned, because he wasn''t sure what to say to her to calm her down. She was overreacting, especially since the boy turned out fine. He wasn''t going to say that, though. He hadn''t survived this long by being stupid.


    ¡°He meant well.¡± Mad Eye said.


    ¡°So did Voldemort.¡± Amelia said and he looked shocked. ¡°He hated the system that left him in a muggle orphanage, even though he was magical. He wanted to make all of wizardkind pay for how he was treated and abused by muggles... almost exactly like Harry had been.¡±


    Mad Eye focused both eyes on her face.


    ¡°How dare you sit there and tell me that Albus meant well, when he specifically had a hand in making Tom Riddle into the evil he became and almost turned the wizarding world''s savior into a carbon copy? On purpose?¡± Amelia asked.


    Moody stayed silent and didn''t respond.


    ¡°Right, you can''t. Your words are as hollow as Albus'' were when he said my brother''s murder by death eaters was valuable to the wizarding world. He completely ignored Edgar''s wife and my parents. Also my cousins.¡± Amelia said. ¡°So, tell me again. Why are you committing so many crimes and encouraging so many others to commit even more crimes, including future Aurors, when there is no evidence that Voldemort is going to return, except for the ravings of a convicted child torturer?¡±


    Mad Eye rubbed his face again. ¡°I can''t explain, Amelia. I am under oaths to not reveal anything.¡±


    Amelia smiled. ¡°Yes, you are. You are also violating your oaths to me, the department, and the Ministry to uphold the law.¡±


    ¡°I will do what I have to do in order to save the wizarding world from itself.¡± Mad Eye said.


    ¡°That''s not your job.¡± Amelia said. ¡°That''s not even my job, and I''m the head of the DMLE. We enforce the law. We DO NOT break it whenever we want and also make others break it, too!¡±


    Mad Eye sighed. ¡°You would understand if I could only tell you... something.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Amelia asked and then decided to reveal a little unknown fact. ¡°Do you mean Albus actually told you something about Tom Riddle''s horcruxes?¡±


    Mad Eye sucked in a sharp breath and Nymphadora''s face paled.


    ¡°I''ll take that as a yes.¡± Amelia said with satisfaction. ¡°Does that lift any of your oaths to the old man?¡±


    Mad Eye worked through his head and then sighed with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Well, I guess this conversation is at an end.¡± Amelia said and cast magical ropes around him.


    Mad Eye fell to the floor and Nymphadora gasped.


    Amelia cast it on her, too.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± Nymphadora asked after she fell to the floor as well.


    ¡°You lost your job, is what you did.¡± Amelia said and waved at the pile of people. ¡°So did Kingsley and the rest of those idiots.¡±


    ¡°But... we only...¡±


    ¡°Broke the law and tried to force a man to commit crimes with death eaters, to get in their good graces, then betray them to you... only for information on their movements and them looking for Riddle. You weren''t even going to arrest them, because the spy''s word isn''t enough evidence to do so.¡± Amelia said and bent at the waist to glare at the young woman. ¡°I''ll ask you the same question I asked Moody. What good would that do, especially if you never tell me?¡±


    Nymphadora couldn''t respond, because she finally realized that Amelia was right. It wouldn''t do any good at all, because by the time Snape gave them any information, the crimes would have already happened. They couldn''t arrest anyone on just his word, which they wouldn''t trust anyway, because he was a spy.


    She rested her head on the floor and tears came to her eyes as she mourned her lost career. She thought she was doing things for the greater good of the wizarding world, saving it from a great evil. All she was really doing was a whole lot of nothing, except for making more evil for others to fight.


    ¡°I''m... I''m sorry.¡± Nymphadora whispered and started to cry. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°So am I.¡± Amelia said and stunned her. She looked at Moody and shook her head. ¡°Now I''m wondering how long you''ll live under viritaserum.¡±


    ¡°Maybe a minute... a minute and a half at most.¡± Mad Eye said. ¡°If you''re careful of what you ask.¡±


    Amelia nodded and stunned him as well. She went to the floo and went back to her office to get some other Aurors that she trusted, then had them bring everyone through her floo to be put into individual holding cells. None of them questioned why several of their Aurors, including Senior Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, was one of the prisoners.


    *


    Harry loved staying over at Ela''s home. Not only did he get hugs at random times from her, and her restored fingers run through his hair at other times, he also would get in tickle fights that he had come to enjoy very much, thanks to Luna. Of course, Luna was right there with him.


    Her father was off again to Switzerland on the search for a Fizzing Whisbee, the original creature that the toy called a Fanged Frisbee was created to resemble. Harry had expressed his worry over this, especially if they were vampiric and wanted to suck on Xenophilus'' blood. Luna had hugged him to her chest and whispered that she loved him even more because he was so concerned over her father.


    Neither Ela nor Sirius tried to stop them from sleeping in the same bed together. They thought it was cute seeing them all cuddled up like that, not realizing that Harry''s hands cupped the cheeks of Luna''s butt and Luna''s hands were buried inside Harry''s pyjama top and hugged his chest.


    *


    No one suspected that Amelia had caught most of the members of the Order of the Phoenix that day and interrogated them to find out the remaining members and arrested them as well. The best part was that she had gained a lot of new information about the death eaters and their movements. She sent trusted Aurors out to search and track them down.


    With that information combined with Sirius'' older information, they made several arrests and discovered that the death eaters were recruiting again. That made Amelia call an emergency Wizengamut meeting to demand more funding and to inform the ruling body of the government of the latest developments.


    The new minister tried to block her, so she arrested him for interfering with her department. It was something the Wizengamut had voted into effect when Fudge had been ousted as minister. No minister would be above the law, especially if they tried to stop that law from being applied.


    Amelia questioned him under viritaserum and he admitted to cultivating Fudge''s old techniques. He was ousted immediately and a temporary Minister Of Magic was appointed. Augusta Longbottom. She stated as a matter of fact that she would do the job until a new minister could be elected. By universal agreement of everyone in the Wizengamut, the election would happen three years hence.


    ¡°You suckered me, you bastards.¡± Augusta said in a calm voice, which made them all laugh. They wouldn''t accept her resignation, either. She had the job now and was stuck with it.


    Amelia got her funding approved. The Aurors committing crimes were tried, fined, and fired. The order members were tried and a few of them were sent to prison for a while, especially the older members that had been committing crimes for years.


    Not surprisingly, Amelia was a very skilled interrogator and Alastor Moody lasted nearly fifteen minutes before one of the vows he took caused him to have a heart attack. Amelia was ready for it and had two skilled healers there to revive him. When he woke up after a quick Ennervate, he sang like a bird. Apparently, dying from a vow, broke its hold. He gave them tons of information that they never suspected he had.


    It led to more arrests, a lot more fines, and criminals that were hiding in plain sight were discovered. Mad Eye''s magical eye had given him a lot of material to disclose, now that he wasn''t restricted from telling anyone about it. He cursed Albus Dumbledore for making him take that particular vow, because he didn''t want whatever Alastor saw inside the castle to come to anyone''s attention.


    Mad Eye didn''t realize it stopped him from telling anyone about whatever he saw and not just what was inside Hogwarts. Now he knew and he told Amelia everything. He also took a plea deal instead of standing trial and would stay in a holding cell at the Ministry for a year, so he could still be useful to the Auror department and the Head of the DMLE. Amelia was perfectly fine with that.


    When Amelia was done with all her work, she sent a discreet letter by house elf to Sirius. She told him that an anonymous source informed her that both Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Black were dead. Sirius celebrated like it was the best Christmas present he had ever had... until Ela informed him that she was pregnant.


    Sirius let out a loud happy shout about being a father, thanked her profusely, then fainted.

 115 The Rest Of The Story

    Bokuboy


    Daphne Greengrass was in shock as she looked down at the present in her hands. She hadn''t really had a lot of interactions this year with her secret friend, because there had been a fundamental shift in both his personality and his best friend. That Luna girl had pretty much taken over his life. He spent all of his time with her and his other friends, leaving his old friend Hermione Granger out in the cold.


    She had tried to discreetly inquire about what had happened and no one knew anything. Even the Slytherins were distant and wouldn''t speak to her for more than a few moments before they made an excuse to leave. It wasn''t just in her year, either. She knew something big was going on and she wasn''t sure what that could be.


    At the moment, those concerns were absent from her mind as she looked at the small vial of deep red fluid. She had read the note ten times already and she didn''t know what to think.


    ''Just in case Astoria starts feeling bad again. H.''


    ¡°What is it?¡± Astoria asked.


    ¡°It... it''s this.¡± Daphne whispered and showed it to her.


    Astoria gasped and plucked the vial out of the box. ¡°I love him, too!¡±


    Daphne was too shocked to correct her sister''s assumption as she thought back to Harry''s birthday during the summer. It had taken about a week for Astoria to start changing after drinking that first dose. Harry had been right that it would take a while before it kicked in and it was quite the change. Astoria started eating more food than a little bird would and she started moving around like she wasn''t as weak as a kitten.


    They had both been lucky that their parents hadn''t noticed a thing and kept treating them the same way as they always did. Daphne had been worried that Astoria''s antics would have gained their attention by now and was surprised that it was all ignored by her busy parents. She wouldn''t discover until years later that they had written off Astoria as too weak to last long and hadn''t invested in her like they should have. Like she had.


    ¡°I''m putting this where it''ll be safe.¡± Astoria stood up and gave her sister a kiss on the cheek. ¡°As soon as I get to school, I''m asking him to be my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°He has a girlfriend.¡± Daphne said, almost automatically.


    ¡°Competition! She doesn''t stand a chance! My blonde hair and pretty face will win him over! He can''t resist!¡± Astoria giggled and ran off.


    Daphne didn''t have the heart to tell her that Luna looked a lot like her with long blonde hair and a pretty face. Her hair was straight and not curly, though. She almost always wore it pinned back and Daphne had seen Harry kissing that long neck and nibbling Luna''s ear the one time she had opened a broom closet.


    She had slammed the door and ran off before they had seen her, though. She had been about to tell whoever was in there to keep the noise down and saw it was them. Her heart had been beating fast and she wasn''t sure why she had pangs of jealousy. It wasn''t until she saw Granger''s face and it matched her own, that she realized it was because Harry wasn''t as available to her as he had been last year.


    Daphne looked down in the little box saw another note. She opened it and caught her breath as she read it.


    ''Now that Astoria has run off to hide her present, here''s yours. H.''


    Daphne lifted up the beautiful locket with a snake wrapped around the outside of it. It looked suspiciously like the famous Slytherin locket owned by Salazar Slytherin himself, except it had a stylized G in the middle. She was almost afraid to open it, then took a deep breath and clicked the little clasp.


    Inside were two moving pictures. Hers was on the left and Astoria''s was on the right and they were wearing the nice dresses they had worn at his birthday party. She had no idea how he had gotten them or had them made into moving pictures. She didn''t remember anyone at the party having a camera or any flashes or anything.


    Without thinking about it, she slipped the locket over her head and it settled down on her chest. It was a comforting weight and she put her hands on it and held it.


    He hasn''t forgotten about us. Daphne thought and that little bit of jealousy had a little more heat added to it. He was smart to not sign the notes with more than an initial. She closed the little box and tucked it into a pocket. Maybe I can ask to borrow some class notes after New Years.


    ¡°Come on, Daphne! We can make breakfast together!¡± Astoria said as she ran back into the living room, her energy at a level that no one had seen before. A normal one.


    Daphne nodded and followed her sister into the kitchen. She would have to go to Astoria''s obvious hiding spot for things and she would actually hide Harry''s present to keep it safe for her. She didn''t want anyone else finding such a precious gift. Her hand touched the locket and she smiled. She would wait and see how long it took for Astoria to notice it before mentioning it.


    *


    Sirius was almost a different person for the rest of the Christmas holidays. Or Yule holidays. It depended on what you wanted to call them. Either way, it was a time of celebration as presents and good cheer was spread around liberally.


    Harry had gotten a bunch of kisses from both Luna and Ela and he didn''t ask why. He just enjoyed them and usually kissed them back. It didn''t matter to him that they carried a piece of mistletoe around with them and held it over his head when they were near him. Ela would kiss his cheek or his forehead while Luna usually snogged the heck out of him, just to make Sirius laugh.


    Amelia and Susan showed up with three days left before New Years Eve and they were greeted like family. Harry was mysteriously kissed by the both of them and still didn''t question it. No one would tell him that Luna had slipped mistletoe to them and let them in on the game. Sirius laughed his ass off when he found out. He loved a good prank.


    New Years arrived and it was like a little party. A few of Harry''s friends were invited and they politely declined, their own families and plans making them too busy to accept. Harry sent them notes saying he was too busy as well, thanked them for even considering visiting, and would see them at school. He really was an extremely nice boy that was considerate of his friends.


    Harry even sent Hermione a present and wasn''t surprised that he hadn''t received one in return. He hadn''t expected one, because that wasn''t the point of giving a gift. He still cared about her and he suspected that he always would. Just because she had overreacted from his other presents, it didn''t mean they couldn''t be friends again when she apologized for real and actually meant it.


    That night at midnight, Sirius was having a very difficult time not laughing his ass off again. Harry had a line of girls waiting to kiss him for New Years. Of course, Luna was first and gave him a good going over before stepping aside and letting Ela give Harry a peck on the lips for everything he had done or her. Susan went next and she gave him the same kiss that she had the year before. She even blushed a little.


    ¡°Just to be clear, this is only a New Year''s kiss.¡± Amelia said to him.


    ¡°You''re just returning the one I gave you last year.¡± Harry said, quite cheekily.


    Sirius couldn''t hold his laugh in anymore and laughed and laughed. ¡°That... that''s... my godson!¡±


    Susan and Luna giggled and Ela laughed softly.


    Amelia let a little laugh escape. ¡°So cheeky.¡± She said and bent down to return Harry''s kiss, just as he wanted.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Harry said, his face a little red. ¡°Thank you all. This has been the best Christmas and New Years I''ve ever had so far.¡±


    ¡°So far?¡± Luna asked.


    ¡°It just keeps getting better and better.¡± Harry said and hugged her. ¡°I''ve got family that love me, great friends that care about me, and more people in my life than I ever had before. I couldn''t ask for anything more, except for more of it.¡±


    ¡°You''ve got that right, Harry.¡± Sirius said and pat his shoulder. ¡°Just don''t expect me or Remus to start showing up at New Years for a turn! Ha ha!¡±


    ¡°Blech!¡± Harry said and made a gagging sound, which made everyone laugh.


    ¡°Come on, you lot. Time for bed.¡± Ela said.


    ¡°I love slumber parties!¡± Susan said and grabbed Luna''s and Harry''s hands before she dragged them up the stairs towards the huge bed in Harry''s room. ¡°Hannah was busy with her own family this holiday, so I haven''t had any good pillow talk in a looooong time!¡±


    The adults laughed at her wording, because to them, pillow talk had an entirely different meaning.


    ¡°Maybe I''ll tell her the difference someday.¡± Amelia kind of promised, which made Sirius laugh some more.


    Harry shut the door and locked it, because he didn''t want anyone seeing what was going to happen next. He, Susan, and Luna stripped off down to their underwear and climbed into bed.


    ¡°They look sore, don''t they?¡± Luna asked Harry and he nodded.


    ¡°We''re sorry that we can''t to anything like this at school.¡± Harry said, his voice sad.


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Susan responded. ¡°I don''t know why they hurt so much.¡±


    ¡°I think it''s because they''re growing too fast.¡± Luna said, wisely.


    ¡°Thank you both for giving me a hand with them.¡± Susan said and then giggled. ¡°One each! Ha ha!¡±


    Harry laughed and Luna giggled as well, then they carefully placed their hands on Susan''s tender bits. She gasped, half in pain and half in surprise. They made sad sounds to make sure that Susan knew they knew it was painful, then they started to give her a massage like they had looked up in the book.


    Unlike Neville''s amateurish movements, Harry and Luna had practised on dinner buns to make sure that they didn''t cause pain or made Susan uncomfortable. They wanted to help ease her soreness and they knew the best ways to do that after studying up on it.


    Susan''s breathing sped up as her friends helped her rub her chest. She had heard about Neville and Lavender doing it and wished she had someone to help her like that, because Lavender always looked so happy afterwards. She never suspected anyone else knew until both Harry and Luna came to her and asked her if she needed their help. They explained their research and Harry ordering a muggle book.


    When they showed it to her, Susan agreed immediately. She had no idea what was going on with her body lately and having a book helped her so much. Reading a book about puberty, and growth hormones, and changes inside and outside a girl''s body, had made her want to do as much as she could to alleviate her symptoms. Susan couldn''t have felt more grateful to Harry and Luna.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Harry asked her.


    ¡°I... I don''t know.¡± Susan said, her voice breathy. ¡°Are they supposed to tingle?¡±


    Luna grabbed the book from under Harry''s pillow and flipped through it. ¡°Tingling can be one of the sensations. It signifies a slight blood loss to the tissue.¡±


    ¡°Are we rubbing too hard?¡± Harry asked and eased off with his movements.


    ¡°Don''t... don''t stop.¡± Susan whispered and caught his hand.


    ¡°No, it says it''s one of the reasons to massage. It''s to stimulate and increase blood flow to them.¡± Luna said and put the book down. ¡°If the tingling gets worse, we should stop and let her rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harry said and both he and Luna went back to massaging Susan''s breasts.


    Susan didn''t know what she was feeling. Her breasts were still sore and also felt really, really good. She had touched them herself and it never made her feel like this. She tried to not squirm as her friends made her feel happy and feel weird at the same time. It was all very confusing.


    ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Luna asked.


    ¡°I don''t... I feel... it''s sore and good at the same time... I don''t know.¡± Susan whispered.


    ¡°The tingling?¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°Not too bad.¡± Susan breathed. ¡°It''s like... I don''t know. I''ve never... why does it...¡±


    ¡°It''s okay.¡± Luna said. ¡°It''s one of the warnings. Your body is confused about what we''re doing.¡±


    ¡°So am I.¡± Susan said. ¡°It''s great and weird and I need you to stop before I go crazy and I never want you to stop because I want to see what crazy is like.¡±


    Luna giggled and Harry chuckled.


    ¡°You''re definitely confused.¡± Harry said. ¡°Maybe we should take a break and let you relax a little.¡±


    Susan nodded and Harry started to pull his hand away. ¡°No! Leave... leave it there.¡± She said and looked at Luna. ¡°You, too. Just touching it seems to be okay and not too sore.¡±


    ¡°Cuddle time.¡± Luna said and she and Harry slid in close to half-hug Susan between them and left their hands on her chest.


    ¡°Mmmm.¡± Susan moaned as their body warmth joined with her own. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Harry, grab the blanket.¡± Luna said and Harry sat up, flicked his wand that he had stashed nearby, and the blanket jumped up onto the bed and covered them up to the neck.


    ¡°That''s... a great... spell.¡± Susan whispered and closed her eyes.


    ¡°We''ll teach it to you tomorrow.¡± Harry promised and Susan smiled, then she fell right to sleep.


    ¡°We wore her out.¡± Luna whispered.


    ¡°She''s been suffering since the summer, according to Amelia.¡± Harry whispered back. ¡°I feel really bad that we couldn''t help her back then.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Luna whispered. ¡°There is only one of me, though. You needed me more then.¡±


    Harry half sat up and leaned across Susan. ¡°I really did. Thank you, Luna.¡±


    Luna copied him and leaned across Susan. ¡°You''re welcome.¡±


    They gave each other a brief kiss and then laid down. It didn''t take long before the warmth settled into their bodies as well and they fell asleep.


    A short time later, the bedroom door unlocked and swung open. Two women stood there with smiles on their faces.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to let this go on, Amelia?¡± Ela asked in a whisper, even behind the silence spell she had cast at the doorway.


    ¡°You heard them. They are being responsible and making sure to not hurt Susan.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Thank you for telling me about that book Harry bought.¡±


    Ela chuckled. ¡°I wasn''t going to let Harry do anything medical related, not even something muggle, without checking it out first.¡±


    ¡°It''s a great book.¡± Amelia admitted. ¡°I wish I had something like that when I was growing up.¡±


    Ela looked down at Amelia''s chest. ¡°I can imagine.¡±


    Amelia laughed softly. ¡°I didn''t have good friends to help me back then, so wishing for it is pointless.¡±


    Ela nodded. ¡°I''m finding it hard to believe that Harry, as nice of a boy as he is, is not taking advantage of either his girlfriend or his friend right now.¡±


    Amelia shook her head. ¡°Harry''s been sharing a bed with Luna since... the incident. Even completely unsupervised, he didn''t take liberties with her. They''ve been in every broom cupboard in the school and a few empty classrooms; but, it''s all just snogging and a bit of butt grabbing.¡±


    Ela gave her a searching look. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I asked him, of course.¡± Amelia said and saw Ela''s surprised face. ¡°Harry''s never lied to me and he knows he never has to. After what he''s been through, there''s no point in him lying about anything.¡±


    Ela nodded and closed the door before locking it and cancelling the silence spell. They walked back downstairs and Sirius seemed to be asleep on the couch.


    ¡°The poor thing. He already laughed himself to sleep.¡± Amelia joked and Ela laughed softly.


    ¡°He''s had a lot of things to laugh at tonight.¡± Ela said. ¡°I''ll be joining him on the couch in a minute.¡±


    ¡°I''ll head to the guest room to get some sleep myself.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Goodnight, Ela.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Amelia.¡± Ela said and glanced at the man on the couch, then looked at Amelia with a smile on her face. ¡°Happy New Year.¡±


    Amelia chuckled at the obvious clue and leaned in to briefly kiss her. ¡°Happy New Year. To you both.¡±


    Ela watched her walk away and then looked down at her soon-to-be husband.


    ¡°She''s definitely a great friend.¡± Sirius whispered and moved the blanket to show he was hard for her.


    ¡°She really is.¡± Ela said and slipped her dress off to show him that she wasn''t wearing panties.


    ¡°Oh, you dirty little healer, you.¡± Sirius whispered in appreciation and then he pulled her down on top of himself and covered them with the blanket.


    *


    The return to school was uneventful for the first time in a while. The students weren''t attacked, or harassed, or even threatened by either the death eaters or their children on the train. What the general population didn''t know was that a lot of the death eater''s active members had been killed and a bunch had been found and captured, thanks to Amelia''s specifically directed Aurors.


    They had even found several safe houses, thanks to Severus Snape''s information of their old hideouts. The Aurors were surprised to discover Lucius Malfoy and several other inner circle death eaters as they recovered from their exposure to Dementors in Azkaban. They also found a hysterical Lord Voldemort that was locked up inside a silenced room.


    Amelia was shocked at hearing that and immediately investigated. It didn''t take her long to discover the death eater''s plans to create a dark lord for everyone to fear and that the man in front of her was not Voldemort as they had magicked him up to be. It was Albus Dumbledore.


    ¡°Well, I hope you''re happy about how things are turning out, Voldemort.¡± Amelia said with satisfaction and enjoyed Dumbledore sputtering. ¡°Your very public trial will be happening right in front of the Veil of Death and then I am going to personally kick your old arse hard enough to shove you through it!¡±


    It took Dumbledore a moment to shake that image out of his head. ¡°Amelia, it''s me! Dumbledore!¡±


    Amelia stood up and leaned across the table to whisper. ¡°I know.¡±


    Dumbledore''s mouth dropped open from shock.


    Amelia stood up straight and smiled. ¡°Keep him bound and gagged. We don''t know what kind of curses and magic this criminal knows.¡±


    ¡°NOOO!¡± Dumbledore yelled and then he was gagged, blindfolded, manacled, and dragged out of the interrogation room.


    ¡°I''m going to enjoy seeing him finally being dealt with properly.¡± Amelia said and went back to her office. She had a press conference to set up, several personal calls to make about the farce she was going to perpetuate, and a wizarding world that was going to be so grateful to her and her department for saving them from Voldemort''s return.


    *


    A month later, it was a spectacle worthy of the ages. Everyone turned out into the streets to be outside as Voldemort was sentenced and then literally kicked in the ass and pushed through the Veil of Death. When the announcement was made, everyone cheered.


    *


    In time, things became much better in the wizarding world. Less violent crime, less evil things were being perpetrated, and more death eaters were being sentenced to the Veil of Death instead of Azkaban. No one wanted their kind around, so they were dealt with permanently.


    With no Albus Dumbledore and Ex-Minister Fudge pushing for it, the Tri-Wizard Tournament didn''t happen. In fact, Minister Augusta Longbottom ensured that the tournament would never be resurrected and had the Goblet of Fire buried in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries.


    *


    Harry and Luna stayed together as they grew up. Their school life was one of happiness and joy, with lots of friends and interesting schoolwork to keep them busy. When Luna turned fifteen, she had grown in a very nice chest for Harry to enjoy and she practically begged him to keep playing with them. Harry and Susan had helped her when they were growing in and they were just as diligent in caring for her as Luna and Harry had been for Susan.


    They never made anything official between the three of them, because Luna was Harry''s girlfriend and had been for years. That didn''t stop them from having fun together, mainly because Susan had always loved Harry and regretted that she hadn''t been friends with him before he had met Hermione.


    Susan told him when she was sixteen that if he hadn''t been so devoted to Hermione when Susan had confessed to him the first time, she would have been his girlfriend first and wouldn''t have screwed up like Hermione had. Harry gave Luna a significant look at the time and she beamed a smile at him and nodded.


    Harry looked at Susan. ¡°I was just a dumb kid back then and I didn''t realize what I was passing up.¡±


    Susan gasped. ¡°Harry! You don''t mean...¡±


    ¡°I didn''t really know what love was until I spent all that time with you and Amelia.¡± Harry admitted. ¡°It wasn''t until Hermione hurt me like she did and Luna saved me, that I started to realize what real love was.¡± He turned and kissed Luna. ¡°Thank you for that.¡±


    ¡°I had to save you. No one else was going to.¡± Luna said, matter of factly.


    Harry chuckled and looked back at Susan. ¡°It took me years to understand my own emotions enough and looking back, I can see that you really liked me and I was an idiot.¡±


    Susan lightly touched his chest. ¡°Harry, you... you don''t have to say...¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± Harry said. ¡°In that way. Not like a friend or a sister.¡±


    Susan sucked in a breath. ¡°Harry...¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, Luna and I were planning on something really neat tonight.¡± Harry said and Luna blushed. ¡°We want to know if you want to be there with us.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Susan whispered.


    ¡°You don''t even know what it is.¡± Harry asked.


    ¡°It doesn''t matter.¡± Susan said and her other hand touched Luna''s face. ¡°We''ve snuck around for years, pretending we didn''t care so much about each other while we took care of each other, because people would look at us funny if they knew we were so close.¡±


    Harry nodded and Luna blushed.


    ¡°Whatever it is, I want to be a part of it.¡± Susan said, completely sure of her decision.


    That night, three people lost their virginity.


    *


    Sirius and Ela had three children, two boys and a girl. They were both ecstatic about it. The Black family was growing for the first time in years.


    Draco Malfoy graduated from Hogwarts at the bottom of his class rankings, just above his bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle. A month later, they were caught trying to kidnap a muggle teenager and shot by the muggle police. The Aurors swept the whole thing away and covered it up. They ended up in Azkaban prison for ten years. They barely lasted two before they died.


    Harry and Luna were married the day Luna turned seventeen and they moved in together at the Rookery. They spent two years fixing the place up and took care of her ailing father. They both made up fantastical stories to keep him entertained and he published them as children''s books. They made a fortune in both the wizarding world and the muggle world.


    Susan moved in as well and didn''t tell anyone, not even her aunt, Amelia Bones. At least, not until Susan became pregnant. Then she had to tell her, because Harry had agreed that if it ever happened, the child would become a Bones if it was a boy. It was.


    Amelia was both really angry and extremely happy, so she declared them both idiots and hugged Susan as if to choke her and then she kissed Harry right on the lips. ¡°You better keep her happy!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, mom. I will.¡± Harry said with a blush.


    ¡°AWW!¡± Susan and Luna shouted as one and Harry was soon covered in kisses. Amelia couldn''t stop her smile and gave him another quick kiss herself. She loved him a lot.


    Needless to say, Luna was pregnant after the celebration that night.


    Neville and Lavender soon followed suit by getting married and they bought the Leaky Cauldron. It had a large clientele and they made their money back in only three years by offering cheaper rooms and better meals. They also cleaned the place up and made it more welcoming and not so dark and dingy.


    No one questioned why the Dursleys mysteriously disappeared one night. The house was emptied of their belongings, cleaned up, and sold to a nice family. When the cupboard under the stairs was checked, it was once again a cupboard. No trace of magic was left inside the house.


    If anyone from the wizarding world had cared to even look into it, and none of them did, they would have found several black dog hairs on the new doormat outside. Harry didn''t even notice the funds being put into his vaults.


    Ron managed to get onto his favorite Quiddich team, the Chudley Cannons. He played for three years as a goaltender and then moved up to assistant coach, then head coach for ten years. The day he brought them to their very first Quiddich World Cup game, he had a heart attack. He died with a smile on his face, because it didn''t matter to him if they won at that point. He had achieved his lifelong dream and that was good enough for him.


    Hermione never did accept that what she did was wrong. She accepted that she overreacted and that was all. She felt fully justified in her resolve and she also worked hard to pay off the loan agreement. She wasn''t sure why she cried silent tears as she sealed the final payment into the envelope to send to Harry.


    Her aged and grey-haired mother walked into the room and touched her shoulder. ¡°It''s finally over.¡±


    ¡°M-mom, I... why am I crying?¡± Hermione asked and wiped at her wet eyes.


    ¡°It''s because what you have in your hand, is the very last thing you have to connect you to your old friend.¡± Emma said and kissed her daughter''s forehead. ¡°He loved you and you loved him.¡±


    ¡°But... why...¡±


    ¡°Because deep down you know that believing you were right wasn''t worth it.¡± Emma said and took the envelope from her. ¡°Go to bed and get some rest. I''ll send this along.¡±


    Hermione nodded and changed to go to bed. Her father had died years ago and her mother asked her to move back home. She agreed because the floo made going to work every day at the Ministry quick and easy.


    Emma turned off the light and walked down the stairs and went to the kitchen. A very pretty snowy owl was waiting there. ¡°You knew, did you?¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± Hedwig said.


    ¡°Well, you tell Harry she still loves him and misses him.¡± Emma said and gave her the envelope. ¡°Tell him I miss him, too.¡±


    ¡°Hoot.¡± Hedwig said and lightly touched Emma cheek with a wingtip to caress it, then she took the letter and flew off.


    ¡°I thought owls only lived for 20 years or so.¡± Emma said with a shrug and closed the window.


    *


    Ten more years later, Harry laughed as he received another request for a giant cauldron of Elixir of Life. ¡°You Old Bag of Bones! You''re still kicking around?¡± He asked and shook his head. ¡°What am I saying? Of course he is.¡±


    Harry quickly conjured a cauldron and used the Philosopher''s Stone to convert it into gold, enlarged it, and then brewed up the batch. He wasn''t stupid, so he made another and stuck it into his expanded storage closet that was charmed with a permanent stasis charm. He had run out of it a little while ago and Nick''s request reminded him that he needed more of it to give to Hedwig and Astoria.


    ¡°I smell peppermint and ambrosia.¡± Luna said as she ran into the potions room and then she planted a big kiss on his lips. ¡°Hi, my love!¡±


    ¡°Hi, Lily.¡± Harry said and took out a galleon from his pocket.


    ¡°Aww! How did you know it was me?¡± Lily said and the glamour covering her hair faded to show that it was a deep brown like his own. She still looked exactly like Luna, though.


    ¡°You missed the second skip before kissing me.¡± Harry said. He had long ago accepted that his daughter had a wicked sense of humor when it came to tricking him into showing her more affection than he usually gave her.


    ¡°Oh, pooh! I keep forgetting that!¡± Lily said and pouted.


    Luna laughed as she ran into the room, doing the second skip like she always did, and planted a big kiss on her husband''s lips. ¡°Hi, my love!¡±


    ¡°Hi, Emily.¡± Harry said and both girls gasped.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± They asked as Emily''s glamour faded and revealed that she looked like a much younger Susan Bones.


    ¡°Luna''s hair is pinned up on the other side.¡± Harry said and looked at Lily. ¡°You must have glamoured up from looking at Lily and forgot to switch sides.¡±


    ¡°Oh, pooh!¡± Both girls pouted and walked out of the kitchen as they talked about what to do the next time.


    The real Luna walked in and gave him a deep and passionate kiss that she only did when the kids weren''t looking, which was the real reason Harry knew that the girls weren''t really Luna.


    ¡°Are you ever going to tell them the secret?¡± Luna asked with amusement on her face.


    ¡°Maybe next year.¡± Harry said and she laughed. ¡°Portus.¡± He said and used a sticking charm on the galleon before he tossed it at the side of the large cauldron. It glowed and popped away to go right into Nick''s own storage closet.


    ¡°He still hasn''t asked for the stone back?¡± Luna asked.


    ¡°No, he knows I''ll make him tons of potion whenever he wants and won''t use it for anything else.¡± Harry said. ¡°I''m just glad he convinced his wife to buy out Madam Primpernelle''s Beauty Shoppe and now he and his wife look like they''re forty again.¡±


    Luna smiled and rubbed her own cheek. ¡°She really did do good work.¡±


    Harry chuckled. ¡°I''m just sorry that her potion wasn''t approved for the public and she didn''t become famous on her own.¡±


    Luna laughed and kissed him again. ¡°She had to suffer with just you as a client, the poor thing!¡±


    Harry hugged her and they walked out of the potions room together.


    ¡°I heard the muttering of the dastardly duo.¡± Susan said from the kitchen table. ¡°They failed again?¡±


    Harry nodded and gave her a passionate kiss.


    ¡°They would have more luck if they pretended to be you.¡± Luna said and sat down. ¡°Is Jason coming over today?¡±


    ¡°He wants to show off his new baby, so yes.¡± Susan said and gave her a pointed look. ¡°Are you saying I''m easier to imitate than you are?¡±


    ¡°I really should patent my dreamy smile.¡± Luna said and showed it off, making Susan laugh.


    Harry sat between them and tapped the table to switch the empty bowls and plates with full ones. ¡°You would have people ripping you off left and right, as the muggles would say.¡±


    ¡°That''s so sweet to say!¡± Luna said and kissed him again.


    ¡°Kids! Lunch!¡± Susan shouted and six people entered the kitchen. Lily was the oldest at 20, Emily was the next at 19, Jenna was 15, James was 10, Harry Junior was 8 and little Amelia was 6.


    The place was crowded and none of them wanted it any other way, especially Harry.


    To him, family was everything.


    The End.


    Bokuboy