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Exploring Harry Potter's life

by Button_mash-

Chapters

Chapter 1


Umbridge was watching her class, which contained Gryffindors and Slytherins, as they read her "Ministry Approved" textbook. She was confident in the knowledge that now, there was no way that they were going to rise up against the Ministry. That was everyone's (who was truly loyal to the Ministry anyway) worst fear, an army of students being commanded by that doddering old fool, Dumbledore.

She took a particular pleasure in watching young Mr. Potter read through the book and write some notes down with a scowl on his face. Nothing seemed to brighten her day then to see the horrible little liar get taken down several pegs.

"Ahh...being a teacher to small little children is so wonderful" she thought with a large smirk on her toad like lips.

If she had moved a little closer towards the young, raven haired lad she would have noticed him writing in a small black book. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know that it wasn't anything that spelt good news for her.

After the bell had rang to signal that it was the end of class, Harry, Hermione and Ron had wandered down to the Great Hall for lunch. Harry was still writing into his little black notebook as they walked and that, in itself, attracted Hermione's attention.

"Harry, what are you writing?" she said trying to peer into the small book.

Harry looked sideways at her and smiled. "Something that will completely eradicate that sorry excuse for fiction she insists that we read."

Hermione frowned at this.

"Harry, while it's true that the book preaches non-practical use of magic, it is still reasonably sound, the Ministry would have checked out all the facts. The Department of Magical Education wouldn't let the book past them without it having at the very least 95% truth to it." she said shortly.

Harry smirked "One word, Lockhart." and with that he turned away from the Great Hall's staircase and traveled onto the direction in which the library was located. Hermione wanted to follow him, but Ron held her back.

"Leave him be, when he gets this way, you know it will be good." he said with a wicked grin on his face.

"How can you say that! Every time he plans or thinks he knows what's really going on, it turns out he's wrong. Name one time that he was right and I was wrong." said Hermione with a slightly snobby attitude.

"One word, Lockhart" said Ron with that same evil grin, as he took an embarrassed Hermione by the hand and led her to the Great Hall.

Thankfully it was only a half-day that day because Harry didn't reappear to them until dinner had already started. They even went to the library to find him and try as they might. It was to no avail. Madam Pince had shuffled them both out, with a strange smile on her face, telling the both of them that Harry didn't want to be disturbed. It was no secret that even she held some contempt for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

When he arrived in the Great Hall, he wasn't carrying anything except for a small white envelope and his little black book, the strange thing was, he wasn't alone. A tall, stern looking man came walking up behind him.

As Harry stopped he held up the small envelope, the man walked past him and snatched the envelope right out of his hand, without even stopping. Harry gave a small smile and placed both hands into his pocket, leaned back on his right foot and smirked up to Umbridge, who didn't have any inkling of what was going on, but she did look quite frightened.

"Delores, how nice to see you again." said the man with an indifferent look upon his face.

Umbridge gulped. "H..Hello, R...R...Rivers. Nice to s..see you t..too."

"Do you have any idea, why I am here this evening?" said Rivers still looking indifferent, but ripping open the envelope and reading it quickly.

She shook her head quickly. He looked down at his chest and slowly shook his head. While he held the bridge of his nose in his left hand, he put the letter in the pocket of his cloak and pulled out a copy of her textbook.

"Recognize this?" when she nodded quickly, he continued. "I received a message from a very concerned student that you were teaching, outdated, unproven and harmful material in class."

"What do you mean, outdated, unproven and harmful? That book was certified by the International Department of Magical Education!" she said indignantly.

"True, it WAS certified by my department. In 1921. Since then the 'Theory of Glympdons Conjurtor' alone has caused many people who have tried to defend themselves with its so-called aid to suffer lifelong injuries. And that is the entire basis of the book! None of the other theories in it or any better. In fact, they are several times worse."

He then waved his wand over his head and every last copy of the Defense Against the Dark Art textbook was summoned to him. Then, they were gone.

"I'm going to be real nice and give you two weeks to get a better book for the students to learn from. If you don't have a better book, that teaches them BOTH theory AND practical, I will find a teacher that will. Oh yes, I almost forgot, you have to run the books by me first. No going past me and authorizing them to the Minister. I can make damn sure that the people higher up on the food chain then him find out about your little stunts." He then turned on his heel and walked towards the door. He stopped when he reached Harry.

"Thanks for letting us know. God knows what kind of damage she could have done." Harry smiled in response. When Rivers left, Umbridge sent Harry a murderous look. Harry only smirked back and the teachers shared in the joy of bringing that old toad some well-deserved misery. The rest of the school stood up and applauded Mr. Potter, including even some of the Slytherins, and just to aggravate her, Harry took a bow.

After dinner Umbridge left the Great Hall, slammed her office door shut behind her. She couldn't believe it, beaten by a lying, spoiled, mentally challenged, brat! She wasn't going to let this slide, though she didn't know how she was going to get even with that little beast. Then, that very same "beast" came in through the door to her office. Umbridge looked up, a little confused, but then she remembered that she had given him a week long detention, and this was the last of those joyful nights. Tonight she was going to do something different.

He made to sit down, but she grabbed his arm and gave him a vicious smile. He had seen that kind of look in his Uncle Vernon's eyes and he knew that he was not going to go to bed tonight without shedding half a pint of his own blood. But she wouldn't be that stupid to do something like that in a school. Not with Dumbledore's office a few floors away.

She walked over to a small picture of Filch's ragged cat, Mr. Norris and nodded at it. The mangy old cat then meowed and turned and hurried off. Filch then came into the room, grinning ear to ear and his grin grew bigger when he saw Harry looking between the two of them.

"Not going to do the normal lines then, I take it?" said Harry, looking at Filch with curiosity, yet edging slightly away from the two of them.

"Not in the slightest Mr. Potter. My little reminder doesn't seem to help you not to tell lies." she said, with that large sneer on her toad like face.

"Actually it does, that's why I sent Mr. River's that owl." he smirked, wiping the grin off the horrible teacher's face. But then it came back in full force. She nodded towards Filch, who then brought out a...

"What's the whip for?" said Harry getting a little nervous now, but his voice didn't reveal it. Both sadists just smiled and moved forward, slowly. He backed up into the desk, and looked round quickly, there was no escape.

Three hours later he finally reached the seventh floor. He had to double over and get his breath to slow down quite a few times. His entire torso was on fire and his legs couldn't carry him anymore, after Filch and Umbridge both took the whip to him for the past three hours he had to hurry down to the school laundry room and wrap his bleeding chest, legs and back with one and a half sheets. It looked as if he gained the twenty pounds that Madame Pomfrey had always wanted him to. He tried to remember what had happened, but some of the parts were starting to get a little fuzzy and he felt himself getting colder and colder. He was getting very dizzy and he wasn't able to keep his eyes to stay focused. He had some healing potions in his trunk just for emergencies, now the only problem was getting to them, he was getting very tired.

Then a voice came from behind him, Harry slowly turned around and saw McGonagall come up the stairs. "Didn't you hear me Potter? I asked you what you were doing out so late, it's about five minutes after curfew." she said sternly.

Harry opened his mouth to answer "Long detention" when he couldn't stand anymore and he started to fall over the railing of the moving staircase. Professor McGonagall screamed and made a grab for him as he tumbled over. She managed to grab his foot and magicked him back onto the stairs.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING BOY?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH..." she stopped short. She kneeled down quickly laid his head on her lap and felt his forehead, he was burning up with fever. She noticed the sheets under his robes and lifted the layers, she screamed a second time, only this one was louder.

The teachers, who were patrolling the top floors, came running up from all different directions and the Gryffindor students came running when they heard both screams. Students were standing above and teachers below the sobbing Transfigurations Professor. Dumbledore came hurrying to where the throng of people stood and saw Harry laying in his Head of House's lap. His face paled.

"Minerva?" said Flitwick cautiously. She looked wildly around, this scared her poor Gryffindors to no ends. They thought she had gone mad. Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, or Neville couldn't get to the front of line no matter how hard they tried. They couldn't see that it was Harry that she was crying about.

McGonagall was looking for Snape and when he came to the front, she pulled him done roughly to his knees and lifted the sheets, so little that only he could see. He was so taken aback that he landed backwards into Dumbledore's knees.

"What is it? What is wrong?" he asked Snape. However, the Potions Master did not respond to him. He then scrambled back and started whipping out potions and administering them to the fevered boy. Once Harry was stable enough to be moved, they whisked him off to the Hospital Wing, it was there that the Weasely's and Hermione saw that the injured student was Harry, and they had to hold each other to stop themselves from falling down in shock.

Harry's fever didn't break till a week later, the entire school (including the Slytherins) were happy to see the young man come down to the Great Hall. But they were horrified to see that he had to lean on a cane and was followed by a harassed looking Madam Pomfrey.

"You should have stayed in bed Potter! You're still very weak from losing all that blood!"

"I feel fine, I was losing the feeling in my legs from all the laying around. This gets me the exercise that I need and besides," he added with a look towards the Gryffindor table. "I want to see Hermione and Ron. You never let them in to see me that I know of."

He hobbled over to Ron and Hermione and they both rushed to him and took him in their arms. Harry gritted his teeth, they had clutched at him too quickly and too tightly, but he allowed them to hold onto him as tight as they wanted. They exchanged no words but just held onto each other, then Fred, George and Ginny came over and enshrouded Harry even further. After five minutes of just standing there hugging, they helped Harry to the table and began loading a plate for him.

"Mr. Potter, I have a question for you." said Professor Dumbledore, who had happened to stand behind Harry. Harry looked up at him, for the first time that year their eyes met. Harry couldn't help but smile. Dumbledore sighed with relief, not sensing any redness in his eyes or hatred in his mind.

"Do you remember who had left you in that state that forced you to go to the Hospital Wing?"

Everyone in the Hall leaned forward, eager to duel out some intense judgment to the person responsible. Even Malfoy fingered his wand in anticipation. He disliked Potter, but he really didn't HATE him. Not enough to actually wish him that kind of harm to happen to him. Umbridge and Filch looked deadly pale and nervous, nobody noticed this, with the exception of Professor Snape. He made a mental note to tell Dumbledore his suspicions.

Harry shook his head. " I don't remember, I can only remember leaving the Great Hall to go to detention."

"Whom did you serve detention with that night?" asked Dumbledore quickly.

"Umbridge"

Students and teachers whipped around swiftly and stared. Umbridge composed herself quickly and stated. "He never made it to my detention that night. As a matter of fact, you owe me another one for not showing up, you now have to serve two more nights." she reverted back to her smug self. The students and staff stared at her in shock, but the dam finally broke.

"NO, HE MOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT!" screamed the staff. None more louder than Professor McGonagall.

DUMBLEDORE, DON'T LET HER! HE WAS INJURED! shouted the students.

IT WAS NO FAULT OF HIS OWN!" screamed the entire staff and student body.

Harry looked around dazed, unsure of what was going on. Dumbledore nodded gravely.

"I will not allow her to do so. Harry won't be serving detention for quite some time. I will also say that you, Harry, are not to attend classes until you are well." said Dumbledore reassuring the students and staff.

"I'm fine" said Harry tiredly.

"You save that particular statement for the periods of time that you are most gravely injured it seems." said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling, but with a sad smile upon his lips. "More of a reason for us who care deeply for you to have you, as they say in the Muggle world. 'sit this one out.' "

The entire school, besides Umbridge and Filch, nodded yes. Filch continued to shake fearfully, but Umbridge was furious. Just then, an owl came fluttering down to her and deposited a note, she opened it with her pink, kitten shaped letter opener and read it. Her eyes danced madly. She had him now! She had them both!

Despite River's warning, Umbridge didn't even try to find a different book for her classes. As a matter of fact she didn't even try to accomplish anything in her class. The students, besides Harry who would spend his days in Dumbledore's office, would be getting homework done that they had acquired in other classes. She never noticed them, she was too busy sitting in her chair and counting down the hours in which her plan would take action.

Harry and Dumbledore spent the passing days discussing things that had no real importance. They would discuss the weather, different sweets they both enjoyed and even Quidditch games. Dumbledore was more relaxed around Harry now that he realized that Voldemort wouldn't dare venture into Harry's pure and wholesome mind. However he was ashamed that he had abandoned the poor boy when he needed him the most. Mentally, he promised that he would never let this boy down again.

He was still trying to find out what had happened to his young protege, but nothing came of it. He knew something had happened in Umbridge's office, but what it was, was a mystery to him. He subtley grilled Harry, asking him what had happened, but the poor boy's memory had been blocked by the fever, discovering what had happened would take time.

Harry still had to continue using his cane, so Dumbledore made sure he got down to the Great Hall for dinner alright. McGonagall came rushing up to the pair of them.

"Albus! Umbridge brought the Minister and several Ministry officials here!" she looked pale and nervous. She had not been the same since she had found Harry, nearly dying on the staircase.

"What is it that they want?" said Dumbledore placing a protective arm around Harry's shoulders.

"They said something about Potter's past, bringing the truth to light. What do they mean by that?" said McGonagall, also throwing an arm around the young man's shoulders. Harry kept looking between the two of them. For some reason, since the fever, he was a little slow on the uptake. But talking to Dumbledore about different things, kept building up his mental strength like it used to be.

"I wonder, did you see anything being carried in by the officials? An orb, a mirror, anything? said Dumbledore, eyes slowly taking on even brighter twinkle. "Books?"

McGonagall paused in thought and gasped. "Yes! They were carrying seven books, each one a different color. With silver and gold numbers on each one, one through seven."

"How do you remember that?" said Harry in awe.

"Photographic memory. Her's is slightly more, we shall say, powerful then yours dear boy. As for these books, in the long run we have nothing to fear from them. We know we are telling the absolute truth. It will only strengthen our side."

"Albus, what do you mean, do you know what these books are?" she said gaping at the elderly man.

"Those books are forged from an ancient magic that was used to compose our history for us. We would only have to drop a single blot of blood on its pages and the history of that person would be written, first chapter would entail the significant information of their first year of birth then it would start before the subject's eleventh birthday. That time of age has always been a very important day since the very beginning of magical time. Then it would continue for seven more years. The all-powerful number, Harry, remember that. " said Dumbledore down to Harry, his eyes still twinkling.

"Then what do we do about it Albus?" said McGonagall anxiously.

"Summon the Order, including Sirius, but advise him to stay in his canine form, we don't want him whisked away. Also, invite the Diggorys, Book four should have the painful, but necessary truth behind their son's unfortunate passing. Bill and Charlie Weasely would get some information from this reading to be sure."

"Why would the Ministry read my story in front of everyone?" said Harry, catching on, slowly but surely. Dumbledore sent a warm smile to the young man.

"To spread their belief that you and I are on our way to 'The Funny Farm' as you youngsters like to keep telling me."

"I've never said that to you Professor!" cried Harry in disbelief.

"Which is sad, everyone has a different way of saying it and I enjoy in hearing the different interpretations. Your friend Ron refers to me as 'off my rocker' that may very well be my favorite one."

By the unwanted orders of Madam Delores Jane Umbridge, the entire school was summoned down to the Great Hall. Dumbledore and Harry stood in the middle of the Great Hall and watched as the members of the Ministry and Order came into the ancient Hall that was the place of wonderful memories for everyone who came in those great doors.

"This is a private reading Albus." said Umbridge with her trademark smirk.

"If it is a private reading, then why are the students here? They cannot possibly keep a secret, that, alas, is the curse of youth." Dumbledore stated calmly, eyes twinkling madly. "Also, you have Rita Skeeter here, she of all people cannot be trusted with secrets or privacy." his eyes lost their twinkle as they gazed at her. She shuddered. He looked back at the head table and resumed his twinkling. "It's Mr. Potter's life you are reading, and it concerns this school and the people around him. They have every right to the knowledge quietly festering in those books."

Umbridge could find no argument with that, though she did try to make an effort, but Madam Bones cleared her throat and shook her head sternly. Umbridge reluctantly gave up. Dumbledore then turned to the rest of the school and described to them what the books were. The same explanation he gave McGonagall and Harry. Now, after his small speech, he was happily answering questions, though Hermione and a few Ravenclaws were the only ones asking them.

"Professor, how could it write the last two books if they hadn't happened yet?" asked Padma.

"Ah, Miss Patil, there we get into some very, very advanced and ancient magic that, if you may believe, I myself do not fully understand. But I know that in order to actually read Mr. Potter's future, he would have to hold each book and follow it's instructions. For every wizard or witch it is different."

"How do you mean?" said Padma, still a little confused.

"Well, the one of the last times the books were used, I believe Merlin had to hold the books to his head. The books instantly filled with knowledge. But I have heard that at other times, wizards and witches had to give more blood or even kiss the book. It could possibly be anything. But nothing that permanently harms the subject of the books." said Dumbledore smiling to all the students.

Harry looked up at him, with a question of his own burning in his own heart, and he was feeling ill because of it.

"Professor, whatever happens in these things, will we be held accountable?" he said quietly. Professor Dumbledore smiled down to him and patted his head. Harry heard a distinct sniff coming from behind him at the staff table.

'No one should have that close contact with a child, disgusting.' thought Umbridge.

"The things that you are talking about are called books, my dear boy and absolutely not, whatever mischief you got into in these books you had already gotten away with it. It would be unfair to punish you or anyone else. The same however cannot be the same for adults, they may be held for things they do. Mr. Weasely's flying car, for example, he cannot be fined again for it being enchanted. But if anyone were to hurt you physically, I am happy to say that they will be punished most severely. Even if I must do it myself." Dumbledore held onto his normal smile and glittering eyes, that is until the last statement. Then his eyes grew cold furious, Harry saw this and saw the man that defeated Grindewald. Not the man who he had come to think of as a grandfather.

Umbridge smirked down to them and said in her simpering voice.

"Now, Albus, you cannot possibly think that the Minister would pass up the opportunity to punish the boy, something you have obviously failed to do."

"I have never failed in, 'punishing' him. Especially when he really deserves it. Why, as matter of fact, in his second year after he arrived in the flying car I made it known to him that I was very disappointed in him." said Dumbledore looking up to her.

"I wish you had just screamed at me, at that point, anything was better then you looking the way you did." said Harry looking down. Dumbledore patted his back and Harry looked up to the man and smiled.

"Delores, we won't hold any child accountable for what happens in these books. Or anyone else, you know better than to threaten that. These books cannot be used in a court of law. Unless they are to prove someone's innocence, not guilt. It's a strange law, but one I must uphold." said Madam Bones majestically. Umbridge scowled.

"Now that everything is all explained to suit the answers of students." said Dumbledore giving the staff a knowing smile. "Let us begin, who shall read first?"

"I will" said Madam Bones reaching for the book.

Dumbledore conjured cushions on the floor, some students moved from their tables and went to lay on the floor. Dumbledore led Harry to a large bowl like chair that laid on the floor and was filled with soft pillows and blankets. It was large enough for Lupin, Sirius (dog form) Hermione, Ron and Ginny to fit inside it and give some Harry some support.

Harry leaned back into Lupin's chest and ran his fingers over Sirius's coat.

"You're awfully affectionate today." said Lupin with a smile.

"I'm still a litte tired. Deal with it." he said cheekily.

"The title of the first book is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stoneand the first chapter is The Boy Who Lived" said Madam Bones.

"Here we go." sighed Harry shaking his head.

Chapter 2

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

"You're welcome." said Luna in a dream-like voice. The Hall was riddled with the snorts of people trying to hold their laughter.

"SILENCE!" demanded Umbridge forgetting her sickly sweet voice.

"Now Delores." said Madam Bones. "You can't expect them to just sit there and listen to this, do you? Let them voice their opinions, it will make the reading more, let's say, 'attention holding.'"

"She's got that right." said Fred.

"Imagine, just sitting here and listening to Harry's boring life." said George with a smirk.

"We need to spice things up a bit!" both twins said with a laugh.

They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.

"Wow, Harry, you've got awfully boring relatives" said Lee Jordan with a big grin.

"Makes us appreciate our family a lot more." said Ron with a look towards the twins and Percy, who was sitting beside the Minister.

Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings,

"I knew a Grunning once," said Bathilda Bagshot who had just entered the Great Hall and sat down near Hagrid's seat at the teacher's table. "I don't think it's the same one though. He died almost a hundred years ago."

which made drills.

"Most definitely not him. Hardly would do anything if magic wasn't involved." she said shaking her head quickly.

He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck,

The entire school erupted in laughter.

"Don't they sound like people Romance Novels are made from?" said a seventh year Slytherin wiping tears from her eyes.

"Walrus and Horsie siting in a tree! K...I...S...S...I..N...G!" sang the twins and Lee at the top of their lungs to the applause of the school.

which came in useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.

"She never changed, go figure." muttered Snape.

The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley

Harry however was confused.

"Wait a minute, did that just call Dudley small?" he asked loudly. The Weasely children and Hagrid both laughed.

and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.

"That's not right, the best guy in the world is right here." said Fred patting Harry's back. The people who knew Harry nodded, including the teachers. Harry quickly blushed.

"And he is now the most embarrassed guy in the world." said George with a snigger.

The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it.

"Well, we're about to find out about it, aren't we?" said Ernie from the Hufflepuff table.

They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years;

"That's sad. I don't think I could go years without talking to my sister." said Padma. She then moved towards Pavarti and sat beside her. The Weasely's all agreed and came to sit closer together then before.

in fact , Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister and her good-for-nothing husband

Lupin stood up and glared at the book. His eyes flashing dangerously. There wasn't a person on the other side of those eyes, that didn't flinch. Even the dog on Harry's knee was growling viciously. Harry looked at Sirius and then Lupin, he grabbed his cane and slowly stood up. He took ahold of Lupin's arm and tugged it towards himself. Lupin turned quickly around and glared at the owner of the hand. His eyes softened considerably when he saw Harry and noticed that he didn't flinch at his look. He then pulled him into a big hug and helped the teen back to the chair. Even the dog whimpered as he put his nose back on Harry's knee.

were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.

"Thank bloody God." growled Lupin, rubbing Harry's right arm up and down, in a fatherly way.

The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This Boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.

"Yeah, you wouldn't want 'poor little Dudley' to become nice." said Fred.

"Or generous" replied George

"Brave"

"Selfless"

"Gentle"

"Smart"

"Funny"

"Noble"

"AND TRUTHFUL" bellowed the twins towards the High Inquisitor. She only scowled

I wouldn't want my children messing around with that dirty little liar either. These muggles have the right idea. thought Umbridge nastily.

Harry was too busy to notice the small smirk of the Defense teacher, he had his buried in Lupin's shoulder, blushing furiously. "I'm not any of those things."

"You might not think so, but that's our opinion." said Lupin with a smile.

When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts,

"Didn't it already start?" asked Malfoy, curiously.

"ENOUGH WITH THE INTERRUPTIONS!" cried Umbridge. Malfoy looked insulted.

"Leave the kids alone!" said Madame Bones. "You brougt this up here, you'll have to take their comments and like it."

there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work,

"Harry, why would he pick out a boring tie?" asked Mr. Weasley. "I get one for Father's Day every year and I can honestly say, none of them are boring. My favorite one is the one where it whistles a tune all day. Kids all chipped in and got it for me." he finished, beaming towards his kids.

Most of the Ministry people smiled at that. Every year on Father's day, Arthur would go around the Ministry and show off his ties. He was so proud of his children, and they loved to see the glimmer in his eyes when he spoke of them.

"He hates to stand out. I'm more amazed that he was humming." said Harry deep in thought.

"Why is that? People hum all the time." said Flitwick, an avid music lover.

"He doesn't allow music in the house. I don't remember the last time I even hummed, there anyway." Harry looked thoughtful, not noticing the incredulous looks from the people around him. Professor Flitwick clutched at his heart and nearly fainted.

and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.

"Umm...we weren't like that when we were younger, were we mom?" asked Ginny looking sideways at her mother.

"No, you and your brothers were very well behaved when you were babies. Even the twins were little angels. At that age, anyway." she smiled mischievously. The Weasely children released a large sigh of relief.

None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.

At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek,

"QUICK! GET SOME DISINFECTANT!" yelled Ron. His brother's fell off their seats and cushions clutching their sides. Harry laughed along with them, maybe this book wasn't so bad.

and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing cereal at the walls.

"And he doesn't see anything wrong with that behavior? What a stupid man." growled Sprout.

"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.

It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map.

"I know who that is!" chanted Harry with a smile.

"How would you know? It doesn't describe what the cat looks like." said Hermione with a frown.

"I saw a cat reading the street sign one morning when I was six. I walked up to it and sat there petting it all day, I even named her, and I found her five years later."

"Where?" asked Hermione, still not believing him.

"Here, turns out it was Professor McGonagall's animagus form, imagine my shock." he said grinning ear to ear. The Transfiguration teacher smiled broadly back.

"What was the name you gave her?" asked Fred with a smirk.

Harry looked up to McGonagall, she smiled proudly. "He called me 'Tootsie'. I've been called 'Minnie' in that form, but you Mr. Potter, came up with a name that actually fits my animagus form."

"You never told me you went to Privet Drive. Did he tell you anything we should be worried about?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"No, he didn't say a word about anything else, besides giving me a name and asking if I liked it, he was very thin though. We both just sat on the sidewalk. Whole day went by." said McGonagall quietly to him.

For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen -then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight.

"Wow, you're quick." said Fred whistling.

What could he have been thinking of? It must have a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the car. Its stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no,looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.

"Tootsie can" thought Harry with small smile.

Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.

"He doesn't even think about his family, just his darn business deals." muttered Madame Pomfrey.

But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed in funny clothes - the getups you saw on young people!

"I have seen the outfits young muggle adults wear. They are wonderfully eccentric." said Dumbledore smiling brightly.

He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak!

"What is odd about that?" said a little first year Ravenclaw.

"That isn't normal in the Muggle world." said Hermione quickly.

The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something...yes, that would be it.

"Collecting? What is this Muggle talking about?" questioned Malfoy.

The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.

"Didn't take him too long, not much must go on in his head." stated a Ravenclaw.

Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did;

"Why were the owls going nuts?" asked Blaise.

"It was from all the letters of joy that were being sent around Britain that day." said Snape.

they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.

"Your Uncle Vernon needs to settle down I think." said Professor Lupin to Harry.

Harry couldn't tell him that his temper was pretty easy going, that day by the sound of it.

He was in a very good mood until lunchtime,

"Wait a minute, if that is a good mood, then...Harry, did your uncle ever get angry with you?" asked Lupin, looking sideways at Harry. The dog whimpered. Harry looked down and refused to answer him, he motioned to Madam Bones to continue reading. Madam Bones did rather reluctantly.

when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.

"Figures, the only way he'd actually do some exercise was to get a doughnut." muttered Harry darkly.

He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy.

"He makes us uneasy too." said Charlie thoughtfully.

Bill nodded.

This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.

"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard-"

"-yes, their son, Harry-"

People in the Great Hall turned to look at him. Harry just looked down.

Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whispers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.

He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone,

"How did he get so high up to have a secretary?" asked Hermione. "It isn't his personality."

"He had to step on and destroy a bunch of people to get where he is." said Harry.

and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking...no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry

"HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW YOUR NAME?!" screamed Mrs. Weasely. Harry only looked down. Now he could see the giant problem with the books. He was having all of his secrets exposed. This wasn't fair.

He had never even seen the boy.

"Lily wanted to take you to meet her sister, but her sister always said they were going to be out of town those days." said Lupin sadly.

It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that...

"Yeah, like your sister is any better." said Harry rolling his eyes.

but all the same, those people in cloaks...

He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.

"Sorry, " he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell.

"I'm amazed it didn't kill that poor guy." said Harry bemusedly.

"I'm much more sturdier built then most people give me credit for, Mr. Potter." said the Charms Professor kindly.

It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare,

"They just aren't used to my beautiful tenor voice." said Professor Flitwick haughtily.

"No denying that." said Bill with a smile.

"Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"

And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.

"It wasn't easy hugging that man, I couldn't even get my arms halfway around his middle." said Flitwick with a smirk.

Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.

"Yeah Harry, imagination is a very bad thing." said George with straight face.

"Just look at us." said Fred, the school erupted in laughter.

As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't improve his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning.

"Why were you all day, Professor?" asked a third year Gryffindor to his Head of House.

"You will hear about it very soon." she said, eyes misting.

It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.

"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.

The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.

"Even we knew that was going to happen. Same look she gives us when we tell her we didn't do anything." laughed Lee Jordan. Professor McGonagall's lips twitched slightly.

Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together , he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.

Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley learned a new word (Won't).

Mrs. Weasely and the teachers, except Umbridge, snarled at this. "Spoiled brat"

Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:

"And finally, bird watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight Jim?"

"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars!"

Dedalus Diggle blushed deeply

"Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."

Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...

Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"

As he expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.

"Too bad Lily didn't pretend. She was always upset that Petunia wouldn't talk to her." said Lupin sadly.

"No," she said sharply. "Why?"

"Funny stuff on the news, " Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls...shooting stars...and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."

"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.

"Well, I just thought...maybe...it was something to do with...you know...her crowd."

The entire Hall was silent. Then people started whispering, then talking until finally they were yelling

"OUR CROWD? WHAT DOES HE MEAN ABOUT THAT!?" They rounded on Harry and he just sank deeper into the cushions of the bowl. Lupin had to lean in front of the raven-haired youth and send a stern look back to the rest of the school.

Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son - he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"

"I suppose so, said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.

"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"

"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."

"Name may be common, but the person with it isn't" said Ginny angrily. All of Harry's friends shouted out in agreement and Dumbledore nodded. Harry buried his head in Lupin's chest again. Lupin just sat and smiled, he couldn't believe how humble Harry was, especially living in that household.

"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."

He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom. Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.

Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did...if it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it.

The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake,

"Oh, thank Merlin, I was getting ready to be sick." said Fred holding his stomach.

turning it all over in his mind. He last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind...

"I only wished that Lily had confided in me what her sister really thought about her and James. I never would have brought Harry to them." said Dumbledore whispered. McGonagall, thought about reminding him that she told all she knew about the Dursleys, but thought better of it. She patted his arm.

He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect them...

How very wrong he was.

"Wishful thinking." said Harry out loud, causing people to turn towards him and have concerned looks on their faces.

Mr. Dursley might have been into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact , it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.

A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.

Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots.

"At least you have more fashion sense then someone else I know." said Harry with a smirk.

"Mr. Potter! My wardrobe is the peak of fashion!" yelled Umbridge

"I never said I meant you, ma'am." said Harry innocently. Dumbledore chuckled silently to himself.

His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.

The entire school stood up and cheered. Even the ones who didn't believe Harry or Dumbledore.

Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.

"You just love to go to places where you stick out like a sore thumb, don't you Albus?" said Bathilda Bagshot with a smile.

"I enjoy the look on people's faces." he said with a large grin.

He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."

"Glad I was a source of amusement for you, Albus." McGonagall said, folding her arms but the sides of her mouth were twitching.

He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him.

"AWESOME PROFESSOR!" yelled the twins. "Where did you get that thing?"

"I invented it myself many years ago, boys." said Dumbledore.

"Maybe we can make one ourselves, Fred." said George excitedly. Dumbledore chuckled over to them.

"I have no doubt that you can, and will. You have the same ingenuity that I myself possessed when I was younger." The twins grinned ear to ear and were even more hyped to start on their new goal.

If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.

"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."

He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses, exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes.

"I've always loved your glasses Professor." said Harry looking up at her admiringly. She blushed, which was extremely rare. "Living almost my whole life with giant, round glasses, it's really nice seeing something different."

"Yeah, you need a new pair badly. When this is done, I'll take you to the eyeglass shop in Diagon Alley." whispered Lupin to Harry, who beamed at him.

"But how are you going to pay for them? Nevermind, I'll pay."

"My cousin runs that shop, she won't charge me. She never does when I go in for reading glasses." said Lupin with smile.

She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."

"If you had asked Harry about ten years ago, Sir, he would have told you Tootsie." said the twins laughing. Then they stopped laughing and stared at McGonagall. She didn't seem angry.

"Aren't you going to yell at us?" said the twins, slightly disappointed.

"Absolutely not. I will never be embarrassed in spending a day with Harry when he was younger."

"Best day I ever had while at the Dursleys. I used that memory one time in my Patronus charm lessons."

"Is that the memory that broke all the windows in my office, because it was so large?" asked Lupin, Harry nodded. Lupin and McGonagall looked at each other with concern. Why was that memory so powerful? What was life Dursleys really like?

"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.

"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my here."

Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.

"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right, " she said impatiently.

"You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursley's dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls...shooting stars...Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."

Professor looked down at Dedalus horrified. She was about to profess her apologies, when he just smiled at her and nodded his head.

"You can't blame them, " said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years.

All the adults, besides Umbridge, bowed their heads in somber remembrance.

"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."

She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-know Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggle found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"

"He HAS disappeared! He's never coming back." said Umbridge with authority.

"I'm not even going to argue, I'll let the books take over from here." said Harry dismissing her with a wave of his hand. She didn't like that one bit.

"You've to a week of detention with me Mr. Potter, for your cheek." said Umbridge with a scowl.

"You seem to forget Delores, Potter is excused from all detentions, especially those with you, until he is back to full health and we figure out what happened. As a matter of fact, the rest of the teachers will take care of any detentions you hand out to the students. You will not hold any detentions till the incident is resolved." said McGonagall sternly. The school erupted in cheers. The parents and guardians of the students that were there, looked concerned.

"It certainly seems so, " said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"A what?"

"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."

"What is with you and your penchant for sweets, Dumbledore." said Kingsley with a smirk.

"I have a very demanding sweet tooth. I always have a large bowl of candy hidden away in my office. Except at Christmas time." grinned Dumbledore.

"What? What is so different about Christmas time? That's the only time I actually eat candy." inquired Kingsley with his eyebrows raised.

"For the past, oh I should say, four years, I've received a large box of these delightful raspberry and chocolate chip cookies." Dumbledore sat back in his chair, with a longing look in his eyes.

"I don't recall you offering anyone else these cookies, usually you offer anyone and everyone your sweets." said Pomfrey with a mock indignant look.

"I actually refuse to have anyone else have them. That is the one thing, I will not share. I just wish my secret baker would send me more than one box." he pouted. Seeing that look on their headmaster, the students and a few teachers started to giggle and snicker.

"No, thank you, " said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops.

"I'm sorry, Albus, but I was in no mood for sweets at that time." said McGonagall.

"As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"

"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name:Voldemort." Professor McGonagall flinched,

As did the rest of the school. Harry let out a sigh.

"Get a grip, people." said Harry rolling his eyes.

but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemorts's name.

Another wave a flinches went through the school, Harry groaned.

"I know you haven't" said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know-oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."

"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."

"Only cause you're too noble to use them sir." said Harry up to the Head Table. Dumbledore smiled brightly and looked to McGonagall.

"Only because you're too - well- noble to use them."

McGonagall looked down to Harry and had a small smile.

"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madame Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."

"Old people can flirt? I didn't think they knew how!" laughed a seventh year Slytherin.

"You think you invented it all, do you?" sneered Pomfrey. That wiped the smile of his face in an instant.

Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"

The entire hall went deadly silent. They all leaned forward.

It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.

"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow."

Lupin began to cringe and Sirius whined. Harry looked between the both of them, leaned on Lupin's arm and stroked Sirius's canine head.

"He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are-are-that they're-dead."

The entire school looked over to Harry, who just closed his eyes. They couldn't see the single tear sliding down his face. Everyone except Luna, who came over and caught that single tear in a vial. Harry looked at Luna with curiosity.

"You had a Squakdoon hovering over you. They take your pain and manifest it into a tear. If you catch the tear and keep it with you in a bottle, you won't feel the pain as intensely as you did before." she ran a thin red string through the loop at the end of the vial. She placed it around Harry's neck. Amazingly, he did feel quite a bit better.

Maybe there was some truth to what she sees.

Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.

"Lily and James...I can't believe...I didn't want to believe it...Oh, Albus..."

Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know...I know..." he said heavily.

Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But - he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone."

"Great, now starts the reason we all have to worship him." said Fudge with a smile on his face. However, that smile was ripped off his face when he was forced to dodge flying pieces of paper and several bottles of ink. Umbridge was livid.

"HOW DARE YOU ATTACK THE MINISTER OF MAGIC?! ONE HUNDRED POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR, MR. POTTER!"

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! HE DIDN'T THROW A DAMN THING! WE DID!" screamed the entire student body. Dumbledore looked quickly over to the giant hourglasses and smiled broadly.

"It seems that the magic of the books we are reading is prohibiting us from taking points away from any student." Umbridge ran over to the hourglasses and examined them. She didn't know what to think. Madam Bones ignored her and continued on.

Dumbledore nodded glumly.

"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done...all the people he's killed...he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding...of all the things to stop him...but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"

"Something we would all love to know, Albus." mumbled Moody from the end of the Slytherin table.

"We can only guess, " said Dumbledore. "We may never know."

Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge.

"You have awesome toys, Professor." cheered Bill, who was sitting beside Charlie at the Gryffindor table.

It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"

"What did make you late that night, Hagrid" said Dumbledore leaning forward to speak to the Care of Magical Creatures Teacher.

"Drunk probably, disgusting half-breed. The lot of them." said Umbridge with a smug look.

Hagrid shifted slowly and looked towards Harry before answering.

"It took me and Sirius Black a little while to find Harry, sir. The part o' the house where he was, was completely destroyed. We 'ad ta move a few charred pieces o' lumber to get to 'im. Wasn't even cryin' just kept trying ta..." Hagrid took out a giant polka-dotted handkerchief and blew his nose. "kept trying ta cuddle up wid his momma. Get 'er to wake up." He howled so loud that it made the tables shake. Sirius looked up at Harry, whined and nuzzled his hand.

The school, minus Umbridge and the Minister, all looked down and started to cry. Dumbledore had to take a tissue that was offered by Madame Hooch. Every house table there was didn't hold a single dry eye. Harry looked down, he wanted to cry, but he couldn't. He felt the pain, but it didn't hurt as much as it should have. He looked at the little vial and saw the tear, it was glowing.

"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here of all places?"

"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."

"Not no more mate," said Ron thickly. Drying his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "You've got us now."

"And me." said Lupin pulling him into a tight hug. Sirius sat up and licked his face.

"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I 've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"

"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly.

"I couldn't be more ashamed of myself." said Dumbledore covering his face with his hands.

"His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."

"What...the...A LETTER?" said Mrs. Weasely standing up. "How are you going to explain everything in a letter! A little boy just lost both his mother and father in the same night, at the hands of the most psychotic man the world has ever known and you explain things in a LETTER?" Then she rounded on Harry. "What did the letter say?"

"I don't know, I wasn't aware they even got one." said Harry simply.

"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future -"

"For God's sake, tell me there isn't one." said Harry horrified.

"Actually, today is Harry Potter Day." said Madam Bones.

"Were you expecting presents today Potter?" sneered Umbridge.

"Absolutely not, but I'll give presents if you quit your job here." retorted Harry. The entire student body sniggered.

"there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"

"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head.

"Despite the fact that I REALLY disapprove of you chucking my nephew into that place, I've got to admit, I would hate to see a Harry Potter that loved all the fame and attention. Good Lord, you would act just like your father did at your age now, an attention seeking prat." said Lupin running a hand over the mess of black hair. Harry snapped his head up to him.

"My dad was attention seeking?" he said, face falling.

"In the worst way possible. I can honestly say that your dad was not only a prat, but a spoiled brat" said Lupin fondly, his smile faded fast when he noticed how troubled Harry looked. "What's wrong?"

"Everyone says I act...like...him..." said Harry clutching his chest. He felt sick. Lupin looked horrified at how pale Harry had turned.

"When people say that 'you act like him' they mean the man he had grown up to become!" said Lupin quickly, trying to calm Harry's fears. "If they had meant that you acted like your dad when he first started, they would have taken you back to the proverbial woodshed so many times, it could have been your permanent address."

"Then how do I act?" whispered Harry fearfully, he didn't want to come acrossed as an attention seeking idiot, like his cousin Dudley. Did the Dursleys rub off on him after all?

"To be perfectly honest, you don't even act like your dad at any age, you are your mother's son, didn't matter who it was, she stood up for them. Just like what the twins said a few moments ago, that is what she was. And you are the exact same. A carbon copy." said Lupin pulling him in a tight embrace.

Madam Bones smiled down to them and ignored Umbridge's and Fudge's snorts of disbelief and continued.

"Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember!"

"Can everybody please try to remember that!" said Harry out loud.

"Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here. Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.

"It really doesn't surprise me that you thought that, with all the things I have hidden away in my cloak." said Dumbledore with a grin.

"Hagrid's bringing him."

"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"

"Forgive me Hagrid. I didn't mean it the way it came I out...I...no I didn't mean it at all." said McGonagall pleadingly.

The staff looked sympathetically towards the Transfiguration Professor, McGonagall had been acting strangely, ever since she saw the horrible injuries on Harry that night, she was a little jumpy and quick to apologize. She would however stay her same strict fashion in classes, but the moment Harry would come on the scene, she would smile and continually ask him if he was alright. It took everything Harry had to try and calm her down and get her back to normal. He was making progress, but it would still take a long time for her to return to her usual self.

"I agree with McGonagall's statement in the book. I wouldn't trust a gamekeeper with anything other than a yard full of dirt. Especially the one Hogwarts's has." said Umbridge with her nose in the air.

Unbeknownst to anyone else, Hermione took a glob of magical putty from her bag, something she confiscated from the Weasely twins, and sent it magically over to the staff table and up Umbridge's upturned nose. It took several moments for it to come out and calm the students down. The twins gave Hermione a sly wink.

"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore

"Us too." said Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Hagrid beamed.

"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place, " said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"

A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.

Sirius let out a loud bark, jumped out of the bowl and ran around in a circle chasing his tail. The students all pointed at him and laughed.

"Love your dog, mate!" yelled Lee.

"I love my dog, too." said Harry fondly.

If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.

"Who could that possibly be, Fred?" asked George.

"Wow, I really don't know George. Could it possibly be..." said Fred his twinkling.

"You know you could be right, it does sound like..." said George slowly.

"HAGRID!" yelled the entire Gryffindor table.

In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.

The girls and the majority of the teachers all sighed. "Awww" Harry put his hand to his face and covered his face, hiding a blush.

"Hagrid, " said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"

"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."

"No problems, were there?"

"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."

The same girls and women cooed at this as well.

This is turning into a living hell. Thought Harry.

Umbridge had a similar thought, this wasn't starting out the way she wanted. When were they going to get to some of his lies?

"What was Harry doing as you were flying before he fell asleep, Hagrid?" asked Hermione. Harry groaned at her, but Hagrid smiled at her.

"While we was flyin' he was tryin' to catch the stars with 'is little 'ands." said Hagrid smiling over to Harry, the girls squealed.

"I remember you doing that too, when we would take you for a nighttime ride. You loved flying." said Lupin fondly.

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.

"Ooooh," and "Aww" rippled through the house tables.

"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."

"Couldn't you do something about it Dumbledore?"

Harry sat up straight, too fast, his wounds sent a pain through him in reproach and it took most of Harry's strength to not cry out.

"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground."

"Huh? Really, sir?" said a few Muggleborns.

"Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."

I wanted to get it over with, before I could change my mind. Now I'm wishing I did. thought Dumbledore bitterly.

Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursley's house.

"Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.

Sirius let out a similar howl.

"How come that didn't wake you up Harry, you're a real light sleeper." asked Neville.

"Good quality to have Potter, never know when an enemy might come up and assassinate you." said Moody approvingly.

"Harry used to sleep like a log, Sirius would set off a firecracker under James's chair, wouldn't even make Harry flinch. Don't know what made that change." said Lupin with a furrowed brow. Harry said nothing.

"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"

"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"

"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door.

"You know Professor? At one time, I would have been a little irked that you didn't fight for me, but now, I can honestly say that I really can't blame you." said Harry kindly.

"Why is that Potter?" said Snape with his eyebrows raised.

"My aunt and uncle are real good actors when they want to be, from what I hear from this book, they aren't the people I know. There was no way you could have known just how much of a living hell I go through when I'm there." said Harry in an offhand manner. However, when the comment left his mouth and he realized what he said, his hand flew to his forehead, smacking it hard.

The rest of the students didn't catch the significance of it, but Harry's friends and the adults that a hint of the situation going on, turned a deadly shade of white. What the hell went on during the summer?

He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blanket, and then came back to the other two.

Silence, heavy, thick silence, like Harry had never heard before. People just sat in their seats, blinking and staring up at the Head Table. Finally a voice broke through the barrier, Mrs. Weasely was screaming at the top of her lungs.

"THIS WAS OCTOBER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING LEAVING HIM ON A DOORSTEP! THEY SAID IT WAS GOING TO RAIN THAT NIGHT! HE COULD HAVE FROZEN TO DEATH, GOTTEN SICK KIDNAPPED, WOKEN UP AND WANDERED OFF! WHAT WERE THE THREE OF YOU THINKING? WHAT IF HE HAD DIED THEN AND THERE! WE NEVER...NEVER..." after her shouting rant, she broke down in sobs. Not even her husband could console her.

Harry sighed, reached for his cane, which was sitting to Lupin's left and used it to get over to Mrs. Weasely. He sat beside her and embraced her. He said nothing, just hugged her. He motioned for Madame Bones to continue on reading, she herself had tears in her eyes.

"Harry, we should be the ones comforting you, not the other way around." squeaked Hermione. He looked over to her and took her pulled her close to him as well. Hermione couldn't contain it anymore, she bawled, not so much because of him being left in the cold, that was bad enough, but the thought of him, just not being there. She couldn't bare it. Her best friend gone, her first and best friend. It was too much to handle. He just held both of the women and made a soothing 'shh' sound.

"I took precautions." said Dumbledore quietly. "I placed a charm over him, so that he couldn't have been moved, except by his aunt or Uncle and no harm by persons, or nature could have befallen him."

For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulder shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.

"That's never a good thing." said Fred thickly, wiping a tear from his eye. Anger was replaced by worry in the realization that Mrs. Weasely had brought to light.

"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."

"Yeah, " said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'd best get this bike away. G'night. Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."

Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.

"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.

Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lights so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.

"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.

A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up.

One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on,"

"Aww! Sweet! You're so cute Harry!" said many of the seventh year girls. Harry buried his head in his hands.

"Yeah, what happened?" smirked Draco, Harry looked up at him.

"Same thing that happened to you." Draco's sneer slowly slid off his face. Both houses laughed.

"not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley...He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!"

"Well that's the end of the first chapter, Dumbledore." said Madame Bones looking over to the aged Headmaster. He now seemed to have aged a thousand years in an instant. He had tears falling freely down his crooked nose.

Chapter 3


"With all these interruptions, we will never get through all these books. I say that the next person to speak when they aren't reading should be removed from the Hall. Agreed? Good!" said Umbridge without looking to anyone for approval. Madame Bones sat and looked at her colleague with disgust.

"Who would like to read?" said Madam Bones, trying to ignore Umbridge. When Madam Hooch raised her hand, she levitated the book to the flying instructor and she started.

Chapter Two: The Vanishing Glass

People silently edged forward, one of every student's favorite conversation topics was accidental magic. It was always so hilarious when one talks about it. But Harry Potter's, they thought excitedly, should be amazing.

Nearly ten years had passed..

"Why did it skip so many years?" said Umbridge with furrowed brows.

The entire school went silent looking at her with amazement. Fudge smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand and Percy groaned. Several of the teachers started to snicker into their hands and Madam Bones looked smug.

"What? What is so funny?" said Umbridge indignantly.

"You just said that the next person to speak, that wasn't reading, would be kicked out. No one else spoke, just you." said Kingsley with his deep calm voice.

"I'm exempt from that rule of course. I'm the High Inquisitor." she replied with a sneer.

Down where Harry sat, a small recollection came to his thoughts.

"Exempt...do...I...want...Minister..." it was fuzzy and not very clear, so Harry let it go.

"I think it would be better to just let the students and guests voice their opinions. I will not have that sort of behavior here, Delores." said Dumbledore sternly.

since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.

"Surprise, surprise." said Ginny sarcastically. Mrs. Weasely sent her only daughter a scolding look. That however didn't seem to have much effect.

The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursley's front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets -

Laughter rang through the Great Hall.

"Harry, you are freaking hilarious!" yelled the twins

but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby,

"Oh yes he is!" said Ron loudly. Creating another round of laughter.

and now the photographs showed a large blonde boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.

"Aren't you there anymore?" said the same first years that almost frozen in panic when Harry smiled at him at the start of school term. Harry nodded.

Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.

"Why is it that you never seem to get to wake up peacefully?" asked Dean.

"Up! Get up! Now!"

Harry woke with a start." His aunt rapped on the door again.

"I can understand now how come you don't sleep very soundly anymore." said Lupin with a concerned tone. "I wouldn't be able to sleep all through the night if I had to wait for her to come knocking." Harry, nor Lupin noticed Snape nod in agreement.

"Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.

"You've got a damn good memory there Potter, very impressive." said Moody approvingly

"Too bad I can't remember what happened two weeks ago." said Harry quietly. Lupin gave him a small hug.

His aunt was back outside the door.

"Are you up yet?" she demanded.

"Nearly," said Harry.

"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn,"

"They made you cook? You could have burnt yourself!" said Hermione incredulously.

"I haven't burnt myself for over ten years." shrugged Harry.

"What?" yelled Mrs. Weasely.

"I've been cooking for eleven years at the Dursleys. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Aunt Petunia never cooks anymore, unless I'm occupied."

"Define 'occupied'" said Lupin questioningly. Harry didn't answer.

"I actually really enjoy cooking. Funny thing is, they know I love to cook. They would rather have me happy at that one aspect, then eat Aunt Petunia's cooking. She sucks at it. Last time I remember her actually working in the kitchen was...when she baked Dudley a cake for his sixth birthday. Chocolate with strawberry icing. She wanted it to look real fancy, Dudley took a big bite out of it and spat it out on the floor. I tried it real quick, she got sugar and salt mixed up. It was real bad.

"She thought I threw the salt in it. Wasn't me, I was told that I had to weed the garden that day while she baked the cake. Wasn't pretty, what she did." said Harry, unconcerned about the past hint of abuse, but focusing on the fond memory of cooking over the years.

His friends and the adults around were concerned. How was he punished for something he didn't do?

I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."

Harry groaned.

"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.

"Nothing, nothing..."

Dudley's birthday - how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on.

"Harry, mate, did you have to mention you pulling off a spider from your sock." cringed Ron. The twins snickered, until their brother Charlie walked behind them and with both hands, cuffed his younger brothers.

Harry groaned, he knew what was coming.

Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.

Once again, the same thick silence covered the school. Harry looked through his fingers at the Head table. Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey were hugging each other crying silently. Madam Hooch and Professor Vector looked as if they were about to be violently ill, and Professor Flitwick was fingering his wand viciously. Harry however didn't take much notice of them but focused on five other teachers.

Snape was snarling at the book that was now laying on the table. Professor McGonagall had turned as white as a ghost and had a hand covering her mouth. Hagrid was grasping the armrests of his chair, that is until he snapped them off. Dumbledore's mouth was hanging open and stared at Harry in shock and horror, his tense face matched the color of his beard. Umbridge was the only person in the entire room that was shaking with silent laughter.

Harry then looked around at his surrogate family and friends. Every Weasely, including Percy who had come down to where his family was, deciding that family was more important than a Ministry who didn't care for the well-being of a child, were muttering darkly. Then they turned to him.

"Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you come to us?" said Bill quickly

"You had a room when we came to get you! What happened to change that?" yelled Fred.

"How long did you have to sleep in there?" shouted George.

"A cupboard?" screamed Mrs. Weasely.

Harry didn't know what to say. He remained silent. The silence fell over all of them again, waiting for an answer. Umbridge started laughing out loud, people threw her quite a few murderous looks.

"May I ask what you find so funny Delores?" said Kingsley, calmness gone from his voice.

"I was under the impression that Muggles were common and not worth even an ounce of our time. Now I have finally found some that I actually admire. I applaud them, they seem know how to treat a worthless brat. They were even kind to the boy, I wouldn't have even let him sleep in the house." she smiled to all who were in the room.

When she received no smiles back, but only glares and snarls, she looked towards the Minister, who looked back with eyebrows raised and mouth opened in shock. She simply shrugged and leaned back in her chair majestically.

The dog that was sitting beside Harry took this opportunity to rush up to her and bite her on the leg. She let out a scream and kicked the dog away from herself, she looked down, there was a gash, not very deep, but it was bleeding moderately. She sent a curse after the dog, but he skillfully dodged it and ran back to stand in front of Harry. Guarding him and growling fiercely, showing all of its white, sharp teeth.

"MR. POTTER! HOW DARE YOU ATTACK ME WITH YOUR FILTHY ANIMAL!" screeched Umbridge, without a moment's hesitation, she whipped out her wand and sent a red shaft of light down to Harry. Everyone was frozen in shock, no one could whip out their wands, not even Dumbledore in time to stop the curse. However when it reached about a foot away from Harry, it bounced off, flying straight up into the air. Lupin looked down at the young boy, his wand halfway out of his pocket. Harry had already drawn his wand and casted a protective shield around himself and Sirius, Moody was highly impressed with this, the boy even beat him in whipping out his wand. That was it, that boy was going to be an Auror, if he had anything to say about it.

He sat there, just as calmly as can be. She screamed again and brought her wand up again to send another spell down his way, but with small flick of his wand, Harry sent hers flying out of her hand and sideways towards Kingsley. Kingsley caught it and pocketed it. Umbridge threw a dirty look his way, but the Minister stood up.

"Delores, I think you better calm down. You're not acting yourself." said Fudge soothingly.

"She's acting exactly like herself. She's a psychotic nut!" yelled both Fred and George. Raising their scarred hands.

Madam Hooch trying to diffuse the situation and blowing her nose at the same time, tried to continue on with the reading.

When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all of Dudley's birthday presents.

"Holy Holyhead Harpies! That's a lot of presents! How many people actuallylike this kid, Harry?" asked Charlie with his mouth hanging open.

"Five are from his friends, twelve are from Aunt Marge and nineteen are from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia." said Harry without hesitation.

"How do you remember that, Potter?" said Snape coldly.

"Dudley always brags how many presents he gets for his birthday. All day, every day, for two weeks straight. That year, he didn't brag about the presents, except right after he got them. It was an unusual spring, so I remember it very well." said Harry with a small smile.

It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody.

"If I find out that he's hit you, even once, I'm going to make sure I introduce him to a few, fifty feet tall, scaley friends of mine." said Charlie with a low growl.

"Then I'll take some time out of my busy schedule and have a little hand to rear 'talk'." muttered Lupin.

Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry,

"Wait'll we get a hold of that little brat." said Lupin and Charlie together.

but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.

"We can barely catch up with you when you're goin' somewhere in a hurry." said Ron and Hermione. Harry laughed.

"Yeah, I know seven other people who had a hard time keeping up too." said Harry with a smile.

"What do you mean." said Ron with raised eyebrows.

"I'm Britain's Junior Track Champ, I've won it every year I've entered. I've set several Junior National records for running." Harry said proudly.

"Where are your medals? Your cups? Can we see them." said Hermione excitedly. Harry's smile fell off slowly.

"Uncle Vernon keeps pile-driving them to the ground. Every time I win something, and I get a commendation, he breaks it." he ignored the snarls that went around the Hall. "I saved one however, had to dig for it out of the garbage and glue it back together, but I still have it on me." He reached deep into his cloak and pulled out a golden medal. Hermione and Ron saw a delicate picture of a man running with wings on his feet. It was cracked all the way through in several places. It even had the Queen's seal on the back, with Harry's name etched on the bottom and the year. It was his latest victory. "I'll tell you all about it later." he said to Ron and Hermione.

Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.

"It doesn't have anything to do with living in a cupboard, Potter! But it really doesn't help!" said Madam Pomfrey fearfully.

"She's right Potter," squeaked Professor Flitwick. "Your Father and Mother were of average height, but we will have to do some magical diagnostics to find out just how tall you are supposed to be and rectify it. We can do that soon." Harry smiled.

He looked even smaller and skinnier then he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was.

"They didn't even give you your own clothes? Is your cousin really that big? Were the shirts shrunk to fit you?" asked Madam Bones Harry blinked and shook his head. He then took off his cloak, then uniform shirt. Underneath was a casual t-shirt. He stretched it out to show how large it really was.

"Dudley wore this about nine years ago." said Harry plainly. Mrs. Weasely turned a deep red after she uttered a curse that made Harry and the Weasely family stare at her.

Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.

People who knew the Potters sighed and smiled at him. So did quite a number of girls in the school. His eyes were so lovely, but like Ginny, most of them couldn't look at him for long or they would start to blush.

He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose.

"That boy, if he was here now." said Mr. Weasley with a grumble.

The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.

"SEE! I WAS RIGHT! HE IS ATTENTION SEEKING!" yelled Fudge to all who would hear.

"OH, WILL YOU SHUT UP!" yelled quite a few students, including Madame Bones herself.

He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.

"In the car crash when your parent's died," she had said.

Again the room went silent. Lupin looked to Harry, who was just sitting there, unconcerned. Lupin on the other hand, had his mouth open and his eyes were watery.

"That is what you thought happened to your parents? For over ten years?" Harry nodded.

"A CAR CRASH?" That scream came from in the back of the Hall, but no one could seem to locate it. Only Harry and Lupin knew who screamed it, for then Snuffles came trotting back to them, climbed into the bowl and laid down on Harry's lap, whining.

"And don't ask questions."

Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.

"Is this the reasons you don't ask questions in class Mr. Potter?" Harry looked away from the Herbology Professor and nodded. The teachers, excluding Umbridge looked horrified.

Good, these Muggles have the right idea. I wouldn't want the little beast to talk to me anymore then he absolutely has to. And even then it's too much.thought Madame Umbridge.

Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.

"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.

Hermione let out a very, very rude phrase, that caused her to have her hand fly to her mouth in shock. Ron and Harry just sat in wonder of her. Then they looked at each other.

"We ruined her." they gulped. The students and even some of the teachers laughed.

About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way - all over the place.

"Your dad's hair stuck up in the same way, even your grandfather's hair was identical." said Lupin, running his hand over the trademarked Potter hair.

Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother.

"Hey Potter, can't your cousin find the kitchen without help?" said Malfoy with a smirk. Harry thought for a moment.

"I really don't think so." with a mock frown on his lips. The twins took a break from sitting at the house table to roll on the floor laughing.

Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head.

"Doesn't he sound like a heartthrob?" said Lavender, Pavarti, and Padma giggling.

Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel - Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.

"YOU ARE FREAKING AWESOME!" yelled Fred and George getting up hugging Harry. However it was way too tight of a hug and he could hardly contain a yelp of pain. It went unnoticed by the rest of the school except the people that were sitting close by. Fred and George immediately released him and Lupin conjured up another cushion, to ease some of the pain. Lupin looked up to Madame Pomfrey and that was the 'magic' signal to summon her to him. She lifted the back of his shirt and administered some more healing salve. Whatever was on the object that caused the poor boy such extensive injuries, was not allowing him to heal quickly.

Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.

"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."

"Are you freaking kidding me? What a spoiled brat!" said Draco, he then looked at the stunned looks gazing at him. "What?" Nobody answered him.

"Darling, you haven't counted Aunt Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy."

"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.

"What would happen if he had overturned the table Harry." said Mrs. Weasely. Harry cringed.

"I would need to make the Dursley's more food, and I would have to eat the stuff on the floor. Then spend the rest of the morning cleaning the floor." said Harry shrugging his shoulders.

"YOU AREN'T AN ANIMAL! NOBODY SHOULD EAT OFF THE FLOOR LIKE THAT!" screeched Mrs. Weasely.

He merely shrugged again. "It was either that or nothing, I went ten years without having any dignity."

Teacher, guests and students alike all paled. Umbridge smirked from where she was sitting.

Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents. Is that all right?"

Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he slowly, "So I'll have thirty...thirty..."

"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.

"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."

"Can't your cousin count?" asked a Ravenclaw with wide eyes.

"Actually, no. He can't read either. He's dyslexic, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't want him to be made fun of at school for going to special classes. I wanted so bad to tell them they were idiots, the classes would help him, not hurt him. They never listen. So they do his homework for him. I should say, they make me do it. He's getting better though. He now can count up to a hundred and is starting to read some small second year primary books." said Harry seriously. No joking manner in his eyes.

Uncle Vernon chuckled.

"Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.

"Nothing good will come of that boy. Or that family." mumbled Dumbledore. His eyes were lacking that twinkling luster, until he looked at Harry. Then his eyes grew bright again. He was so proud of Harry, coming through all of this just as innocent and pure as the day he was placed on their doorstep.

At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.

"Here comes the famous Harry Potter luck." laughed Hermione.

"Actually, I was somewhat lucky that day." said Harry smiling slightly at her.

"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.

Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parent's took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.

"What's wrong with cats Mr. Potter?" smirked McGonagall.

"My heart belonged only to 'Tootsie,' Professor." beamed Harry.

"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.

"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.

"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."

"Feeling is mutual." snarled Harry. The twins looked between themselves excitedly. That was the one who...they could hardly wait.

The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there - or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.

Ron flinched, the word 'slug' still made him feel quite nauseous ever since his second year curse mishap

"What about what's-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?"

"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.

"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).

"Harry, they can't leave an eleven year old alone in the house." scolded Hermione.

"They wouldn't be leaving an eleven year old alone, they'd be leaving a tenyear old." said Harry playfully. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him.

"Want a stamp for that?" teased Harry. She blushed and lightly smacked Harry on the back of his head.

Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.

"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.

"I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.

"We will!" cheered the twins. All four houses clapped. Harry couldn't believe that the Slytherins were all of a sudden, since the start of the books, were on his side.

"If I hear anymore horrible stories about the Dursley's, I'll help you." said Mrs. Weasely, earning gasps from her children.

"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, " ...and leave him in the car..."

"They better not have." growled Lupin, gently pulling Harry closer to him.

"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone..."

"Who gives a damn about a stupid car?" said Dean.

Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying - it had been years since he'd really cried - but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.

"I call first dib's on smacking this brat upside the head!" yelled Malfoy over to the Weasely family. His dislike for Potter was being stripped away line by line thanks to this book.

"You'll have to beat us to him first!" yelled Ron.

"Dinky Diddydums"

It took the entire school fifteen minutes to stop laughing. Not even the teachers could contain their amusement at the name. What only made it worse was Umbridge speaking out loud and in a very serious tone, "I think it's a lovely nickname." It was a while till they could start again."Dinky Duddydums,"

"don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.

"I...don't...want...him...t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp...spoils everything! He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.

Growls could be heard all over the hall.

Just then, the doorbell rang - "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically - and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.

"Prat" growled several people in the Great Hall.

Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursley's car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left. Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.

"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's,

"Get out of his face, you fat walrus!" yelled Michael Corner from the Ravenclaw table.

"I'm warning you now, boy - any funny business, anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."

What? thought the people in the Hall. They were hating the Dursleys more and by the second. If anyone here was going to go to Privet Drive to beat these...things...up, they wanted to either get in on the action, or go to watch.

"That's it, Fred, George, let me know how you want the house blown up, I'll get what I need." she whispered viciously over to them. The twins looked at her in shock, but then grinned evilly. Oh the things they would do!

"I'm not going to do anything" said Harry, "honestly..."

But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one did.

This made people shift guiltily in their seats.

The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursley's.

Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in his cupboard and an hour of whipping with a belt and electrical cord for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.

"They...wh...whi...whipped you? Oh, Harry!" cried Hermione and she covered her eyes and began to weep bitterly. Harry wanted to reach over and comfort her, but Lupin pulled him back down and had Harry lean on him. Lupin wasn't going to let Harry move away from him. He couldn't protect him the way James and Lily would have wanted. To make up for it, Lupin was going to offer Harry all the comfort he possibly could, and he knew Sirius felt the same way.

Umbridge sniffed indignantly at the affection Potter was getting. Filthy wolf, enjoy his company while you can. Pretty soon, Potter will be out of here, and back with the Muggles that obviously have the talent of handling the brat.

Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls). The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.

The last statement reduced Mrs. Weasely to tears once more. Her husband had to rub her back slowly in an attempt to calm her down. No child should be that relieved.

On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens.

"Merlin, Harry! You apparated!" yelled Lee.

"I don't think so, from what the first book put it, I didn't spin in a circle like Dumbledore did."

"I think what happened is a very rare ability indeed. I believe that you had just flown, no broom, no thestral, no aid, but your own magic." said Dumbledore, grinning broadly.

"No way! Can one do that?" yelled a few seventh years. Dumbledore motioned Madame Hooch to continue.

Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's , there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursley had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school building. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.

"Whoa! You did fly! AWESOME! Can you do it again?"

Harry frowned at them, stood up and tried to remember what was going through his mind at the time. He then remembered, a feeling, no, more like a desire to get out of reach, out of harm's way. Then, what sounded like quite a distance away, he heard cheering and yelling. Harry opened his eyes and was face to face with a beam on the ceiling. He slowly looked down and noticed the floor, about twenty-seven feet below him. His eyes widened and then, like a stone, he fell to the floor. About five feet from the ground, he summoned up the feeling, and he hung there in midair. Lupin took ahold of him and brought him back down to the bowl-chair.

"Don't do that again." said Lupin with a small smile. The rest of the school laughed and cheered.

But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.

While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He like to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects.

"I'll give him something to complain about." snarled Bill.

This morning, it was motorcycles.

Again, Sirius barked and wagged his tail.

"...roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums, " he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.

"I had a dream about a motorcycle, " said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."

"Potter, you should have waited for the ride to end before bringing up the subject of imagination." sneered Snape.

"I always sort of daydream when I'm in a car. I get to see the whole world go by my eyes. That doesn't happen very often when you're stuck under the stairs." with a dreamy look on his face that would have done Luna proud. Snape flinched at the reminder of the cupboard.

Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"

Dudley and Piers sniggered.

"Laugh it up, losers." mumbled Charlie. Listening to this book and watching his mother just barely endure was harsh. Harry came to their house plenty of times, he was family, and if he had anything to say about it, he was going make these Dursleys pay.

"I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."

But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon - they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.

"Hermione, I forbid you to tell the twins anything about cartoons." said Mrs. Weasely quickly as she noticed the excited spark in their eyes.

It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop.

"Overstuffed cheapskate." growled Bill.

It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratched its head who looked remarkably liked Dudley, except that it wasn't blonde.

A cascade of laughter and cheers rang through the school.

Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him.

The laughter quickly died and was replaced by growls.

"They wouldn't hit you in front of your uncle and aunt, would they?" asked Ginny, shock washing over her face.

"They've done it before, Uncle Vernon even joined in once."

Tonks and Moody were whispering darkly in the corner, as Madame Bones was busy writing down charges of abuse against the Muggles. Rita Skeeter, her quill malfunctioning due to the magical pressure of the books, was trying to come up with flowery words on her own. She looked down at what she had written, and tossed it. Without her Quick-Quote Quill she couldn't write in the same manner as she was used to. Finally she gave up the endeavor.

They ate in the zoo restaurant , and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.

"What the heck is a knickerbocker glory? asked Malfoy, many purebloods also looked a little curious. Hermione was about to answer, but Harry beat her to it.

"It's an ice cream sundae, it's in a tall glass or clear bowl and it's got gelatin, and cream layered underneath the ice cream. On top, you put different kinds of syrups, nuts and whipped cream. And finally you put a cherry on top."

"And they let you have one of those?" said Draco with his blonde eyebrows raised. Harry laughed.

"Dudley left me the last few spoonfuls of gelatin and cream."

"So he ate two of them? How big was it?" Harry showed with his hands. Crabbe and Goyle both blinked, not even the both of them could eat two of those things.

"After this chapter is done, I can go down to the kitchens and make everybody one, smaller version then what Dudley had though." Everyone brightened up at that, they were always up for something special for a treat.

Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.

"Gee, mate, you never catch a break do you?"

After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons.

"I would be more than happy to show them to them, if given the opportunity." mused Snape sitting with his fingertips drumming themselves against each other.

Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can - but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.

"That's right, ignore them, they aint worth your time." yelled Charlie, an avid animal lover. Hagrid nodded approvingly.

Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.

"Bet he looked attractive on the other side of the glass." snickered Lavender.

"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't.

"Do it again," Dudley ordered.

"Did that boy just order his father to do something? If he was here right now, he'd go over my knee right now!" said Mrs. Weasely.

"Mrs. Weasely, he's so big that you would need to magic him in the air and just smack him with a broom." said Harry.

Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.

"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.

"Gee, so sorry that, maybe we should have talk to the zookeeper and advise him to teach the animals some tricks." said Charlie sarcastically. He wasn't happy in any sense by the way the Dursley kid was acting.

Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have surprised if it had died of boredom itself - no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.

"I didn't need to hear that you feel pity for a snake." said Lupin sadly

"Why?" asked Harry

"You have had harder life then that snake ever will."

"Yeah, Harry." said Neville, "It was most likely looking at you thinking at least I get meals"

The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.

It winked

"How can a snake wink? They don't have eyelids. You probably just incorporated the feeling with an action you understood." said Hermione logically.

Dumbledore smiled down to her, "Actually Miss Granger, when an animal comes into contact with a wizard/witch that can comprehend it. That wizard/witch's magic will grant the animal special abilities that they normally never have. And once the wizard or witch is gone, they lose the ability."

Hermione looked shocked. Harry chuckled.

Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.

"Of course you would," said Ron, shaking his head. Harry only shrugged.

The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:

"I get that all the time."

"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."

The snake nodded vigorously.

"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.

The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.

Boa Constrictor, Brazil.

"Was it nice there?"

The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see - so you've never been to Brazil?"

"Harry..." said Lupin.

"Did I fail to mention to you that I was a parselmouth? Oops." said Harry with wicked grin.

Lupin laughed "Don't smile like that, it scares me. You look like your dad plotting another prank." Harry laughed.

As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"

Dudley came waddling towards them as fast as he could.

"A Shooting Star broomstick would have been faster." smirked Harry. The Quidditch players and enthusiasts all laughed.

"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs, breaking at least two.

"OI!" yelled Ron and Hermione.

Mrs. Weasely and Madame Pomfrey hurried to where the teen was, pulled Harry to a standing position and lifted his shirt. The entire school watched as they both took off Harry's shirt and they gasped. Harry was very, very skinny and his wounds from the mysterious attack were still wrapped up tightly. He had some muscle tone, but only on his chest and stomach. Madame Pomfrey felt his ribs to see if there was any breakage, and her face fell.

She couldn't believe she didn't notice it before, she could feel old breaks that hadn't healed properly and more recent ones that were still in the middle of the self-healing process.

"Potter, where did you get these muscles from? This is the only actual meat on your bones that you have." asked Madame Pomfrey, after healing the old and new breaks.

Harry blushed. "It's the only way I can keep weight on me. Everything else doesn't stay."

Girls all over the school pouted, they half-heartedly wanted his metabolism. Then they wouldn't have to try so hard to lose weight.

Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had lept back with howls of horror.

"Whatever it is Harry, get out of there!" yelled Lupin. Harry sat back down in the bowl and looked at his old Defense Professor curiously.

Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.

"Impressive Mr. Potter, no sound, no breaking. Just vanished very good." said Dumbledore nodding approvingly.

The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.

As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come...Thanksss, amigo."

"I can't believe it..."said Fred in in false shock.

"...a polite snake." said George in a similar attitude.

The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.

"But the glass, he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"

"It went bye-bye." said Ginny with a smirk.

The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death.

"Liars, snake wasn't even near you."

But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"

"Why the heck did you bring that up, you jerk?"

Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go-cupboard-stay-no meals-deal-with you-in a moment," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.

"Drunkard." growled Madam Pomfrey angrily.

Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, feeling stiff and finished putting the last Band-Aid he had on his temple, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food and an ice pack for his bruises and bumps.

People acrossed the Hall actually started to yell even louder than any other time before. Harry looked at Lupin and then over to Dumbledore and McGonagall. All three of them were pale and their hands were tensed.

He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years,

Dumbledore covered his face in his hands, tears coming down. What have I done?

as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash.

THERE WAS NO CRASH! yelled both McGonagall and Lupin. Sirius growled and bared her teeth.

He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.

"How can he remember that?" asked Madame Hooch, worriedly.

This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.

"Dear God." Everyone looked around, it came from Fudge, his face pale and tears pricking his eyes. 'Bout damn time, moron thought Harry, Hermione, the Weaselys and the rest of the Order.

When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursley were his only family.

Lupin and Sirius both looked down, guiltily.

Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.

Dumbledore looked up quickly, "How could random people find him?" then his eyes widened in shock. "The Blood Wards weren't working! But why?"

Then he thought a little more carefully. "Of course, it was because Harry never considered it his home."

At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.

"I'll disagree with them! Let me at 'em" yelled several students and were joined in angry protest against the cousin of The Boy Who Lived. Harry stood up and sent a rainbow of sparks over the students. They stopped and turned quickly towards them.

"If you lot calm down, I'll go and make you all some knickerbocker glories." he said with a big smile. The entire student body yelled and cheered. He took a quick headcount left. Lupin and Sirius wanted to go with him, but Harry assured to them that he was fine. He worked better alone.

"Dumbledore, he isn't going back to those monsters, ever." said Mr. Weasely sternly.

"Absolutely not," said Lupin.

"I couldn't agree more, I have a lot of making up to do, especially to Harry." said Dumbledore quietly.

When Madame Hooch turned the page to read the title of the next chapter, a clear, glowing scroll blossomed out of the book and the book itself sealed shut.

"What is that thing Albus?" said Moody quickly, wand aimed at it.

"It's a Recollection Scroll, they show us a part of Harry's history that the story can't put into words. It can either be a glorious memory, or a horrible memory. If we wish to continue on with the book, we must watch it." said Dumbledore with a puzzled look.

"Should we wait till Harry gets back?" asked George.

The scroll unfurled itself and blackness enveloped the entire room.

"I take that as a 'no'"

Chapter 4


The entire Hall was transported to what looked liked a primary school gym, however, the tables were gone and they were all standing, not knowing what to do. Then all of a sudden, thirty little kids ran into the huge room and began running around, picking up basketballs and jump ropes to pass the time. They then saw a cluster of boys come in, there were five of them and one of them was the fattest little kid they had ever seen.

"This is boring, eh Dudley?" said one of the boys that looked like a small rat.

"Yeah Piers, where is Potter, he should be fun to play with." said Dudley looking around.

Then a small, thin boy with bright green eyes. He wasn't wearing glasses, but they could just make out the thin scar on his forehead.

"Holy cow!" yelled Ron looking down.

"What is it? Harry just came in!" said Hermion stamping her foot.

"One of those midgets just.."

"HARRY" yelled Lupin rushing forward.

Everyone turned and saw Dudley and his friends punching and kicking him right in front of the door. Piers was holding Harry's arms back from behind and laughed as each blow struck the boy. Lupin ran as fast as he could, but he was beaten by Sirius Black, who was no longer in his canine form. Sirius lunged for the abusers, but sailed through them. He caught himself quickly and looked behind himself, stunned. He tried to clutch at Harry, but his hands fell only on air. Harry was crying out in pain, and his godfather could do nothing.

"SIRIUS BLACK!" yelled Umbridge, she whipped her wand out and pointed it towards Black. Nothing happened, no sparks, no smoke. Umbridge looked at her wand in shock.

"Magic is usless here. We are back in the folds of time, mearly an audience for these past events. There is no going back, we must watch the past unfold. Then we may return." said Dumbledore with intense grief ripping through his throat. He could not take his heartbroken eyes from the small black haired lad. Hagrid was rooted on the spot, shocked to his very heart, that piglet was hurting Harry, HIS Harry.

"Explains how that one kid just walked right through me." said Ron looking at his middle.

"Why didn't you mention that?" screamed Hermione.

"I was about to, then those brats started hitting Harry."

"When we get back to the school, we shall adminster Veritiserum to show you the truth, Minister." said Dumbledore, pushing the Minister's wand down, which was pointed at the man kneeling and weeping. "I would normally wait until the third book and let you figure it out for yourself, but the dog is out of the bag." said Dumbledore, a shadow of a smile flashed acrossed his face. But disappeared just as quickly as he watched Harry get hit very hard in the face.

"Teacher's coming!" yelled a member of Dudley's gang. They broke apart quickly and shoved Harry away from them.

"Cowards!" yelled a few Gryffindors.

A cross looking woman came stomping in and noticed Harry running towards the bathroom. Holding a bloody nose.

"Clumsy fool fell again, did he?" she said with disdain.

"Stupid woman, he was attacked!"

The room then rushed forward and they saw Harry, taking a wet paper towel to his nose and holding his head back. Madame Pomfrey rushed to his side.

"That's it dear, now then..." Flitwick had to come pat her arm, shaking his head. The boy couldn't hear them. They watched as Harry washed away the blood from his face and hands. He looked up at the mirror. The watchers could see themselves in the mirror, but the boy couldn't see them. They noticed that Harry had a broken nose, Harry also took notice of this.

He sighed, placed two thumbs up to the bridge of his nose, and forced it to straighten with a sickening crack.

"JEEZE! DOESN'T HARRY FEEL ANY PAIN?" howled a seventh year Hufflepuff cringing and shaking his head furiously. Harry looked to make sure it was straight, as if he had to do this before. When he was presentable enough, he left to go back to the gym.

They followed the young boy and saw everyone were lining up for a football game. Harry had to wait until the very end to be picked. The kid that chose him gave Dudley a quick glance and pointed towards the young boy. Harry came over and joined his team.

The Watchers, as one first year had dubbed them, sat on the side of the gym and cheered on Harry, who seemed to be the best one on the floor. They couldn't understand why Harry was chosen last, when he was the only one who could actually kick the ball straight. Dean was bombarded with questions on what the rules were and how the game was played. Harry was the only person on his team that managed to score a single goal, he even tried to let other's take a shot, but they kept kicking it back to him. What was amazing was that, there was no magic involved, this was Harry's own talent and he was good. Sirius and Remus couldn't look any prouder.

When the warning bell went off, the teacher grabbed the ball and told them to get ready for next class and left to put the ball away. Dudley waddled up to Harry and shoved him hard.

"What the..WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" yelled Fred and George at Dudley.

Harry fell to the ground hard and threw a hand up to stop Dudley from hitting him. The Watchers stared in amazement when they saw Dudley fly through the air and land on a inflatable bouncy mat. Harry sat in shock.

"Serves him right! That's teaching that fat git!"

The room, once again zoomed ahead and they were now standing in a living room. They noticed that the room had elongated itself to fit all the people in it.

"This zooming forward is starting to make me feel sick." squeaked Neville.

"If your going to get sick, be sure to do it in that brown chair. Its sagging, looks like a walrus would sit in it." said Sirius pointing to the chair in the corner, by the television. Neville went and obliged, to the silent cheers of the others. After watching Neville, some had to go and let loose as well.

Then a man entered the living room.

"Petunia, I'm home." he said placing his coat on the hook by the mantle. "Why did you want me to come home early?"

Petunia came in with a sobbing Dudley who was obviously faking it. She herself was tense and pale.

"Go tell your daddy what your nasty cousin did, Dudderdums." Dudley went over to his father who took him on his knee, sitting right where Neville and several others got sick. They all couldn't help but laugh.

"H-he th-th-threw m-me in th-the a-a-a-air! I w-was s-s-scared!" Dudley pretended to bawl.

"It'll be okay Dudley, your daddy will sort him out. Where is he?" growled Vernon.

"In his cupboard. I already smacked him with your belt a few times." she said with disgust.

"HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" yelled Draco, he couldn't understand it, what is wrong with these muggles?

"A few more lashes should make him pay for hurting my son. You go and take Dudley to that new movie. I'll sort that creature out." Petunia gathered her purse and coat and took Dudley's hand.

"CREATURE? I'LL CREATURE YOU!" said Lupin, took a step forward, Snape grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Snape whispered into his ear. "Don't bother, you'll only tire yourself out"

After they left, Uncle Vernon turned on the radio and tv, cranking the volume. Then he went around the house and pulled down the blinds and drew the curtains. Then he grabbed several things and placed them in the living room. Once he was done, he went to the cupboard and pulled Harry out by his hair. Sirius tried to punch, kick and strangle the man, but he was unsuccesful.

The scroll, taking pity on them, instead of the boy, made the world go black, then it was restored. It was no longer afternoon, but evening. Harry was laying on the ground, bleeding from head to foot. Uncle Vernon was wiping the blood from his hands. The teachers looked down at Harry and they saw beside the small, uncouncious boy, a blood-stained poker, and a dent in the boy's head that matched it.

"NO! OH GOD, NO! HE DIDN'T, HE COULDN'T!" screamed Dumbledore. He flung himself to the floor, beside the unconcious boy, trying to claw at him and revive him. Moody had to pick Dumbledore off the floor and started to shake him.

"DON'T DO THIS! GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF! THIS HARRY IS BEYOND HELP! WE CAN DO NOTHING! BUT THERE IS STILL A HARRY POTTER BACK HOME THAT NEEDS US, NEEDS YOU! HE'S BEEN DAMAGED! BUT YOU CAN FIX HIM! YOU CAN HELP HIM HEAL! BUT NOT IF YOUR IN ST. MUNGOS!" bellowed Moody. Dumbledore breathed quickly and nodded. He covered his face in his hands. Snape was staring down at the bleeding boy. He started rocking forward and had to push his way through the wall of students. He went over to corner and became violently sick.

Uncle Vernon then turned down both the radio and television and started flinging his own possessions around the house. Once he was satisfied with the look, he left the house. He didn't even bother locking the door and zoomed off into the distance. Harry just laid there, bleeding, it was a half and hour till Harry so much as stirred. The Watchers cringed and howled with agony as they watched Harry crawling slowly on the ground.

The students nor the teachers could watch anymore, they cried, screamed and tried to pick Harry up. Only Umbridge sat and watched the events with a small smile, the brat is getting what he deserves, bravo, sir. McGonagall saw the smile and punched her square on the jaw, knocking the woman unconcious. Some students cried and covered their eyes, not looking at what had just transpired between the High Inquisitor and the Deputy Headmistress.

In twenty minutes he reached the sidetable and pulled on the cord to the telephone. It landed and flopped the phone off the reciever. Harry placed his bloody forefinger on the numbers and pressed a nine and two, ones. The phone rang, and then a lady could be heard on the other end.

"Nine-Nine-Nine, do you need Fire, Medical, or Rescue?"

Harry reached for the phone and dragged it closer to himself, brought his head up, as high as he could and tried to yell as loud as he could, but it only gained the strength of a whisper.

"..help.." then his head fell to the floor with a thunk, passing out from the loss of blood.

"okay, honey, where are you at? Honey? Just stay on the phone, sweetheart, we'll find you. Stay on the phone, it'll be okay"

For an agonizing fifteen minutes, the Watchers could only stand, scream and vow to everything holy that Mr. Dursley was going to feel just what he put Harry through. Then they heard a siren blaring through the neighborhood. They heard two sharp knocks on the door, but then the door was flung open. They hurried to the living room, and stared in shock for a few seconds. They knelt beside the boy and yelled out to the others outside.

"HE'S IN HERE! GET THAT DAMN AMBULANCE IN HERE NOW! It's okay bud, we'll get you some help. Where the hell is this kid's parents?" said the younger police officer.

The older partner shook his head, "does he even belong here? There aint a picture of him anywhere in here," he said looking around. "just pictures of a fat, blonde beachball."

The ambulance medics, who were seasoned professionals and had seen horrible accidents and other unspeakble acts of destruction, flinched when they saw Harry. They covered covered him with gauze patches and placed him tenderly on the stretcher. Just then a loud voice came from outside.

"WHAT THE RUDDY HELL IS GOING ON!"

Uncle Vernon came stomping in, he looked down at Harry and flicked his eyes towards the phone that was laying on the floor. A split second later, he broke down crying, covering Harry with his body.

"GET HIM AWAY FROM HARRY! HE'S THE BASTARD THAT HURT HIM!" yelled Bill.

"What happened, tell your Unkie Vern what happened!" he pretended to bawl. Harry was not responding and the cops had to remove Vernon from the boy so they could take Harry to the hospital. Vernon wiped away the crocodile tears and looked around the house,

"Looks like someone, came in and destroyed my house, oh god! Those home invaders in town! They came here! Harry must've...startled them.."

"YOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL WHO HURT HIM!" bellowed Fudge, forgetting that he was trying to discredit the boy. This was not the time, nor the place.

"Door wasn't forced, sir."

Uncle Vernon shook his head quickly, "I left the house unlocked, Harry was playing in the backyard and Petunia lost her spare key. I left it unlocked for them! Oh...ITS ALL MY FAULT!"

"YOU BETTER DAMN WELL BELIEVE IT YOU %^#$*^" shouted Charlie.

The younger police officer patted the large man's back sympathetically, the older police officer looked at him warily.

"Smart muggle that." said Moody, directing his words towards the older officer and holding Albus back.

They asked him if he wanted to ride with Harry, but Vernon said he would wait for his wife and son and go see his nephew together. The police officers left and saw two detectives approach the house.

"What happened."

"Seems like the house was trashed by the home invaders running loose." said the younger poilce officer.

"Then we may as well just start the paperwork, those guys wear gloves, and in all forty-seven break-ins they never left so much as a piece of fuzz behind. How bad was the kid hurt?"

"I don't think the kid is going to live to see the morning." said the older officer quietly. A thick silence blanketed the four of them and also The Watchers. "Also, I don't think the invaders did this." he said a little louder.

"What makes you think that?"

"That man, he looked from his nephew to the phone in disbelief. Like he didn't think the kid could do that."

"That's not uncommon, most kids don't know how to use the phone."

"This kid was six, right when you get to first grade, you learn 9-9-9." he growled. "My gut tells me that the uncle beat that kid."

"VERY smart Muggle that, he'd make a great Auror." nodded Moody.

"Courts need more then just a gut feeling."

"I know, we'll go and see if the kid can talk."

Again, the world zoomed forward and they watched in horror as Harry was rushed from the ambulance to the emergency room. They couldn't bring themselves to go in there and sit with him. They all stood, leaned against the wall and sat in the chairs in the hall. Umbridge was still laying on the ground and nobody was really paying her any notice.

They watched as the four police officers came and sat down in the waiting room. It was several hours later till a man dressed all in plain, funny-looking, loose fitting clothes came out to them.

"How is he?" said the older officer.

The doctor sighed, "Little guy is just barely hanging on, he's just too small, too fragile. What happened to this kid, looks like he picked a fight with an entire herd of bulls."

The Watchers were silent, they hung their heads, forgetting that Harry was waiting for them back at the school.

"The uncle says the home invaders, I think it was him." the doctor took a step back in shock.

"If it was the uncle, the man is a monster."

"Got that right." said Tonks her hair turning red.

"Is he going to be alright?" said one of the detectives. The doctor shook his head.

"Only thing I can do is make his passing easier. I can make it so he won't feel anymore pain. Where is his family?" said the doctor looking around.

"We didn't know him yet, if we did, we would have been there." muttered Ron.

The older officer looked down the way and tilted his head down to the other end. Petunia, Vernon and Dudley were coming down the hall, calmly.

"Well," said Vernon gruffly.

"Try and act like you give a damn, why don't you?" said Madame Pomfrey angrily

The cops and the doctor stared at them in shock. The doctor cleared his throat and stated what he had told the police.

"He's in the Instensive Care Unit, he won't last the night."

"Can we go over your house looking for fingerprints? That way we can catch the men that did this to your nephew." he said, he wanted to judge their reactions.

A glint came to Uncle Vernon's eyes, "I'm sorry, my wife cleaned our whole house, its a habit she has."

The Watchers stared in shock, even in the wizarding world, fingerprints were important to Aurors, and this lady wiped all the evidence away.

"You know, we needed that evidence to bring the monster's to court right?"

"Oh he knew." snarled Snape.

"Sorry" said Vernon smugly.

"Are not." growled Bill.

The doctor then showed the Durlsey's where Harry was, they didn't insist, but the older officer did. Even the watchers followed them down the hall.

Harry was hooked up to several different machines, his heartbeat being monitored on a screen, his breathing was slow and it seemed as if it hurt him greatly to take a breath. His eyes were closed and despite a bruised and pale face, he looked peaceful. The Watcher's couldn't hold in the tears any longer and they bawled. The Dursleys were not similar to them in any way, they only had indifference in their eyes. Despite the noises going on around them and the sobbing sounds they themselves were making, Sirius and Remus heard the doctor and the police talking in hushed tones.

"They destroyed the evidence, what are we going to do now?I want those bastards in jail."

"As do the rest of us, but what can we do? The poor boy can't finger him when he's in heaven, and all we have is a gut feeling. The D.A would just laugh us out of the station."

Then, Harry's eyes snapped open and he started to cough and wheeze. The doctor rushed forward, frantically getting him to calm down and breathe normal. He slipped a oxygen mask over his face and the boy took a few gulps of air and settled back into the pillows. His eyes eyes looked dull and his entire looked even more frail than what seemed like hours ago.

"Its okay son, you're in the hospital. Don't you worry." He upped the dosage of morphine just a little bit and watched as the boy fell back to sleep.

The older cop looked up at the ceiling and said quite seriously "I haven't done this in a while but," he placed two finger on his forehead, then his chest, left shoulder and finally his right shoulder. He muttered a prayer quietly and made the same motions as before.

"I don't believe this, this kid's heartbeat and breathing is getting better! He's going to be just fine!" The Watchers jumped up and down in excitement, the students anyway, the teachers were hugging themselves and crying. Even Snape and McGonagall were holding each other, laughing. Sirius and Remus were doing a jig where they stood.

The older officer looked up and mouthed "Thank You" to the ceiling. "Can you wake him up quickly, I know the poor thing just fell asleep, but I want to ask.." he jerked his head in the direction of the Dursleys and scowled.

The doctor thought about it and nodded. He adjusted the machines and gave Harry a little shake.

"This man wants to talk to you quick, then you can go back to sleep. Alright?" Harry nodded weakly.

"Come with me Dursleys, you need to fill out some paper work." they left, not looking at the boy in the hospital bed, but Vernon had a frown on his face.

The older police officer came over to the hurt little boy with a grim look on his face.

"Lad? I've got a quick question, who hurt you?"

Harry groaned and closed his eyes. Harry though long and hard, but he could only shake his head. "I don't remember sir, I only remember coming home from school." He rubbed his bandaged head tenderly.

"I can understand why you don't remember, boy. Listen, we have an idea who did it, but unfortunately, we can't prove it. Here's my card, if you're hurt again, look me up or call. Then we can get the people who hurt you taken away. Read me?" said the cop smiling kindly.

Harry took the card, he had to hold the car quite close to his eyes to read it.

"I think you need glasses kid. Hospital will get you hooked up."

The rushing sensation came again, but this time, It felt as if they were falling.

They didn't feel themselves land, they were sitting in the same seats as before and it looked as if nothing had happened. Umbridge sat up, with a groggy look on her face. No one was talking, everyone just looked down. Harry had been through hell and back and the hell again at the end of every school year. And he never said a word.

Chapter 5

It was ten minutes after they had arrived, that tables of food had appeared in front of them. However, no one felt like eating. they could only remember the vision of a fallen Harry, covered in blood, obviously dying. The hall was silent except for the sound of one person gulping down food eagerly. They, including the Minister, turned to glare at Madam Umbridge. Umbridge looked nonchalantly back, when her eyes locked on Sirius Black's she whipped out her wand. Dumbledore, still feeling the fury that had taken over him at the Dursleys, was much too quick for her, and disarmed her. Once again Kingsley took possession of her wand.

"Severus, do you have some Veritiserum about you? Let's take care of this before anything else happens. I hope Harry forgives me, we could have done this a while ago." said Dumbledore coldly.

"Why didn't you, professor?" squeaked Hermione, still red-eyed.

"I wanted to bring Peter in, before I brought Sirius. I didn't want the Minister perform the Kiss too hastily on Sirius, before his innocence was proven. Ah, thank you Severus. For Sirius's peace of mind and out of respect for Harry, is this tainted in anyway?" said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.

"No, sir. That's the strongest vial of Veritiserum that I have on me. I wouldn't poison him, not in front of witnesses anyway." said Snape, muttering the last part.

"I heard that, but it is comforting to know that you have that much self-control. Now Sirius," he said Dumbledore as he waited for the man to approach the Head table. "Do you want the Veritiserum in a glass of red Chateauneuf or would you prefer Lalande de Pomerol?"

"Can't I take the potion straight?" asked Sirius.

"You can, but I thought you would like to celebrate your new freedom with a drink. That, and I thought you and I both would need a drink after what we both witnessed." said Dumbledore sadly. Sirius nodded furiously. He took the glass containing the Chateauneuf and held it out. Dumbledore poured a bit of the potion into his glass and they both lifted their glasses in a toast and drained them.

Sirius was going to have to hunt down a similar bottle of what he just had for himself. It was a beautiful taste that danced acrossed his tongue. Even the smell brought about memories of Christmas time at the Potters, spices, fruit and a hint of truffles. This was a bottle he had to find. Sirius eyes closed his eyes and felt himself fall backwards, but a chair had appeared from behind him.

"There Minister, he's ready to answer any question you have to ask." said Dumbledore, motioning towards the limp man in the chair.

"I've never seen Veritiserum do that." said Fudge suspiciously. Madame Bones groaned and sat forward.

"When you mix wine and Veritiserum together, it has an intense calming effect. No doubt...Sirius needed it...I do too after seeing that poor boy..." eyes brimming with tears. She walked to the front of the table and faced Sirius Black, head tilted on his shoulder and glass dangling precariously from his limp hand.

"What is your name?" said Madame Bones.

"Sirius Orionus Black." said Sirius clearly, though appearing to be in a deep sleep.

"Were you the Secret-Keeper to the Potters?" said Madam Bones, her voice hard.

"Yes"

"Did you relinquish that position to someone else?" interjected Dumbledore.

"Yes"

"Who was it that was the latest Secret-Keeper to the Potters?" said Madame Bones, taking control of the interrogation again. Though she didn't mind him helping out, as long as she got to the truth, she didn't give a damn who lended a hand.

"Peter Pettigrew"

A gasp went through the hall, Peter Pettigrew? The Ministry workers and some of the teachers looked shocked. That weak little boy? That nervous little man? HE was the Secret-Keeper? Why? Why would Peter betray the Potters?

"Why did you give him the position?"

"To lure Voldemort away from James and Lily, I thought that he would come after me and try and force me to give up their location."

"Did he come after you?"

"No, he didn't need to, he already had the information he needed."

"What do you mean?"

"Peter went straight to Voldemort and told him. He wasn't even Secret-Keeper two hours and he scampered to Voldemort."

"After you found out what happened, what did you do?

"I went to the house, saw James. I wanted to run, I wanted to hide somewhere and just die. I thought of Lily and Harry and hurried upstairs. I saw the whole nursery just completely buried in rubble. Hagrid came out of nowhere and helped me move the fallen beams. We found the both of them. Lily was laying there, as if she were asleep, Harry had a cut on his forehead and blood was trickling down his small face. He kept trying to nuzzle into Lily, wake her up. I went to pick him up and just held him and cried. Hagrid told me that Dumbledore wanted him, I fought with Hagrid. I wanted to keep him, raise him, protect him. Hagrid wouldn't budge an inch, I finally consented and conjured up some blankets and wrapped him in them. Let Hagrid borrow my bike and he zoomed off, I watched him leave."

"Then what happened?"

"I went after Peter, found him on a little side street. Don't remember where. I pulled my wand on him, I wanted to kill him, he took James away, he took Lily. I wanted to blast him into a million pieces. He yelled, as loud as he could, that I killed them, I betrayed them. He pointed his wand backwards and half the street exploded. I was knocked backwards but I wasn't hurt. I stood up and looked for Peter, I saw on the ground a finger and looked towards a sewer grate. There was a rat, running down into the sewer. A rat I knew so well, with a toe missing."

"How did you know the rat?"

"Peter, James and I were all animagi. I can transform into a dog, James a stag, and Peter a rat. I've seen him transform a hundred times. After I saw Peter disappear, I laughed."

"Why did you?"

"All those years, he was the weakest one of us all, he depended on us to protect him. A Gryffindor, the house known for its bravery and nobility. Its goodness, and he allianced himself with the biggest excuse for a dark wizard the world ever knew. I found it ironic in a way, that he could best me and James, the best in our year. My mind snapped, I lost my best friend, a woman I considered my sister and a little boy I viewed as my cub. I lost them all, and the love in my heart turned to hatred, and my new goal was to find Peter and kill him. Rip him apart with my own fangs. I laughed in anticipation of that day. But then I was surrounded by Ministry officials and was arrested."

The whole school was deadly silent. Dumbledore had a small smile upon his lips and he waved his wand in front of Sirius's eyes. Sirius's eyes opened and he lifted his head off his shoulder. He blinked sleepily and leaned back in the chair with a frown.

"So, you gonna chuck me in Azkaban for convenience again?" smirked Sirius.

"Not for convenience, no, but for escaping Azkaban yes. And being an unregistered Animagus. Aurors, seize him." said Umbridge with a regal gleam in her eyes, pointing to Sirius dramatically. Her smile disappeared when no Auror moved.

"I said 'seize him'!" screeched Umbridge. Fudge looked at her with an astounded look upon his face. Madame Bones turned on her heel and glared at the woman.

"I will not allow any charges to be placed against, and by the way the Minister looks, he won't either." said Madame Bones, looking to Fudge, who nodded towards the head of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Also, I believe the Ministry should make some serious monetary compensation for imprisoning him without proof. As well as all of his possessions returned to him. Including, Delores, his house." said Madam Bones sternly.

"That is impossible, I am residing there now." said Umbridge, with a furious glare.

"If she's there, I don't want it, I'll set it on fire first, then rebuild it." said Sirius with frown.

"If you feel that way, she may keep the house, but pay you for it. Let's see, it's a twenty bedroom, three level house, thirty bathrooms, basement, two pools, attic, fifty balconies, library. You owe Mr. Black, Delores," she summoned a parchment and it came up with the total net worth of the ,home. "Sixty-three and a half million galleons. Do you still wish to reside there?" she said in a smug tone.

"What did she pay to live there after I got arrested?" said a stunned Sirius.

"Nothing, it was owned by the Ministry, but now that you are free and proven innocent, she must pay you to live there. As well as back rent. Well, your answer Delores?"

Umbridge muttered, "Take the damn house."

"Not too sure I want it, if she was there." shuddered Sirius.

"You can have custody of Harry quicker if you have a house all ready for him." grinned Dumbledore.

"I'll take it." stated Sirius immediately. Madame Bones smiled at him.

"We will send the compensation to your account."

The students cheered and applauded, teachers were also showing their approval of the turn of events. Everyone felt a lot better and they decided to tuck in to their dinners, which was already past the uneaten appetizer stage and onto the main course.

Sirius wasn't hungry, he was too excited to eat, he wanted to find Harry and tell him all that had happened just now. He finally got his fondest and dearest wish, Harry was going to live with him! The dinner disappeared and was preparing for the dessert. Sirius was standing by the Head table, talking to Madame Bones when the door opened and Harry came in with his cane.

"Your Knic..." his smile fell quickly off his face as he saw Sirius standing beside Madame Umbridge and a Auror he didn' t know.

Harry whipped his wand out and waved it above his head, a golden lasso appeared out of the end of it, flew towards Sirius, enveloped him. Harry pulled hard on the wand and Sirius was lifted from the ground, into the air and landed lightly behind Harry. He held out an arm, protecting his godfather and pointing his wand towards the table.

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? THEY'RE..." bellowed Harry, until Sirius turned him around and hugged him.

"I'm free...they found out I'm innocent." he said into the top of Harry's head. Harry pulled away, shock was frozen into his face, but the words broke through and Harry grinned ear to ear.

"Really?" he whispered, too shocked to speak any louder. Sirius nodded. "You're gonna live with me now. Dumbledore said so."

Harry started to chuckle, then giggled until finally the whole Great Hall was filled with his laughter.

"I'M GOING TO LIVE WITH YOU? HONESTLY? YOUR'RE FREE?" Sirius had to nod again, his own smile breaking through his face. Harry wanted to do a backflip, he wanted to show some real physical exertion to show how happy he was, but he knew that if he did that, he would pay dearly for it later.

Then, a hundreds of large, clear, beautiful glasses. Each glass, looked a little different than the one before, each one had thick layers of different colored and flavored syrup and cream. Topped with ice cream and whipped cream, cherry and a wafer fan behind each sundae.

"Oh yeah, I finished the Knickerbocker Glories." said Harry from the embrace that joyously held him captive. The entire school gazed admiringly at the treat in front of them.

Dumbledore looked all around the room, each sundae was different, Harry made them all by hand? That must have taken him a long time, he flicked out his watch. To his surprise, his theory was wrong. He assumed that time would stop as they left to journey through time. It didn't, it took Harry a good hour and a half to make all of these. He looked at his, instead of a cherry on top, like everyone else's his held two raspberries. His eyes opened in shock, he noticed another inconsistency. There was no wafer fan, but two raspberry, chocolate-chip cookies. Tears came to the old man's eyes.

"Harry?" his voice breaking with emotion.

"Yes sir," said Harry, who was sitting in the bowl again with Sirius and Remus, eating his own Glory.

"You...you're...you're the one who sent me those...cookies?" said Dumbledore with the tears threatening to fall from his eyes. The teachers looked to him quickly, surprise on each of their faces.

Harry smiled brightly, and nodded. "I noticed that every morning, with your toast, you put raspberry jam on them. A LOT of raspberry jam. You keep talking about hot chocolate whenever Christmas comes around. So, I put two and two together and made you some cookies. I didn't know if you really liked them till you said what you did an hour or two ago. How many boxes do you want this year?"

Dumbledore said nothing, just stood up and walked down to the boy. He took Harry's sundae out of his hands, handed it Remus, helped Harry to stand and embraced him. Harry didn't know what to make of the situation, he slowly smiled and hugged the old man back.

Dumbledore couldn't believe it, all the abuse that he and the rest of the school witnessed and Harry wasn't tainted in the slightest. He was kind, generous, thoughtful, industrious and supremely talented. Harry deserved much more than the hand he was dealt with. He was going to make sure, that having Harry live with Sirius was only the tip of the iceberg. He had a lot more making up to do.

"Your sundae is melting, Albus." said Professor Flitwick, whipped cream on the fringes of his mustache. "You aren't going to want to miss it." Dumbledore and Harry broke apart and he helped Harry back to the bowl. Giving him one more smile he strode up to the Head table.

"How is it?" he whispered to Madame Pomfrey as he passed.

"It's divine, nothing like I've ever tasted. I've had these before, but this is by far the best I've ever had."

Dumbledore eagerly went back to his sundae, as he did, he noticed the only unhappy face at the table and it wasn't Severus's. His was filled with a sort of faint happiness, as if he were recollecting a wonderful memory, but was too cautious to let it reach his heart. The unhappy face belonged to Umbridge, she was staring at her sundae with disgust. Amazingly, Harry didn't make it any less beautiful then the rest. She pushed it away from her sat back in her chair with her arms folded. Like a spoiled child. She jerked her head up, in the direction of the youth and called over to him.

"I refuse to eat anything that looks this hideous, Mr. Potter." she sneered, but it fell apart completely when she noticed that he wasn't paying her any attention. He was too busy laughing with Fred and George and eating his own. Only Dumbledore noticed her and heard her, each student, teacher and guest were too busy enjoying their sundaes and taste testing the different syrups in each one.

She was about to throw her sundae on the floor, to get his attention when Dumbledore magicked it out of her hand. This the students took notice of, they wondered what was going on, to make the Headmaster look so grim.

"If you don't want it, I know about a hundred people including myself that would give their eye teeth for seconds. Now, who would like this?" There wasn't a hand that wasn't raised, except Hagird's he was still working on his, his sundae was the size a medium sized bucket. It took a lot of ingredients just to make it. After it was decided who should get it, Lupin won, they all sat in thought.

Then Harry muttered an "ouch", when Bill absent-mindedly patted him on the back, they were all given a harsh reminder of the scroll.

"Harry, we need to talk." said Dumbledore, looking a hundred years older.

"Yes sir?" said Harry, trying to convince Sirius and Remus that he was fine. Which was not working.

"After you went down to the kitchens, a scroll appeared. It showed us a part of your past." said Dumbledore sadly. Harry looked up in shock, everyone else, besides Umbridge who were sitting with her arms folded a scowl on her face and rubbing the bruise that had now fully formed on her jaw, looked saddened.

Harry gulped, "Which part? Was it a good one?" he asked hopefully, but that hope quickly died. Dumbledore shook his head sadly.

"You were in the hospital." Dumbledore looked into Harry's eyes, even from a distance, his eyes were the easiest thing to find in this giant room. "You were perilously injured, by your villainous uncle...Oh Harry, don't tell me I have to elaborate!" moaned Dumbledore when he saw Harry's puzzled look. Harry quickly looked away and paled.

Dumbledore sighed, how had he let this happen? "It was the time that you accidentally caused Dudley to fly backwards in your Gym class." Harry thought hard, then his eyes got bigger.

"That was right before I had to get glasses." Hermione and Dumbledore paled.

"You didn't need glasses before?"

"No, my eyesight was 20/20. School nurse said I had the best eyesight in our class, that changed real quick." Madame Pomfrey's list of what to do was getting longer and longer. As did Madame Bone's list of charges.

"Did your Uncle Vernon ever hit you again?" whispered Ron, dreading the answer.

"Never again, that badly. Officer McFinn made Uncle Vernon nervous, he controlled himself after that." said Harry quietly.

"But he never stopped? Didn't you tell Officer McFinn about the continuation of abuse?" said Tonks with widened eyes. Harry looked down again.

"He died, a year later. He was shot in an armed robbery. His wife is kind to me though, but she lost her husband, her whole world, I didn't want to put more strain on her by telling her what was going on." said Harry sadly.

"You really should have told someone, dear." whimpered Mrs. Weasely.

"Nothing I can do about it now." said Harry firmly. The entire school looked somber. "It's all behind me now, I've got a much better life ahead of me." he said leaning against Sirius.

Sirius smiled warmly, "That's right cub, I'll take care of you." then an evil grin came to his face. "Cause you can't seem to do anything right on your own." he teased, tickling Harry gently. Harry tried, laughingly, to push his hands away. "I'd like to see YOU cook." teased Harry back. Sirius pouted. The grim feeling in the hall was instantly washed away.

"Can we get back to the books? I think we've taken a long enough break." said Umbridge with her sickeningly sweet voice. Dumbledore looked at his watch once again and shook his head.

"I fear that we will have to take a longer break, Delores. It's now nine thirty and our first years are just barely keeping their eyes awake. We should break and continue the readings tomorrow morning. I'll have the house elves fix up some rooms for our guests to sleep in. Harry, I would ask if you would rather you spend the night with your new guardian, alas, Madame Pomfrey have me pay most dearly for not giving you over to her care. Especially since..." Dumbledore couldn't continue.

"Fine Dumbledore, but I will read ahead if I may." Umbridge picked up the book and to her dismay, it would not open.

"Oh, I apologize, I should have warned you. The books can only be read from nine o'clockin the morning to nine o'clock in the evening. That way, rest is assured. We shall resume reading after breakfast."

The school emptied as they all dispersed to their respective dorms. Harry, Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione traveled to the Hospital Wing. Ron helped Harry change into a pair of red and gold pajamas and then helped him into the bed. Harry was exhausted and they all knew it. Sirius tucked him in and slowly brushed the bangs out of his eyes. He continued brushing his hair back until Harry's eyes finally closed, he fell into a deep sleep.

Madame Pomfrey, McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore and Mr. and Mrs. Wesealy all came in.

"Is he asleep?"

"Yep, and I ain't letting you wake him up." said Sirius without looking at them.

"I don't plan on it Sirius, I just need to check him for injuries. Ones that weren't caused here." she muttered. She waved her wand over the sleeping form and held her hand out for the scroll that popped out the end of her wand.

She unrolled it and gasped. It was so long, and so terrible. So many injuries, and all untreated by professionals. Harry's magic had to heal each one and even then, it wasn't healed properly. Just enough to keep him from suffering, and possibly dying. She wiped tears from her eyes, and turned towards Madame Bones who had just entered the Wing with Moody, Kingsley and Tonks.

"What more have they done to the boy?" growled Moody. He was itching and raring to go and put some real fear into the Dursleys. Madame Pomfrey handed the scroll to the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, who in turned paled when she read what was written.

"I'll have the necessary paperwork drawn up, the Dursleys will be seized by Midnight." she was about to take the scroll when Dumbledore snatched it quickly and began to read it.

"Albus, you don't..." whimpered the Healer.

Dumbledore's, normally, twinkling blue eyes clouded and tears fell from his eyes. He gave a shuddered breath, handed the parchment back to Madame Bones. He slowly walked over to Harry's side, opposite of Sirius. Sat down and placed his head on the bed. He cried, like a small child, he was inconsolable. Harry had traveled so far into the realm of sleep, that he heard nothing. He merely slept on, oblivious to the broken hearts that stood around him.

Chapter 6

They helped Harry, though despite the restful sleep, stretching the way he did, opened a few of the wounds on his back. It, however didn't hurt him, but Sirius saw the bloodstained shirt and yelled for Madame Pomfrey.

Those wounds still refused to heal, but Harry regained one more piece to the puzzle. As they walked down, a vision came into his mind. One shadow, no, two shadows were raising what looked like a long rope and bringing it down, laughing, or would it be called cackling? He shook his head, why wasn't he remembering it? What was preventing him from recollecting it, and what was causing him to slowly remember?

Thoughts of the incident were pushed back as Dumbledore conjured the same bowl chair and helped Harry into it while Sirius fixed him a plate of food. Remus groggily walked in and gathered up a plate as well and went to sit beside Harry.

"How did you sleep?" asked Harry, munching on piece of fruit. Lupin groaned.

"I had nightmares, and all about you and the Dursleys, tell me, please God, tell me that the books get easier to listen to?" he said with worry in his eyes.

"How should I know? I didn't write them." said Harry, he wasn't sure if he should warn his favorite Defense teacher or not. He just continued to nibble at his food. Sirius had to stop Mrs. Weasely from giving him another plate of food.

"We gave him a nutritional potion up at the Hospital Wing, if you give him more food than he can handle, he's going to get sick." said Sirius quietly, but kindly. He wanted to stockpile his godson's plate too, but Pomfrey threatened him with bodily harm if he overdid it.

Once breakfast was over, Dumbledore stood up and addressed the students.

"We are in for another day of reading, so if you would like to make yourselves more comfortable, feel free to do so. If you are unskilled in making furniture just yet, you may ask for assistance from your Head of House, the Head Boy or Girl and your Prefects." It seemed no one wanted to sit at the house tables, so they were magically removed and squashy, comfortable chairs were put in their place.

"That's more like it," as Dumbledore sat in a purple armchair beside the bowl where Harry sat between Lupin and Sirius. Ron and Hermione shared a red couch and Ginny with Luna sat beside the Weasely twins.

"Who would like to start today's reading?" he said looking about the Hall.

"I will Albus," said McGonagall, from her straight, high backed chair.

"The Letter's From No One

"Here we go again." muttered Harry

The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment.

Growls were heard acrossed the hall and Dumbledore looked over to Harry, with a concerned look upon his face.

By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started

"When is Dudley's birthday?" asked Draco

"May 2nd."

"And the summer holidays there start..?" asked Hermione, quickly getting angry.

Harry muttered quietly, "June 18th". The growls got more pronounced. Mrs. Weasely wanted to look towards Dumbledore and give him a good "Molly Weasely Rant" but saw how distraught Dumbledore was. His hands were shaking and his entire body was sagging, as if he were dying. She kept it to herself. This wasn't the time. Perhaps later.

and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.

"Like father like son, a bloody monster." snarled Bill. His mother sent him a reproachful look, but he sent one back, which made her wince, the other Weasely children sniggered. It was the same look that Mrs. Weasely favored when yelling at the twins. Bill may look like a younger version of his father, but they saw their mother's discipline skills creeping out. It was actually quite funny, but also quite scary.

Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.

"Very good logic Harry." said Luna. Harry smiled at her while people snorted and chuckled

The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting.

"They better not have done anything." said Sirius and Lupin at the same time. They both looked at each other, with a furious look. If those brats did anything, they would deal out some 'Maurauder Justice'.

This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope.

"HOGWARTS!"yelled the Creevy brother's. Harry shook his head.

When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley.

"And I thank God, every day." said Harry, looking up into the sky.

Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings.

People started to snort and repress their laughter. The name Smeltings made them appreciate the name of Hogwarts even more.

Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school.

"Wonder what Stonewall High is like?" asked a Slytherin sixth year.

"It's not bad, the Chemistry class that's there is supposed to have the best teacher in Surrey. That and the sports teams are considered high grade for a public school. I was actually looking forward to it. Just not the uniform."

"Chemistry?" said Snape curiously.

"Muggle version of Potions. My old science teacher told me I had a talent for it." shrugged Harry. Snape's heart sunk, did he ruin a possible potion brewer? He would have to study Mr. Potter a little better and see for himself.

Dudley thought this was very funny.

"Of course he would." said Justin, rolling his eyes.

"They stuff people's heads down the toilet at the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"

"Harry, we will disown you if you fall for that." said the twins with a dramatic pose. People around the hall laughed.

"No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it-it might be sick." Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.

"Never mind us disowning you," said George

"can you adopt us?" said Fred with a smile. The school could hardly stay in their chairs and cushions.

One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's.

"Harry, why didn't you tell Mrs. Figg what was going on? She could have sent me a letter and you would have been pulled from that house immediately!" said Dumbledore looking shocked. For years, Arabella only said that Harry was unhappy. But not abused, had he known the extent, he would have come running to Privet Drive.

Harry paled and turned his away, "After Officer McFinn passed away, Uncle Vernon told me that if I told anyone, he'd make sure that it was something that I would live to regret. At the time, I took it to heart and he made it seem to me that Officer McFinn's death was all my fault. I didn't want Mrs. Figg hurt too. Yeah, I thought she was crazy, but she was my only escape." he buried his face into Sirius's chest, a tear, betraying his trust, fell onto the man's shirt.

Sirius hugged tightly "Harry, you didn't cause Officer McFinn's death, never think that."

"Sirius is right Harry, but I can see why you didn't go to Mrs. Figg. You really are a selfless child. I'm sorry for not checking up on you, on my own. Perhaps someday you can forgive me." said Dumbledore. He didn't smile, he merely rubbed the young boy's head.

"I already do." said Harry. Dumbledore gave him a small smile.

"Your Godfather, Remus and quite a few people don't, and I don't blame them. I wouldn't forgive them if they did what I did, I still can't forgive myself. I think, tonight, I need to talk with a few people." He motioned to McGonagall to continue.

Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.

"You don't do that to chocolate, especially chocolate cake." said Lupin, trying to lighten the mood, which he halfway succeeded.

"Lupin loves his chocolate." muttered Sirius to Harry.

That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters.

A few of the fashion conscious seventh year girls looked around at the boys and then they rushed to where Dumbledore was still kneeling and rubbing Harry's head and each hugged him in turn.

"What was that all about?" said Dumbledore with a confused smile.

"Thank you for having the boys dress in black as opposed to what that school had in mind."

Dumbledore laughed. " I would never subject my students to wear anything so ridiculous."

"Just himself." muttered Pansy.

They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking This was supposed to be good training for later in life.

"What a horrible school! No wonder your uncle acts the way he does, they condoned his behavior!" screeched Madame Pomfrey.

"I think it sounds like a fine school." huffed Madame Umbridge.

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" muttered Snape.

As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that is was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins,

The school laughed in unison at the name, Fred and George looked at each other in true shock and horror. They turned to Ron.

"We are never, EVER calling you 'Ickle Ronniekins' again."

he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.

"You ain't the only one Harry." wheezed Terry.

There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast.

"I thought Aunt Petunia tried her hand at cooking again." said Harry, the school laughed and thought fondly back to the Knickerbocker Glories last night.

It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.

"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.

"Hey, it wasn't as if she had a big, bloody sign saying 'This is what it is'" said Charlie.

"Your new school uniform," she said

Harry looked in the bowl again.

"I would do a double take too if it were me." said Draco with a smirk.

"Oh, " he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."

"Sarcasm is wasted on her, Harry, she never had a sense of humor." whispered Lupin.

"Don't be stupid, " snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."

Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High-like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.

"You really like animal references don't you?" said Ginny. Harry shrugged.

Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.

"I'd shove that stick right up his..."

"GINERVA WEASELY! yelled Mrs. Weasely, before Ginny could finish.

They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.

"Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.

"OH MY GOD! HEAD FOR HILLS PEOPLE!" bellowed Fred

"WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST" screamed George

"THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END!" hollered Lee

"HE ASKED THE PIG TO DO SOMETHING!" yelled all three of them. The school could hardly contain their laughter, even the teachers had a hard time holding it in.

"Make Harry get it."

"Get the mail, Harry."

"Crisis averted people, go about your normal lives." shouted Ron. The laughter started again.

"Make Dudley get it."

"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."

"He better not have touched my cub." growled Sirius. Harry smiled and leaned even further into his godfather.

Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - a letter for Harry.

The students began to cheer loudly.

Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends,

Ron and Hermione looked over to him in shock? They were his first friends? It was hard for them to believe.

no other relatives-he didn't belong to the library,

You mean, all the stuff you know, and you didn't go to the library to learn it?"

"No, I went to the library, it's just I never took the books home. I learned to be a speed reader."

"What do you mean 'all the stuff you know'?" said Hermione suspiciously.

Ron and Harry looked up at the ceiling and whistled innocently. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:

Mr. H. Potter

The Cupboard Under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey.

"Minerva, we must stop using a self-addressing quill. We could have prevented something by looking at the addresses." said Dumbledore, shaking his head.

"Don't I know it." she replied with a tear trickling down her cheek.

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.

"What the heck is a stamp?" asked a pureblood from Hufflepuff.

"It's a small sort of sticker that Muggles put on their letters, it's a way of paying to have it delivered." said Mrs. Weasely before Hermione could answer.

"They pay? What a waste of money." said Blaise with a smirk.

Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion,

"GRYFFINDOR!" yelled the house known for its bravery and nobility.

an eagle,

"RAVENCLAW!" yelled the house known for wisdom and wit.

a badger,

"HUFFLEPUFF!" yelled the house known for its loyalty

and a snake

"SLYTHERIN!~ yelled the house known for their cunning.

surrounding a large letter H

"HOGWARTS!" bellowed the entire student body.

"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchens.

"If you wanted it sooner, you should have gotten off your lazy arse and fetched it yourself!" bellowed Mr. Weasely. His children and wife stared at him in shock.

"What? I couldn't hold it in any longer."

"What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.

"That was pathetic, I think I'm going to be sick." said Fred while George gagged.

Harry went back to the kitchens, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.

"Potter! Why did you open your mail there? You know they were going to take it!" said a haggard looking Auror.

"He was excited to just get a letter." said Kingsley

Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.

"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk..."

"What the heck is a whelk," asked a Slytherin first year.

"It's sort of a snail that lives in seashells." said Harry

"Why would you eat them." said the poor Slytherin, face turning green.

"Oh I don't know, throw in some leeks, eels, and clams and you can make them taste pretty good." said Harry offhandedly.

Sirius looked shocked over at Harry.

"You've eaten it?" he said, turning just as green as the Slytherin

"Made it actually, whelks are Aunt Marge's favorite food. Every time she visits, we have a fish pie or something else." he noticed the nauseated looks around the room. Harry laughed. "I won't even ask if you want me to make it."

"Thank you." said Ron quietly.

"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"

"He just had to ruin Harry's moment didn't he?" moaned Ernie.

Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope,

"Potter, " growled Moody, "I've never been this impressed before..."

"Excuse me?" said Tonks indignantly.

"As I was saying, " sending his protĂŠgĂŠ a well-meaning growl. "I've never been this impressed with an eleven year old wizard before. Nice observation skills.

when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.

"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.

"Oooh! Harry's getting mad! said Fred excitedly

"And when Harry gets mad..." said George in an equally excited tone

"Things get scary." they both said together.

"What do you mean? Does he get violent? said Fudge excitedly.

"Not at all, but he does tend to give you a severe dressing down." said Fred matter-of-factly.

"And that you don't want, cause when he does." said George

"You pray to God it ends soon." said them both with what looked like a fake shudder.

Harry blushed.

"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon,

"I WOULD!" yelled a majority of the students.

shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.

"Eww! I don't think I want to eat porridge again." said a third year Ravenclaw.

"I didn't either for a week." said Harry.

"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.

Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.

"If only she would." muttered Ron

"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"

They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.

The entire school was silent, they all slowly turned towards Harry.

"What?" asked Harry with his brows furrowed.

Harry grew up with these people right? He never acted like that. Hell, he was the nicest person in the school, really. Hermione and Ron were nice too, but if you came to Hermione with a personal problem she made everything sound logical, even the passing of a beloved pet. Ron was the same as Hermione, except instead of using logic, he could be tactless. Ernie spread the word after their second year that Harry stood up for Malfoy when everyone tried saying that he was the Slytherin heir after Hermione was attacked. How did Harry become the Harry they all knew, growing up with, obviously the worst people on the planet.

"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.

"I thought Dudley couldn't read." said a Slytherin.

"He can't, but, when there is something I want to read, like the paper or a book, he takes it, pretends to read it and then loses it on purpose." he tried doing that with a few of my school books. Aunt Petunia told him off, it was beautiful." smiled Harry fondly.

"I want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's mine"

"Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside it's envelope.

Harry didn't move.

"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.

"You're sounding more and more like your mother." grinned Sirius.

"How do you mean?" asked Harry

"Your dad was laid back and easy going, hardly anything fazed him. Your mom on the other hand..." he whistled, "when she got mad, the whole world knew it."

"He sounds like a half and half mix of what his parents were." said Neville.

"Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.

"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall,

The yelling that would sometimes crop up in the Hall started again, but none so loud as Mrs. Weasely.

"HE COULD'VE HURT YOU!"

"I was fine Mrs. Weasley. I wasn't hurt." said Harry with a small smile. He was thinking back to that time and remembered something. After that first letter, his uncle was real careful around him. He didn' t hurt him as bad as he normally did, unless Harry accidentally did something, that was considered really, REALLY, bad in his eyes. He silently thanked the school, for sending him the letter.

slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole;

"Sorry Harry, but that would have been insanely funny to watch." said Bill with a small smile. Harry chuckled.

Dudley won,

The school groaned, that would have been awesome if Harry could've won.

so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.

"Resourceful too, not bad Potter." nodded Moody.

"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address-how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"

"...should have...could've saved..." mumbled Dumbledore quietly. Only Lupin and Harry could hear him. Harry crawled over Lupin's lap, who in shock, noticed how light he was. Harry grasped Dumbledore's tightened, pale hands and squeezed. Dumbledore looked up quickly gave him a small smile, before Sirius pulled him back. Jealous of the attention the old man was getting, and a little angry at Harry, who was so quick to forgive and forget.

"Watching-spying-might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.

"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want-"

"Not even that would keep Hogwarts from getting Potter." said Snape calmly.

Harry could see Uncle Vernon shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.

"I should be impressed that he could bend over to polish his own shoes." said Percy.

"He never polishes his own shoes." said Harry. People turned quickly to him and stared.

"He better not have..."

"Not even he would trust me with his two hundred pound shoes."

"He paid that much for ruddy shoes!" said a Muggleborn.

"Aunt Petunia's cocktail dresses are worth more than that."

"No, " he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer...Yes, that's best...we won't do anything..."

"But-"

"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"

People around the Great Hall blinked, they turned around to Harry, very slowly. Just staring. A few moments had passed till Harry finally couldn't take the deafening silence anymore.

"What's wrong now?" He looked to Dumbledore, and was in for a shock. Dumbledore was sobbing into his hands. Even harder, Sirius and Remus noticed, than last night. Lupin decided to answer Harry's question.

"Harry, 'stamping out' the magic in a person is a very dangerous thing. The consequences could have been disastrous, even...deadly. You could have been reduced to.." he shuddered and his voice broke. "...to a person similar to a victim of the Dementor's Kiss. All your magic and your soul would be stripped from your body. We...we would never know the real you." finished Sirius, his voice cracking. He brought Harry into a tight embrace and refused to let go. The Weasely's, teachers and the rest of Harry's friends looked down. They didn't want to think about it, they couldn't think about it. They could have lost Harry, forever. It was too terrible to imagine. It took a half hour for McGonagall to continue on with the reading.

That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.

"How could he fit? " asked Fred, remembering how small the cupboard really was.

"Wasn't easy for him." said Harry with a smirk.

"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"

"No one. It was addressed to you by mistake,"

"Bull, it had his cupboard on it." said Angelina with snarl.

said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."

"I'm gonna kill him." muttered Sirius. "The Acceptance Letter is supposed to be the most important moment in a young wizard or witch's life. And he FUCKING BURNS IT!"

"SIRIUS! LANGUAGE!" reprimanded Mrs. Weasely, gesturing towards the students.

"It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."

"SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.

"If he touches you in any shape or form, I'm gonna rip him apart". said Lupin, Sirius nodded.

"Hope his smile did hurt him." said Charlie.

"Er-yes, Harry-about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking...you're really getting a bit big for it

"He was too big for it when you first put him in there you..."

"Molly! Language!" taunted Sirius, mimicking her gesture to the students.

...we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."

The silence returned once more. The students looked at each other slowly. Did he say second bedroom? That fat git had a second bedroom, whereas Harry didn't even have one? The Weasely's looked over to Harry, Harry appeared to be dozing in Sirius's chest. His legs laying on top of Lupin's lap, Lupin had picked them up and set them there so Harry could just lay down instead of sitting all the time.

Harry was pretending to be napping, he didn't want to look at them. This book was horrible, none of Harry's thoughts were safe anymore, it was torture. "Well," thought Harry, "At least I got Sirius out of it, I guess I can endure it."

"Why?" said Harry.

"Don't question a good thing Harry." said Lupin, knowing full well that Harry was pretending to be asleep.

Moody on the other hand, approved. "Good lad, get all the facts, never know what the Walrus has in mind, giving you a bedroom." he added with a sober tone.

Tonks blanched, "You don't think...he wouldn't.." she whimpered. She couldn't take it, she hurried over to the trio in the bowl and gave Harry a shake. Sirius also knew Harry was faking, so he didn't stop her. Harry opened his eyes slowly and she whispered in his ear. The entire school stared, they couldn't figure out what was going on. What Moody said to upset the female Auror was spoken too quietly, they didn't hear it. They, however heard a great sigh of relief when Harry shook his head to the question Tonks put to him.

"Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."

The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room.

"What was it that you all owned?" said Draco, no hint of a sneer. The same couldn't be said for his cohorts. They were laughing silently.

"Well, let's see, I had six small, broken army figurines, five pairs of socks, five pairs of socks, underwear pants and five different shirts. And an assortment of medals and plaques I won at primary school."

"What did you win them for?" asked Sirius, he was interested in knowing the talents his godson possessed besides flying.

Harry looked pensive, " I had about fourteen trophies and medals for running, but I managed to only salvage two. The one in my pocket and the other one is a big one that I still haven't been able to glue back together. I had a one for music, that was a piece of paper in a frame, Uncle Vernon set that one on fire. I saved it, not before it was mostly destroyed though. Then there was a chemistry award the teacher gave me. Dudley threw that one away personally. I had to rummage through the town dump just to fish it out. Took me two hours. Had to use the community showers by the town pool just to get presentable enough to go in the house. I had some other ones, but they didn't last very long in that house." So I've only got four out of more than twenty."

Subtle growls went around the school.

He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog;

"Ouch!" whined Sirius, rubbing his backside absentmindedly.

in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled;

"Good Lord!" moaned a Muggleborn, there had been shows that he liked too, that were canceled, but he never put his foot through a TV in anger before.

there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle,

"What's an air rifle, dad?" asked Charlie curiously.

"Remember what I told you about guns? Instead of gunpowder, they use compressed air."

"And this idiot traded a living thing for something that could kill? I WANT TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO HEX THIS LITTLE TWIT!" screamed Charlie.

which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it.

"Whoa! Dudley must be huge! My cousin has an air rifle, and those things are freaking hard to bend!"

Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.

"WHAT?" yelled Hermione and some of the Ravenclaws.

"I told you, Dudley didn't know how to read then." seeing the looks on the Ravenclaws and Hermione, he added quickly. "But I've read them."

"What was your favorite, Harry? asked Hermione, forgetting to be furious.

"Oliver Twist"

The people in the room who had read that particular book, didn't look too happy.

"Why?"

"Makes me feel a lot better of my lot in life." said Harry. People started to growl, not to him, but the thought of the Dursleys. Harry had to hold his hands up.

"Listen, I get it, you don't like the Dursleys, I'm not a big fan of theirs either. What I meant by what I said, was that I was never, almost forced to a life of crime. And I wasn't shot, for being somewhere I never wanted to be. Now, is it possible to drop it for now? You're all kinda starting to scare me." he added playfully. The school hesitated, then nodded.

From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't want him in there...I need that room...make him get out..."

"I'll give yer what yer need yer little..." said Hagrid in a threatening tone.

Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.

Nobody had a funny comment or snide remark about that. They all sat in silence, they too would rather have the letter then a spacious room. Especially if that letter meant an escape from that wretched family.

Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick,

"That boy needs a spanking!" whispered Madame Bones to her niece. Susan nodded furiously.

been sick on purpose,

"No loss there." said Draco.

kicked his mother,

"Someone please smack him!" said Percy, rolling his eyes.

and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof,

Shouting over Charlie's rants of animal cruelty, Neville asked Harry, "What kind of plants do you have in there?"

"Vegetables, and herbs I use for cooking, the Dursley's won't admit it, but the stuff in that greenhouse is all mine. I planted everything in there, the vegetables came in handy the summer I turned fourteen."

"Why is that?" asked Sirius.

"If the books print it, you'll see."

and he still didn't have his room back. Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall.

"Hindsight is 20/20" muttered both Harry and Dumbledore in unison. They both looked at each other Dumbledore didn't smile, but Harry's was enough for the both of them.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.

When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry,

"Ten years too late." snarled Flitwick.

made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive-'"

With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon lept form his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him.

"GET 'EM HARRY!" yelled the Gryffindors.

Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind.

"Practicing for your fight with the troll, Harry?" smiled Ron.

"What troll?" asked Sirius. Harry smiled pointed towards the book, looking sheepish. Sirius paled looking at the book, that was only the first year book!

"Fifty points to Gryffindor." whispered Snape, smirking at the look of distraught on Black's face.

After a minute of confused fighting in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.

"Go to your cupboard-I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley-go-just go."

Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.

"Dear lord, if it's anything like James's plans, they won't go well." said Lupin with a smirk.

"I thought dad was your guy's leader." said Harry with a shocked look on his face.

"He was, but your dad's plans sucked," said Sirius tickling Harry's stomach. After Harry laughingly tried in vain to escape his Godfather's fingers, Lupin continued "I was the one who had to come up with the plans that didn't get us caught."

"You were a prankster, Professor!" said the twins and Lee, mouths open in obvious shock.

Harry looked between Sirius and Lupin and grinned ear to ear.

"Fred, George, Lee, I'd like you to meet Padfoot and Moony. Two of the Marauders." grinned Harry. The twins and Lee gaped at them, then each other and came over to kneel in front them. Then they kissed their feet.

"What the hell..?" said Sirius picking up his feet, out of their reach.

"You're our HEROES! We idolize you guys!"

"Doesn't mean you have to kiss my feet." said Sirius with an uncomfortable look on his face. Lupin agreed with him.

"Back on plans," said Harry trying not to laugh in front of his Godfather. "It's kinda not the same with us, is it Hermione?" Hermione blushed.

"Why do you say that?" Lupin asked puzzled.

"Hermione is the one that tries to plan everything out, then everything goes to hell. I take over when she can't find a way out of a situation. Which works out great in the long run."

"Harry is wonderful when everyone else is panicking." said Hermione grinning. Ron and Neville nodded.

The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning.

"How did you get the alarm clock fixed?" asked Mr. Weasely earnestly.

"I've always been good with my hands." said Harry.

"Next time you're over, I need some help on some things." said Mr. Weasely excitedly.

"Alright." said Harry with a smile.

Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.

"Good thinking boy, move slowly and carefully." growled Moody.

He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first.

"Not a bad plan, Potter." said Snape, the sides of his mouth twitching.

"Trust me, it doesn't end well, like one of Hermione's plans in action."

His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door-

"AAAAARRRGH!"

"What the hell happened now?" asked Bill nervously.

Harry lept into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat-something alive!

"Dear God! Tell me it's your uncle!" Sirius spoke excitedly.

Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big,

"Come on..."

squashy

"Come on..."

something had been

"Let's hear it..." his breathing becoming quick.

his uncle's face.

"YAHOO!" yelled Sirius and sat straight up and danced around in a circle. Harry was lifted off his Godfather's chest and unceremoniously fell behind him as he danced for joy. He could help but laugh. Fred and George joined him to the laughter and cheer of the rest of the school. It took fifteen minutes for the trio to calm down. Sirius picked Harry up and laid his torso back on his lap.

Umbridge scowled. "You should be ashamed of yourself Mr. Potter, stepping on the man who graciously took you in, gave you the clothes on your back and food in your stomach..." she would have continued, but she had to dodge a few curses and hexes sent from several students, teachers, Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore and Madame Bones herself.

Uncle Vernon had been lying at the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea.

"Oi! He ain't your servant!" said Ron indignantly

Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.

"I want-" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.

"Oh, Harry." fretted Hermione and Mrs. Weasely.

"I'm so sorry Harry." said Professor McGonagall "You shouldn't have been put through that."

"It's okay, I was used to it, Dudley and Uncle Vernon ripped apart and destroyed most of my awards, this actually wasn't anything different and it didn't bother me. I knew there would be more coming. I felt in my bones." he smiled broadly. The students at first looked angry, but then their expressions softened when they saw his smile.

Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.

"Yeah, cause that job will take all day to do." said Sprout, rolling her eyes.

"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver them they'll just give up."

"I never give up." said McGonagall smugly.

"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."

"Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.

People snorted at this, this man was trying to say he was more intelligent than themselves, yet he was trying to hammer a nail into a piece of wood with food.

One person spoke this thought out loud when Harry spoke up. "The nail did gone in easier with the fruitcake then it would have with the hammer. Aunt Petunia made that one." More snorts were heard around the room.

"Fruitcake is nasty." said Sirius sticking his tongue out.

"We'll see if that opinion still holds true." said Harry smugly.

On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.

"Gave Uncle Vernon the shock of his life, seeing those poke through." said Harry with a smirk on his face. People were rolling on the floor laughing.

Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters,

Growls creeped through the Great Hall.

he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.

"That was the only time that I heard him hum, I tried to hum at another time in the kitchen, he came up behind me and smacked me on the back of my head."

"Why on earth, would he do that?" asked Professor Flitwick in shock.

Harry shrugged, "No music allowed in the house."

"Why not?" asked Hermione

"He saw me enjoying the music on in the kitchen, and singing along. Apparently he didn't like my singing voice." said Harry with a smile.

"To be brutally honest, Harry, your father couldn't carry a tune in a bucket." said Sirius.

"Lily was the same way," said Lupin with a small smile.

"How does that 'Tiptoe' song go?" asked a nervous first year from the Ravenclaw table.

Harry thought carefully, thinking of the words and remembering the tempo his uncle used. He closed his eyes and sang it out loud.

What he didn't know was that everyone stared at him. His voice was a soft, airy tenor, yet it held the possibilities of going deeper into a baritone and becoming rich and full. The lyrics and the melody coming from him, were beautiful. They silently begged for more.

When Harry was done, he opened his eyes and saw everyone staring at him. He began to worry, he wondered if he was as bad as his uncle had said he was. That all changed when everyone, excluding Umbridge and a restrained Fudge, stood up and applauded. Harry blushed deeply and covered his face into his stunned Godfather's chest.

"Mr. Potter, I want to see you in choir next year!" squeaked Flitwick, tears coming down his face. "We need a voice like yours!"

On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.

"It's hers, cause I refuse to use it. I prefer to do it myself, without help." said Harry, who was still buried in the folds of the man's cloak.

"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.

"Everybody who really knows him." said Hermione with some pride in her voice.

On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill,

"Good" said Kingsley, accidentally out loud, attracting some attention.

but happy.

"Damn, well life can't be perfect." he said out loud again. People around him snickered into their hands.

"No post on Sundays,"

"Really? Muggles don't get mail on Sunday's? Why not?" asked a Slytherin fourth year.

"Some muggles, consider it a day of rest, a governmental day off as it were, as well." stated Harry.

he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers,

"However, no sane person should do that on any day, never mind a Sunday." said Harry amusingly

"no damn letters today-"

"That's what you think." said Harry in a singsong voice. Lupin smiled over to Harry, glad he was finally enjoying himself.

Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one-

"Just pick one up off the floor, Potter!" yelled Draco.

"Was too excited to think logically or rationally, I just wanted to grab one of those elusive little buggers." said Harry with a wide grin.

"Out! OUT!"

Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall.

Another hush came over the school, Madame Pomfrey made to hurry to Harry, when Sirius and Remus stopped her.

"He's fine, we've got him."

When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floors.

"The does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his mustache at the same time.

"Ouch." said a few seventh and sixth year boys, feeling the faint traces of hair just above their top lip. The men who already had grown theirs out, winced.

"I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"

He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.

"What he was doing with a sports bag, I have no idea. Never did anything athletic, even after ten feet of chasing me down, he gave up." remarked Harry after Mrs. Weasely quietly ranted about hitting a child over the head for over packing.

They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while.

"Shake 'em off...shake 'em off." he would mutter whenever he did this.

"Man after your own heart, Moody! OUCH!" said Tonks cheekily, then Moody smacked the back of her head.

"Don't compare me to him."

They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling.

"Aww..poor baby." said the twins.

He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.

"Geez what a hard life he lives, only one thing can make it worse." said Ron

"Living it for more than one day, like Harry does." said Hermione.

The twins looked in shock. "They're stealing our act."

The school erupted with laughter.

Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars

"I've noticed something Harry, every time something is bothering you or you're worried about something, you sit on the windowsill and stare out onto the grounds. You stay that way all night long." said Dean.

The teachers exchanged looks, and then they looked to Poppy, next time they hear about that, they'll have to give Potter a sleeping potion, even if they have to hold him down and pour it down his throat.

and wondering...

Before they could ask, he answered. "I was wondering who was sending the letters and what did they want with me?"

They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day.

"What time is it?" Ron said as his stomach grumbled. Before Dumbledore could bring out his watch, Harry looked up in the sky, at the sun. "It's two-sixteen." said Harry calmly. Dumbledore frowned in curiosity at Harry and looked at his own watch, his eyes widened in shock.

"On..the..nose..." he slowly looked over to Harry with a surprised look on his face. Everyone gaped at the raven haired teen.

"Guess we missed lunch." he said glumly. Then the a long table of food appeared in the center of the room.

"A late lunch is always welcomed." said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling, yet never really leaving the young man lying in the bowl. He waved his wand at the table and four plates of food began to fill themselves. They then levitated over to Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin and Harry.

"With Harry draped over the both of you like that, I didn't think you could bring yourselves to move." he said with a smile.

Lupin sent a smile of appreciation back to him. While they ate, McGonagall continued on with the reading, in between mouthfuls.

They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.

"'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk."

She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:

Mr. H. Potter

Room 17

Railview Hotel

Cokeworth

"You were in Cokeworth? Did you..." started Hermione, but with a glance from Harry, she quieted.

"I didn't see much of anything Hermione. Just blurs going past the window."

Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.

"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and followed her from the dining room.

"Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back into the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multileveled parking garage.

"What the hell is he doing?" asked Lupin.

"Running for his life." said Harry plainly.

"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared.

"What a horrid man!" screeched Madame Pomfrey.

It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled.

"It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television."

"Who's The Great Humwhatsit?" asked Ron.

"An annoying man who says he can impersonate the voice anybody who comes to the show, its faked, the people are already picked out for it." said Hermione.

"Wonder what's so great about him."

"He's a GREAT big fraud."

Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday-and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television

"Go figure." moaned Hermione.

-then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday.

People in the school cheered. Harry blushed deeply.

Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun-last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.

People turned to him in shock and disbelief, THOSE weren't presents!

Still, you weren't eleven every day.

"Way to stay positive, Potter" said Moody. Though he was deeply disturbed by the way his life had been up to this point.

Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.

"Found the perfect place!" he said, "Come on! Everyone out!"

It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine.

"That's perfect?" exclaimed Tonks, "I'd love to see his version of terrible."

"He said my singing voice was terrible." said Harry.

"My point has just been made." said Tonks gestering towards Harry.

One thing was certain, there was no television there.

"I kinda feel sorry..."said Fred with a sniff.

"..for Dudley.." George said while whipping a fake tear away.

"NOT!"

"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully,

"And he's excited by that?" asked Professor Vector, with eyebrows raised.

clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"

A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing with a rather wicked grin,

"I've read about old fashioned gentlemen, in romance books," said a seventh year Gryffindor. "Only Gentleman there is Harry." Sirius nudged Harry in the ribs raising and lowering his eyebrows quickly. Harry groaned, blushed and buried his head again. The school laughed again.

at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them.

"You couldn't pay me to go over that water on a broomstick!" yelped Dean.

"I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"

It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces.

"Out of curiosity," said Lupin, a grim look on his face. "who rowed?"

"I started, but Uncle Vernon noticed I wasn't nearly strong enough to keep us going in a straight line. He took over. Only after we nearly capsized a few times."

Dark muttering took possession of the school till McGonagall stopped her own muttering with Flitwick to continue reading.

After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.

The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty.

"Nice, a real fixer-upper." Hermione said rolling her eyes.

There were only two rooms.

Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and a four bananas.

Some of the Gryffindors looked down at their plates, which still had some food, they stood up and wanted to give some to Harry, when Lupin held his hand up to halt them.

"He's full, we made sure."

He tried to start up a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up.

"Well, duh, those bags aren't made of paper or wood. Idiot."

"Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.

"Let me at him!" yelled Charlie, Bill had to pull him back down to his seat, which took a lot of effort.

He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail, Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn' t cheer him up at all.

As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows.

People looked around nervously, they wouldn't of want to spend a minute in that house, let alone the night!

Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.

Silence again ran rampant through the school. They turned around to look at Harry, who was still lounging against Sirius. Dumbledore stood up waved his wand in the air and a giant, thick red and gold quilt, with a lion on it, appeared. He covered Harry with it. Harry was initially embarrassed, he was fine, he wasn't cold. But the weight of the covers felt too good to remove them.

The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered

Sirius placed another, but lighter, blanket over top the gold one. This one was blue, with a giant broomstick on it.

and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger.

Lupin took a plate of snacks from Mrs. Weasely and he himself placed some chocolates on the plate. He handed Harry a piece of fruit and waited for Harry to eat it.

Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.

"In my office, going through all the replies and awaiting yours, Mr. Potter."

Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.

"A typical Harry thought." snorted Ron. Hermione turned to glare at him.

Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.

"Good idea, Potter, have a plan already, ready to use."

Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?

Few people squirmed in their seats, this was getting scary.

One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds...twenty...ten...nine-maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy-

"Do it!" yelled the Weasely twins. "It would be so worth it!"

three...two...one...

BOOM.

McGonagall yelled. People had fallen off their chairs and landed on the floor. Sirius and Lupin instinctly placed their bodies over Harry's to protect him. Even Dumbledore jumped a little. Moody was cursing very loudly towards the Transfigurations Professor.

"Constant vigilance, Alastor." said McGonagall said simply. People around the school started to laugh hard, but was silenced by the look the retired Auror sent them.

The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.

"Who the bloody hell is it?" said Lupin. Harry and Sirius looked at him in shock.

"You cursed Moony!" said Sirius with an impressed look.

"Hey! I'm human..." he stated.

"Hardly." Umbridge said, cutting him off.

Third years and up snarled at her. Even the teachers looked at her in fury.

"More human then you ever will be!" yelled Harry.

"Don't you dare talk to me! You worthless boy!" she spat back.

Harry flinched, it wasn't from her insulting him, just the words. He heard them somewhere before recently, who said it? He couldn't remember. It must have something to do with the incident, but what was it? Harry's brain was still a little fuzzy from the fever and he couldn't think straight half the time.

While Harry was sitting in the bowl thinking, McGonagall stood up, walked over to her and punched her soundly in the jaw again. Knocking Umbridge once again to the floor, and she was once again, out cold.

"PROFESSOR! YOU ATTACKED..." yelled the Minister.

"SOMEONE WHO EARNED IT!" screamed McGonagall. The school erupted in cheers.

"I will have you arrested, Minerva!" said Fudge looking wildly around, "And I have plenty of witnesses."

"I'm sorry Cornelius, did you say something?" said Madame Bones curiously. The Aurors, taking her lead, (for they had no love for the woman either) shrugged their shoulders too. The Minister watched as all the "witnesses" denied seeing anything. Even the Slytherins feigned blindness and said their attentions laid elsewhere. He sat down and tried to awaken his Undersecretary. To no avail, she wasn't waking up.

Chapter 7

Fudge kept trying to wake up Umbridge and nobody was even halfheartedly willing to help him, amazingly, not even Madame Pomfrey.

Professor McGonagall flipped the page to the next chapter, a smile came acrossed her lips.

"Hagrid, I think you may want to read the next chapter." she said handing him the book.

"Alrigh'" he took the book and when he read the title, a bigger smile then McGonagall's stretched acrossed his face.

The Keeper of the Keys

The school erupted into cheers. Fudge gave up trying to wake up Umbridge and satisfied himself with just conjuring up a cot and putting her on it. He might as well keep a constant vigil on the proceedings seeing as how she couldn't.

BOOM.

Hagrid bellowed out that word to the school, knocking a few students, who thought they were safe with Hagrid's reading, off their chairs a second time that afternoon.

They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.

"Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.

"Can he talk any other way, really? said Draco snidely.

There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands-now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.

"OH MY GOD! HE COULD HURT SOMEONE WITH THAT THING!" screamed Hermione.

"The really scary thing is, he has no idea what to do with it." said Harry absently, snuggling underneath the blankets. He was very comfortable, and felt that the worst was finally over.

"What do you mean 'no idea what to do with it'?" asked Sirius clutching Harry's shoulder gently.

"He's never held a gun before, when he came out; it was facing the wrong damn way. He could've easily shot himself, that is, if the trigger wasn't so far away. I actually came over and flipped the gun around."

"Why would you do that?" asked Hermione fearfully. "He could've killed someone with it!"

"I put the safety on and took the shells out, Uncle Vernon never even noticed." smiled Harry.

"Very quick thinking Harry." said Dumbledore approvingly. "But what would have happened if it was someone who wished you and the Dursleys harm?"

Harry quickly noticed that Dumbledore didn't' say "your family" he smiled. Then he thought about it. "Wrenched the gun away, took the safety off, loaded the gun and fired." he said simply.

"Can you fire one of those things?" said Sirius in an amazed tone.

"With all of Dudley's shows, I've seen how they work, though I would've been knocked on my butt from the recoil. They've got a massive kick."

Sirius chuckled and kissed his Godson's head.

"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you-I'm armed!"

"So is he!" yelled Harry from amongst the blankets.

The students didn't know who he was talking about, but Ron, Hermione and the teachers all laughed.

There was a pause. Then-

SMASH!

Students hit the floor again as Hagrid yelled once again.

The door was hit with such a force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.

A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles.

"HAGRID!" yelled the students, applauding.

"Yeh make me soun' scary 'arry." said Hagrid with a concerned look on his face.

Harry laughed as he pushed his head out of the covers. "I didn't know you Hagrid. I didn't know how gentle you are."

Hagrid blushed and tried to carry on with the reading.

The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.

"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..."

"Hagrid, only you could knock a door down to the ground with a push of your finger and just carry on as if it were perfectly normal." smiled Lupin. Dumbledore smiled as well.

He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.

"Thanks Hagrid, for putting some fear into that brat!" called Draco.

Everyone turned and stared at him. "What?" he said again, they said nothing.

"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.

Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother,

"That will be near impossible." said Ron, who had seen Dudley the summer that he came to Privet Drive. He couldn't believe the contrast between his best mate and his best mate's cousin.

who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.

"Well that made it a little easier." smirked Ron.

"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.

Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.

"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."

"You were the first to say that to me Hagrid. I haven't stopped hearing it since." said Harry.

"You make it sound like you're tired of hearing it." said Sirius curiously.

"I'm not tired of it, I never will be, it's just...I'm not my father, or my mother...I'm my own person. And sometimes, I feel like some adults keep forgetting that." he said quietly.

This statement pulled at Sirius's heartstrings, as well as Lupin's, "Harry, we know that you are your own person. James was never a singer, neither was your mother. Yet, here you are, with the voice of an angel! James couldn't boil water, and your mother, well, she was learning. She couldn't make food the way you can! You've got so many talents that neither of them had! But you are right, we and other people keep shoving that statement down your throat, we promise not to confuse you with your parents, alright?"

Harry smiled, turned a light shade of pink and nodded.

Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.

"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"

"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant;

"That's telling him Hagrid!" yelled the twins.

he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.

The students jumped up in down, on the floor, in their chairs, they were excited. The Dursleys were finally getting their comeuppance!

Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.

"Anyway-Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here-I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."

From the inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.

"The first birthday cake I've had in ten years, Hagrid!" Sirius, Remus, Mr. and Mrs. Weasely and Dumbledore all looked saddened by that statement.

Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"

"Harry, where are your manners?" admonished Mrs. Weasely.

"Molly, the book just said he meant to say thank you, the kid was in shock." said Moody.

The giant chuckled.

"True, I haven't introduced meeself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."

He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.

"Golly 'Arry, didn't mean ter hurt yeh." said Hagrid sadly.

"It's alright, Hagrid. I was fine."

"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."

"HAGRID! DON'T DRINK IN FRONT OF CHILDREN!" scolded Madame Pomfrey and Mrs. Weasely. Hagrid looked guilty.

His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted.

"Knew that wasn't good enough ter start a fire with." he snorted, again.

He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.

Hermione brought a blanket she had transfigured and draped it on top of the other two.

"How many blankets are you people going to try and bury me under?" said Harry with his eyebrows raised.

"You keep saying you're cold!"

"That was five years ago! I'm perfectly comfortable right now!" said Harry with a playful smile.

The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of his pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs,

"Cripes! How many pockets do you have, Hagrid?"

"'bout twenty-seven" said Hagrid offhandedly. People whistled.

and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea.

Madam Pomfrey and Mrs. Weasely began to scold Hagrid angrily, Hagrid had to hide, unsuccessfully, behind the book.

"I..it...w..w..wasn't..." he gulped.

"It was butterbeer! I saw the same bottle at The Three Broomsticks! Same bottle, same scent." said Harry firmly.

The scolding stopped immediately.

Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage.

"Ron you just ate!" said Hermione in shock when she heard his stomach growl.

Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little.

"Course he would." spat Hermione bitterly.

Uncle Vernon said sharply, " Don't touch anything he gives you Dudley."

"He doesn't need any more fatting." said Charlie darkly.

The giant chuckled darkly.

"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."

"Glad we agree on that." said Charlie walking up and shaking Hagrid's hand.

He passed the sausages to Harry,

"Good! Harry needs some fattening up." said Charlie, who laughed at the indignant look Harry sent him.

who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful,

It took Harry a while to convince Sirius, Lupin and Mrs. Weasely, who each conjured up a plate of snacks, that he was full.

but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."

"That's better, Harry." smiled Mrs. Weasely.

The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Now, just need to work on Hagrid's manners." mumbled Mrs. Weasely, but meaning well.

"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts-yeh'lll know all about Hogwarts, o'course."

"Er-no," said Harry.

Hagrid looked shocked.

As did the rest of the school.

"Sorry," Harry said quickly.

"For what?" asked Ron.

"I'm used to saying that every time someone starts to look like that." Harry said simply.

"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"

"All what?" asked Harry.

"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"

He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.

"GET 'EM HAGRID! LET 'EM HAVE IT! yelled the twins and the rest of the Quidditch team.

"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy-this boy!-knows nothin', abou'-about ANYTHING?"

Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.

"When you are accepted to Hogwarts and if you went to a muggle school before this, we get a copy of your marks, and we review them, seeing if you need any extra help in an area. Yours, Harry, were very impressive. Miss Granger's marks were nowhere near yours." said Dumbledore, staring straight ahead, thinking fondly.

Hermione looked at Harry with her mouth hanging open.

"I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."

"Math and stuff?" asked Hermione with a smirk.

"I would like to hear how the conversation would go if you were there, instead of me." Harry said with a small sneer. Her smirk went away quickly with a blush

But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean.Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."

"What world?"

"Really?" said Sirius with a smile.

"Hey I was still in shock, cut me some slack."

Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.

"DURSLEY!" he boomed.

Hagrid boomed it as well, students, again, were sent to the floor.

Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.

"What?" said a Ravenclaw, "Mimblewimble?" No one could answer her.

"But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean they'refamous. You're famous."

"What? My-my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"

"Yeh don' know...yeh don' know..." Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.

"Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.

Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.

"Damn, it was nice not hearing from him." growled Moody.

"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"

"Yeah, like Hagrid will listen to a man like you." said George.

A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagird now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.

"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"

"I wonder what they ever did with that letter?" asked McGonagall, burnt it most likely she thought.

"Kept what form me?" said Harry eagerly.

"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.

Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.

"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry-yer a wizard."

The school raised a loud cheer, this was the turning point in Harry's life! Now the good times were a coming!

There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.

"I'm a what?" gasped Harry.

"I had the same reaction." said Hermione and Dean.

"A wizard, o'course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit.

"And so far, you are already, 'a thumpin' good'un.'" said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling over to Harry. Sirius smiled and ruffled Harry's hair. You got that right thought the shaggy haired man.

With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."

"FINALLY!" yelled the crowd.

Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on the Rock, The Sea. He pulled out the letter and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1.We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress.

Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"

"All the questions you had, you settled for that one?" said Draco with widened eyes.

"Good choice, there was a deadline. Has to meet it." said Kingsley in his deep calm voice.

"Galloping Gorgons, that reminds me." said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse,

"Poor horse." said Bill with a smile.

and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl-a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl

"Poor owl." said Bill, trying to hide his laughter.

"Hagrid! How could you put an owl in your pocket?" said Hermione looking taken aback.

"There is a breed of owls that we wizards raise, Miss Granger, that are used for keeping in large pockets. I leant Bee boo to Hagrid for Harry's reply. He's quite used to traveling like that. Several people have small owls that are used for that fashion." said Dumbledore, smiling towards Hermione. Who looked shocked, then thoughtful.

-a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:

"Now I'm very impressed, I can barely read my own writing upside down." said Lupin looking at the teen, who smiled back at him amidst the blankets and cushions.

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

Given Harry his letter. Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.

Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.

Hagrid.

Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.

"Yes, Hermione, the owls are bred to handle any sort of weather. Minus a hurricane or tornado, of course." said Dumbledore holding a hand up, before she could even ask the question.

Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.

"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon still, ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.

"He's not going." he said.

"Oh, yes he is!" chanted the Gryffindor table.

Hagrid grunted.

"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.

"A what?" said Harry, interested.

"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it' s your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."

"An' that was what I was gettin' from jus' meetin' them." growled Hagrid, angrily remembering the scroll and what horrible truth it showed.

"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him!

Everyone tensed up again from what had been said earlier. Sirius and Remus took a tighter hold on Harry. He was never going back, never. Never. Dumbledore paled once more.

Wizard indeed!"

"You knew? said Harry. "You knew I'm a-a wizard?"

"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that-that school-and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was-a freak!

"SHE WAS NOT A FREAK!" came a bloodcurdling scream. Harry sat straight up and vainly tried to ignore the shooting pain firing up his back. He looked around and saw Professor Snape, white with fury and his fists clenched. McGonagall had to pull him back down and began to pat his arm.

But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"

She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.

"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as-as-abnormal-

"If being normal is acting like you, then being abnormal is a really good thing." piped up a Hufflepuff first year. Then blushed when the school clapped and yelled in agreement.

"Well spoken, Mr. Davidson, well said." said Dumbledore kindly, clapping along with the students.

and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"

The clapping died in an instant. They all turned to Harry, Dumbledore leaned forward, a shocked look on his face.

"That...that...is...is how..you...you..found out...? stuttered Dumbledore.

He looked away and nodded. Dumbledore leaned back in the chair clutching his chest, face contorted with extreme grief. To find out that way, was being cruel, it was inhuman, what had he done?

It took a moment for Hagrid to stop crying and finish blowing his nose, to continue with the story.

Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"

"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not known' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"

"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.

The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.

"I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh,

"So you knew there would be trouble, did you?" said Lupin in a rough whisper. His angered face, however, was broken. Dumbledore was still clutching his chest and his eyes closed. His mind hadn't strayed or moved on from the moment Harry learned the truth about his parents. Lupin looked away, he'll have a word with the man, later.

how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don't know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh-but someone's gotta-yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."

He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.

"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh-mind, I can't tell yeh everything', it's a great myst'ry parts of it..."

People leaned in forward, they didn't want to miss a moment of this.

He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose with-with a person called-but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows-"

"Who?"

"Well-I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."

"Why not?"

"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared, Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went...bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was..."

Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.

"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.

"Nah-can't spell it. All right-Voldemort." Hagrid shuddered.

A twitch went through the school.

"Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this-this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin fer followers. Got 'em too-some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches...terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course some stood up to him-an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.

"He wouldn't dare." said McGonagall with pride. The rest of the school nodded in agreement, even Fudge couldn't begrudge that truth.

"Now yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizards as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before...probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.

"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em...maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago.

"I swear, Halloween is cursed." muttered Ron darkly, Hermione nodded. Harry was staring at the headmaster intently. His demeanor didn't change.

You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an'-an'-"

Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.

Hagrid did a repeat performance.

"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad-knew yer mum an' dad an' nicer people yeh couldn't find-anyway...

"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then-an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing-he tried to kill you too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful evil curse touches yeh-took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even-but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age-the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts-

The families of the aforementioned bowed their heads in remembrance. It was so long ago, but the pain could still be felt in their hearts.

an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."

Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before-and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.

Flitwick and McGonagall paled while the rest of the school shivered.

Hagrid was watching him sadly.

"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..."

"Load of old tosh." said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there.

As did some of the students

Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.

"Now, listen here, boy." he snarled. "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured-

"Hagird would kick your ass if you even tried!" bellowed Dean.

and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it,

A few adults' fists clenched.

and the world's better off without them in my opinion-

Sirius and Remus snarled and fists tensed on the blankets.

asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types-just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end-"

"Don't bother leaving gentlemen." said Madame Bones, grinning evilly from where she was sitting.

"WE'RE GONNA HUNT THEM DOWN AND MAKE THEM PAY, FOR SAYING! WORSE STILL! THEY SAID IT IN FRONT OF HARRY! bellowed Sirius as he and Remus reached the door.

"They are in custody at the Ministry. Awaiting trial of child abuse." she said keeping the same smirk on her face. They slowly came back, breathing shallower. Harry was leaning over the side, trying to look into Dumbledore's face, which still hadn't moved. They picked him gently and draped him across their laps once more.

But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella form inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley-I'm warning you-one more word..."

"Come on, Dursley! Say one more word!" egged on some of the Slytherins.

In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.

"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.

Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them. "But what happened to Vol-, sorry-I mean, You-Know-Who?"

"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see...he was gettin' more an' more powerful-why'd he go?

"Some say he died.

"HE HAS DIED! These books will prove it." thundered Fudge.

"HE'S BACK!" These books will prove it." bellowed back Harry, not looking at him, but still staring at the Headmaster.

Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it.

"I don' believe that no more. I believe ya 'Arry." said Hagrid, speaking as if that should eradicate any doubt.

People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.

"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on-I dunno what it was, no one does-but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."

The students were a little disappointed, they didn't learn anything new, except, perhaps HE was back. The way Harry bellowed back to the Minister. If he WAS back, what were they going to do?

Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake.

"No mistake, Potter." Moody said, gruffly. Harry wasn't listening.

A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied and beaten by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard?

Growls came from the large group, but then turned to cheers.

If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?

And the growls came back in full force.

"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."

To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.

"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"

Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it...every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry...chased by Dudley's gangs, he had somehow found himself out of their reach...

"The running part isn't magical, the flying part is though." muttered Ron to Hermione.

dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow...

"Potter hair! No stopping it!" said Sirius, fondly messing up the hair, his face fell as he followed Harry's gaze. Dumbledore was paler now.

and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?

"Boy, did I phrase that wrong." muttered Harry, still looking at Dumbledore. Something was wrong, very wrong.

Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.

"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard-you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."

But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.

"Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it.

"Bull." snarled Tonks.

I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish-spell books and wands and-"

"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him." growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born.

"I wrote the name down myself." said Flitwick proudly.

He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbled-"

"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.

"This won't go well," said Fred.

"Not...at...all." whistled George.

But he had finally gone too far, Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER-" he thundered, "-INSULT-ALBUS-DUMBLEDORE-IN-FRONT-OF-ME!"

He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley-

"Wha' happened! Wha' happened!" yelled the twins excitedly.

"If you let the poor man finish, he'll tell you!" said Hermione shrilly. She was waiting to hear what happened as well.

there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain.

People started to stand up, they were really interested now. What exactly happened? Whatever it was, Dudley deserved it and more.

When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.

"YES!" screamed everyone in the Hall. They danced in place, hugged each other, and every student ran up to Hagrid and shook him firmly by the hand. Malfoy shook Hagrid's hand twice.

Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.

Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.

"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully,

"Should have done it sooner." bellowed Malfoy.

"but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."

"Right on!" cheered Ron.

He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.

"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts,"

"And he never did!" said Hermione with a fake pout.

he said. "I'm-er-not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff-on o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job-"

"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.

"Oh, well-I was at Hogwarts meself but I-er-got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year.

"Yes, well, you were proven innocent Hagrid." said Ron.

"Innocent of what?" asked Lupin, not noticing that Harry and Sirius were looking at Dumbledore and their eyes never strayed.

"You'll find out later." said Ron with a mysterious smile.

"Goody." he said leaning back in the bowl

They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."

"Why were you expelled?"

"He'll never tell, we've tried." said Fred and George bitterly.

"It's getting late we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagird loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."

He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.

"You can kip under that," he said. "Don't mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."

"Well at least he gave you something warmer to sleep under then that ragged old blanket, but he could keep the doo..."

"DUMBLEDORE!" screamed Harry.

Everyone turned quickly and saw the Headmaster, he was standing but he fell to the ground with great crash.

Harry, ignoring the unyielding pain, he flung himself to the floor and turned the old man over. His face was pale and his breathing, which was heavily labored just a moment before, had ceased.

Overhead, clouds were gathering and lightning was striking in sprastic points. Then, empty chairs, the torches and paintings started flying madly around the room. Madame Pomfrey came running over to the fallen man, she waved her wand over him, but the magic rebounded and knocked her off her feet.

"I can't use magic!" she shrieked. "His aura is going haywire."

Snape rushed over and whipped out a potion, but the glass shattered in his hand, sending shrapnel into his own hand. Snape sent out a cry.

"Not even my potions are working!" he bellowed over to her.

"He's suffering from a heart attack!" yelled Lupin, "We've got to do something, if not, he's done for!"

Harry placed two hands on Dumbledore's chest, right above his heart and pushed down forcefully, in quick succession. Then he placed his mouth of top the old man's and breathed down, he made sure the man didn't have anything lodged in his throat, before he started the compressions. Once he was done breathing down, he continued the chest compressions.

Nobody could move, they were in shock. Magic was useless here now, Dumbledore was gone, he had to be. They wanted to pull Harry back, but what he was doing, not a lot of them knew what he was doing. They weren't sure if Harry was beating him up in a fit of grief and kissing him, or what. Only the muggleborns and half-bloods recognized it and they stayed back. It looked like Harry knew what he was doing.

Harry looked up into the sky from doing the chest compressions. He was losing, he was losing Dumbledore, if only he had something, defibulator, anything! Harry looked at the lightning, that was it! He would have to time it right, he took a long piece of wire from his knapsack, he had an assortment of things in his bag. Ron was the only person alive that knew he carried that bag on his person at all times. He put a yellow pair of gloves on and he then pulled his custom kitchen knife out of his pocket. He tied one end of the wire to the knife and tossed it into the air, taking the other end of the wire and holding it a small ways away from Dumbledore's heart. Lightning struck the metal knife, traveled down the wire and split into two different directions, one path went down to Dumbledore. Which caused his body to jolt, and made everyone else cringe. The other surge of electricity tried to travel into Harry, but was nullified by the rubber gloves on his hands. Harry took off a glove and felt for a pulse, nothing.

Harry pulled the knife back, which landed a ways away and tossed it again. Once again, the power shot into Dumbledore, and again his body jumped on its own. Again he checked, and again he had to toss the knife in the air. Harry checked once more, he felt nothing. Then...he felt a tiny thump, then another. Dumbledore's heart was starting to fight back! The storm subsided and the chairs fell to a crash in the Hall. Harry sat back, leaning against the bowl. sweat pouring from his forehead and tears, that were from grief but they were now tears of relief, falling down. He smiled over to the Potion's Master and the school Healer, who were staring in amazement, and pointed weakly to Dumbledore.

"Your turn."

Chapter 8


The next morning, Dumbledore slowly made his way down to the Great Hall, it took some doing to get Madam Pomfrey to even allow him out of the hospital wing. She said something about that the books were more trouble than they were worth. She would've escorted Dumbledore down to breakfast, but she had to gather potions together, just in case someone else had need of them. Though Dumbledore highly doubted she meant to use them on anyone else.

After he saw the Great Hall swirl in front of his eyes, he couldn't recollect anything after that. He now knew just how frustrated Harry must feel, not being able to remember what had happened after a certain part. He could, however, remember what had sent him sprawling to the floor. He clutched his heart in remembrance of the pain, learning the awful truth in that fashion, with those words, how could Harry even stand it? Then Madam Pomfrey's words came screaming through his mind. He reached into his cloak and took a sip of a Calming Draught. This was the condition he had to agree to, in order to leave the Healer's care. He had to take several vials of the potion with him everywhere, until the books were done.

He entered the Great Hall and smiled as he strode forward into his favorite part of the castle. So many happy memories and so far, only two bad recollections associated with this great room. People were sitting in the random chairs once more, and enjoying their breakfasts. When they looked up and saw Dumbledore, who was looking just as well as he normally did, they all smiled and gave a loud cheer.

Harry was walking back towards the bowl with a large plate of food stopped and stared at the Headmaster who had just walked in. Harry grinned broadly. "Good morning, sir! Want some breakfast?" said Harry holding out his own plate without hesitation.

Dumbledore was taken aback by this, not because Harry was offering him his food, if it had had been his friend Ron though, it would gave him another heart attack. It was the manner in which he acted, Minerva had told him last night when he awoke that Harry had saved his life and the manner in which he did it. Any normal person would be bragging to the rooftops, or looking superior to the man in which he saved. Harry was carrying on, as if nothing were different between them. Just a student and a teacher, a grandson to his grandfather. It took Dumbledore a while to send Harry a smile in return, he walked towards Harry and embraced him.

"Thank you, Harry. Thank you, for saving this evil old man." said Dumbledore sadly when they broke apart. Harry looked at him shocked.

"You're not evil, sir! Why do you say that?"

"I placed you in a home, though I had no notion at the time just how bad, that in no way could be labeled habitable for you. I kept you there, despite all the signs of unhappiness, and obvious malnutrition, I kept you there. I ignored your needs and wants for a loving family, I choose to keep you protected from dark wizards, but left you to fend for yourself, defenseless, to deal with human monsters devoid of magic.

"I've placed challenges in your path, while you were here, in order to prepare you for the troubles ahead, and almost killing you in every one of those. I promise to you Harry, I will do that no more. You will never see the Dursleys again, unless you wish to travel to their hearing. You will not be forced into a dangerous situation, without me there to protect you. I will train you personally, the way I should have done to start with. Oh, Harry, I do believe that I myself am the cruelest person you could possibly ever, know!" Dumbledore lamented.

Harry smiled sadly. "Sir, you're not evil, and you aren't the cruelest person I know. I didn't let anyone know about what the Dursleys did to me, not even Ron and Hermione.."

"Harry, I am an expert Legimens, I could see into your mind, I didn't even look!" cried Dumbledore, wringing his hands. This was a side of Dumbledore no one had ever seen. Harry reached into Dumbledore's cloak and handed him the vial of Calming Draught. Dumbledore stared at Harry, how did he know that was there? Harry saw his bewildered look and smiled.

"Who do you think gave Madam Pomfrey the idea to keep those with you? Now, to get back on track, I let you see what I want you to see in my mind, the same goes for Professor Snape. I don't know occlumency, but I do know how to arrange my thoughts so that I lay down the cards I want down. The unhappiness I can deal with on my own, it just makes Hogwarts more of a special place for me. Malnutrition, well, I'm still alive, and I get my fill here every day. I put on enough weight and keep it on to keep me safe during the summer.

"I can handle muggles no problem without magic, my knapsack sees to that." he said bringing the small bag out for Dumbledore to see. "I went headlong into those challenges on my own. I could've thrown up my hands and said 'Screw it, I can't do this, I won't do this' but I chose to follow the path you laid. Me almost getting killed a time or two was my own fault, not yours. And I won't have anyone, ANYONE," said Harry, looking at Mrs. Weasley sternly. "say otherwise." said Harry, quite plainly. Dumbledore stood in shock. Harry had to nudge the vial towards Dumbledore's lips, and waited till he finished sipping it.

"You must be getting better, Harry! You haven't talked like that for a while." said Ron with a grin. Harry thought a moment, and then smiled once more.

"I must be getting better, my mind is back on track like it should be. Still can't remember what happened though, it'll come I think, in time and my back still hurts like a son of a banshee. Though I think, with my actions yesterday, I think the secret of my mentality are out. I'm happy though, the books were being real nice about not showing what was going on in my head as well as the 'watered-down' thoughts. Hope it keeps it up."

"so I guess, we can't treat you like a kid anymore, huh?" said Sirius, trying very hard to hide his cheerlessness.

"I was actually going to ask you to keep it up, I missed out on your affection, and I fear you'll start going batty if I didn't let you 'vent' some of that paternal instinct you're trying to utilize, that way, you don't smother me during the summer break." Harry smiled. Both Sirius and Remus could hardly contain their joy.

It was true, they wanted to show Harry that the both of them could be excellent guardians and wanted to make up for lost time, even if it means treating him like a child. What made it even better, was that Harry was giving them the go ahead to continue treating him like a juvenile. Harry would never tell them that by having them act in an overly-paternal way, instead of having them treat him like the young adult he was, they wouldn't feel the guilt that they missed out on so much. Also, Harry liked this attention. It was nice, made him feel loved, and protected.

After breakfast and everyone huddled into their chairs, Harry transfigured a foot rest for Dumbledore and took another flask of the Draught and laid it beside him on a small cherry-table. "Take it when you need it, don't make me come over here and pour it down your throat. Cause I will." he said, wincing slightly as he slowly sat down. Sirius dragged him softy back over to him and Remus brought his legs up so they laid acrossed his lap once again.

"Who wants ter read?" asked Hagrid, who picked up the book that laid beside his giant chair.

"May I, sir?" asked Hermione, looking towards Dumbledore. Umbridge sat up in her pink, kitten patterned chair and hissed towards her.

"This is an official reading! Miss Granger, we've already enough time with everyone commenting and yesterday afternoons...occurrence." she glared over to Dumbledore and Harry. Dumbledore smiled over to her and Harry waved innocently.

"Just let her read, Delores, what harm is there?" asked Madam Bones.

"She could skip over something important! Or alter it." said Umbridge angrily

"Not possible, the books are protected against someone skipping ahead, or failing to read something. Also one cannot add words or phrases, unless it were to get to a greater sense of truth. Harry's brilliance may or may not be labeled here. We won't know, till we read. Go ahead Miss Granger." said Dumbledore kindly.

Hermione ran over to Hagrid and accepted the book.

Diagon Alley

"This should be good." said Sirius pulling Harry tighter. Harry smiled, this WAS going to be a good one.

Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.

"Wakey, wakey, Harry!" said both of the twins.

"It was a dream," he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards.

"Quite an elaborate dream, Potter." sneered Snape.

When I open my eyes I'll be home in my cupboard."

"Nope, you're on a rock in the middle of the bloody ocean!" said Bill, trying to hide a smile.

"WILLIAM!" scolded Mrs. Weasley

There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.

And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought,

"What a depressing thought." said Ron.

his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.

.Tap.

"All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."

He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.

"Still think it's a dream, Potter?" called Draco.

"If it do, longest one I've ever had." said Harry with a smile.

Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.

"I swear, those owls can smell money." said Lupin

"Don't do that."

Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on the savaging the coat.

"Vicious little feather dusters aren't they?" said Sirius looking at Harry.

"Hagird!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl-"

"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.

"What?"

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets." Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets-bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags...finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.

"Reminded me of my knapsack, I have stuff that doesn't look useful to anybody, but to me, they are handy to have when you really need them."

"Give him five Knuts." said Hagrid sleepily.

"Knuts?"

"Hagrid, Harry wouldn't know what Knuts are, he just found out he was a wizard the night before!" admonished McGonagall.

"Hagrid was giving me a hands on lesson, he was teaching me what the money was." said Harry defensively. Hagrid mouthed 'Thank you.' towards him.

"The little bronze ones."

Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.

Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up and stretched.

"Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."

Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.

"OH, NO! MORE DEPRESSING THOUGHTS!" howled the twins, putting arms up to foreheads in a dramatic pose.

"Um-Hagrid?"

"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.

"I haven't got any money-and you heard Uncle Vernon last night...He won't pay for me to go and learn magic."

"Hell, it doesn't sound like he spent any money on you? Clothes, food, nothing." said Lupin.

"He paid my hospital bills." said Harry stretching slightly.

"Tell me they were check-ups." pleaded Sirius. Harry closed his eyes, refusing to answer. Sirius groaned and buried his face in his cub's hair.

"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"

"But if their house was destroyed-"

"What made you think that their money was in the house?" asked Ron.

"The Dursleys have a second financial ledger hidden away in the room I sleep in. I stumbled on it one day as I was fixing some of Dudley's old, broken toys. It labeled a whole bunch of money they were getting from someone, and in it, was a number for a bank account. I saw how much money they were hoarding away. Taking the current exchange, in galleons it would be..." it took a Harry a moment of looking up at the sky. "Three hundred and fifty-eight thousand, eight hundred and twenty-one galleons and two sickles and that was when I was thirteen."

People whistled around the hall, that was a lot of money. Even Draco had his eyebrows raised and mouth hanging open.

Professor Vector's eyebrows raised in admiration and shock, how can this child do math that fast? Miss Granger still had to write down her figures to find out the solution. And this boy can do this in his head? He was highly impressed.

"Albus." said McGonagall, she came over and whispered viciously into his ear. "Isn't that the total amount of galleons you sent to those Muggles to care for the boy?"

Dumbledore quickly did the math in his head as well, he had sent the Dursleys child support in the form of Muggle money, easier for them to use, and his face fell. Harry's figure was dead on. That was the money Vernon was supposed to use for Harry. What was he doing, saving it like that?

"Without that account number, they wouldn't be able to get to it. Uncle Vernon came in my room one time, during my school year, and saw that I forgot to place the crease back in the book cover it was hiding in. I haven't seen the book since." said Harry, not really caring what the money was supposed to be for.

"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold-an' I wouldn't say no the a bit o' yer birthday cake neither."

"Wizards have banks?"

"Just the one, Gringotts. Run by goblins."

Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.

"Goblins?"

"Yeah-so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe-'cept maybe Hogwarts.

"Don't know about that." said Harry whispered mysteriously.

"Don't know about what?" whispered back Sirius, Lupin leaned in to hear.

"I've come up with about twenty-two different ways of breaking into Gringotts."

"Don't...even...try...it..." growled Sirius, though a small smile played acrossed his face.

"Why would you come up with ideas like that?" asked Remus stunned.

"Was the only exercise my brain got." said Harry with a shrug.

As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you-gettin' things from Gringotts-knows he can trust me, see.

"I wouldn't trust you to take out the garbage." spat Umbridge. Hagrid didn't look hurt, he knew, whatever she said, most of the school disagreed with her. And he was right. Growls and yells could be heard quite clearly.

"That is where you differ from me and the rest of the staff here at Hogwarts. And I fear, that isn't the only difference." said Dumbledore with a cryptic smile.

"Got everythin'? Come on, then."

Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.

"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.

"Flew," said Hagrid.

"Flew?"

"Yeah-but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."

They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.

"How did you do it, Hagrid?" squeaked a small Hufflepuff girl.

"Was it my bike again Hagrid?" said Sirius with a cunning smile.

"Yep, it was. Once I got ter 'arry I sent it back." said Hagrid with smile.

"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry another one of his sideways looks. "If I was ter-er-speed things up an bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"

"Whatever you did, he certainly didn't tell us." said Hermione, glaring at Harry.

"I keep my word, I never go back on it. Promises are very important to me." said Harry defensively.

Hermione's face fell in guilt she herself broke some promises, not to Harry and Ron though, Dumbledore's, Lupin's and Sirius's faces however, all lit up. He was very much like his mother, however, she would bend her promises sometimes.

"Of course not," said Harry, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.

"You weren't supposed to use magic! You were expelled!" screeched Umbridge gleefully.

"Delores, he was found innocent years ago! Try to keep up with the times, for heaven's sake!" groaned Madam Bones.

"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.

"Spells-enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the high-security vaults.

"There'd better not be, Bill." growled Charlie towards his older brother.

Bill raised his hands, "Hey I don't have anything to do with that aspect of the bank. Take it up with the goblins."

They all waited till Charlie and a few Care of Magical Creature enthusiasts finished ranting and planning a revolt on behalf of the dragons, so they could continue.

And then yeh gotta find yer way-Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."

Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper,

"How many ways did you plan out to rob the bank then?" asked Lupin quietly.

"Two, and even after I visited the bank and learned the geography, they both would work."

Lupin groaned.

the Daily Prophet. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.

"Ya could've asked anythin yer liked 'arry I wouldn't ta minded." said Hagrid, a little ashamed that he ignored Harry.

"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.

"WE DON'T MESS THINGS UP!" bellowed Umbridge and Fudge.

"You've got two people here, who are testimony to the fact that the ministry screwed up royally!" yelled Harry right back. He pointed to Sirius and Hagrid.

"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.

"'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one.

"I'M NOT A BUNGLER!" yelled Fudge, not nearly as loud as before.

"HE MOST CERTAINLY IS NOT!" screeched Umbridge.

"Delores, Cornelius, I think that it goes without saying that we, the Ministry made some very weighty mistakes. Drop it." said Madam Bones.

So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice. "

"Now, Hagrid, it's not every morning." chided George playfully.

"It's every quarter hour." finished Fred.

The Minister and his Senior Undersecretary scowled at them. I'll get them, once I'm done with Potter, I'll get them. thought Umbridge savagely.

"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"

"Nothing much." piped up a fifth year Ravenclaw. Fudge and Umbridge glared at her. Madam Bones had had enough.

"Honestly, you two are worse than children, getting angry at every little thing. Merlin, Potter has had insults thrown to him, and he slings them right back, or he simply accepts them. He's more mature then the both of you put together."

Umbridge scowled at Head of Law Enforcement. While Fudge looked slightly ashamed.

"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."

"Why?"

"Why? Blimey, Harry everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."

"Muggles are so greedy." sneered Umbridge. Some of the students, who were purebloods, nodded in agreement, they were remembering the Dursleys and the money they were hoarding.

"Wizards are just as greedy as Muggles, sometimes more so." stated Harry. "While the justice system in the wizarding world isn't always perfect, at least they, for the most part, don't have criminals make a large donation to the hospital to get off."

"WHO HAS DONE THAT MR. POTTER?" bellowed Madam Bones incredulously.

"You want a list? Give me a minute or two and I can give you a head start into an audit of some people's bank accounts." said Harry whipping out his small black book from his knapsack a spare roll of and a quill.

"There is no need Mr. Potter." simpered Umbridge. "The Minister knows all about them."

"And yet, they aren't in jail, and money for freedom is still used as a bartering tool. Right now, you didn't shed your Minister in a good light." said Harry with a raised eyebrow, still writing down names and dates, not even looking at the parchment. He turned towards Madam Bones, "I'll have the list for you...right...now." He rolled up the list and handed it to Sirius, who passed it to Madam Bones.

She unrolled it, her eyes getting larger as the list grew longer. Once she was done, she glared over to the Minister and Umbridge. Fudge shifted guiltily in his seat, however Umbridge was still snarling at Harry, who was ignoring her.

At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.

"How did the Dursleys get back to land Harry?" asked Lee.

"Before we left the town, I stopped at the Police Station and told them that there was a family stranded out on the rock. They went and picked them up, right after Hagrid and I left. Uncle Vernon wasn't happy that I sicced the cops on them, but I didn't want to think of another plan to get them off that rock."

"You didn't want to?" repeated Sirius.

"Wasn't worth my time to come up with a less conspicuous escape for them."

"That's my boy!" said Sirius ruffling Harry's hair. Lupin smiled.

Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"

"Hagrid." said Snape tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his hooked nose with his forefinger and thumb.

"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there were dragons at Gringotts?"

"Was that out of curiosity or were you still planning your heist?" whispered Lupin.

"Planning a third way." said Harry with an evil grin.

"Merlin, help me." Lupin moaned, massaging his temple.

"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."

"Only Hagrid." said Sirius fondly. Harry, Hermione and Ron shared a small smile.

"You'd like one?"

"Wanted one ever since I was a kid-here we go."

They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets.

"I don't see how people can have problems with Muggle money, the denominations are right there!" said Hermione exasperatedly.

People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.

"What was that for Hagrid." asked Harry.

"A blanket for Fluffy, he was gettin' the sniffles." said Hagrid.

"Who's Fluffy?" asked Charlie.

"You'll find out later." said Ron.

"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches. Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.

"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list of everything yeh need."

Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

"Simple yet stylish, at least compared to the Smelting's uniform." said the fashionistas of the school.

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

"I can only remember wearing it the first week." said Harry

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

They all looked at Charlie warily, he wasn't happy, but he wasn't furious.

"They harvest the dragon hide from the elderly that pass away. Their hides are considered the toughest."

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

"Harry had to order another one, to go underneath the one he already had, he kept almost freezing to death going between classes and going outside. CRAP! Sorry Harry," said Ron. Dumbledore, Mrs. Weasley, and Madam Pomfrey quickly looked towards the raven haired youth, who slapped a hand across his eyes. Sirius and Remus summoned all the blankets from yesterday. back and laid them on top of their cub. "I didn't mean say that out loud." he said meekly.

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

"I remember Fred and George kept switching their name tags around in our first year." smiled Alicia.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)

by Miranda Goshawk

"Actually quite handy to have on you." said Ron. Hermione's eyebrows raised in shock.

A History of Magic

by Bathilda Bagshot

"Ah, Harry, Ms. Bagshot would like to have a word with you soon. You and your parents used to live right next door to her. I would like to say, she would love to catch up with you, however, these books are doing it for you." said Dumbledore his eyes twinkling again.

Magical Theory

by Adalbert Waffling

"I disproved every theory in that damn book in my first year." muttered Harry. Lupin and Sirius looked at him in amazement.

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration

by Emeric Switch

"Awesome book! Awesome class!" shouted Lee.

"No use trying to butter me up Mr. Lee." said McGonagall sternly, she however couldn't stop the sides of her mouth from twitching.

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi

by Phyllida Spore

"That is actually one of my favorite books." said Harry. Snape stared at him.

Magical Drafts and Potions

by Arsenius Jigger

"That is one of my other ones." continued Harry, Snape's jaw fell open.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them

by Newt Scamander

The N.E.W.T.S Care of Magical Creature students all cheered.

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection

by Quentin Trimble

Umbridge was the only one to applaud the book. Everyone else booed.

A thought had just struck Harry, "Wow, that is some kind of weird and twisted fate."

"What is?" asked Hermione.

"Look at some of the names of the authors. Sir, are all names, those people's real names? The names they were born with?" asked Harry, looking at Dumbledore. He nodded.

"Well, the magical theory book: author's last name is Waffling. And that book is the biggest load of bull I've ever read, It says everything so pretty and flowing that you can hardly understand it. The word "waffle" when used as a verb, is to speak or write with uncertain significance. Kinda like your speeches, Umbridge." said Harry.

People were frowning at this, but then their eyebrows were rising slowly.

"The transfiguration book: last name of that author is Switch, in that class, you learn to transfigure. The synonym for the word 'transfigure' is 'switch'!"

Dumbledore sat there, staring at the young man, he was right!

"The herbology book: Phyllida Spore. Phyllidae is a noun that means leaf, insects, and the word spore? The reproductive cell of a fungus. Instead of seeds, they have spores.

"The potions book: Arsenius, arsenious means containing arsenic in the trivalent state. Arsenic is arsenic trioxide a white, tasteless water-soluble, poison. The word Jigger can mean several things, but one meaning is to manipulate or alter, mostly for illegal purposes. A potioneer manipulates and alters the ingredients of a potion and forming it into something completely different, a solid to a liquid. Early potions were used only for illegal purposes.

"The Magical Beast book: Newt Scamander. A newt is a salamander, Scamander is the an old name for a river that flows into the Aegean Sea, which derived its name from Greek myth, which holds tales of Pegasus, and other magical beasts. Or you can manipulate the name and have it besalamander.

"The Defense book: Trimble, well if you switch out the 'i' for an 'e' you get the word tremble. Which is something you really shouldn't be doing when you're trying to defend yourself, but he was always known to be a coward." said Harry thoughtfully.

Dumbledore was sitting in shock during this narration. He knew now that Harry was a highly intelligent individual, but he never knew he was thisstaggeringly brilliant.

"This is some twisted kind of fate. For all those people to write books, and their names to be that, naturally. Boggles my flipping mind"

Sirius and Remus stared at him, then each other. Where the hell did Harry learn all this stuff? And just how much is he holding back?

"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud.

"If yeh know where to go, " said Hagrid.

Harry had never been to London before.

"Really? You've never been to London, before this?" asked Neville.

"Nope, every time the Dursley's would go to London, I would be left behind at Mrs. Figgs." said Harry with a smile. "But since then, I had been to London several times."

Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.

"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.

Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks?

"I couldn't believe it either, Harry." said Hermione

Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up?

"Hell, not even we would pull that kind of a prank." said George, shocked.

"We may be nutters, but we have standards." said Fred with dignity.

If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.

Hagrid seemed to inflate with pride. Harry had trusted Hagrid, despite almost all the adults in his life letting him down. Harry chose to trust him!

"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."

It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it.

"You had a feeling, Potter?" asked Moody gruffly.

Harry nodded and Dumbledore and Moody exchange a significant glance.

Before he could mention this, Hagrid steered him inside.

For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry.

"Harry, how did you know that was sherry?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Not only am I the cook at the Dursleys', I'm also the waiter. I know what drink goes best with what" he said simply.

"That would imply that you've taken a drink of something a little stronger than butterbeer a time or two." said Remus warningly.

"Shh! Don't tell Uncle Vernon, he couldn't figure out who took a sip of his wine two years ago." said Harry with a mischievous smile.

"HAROLD JAMES POTTER! YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO DRINK!" reproached Madam Pomfrey.

Harry just gave a sheepish grin. "I know I am, I only took a sip. Of each."

"How many were there?" said Lupin in the same tone as before.

"Thirty-nine, NOT ALL IN ONE DAY! IT WAS OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW MONTHS!" said Harry defensively when he saw the look on Mrs. Weasley's face. "The last time I screwed up on the wine choice, they didn't let me cook for three weeks; I wanted to make sure that, that mistake never happened again!"

One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual Hagrid?"

"You'd better not drink in front of him, though he's already had quite a few." growled Mrs. Weasley. Her tone changed when he saw the hurt and insulted look on Harry's face. "Sorry dear, I didn't mean..." Harry turned his head away from her quickly. He covered his face up with the phoenix quilt and motioned to Hermione to continue.

Hermione sent Mrs. Weasley a furious look, as did most of the adults in the room, before she continued.

"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.

"Sorry 'arry." mumbled Hagrid.

"Good Lord, " said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this-can this be-?"

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.

"That has never happened before, that I can remember." said Lupin with his eyebrows raised.

"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter...what an honor."

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back, welcome back."

Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.

Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.

"Bet you just loved that, didn't you Potter?" smirked Umbridge.

"Actually, he hates it. He'd rather go unnoticed." said Draco absently.

All the students, as well as all the teachers turned to look at him, with widened eyes.

"What?"

"You accuse him of liking attention every day!" said Cho.

"I was bullying him! I know he hates it!" said Draco waving his hand.

"I do, I really do hate it." muttered Harry from under the blankets, "The bullying I'm used to, I used to just sit an' take it, now I fight back. Lot of fun actually." said Harry looking over the blankets and smirking over to Draco.

"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."

"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."

"Always wanted to shake your hand-I'm all of a flutter."

"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."

Dedalus sat up straighter in his chair. A part of him felt ashamed that he was fawning over Harry, now that he knew he didn't like being stared at, but he couldn't help but feel a small twinge of pride.

"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."

"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!"

Harry shook hands again and again-Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.

A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes were twitching.

Harry and Ron muttered something, "Watch your language, boys." said Lupin.

"Professor Quirrell" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

"He was the best teacher this school had, till I came around." said Umbridge, leaning back in her pink chair.

"Yeah, best of the worst." said Harry loudly. Students tried to hide their laughter, but for the most part were unsuccessful. Umbridge had a permanent scowl on her face.

"P-P-Potter." stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."

"I'll just bet you are." muttered Harry darkly.

What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.

"Ruddy coward." growled Moody.

But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.

"Must get on-lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."

"If anyone else had been there, I don't think they would have stopped. Hagrid could have just swung his arm and knock them all out." said Tonks with a cheery smile.

Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

Hagrid grinned at Harry.

"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh-mind you, he's usually tremblin'."

"Perfect for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position then." said Kingsley rolling his eyes.

"Is he always that nervous?"

"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience...They say he met vampires in the Black Forest,

"Wasn't a vampire." snarled Ron.

and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag-never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject-now, where's me umbrella?"

Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming, Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.

"Wasn't too sure I wanted to become a wizard after that. I didn't really want to meet up with one of them right then and there." said Harry with a laugh.

"Can you imagine if Harry had not come to school?" muttered Hermione.

"Be a living hell." said Ron shaking his head.

"We'd be dead." said Neville.

"Three up...two across..." he muttered. "Right, stand back Harry."

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.

The brick he had touched quivered-it wriggled-in the middle, a small hole appeared-it grew wider and wider-a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."

He grinned at Harry's amazement.

"The look on yer face was priceless." said Hagrid.

They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.

The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons-All Sizes-Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver-Self-Stirring

"I remember one time when we were our first year, James jinxed one of the self-stirring cauldrons in the potions classroom, Sirius took a hold of it and was spun around and around like a top. Went crashing into the wall. Funniest thing I have ever seen in my life!" said Lupin fondly.

"Glad I could amuse you." Sirius rubbed his ribs, thinking about the prank.

-Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.

"Yeah, you'll be needin' one, " said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first.'

Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying. "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad..."

"Not really, we petitioned laws so that they couldn't take too many livers from too many dragons. They get a set amount every year. We're fighting to have it lowered even more." said Charlie with a pleased tone.

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium-Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy.

Out of the blue, came the rush of wings and a snowy owl landed on Harry's stomach.

"Hey Hedwig," said Harry, stroking her feathers. Several girls sighed and cooed.

"Your owl is the most beautiful owl here." said Lavender longingly. Hedwig puffed out her feathered chest proudly.

"No, in the whole world." said Harry fondly.

Sirius stroked her feathers as well. "Smart as a whip, too."

Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand-fastest ever-"

Harry let his mind wander, his first broom. He gave a great sigh, and smiled. Remembering the rushing of air underneath his knees and through his hair. God, he missed flying. He was going to have to get his Firebolt back somehow.

There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instrumentals Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon...

"Gringotts," said Hagrid.

They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was-

"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

Enter, stranger, but take heed,

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.

"Take the hint." whispered Lupin, tugging on Harry's pants leg.

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in a large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.

"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."

"You have his key, sir?"

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid,

"How did Hagrid get ahold of Harry's key?" asked Sirius.

"The key was in my possession for safe keeping. I couldn't possibly give it to the Dursleys to hold onto for safe keeping. When Harry was to go to London, I gave the key to Hagrid, and then the key was to be given to Harry, as it was his property." said Dumbledore.

and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers.

"Oooh, bad move, they will not be very happy with that. They like to keep things tidy, goblins." winced Bill.

The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.

"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.

The goblin looked at it closely.

"That seems to be in order."

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's all about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

"You had to say that in front the most inquisitive boy Hogwarts will ever know?" said McGonagall with a small smile.

The goblin read the letter carefully.

"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.

"And so it begins." said Harry, Hermione and Ron all together. Nobody except for a Majority of the staff and the some of the fifth years and up knew what they were talking about.

"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."

Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks towards them. They climbed in-Hagrid with some difficulty-and were off.

"Those carts are awesome!" yelled Harry and a few Quidditch players.

"Why in the heck do you say that?" asked Ernie with a shocked look on his face.

"It's a speed flying thing." said Harry with a shrug.

"You're a nutter." said Sirius shaking his head and tugging his hair lightly.

At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible.

"Left, right, right, left, middle fork, right left, right fork, left, right, middle fork, down spiral, straight fork, right, right, left and left." said Harry quietly.

The hall went quiet.

"Memorized it on the way out." said Harry shrugging.

The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.

"That was a little unnerving." said Harry.

Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon,

"Bill..." growled Charlie.

"BRO, I DON"T KNOW!" yelled Bill.

but too late-they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.

"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

"Didn't you know at the time?" asked Hermione.

"Making conversation. Hagrid was real quiet." said Harry.

"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."

"If I had noticed that, I never would have bothered you Hagrid, sorry." called Harry to Hagrid.

He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.

"I offered him some gingerbread that I had baked from my knapsack. It was the last thing I baked at the Dursley's."

"Harry, he was about to be sick!" said Lupin with a stunned look.

"Ginger settles your stomach and makes it so you don't throw up." stated Harry.

Lupin thought a moment, looked to Madam Pomfrey, who appeared impressed and said "Oh."

"Wish I took it, especially if ya made it." said Hagrid sheepishly.

"It was alright." said Harry grinning.

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.

"All yours," smiled Hagrid.

All Harry's- it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster blinking.

People snarled at the memory of the Dursleys.

How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep?

"There was nothing that they paid for!" yelled Hermione looking up from the book.

And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.

"That's just your school fund. Your complete vault is way down below that one. Your dad was the richest man in the world, now you are." whispered Sirius. Harry's eyes opened wide in shock.

Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.

"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"

"One speed only," said Griphook.

"Right on!" said Harry, the school players all cheered loudly. Others looked at them and shook their heads. Athletes are insane.

They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.

"Thanks Hagird." said Lupin as Sirius absent-mindedly rubbed the Harry's neck.

Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.

"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.

"Can't get in there to rob it now can you?" said Sirius into Harry's ear.

"Actually..."

"Never mind."

"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.

"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.

"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.

"How come I feel that you are asking this, so you know what could happen if you touch the door?" said Lupin warningly but his mouth twitched when Harry sent a cheeky grin towards the werewolf.

Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least-

As did the most of the students in the Hall.

but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor.

"Well, that was a huge letdown." said Bill.

Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.

"Only restraint Potter has ever shown." sneered Snape.

"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.

One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life-more money than even Dudley had ever had.

"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick,

"Hagrid couldn't it of waited." admonished Mrs. Weasley.

"Leave him alone!" yelled Harry. Mrs. Weasley looked shocked, as did the rest of the Weasley children.

Sirius pulled Harry closer to him. "Molly I remember those carts, I would want a stiff drink too. Leave Hagrid alone." he said sternly.

Mrs. Weasley looked down, a little hurt.

so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"What the hell is mauve?" asked Charlie.

"A light blue-purple mix." said Harry.

"How do you know what mauve is?" said Ron eyebrows raised far into his hairline.

"Aunt Petunia and her fashion conscious lifestyle." muttered Harry darkly.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here-another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes.

Draco paled, oh shit! he thought.

Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."

Draco slowly sank into the chair he was sitting.

Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.

"OOOHHH!" said the twins. "BURN!"

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.

"No," said Harry.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.

The Gryffindor team couldn't help but smile. Harry was such a natural that he became a Quidditch star the first game.

"I do-Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my House, and I must say, I agree. Know what House you'll be in yet?"

"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.

"Well no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been-imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

The Hufflepuffs in the Hall, including Tonks, Professor Sprout and Madam Bones turned and looked at Malfoy severely.

"Sorry..." said Malfoy quietly.

"Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.

"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.

"That was very kind of you Hagrid." said Dumbledore with his eyes twinkling.

Hagrid blushed, "He didn't have much breakfast."

"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."

"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"

Growls rippled through three of the four houses.

"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.

"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage-lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."

"I think an apology would be appropriate right now, Draco." said Snape from his serpentine chair.

"I concur." said Dumbledore, the twinkle absent from his eyes.

"I'm sorry." said Draco, looking down and meaning it.

"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.

"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.

"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all.

Sirius and Remus snarled a little bit.

"Wasn't then, am now." said Draco quietly.

"But they were our kind, weren't they?"

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families.

The Muggleborns in the Hall sent an angry look towards Draco.

"I agree with Mr. Malfoy, this school should only be kept in the family of purebloods." said Umbridge nastily. The whole school stared at her in shock. Even the Minister sat with his mouth agape at her. Dumbledore sent her a rare scowl.

"You remove the Muggleborns, the magic will be stripped from this place." said Harry calmly.

"You don't know what you are talking about Mr. Potter." simpered the toad like Professor.

Harry sighed and took his little notebook out quickly, flipping to a single page. "The magic that we use doesn't come from our magical heritage or our wands, but the spiritual core that all living things have. There are two cores in a living being, the spiritual core and the essence core. For some reason, Healers refer to this as a magical core, which is completely incorrect. It could mean both of them, but Healers only notice the spiritual core. A person is labeled a witch or wizard when their spiritual core is stronger than normal. A strong core can be passed down in the line of a family, but that doesn't always guarantee that a person will possess the necessary power to wield it.

"The essence core is the core that alerts us to different types of magic, and the power to absorb and contain spare power. This school is pure magic, and it gives off a strong pulse of magic. Purebloods, due to excessive inbreeding, have inadvertently narrowed the path that the magic flows through. The school would choke itself off, in other words, die. When the school dies, so does the magic that holds the school together. Paintings will cease to move, the staircases will freeze, ghosts will be forced to fade, wands and potions will be useless and the forest will die. With muggleborns and half-bloods, the school has a healthy supply of containers to receive and store their magic. The purebloods here have had their essence cores choked off so bad that they don't take any magic into themselves at all. Sad really." said Harry slowly closing his notebook.

The school stared at him and then turned slowly towards the Unspeakables that were present. They were staring at him as well.

"He's right, he's absolutely right. Boy ever thought of being an Unspeakable?"

Harry chuckled and shook his head, no.

What's your surname, anyways?"

"What's it to you?" said a second year Gryffindor, recovering from the shock of Harry's release of information.

But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose, " said the drawling boy.

Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).

"That's your favorite." said Hermione. Hagrid looked surprised, then his face broke into a smile.

"I get it every chance I can." said Harry with a dreamy smile.

"What's up" said Hagrid.

"Nothing," Harry lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote.

"You've never used that in class." said Hermione.

"I save it for this." he said holding up the little black book. Umbridge stared at it. She wanted that book.

When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"

"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know-not knowin' about Quidditch!"

"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.

"-and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in-"

"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were-he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles-look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"

"An' look at 'ermione!" said Hagrid happily. Hermione blushed and continued on.

"So what is Quidditch?"

"It's our sports. Wizard sport. It's like-like soccer in the Muggle world-everyone follows Quidditch-played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls-sorta hard ter explain the rules."

"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"School Houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but-"

Tonks looked insulted. Hagrid looked unashamed. "I wasn' finished. I was gonna say 'but they're a good lot.'"

Tonks smiled in approval.

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.

"Nothing wrong with that and we would have been glad to have you." said Madam Bones

"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin." said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin.

"I know two off the bat that weren't in Slytherin, but you didn't know that at the time, Hagrid." said Harry kindly.

You-Know-Who was one."

"Vol-, sorry-You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"

"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.

They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of a postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Counter-curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

"He didn't 'almost drag' me," said Harry defensively "He had to pick me up, toss me over his shoulder and carry me away from the book." The school laughed at the mental image.

"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."

"WE'LL HELP!" yelled the students.

"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid.

"And if you need to save your life, the Ministry will try to expel you." said Hermione viciously.

"An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."

Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"),

"I bought it two years later." said Harry with a slick smile.

but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for it's horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).

Snape stirred guiltily in his chair, Potter was interested in Potions.Damn, sorry Lily.

Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.

"Just yer wand left-oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

"You're so nice Hagrid." said Luna dreamily. Hagrid blushed.

Harry felt himself go red.

"You don't have to-"

"You deserve it, what did he get you anyway?" said Lupin curiously.

"You'll find out soon." said Harry, stoking Hedwig's feathers, who was now on a perch in front of the bowl.

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at-

"Sorry Neville." said Hagrid shamefully.

Neville just smiled. "It's okay."

an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze.

Hermione blushed, all the times she brought Crookshanks, "Sorry Hagrid, I didn't know Crookshanks made you sneeze."

"It's alright" Hagrid smiled down to her. "He don't shed much."

I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."

Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.

"Aww! You're so sweet Harry." said twins mockingly.

"What made you choose her?" asked Parvati. Hermione and Ron sat forward in their chairs. Hagrid would always tell them this story, it was their favorite.

Harry sat up a little bit and focused most of his weight on Sirius' side. "Well, we went inside to pick out an owl when a middle-aged man brushed us aside. Mostly me, Hagrid can't be brushed by anyone. Hagrid had to catch me from falling into a box of owl pellets beside the door."

People flinched.

"Well, he was carrying a birdcage, with the most beautiful bird I'd ever seen. She was hooting and fluttering angrily, she wasn't happy, and neither was the man. He said that she was acting up and he didn't want to deal with her. The man behind the counter sighed and took the owl and gestured towards the man to pick something else. The man wanted his money back, but the shopkeeper wouldn't give it to him. Big sign said behind him 'no returns, exchanges only'. The man threw a flipping fit, he whipped out his wand and things around the store started to explode. Owls were zooming around, trying to peck at anything they could. The shopkeeper tried to repair the damage as the man continued to rant and rave. There was a black cage, tucked away in the back and the man magicked that open. The shopkeeper screamed that, that particular owl was a something like an attack dog. If anything else in that room was living, it was going to be owl food. The man laughed and left the store, before the owl could reach him."

"Hagrid tried to drag me out of the store, but I was trying to get to the Snowy owl, that the man had returned, out of the store. Cause that black owl decided that she was easy pickings and tried to get to her through the wooden bars. I looked towards the man, but his hands were busy trying to get all the other owls back into their cages. So I picked up a broom and smacked the black owl away from the Snowy, right into the wall."

The school cheered, Harry had to wait to for them to finish.

"I picked up her cage and ran to Hagrid. I was afraid that the owl would get up, and start trying to peck her again. The man finally settled down his owls and stuffed them into their cages. The man came behind the counter and threw a wicker basket down on the owl. In order to keep the basket down on the owl, he had to sit on it. He looked up to us, and did his best to make his voice sound normal, didn't work. He asked what we needed, I looked at the owl in the cage, I said this owl. He paled a little bit, told me that, she might not be the best owl for me, she was stubborn and too proud to deliver much of anything. I told him I didn't care, I wanted her. He sighed, shook his head and rang her up, with a significant discount for trying to help and getting caught up in all that, and that's how I got her." Harry said fondly.

"So you saved her?" said Dennis quickly.

"In a way, we've saved each other." said Harry quietly. Hedwig nipped his finger affectionately and rubbed her head into his hand.

"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now-only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."

A magic wand...this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.

"As does everyone." said Professor Flitwick.

The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

"Whose wand is that?" said Hermione interestingly.

"It was the first wand the Mr. Ollivander ever crafted." said Dumbledore.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

Albus and Alastor looked at each other again, he could sense this? Dumbledore would have to ask Harry to take a sensing test.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.

"I must have gotten there after you left, Harry, because the chair was broken when we arrived." said Seamus.

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.

"Ah, yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

"First wand?" asked Harry. Sirius looked down at him,

"Your mom had a bit of an accident in her third year. A Slytherin girl tried to get the best of her in a duel, your mom beat her hands down, but that little twit ran up to your mom and ripped the wand out of her hands and stamped on it."

"Sore loser." said Harry bemusedly.

"Yeah, Bellatrix always was a sore loser." said Lupin coldly.

"Bellatrix Lestrange?" said both Harry and Neville.

"Yeah, she was always jealous of your mom, your mom was prettier, more popular, better at potions, better duelist, everything. Always pissed her off." said Sirius fondly.

"When Sirius found out in our third year that Lily always managed to whip Bella in everything that had to deal with magic, he ran up to her and kissed her full on the lips."

"Bet she loved that." said Harry with a grin.

"Slapped me so hard that I flew backwards and landed on top of James." said Sirius rubbing his right cheek and chin. "I still can't smile right." The girls in the room started to giggle.

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.

"Your father, on the other, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it-it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.

"But they were our kind, weren't they?"

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families.

The Muggleborns in the Hall sent an angry look towards Draco.

"I agree with Mr. Malfoy, this school should only be kept in the family of purebloods." said Umbridge nastily. The whole school stared at her in shock. Even the Minister sat with his mouth agape at her. Dumbledore sent her a rare scowl.

"You remove the Muggleborns, the magic will be stripped from this place." said Harry calmly.

"You don't know what you are talking about Mr. Potter." simpered the toad like Professor.

Harry sighed and took his little notebook out quickly, flipping to a single page. "The magic that we use doesn't come from our magical heritage or our wands, but the spiritual core that all living things have. There are two cores in a living being, the spiritual core and the essence core. For some reason, Healers refer to this as a magical core, which is completely incorrect. It could mean both of them, but Healers only notice the spiritual core. A person is labeled a witch or wizard when their spiritual core is stronger than normal. A strong core can be passed down in the line of a family, but that doesn't always guarantee that a person will possess the necessary power to wield it.

"The essence core is the core that alerts us to different types of magic, and the power to absorb and contain spare power. This school is pure magic, and it gives off a strong pulse of magic. Purebloods, due to excessive inbreeding, have inadvertently narrowed the path that the magic flows through. The school would choke itself off, in other words, die. When the school dies, so does the magic that holds the school together. Paintings will cease to move, the staircases will freeze, ghosts will be forced to fade, wands and potions will be useless and the forest will die. With muggleborns and half-bloods, the school has a healthy supply of containers to receive and store their magic. The purebloods here have had their essence cores choked off so bad that they don't take any magic into themselves at all. Sad really." said Harry slowly closing his notebook.

The school stared at him and then turned slowly towards the Unspeakables that were present. They were staring at him as well.

"He's right, he's absolutely right. Boy ever thought of being an Unspeakable?"

Harry chuckled and shook his head, no.

What's your surname, anyways?"

"What's it to you?" said a second year Gryffindor, recovering from the shock of Harry's release of information.

But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose, " said the drawling boy.

Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).

"That's your favorite." said Hermione. Hagrid looked surprised, then his face broke into a smile.

"I get it every chance I can." said Harry with a dreamy smile.

"What's up" said Hagrid.

"Nothing," Harry lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote.

"You've never used that in class." said Hermione.

"I save it for this." he said holding up the little black book. Umbridge stared at it. She wanted that book.

When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"

"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know-not knowin' about Quidditch!"

"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.

"-and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in-"

"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were-he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles-look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"

"An' look at 'ermione!" said Hagrid happily. Hermione blushed and continued on.

"So what is Quidditch?"

"It's our sports. Wizard sport. It's like-like soccer in the Muggle world-everyone follows Quidditch-played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls-sorta hard ter explain the rules."

"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"School Houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but-"

Tonks looked insulted. Hagrid looked unashamed. "I wasn' finished. I was gonna say 'but they're a good lot.'"

Tonks smiled in approval.

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.

"Nothing wrong with that and we would have been glad to have you." said Madam Bones

"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin." said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin.

"I know two off the bat that weren't in Slytherin, but you didn't know that at the time, Hagrid." said Harry kindly.

You-Know-Who was one."

"Vol-, sorry-You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"

"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.

They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of a postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Counter-curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

"He didn't 'almost drag' me," said Harry defensively "He had to pick me up, toss me over his shoulder and carry me away from the book." The school laughed at the mental image.

"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."

"WE'LL HELP!" yelled the students.

"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid.

"And if you need to save your life, the Ministry will try to expel you." said Hermione viciously.

"An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."

Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"),

"I bought it two years later." said Harry with a slick smile.

but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for it's horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).

Snape stirred guiltily in his chair, Potter was interested in Potions.Damn, sorry Lily.

Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.

"Just yer wand left-oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

"You're so nice Hagrid." said Luna dreamily. Hagrid blushed.

Harry felt himself go red.

"You don't have to-"

"You deserve it, what did he get you anyway?" said Lupin curiously.

"You'll find out soon." said Harry, stoking Hedwig's feathers, who was now on a perch in front of the bowl.

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at-

"Sorry Neville." said Hagrid shamefully.

Neville just smiled. "It's okay."

an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze.

Hermione blushed, all the times she brought Crookshanks, "Sorry Hagrid, I didn't know Crookshanks made you sneeze."

"It's alright" Hagrid smiled down to her. "He don't shed much."

I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."

Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.

"Aww! You're so sweet Harry." said twins mockingly.

"What made you choose her?" asked Parvati. Hermione and Ron sat forward in their chairs. Hagrid would always tell them this story, it was their favorite.

Harry sat up a little bit and focused most of his weight on Sirius' side. "Well, we went inside to pick out an owl when a middle-aged man brushed us aside. Mostly me, Hagrid can't be brushed by anyone. Hagrid had to catch me from falling into a box of owl pellets beside the door."

People flinched.

"Well, he was carrying a birdcage, with the most beautiful bird I'd ever seen. She was hooting and fluttering angrily, she wasn't happy, and neither was the man. He said that she was acting up and he didn't want to deal with her. The man behind the counter sighed and took the owl and gestured towards the man to pick something else. The man wanted his money back, but the shopkeeper wouldn't give it to him. Big sign said behind him 'no returns, exchanges only'. The man threw a flipping fit, he whipped out his wand and things around the store started to explode. Owls were zooming around, trying to peck at anything they could. The shopkeeper tried to repair the damage as the man continued to rant and rave. There was a black cage, tucked away in the back and the man magicked that open. The shopkeeper screamed that, that particular owl was a something like an attack dog. If anything else in that room was living, it was going to be owl food. The man laughed and left the store, before the owl could reach him."

"Hagrid tried to drag me out of the store, but I was trying to get to the Snowy owl, that the man had returned, out of the store. Cause that black owl decided that she was easy pickings and tried to get to her through the wooden bars. I looked towards the man, but his hands were busy trying to get all the other owls back into their cages. So I picked up a broom and smacked the black owl away from the Snowy, right into the wall."

The school cheered, Harry had to wait to for them to finish.

"I picked up her cage and ran to Hagrid. I was afraid that the owl would get up, and start trying to peck her again. The man finally settled down his owls and stuffed them into their cages. The man came behind the counter and threw a wicker basket down on the owl. In order to keep the basket down on the owl, he had to sit on it. He looked up to us, and did his best to make his voice sound normal, didn't work. He asked what we needed, I looked at the owl in the cage, I said this owl. He paled a little bit, told me that, she might not be the best owl for me, she was stubborn and too proud to deliver much of anything. I told him I didn't care, I wanted her. He sighed, shook his head and rang her up, with a significant discount for trying to help and getting caught up in all that, and that's how I got her." Harry said fondly.

"So you saved her?" said Dennis quickly.

"In a way, we've saved each other." said Harry quietly. Hedwig nipped his finger affectionately and rubbed her head into his hand.

"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now-only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."

A magic wand...this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.

"As does everyone." said Professor Flitwick.

The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

"Whose wand is that?" said Hermione interestingly.

"It was the first wand the Mr. Ollivander ever crafted." said Dumbledore.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

Albus and Alastor looked at each other again, he could sense this? Dumbledore would have to ask Harry to take a sensing test.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.

"I must have gotten there after you left, Harry, because the chair was broken when we arrived." said Seamus.

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.

"Ah, yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

"First wand?" asked Harry. Sirius looked down at him,

"Your mom had a bit of an accident in her third year. A Slytherin girl tried to get the best of her in a duel, your mom beat her hands down, but that little twit ran up to your mom and ripped the wand out of her hands and stamped on it."

"Sore loser." said Harry bemusedly.

"Yeah, Bellatrix always was a sore loser." said Lupin coldly.

"Bellatrix Lestrange?" said both Harry and Neville.

"Yeah, she was always jealous of your mom, your mom was prettier, more popular, better at potions, better duelist, everything. Always pissed her off." said Sirius fondly.

"When Sirius found out in our third year that Lily always managed to whip Bella in everything that had to deal with magic, he ran up to her and kissed her full on the lips."

"Bet she loved that." said Harry with a grin.

"Slapped me so hard that I flew backwards and landed on top of James." said Sirius rubbing his right cheek and chin. "I still can't smile right." The girls in the room started to giggle.

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.

"Your father, on the other, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it-it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.

"That man likes to invade personal space doesn't he?" said Ron.

"And that's where..."

Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands...well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..."

He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.

"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again...Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"

"Sixteen inches? That is one big wand!" said Colin.

"Hagrid's bigger than other people, he would need a bigger wand than most people." said Hermione.

"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.

"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.

"He hates it when one of his wands gets snapped." said Dumbledore.

"Er-yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.

"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.

"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.

"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now-Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Er-well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head.

"What is the point of measuring you, when you just wave a wand or two?" said Draco.

"The measuring lets Ollivander narrow down the list of possible wand combinations. How it does is beyond my scope of knowledge. What do you think?" said Dumbledore and directing the question towards Harry.

People looked at him, what was his take on it?

"I'm not too sure, but I think he's measuring the aura and the pulsating of power from the spiritual core."

As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter, We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such a good results with another wizard's wand."

Neville looked nervously down at his father's wand, he didn't want a new wand, but if this was why spells weren't working for him, then maybe he should give a new wand a chance.

Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils,

"That made me rethink the whole core theory I had." said Harry with a smile.

was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible.

"Oi! That's mine!" cheered Colin excitedly. He was thrilled that his hero had tried his wand.

Just take it and give it a wave."

Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try-"

Harry tried-but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no-here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy.

"That one is mine!" said Blaise with his eyebrows raised.

Go on, go on, try it out."

Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair,

"How many wands did you try?" asked Bill

"Fifty-six." said Harry.

Dumbledore whistled, "That is a lot of wands, You must have been very difficult to find one to be compatible with your core."

but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere-I wonder, now-yes, why not-unusual combination-holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches nice and supple.

Harry smiled and caressed his wand, in his cloak, and then the smile faded. Twin cores, shit! They're gonna find out. Don't know if that is good or not.

Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework,

"Gryffindor colors!" hollered Dean.

"Phoenix colors." corrected Dumbledore. "The wand, when first wielded, will throw colors that symbolizes the core. Unicorn's are silver and white and Dragon's are red and green."

throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well...how curious...how very curious..."

He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious...curious..."

"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"

Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather-just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother-why, its brother gave you that scar."

Harry swallowed.

So did people in the Hall, Sirius and Remus looked between the two of them and then the teen that was stretched a crossed the both of them. Harry merely kept his eyes closed, ignoring them.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember...I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter...After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things-terrible, yes, but great."

Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand,

"Why was his wand so expensive?" asked Hermione. She and Ron only paid twelve Sickles for their wands.

"Mr. Ollivander sets the price by how rare the wood is, how long it took to make the wand and how difficult it was obtaining the core." said Dumbledore. He then leaned over to Harry, beckoning him forward. He whispered in Harry's ear. "It took Ollivander thirty years to convince Fawkes and I to give him a feather. He was amazed that Fawkes gave him two."

Harry laughed.

and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station;

"One of the people from the Underground ran up behind me and ripped Hedwig's cage out of my arms. Yelling something about animal cruelty and some bird society. Then he flung the cage door open. Hedwig wasn't happy, she started pecking him and scratching him. It was real funny, actually." laughed Harry. "Surprised the hell out of him when she came and landed on my shoulder."

People around the school laughed as well, they knew that you didn't come between her and Harry. Hedwig was very possessive of her owner.

Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.

"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves." he said.

He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.

"I can imagine." said Lupin.

"You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.

Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life-and yet-he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.

"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last.

"You are special, Harry, very special." said Lupin, rubbing Harry on the head.

"All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander...but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry-I mean, the night my parents died."

Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.

"Don' worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts-I did-still do, 'smatter of fact."

Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.

"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts," he said. "First o' September-King's Cross-it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursley, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me...See yeh soon, Harry."

"I know, I know, I fergot ter tell him how to get on the train. Train he was on was leavin'"

The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid was gone.

"Aww, Harry, you're so cute!" squealed Katie.

Then a bright flash of light came from the book in Hermione's hands. A scroll appeared, once again from the book.

"What the hell is that?" said Harry, he was staring at the scroll.

"It's a Recollection Scroll, Harry. This is how we knew about that time you landed in the hospital. I hope to God that this one is a good one." said Sirius.

The hall was smothered in a blanket of light.

"This didn't happen last time!" yelled Fred. The whole room whited out.

Chapter 9


The light had deposited them in the middle of a locker room, and the girls quickly covered their eyes, for this was a boys locker room. They however needn't had worried, for all the boys were clothed from at least the waist down. There were about thirty boys, ages varying from seven to thirteen changing into what looked like track outfits, but there were several different colors that the boys were dressing in. They looked around and saw a small black haired boy tying his laces on a bench. He had giant round glasses now, but they could tell that less than a year had passed since the last event the scroll had showed them. Harry leaned on his cane and walked over to the small boy and stared.

"This is so weird." he whispered.

"You're telling us." said Ron.

"What time is this supposed to be, Harry?" asked Dennis looking a little nervous. "Is this a bad memory, like last time?"

"Actually, this is the first track meet I had. I'm seven years old here, and no, this is a good one. Very good one actually." said Harry looking around quickly.

"How do you know how old you are here?" asked Zacharias, not believing that Harry could be as smart as he demonstrated to be.

"I'm seeing people that haven't taken part in this thing since I was seven. They were just turning thirteen, and once you hit that age, you get disqualified for these. You need to sign up for the Senior races and an easier way I know what age I am, is by the colors." said Harry.

"What colors?" asked Neville.

"The colors of the track shirts we all are wearing. Every age group has a different color. If your seven, see me, I'm in blue. Eight you wear green, nine you wear red, ten you wear yellow, eleven you wear white, twelve you wear orange and thirteen you wear black." he said pointing to a different boy in turn.

Without a warning, a man wearing a whistle came in with a lady with a clipboard and several people who went passed the two official looking people and went to go stand by what appeared to be their children.

"You'd think they would knock." said Charlie warily.

"We had twenty minutes to change." said Harry.

"Alright boys, we're all set for you, now I want you to remember. Do your best, you're all winners here and make your parents proud." Now I want to do a quick roll, just to make sure you are all still here. Let's start with the youngest age group." he said nodding to the lady with the clipboard.

"Blue group! Seven year olds: Addelton! Cummings! Kingster! Narwins! Potter!"

Young Harry raised his hand and The Watchers cheered so loudly that the last three names were drowned out. Harry looked at them with one eyebrow raised.

"You know I can't hear you right?" he said trying not to laugh.

"We're cheering now. Makes us feel better. You should have seen us the last memory, worst experience of my life. Deal with us getting excited, you said it was a good memory." said Sirius, looking quite excited. Harry just smiled at them, but the cheering stopped for they noticed something odd. Everyone else in the room was surrounded by their mother or father or both. Harry was alone.

"Didn't anyone come to cheer for you?" asked Hermione nervously.

"Yeah, three people did." said Harry happily.

"WHAT? THE DURLSEY'S ACTUALLY CAME? shouted Bill in disbelief.

"Nope, not the Durselys." said Harry with a large smile.

"Alright boys. This is your first race here, do your best like I said. Don't be intimidated by the older guys, they've been through this before. Alright, you guys can go on out." said the Man with the whistle.

Younger Harry left with the rest of the boys, but fell to the back of the line. The Watcher's followed him down the hall out into the large track field. People were still filling the stands, but three people were walking towards the younger version of Harry.

"Hey, kid!" yelled an older man, his wife on his arm. Both Harrys looked over to the man, the younger Harry beamed, and the older one paled but had a small smile.

"Officer McFinn!" shouted younger Harry and whispered older Harry. The Watchers turned to look where both Harry's were looking. There stood the officer from the last Recollection Scroll, a woman they never saw before, and the Emergency Room doctor. The younger Harry rushed to the man and his wife. The officer patted his head kindly and his wife hugged him tightly.

"You remember Dr. Clark don't you? I told him that I got you set up for this and he wanted to see you run as well." he said gesturing towards the same doctor from the last Recollection Scroll.

"Hello Dr. Clark!" said Harry brightly. Dr. Clark patted Harry on the head.

"How are you feeling today, Harry?" asked the doctor.

"Fine sir, just fine!" said Harry happily.

"You all set to win all the races, Sport?" said the officer with a grin.

"Now Jim, they're supposed to do their best, winning isn't everything." scolded his wife gently.

"I know, I know, but I've got a feeling this boy's spirit is going to whip them all." he said winking down at the small boy.

"James," said Dr. Clark "You do realize that he hasn't been out of physical therapy for longer than three weeks? I can't even believe you signed him up for this."

"He needs the fresh air, besides you've been practicin' running, haven't you lad?"

"Yes, sir! Every day, Officer McFinn was timing me!" said the younger Harry happily.

"Did say James?" said Sirius.

Harry nodded, "That was Officer McFinn's first name." Sirius looked intently at Officer McFinn and a small smile was placed on his lips.

"He really cares about you." said Ginny softly to the present Harry. She took a light hold of his hand.

"All three of them did, I did everything I could to make them proud." said Harry quietly.

"What happened to Dr. Clark?" asked Percy. "Do you still keep in touch with him?"

"No, he's gone as well." said Harry almost silently, tears forming in his eyes. "He was sent to be a military doctor, somewhere, he never came back."

"But he could come back!" said Lavender trying to keep optimistic.

"He was reported 'Missing in action.' Chances of him coming back are slim to almost none. I've never given up, but my hope is slipping." said Harry sadly. Dumbledore and Moody saw a few tears fall from his eyes as he looked down.

Dumbledore whispered to Moody, "Let's see what two old wizards can do." Moody nodded.

Ginny took and placed an arm around Harry's middle and gave him a supportive hug.

"ATTENTION, WILL THE PARTICIPANTS GATHER ON THE STARTING LINE FOR THE WARM UP RUN?" called the loudspeaker over the crowds.

"HOLY CATS! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?" asked Draco in shock.

"A muggle version of the Sonorous charm." said Hermione with a smile.

"Well, you'd best run off and get warmed up Harry. Don't use your speed here, now, save it for the races." said Dr. Clark excitedly.

Younger Harry nodded and hurried off. Some of The Watchers made to follow him but stopped short when they heard Officer McFinn's wife speak.

"I wish we could raise him. Oh Jim, isn't there anything we could do?" she implored to her husband. He scratched his gray haired head.

"Trust me, Holly, Sam and I have tried everything to save that poor little guy from those monsters. That dumb ass of a judge thinks that the monsters were innocent of the abuse. That's what we get for appointing a judge that's still wet behind the ears. The District Attorney told me to leave it be."

"Why would he do that?" said Mrs. McFinn in shock.

"Dursley threatened to sue the police department for harassment. They wanted me to keep away from Harry as well, said I was inappropriate with him."

"Where do they live? I'll shoot them myself." hissed Mrs. McFinn. Older Harry took a step back in shock, with a faint smile on his face.

"Never heard her talk like that before." he whispered, almost laughing.

"I proved to child-services that I wasn't, took a lie detector test and had them watch on a day of their choice. They approved my spending time with him. They're labeling it as something called "Sons Without Fathers" program or something. Only difference is that I can sign him up for stuff that the Dursley's won't. I just have to have him home by six every night."

"He's seven years old, I would think that he could stay out till seven or eight at least." said Sam Clark.

"Harry's the cook at that house, they need him home in time to cook dinner, and I don't get him until his chores are done. A regular little 'Cinderella' life he leads."

"Too bad there isn't a royal ball anytime soon." said Mrs. McFinn sadly.

"Royal Ball?" asked Ron.

"Hermione and I will tell you the story later." said Harry quickly to Ron, stopping Hermione.

All of The Watchers walked alongside the McFinns and Dr. Clark and stood beside the sidelines. younger Harry was running around the large running track, he was the only blue-shirted runner towards the front of the line. The blue, green and red runners were all in the back of the group and trying hard to keep up.

When the warm up lap was over, younger Harry walked over to The Watchers and the McFinns.

"Here's some water dear." said Mrs. McFinn handing him a large bottle of water from the ice cooler she had brought.

"Thanks Mrs. McFinn!"

"I thought I told you not to pour on your speed too early." said Dr. Clark with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't." said Harry simply.

Dr. Clark looked skeptical. "What races are you doing?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Well, I'm in all three sprints, the hundred, the two-hundred and the four-hundred meters. Then I am doing the three kilometer long distance." said Harry ticking the different races off his fingers.

"THREE KILOMETER? You are going to do the three kilometer?" said Dr. Clark with his jaw hanging. A few Watchers said the same thing and had the same appearance.

"Yes sir." said Harry nervously.

Dr. Clark stared at him, then he looked at Officer McFinn.

"Did you give an okay on that?" he whispered to him dangerously.

"He wanted to do it, I wasn't all that keen on the idea myself. But, he showed some persistence, asking me if he could do it every single time I came to pick him up."

The Doctor sighted. "Too late to back out now isn't it? Fine, but you pull out the moment you feel you can't take it anymore you got me?"

"Yes sir, I will." said Harry eagerly.

"WILL THE BLUE SQUAD PLEASE REPORT TO THE STARTING LINE FOR THE HUNDRED METER RACE?"

"Judging by your shirt Sport, that's you. Do your best lad!" said Officer McFinn giving Harry a pat on the back.

"Yes sir!" he said happily and ran off, waving to the three of them.

"Blue squad?" asked Lupin.

"The races are ran in the age groups, then the winners are then taken and placed in a the finals."

"This is an all-day event, isn't it?" asked Fred.

"It's eight thirty four right now." said Harry looking up at the sky.

"That is crazy how you do that, you know?" said Neville blinking up at the sun.

They watched as younger Harry positioned himself on the starting blocks with the other children lined up beside him. They all looked heavier than he did by at least twenty pounds. But Sirius wasn't looking at the size of his godson compared to the other children. He was looking at Harry's eyes. He saw a spark there that he had never seen before. The same look he had seen in a horse when it was about to run.

The starting gun went off and the boys went sprinting down the track. At first the children were neck and neck, but like a bullet shot out of a gun, Harry came right up to the front and led the way by at least a meter. The Watchers and the McFinns were jumping up and down excitedly. They all were screaming "GO HARRY! YOU CAN DO IT, GO! " and the McFinns and Dr. Clark were shouting "ATTA BOY! WAY TA GO!" They watched as Harry crossed the finish line, a good three seconds ahead of the rest of them.

The older Harry was standing beside them silently, he was smiling. Here was a memory he would have to try on a Patronus, just to see how strong it could be.

The scene shifted forward and they were standing beside the McFinns once again. This time, there were seven different kids in different colored shirts lining up on the starting line. Harry, in blue, was easiest the skinniest and smallest person amongst them, but when they looked at the time board, he had the fastest time.

"What is that thing up there with your name on it?" asked Neville.

"It tells people how fast they ran." said Harry quickly.

The gun went off and The Watchers all shouted in excitement as Harry took off like a shot. He was neck 'n neck with a black dressed boy, whose legs were almost as long as younger Harry's entire body. But Harry put a bit more speed on and was a few feet ahead of him when they crossed the finish line.

Sirius and Remus were jumping up and down and so were the Weasely children. The others were applauding as well but not nearly as loud. The only ones not joining in the excitement was Umbridge and Fudge. However, Fudge was trying very hard not to cheer on the small boy. Officer McFinn kissed his wife tightly and Dr. Clark clicked the heels of his own running shoes. Officer McFinn ran up to Harry as he was being congratulated by the rest of the blue squad and the other runners, picked him up and threw him into the air, then catching him as he came down.

"YOU DID IT SPORT! I KNEW YOU COULD!" he shouted placing him on his shoulder. Harry laughed and hugged the officer's head. Older Harry smiled, and he gripped his cane tightly. Oh, how he wished he could run again. This whole feeling, like he was being cursed with the Cruciatus curse every single time he moved, was getting to be too much to endure.

The same thing happened with every single sprint that he took part in, he was the best in his heat, and when it came time to do the finals, he would be fighting for the first place win against an older runner. But he always came out on top, one time, however it was a tie. They had to re-race quickly and Harry beat the twelve year old by half a second.

Sweat was pouring off younger Harry's face so much that Dr. Clark had to rush to the local store and buy him a towel. When the fifteen-hundred meter run was going on, which was designated thirteen year olds only, the McFinns and Dr. Clark wiped all the sweat off the boy's face and handed him cold bottles of water. Younger Harry took this time to rest up for the two-mile race, Mrs. McFinn came back with a picnic basket and she handed him a sandwich and more water. Harry laid down on the picnic blanket, and consumed his lunch.

"How are you feeling now, Harry?" asked Dr. Clark, taking a big bite out of a turkey and Swiss sandwich.

"Still great, sir! I can't wait till the next race." said Harry eating his peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bit of jelly was on his cheek. Mrs. McFinn dabbed the jelly away from his cheek gently.

"Now take your time with that one, Sport. You have a long time to race in that one. Don't push yourself to start with, take it slow. Wait till you are almost done to 'book it'." We'll keep track of the laps for you. When you run past, we'll tell you how many you have left to do. 'kay?" said Officer McFinn. Harry nodded.

"And remember, what I said, if you feel like you can't continue, just drop out. You've done really great today. Forget great, you've done brilliantly! I don't remember anyone under ten years old winning a complete sprint, let alone ALL of them." said Dr. Clark with broad smile.

The scene shifted once more, Harry was running with a group of larger boys. He looked a little tired again but he was still going strong. When he went past The Watcher's, who were about to start cheering when Officer McFinn and Dr. Clark bellowed out.

"LAST LAP HARRY!"

It was as if he had kicked on some internal after burners or something, because once those words left their lips, Harry began to sprint. He was fourth in line, but he began to overtake the other runners. When he flew past each one, they stared in shock and couldn't help but slow their own pace. He met up with the leader and slowly passed him just as he went turned the finally corner. The Watchers, Dr. Clark and the McFinns all jumped up and down, cheering for him. As Harry ran acrossed the finish line, Dr. Clark was the first to reach him and pull him into a great hug.

"THAT WAS AMAZING! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT!"

"Hey, Doctor?" gasped Harry.

"What is it?" said Dr. Clark, holding arm's length.

"Now, I'm tired." panted Harry with a smile, Dr. Clark laughed. Officer McFinn picked him up and hugged him tightly. Mrs. McFinn kissed Harry on the cheek.

The Watchers were cheering, dancing in the people around them and challenging Harry to a race when he was all better. The light that had brought them there, began to form again. Most of the students groaned, they wanted to see more. As the white light enveloped them. They all could hear a whisper, clear as day. It was Officer McFinn.

"I'm so proud of you Harry."

Chapter 10

The light faded and they were back in the Great Hall. The sun was beginning to set softly into the West and the people in the Hall were wiping away tears. Each one of them had heard Officer McFinns words and they looked to Harry, who was standing beside Ginny. He had a small smile on his face, and his eyes looked watery. Mrs. Weasely came over to him and brought him into a tight hug. Only Umbridge looked indifferent.

Harry forgot that he was somewhat angry at her, for her earlier remark from the book's last chapter. He buried his head into her shoulder. Sirius came over to him and enveloped him into a hug as well.

"I miss him, I miss him so much." said Harry quietly. Mrs. Weasely pulled him away and wiped the tears off his face.

"I know dear, We all know. He was a good man, though we only saw him twice, he was a very good man. He loved you very much. I need to say something to you, dear, I'm so sorry Harry, for what I said earlier, it was completely out of line." said Mrs. Weasely, handing him a tissue.

"It's okay, I was just being defensive. I didn't expect you to say that." he said after he blew his nose.

"I never should have said that. Now let's sit you down," she said as she helped Sirius lay him down in the bowl and this time, Lupin supported his head. "and get some food into you."

The tables of food once again reappeared and she hurried off to get Harry a plate. Sirius lifted his feet and placed them on his lap. Harry still had tears falling down his face and Lupin took out his own handkerchief and dried his eyes.

"I'm acting like a baby." Harry whispered between wipes of the handkerchief.

"No, you're just remembering how much he meant to you. There is no shame in it. Sirius and I still have breakdowns over your parents. But we make it better now by trying our best to take care of you. Do you have a way that eases the pain?"

He thought carefully "I guess that would be my cooking, I always feel better when I'm in the kitchen." he said quietly.

"There you go, anytime you want to cook, I'm pretty sure Dumbledore will let you, and so will we when you come to live with us." said Lupin gently ruffling his head.

Mrs. Weasely brought over a plate of food and handed it to Harry. He didn't up to eating at the moment, he couldn't get The McFinns and Dr. Clark out of his mind. He missed Officer McFinn and he really wanted to find Dr. Clark, But he had tried, he tried very hard, he even enlisted the help of some very powerful people in the Muggle world to help him. Not even the most powerful person in the country could help him. Not that she didn't try, much like Harry's personal endeavors, she did all she could too, but to no avail.

He heaved a sigh and took a look at the food, he sneaked a look over to Lupin and Sirius and saw that neither of them were eating, they were looking at him.

"Aren't either of you hungry?" he said thickly. His throat was hoarse from crying.

"We won't start eating till you do." said Lupin firmly.

"I'm not hungry, actually." said Harry, his brain was acting fuzzy again. He couldn't think straight like he would normally do. Madame Pomfrey had told him that he would have a problem thinking clearly sometimes, due to either the fever he had experienced, or some sort of curse he was put under during the incident.

Lupin motioned over the Snape, he begrudgingly strode across the room.

"What?"

"Do you have a nutritional potion on you?"

"I do, why?" asked Snape with a bored look on his face.

"Could Harry have some? He's not feeling well enough to eat, and I don't want to force food down his stomach if he may throw it back up again." pleaded Lupin.

Snape thought about it for about half a second and took a small vial out of his cloak.

"Here Potter, drink it all." he said handing it straight to Harry.

Harry looked up to him, and Snape saw what appeared to be, pain. Not a physical pain, but a soulful pain. Any and all dislike he had for the boy temporarily disappeared. Harry took the vial and whispered 'thanks' and drank the potion down in one gulp.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore and Moody were in the small room off the Great Hall.

"What do you think about our chances of finding Dr. Clark, Alastor?" said Dumbledore seriously.

"Well, I still have some friends in the Rangers. They can hunt down anybody, Magical, or Muggle. They have to, being the frontlines of crime prevention, they have to be able to track people and discover their whereabouts. I can send an owl out to them right now and get them here. They would need an accurate description, if we have to, we can ask Potter for a memory of him. Without the help of the Rangers, our chances of finding the man is about ten percent. With their help, I would say, that the chances fly up to ninety-eight percent."

"I didn't know that you had friends in that secret society! How did that happen?" said Dumbledore in a pleased shock.

"Saved the life of one of English Captain's lieutenants. He rewarded me with this eye, let me tell you, getting used to it was really trying."

"I've always wondered where you got that." said Dumbledore looking pleased.

"Yeah, they're further up on the 'Magical Knowledge' rung of the ladder then even you Albus. I'll send an owl off and get 'em here."

"Thank you Alastor, it would mean the world to Harry." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"That kid deserves a break. More than anyone." said Moody gruffly.

When Dumbledore returned to the Great Hall, he saw that Harry was taking a potion and gulping it down. He hurried over to Harry and asked.

"Harry, what is wrong?" said Dumbledore worriedly.

"He's not in the mood to eat, we asked Severus if he had a nutritional potion, and he gave Harry one." said Remus.

Dumbledore looked carefully at Harry. "Are you alright, Harry."

Harry looked down gave no reply, but Dumbledore was not to be deterred. "You miss Officer McFinn, don't you?"

Harry gulped down a few tears and nodded.

"And Dr. Clark?" added Dumbledore softly. Again Harry nodded.

"Harry, we will find him. The non-magical world may have not been able to locate him, but we will. I promise, we won't stop till we get you an answer. Alright?" said Dumbledore seriously, but with a kind tone.

Harry, looked at Dumbledore, with a mixture of hopelessness and grief, he flung his arms around his neck.

Dumbledore was stunned for a moment, but as soon as he felt the hot tears fall on his shoulder, he returned the hug.

He patted Harry on the back and soothingly said to the distraught boy, "It's alright Harry, it'll be alright. Just let us take care of it now, we'll pick up where you left off. Moody is sending an owl to start the proverbial ball rolling."

"Can we get on with the book now?" said Umbridge in an irritated tone. "Were not getting any younger."

"That is evident just by looking at you." snarled Sirius.

"Do you feel up to continuing Harry?" said Dumbledore kindly.

"I don't see why it should be up to him!" said Umbridge, she was still glaring at Sirius.

"Harry must be present at all times, the books will immediately seal themselves if he isn't present." said one of the Unspeakables. Umbridge paled. There goes my plan. she growled to herself.

"Who would like to read now?" said McGonagall. Hermione looked at the next chapter and smiled.

"I nominate Ron." she said, grinning.

"I don't wanna read." he said quickly.

"Read the chapter title." she urged him.

He looked at it quickly and a smile came to him.

"Alright then, I'll read."

He cleared his throat dramatically and said aloud

The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

"Alright! Finally, we're getting to Hogwarts!" yelled Sirius.

Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun.

"It never is." said Fred.

"And if it was." said George.

"It wouldn't be summer." they both finished.

True Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room,

The school cheered, Dudley would never bully Harry again. When one of the students voiced this, Harry only smiled sadly.

"You'd think that." that caused everyone to cease cheering.

while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard,

"Well that's a bonus." said Dennis.

force him to do anything, or shout at him-

"Well, at least it sounds like they didn't hurt you any further." said Lupin rubbing Harry's arm.

in fact, they didn't speak to him at all.

"Even better!" shouted a Slytherin.

Half terrified,

"They should be!" yelled a Ravenclaw.

half furious,

"Aside from getting caught trying to stash you away from this place. Why did they not want you to leave their house? It sounds like they would love to be rid of you!" asked Draco.

"They wanted to keep their butler, chef, gardener and housekeeper." said Ginny with a scowl towards the book.

they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty.

"Nothing new." said Lee with a grim look. He was an only child and if he wasn't at the table for meals and making his parents laugh at his antics, they would think he wasn't well. He could hardly imagine his parent's ignoring him. It wasn't natural.

Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.

The students turned to gape at Harry, but he was currently being comforted by the two men in the bowl with him and Madame Pomfrey. Harry tried to sit up, for reasons unbeknownst even to him, but a pain shot straight through him and he collapsed almost panting in pain.

Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic.

"You actually read the book, Harry?" asked Hermione with great surprise. Thankfully, due to Madame Pomfrey's timely and many potions. He was feeling better.

"Yeah, I read it a few times." he said.

His school books were interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night,

"Oh Harry! HOW COULD YOU?" lamented the twins dramatically. The school laughed, even Harry chuckled a bit, which brightened the twins up quite a bit.

Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice.

"Ewww." said the girls in the room, but Hedwig, who had just returned, hooted indignantly.

Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.

"I did that too!" said almost every single Muggleborn in the school as well as some Half-bloods and Purebloods.

On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross stations the next day,

"Potter! Why did you wait until the very last day to ask them." said Snape sharply.

Harry rubbed his forehead, his mind was slowly getting back to normal. "I learned that asking them right away, and having the important day so far away, they could deny that I ever ask them. By asking them the day before, they can't say I never asked."

Snape looked down, that does sound like something Petunia would come up with for an excuse not to do something.

so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television.

"Quiz show?" asked a Slytherin. "I hate tests, why would you watch a show about quizzes?"

"It's a show where people go and stand in front of a lot of people and answer a bunch of questions, you may or may not know the answer to. The more questions you answer right, the more money you get." said Harry.

"Wow? That sounds really easy!" said a few Purebloods.

Harry looked at them, sighed and asked them, "Yellow, brown, clear, blue, green, black, pink and red is the order of rarity of this valuable object."

The students looked at him in curiosity. The Muggleborns blinked then gasped and looked down, deep in thought.

"What nonsense are you rambling off Mr. Potter?" asked Umbridge with a puzzled look upon her face.

"One American quiz show, which has some following over here, gives you the answer; you have to give the question." He then looked over to the Purebloods who had said it was easy. "You have the question yet?" They shook their heads; he then looked over to the Muggleborns. Bill had his eyes closed, and then he had a smile upon his face.

"I've got it." said Bill "How do you answer the answer?" he said with a smirk.

"If the answer was a person you would say 'Who is..' an object would be 'What is' and so forth."

"Alright then, what is a diamond?" said Bill still smirking.

"You got it." he reached into his pocket and took out seven galleons and tossed them over to Bill. He caught them and stared at Harry. "You got the answer right." he said simply.

He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.

"That is awesome!" said the students. "Serves you right, you great lump!"

"Er-Uncle Vernon?"

Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.

"I'm amazed you know how to speak intelligently, Potter. Especially if for the most part you had to endure these people." said Professor Flitwick kindly, but then his tone turned to a stern one.

"Er-I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to-to go to Hogwarts."

Uncle Vernon grunted again.

"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"

Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.

"Thank you."

"And I'm impressed that you knew manners." said Flitwick with amazement.

"You're so polite, Harry." cooed Bathilda Bagshot. "You are just as polite and sweet as when you were a baby."

Several people sniggered as Harry blushed.

He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.

"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"

"I keep forgetting he's a bloody idiot."

"CHARLIE!" said Mrs. Weasely.

Harry didn't say anything.

"Where is this school, anyway?"

"Scotland." said several students.

"I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.

"I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.

His aunt and uncle stared.

"Platform what?"

"Nine and three-quarters."

"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."

"Your Aunt Petunia is indeed a good faker Mr. Potter, she knew all about her sister going to Hogwarts and even went with her to that platform." said Snape bitterly.

"It's on my ticket."

"Barking," said Uncle Vernon. "howling mad, the lot of them.

"Saner then you, Mr. Driving-Across-The-Country-To-Avoid-The-Bloody-Pos t."

"Molly, you just told off Charlie for saying what he did." said Mr. Weasely, smiling and shaking his head.

You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."

"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.

"You really don't need to do that Harry," said Lupin with a frown on his face. "they don't try to make things friendly with you."

"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."

"Good thing I wasn't that Doctor." said Hermione nastily.

"Why is that? We would have loved it, would've been great fun." said Fred and George.

"In order to see the tail clearly, he would've had to remove his trousers." said Hermione

George and Fred, plus several others, started to gag.

Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep.

"Explains what happened to you on the train." said Ron looking up from the book.

"What happened to you on the train?" asked Lupin quickly.

"It'll most likely come up. If not I'll tell you." said Ron with a secretive smile.

He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes-he'd change on the train.

"Wise move, Potter." said Moody as he entered the Great Hall, he was just in time to catch the last sentence. He bent over to whisper in Dumbledore's ear.

"They're sending someone now."

Dumbledore smiled.

He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up.

"That is some patience, you've got Harry." said Sirius.

"Too bad he doesn't have that anymore." smirked Dean.

"I use it when I really need it." said Harry absently.

People looked over to him, wondering what he meant by that.

Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursley's car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.

"'Talked' nothing, I made three batches of triple chocolate chip cookies, that morning once they all woke up. She gave him two of those three batches for him to eat on the way to London." said Harry.

"Did you at least get one cookie?" asked Mrs. Weasely.

"No, but I did have a spoonful of cookie dough." said Harry with a smile.

"Best part of baking cookies." said Ginny smiling.

"Did you say 'triple chocolate chip?'" said Lupin eagerly.

Harry and Sirius laughed.

"I'll bake you some tomorrow if you wish." said Harry laughing hard.

"Please?" pleaded Lupin.

"Us too!" shouted a majority of the students.

They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.

"This won't end well, will it?" said Sirius worriedly.

"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine-platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"

"It's there, it's just protected from Muggles finding it on accident." said Hermione.

He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.

"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursley's drive away. All three of them were laughing.

Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall voices rang superior over Mrs. Weaselys voice.

"HE COULD'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED! ANYTHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED!"

Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone.

He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. the guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic.

"You never panic, Harry." said Ron with a smile.

According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it;

"I couldn't see the outside very well to tell the time on my own." said Harry.

he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly life, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.

Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.

"How foolish Mr. Potter." sneered Umbridge.

"He had no other recourse to act upon." said Snape quickly. He was going to say what she had said. But the moment she had said it, he wanted nothing to do with that thought.

At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.

"-packed with Muggles, of course-"

"da-da-da-DA! The Weasely Calvary has arrived!"

Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys,

"I..am..so...sorry.." said Harry to Mrs. Weasely. She, however just smiled at him. Mr. Weasely whispered something into his wife's ear that made her giggle and blush.

all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him-and they had an owl.

Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.

"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boy's mother.

"Molly! You had five boys before this even happened! How come you still ask what platform?" asked Tonks exasperated.

"This was the first time I brought Ginny with me. Other times she would stay home with Arthur and keep him company, and make sure he didn't blow up the house." she said teasingly.

"It's kinda a tradition with our family," said Charlie.

"You get to go to King's Cross the year before you are accepted at Hogwarts, that way, you are real excited for a whole year." said Fred and George.

"All Weasely's have done it that way." said Arthur.

"Oh...sorry.." said Tonks sheepishly.

"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go..."

"If anyone 'aww's' or 'ohh's' I'm going to beat them to a pulp." threatened Ginny.

"Thank God we broke up." said Michael Corner quietly. Harry managed to catch what Michael had to say. Ginny also heard it but was unperturbed.

They broke up? thought Harry quickly, did he dare to cross that line? He would have to think about it, and decide fast.

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched careful not to blink in case he missed it-but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went.

"They love that joke." said their mother with smile. "It drives me nuts, but they love that joke."

His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone-but how had he done it?

Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier-he was almost there-and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else for it.

"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.

"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."

She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.

"Do I really look like that?" said Ron looking up from the book.

"You did when I was eleven, you don't look like that anymore." said Harry kindly.

"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is-the thing is, I don't know how to-"

"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded.

"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."

"Er-okay," said Harry.

He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.

"And when it's solid, boy is it ever." muttered Harry and Ron.

People looked at them in confusion, when was the Platform ever solid?

He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble-leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run-the barrier was coming nearer and nearer- he wouldn't be able to stop-the cart was out of control-he was a foot away-he closed his eyes ready for the crash-

It didn't come...he kept on running...he opened his eyes.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. He had done it.

The students all cheered at this, but were temporarily silenced by pink sparks coming from Madame Umbridge's wand.

"Of course he made it! He's sitting there! Unfortunately." spat Umbridge. The last part she said out loud on accident, but didn't make it seem like it just slipped out.

"Apologize Delores." said Madame Bones. Her wand out. Lupin and Sirius's wands were also out and pointing at her.

"No, I don't apologize to children. Children should apologize to their elders. I demand an apology from Mr. Potter."

"He doesn't have anything to apologize for! What the heck are you talking about?" shouted Bill.

Fudge was looking over to Umbridge with a raised brow. What was she talking about?

"Because of him, I have been insulted and ridiculed. I demand an apology."

"Oh shut up, stupid woman!" shouted Madame Bones. "Continue Mr. Weasely, ignore her."

Ron nodded and continued.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.

People cheered when Neville, good-naturedly, took a bow.

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

Lee then stood up and took a bow. They all knew it was him, no one else in the school had dreadlocks.

"Give us a look, Lee, go on."

Lee stood up and took another bow.

The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

Ron paled quickly, but recovered.

Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.

"Ooow!" moaned the students and absent-mindedly massaging their feet.

"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.

"Yes, please," Harry panted.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"

With the twin's help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"You mean to tell me, you two actually helped someone? Without pranking them afterword?" said Ginny with a mocked look of surprise.

"Oi! We aren't hooligans! Okay, maybe we are, but we aren't all that bad!" said Fred and George indignantly. Some people snorted.

"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"I had no upper body strength at all, at that point." Harry said with a smirk. Sirius and Lupin smiled, he was at least feeling a little better. But then, they froze. Did he say 'at that point?' Mrs. Weasely, realizing that he was feeling a bit better, brought over a tray of food and laid it on his lap. He picked out a roll and munched on it.

"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you-"

"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"What?" said Harry.

"Harry Potter," chorused the twins.

"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes I am."

"Why did you say that?" said Lupin, plucking a grape from the plate on Harry's lap and popping it into his mouth.

"From all the attention I was getting and some of the children's books I read in Flourish and Blotts, I was supposed to be some great warrior or something. A veritable superhero. I, in my opinion, hardly fitted the description. Still don't really. And I still couldn't believe that I was the reason that Voldemort, oh will you people get over it, that he was defeated. I learned later that I was right, it wasn't me that defeated him, but my mother. I just happened to survive by chance. If my mother wasn't there, I would have been dead, just like everyone else who fell before his wand." said Harry matter-of-factly.

Lupin almost choked on his grape. He hadn't thought about that, and now, when he was forced to, he couldn't bear it. He gripped Harry's hand tightly. Everyone else looked somber, it took Ron a moment to gather himself up and proceed with the reading.

The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mom."

With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying.

"You stalking us, Harry?" said Fred with an evil smirk.

"You reminded me of the McFinns, though they didn't have children, something about you reminded me of them." he said with a small smile. The Weaselys looked saddened but they smiled.

Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

"Aww, Mum, don't do that in front of people!" said Bill shaking his head.

Mrs. Weasely looked over at Ron, with an apologetic look on her face.

Ron merely shrugged.

"Mom-geroff." He wriggled free.

"Aah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.

"We vow never to say 'ickle anykins' again." said George.

"Cause 'Horseface' said it." said Fred.

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy? " said their mother.

"He's coming now."

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves-"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once-"

"Or twice-"

"A minute-"

"All summer-"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.

"Wow, you do sound like a prat." said Sirius simply.

Percy began to turn red.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term-send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two-this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've-you've blown up a toilet or-"

"Molly! Don't give them any ideas!" admonished McGonagall.

"Don't say that! She's our best source of inspiration!" said the twins. The school erupted in a wave of laughter.

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

"It's not funny. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Aww! Come on Ron! Come up with a different name! We don't want to remember that we and Horsie think the same!" cringed the twins.

"Shut up," said Ron again.

"You shut up." returned the twins with wide smiles.

he was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

"I get the feeling that my nose is going to be a focal point of this chapter." said Ron bitterly.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

"That specky little shrimp we saw before we came on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters!" said the twins.

Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!"

Harry heard the little girl's voice.

"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, oh please..."

Someone was about to 'ooh' and 'aww' but a glare and a balled up fist reminded them of her threat.

"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there-like lightning."

"Poor dear-no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."

"You've always been so polite, Harry." said Mrs. Weasely kindly.

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

Their mother suddenly became very stern.

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

"All right, keep your hair on."

"You two have a death wish." said Bill staring at the twins while Charlie whistled.

"He said it." said the twins pointing to each other.

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.

"I'm warning all of you..." Ginny growled.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"George!"

"Only joking, Mom."

The train began to move. Harry saw the boy's mother waving and their sister, half-laughing, half-crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.

"Awww!"

"ALRIGHT! WHO SAID IT?" shouted Ginny standing up.

Harry smiled and slowly stood up. "I did."

Ginny came over, and reared her fist back.

"Just like you, I keep my word." she then threw her fist forward. The teachers and Sirius and Remus moved quickly to try and stop her.

Harry smacked it swiftly away from its intended course, flipped his cane and shifted her leg. She fell backwards and Harry caught her in his right arm. She looked shocked but Harry simply smiled.

"Next time, be sure to connect." he said slyly. Ginny blushed, smiled and then nodded. Before he helped her stand again he pulled her close. "You and I both need to watch our tempers, I think." he whispered. She blushed even deeper.

As he watched her walk back to her chair he thought bitterly. Why didn't I kiss her just now? What am I waiting for?" Ginny was thinking along the same lines.

"I'm starting to think you have separate personalities." said Sirius looking at him with widened eyes.

"I'm starting to think so too, there are times that I act like I don't have a clue what is going on, and then I have my normal frame of mind back and going strong. I think that the incident is behind of my 'stripping my mind's gears' so to speak."

Ron stared at the both his sister and Harry, shook his head vigorously and continued on.

Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to-but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.

"Hell would have been better." muttered Harry darkly.

The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest red-headed boy came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite of Harry. "Everywhere else is full."

"Everywhere else wasn't, Ron, and you know it." said Hermione smiling.

"I didn't care if they were full or not. I was feeling a bit lonely." said Harry.

Ron grinned.

Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked.

"Didn't work." said Harry brightly.

Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.

"What is with you an observing things." said Ron in an irritated voice.

"Hey, Ron."

The twins were back.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train-Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"I wanted to tell you lot, to keep it down there and maybe have you shove it off the train." said Ron looking a bit pale.

"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasely. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."

"Short, sweet and to the point." smirked Harry.

"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.

Harry nodded.

"Oh-well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's joke," said Ron. "And have you really got-you know..."

"No, he don't know Weasely." said Draco with a snide smile.

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who-?"

"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."

"Can't remember much of this either." said Harry bitterly, reaching behind himself. He then looked up at from where he laid, "Dumbledore, sir?"

"Yes, Harry?" said Dumbledore sitting back in his chair, drinking tea.

"I need to talk to you, when this is done for the day. I'm remembering some things."

"Do you wish to talk now?" said Dumbledore, almost spilling his tea.

"No it can wait a bit longer." said Harry.

Umbridge looked very worried.

"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.

"Well-I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out the window again.

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.

"Seriously mate?" asked Ron incredulously, Harry smiled and nodded.

"Er-yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"Cause he insulted Dad in the worst way possible. Mom don't take too kindly to that." said Fred and George with a small scowl. "Neither do we, for that matter."

"So you must know loads of magic already."

The Weasely's were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.

"Yeah, he was one of the families I was talking about, but not really, Potter." said Draco quietly.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

"Horrible-well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though.

"Bloody understatement." snarled Charlie quietly.

Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."

"You've got six now, Harry." Bill called over. Harry blinked, then he smiled.

"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy,

"Why on earth were you gloomy?" asked Bill.

"I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left-Bill was head boy

"Only cause everyone else in the year were almost as stupid as trolls." said Bill with a small smile, but still concerned over his brother's behavior.

and Charlie was captain of Quidditch.

"Cause everyone else was a third year." said Charlie, not smiling, but looking at his little brother.

Now Percy's a prefect.

"Cause I'm a prat." said Percy kindly to Ron. Fred and George looked at each other and stared at their older brother.

Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny.

The twins said nothing, where was Ron going with this?

Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

His brother's paled, Ron held all this in? Even Mr. and Mrs. Weasely looked concerned. They would have to have a talk with Ron once this chapter was done.

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my mom and dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff-I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

Mr. Weasely gulped loudly. He needed to talk to Ron, very soon.

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out the window.

Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not having being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.

"Oi, I thought he was overdramatizing it!" he said to all the glares he was receiving.

"...and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort-"

Ron gasped.

Ron repeated this act. Harry could hardly hold in his laughter.

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people-"

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn...I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

"One moment, Mr. Potter, tomorrow, I want to give you a quick assessment test, just so we can rate you correctly. I have a feeling you have been holding back a majority of your knowledge from your schoolwork." said McGonagall quickly. Harry looked at Hermione nervously, then looked at his Head of House and nodded slowly.

"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

"We weren't quiet Harry, you were passed out asleep. I never met a guy in my life that didn't snore in their sleep." said Ron with a smirk.

"Explains the racket you make every night." said Harry with a smirk as well.

"I don't snore!" said Ron indignantly.

"The hell you don't!" said Harry, Neville, Dean, and Seamus. Ron looked a bit shocked and then vainly cleared his throat, to carry on.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

"Hearing her talk made you almost leap off the chair." said Ron with a smile.

Harry who hadn't any breakfast,

"They didn't feed you that morning?" asked Mrs. Weasely with a grim look.

"I spent the entire morning cooking food."

"You spent the whole morning baking cookies?" said Ginny with her eyes widened.

"No, cooking food to put in the freezer. I made enough meals to last them awhile. Remember, Aunt Petunia can't cook."

leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.

He had never had money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry-but the woman didn't have Mars Bars.

"What are Mars Bars?" asked Draco.

Lupin reached deep into his cloak and brought out a slim, slightly cylinder wrapped chocolate bar, he tossed it over to Draco. Draco caught it and looked at it.

"That's a Mars Bar, it's a Muggle candy bar. Go ahead and try it, I have twenty more in my pockets." said Lupin kindly.

They all watched as Draco stared at it, looked over to Lupin and slowly opened it. He looked at it suspiciously and then took a small bite. His eyes lit up, he smiled, and he wolfed the whole thing down in three bites.

Blaise Zabini nor Theodore Nott ever saw him get that way with chocolate before. They looked over to Lupin, "Where can we get some of those Mars Bars?"

Lupin had just handed Harry an unwrapped one and said "Muggle World, they sell them everywhere." Harry took a big bite of his, closed his eyes and smiled.

"I can try and make these if you really want." said Harry to them.

"How can you?" said Lupin with widened eyes. Harry smiled.

"I can taste almost all the ingredients when I bite into something, makes replicating someone's favorite dish all the more easier."

Lupin and Sirius stared.

What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

"I thought I had a sweet tooth, I bow and toast to a better." said Dumbledore jovially raising his tea cup.

Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.

"Hungry, are you?"

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of pumpkin pasty.

"Didn't know he actually meant it." said Ron bitterly.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."

"I was wondering what I was doing with tuna." said Fred looking down.

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on-"

"Take it Ron, not your fault he doesn't know what the bartering system of lunches is." said a Hufflepuff muggleborn.

"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know with five of us."

"I'm sorry, Ron." said Mrs. Weasely sadly. Ron looked guilty.

"Go on, have a pasty." said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten)

"I had the McFinns and Dr. Clark to share things with, but that was years before this. I had forgotten the feeling." said Harry, looking down with a slight smile.

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.

Ron laughed, "We had just taken a bite out of a cockroach cluster. When he saw one of the legs sticking out, he turned a shade of green that I never knew existed."

"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."

"Me too!" said a every student that was collecting them.

"What?"

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know-Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect-famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

"Agrippa and Ptolemy are the two of the rarest cards in the entire world. I myself only have six of Agrippa and two of Ptolemy." said Dumbledore serenely.

"I've got twenty of each card there is." said Lupin smiling. "Including Agrippa and Ptolemy."

Ron and Dumbledore stared at him. "Once again, I bow to sweeter sweet tooth then the one I possess." said Dumbledore in shock.

"What do you a charge a person just to look at it?" said Ron with widened eyes.

"But what I wouldn't give for is a Harry Potter card." said Lupin wistfully.

"W-W-What?" stammered Harry.

"Your card is actually the rarest in the world. There are only seven in circulation, and I am proud to say, that I have one of the seven."

"Holy cripes! How many Chocolate Frogs did you have to go through to get that?" said Ron with amazement.

"Seven hundred and fifty-three thousand two hundred and nineteen frogs. The chocolate from all of those Frogs are downstairs in the kitchen." said Dumbledore simply. The students sat and stared.

"Sounds like two years' worth of chocolate for you." said Sirius looking at Lupin.

"I melted some of that chocolate to make the Knickerbocker Glories. Sorry sir," said Harry apologetically.

"Not at all, use what you wish, that is what they are there for." beamed Dumbledore.

Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.

"I'm intensely honored that I was your first card, Harry." said Dumbledore with a broad smile.

"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa-thanks-"

Harry turned over his card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times,

Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the

Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the

twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy

with his partner, Nicholas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore

enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

"What's chamber music?" asked a small Gryffindor.

"It's music played by a small group of amateur musicians in a home of a friend. Have you ever been to a child's piano recital played in their house?" said Dumbledore addressing the boy. He thought and nodded.

"That is a form of chamber music."

"Explains why he wants to have the school sing the school song almost every year." whispered Ron to Hermione who giggled.

Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.

"He's gone!"

"That frightened me for a moment." said Harry with a smile.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron.

"He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her...do you want it? You can start collecting."

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.

"Help yourself," said Harry.

"So polite." sighed Bathilda Bagshot.

"But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed, "Weird!"

"That IS weird!" said a few Slytherins.

Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe,

"You got a Circe?" said Sirius in amazement. "That...that is one rare card." Harry noticed that, that was not where he was going with the conversation, but he let it go.

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. 'Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard-I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough-I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

"Blimey, Hermione, you really need to learn to breathe when you're talking." said Ron, heaving a gasp. Hermione blushed slightly, while the rest of the school and the guests laughed.

"Miss Granger, you were very rude, for two reasons: you sat down, without being invited, and the other reason is the way you introduced yourself." admonished McGonagall. Hermione blushed deeper.

"Sorry, Ron, Harry." she said quietly.

"It's alright, Hermione." said both Ron and Harry.

She said all this very fast.

Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.

"I'm Ron Weasely," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter." said Harry.

"Are you really?" said Hermione.

"No Granger, he's lying to you." said Pansy with a smirk, to her dismay, no one laughed.

"I know all about you, of course-

"I'll admit it, you really sounded like a stalker, at the time, I found you a little creepy." said Harry with a slight smile. Hermione blanched.

I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're inModern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts andGreat Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione.

"Wow, Hermione, you really didn't know how to talk to people did you." said Lupin with concern on his face.

"No, I really didn't, now that I look back." said Hermione sadly.

"Do either of you know what House you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad...Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad.

"For a moment there, I thought you forgot all about me." said Neville with a smile.

You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

"Whatever House I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.

The school gasped, how the heck did these three become the closest group of friend the school had ever known? What brought them together?

He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell-George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

"And if he ever does that again, I'll have a few words with him." said Harry, following Bill's lead. The twin's eyes widened and they slowly leaned away from the raven-haired teen.

"What House are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad,

"Not that I'm good enough for that house." said Ron with a smile.

"You can beat them all in chess, that's got to count for something, mate." said Harry.

but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"You sound like Draco, just a little bit." said Luna dreamily.

"I DO NOT SOUND LIKE HIM!" bellowed Ron and Draco at the same time.

"That's the House Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"

"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off Houses.

"Thanks mate, I needed that, actually." said Ron.

"You shouldn't be trying to make everyone else feel better, Harry. You need someone to make YOU feel better." said Lupin a little crossly.

"At that time, for the past three years, I got used to having no one to help me in the emotional or physical department. I knew Ron needed help, so I helped. Made me feel a lot better." said Harry quietly. "Besides, I don't want to be smothered."

"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?

Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons,

Charlie stood up and waved, he also showed off a few burns on his muscular arms. A few girls whistled.

and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron.

"Curse Breaker," said Bill. A few more people cheered and a few more girls whistled. "Sorry girls, I'm taken, dating someone." said Bill. The girls groaned.

"Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the DailyProphet,but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles-someone tried to rob a high security vault."

Harry stared.

"Really? What happened to them?"

"You want to know what happens when you rob a bank do you?" said Lupin whispering into his ear.

Harry merely smiled.

"Nothing , that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

Ron stammered over the Dark Lord's name.

"You're getting better Ron." said Harry with a smirk.

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.

"Puddlemere United!" said Harry, Dumbledore and Sirius.

"Chudley Cannons!" said Ron and Mr. Weasely defiantly.

"Holyhead Harpies!" said Ginny, Alicia, Katie and Angelina.

Other students and parents shouted their favorite teams.

"Er-I don't know any," Harry confessed.

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded, "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world-"

"It is." said the Quidditch players and the fans.

And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

"Oh no." said Draco, covering his head.

Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: It was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"How did he and the rest of the train know? We didn't mention it!" said the twins.

"I didn't either." said Neville, looking puzzled.

"Sorry, Harry." said Hermione quietly.

"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"They are." said Draco almost silently.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you?

"Actually, yeah." said Ron looking up at Draco. They glared at each other, until Harry coughed warningly. Which they took to mean 'don't try it.' They stopped glaring at each other and Ron continued reading.

No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weaselys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

The Weasely children turned slowly in their seats to face Draco, shifted in his seat and apologized before Professor Snape or Dumbledore could request that he do.

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

"You're a prat, you know that, right?" said Tonks severely. Draco looked down in a shamed sort of way. Though his family didn't like Tonks and her mother and father, he always thought she was really pretty cool.

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"Good for you Harry, stand up for your friends." said Bathilda Bagshot with a doting smile.

"You don't need to tell him that. He'll go to any lengths to protect his friends." said Dennis Creevy.

"You can say that again." said Ginny, Neville, Ron, and Hermione. Harry looked down, blushing heavily.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks." he said coolly.

"You go Harry!" shouted a few students.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"For the Malfoy family, that is red." muttered Seamus.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same ways as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weaselys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Professor Snape stomped over to Draco and pulled him out of his chair.

"You..me...now.." he said pulling him towards the door of the Great Hall. They left, Snape, slamming the door behind them.

Dumbledore watched with widened eyes towards the door. He then looked over to Ron.

"I think they wouldn't mind if we continued." said Dumbledore quietly.

Both Harry and Ron stood up.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"Oh, you're going to fight us are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Hopefully." said the twins sitting forward eagerly, forgetting that they knew what had happened.

"Unless you get out now." said Harry, more braver then he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.

"That IS bravery, Harry. The very definition of bravery." said Dumbledore smilingly.

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."

"Greedy gits." snarled Padma and Pavarti.

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next Ron-Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

"What happened?" said Sirius and Bill leaning forward eagerly.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle-

"Ouch!" moaned Sirius and Bill, absently massaging their hands.

"The only noble thing that little bastard ever did." growled Lupin.

Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling,

People who were bullied by Goyle started to laugh so hard that tears came out of their eyes.

and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window,

"Good." said Lupin, Sirius, Ron, Harry and Hermione.

all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps,

"Cowards." muttered Lavender

because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.

"Wow! They were scared of me." bragged Hermione. The students and a few Aurors laughed.

"Wait'll they get you angry in the third, they'll be downright terrified of you." smirked Harry.

"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.

"Take a guess, Hermione." said George.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No-I don't believe it-he's gone back to sleep."

"What a stupid rat!" said Zacharias nastily. Thinking this would be a good insult, but it failed miserably when he saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius and Lupin laugh. One of his housemates noticed what he was attempting to do and smacked him soundly on the back of the head.

And so he had.

The school laughed, what a lazy rat!

"You've met Malfoy before?"

Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."

"Mr. Malfoy and his family were exonerated from all suspicion." said Umbridge smugly.

"First name on the list I gave you, Madame Bones." said Harry looking over to the Law Enforcement Head. Umbridge deepened her snarl.

He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"Never saw a gray area of politeness." said Charlie with a small smile.

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on,

"You channeling Mrs. Weasely, Hermione?" smirked Tonks.

I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says were nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"What the...how did you two become friends? I kinda agree with Ron in this aspect, you were a bit much." said Sirius solemnly, Hermione nodded sadly.

"Scabbers has been fighting , not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right-I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice.

"Hermione, I really hate to pick on you too..." said Lupin wearily

"I wasn't picking on her!" said Sirius taken aback.

"but," holding up a hand to silence Sirius. "Hermione, you're on a train with kids seventeen years old and all the way down to eleven year olds. They are going to act childish." Hermione blushed and slowly nodded.

"And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

"AGAIN, WITH THE NOSE! LAY OFF WILL YA?" shouted Ron.

"Sorry." said Harry and Hermione both smiling broadly.

Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

"Good observations, Potter. You'd make a fine Auror." said Moody approvingly.

He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.

"Well, now I have a clue to who bought me brand new robes for my birthday." said Ron looking over to Harry, who whistled innocently while looking up at the enchanted ceiling.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles.

"Wow, you two were scared?" said a majority of the school. They all knew that they were two of the three bravest people in the school and they couldn't picture them terrified.

They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

"Sweets before feasts." muttered several boys and nodding.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air.

Lupin and Sirius adjusted the blankets.

Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice:

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

The students cheered.

"C'mon, follow me-any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagird down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there.

"Very good Mr. Potter." beamed Professor Sprout.

Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"I thought I lost Trevor." Neville said blushing.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagird called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

Several people sighed and leaned back in their chairs.

"Harry, your descriptions are positively lovely." said a fourth year Gryffindor girl Harry had never met, but she was batting her eyelashes.

"And their dead on, too." said Bill with a smirk.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.

"Bet Weasely was thrilled." said Blaise laughing.

"Oh, you have no idea how thrilled I was, at the time." smirked Ron.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then-FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass.

People closed their eyes and thought back to their boat ride a crossed the lake.

Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.

"How did he get there?" asked a few puzzled students.

"Ask Trevor, cause we don't know." said Neville and Hermione.

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

"Yes and thanks for asking, Hagrid." said Neville happily.

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

"Well, it's time for us to retire for the night, I think." said Dumbledore cheerfully.

Snape and Malfoy then came back into the Great Hall, Harry noticed that Malfoy was nursing his backside.

"You wanted to say something to Potter?" said Snape severely.

"Sorry, Potter. What I said four years ago, about your mum and dad." said Draco, wincing as he massaged his back end.

"It's alright, you were just repeating what your father said, you never knew just how bad it was till you hear it for yourself in the third person." said Harry kindly.

"Now Harry, you wanted to discuss something with me?" said Dumbledore, trying to hide his anticipation.

"Oh yeah, 'bout the incident. Do we talk here or elsewhere?" asked Harry standing up.

Snape came over and whispered into Dumbledore's ear. Dumbledore turned his head slightly towards Snape and nodded.

"I think my office might be the best place for it. Who would you like to have accompany us?" asked Dumbledore.

"Sirius and Lupin, I think. Just them, sorry Ron and Hermione, it's just..."

"We understand mate, when you're ready mate, you'll let us know." said Ron, taking ahold of Hermione's arm when she started to protest.

Snape, Lupin, Sirius and Dumbledore all helped Harry out of the Great Hall. Umbridge stared in fury at them leaving, was he starting to remember? She would have to put a stop to his remembering, now.

Chapter 11


As they entered the Headmaster's officer Fawkes swooped in and flew over Harry's head, then he landed on his perch.

"Hey Fawkes," said Harry with a smile on his face.

"Would you like to take a seat Harry?" said Dumbledore kindly. He didn't motion over to the chair in front of his desk, but to the soft sofa in the corner beside the fireplace.

Harry walked over to the sofa and laid his cane beside the couch, Fawkes flew down to the young man and landed on his knee. Fawkes nuzzled his head next to Harry's heart, suddenly Hedwig came fluttering in and snapped her beak at Fawkes. Fawkes pulled his head back and looked at Hedwig in confusion.

"Hedwig, it's alright, Fawkes is just trying to make me feel better, ok?" he said cautiously.

Hedwig looked at Fawkes critically and then hooted in agreement. Fawkes looked between Hedwig and Harry slowly and nuzzled his head against Harry's chest again. Hedwig hopped onto Harry's shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately.

Dumbledore gazed at the interactions between the young man and both of their pets. Snape was looking out the window and in the reflection of the glass, he watched as Lupin and Sirius sat beside him.

"Alright Harry, what is it that you remember." said Dumbledore, summoning his chair from behind his desk.

"Not a lot, but you told me to let you know when I start to remember something."

"Do you remember what object caused you this harm, Potter? It would help us narrow down what is causing your wounds to not heal." said Snape quickly.

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't. Not yet."

"What do you remember, Harry?" said Dumbledore leaning forward.

"Words, I remember words." said Harry closing his eyes and thinking hard.

"What words?" said Lupin taking Harry by the hand.

Harry thought hard, "something about the Minister, and being able to do it. And worthless. I don't know what else."

"Sir, before the Reading's took place, I saw Umbridge AND Filch look nervous when the incident was mentioned. When you asked Mr. Potter if he had remembered what had happened."

Sirius and Lupin paled, "Was it Umbridge and Filch that hurt you, Harry?" they both said quickly.

"I don't remember, I can't even say that it might be them. It could have been a Slytherin who's really out to get me, or someone who snuck into the school. It took me a while, but I learned not to throw accusations around without some definite proof." he said smiling slightly up to Professor Snape.

Snape took this subtle hint and gave him a small smile in return.

"Well, it's a start Harry, it's a start. It'll come when it's ready, when you're ready." said Dumbledore with a knowing smile.

A knock came at the door. Dumbledore called over, "Come in."

It was Mad-Eye Moody and a tall person.

Harry couldn't see if this was a man or a woman, because there was a horrible mask covering this person's face. He immediately thought of a death eater's mask, but it wasn't the same style that they wear, it was completely different yet frightfully similar.

"Here he is, Albus. Albus I'd like you to meet Lionus, he's the Captain of the England branch of the Rangers." said Moody.

"Hello Lionus, welcome to Hogwarts. I'm sorry but I can't place the name, were you ever a student here?"

"I was, but Lionus is my Ranger name. I choose to give up my birth name a long time ago."

"Then I shall respect your name change, Mr. Lionus. We would like to ask you for a favor." said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling.

"Alastor already told me the reason for me being asked to come here. I just need a photo or an accurate description of him." said Lionus.

Harry stared at the man, he had heard rumors of these men and women in the Muggle world but he never had met them. And for good reasons, they only went after massive drug dealers, mass human traffickers, genocidal maniacs, other criminals on a much larger scale.

They were the front lines, any criminal that leaked through their grasp were only the smallest and the weakest of criminals. The world populace had a taste of the true criminal element that the Rangers held back, back in the days of World War II, he deceived, Harry learned, the Rangers and took control of almost an entire continent. The Master Manipulator, Adolf Hitler. It was said that Hitler committed suicide, however, with a little digging, Harry learned, that it was the Rangers who were really behind it.

"Harry?" said a voice coming from beside him, Harry shook his head and was forcibly ripped from his thoughts. Dumbledore and the rest of them were looking at him.

"Huh?" said Harry.

"I need a photo or description, Mr. Potter." said the Ranger. Harry nodded and reached into his cloak, and pulled a worn photo.

"This was taken when I was about eight." he said handing the man the photo.

The ranger looked carefully at the picture. "The man on the left?"

"Yes sir. Could you find him please? If he's...If he is, gone, it'll at least bring me some closure." Harry said quietly.

"I'll do what I can, I'm no miracle worker, despite what people say. I am amazed 'Kage'," he said looking over to Harry.

Harry looked at him quickly, not saying anything.

"that you couldn't find him. I will..what is that?" He turned quickly and pulled out a dark looking pistol, his aim was straight on Dobby the house-elf, who looked dazed.

Harry hurried over to Dobby, kneeling in front of him, shielding him from the Ranger.

"It's Dobby, he's...my...fr..." Harry said quickly, but his speech slowed as he looked down, Dobby had plunged a long kitchen knife into his side and blood flowed freely from his side.

Sirius let out a yell and was about to curse Dobby into oblivion when Dumbledore, knocked Sirius aside and sent a spell towards Dobby, immediately, the dazed look was gone.

"What is Dobby doing in Dumbledore's office?" said Dobby blinking heavily. "Oh, hello Harry Potter, what is Harry..." he looked in shock at his own thin hand holding the knife into Harry's side. Dobby, backed away slowly and squealed shrilly as Harry fell to the floor, clutching his side.

Sirius and Remus rushed to him, they took the blade slowly out of Harry's side, and they held a hand over the wound to keep pressure on it. Fawkes flew over to Harry and held his head above the wound and cried into the wound. Harry opened his eyes and his quick breathing slowed down and he sat up slowly. The wound was gone. Dumbledore checked the wound to make sure Harry was alright and then walked over and picked Dobby up into his arms.

"Dobby, he's alright, Harry's alright." he placed Dobby down beside Harry. Harry nodded smiled.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." said Harry to Dobby.

When Dobby came closer to Harry, Sirius whipped his wand out pointed it at Dobby. Harry ripped the wand out of his hand and threw it in the corner.

"Knock it off." he snarled at Sirius. "Dobby didn't know what he was doing!"

"He's right Sirius, the counterspell I used, is for the Imperius curse. If he wasn't under that particular spell, then he would have been knocked unconscious." said Dumbledore sternly.

The Ranger looked down at Harry, he didn't look away for several moments. He turned towards the house-elf.

"What do you remember before you found yourself here?" he said quietly.

"Dobby knows not sir, Dobby remembers cleaning boys bathroom on third floor, then Dobby remembers nothing." said Dobby looking as if he were about to cry.

"Amnesia seems to be contagious this year. It's alright Dobby, no lasting damage and it wasn't your fault. Take the rest of the night off, It seems I need to place protective charms over the house-elves." he said and left quickly. "Best take him to the Hospital Wing for the rest of the night."

Sirius and Lupin lifted Harry to his feet. Sirius mumbled an apology to Dobby and grabbed Harry's cane.

Once they left, only Moody and Lionus were left in the Headmaster's office.

"What did you mean by 'Kage?'" asked Moody.

"A name, he will tell you, if these books don't do it for him." said Lionus not looking at Moody.

Moody growled thoughtfully, then he asked, "What do think about finding this doctor?"

"Harder than I thought, I know where this doctor is."

"How does that make it harder?"

"It's WHERE the doctor is, that makes it hard."

Sirius and Remus escorted Harry and Dobby to the Hospital Wing where the Weasely's were waiting for them. When Harry changed into his pajamas, he was relieved that there was no scar and he went to go lay down in the bed. Bathilda Bagshot came over and sat beside Sirius.

"Hello, Harry dear." said Bathilda.

"Hello Ms. Bagshot." said Harry politely.

"Please, dear, call me Aunt Batty. It's what you used to call me." she said kindly.

"Alright." said Harry. He wasn't too sure what to say, he had some questions, but he wasn't sure how to go about asking her.

"I lived next door to you and your parents. Oh you were so cute, I have several baby pictures of you!"

"As do we." said Lupin and Sirius.

"Dear God." moaned Harry.

Bathilda pulled out a thick book and went to sit on the side of his bed. Sirius and Lupin eagerly clambered over the hospital bed, they wanted to see if she had any pictures they didn't.

Dumbledore, along with McGonagall, Moody, Tonks and Kingsley came in and when Dumbledore saw the book he magicked it to become large and easier to see. He smiled over to Harry when he moaned and buried his face into the pillow.

"It's not as bad as you think Harry, you were absolutely adorable back then." he said with a smile.

Tonks squealed when she saw the photo album and ran to sit next to Lupin. Dumbledore sat on the bed next to Harry and flicked his wand to turn the pages.

The first picture was one of Lily laying in a Hospital bed and James holding a tiny little baby in his arms.

"Aww! You were so tiny Harry!" squealed Hermione.

"He's still tiny." said Bill with a laugh.

And the night slowly wore on with them looking at old photos. Once midnight had arrived, Madame Pomfrey tore her eyes away from a picture of Harry being lightly tossed into the air and caught by Dumbledore himself, to announce that Harry needed rest.

Bathilda assured everyone that she would share the book with them again, and left to go sleep in her room.

"Kingsley," said Dumbledore quietly, "You and I will take the first watch." Kingsley nodded.

The next morning, Harry had woken Sirius and told him to come down to the kitchens with him, Sirius, remembering what Harry said he was going to make, eagerly waited for Harry to change and they made their way down to the kitchens.

When the rest of the school had woken up and eaten their breakfast, Harry and Sirius opened the doors and made their way to the bowl chair. When Umbridge saw Harry, she hid her scowl with a napkin and pretended to cough. She knew that damned house-elf failed her and the curse was lifted on it, she wanted to make another attempt, but that meddling old fool, Dumbledore went and placed protective charms around all of them.

Lupin turned in the chair and addressed them, "Where the heck did you go?"

"We went to the kitchens and baked some cookies, this morning." said Sirius, "Now, I know what an oven does." He added beaming good-naturedly.

"Where are the cookies?" said Ron and Lupin excitedly.

"You just ate breakfast! You'll get them at lunchtime." said Harry with a bemused look on his face.

"Have you found a suitable book yet, Delores?" said a voice coming from behind them.

Rivers was back.

Umbridge paled, as well as Fudge.

"What happened to you Mr. Potter? You weren't using a cane the last time I saw you." said Rivers looking at Harry with a frown on his face, he then slowly looked over to Sirius and his eyes widened.

"He's been proven innocent." said Madame Bones standing up quickly. He looked over to her, thought for a moment and nodded slowly.

"Back to what brought me here, did you find a suitable replacement book for your class?" He said, recovering from the shock.

"Well, we've been busy with these books, we're trying to expose the lies Mr. Potter has been telling." said Umbridge worriedly.

"I don't care. How long have you been reading these books?" said Rivers with a his eyes half open and his brows hiding in his graying hair.

"Five days." said Kingsley, counting the days.

"Out of two weeks, you've spent five days reading these books? Well, that still gave you ample time to look into finding another book for your Defense class. I see I will have to take appropriate actions, unless you wish to give me a better reason that you haven't found a book?" he said folding his arms.

Umbridge and Fudge looked at each other nervously.

"No? Well then, I will see to you in a moment." he said, then he turned towards McGonagall.

"I was asked to bring this Assessment Test." he said handing her five sheets of parchment.

"Oh, thank you. Harry, come here." said McGonagall conjuring a desk and chair. He walked slowly over. "This test isn't like your end of term exams. This test has no time limit, but you may cease whenever you feel like it. Complete the questions to the best of your ability. Take your time."

Harry looked over to Hermione and sighed. He picked up the quill that was provided and set to work.

Twenty minutes later, he leaned back in the chair and handed Rivers the five pieces of parchment.

"Couldn't finish, could you Potter?" sneered Umbridge. Fudge grinned evilly.

Rivers looked at them with confusion and unfurled the parchment, the test papers were extended by three feet each. The writing was small, tidy and the answers were long, very long. Rivers blinked in surprise. He took the papers and read the first answer. This was...was...incredible! He raised his wand and slowly brought his wand over the paper. A grade appeared on the top and he nearly dropped the paper, he had heard about this grade being given, but he never saw the grade apply to anyone! Not anyone living, anyway.

It was an 'O' and a golden star. A Star Outstanding! And on an Assessment Test! It was almost unheard of! Not even Dumbledore himself had received a Star Outstanding in anything thought Rivers.

Rivers cleared his throat nervously and addressed Fudge and Umbridge.

"You really want to know what grade this young man received." he said, doing his best to keep a straight face.

"Of course." Umbridge said sweetly. She wanted some satisfaction, because she couldn't seem to get anything done her way, and she was furious.

"He received a Star Outstanding." said Rivers loudly to the people in the Great Hall.

The teachers and the Ravenclaws all gasped, minus Umbridge who snarled. Everyone else, was left in the dark, including Hermione.

"What's a 'Star Outstanding'?" said Hermione a little confused.

"A Star Outstanding, Miss Granger, is a much, much higher grade then a plain Outstanding. There is the standard scoring system, T-for Troll, P-for Poor, D-for Dreadful, A-for Acceptable, E-for Exceeds Expectations, and O-for Outstanding." said Flitwick excitedly.

"When it comes to the Star scoring system there is only Star E-Exceeds Expectations and Star O-Outstanding. By receiving one of those grades on any test, including this one, you get the opportunity to take the W.A.N.D.S test. Then, if Mr. Potter manages to get Star Outstandings in the W.A.N.D.s test, then he will be able to take the M.A.G.I.C.s test! What the letters mean are a unknown by me, it's been so long since someone was qualified to take the test! " said McGonagall excitedly.

Hermione stood up and walked over to Harry, he stood up. She asked him angrily, "Why didn't you tell me, that you were this smart? Why have I been helping you on your homework all these years, when you were obviously better than me?"

"I wanted you to stand out." he said loud enough for the people around to hear him.

Hermione looked stunned, "What?"

"I was told, by the Dursleys, that I wasn't to get better grades then Dudley was. Which was insanely difficult, might I add. Well, I just got so used to standing in the background, and yet excelling in my own way, without anyone knowing. It worked out intensely in my favor might I add."

"I really don't see how!" snapped Hermione.

"Well, I could tell, by our meeting on the train (thank goodness the books water down my thoughts, or we would still be on the second chapter) that you wanted to stand out, you wanted to be the best. I realized that I was already going to be gawked at and already, people set high expectations upon me. I also saw how Ron was overshadowed by his family, much like me. I decided to stand in the background and tutor Ron, in a secretive manner." said Harry on a small smile.

"When we all became friends, Ron and I both agreed that we would let you tutor the both of us, because, like I said, we wanted you to stand out. Ron's the best at chess, and now some magical practices that I've taught him over the years. You, you're already the best in almost every class. It gives you pride, and it gives you joy, what right did I have to take that away from you. Unfortunately, I've already stolen that from you." said Harry with sadness on his face.

"Gee mate, you really do sound like Dumbledore when you talk like that." said Ron, gaining his speech back faster than anyone else in the school.

"I save it for when I know I can't dilute my words." said Harry sadly. Hermione blinked.

"So, you two kept this a secret from me?" she said weakly.

"Hermione, we are sorry, we can never say sorry enough. I will say it, I was debating whether to admit it or not. I did it for selfish reasons." said Harry with a sorrowful look.

"What selfish reason?" said Hermione looking confused, she was slowly forgetting to be angry.

"Both Ron and I actually really, really like seeing you so happy because you aced a paper. Because you beat everyone else in the class, we would swell with pride every time you would show us your test results, we would hold it in and Ron would act put off, he's a real good actor. Like an older brother, I wanted you to stand out. Show me all that you had in you. Be honest with me, would you have excelled in the classes as far as you did, if you knew how far ahead I was?" he said looking in her eyes.

She looked away, of course she would have excelled! She would have...wait, no. She thought to herself bitterly. The only reason she memorized the books, the only reason she answered questions first, was so she could prove she was the smartest. She wanted to prove that she, coming from an all muggle family, could be the best the school had. She looked back at him, and bit her lip.

"Now that the cat is out of the bag, I swear from this moment on, Ron and I will NEVER lie to you again. And you can choose which Harry you want to have in classes. The one I was, or the one I actually am."

"Why should it be up to me?" said Hermione taking a step back, this choice startled her.

"To slightly repay you for the what I put you through." said Harry kindly. "You don't need to make the decision now, we aren't holding classes. You can make the choice whenever you decide."

Hermione thought quickly.

"I want...the one that you are happier with, it shouldn't just be up to me." said Hermione earnestly, tears forming in her eyes.

Harry sighed, he looked over to Ron, who slowly nodded. Harry shook his head again, and sighed "I guess, I'm going to..."

He looked around and glanced over to Malfoy, he thought about Malfoy writing to his father, inadvertently reporting everything he learned from the books and what people were saying.

"hold back." he said.

Hermione blanched and Ron nodded, knowing Harry's reasons.

Harry looked at Hermione and walked over to her and whispered in her ear. "Malfoy, I would rather Voldemort not know just how much knowledge I've got stored away. I would rather have him guessing. But, if you ask me to go all out, at any time, I will." Hermione nodded, looking over to Malfoy.

That was the second reason, to hold himself back, she discovered. Take Voldemort off guard.

Chapter 12


Once nine o'clock rolled around, the book opened itself and hovered in the air.

"So who's going to read?" said Ron, looking around the school.

"I would like to." said Luna a dreamy voice. The book flew over to her and landed softly in her hands.

The Sorting Hat said Luna in her trademarked dreamlike tone.

"Oh jeez." said Harry smacking his forehead. He could live his life happier without Sirius and Lupin knowing just how close he was placed in Slytherin.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

"Yet, Mr. Potter..." said McGonagall calling over to Harry.

"I keep crossing you left and right." said Harry with a small smile.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it.

"I never noticed, but, you're right, the Great Hall is about that size." said one of the third year Slytherins, remembering the Dursley's house.

The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

"Good, Potter, take in your surroundings. Very good." said Moody, nodding his head.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right-the rest of the school must already be here-

The teachers and some of the Ministry workers were impressed by this. The doors were quite thick and it was almost impossible to hear anything through those doors. But Potter heard several hundred people. He must have some very sensitive ears.

but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together, than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Aww, scared little first years are so adorable!" said Fred sweetly and clasping his hands and bringing them under his chin.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly,

Ron's stomach rumbled. Ginny and Hermione slowly looked over at him.

"Ron, breakfast was fifteen minutes ago." said the both of them slowly. Harry laughed.

but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts.

Several people bumped fists with their housemates and others high-fived each other.

You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.

"I heard about this so-called free time, never got to experience myself." said Harry with a smirk. People across the hall laughed. Neither had they.

"The four Houses are called Gryffindor,

Gryffindors stood up and cheered

Hufflepuff,

Hufflepuffs also stood and shouted

Ravenclaw,

Ravenclaws jumped to their feet and raised their voices

and Slytherin.

Slytherins bounded out of their chairs bellowed out their support

Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards.

"See, Ron, Slytherins aren't all that bad." said Harry and Hermione. Hermione looked at Harry quickly. Harry shrugged,

"I've been trying to tell him this for years."

"Name one good wizard from Slytherin, after You-Know-Who." said Ron stubbornly.

"Alastor Moody." said Harry quickly.

"Ah. Right. Well then never mind." said Ron looking over to Mad-Eye, looking sheepish.

While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points.

"Whatever points we lose, cause of our male stupidity, Hermione makes up for it." said Ron giving Hermione a one armed hug. Hermione blushed.

"You guys aren't stupid, at least I know that now." she said stifling a giggle.

We're guys, Hermione, and we were YOUNG boys, granting us the opportunity to be the biggest prats on the planet. Ron and I would like to offer a blanket for everything we say to you in these books." said Harry, slightly switching back to his restricted self.

Hermione laughed and nodded vigorously. "Only if you accept mine."

"In a heartbeat." said both Ron and Harry.

At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.

"I don't know if we are, Ron, but everyone else did become a credit to their houses."

"Even Malfoy, Harry?" said Ron with his eyebrows raised in mock surprise.

Harry looked over to Malfoy, and Malfoy stared at him.

"Even Malfoy."

Malfoy's stare widened.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear,

"Wow, Harry, you do notice everything!" said Neville laughing with everyone else. Harry mouthed an apology.

and on Ron's smudged nose.

"Again with the nose?" said Ron throwing his hands up in surrender.

Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.

"When I said smarten up, Harry, I didn't mean you. I knew your hair was a lost cause." said McGonagall kindly down to him.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

"Never happens." said Flitwick, looking at all the students.

She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.

"Wow, Harry, you were nervous?" squeaked a small first year Hufflepuff.

"Weren't you?" said Harry with an eyebrow raised. The little Hufflepuff blushed.

"How exactly do they sort us into Houses?" he asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

Bill stood up and took Fred by the ear and dragged him out of the Hall. Luna stood and waited for them to come back. And they did, Bill was pulling Fred along by the arm, while Fred's free hand was massaging his rear.

Harry heart gave a horrible jolt. A test! In front of the whole school?

"Most kids would focus on the 'hurt' part." said Sirius sadly.

But he didn't know any magic yet-

"Really?" said Hermione with widened eyes.

Harry shrugged, "Hagird told me I couldn't use magic, outside of school. I knew the incantations, but didn't practice it.

what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger,

Neville smiled over to Hermione. "You tend to talk a lot when you're nervous." he said kindly

who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Harry tried not to listen to her.

"Sorry Hermione, but you weren't helping anyone at all. Made the rest of us feel a little bad."

He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue.

"What? Harry, how could she blame you for turning her wig blue?" said Dumbledore looking intently.

"Well, she was a substitute teacher, and she had a very high opinion of herself. She wanted to be a college teacher, not primary school. She handed out a test, a college level math test, just to make us feel inferior. She collected all of our papers after we were done. She saw mine, and told me that I must have cheated. Which told me that I got at least some of the questions right. She called me a cheater, and some other names, no profanities, but she got close a few times. I was ticked, all of a sudden, her hair turned blue. It was real funny. She danced around when she saw her reflection, she wanted to take the wig off, but it wouldn't come off. She glared at me and at the end of the day, she sent the letter home with me." said Harry with a small smile, but it was wiped off at the end.

Some of the students were gaping at Harry, they knew what college was, and how hard it was. And in primary school he managed to pass a college math test! After Harry described his teacher dancing around with blue hair, more people started to laugh loudly.

Sirius then groaned, "What happened when you got home?" People stopped laughing and clapping.

Harry sighed. "That was the first time I was sent to the hospital. They waited, a day or two, then brought me to the hospital. They said that a stray dog attacked me. When the hospital asked what the dog looked like, they made it seem like they couldn't remember the dog. Though the dog was faked."

"Wasn't the hospital afraid of you getting rabies?" said Hermione placing her hands on her head, wanting to block out his words.

"I had to undergo rabies treatments for a dog attack that never happened." said Harry bitterly.

"Didn't they have to pay for it?" said Ron and Charlie.

"No, the RSPCA, came and asked me a few questions though. Uncle Vernon kept answering them for me, saying I was too traumatized. I think he made damn sure there wasn't enough evidence to say that the dog didn't have rabies. Getting all those shots really sucked." said Harry bitterly.

"What are shots?" asked Malfoy.

"It's a small thick needle that Muggles use to send in, how to put this, a muggle potion. They puncture your skin and push the potion into your blood. Drinking it doesn't make it work."

People paled. They did that multiple times?

He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.

"Yeah, I know I'm a drama king." said Harry with a laugh, causing everyone to start laughing.

Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air-

"It didn't look like you jumped a foot in the air, Harry. Then again, you might have, cause if I remember correctly, I jumped three feet in the air." said Dean.

several people behind him screamed.

"What the-?" said Lupin quickly

"What the-?"

He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall.

"I forgot, 'The Annual Ghostly Introduction.' They do it every year." said Lupin chuckling to himself.

"I know and every time I'm in here before sorting, I hear the screams." said Harry with a smile.

"Wait, you aren't in here every year?" said Sirius questioningly.

Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing . What looked like a fat little monk

"That's the Friar!" said the Hufflepuff students.

was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost-I say, what are you all doing here?"

"They say the same thing every year, never changing. They actually really like Peeves, adds some spice to their after-life." said Dumbledore smiling.

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

"That's Nick!" said almost all the Gryffindors.

Nobody answered.

"Not even you, Granger?" said Pansy snidely.

"I remember you almost fainted." said Draco absently to Pansy.

Pansy glared at him and whispered furiously. "Why are you defending her?"

"I'm tired of being the bad guy. I want what Potter wants, to be my own person, not a carbon copy of my father." he said loudly, getting up and moving his chair away from her and Crabbe and Goyle and went to sit beside Professor Snape. She glared at him and snarled.

Harry, surprising everyone including Malfoy and Umbridge, applauded. Slowly everyone else, beside Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy and Umbridge, clapped. To the cheers of a majority of the school Malfoy ripped the Inquisitorial Squad badge off his chest and threw it on the floor, and stamped on it.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them.

"About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old House, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Also part of the standard "Ghostly Introduction." said McGonagall with a smile on her lips.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair,

"That would be me!" said Seamus with a raised hand.

with Ron behind him,

"Is it just me, or does Ron always have Harry's back?" said Ernie with a broad smile.

"Not always." said Ron sadly.

"What do you mean?" said Mrs. Weasely, a little concerned. Ron looked down in shame and refused to answer her.

and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

"Good observation skills." mumbled Moody

Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.

"It was really scary, but I wouldn't have traded it for the world." said a third year.

Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it inHogwarts, A History."

"Were you watching me?" said Harry playfully.

Hermione blushed deeply, "Sort of, I wanted to keep telling you all the things I learned. Sorry about that."

"It's alright. You don't need to say sorry, we already put in place a blanket apology remember?" he smiled broadly over to her.

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall simply didn't open to the heavens

"Your descriptions are quite picturesque, Harry. You should write music." said Dumbledore happily.

"I did write something once. During the summer." said Harry quietly.

"I would..." started Dumbledore.

"Trust me, you don't." said Harry quickly.

Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.

"Albus, could you make a copy of that hat? Just the appearance, I want to toss it in the holding cell of the Dursleys." said McGonagall viciously.

Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly,

"I take it, it's a muggle magic trick." said Malfoy.

"That's right." said Harry and Hermione

that seemed the sort of thing-noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth-and the hat began to sing.

Luna stopped reading. She turned towards Harry and said:

"Harry can you sing the Sorting Hat Song? I would like to hear you sing again." she said looking over to Harry.

Then everyone, excluding Umbridge, began to clap and urge him on to sing, they hadn't heard him sing in such a long time, despite it only be a few days.

"I don't..."

"Come on Harry, we would love to hear you sing again." said Sirius.

Harry sighed and took the book Luna handed to him, cleared his throat and sang, his voice transcending from a soft tenor to (Flitwick was correct) a strong and vibrant baritone. People leaned forward, no one made any funny comments on the song, they just drank in music.

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart:

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The school all began to clap and shout, Harry blushed, handed the book and tried to cover his face. Sirius whispered in his ear:

"You need to go into the music business. You've already got a huge fan base here." he grinned with a large evil smile. Harry took a cushion and bopped him on the head.

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song.

"As did we just now, only it was Harry and not the hat!" shouted Dennis.

It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. 'I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."

"Bill, you already smacked me for it!" shouted Fred after Bill smacked him on the back of the head.

Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching.

"It was nerve racking." said Harry quietly.

The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a House for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.

"I felt the same way, Harry, when I came." said Dumbledore kindly.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call you name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted ," she said. "Abbot, Hannah!"

Hannah turned pink when her house and some of the others clapped for her.

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause-

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The Hufflepuff house clapped wildly.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

People then began to clap for her.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

The Hufflepuffs didn't cease clapping.

"Boot, Terry!"

Terry stood up and took a bow.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaws started clapping.

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.

Amidst the cheering for the respective students, Fred and George did a repeat performance of the catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot.

"You look it and you sometimes act it, but there are decencies about you." said Harry smiling over to the Slytherins. Sirius and Snape looked at Harry in the utmost shock.

He was starting to feel definitely sick now.

Before Mrs. Weasely could come over and ask him if he really was alright, he said he was fine and to reassure her, he took a big bite of gingerbread.

He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good,

"Damn straight! We saw you play football, you were the best on the field!" said Dean excitedly.

"When did you see me play?" said Harry brows furrowed.

"In the first scroll, you were awesome, we all cheered for you!" said a frail first year girl. She squeaked and blushed deeply.

Harry smiled down at her. He conjured a tiger lily and handed it to her. "Thank you."

"Why did you conjure up a lily?" asked Lupin.

"It's my favorite flower." said Harry simply. The little girl blushed even deeper.

but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him.

Growls etched their ways acrossed the Hall again.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Again, cheers ran rampant across the hall, erasing the growls.

Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the House at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"It couldn't decide whether to send me to Hufflepuff or Gryffindor." said Seamus answering the unasked question.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.

"RONALD WEASELY!" screeched Mrs. Weasely. Hermione, stood up and said:

"He's already apologized, they both have. It's fine.

A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous.

"Very wise thinking, Harry." said Luna.

What if he wasn't chosen at all? What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?

"Oh Harry, I wished you had spoken up, I've had several students, both boys and girls tug at my robes and ask for reassurance. We've even had to administer Calming Draughts to some students." said McGonagall, feeling a bit ashamed.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

"Sorry again." said Neville to Morag MacDougal.

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." said Malfoy quietly. He always wanted to be a Slytherin ever since he was a child. He had heard wonderful stories that his mother had told him about her days at school.

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

There weren't many people left now.

"Moon"..."Nott"..."Parkinson"...then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil"..., then "Perks, Sally-Anne"...and then, at last-

"Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

People awaited for the reason why it took him so long to get sorted.

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes-and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting...So where shall I put you?"

"Wow, that means you could have went in any house, Harry!" said Bill thinking out loud.

"He's right Harry, you have the courage and nerve that Godric Gryffindor took pride in. You have the loyalty and diligence that Helga Hufflepuff treasured. You have the intellect and wisdom that Rowena Ravenclaw held dear and you have the cunning and as I said many years ago, a certain disregard for the rules. You are quite a unique individual." said Dumbledore with his eyes twinkling.

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.

"We wouldn't have accepted you anyway, Mr. Potter." said Umbridge. Her nose high in the air, and looking down at Harry with disgust.

Both Snape and Malfoy sent her a dark look.

"Good, we'll take him!" shouted the twins.

"Not Slytherin, eh?" said a small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherine will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that-no? Well, if you're sure-better be GRYFFINDOR!"

"The hat said what?" said Lupin looking over to Harry.

"Said I could be in Slytherin." said Harry, not in a worried tone but in a calm one.

Lupin and Sirius looked at each other nodded and smiled at Harry.

"Whatever house you would have been placed in, we wouldn't care or love about you any less" they said together.

"Thanks Sirius...Remus." said Harry.

Lupin looked at Harry in shock and then he smiled. A broad and bright smile, one like he hadn't given to anyone in over fourteen years.

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table.

"You didn't look like you were walking shakily." said Hermione

He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasely twins yelled. "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

They repeated their performance.

Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice cold water.

"It is a shock when they do that, but they mean well." said Justin with a slight shiver.

He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up.

Hagrid smiled warmly down at Harry.

Harry grinned back.

He did so again.

And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts.

Dumbledore smiled brightly.

Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all snarled.

And now there were only four people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron,

"Now we're the same height."

joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table

"Thank goodness luck was on your side that day."

and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasely pompously

Percy turned pink.

across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

Lupin reached down into his pocket and handed him two chocolate bars.

"I'm not hungry." said Harry looking at the chocolate in Lupin's hands.

"Deal with it, every time I hear you're hungry in these books, I'm giving you something to eat. Makes Sirius and I feel better."

Harry sighed and took the chocolate.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"I seem to be easy to read, to you, Harry." said Dumbledore looking over to him.

"You really like us being here sir?" said a first year Hufflepuff.

"Of course I do. Every teacher here, shares the same feeling I do." said Dumbledore brightly. McGonagall coughed loudly and nodded towards Umbridge.

"Well...most of us" he said still brightly.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet. I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

"My best speech." said Dumbledore his eyes twinkling. Students fifth year and up nodded.

"This just proves how, senile, you've gotten." said Umbridge sneering over to the venerable old man.

Students and guests turned to her with fury shooting from their eyes.

"The day he's gone senile is the day you're voted 'Best Teacher' by the students." retorted Harry. Several shouted in agreement, and only a three students shouted her to be 'Second' or 'Third' best teacher.

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he-a bit mad?" he asked Percy uncertainly.

"That was the only time that I remember calling you mad, sir." said Harry weakly. Dumbledore chuckled warmly.

"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"

"I feel that way again, now." said Percy to himself, his father gave him a one arm hug.

Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and , for some strange reasons, peppermint humbugs.

Ron's stomach grumbled again.

"Can't you wait, Ron?" said Neville with his eyes raised. He knew about Ron's appetite and love of food, but he never thought it was THIS big.

The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry,

"You were only kidding yourself, Harry." said Sirius and Mrs. Weasely together.

but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if it made him sick.

"Stupid, fat, selfish, greedy, git!" snarled students across the Hall

Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.

"Best food I've ever had, till I went to the Weasely's." said Harry looking over to Mrs. Weasely, who blushed.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.

"I love steak." said Lupin fondly, licking his lips.

"That's the wolf in him, he's a big meat and chocolate kinda guy. Screw the potatoes." said Sirius sniggering.

"Can't you-?"

"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you-you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-" the ghost began stiffly,

"He came up with that nickname, though." said Lupin looking thoughtful.

but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted,

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"No, it IS going the way he wants. He loves scaring all the first year Gryffindors like that. Peter's reaction is his favorite, fainted dead away." said Sirius smiling wickedly. "Too bad it didn't kill him outright." he added with a growl.

"Like this." he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces,

"See?" said Sirius gesturing towards the book.

Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So-new Gryffindor! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable-he's the Slytherin ghost."

"I would let him act any way he wanted." said Malfoy quietly.

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.

"I wasn't either." he said even quieter.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

"How much do you want to bet Ron, Hermione and Harry find out how it happened, before they graduate?" said Fred and George.

"I'll take that bet, I say they don't." said Malfoy.

"Five Galleons?" said the twins, Malfoy nodded.

"Where did you get that much money?" questioned Mr. and Mrs. Weasely.

"Ummm...savings..."they said meekly. Neither of their parents bought that excuse, but they didn't pursue it.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts,

"I love treacle tarts. Love treacle anything really." said Harry fondly closing his eyes and smiling.

chocolate Ä‚Å clairs

"Tell me you know how to make those!" said Lupin eagerly, he smiled broadly when he saw Harry nodded.

"I take it, that you're the designated cook at our place then." said Sirius with a smile.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." said Harry happily.

and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding...

As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

The others laughed.

"That wasn't a funny statement." snarled Professor Snape.

"Professor Snape is right, Mr. Finnigan. Was your father abusive in any way?" said Professor Dumbledore seriously, the twinkling gone from his eyes.

"No, not in any sense of the word. It was a shock, but he got over it, we're best friends, we've always been." said Seamus quickly.

"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.

"Ron, we've talked to you about different families, including Augusta and her family." admonished Mrs. Weasely.

"I forgot, I was getting sleepy and I forgot." Ron said defending himself.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me-

"Accidental magic doesn't work that way, Neville." said Harry, pulling out his little black notebook and flipping the pages, people waited to hear his take on it, but he said nothing.

he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned-

The same growling that went on during the parts that mentioned the Dursleys, were now growling towards Neville's Great Uncle Algie.

"Hey now, my great uncle was always an odd duck. He never tried to hurt me intentionally. He would always use his wand to stop me from getting hurt. And when my gran found out about all this she kicked him out for over a year.

but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by my ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go.

"She didn't know I was there!" Neville said loudly to the growling crowd.

But I bounced-all the way down the garden and into the road.

"That would be the spiritual core releasing a short burst of magic. Because of the times your Great Uncle tried to get magic out of you, your core shut it self away to protect itself. Your core is still trying to start up from the forced shut down." said Harry calmly.

"How long will it take to get going?" said Neville quickly.

"Well, keep up with the D.A practices and you should be fine. I'd say a few more months and your core will open fully like it should be. Also a new wand wouldn't hurt. Wielding your father's wand wasn't and isn't helping you."

"How long did you know I had my father's wand?" said Neville, his eyes big and round.

"Quite a while." said Harry calmly.

They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy.

"Wasn't after she learned what Uncle Algie did to cause me to bounce from the second floor and into the road." said Neville.

And you should have seen their faces when I got in here-they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

"Mixed messages that is." muttered Ron. "Pleased and punishing you." he added silently laughing. Neville was listening and he laughed too.

On Harry's other side, Percy Weasely and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interest in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing-").

"Never saw anyone so excited for classes." said Percy with a smile towards Hermione.

Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

Snape glared at Harry, and was shocked to see Harry look down in shame.

"Sorry, Professor..." he said quietly.

It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell turban straight into Harry's eyes -and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Say what?"

"Pain? In his scar?"

"Does that mean.."

"If it's in the books..."

"Then it's true..."

"He does get pain in his scar!"

"What does that mean?"

Snape sat in amazement, as did Dumbledore. Harry sensed Voldemort behind Quirrell's turban!

Umbridge wasn't in the least bit happy, but she shrugged it off. Brat must already be losing whatever mind he had. Good, any more of these spasms of pain, and he will be chucked into before the next book was finished!"

"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.

"What is it?" asked Percy.

"N-nothing."

"SEE! HE DOES LIE" screamed Fudge and Umbridge.

"Only when he doesn't want anyone to know he's hurting." shouted Ron bitterly.

The Weaselys, the rest of the staff, the guests, and the two men sitting in the bowl with him all turned to look at him in concern.

The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look-a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.

Now it was Snape's turn to look down in shame.

"Who's the teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy.

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to-everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Snape shrugged, he did know a lot, about the Dark Arts.

Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem-just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years, should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasely twins.

The twins, Harry, Ron and Hermione all smiled mischievously. The adults around them all groaned.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Tries to enforce it, never works." said Dumbledore still smiling.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"Or scaring your Head of House nearly senseless." said Professor McGonagall smiling at Harry.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

"Huh? What? What did you say?" said Sirius looking past Lupin and Harry to look at Dumbledore.

But he wasn't listening, Dumbledore was looking down, I should have done more than just warn them, barriers or something. thought Dumbledore. But then the thought bitterly, I wanted Harry to fight Him, wanted him to meet the man, the monster, that took his family. I should have been there, sooner not later. What a monstrous old man I have carved myself to be. Dumbledore looked darkly at the floor. He looked up and saw a levitating crystal phial of Calming Draught. Dumbledore looked over at Harry and saw him waving his wand above his head and without looking at Dumbledore or the phial, lifted the Draught.

Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.

"He's not serious?" he muttered to Percy.

"Dead serious." said Ron.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere-the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"I didn't even let the Head Boy or Head Girl what was down that corridor."

"And now, before we got to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teacher's smiles had become rather fixed.

"Oh Potter, must you be so observant?" said Professor Flitwick covering his eyes. Dumbledore laughed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And the school bellowed:

"I want to hear Mr. Potter sing again!" cried Professor Flitwick. The rest of the school cheered once more.

"Do I have to?" whimpered Harry softly to Sirius.

"Most definitely." said Sirius.

"But, I already sang today!" whined Harry. Lupin smiled down at him.

"Too bad, Professor Flitwick wants to hear you sing, and so do we. Come on Harry, there's not many times we get to hear you sing."

"Come on Harry! Just this last song! We promise! No more singing today!" chanted the school.

Harry sighed in defeat. He scratched his head and thought of a tune. Nothing he could think of would fit the school song, till he thought of a song that he had heard once. He was in Mrs. Figgs and thought it was the most wonderful song he had heard. He flipped through the notebook on his lap and found the lyrics and the notes he had written down quickly when he heard it the second time. Reading the notes and keeping tempo with his thumb and forefinger, He sang the school song

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees.

Our beads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

When he was done singing, he blushed as the school and the guests gave him a standing ovation. He laid back down in the bowl and attempted to bury his head in the covers.

"What melody was that from, Mr. Potter?"

"Umm...Whistle Down the Wind..." said Harry quietly.

"Can you sing it for us Harry?" said Hermione excitedly.

"Hermione, you and the rest of the school promised me I wouldn't have to sing anymore today!" said Harry rolling his eyes and frowning at Hermione.

Hermione looked disappointed and pouted.

"That was very pretty Harry, you should sing professionally. I'm sure Stubby will give you some tips." said Luna, pointing to Sirius.

Sirius turned around, expecting to see another person behind the bowl. But no one was there. He turned back to Luna and pointed to himself.

"Are you talking about me?"

"Luna, he isn't Stubby Boardman. He's Sirius Black, he's always been Sirius Black." said Lupin kindly.

"We went to go see him and 'The Hobgoblins' in concert though once, if you can call it a concert anyway. Didn't you throw a turnip at him once?" said Sirius.

"Yeah, I saved up money to take my girlfriend to the best restaurant in England, and she ditches me for the bloody Hobgoblins. So I took Sirius with me and I tossed the turnip. She always was a big fan of his."

"He had nothing to do with your girlfriend acting like that!" said Hermione, slightly scolding her ex-Professor.

"She was onstage with him, snogging him. Just declared that he going to take her on a date. She accepted. I tossed the turnip and broke up with her the next time I saw her. She wasn't happy."

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasely twins were left singing along to a very funeral march.

"Why did you pick a funeral march?" asked Ron laughing.

"Cause we did Opera the year before." said Fred.

"And Yodeling the year before that." said George.

Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"We were amazed you had the patience to wait for us, sir." said the twins grinning at Dumbledore.

"I enjoy all forms of music, if it has a melody, I love it." said Dumbledore beaming at them.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

"Hmm..you weren't too tired not to take in your surroundings. Very impressive, Potter." said Kingsley nodding approvingly.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Three guesses who that is!" cried the Weasely twins excitedly.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves-show yourself."

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"He always had quick wit." said Professor Flitwick, whispering to Professor Snape who snorted slightly.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

"Now, now Mr. Weasely. Do try and give him a sporting chance." said Dumbledore shaking a finger at the third oldest Weasely kindly. Percy blushed.

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

"He never introduces himself to the first years with the rest of the ghosts. He always waits and meets them when there is no teacher present." said Professor McGonagall.

He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.

"Baron won't listen to you, Weasely, you know that. He only listens to his Slytherins. Anyone else, he ignores." said Snape giving a sneer to the graduate.

"I want in on the bet, I say Harry doesn't find out what happened to Baron! Ten Galleons." said Blaise walking over and dropping ten galleons in a tin the twins conjured up.

A few more Slytherins walked over and dropped some money in the tin. Hermione was the official wager writer.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head.

"Oh, Neville, he didn't hurt you? Did he?" said Luna, running a hand over Neville's head. Neville blushed and muttered that he was alright.

They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects.

"He has no need to listen to Prefects, only teachers and Head Boy and Girl. And barely the Head Students.

Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"How did you know it was silk, Harry?' asked Hermione.

"Aunt Petunia's Cocktail dresses were made of silk."

"Password?" she said.

All the other houses leaned in close. What sort of passwords did Gryffindors have?

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it- Neville needed a leg up-

"Thanks again Ron, Harry." said Neville

and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

"Hey, their house doesn't sound anything different than ours!" pouted a disappointed Hufflepuff.

"The only differences are: the color theme of the rooms, the location, and the odd assortment of activities." said Dumbledore.

"What do you mean, sir?" said one of the first years from the Slytherin table.

"Well, for the Slytherin house, you have quite a bit of what? Mr. Douglas?"

"W-well," he stammered, amazed he was addressed to personally by the headmaster. "there are a lot of bookshelves and puzzles."

"Very good, do you enjoy them, the puzzles?" he said nodding.

"Oh, yes sir! I love puzzles! Especially the wooden ones!"

"Wonderful! And, Mr. Baker, what happens to be the activities in the Ravenclaw house?" he said addressing another first year.

"Umm-there are books like what Baker said, and there are chessboards all over. I love chess, next week I'm gonna challenge Ron to a game!" he said excitedly. Dumbledore chuckled as Ron blushed.

"Mr. O'Reily, what happens to lie about the Hufflepuff common room?" he said addressing a Hufflepuff first year this time.

"We'll, there are a lot of games about the house, and according to my dad, Gryffindor is the same way."

"Very good. There are some similarities and some differences, but nothing you would rather trade for anything. Except for those horrid Gryffindor curtains on the beds. I set fire to them once. Accidental of course." he said beaming as the students fell on the floor laughing.

Harry smiled, Dumbledore told him that story at the end of last year to try and cheer him up, it worked.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase-they were obviously in one of the towers-

"We're in the dungeons." piped Douglas.

"We're near the Greenhouses" shouted O'Reily

"We're in a western tower." yelled Baker.

they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.

"Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets."

"I don't know why he would do that." said Lupin thoughtfully. People who didn't know who Scabbers really was, which was a majority of the school, looked at the man in confusion.

Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.

"Explained why you didn't answer me." smirked Ron.

Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream.

"Happens to me all the time." said Ron.

He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny.

"Creepy turban." shivered Colin.

"You have no idea." moaned Ron, Harry and Hermione.

Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully-and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it-

Malfoy paled.

then Malfoy turned into the hooked-nosed teacher, Snape,

Then Snape paled.

whose laugh became high and cold-there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.

Lupin and Sirius turned white and quickly turned towards Harry,

"I don't remember that dream." he said quietly.

He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke the next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.

"That explains it." said Harry with a blank expression.

"That is the end of the chapter. Who would like to read next?" asked Luna, looking around to the rest of the school dreamily.

"I'll take it!" said Bill. He stood up and accepted the book from Luna.

The Potion Master

"This won't be good." said Snape shaking his head.

Professor McGonagall looked over to him in confusion.

Chapter 13

The Potions Master. said Bill loudly.

"There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."

"Wearing the glasses?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Harry wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes.

"Drove me mad, I thought I was going in circles, because I kept seeing the same people time after time." said Harry thinking thoughtfully.

A few students paled in shame. They didn't know all they were doing was confusing him.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts:

"Did you count them Harry?" asked Neville with widened eyes.

"Ron and I kept getting late to class, so when we had free time, we would go and explore, we climbed up and down every staircase, and traveled down every corridor." said Harry simply. "Took a long time."

"My legs still hurt." said Ron.

wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump.

"I hate that one!" said Neville bitterly.

"We fell through it a time or two." said both Harry and Ron kindly.

Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending.

"Tricksy tricksy!" chanted Harry in an almost perfect imitation of Peeves.

The students laughed and clutched at their sides.

It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk.

"Found out half a year later, that they could, it's a defensive measure. But it takes the command of a teacher to get them to move about." said Harry absently fingering his little black notebook.

The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open.

"They are particularly fond of doing that." said Madame Bones, thinking back to her school days.

Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction,

"It's his job as House ghost." said McGonagall. "He is supposed to guide the new students in the right direction."

but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class.

"And that's being kind." said Neville bitterly.

He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"

"If I find out who taught him that little joke, I will give them something they'll never forget." said McGonagall threateningly. Lupin cringed guiltily in his seat. Only Harry, due to the fact that he was laying against him, took notice.

Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning.

Sirius, Lupin, Fred and George all whistled. It took all of them, a week or two to get on his bad side.

Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASELY! HAROLD JAMES POTTER! I FORBID YOU TO GO NEAR THAT CORRIDOR AGAIN!" screeched Mrs. Weasely.

"From now on or back in time?" said Harry calmly, raising his eyebrows. Ron was too busy trying to hide in the love seat beside Hermione.

Mrs. Weasely stuttered and stammered, Ron gathered up the courage and meekly told his mother:

"Don' t bother continuing mum. Harry won't let you win, never does when he has that tone in his voice."

He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons

"SAY WHAT?" bellowed Sirius, he turned towards Harry, clutching his leg. "He better not have."

Harry's back arched and he couldn't catch his scream behind his teeth this time.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!"

Lupin and Sirius both jumped.

Madame Pomfrey rushed over along with Professor Snape and McGonagall. Dumbledore came over and did his best to offer comfort.

"OH GOD! PLEASE!" he screamed loudly. Madam Pomfrey and Snape had to gently wrestle him back down into the bowl.

As Snape helped Harry drink potions and Madame Pomfrey applied some healing salves to his legs, Sirius cried and screamed his apologies to Harry, who laid gasping for air. Lupin tried to give Sirius some reassurance.

"You didn't mean to hurt him, I know that, we all know that. We both just sort of forgot that Harry was hurt there, I just focused on his back. Poppy, Severus, will he be alright?" said Lupin holding onto Sirius' arms.

"Yes, he will be fine, he's resting now." said Snape covering the unconcious Harry with the red and gold blanket.

Bill looked down, in a worried fashion, and noticed: "Oi, the books not closed! I thought Harry had to be awake for us to read it."

"Not really, Harry only has to be here for the books to be read. He is more than welcome to sleep through the proceedings." said one of the Unspeakables, looking concerned at the youth.

"Well, I think that Harry should be removed to the Hospital Wing!" said Madame Pomfrey indignantly.

"Absolutely not! We've wasted enough time, lets continue on!" said Umbridge with a snarl.

"As much as I hate to agree with her, we should continue on. The students are missing valuable school time." said McGonagall, looking furious with herself. She didn't want to say it, but as Deputy Headmistress, it was her duty.

when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.

"He was not passing just on chance." whispered Ron furiously.

Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamplike eyes just like Filch's.

"I think she's particularly lovely." said Luna dreamily. "I always get along with her, I give her leftover pieces of fish."

"You're the only one." said Ginny looking at Luna with an impressed look.

She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasely twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts.

"That is a very nice compliment for Argus, Harry." said Dumbledore, brushing Harry's bangs out of his eyes. Harry still slept on.

The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.

"I've given her one or two in my time." muttered Lupin. Sirius nodded in agreement, still weeping silently over Harry.

"How could you know her from your school days?" asked Fred incredulously.

"She is Argus' familiar, they are very rare. Not all pets become a familiar, so far, only Hermione, Harry, Argus and myself have familiars. They tend to live much longer than most pets. They last just about as long as the master, retaining their youth." said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling as he continued to brush back Harry's black bangs.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.

Sirius hiccupped a laugh and leaned over the top edge of the bowl, watching Harry sleep.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout,

The Herbology enthusiasts and the Hufflepuffs cheered loudly.

where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost.

People nodded in agreement.

Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.

"We should think about retiring Professor Binns." said Professor McGonagall.

"I'm not too sure about that. Even when we had living teachers, teaching the subject, it was dreadfully boring. But perhaps, if we could have someone a little more exciting teaching the class." said Dumbledore.

"I vote for Professor Lupin." said Dean to the applause of the majority of the school.

Lupin turned pink. He muttered something about being too dangerous, but Dumbledore stated loud and proud that he would start the paperwork immediately.

"I ABSOLUTELY FORBID IT!" yelled Umbridge. Sirius covered Harry's ears with both of his hands, making sure that Harry didn't wake up. Fudge looked from Umbridge and Dumbledore, not knowing which side to take part in.

"I would love to see you try." said Rivers firmly.

Umbridge's screeching ceased immediately.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher,

The Charms N.E.W.T.s students and the Ravenclaw students all gave their teacher a standing ovation.

was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.

Several students laughed at that, even a few teachers. When Flitwick would come to teach the first years, and he came to the offspring of a favorite student, he would perform that acrobatic stunt.

Professor McGonagall

The House in which she was head of, gave a loud shout.

was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever,

McGonagall smiled, so pleased that tears pricked her eyes, she reached over Dumbledore's shoulder and caressed Harry's head.

she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"I need to warn students against foolishness in my class." said McGonagall sternly, but the sternness of her voice didn't reach the hand was touching Harry's cheek.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said.

Many seventh years nodded.

"Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time.

"That was a big letdown." said Parvati.

After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.

"After class, when we were in an empty classroom, Harry showed me how to do it properly. That is when he told me that he wasn't going to go all out in class." Ron said to Hermione.

The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke.

"It really was." said Neville. "Compared to Professor Lupin and Harry's teachings." he added, looking over to his old Defense teacher and his unconscious D.A. leader.

His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story.

"The garlic smell was to cover something else." said Hermione and Ron.

For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasely twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.

"Garlic wouldn't have protected him." mumbled Harry, almost waking. Dumbledore waved his wand over Harry's face slowly, Harry's barely opened eyes, slowly closed once more.

"Good thinking Albus, let him rest a bit more." said Madame Pomfrey, she placed a silencing charm around him, so that no more noise disturbed him.

Harry was relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else.

"No, turns out he was miles ahead. I even told him so." said Ron smiling at his sleeping best mate.

Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards.

There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.

"Being friends with Harry gave me more than a head start. I had the bloody best tutor in the whole bloody world!" said Ron. His mother wanted to tell him off, but now she wasn't too sure if she should.

Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

"Hey it took a while, Harry was able to find his way around fine, but when he told me to lead, it kind of went badly." said Ron turning pink.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Harry can't eat porridge without sugar. He can't stand it, without it." said Ron smirking. "Says it makes him gag."

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them-we'll be able to see if it's true."

"Sadly, it's true." muttered Snape.

"Wish McGonagall favored us," said Harry.

Snape looked quickly over to McGonagall and his mouth hung open.

"You don't favor them?" he said weakly.

"Absolutely not, unfortunately you will see just how much I don't favor them." she said proudly first but then she ended in a hurt tone.

Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. Harry had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

"It was a bit scary." said a first year Gryffindor.

Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls.

"Aww!" cooed Pavarti, Padma and Lavender.

This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

Dear Harry,

I know you get Friday afternoon off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.

Hagrid.

"Oh! Hagrid, that was very kind of you!" said Tonks smiling broadly.

"T'was nuthin, jus' knew he needed a bit o' break." said Hagrid sitting next to the bowl, keeping close, protecting Harry as he slept.

Filthy half-breed, filthy hovel, I didn't want to stay in it a second more than I absolutely had to. thought Umbridge fiercely.

Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.

It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.

"I'm sure, Severus, that he meant since he had arrived at Hogwarts." said Dumbledore reassuring the Potion's Master. For Snape had turned a deadly shade of white and his mouth opened in massive shock.

At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry-he hated him.

Snape slowly sank into a chair that Dumbledore magicked underneath him.

"Severus, I think we need to have a chat with Harry." said Dumbledore.

"He doesn't feel that way anymore, he just makes it look like he still hates you. Harry doesn't hate anyone, except You-Know-Who." said Ron quietly. Snape looked thoughtful at Harry. "And his Uncle Vernon."

Potions lesson took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

"We've never used those, yet." said a seventh year.

Snape's mouth twitched. "You aren't supposed to, those are for my potions."

"Too bad, Harry isn't up, we could ask him what potions take them." said a few Gryffindors.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new-celebrity."

"Oh, Severus!" cried McGonagall and Dumbledore, covering their eyes with their hands.

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands.

Only Crabbe and Goyle laughed this time around. Malfoy only groaned.

Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word-like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.

Snape performed a double-take down at the sleeping form to the right of him. Harry gave him a compliment.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses...I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death-

"That speech was actually quite nice, Severus, very impressive." said Dumbledore, clapping his hands.

if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

"Oh, dear." said Dumbledore, ceasing his clapping and massaging the bridge of his crooked nose. "Not the conclusion to your speech that I was expecting."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows.

"Cause I knew Harry wasn't a dunderhead, and I knew Hermione wasn't one either." said Ron firmly.

Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

"And you aren't one, Miss Granger." reassured Flitwick.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was;

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses...I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death-

"That speech was actually quite nice, Severus, very impressive." said Dumbledore, clapping his hands.

if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

"Oh, dear." said Dumbledore, ceasing his clapping and massaging the bridge of his crooked nose. "Not the conclusion to your speech that I was expecting."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows.

"Cause I knew Harry wasn't a dunderhead, and I knew Hermione wasn't one either." said Ron firmly.

Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

"And you aren't one, Miss Granger." reassured Flitwick.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was;

"We weren't paying attention." said Ron a little embarrassed.

Hermione's hand had shot into the air.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

"Harry saw your hand up in the air and wanted you to take the answer and the points. He wrote the answer to me under the table, after Snape repeated the question."

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut-fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand.

"He always does." muttered Ron, so quietly that Snape didn't hear him.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was.

"He actually didn't know what that was." said Ron with a small smile. "He went up to the dorms and looked it up real quick."

He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle , who were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

"There isn't a book that he hasn't opened." said Ron proudly.

Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?"

"He was hoping no one did, but Harry and Hermione showed him." said Neville smiling broadly.

"Yeah, but Harry didn't answer any of his questions though, Nev." said Ron.

Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Did he know that answer?" said Terry Boot.

"Yep, he and I both knew that one." said Ron with a smile.

Several Ravenclaws whistled

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

They whistled again.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

"There you go, Harry trying to nudge you to the spotlight." said Ron smiling over to Hermione.

A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however was not pleased.

"He never is pleased." said a very brave and very foolish first year Gryffindor. Snape glared at him.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

"Because you didn't tell them to, to start with." said Madame Hooch angrily.

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

"What? What cheek did you get from him? He merely said that he didn't know, and he offered the honor of answering to someone who knew that answer." shouted Madame Hooch once more.

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeons.

"I saw his stewed horned slugs, they were done wrong." said Hermione in confusion.

Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob,

"Sorry about that Seamus." said Neville sadly.

"It's alright Nev, it was just a cauldron. Someone ordered a new one for me."

"That would be Harry. He felt bad, Snape actually sent him on a bit of a guilt-trip." said Ron with a smile.

and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Oh, are you sure, you're alright Neville?" said Luna, looking at Neville. Neville blushed furiously and smiled.

"I'm fine. Really." he said, his voice choking against something that really wasn't there.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape,

"SEVERUS! HEAL NOW, SCOLD LATER!" shouted Madame Pomfrey. Snape looked away in guilt.

clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Are you sure you're alright dear?" said Mrs. Weasely. Neville smiled at her and nodded.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"Severus..." said Dumbledore warningly.

"You-Potter-why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good fi he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

"He looked over to Neville, but it was a little too late. Harry tried to say something, but then the hissing noise came from you guys and the potion was flying in Neville's face and then there was potion on the floor." said Ron, defending his sleeping friend.

This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.

"Don't push it, " he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

"That is an understatement." muttered Ron quietly.

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week-why did Snape hate him so much?

"Harry didn't need to worry, Fred, George, Sirius and James lost more than that in the first three seconds of their first years." said McGonagall fondly.

"Cheer up, " said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

"Always 'appy to 'ave anyone 'round." said Hagird cheerfully. Umbridge snarled.

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagird lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.

When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang-back."

Hermione and Ron smiled fondly.

Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

"Is he very vicious?" asked a nervous second year, who had never spoken to Hagrid since the voyage in the boats.

"No, he's very, very gentle." said Hermione, patting the Ravenclaw on the back.

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt cover it.

"Harry says that it's the most comfortable bed he's ever slept on." said Ron with a smile.

"When did Harry sleep on Hagrid's bed?" asked Sirius, frowning a little.

"We were just walking around in our third year when Harry accidentally fell in a half-covered gnome hole. It started raining and with Harry's ankle all wrenched..." said Ron.

"Why didn't you bring him up to me? Despite the rain?" said Madam Pomfrey.

"Harry was in pain. He didn't want to go any further, he was gritting his teeth. And when you see him like that, you know it isn't good and you don't move him." said Ron, grimacing in remembrance of it. "We sat him down, and I ran and got Hagrid. It started to rain even harder when we got back to the spot where I left Harry and Hermione. Well, Hagrid picked him up and took him to his house."

"Still, why wasn't I called!" cried Madame Pomfrey.

"Hagrid had it all under control." said Ron shrugging. "Harry fell asleep after Hagrid made him some tea and while Harry slept, we helped Hagrid bind up his foot. He put some sort of salve on his ankle and his ankle stopped swelling, and it turned back to the normal color."

"What was that salve?" said Madame Pomfrey.

"T'was somethin' the centaurs gave me. Works for all kinds o' injuries, an' scrapes." said Hagrid.

"Filthy creatures." muttered Umbridge.

"They're wiser than you and most humans." said Rivers shortly.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasely, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles.

"He don't look at the hair, but looks for freckles." said Charlie smiling.

"I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

"FRED! GEORGE!" shouted Mr. Weasely, "YOU APOLOGIZE TO HAGRID, RIGHT NOW!"

"Sorry, Hagrid." they said quickly.

"Crikey, dad, you get scary, just like Harry!" said George.

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons.

"I'm sorry 'Arry, Ron, didn' know ye didn' like me cookin'" said Hagrid glumly.

"It's just that, maybe you're used to cooking for half-giants, Hagrid. Maybe Harry can teach you to cook for plain humans, when he gets all better." said Dumbledore kindly.

Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.

"Sorry, but that's gross." said Lavender giving a slight shudder.

Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch, "that old git."

"Always nice to have an adult on our side." said Ron happily.

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime.

"Don't know who would win in that fight." said Fred wondering.

D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her-Filch puts her up to it."

Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he seemed to really hate me."

"Not you, just your father." said Snape quietly, to the unconscious form.

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"

Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet this eyes when he said that.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot-great with animals."

"Like you too, Hagrid." said Charlie brightly.

Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose.

"Hmm...Very shrewd thinking Potter." said Moody to himself.

While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST

Investigations continue into the break-in at

Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the

work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.

Gringotts goblin today insisted that nothing

had been taken. The vault that was searched had in

fact had been emptied the same day.

"But we're not telling you what was in there, so

keep your noses out if you know what's good

for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this after-

noon.

Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.

"Cause I didn't remember it." said Ron a little sheepishly.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?

People took in a gasp. Was that what the thieves looked for? That grubby little package?

As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse,

"I wouldn' ta minded if ya said no." said Hagrid.

Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid.

"What did he learn?" said Sirius looking intently as he was brushing Harry's hair back.

Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry?

"Those are very good key questions." said Dumbledore. He looked down at Harry, he was stirring again.

"Is that the end of the chapter, Mr. Weasely?" said Dumbledore quickly.

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, we shall have a bit of lunch then, good thing too, Harry's wishing to wake up." Dumbledore said, smiling down to the young man.

"Mmmm..mmf, what..what happened? Did I fall asleep? I remember thinking about Quirrell, and that damned turban." said Harry bitterly.

"You did fall asleep Harry, and you missed a good chunk of that chapter, as well." said Lupin kindly. "But you've woken up in time for lunch. I'll go and get a plate for you."

Sirius slowly walked over and looked ashamedly down at the ground.

"I'm so sorry, Harry, I didn't..should've..."

"It's alright, I sort of forgot my leg was injured. With me lying here, my leg doesn't hurt as bad as it did when I sat." said Harry, sending Sirius a smile.

Lupin came back with a plate loaded to the brim with different things, including three helpings of treacle tart.

"I love you!" said Harry grasping the plate quickly.

"He'd say that to Umbridge if she was holding treacle tart." whispered Ron to Neville and Ginny. They both tried to stifle their laughter. Ron was then hit in the back of the head with a small cushion.

"I heard that." said Harry, with frown on his face, but his eyes were lit up.

Ron noticed, there was a spark behind them, that he hadn't seen since before the incident. He was getting better, slowly but surely, he was getting better.

Chapter 14

As everyone finished their lunch, and laughing as Lupin and Ron gulped down as many triple chocolate chip cookies, that Harry had baked that morning, as they possibly could. Lupin and Sirius settled themselves back into the bowl and offered Harry some comfort as best they could, once again. This time, they took precautions with Harry's legs by putting cushions down around his legs and by having Lupin sit down supporting his feet. He was the least likely one to lose his head in a fit, so, down to the more painful area he sat.

Harry was once more covered by the gold and red blanket that he became so fond of, and the everyone resumed their seats. Madame Pomfrey offered to read the next chapter, and walked back to her chair with the book.

"Comfortable Harry? I don't want...you hurting again." said Sirius quietly.

"Perfectly comfortable Sirius." said Harry, stretching slightly.

"Harry, if you feel any pain..." said Mrs. Weasely soothingly.

"Molly, we've got him, he's fine. He's not your cub, he's ours." said Sirius in a stern tone.

Mrs. Weasely's lips quivered.

"Mrs. Weasely, I'm alright. If something goes amiss, I'll let Sirius know. And knowing him, he'll panic and you'll know straight off." said Harry with a broad smile.

Mrs. Weasely gave him a smile in return and sat down while Sirius gave his ear a flick.

To be on the safe side, Dumbledore saved a little tray of food and placed it near Sirius's left side.

"Just in case he gets hungry." he explained

Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat.

The Midnight Duel

"One gets the feeling this won't be a good chapter." said Sirius staring at Madame Pomfrey.

"What were you doing, dueling?" shouted McGonagall.

"Umm.."

"Er.."

"Never mind." said McGonagall.

Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley,

"Wow! There is a boy, Harry hated more than Dudley?"

"I thought I did at the time, that changed, years later." said Harry.

but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.

"Ouch!" moaned and groaned half the school.

"That hurts." said Malfoy sadly.

Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan.

"Not good, especially if Gryffindors groan. They can handle almost anything without batting an eye." said a Hufflepuff whispering to her friends.

Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday-and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

"Yeah, that would make me groan too, at least when I had flying lessons, it was with the Ravenclaws." said the Hufflepuff girl.

"Typical," said Harry darkly, "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

"Malfoy turned out to be the fool on the broom compared to you." said Neville gleefully.

"Oh yes, Longbottom, tell us how you mastered flying in thirty seconds." said Pansy with a wide evil smile that would do Umbridge proud.

"You never left the ground." retorted Parvati. "Not even during the final class."

He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

"That sounds more like Harry." said Katie.

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

"And was it, Ron?" said Harry, looking intently over to Ron.

"No, it wasn't. He was good." said Ron grudgingly.

Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the House Quidditch teams

"Just like he did at Madam Malkins" said Parvati rolling her eyes.

and told loud, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.

"When did you come face to face with one of those?" said Snape looking down at his prized student with a raised eyebrow and a frown on his lips.

"Well, it was when we were on holiday." he said quietly.

"And where were you when you saw this Muggle monstrosity?" he said, the eyebrow raising higher and higher.

"On the ground, hiding behind my mother." he said even quieter.

"Where?" asked Snape louder.

"On the ground." said Malfoy a little louder. He blushed when people started to snigger.

He wasn't the only on, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick.

"Actually the countryside was just my backyard and the fields." said Seamus a little shamefully.

Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen

"Which was almost nobody." smirked Zacharias. Ron glared at him.

about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom.

"Which was an absolute lie!" Zacharias laughed.

"No it wasn't actually. I had to go save him." said Charlie.

"And he was grounded for two months for being up there alone." said Mr. Weasely with a smile towards his youngest son. Ron looked down but smiled, while Zacharias stared.

"Your dad would take you for flights on his broom," said Sirius with a smile. "Lily made a halter so you could ride on the broom with him and not fall off. You kept wanting the broomstick to go faster, and the broom listened to you more than it listened to your dad."

"Funniest thing I ever saw." said Dumbledore chuckling loudly, "Your father trying to get the broom to slow down as you urged it to go faster."

"Look how red he's getting!" said Fred laughing loudly, pointing towards Harry.

Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Harry had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.

"Well, I didn't understand the game, now that I saw Harry play it, I want to see it again. Can you take me to a game sometime, Dean?" asked Ron eagerly.

"Sure thing Ron. That is actually what my mum and I had planned, the year we graduate, mum and I are going to take you guys to a game." said Dean smiling as Ron and the other boys whooped.

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one.

"She was afraid I'd get hurt. She worries a lot about me." said Neville with a small smile.

Privately Harry felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.

"HARRY!" shouted Mrs. Weasely and Lupin.

"Yes?" said Harry calmly.

"Oh, there's that tone again, they ain't going to win this one either." muttered Ron to Hermione and Neville. Neville smiled, he couldn't wait to see Harry fight back. Even the other students listened in intently.

"He's your friend! You shouldn't be that way!" scolded Lupin. Mrs. Weasely nodded in agreement.

"I didn't say it, I thought it." he said with a small smile.

"Still..." said Lupin irritably.

"Haven't you thought about something, that you didn't want shared?" said Harry with the same smile.

"Well...yes. What about it?" said Lupin slowly losing his footing

"And whatever you thought, is it still a secret? What you thought, is it still only known to you?" said Harry still smiling.

"Yeah." said Lupin looking confused.

"Were you persecuted for your thoughts?" pressed Harry.

"Well, no...but.." stammered Lupin.

"Why should I not expect that of my own thoughts? Why should I be punished for the thoughts I have? When you yourself have created thoughts similar to my own?" said Harry looking innocent.

"We didn't...we weren't going to pun..." stuttered Lupin, looking worried.

"In short, leave me alone." he said firmly, looking up to Lupin from where he laid. Lupin looked hurt.

"Harry winning, they don't even have point on the board." said Lee cheekily.

Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was.

"More so, I'm not very fond of heights." she said weakly.

This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book-not that she hadn't tried.

"You wouldn't be Hermione if you didn't." said Harry kindly.

At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid

"Harry you are hilarious!" said Fred and George wiping away the tears that had formed from laughing so hard.

"That would take a lot boring material to make him stupid." Rivers said quietly to McGonagall.

with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages.

"Oh Hermione! That book doesn't hold any real flying tips! For Quidditch players, yes! But not for normal, everyday flying." said Sirius laughing and smacking his forehead. Hermione blushed.

Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later,

"You're right Sirius, it didn't help at all." said Neville with a broad smile.

but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.

"Sorry Hermione." said the entire group of Gryffindor fifth years.

Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.

SMACK!

Snape had just struck Malfoy sharply on the back of the head. Malfoy offered an apology to Harry quickly.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

"What is that thing?" said a muggleborn second year.

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things-this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red-oh..." His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "...you've forgotten something..."

"The only wrong thing about it, is that it doesn't tell you what you forgot." said Professor Flitwick said sadly.

"Harry, Hermione and Ron taught me a bunch of good ways to remember things, so I actually don't need that Remembrall anymore." said Neville beaming over to Ron and Harry.

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.

"Why! You little thief!" scolded Bathilda Bagshot. Shaking a finger at Malfoy.

"You used to call Harry a little thief, Batty. Do you remember?" said Dumbledore, trying to calm her. He knew, that when she worked herself up, she was twenty times worse than Molly or Harry ever could be.

"Indeed I do, Albus." she said, smiling all of a sudden. "The young scamp would crawl on the table, from his mother or father's lap and pilfer all the coconut macaroons, that I would bake." she chided, shaking the same finger towards Harry, quite a bit gentler though.

Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"Due to your father, James, I had to develop that ability." said McGonagall sternly.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."

"Well aren't you a tattle tale, Longbottom?" snickered Millicent Bulstrode.

"Better than losing one's property." said Blaise.

Millicent, turned red. "Why are you now sticking up for them?"

Blaise couldn't answer her. He couldn't understand it either, why was he standing up for the Gryffindors? Especially Potter and his friends!

My mother's numerous husbands. He thought to himself coldly. Many of them would smack him at almost every opportunity they had. They didn't like that she doted on him instead of them and they took their frustration out on him. Potter had the same kind of life, only his abuse was worse off.

It wasn't pity that drew him to Potter, it was...parallelism of the two of them. They were the exact same, yet not.

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking ," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

"Bull, you would have taken it." said Angelina furiously, not wishing to forgive the little troll for taking her three best Quidditch players away.

At three thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day,

"Perfect flying conditions." said Madame Hooch and the Quidditch players

and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forests, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

"I'll say it again, you should write music, Harry, or poetry." said Dumbledore smiling over to Harry.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in the neat line on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasely complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrant if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

"Ruddy brooms." mumbled Fred.

"School needs new brooms." muttered George.

"Not really, those are the best brooms to learn from." said Harry brightly. "Not too fast, slow enough so we can learn the basics all right. As long as one doesn't panic." he added and sending an apologetic look to Neville.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"I like your description of me, Mr. Potter. Very nice." said Madam Hooch, trying to hide a slight twinge of pink in her cheeks.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over you broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did.

"You were being modest Mr. Potter. Your broom was off the ground at least two minutes before anyone else's did." said Madam Hooch looking at him proudly.

Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.

"I found out right quick after that, just how much I wanted to stay on the ground." said Neville trying not to laugh at himself.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.

"It worked before I got to Hogwarts." said Draco a little stubbornly.

"It wouldn't have, if you have flown for longer than an hour. Your hands would have been stiff and sore, you'd fallen off easily." said Madam Hooch simply.

Draco uncrossed his arms slowly.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle-three-two-"

But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Oh, dear. I hope you don't get hurt Neville dear." said Mrs. Weasely. Neville looked a bit taken aback.

"She worries about everyone, Nev. Everyone and anyone who needs it." whispered Ron. "I just tell people to go with it."

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle-twelve feet-twenty feet.

"You can even judge distances, at such a young age? Is there anything you can't do?" asked Rivers.

Harry gave it some thought, then he smiled. "I'm a ruddy awful dancer, paranoid sometimes, and I can't lie to save my life." he then thought once more. "and I wouldn't be able to do all I do, without my friends, and lots of outside help."

His friends smiled and many adults, including Rivers, nodded.

Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp,

"Not even on a broom yet and you still had Seeker's Sight." said Angelina happily.

slip sideways off the broom and-

WHAM-a thud and nasty crack and Neville lay face down on the grass in a heap.

"Oh you poor thing." said Luna patting Neville's arm.

His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

"Well that explains how we lost one." said Dumbledore kindly over to Neville. "Were you alright?"

"Yes sir, I only hurt my wrist. I'm sorry about the broom, sir." said Neville nervously.

"Oh don't worry about it, you should have seen all the brooms that I have seen banished into Forbidden Forest. Your father, if I remember, sent two or three into the woods a week until he got the hang of it. Mind you, it took several months."

Neville beamed immensely.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, boy-it's all right, up you get."

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

"What was I thinking? Leaving the Gryffindors and the Slytherins alone with a bunch broomsticks all over the place! The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs together are one thing, but those two! What was I thinking?" said Madam Hooch looking up into the sky.

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist , hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

"I feel kind of like a big baby and a big wuss now." said Neville sadly.

"Why do you say that Neville? Having a broken wrist is quite painful." said Mr. Weasely smiling down at him.

"Yeah, but..that was only time I broke a bone in my life. Harry...the scroll..." he said almost in a whimpering tone.

The school, which was in a reasonably good mood, despite the fears that Neville had really hurt himself, all of a sudden turned very somber and sad.

"Neville..." started Harry, but he stopped. How should he go about this, without sounding like a prat. He gave up, rather reluctantly. He wanted him to feel better. But nothing, absolutely nothing could he think up.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Of course you would." said Ginny rather fiercely.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

"Didn't know Dudley was there." said Harry with a smile. People started to laugh.

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil

"Good for you Pavarti, stand up for your fellow housemate" said Tonks.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."

"Still don't know what you see in fat cry-babies." sneered Pansy.

"Thinking back to that day, he was only five pounds overweight. You on the other hand, were at least ten pounds over." Harry said maliciously.

Pansy blanched.

"And as for the here and now. Neville has gotten taller and is dead on with the weight he should be. You haven't changed, still ten pounds over." he added snidely.

Pansy turned even whiter.

Sirius tugged at the top of Harry's head, "That was a very low blow to say to a girl. Normally I say don't pick on 'em, cause they'll mess you up something fierce. But right on, good show." he said wickedly.

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

"That's right, get Neville's Remembrall back for him." said Sirius looking at the book.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it someone for Longbottom to find-how about-up a tree?"

"And how are you going to get it up there? Madam Hooch said no flying?" said Percy looking confused.

"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off.

"You expected him to follow the rules, Percy?" said Sirius with his eyebrows raised.

He hadn't been lying, he could fly well.

"Wait, what? What did that book just say?" said Malfoy, thinking that he didn't hear right.

"It said, that I thought, that you could fly well." said Harry repeating it for Malfoy. Malfoy looked shocked.

Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom.

"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move-you'll get us all into trouble."

Harry ignored her.

"I really hate to say this Potter," said McGonagall, whispering in his ear while leaning over to him. "I'm sort of glad you did. But you still shouldn't have startled me so."

Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him-and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught-this was easy, this was wonderful.

The students cheered, this was the start of the school's star Quidditch player's career!

He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.

"I appreciated that." said Harry over to Ron.

He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.

"I wasn't expecting anyone to follow me. Thought I was the only one who knew how to fly well." said Malfoy weakly.

"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"AHA! Violent tendencies!" bellowed Umbridge and Fudge.

"I'll show you 'violent tendencies' if you interrupt with your nonsense again!" said Sirius and Madam Bones loudly.

The Minister and Fudge cowered slightly.

"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin.

"That is what you used to do on your father's broom, with him. Just like I said a moment or two ago." said Dumbledore brightly.

Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy, " Harry called.

"He's right, Malfoy will have to deal with you on his own." said Kingsley with a smile.

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted,

"Coward." muttered Kingsley

and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

"Oh, dear. It's going to break!" said one of the third year Hufflepuffs.

Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall.

"Slow motion? Just how finely tuned are your senses?" said Sirius quickly.

He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down-next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball-wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching-he stretched out his hand-a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass

"If it weren't for that first scroll, I would say I'd beat you soundly for giving me a heart attack." said Sirius, accepting a Calming Draught from Dumbledore.

with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.

People that hadn't heard this story, clapped wildly.

"HARRY POTTER!"

"Oooh, way to kill the moment!" shouted the twins.

His heart sank faster than he'd dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling.

"Diving from a fifty-foot dive doesn't scare you, but my coming after you causes you to tremble in fear?" said McGonagall said with her eye open wide.

Harry turned and blushed.

"Very, very wise." mouthed Lupin.

"Never-in all my time at Hogwarts-"

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock,

Sirius whistled, "That's a first." McGonagall rewarded him with a face full of cake, from the table of snacks for Harry, at his elbow. She smirked as she put her wand away.

and her glasses flashed furiously, "-how dare you-might have broken your neck-"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor-"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil-"

"But Malfoy-"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasely. Potter, follow me, now."

"Why didn't' you ask people to find out what had happened?" asked Tonks questioningly.

"I didn't need to ask, I've already seen what happened from the window in my office." said McGonagall.

Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. He was going to be expelled, he just knew it.

"Oh, Potter, I'm sorry I frightened you." said Madam Hooch. "We wouldn't expel you for flying, we would've given you a month's worth of detention, maybe, but not expel you."

He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice.

"I wondered why you weren't talking, I've pulled students out of class before, and they've always defended themselves." said McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks. He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep?

Harry gave a full-body shiver. Sirius and Remus looked at him concerningly.

"What's wrong, cub?" said Sirius.

"I was thinking what would have happened if I got expelled then, I'm not too sure how it would have gone. Very badly I suspect."

Growls rippled through the Great Hall.

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore. He thought of Hagrid, expelled by allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps he could be Hagrid's assistant.

"Don' need an assistant 'Arry, but t'was nice o' you ta think o' me." said Hagrid kindly.

His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards while he stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.

"Felt ta same way, when I was expelled, bit depressin'." said Hagrid, but strangely he didn't have a sad look on his face.

"But, I got ter stay at Hogwarts when they had ter leave. So I got the best lot." said Hagrid beaming.

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him?

"We don't use that sort of punishment here. I won't stand for it." said Dumbledore firmly.

Harry on the other hand wasn't listening. A flurry of recollections of the incident came to him once again, it was a thick cudgel and it was smashing into his chest. Was that what happened to him? No, he thought, that wouldn't explain the lacerations on his legs and chest. But that would explain the cracked and broken ribs he gained from the incident.

But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.

"He wasn't the only one, you looked absolutely perplexed, Harry." said Professor Flitwick.

"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry.

"In here."

Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.

"We didn't teach him that!" said Fred, George, Lupin and Sirius loudly.

"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.

"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood-I've found you a Seeker."

"Wait, you didn't give him a detention?" said Professor Snape incredulously.

"Well, what did you give Mr. Malfoy?" questioned McGonagall

Snape said nothing.

Wood expression changed from puzzlement to delight.

"Are you serious, Professor?"

"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"

"That I could remember, apparently." said Harry gaining his voice back from his thoughtful ravine.

Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs.

"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasely couldn't have done it."

"You and I will have to play sometime, Harry." called Charlie.

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.

"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.

"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.

"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light-

"Too light, STILL too light." mumbled Madam Pomfrey.

speedy-

"Too right!" said Ron, thinking of the second scroll.

we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor-a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

"Cor, Harry!" said a first year Hufflepuff.

"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year.

"Flying flobberworms would have been better than that year." said Snape quietly with a large smirk on his face.

Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks..."

Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry.

"I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."

Then she suddenly smiled.

"Your father would have been proud," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."

"'Excellent' is an understatement." whispered Sirius. "And he would have been extremely proud."

"You're joking."

It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.

"Wow, Ron not eating? Rita, are you writing this down? This could be the biggest news you've ever written. The only news you've ever written." said Bill smirking over to the paper correspondent. She only scowled, dang blasted quill wouldn't work for her and she to just sit and try and remember all she was hearing. Which was becoming, quickly, an impossibility.

"Seeker?" he said. "But first years never-you must be the youngest House player in about-"

"-a century," said Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth.

"Oh, dear! Don't choke!" said Madam Pomfrey worriedly.

"I taught Ron The Heimlich, 'cause I had to do it on him one or twice." said Harry laughing hard.

He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."

Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry.

"I start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."

"It lasted a lot longer than I thought it would." said Harry chuckling.

Fred and George Weasely now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too-Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure this year." said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left,

"What? I left two years before that! What the heck..was going on, with you lot?" said Charlie in shock.

"No seekers, no winners." said Fred shrugging.

but this year's going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Traumatizing, that was." said Fred faking a shiver.

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

"You could've let me know you knew about that one!" said Lee a little hurt.

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

"Never, he's never going back." said Sirius, Lupin and Dumbledore together.

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly.

"Very brave to say that in front of them, Potter." said Snape, with a very impressed sound in his voice.

There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

"Thank goodness, you were there. Our faces, probably, would have been rearranged." said Ron.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy.

"Hmph, that's not likely." scoffed Ginny.

"Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only — no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course not!, Living in the Muggle world, how was he to know what happens during that?" said Seamus.

"It's like a muggle duel. Only wands, instead of guns or swords." said Harry.

"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.

"Yeah, don't go with smarts or anything, And why are you sizing them up? You said no contact!" scolded Tonks.

Malfoy didn't answer her.

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

"You knew this how?" asked Snape looking at him in amazement. But Draco didn't answer, he only shifted nervously in his seat.

When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.

"What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie.

"You say that while you are eating? Are you outta your mind!?" said Bill.

"I didn't think anything could happen." shrugged Ron.

catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly,

"He looked at me like I was insane. Kinda funny really." said Ron with a laugh.

"But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

"Not really, was hoping you took it." said Draco.

"Why?" asked another Slytherin.

"You'll find out, fast." said Harry.

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it on the ground and punch him in the nose." said Sirius.

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.

"Right on." said Sirius with a high five to Ron.

"Excuse me." They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.

"Honestly Hermione, every single time I looked up, there you were. Staring at me." said Harry with a laugh.

Hermione smiled and blushed deeply.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.

"Apparently not." said a Slytherin.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry. "I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying —"

"Oh, Hermione! You really have to learn to mind your own business." said Lavender laughing.

"Oi! Leave her alone!" said Ron and Harry. Lavender looked taken aback.

"Bet you could," Ron muttered.

"— and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"Who were you addressing that to?" asked Ron.

"Umm, Harry..." said Hermione quietly.

"Are you nuts?" said several different people.

"No, I wasn't' thinking of the good of the House, I only wanted to kick Malfoy's ass." said Harry defending Hermione.

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

"Good-bye," said Ron.

"Oh, Ron. Could you at least, try and be nice?" admonished Mrs. Weasely.

"Hey I tried! Then I gave up." Ron said defending himself.

All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing).

"Why weren't you in bed, Longbottom?" asked McGonagall.

"Umm...I forgot the password" said Neville quietly.

Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them."

"Sage advice, Mr. Weasely." smiled Dumbledore.

There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris, and Harry felt he was pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness — this was his big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. He couldn't miss it.

"I thought of it , like, facing all the bullies that had messed with me in the Muggle school I went to." said Harry with a satisfied smile.

Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last, "we'd better go."

They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows.

"That makes the Gryffindor common room seem creepy." said Dean shaking slightly.

They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."

"You are stalking him, aren't you Hermione?" said Lupin, laughing out loud.

"I just thought he was interesting person! Not at all like the books I read." she said with a defeated voice.

A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown.

"You sound like a wife, waiting for her drunk husband to come home." said Sirius almost falling out of bowl.

Hermione chewed her lip.

"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"

"Good luck with that." said Hermione starting to fight back. However, her voice was weak.

Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.

"Now, that is one of the qualities that I find so endearing about you." said Harry with a broad smile.

"You act like boyfriend and girlfriend." said Charlie.

"More like brother and sister." said Harry and Hermione quickly.

"Come on," he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.

Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.

"I didn't sound like that did I?" said Hermione fearfully.

"Well, sort of..." said Harry and Ron feeling a little bad.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves,

"Hermione, don't ever let me catch you saying that again." scolded McGonagall.

"I won't, I promise I won't." said Hermione shamefully. Ron patted her on the back.

I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

A few sixth years whistled, "How many points did you give her?"

"Sixty." said McGonagall.

More people whistled.

"Go away."

"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so —"

"I'm real sorry Hermione, but thank goodness Ron and Harry calmed you down. You were a bit much." said Neville. Hermione smiled sadly and nodded.

But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a night time visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.

"Well that sucks." said Fred and George with shocked looks on their faces.

"Oh, wait a bit...what time did he say it was? Half past eleven? She's out visiting her friends then, you've got to wait about thirty minutes then to get back inside." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.

"Not their problem." said Moody, he was not happy with the young lady. The way she acted, it was wrong. Though he was anxious to know how she changed for the better.

"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them. "I'm coming with you," she said.

"You are not."

"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."

"ARE YOU FLIPPING PSYCHO? Why the heck would they defend you? No sane person would defend you?" said Fred and George staring at her.

Hermione stood up and ran out of the Hall, crying.

Harry shook his head and began to stand.

"Harry, you should rest." said Madam Pomfrey. "I'll go find her."

Harry ignored her and finished standing "When she gets back, you all lay off, understand? If you've got a beef with her, you go through me." said Harry firmly and walked slowly out of the Hall.

His cane clicked heavily on the stone floor as he exited the hall. He closed the door behind himself and heaved a sigh. He then listened carefully, he heard sobbing coming from outside. He hobbled out to the grounds and there she was, underneath a tree to the right of the door.

Harry sighed again and walked over to her, he handed her a handkerchief.

"I told them to lay off of you." said Harry leaning with his back against the tree heavily .

"Thanks, how much longer are they going to hate me?" she said desperately, crying into the piece of cloth.

"Only till the troll. Then they are going to love you, they will be worried sick about you." he said with a smile.

"Oh, Harry, you and Ron, you…" she started, wiping her eyes.

"We wouldn't be here without you." said Harry seriously.

"You would have thought of escape routes. You always do." hiccupped Hermione.

"There were times that I was a little slow on the uptake, and you rose to the occasion." said Harry, pulling her into a tight hug.

They stood there for a good three minutes or more, Hermione, slowly calming down.

"Let's go back, Umbridge must be having a fit." he said with a smile. "On second thought, let's go for a walk. My leg could do with some stretching and it being a nice day and all."

Hermione laughed and she and Harry walked along the path nearest to them, leading down to the Greenhouses.

It was an hour later, when they arrived back into the Great Hall. Umbridge was shrieking and caterwauling, if she was trying to deafen everyone near her, she was doing a bang up job.

"Where were you? We've been waiting for you to stop your crying and get back!" she screamed.

"I needed to stretch my legs a bit, and it took a long time for me to find her, ma'am." he said with innocent eyes. "Remember what I said." said Harry sternly to the people around them.

Several people walked up to her, including the twins and apologized profusely, didn't mean to hurt her.

Hermione sat down beside Ron, "Sorry I didn' t come looking for you, but I had a feeling he would do a lot better talking to you then I would." said Ron with a smile.

"How did you two become friends? She sounded like an absolute horror." said Zacharias, he was the only non-Slytherin to not apologize to her.

Harry ignored him, and Hermione and Ron were too busy talking to each other to take notice of him.

"You've got some nerve —" said Ron loudly.

"I still can't believe you said that, Hermione." said Ron quietly to Hermione.

"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."

"Oh, crud. What is there now?" asked Katie fearfully.

It was a sort of snuffling.

"Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.

"Was it?" asked the twins

"Nope, thank God." said Harry and Ron.

It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville.

"What the..." said Lupin.

He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.

"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."

Some people laughed but that stopped when Harry glared at them.

"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout'

The other houses tried to stifle their laughter, what kind of password is that?

but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."

"How's your arm?" said Harry.

"Your so kind, Harry." said the fourth year Gryffindor that kept batting her eyelashes at him.

"Who's that?" asked Sirius quietly.

"Beats me, never met her before." said Harry plainly.

"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

"Well, what were you doing out of the tower then? Why weren't you in bed?" asked Percy.

"Madam Hooch just said that he couldn't remember the password." said Sirius.

"Oh, right." said Percy quietly.

"Good — well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later —"

"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

"Is he even scarier at night?" asked a first year Ravenclaw.

"Yes!" said Neville and the entire Slytherin house.

Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville. "If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."

"After I heard that, I refused to teach him that curse. You don't use magic like that." said Harry looking over at Ron, sternly.

"It took me three months to learn it on my own." said Ron shaking his head.

"Oh, no! Does that mean you got caught?" whined Sirius sadly. Harry and Ron pretended to look ashamed.

Sirius groaned, until he saw Hermione laugh and shake her head. Then he bopped Harry on the head with a cushion, and threw one at Ron.

Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies,

"That would have been a very bad move, Hermione." said Dumbledore said with a smile.

but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.

They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.

Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet.

The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once.

"You mean to say, that you, at eleven years of age, were already training yourself for an attack?" asked Moody, both eyes staring at him.

Harry looked down scratching his head.

"Good work, boy! CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" bellowed Moody. Several students shrieked and fell off their chairs.

The minutes crept by.

"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.

"Or, he never intended to come." growled Sirius.

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak — and it wasn't Malfoy.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

"Oh, sweet Merlin!" cried Fred.

"This is not good!" said George, covering his eyes.

It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice.

"You're horror-struck, and you can still think enough to get the bloody hell out of there?" asked Lupin staring at the young man.

"I think when that happened with James and I, we stood frozen. Filch had to drag us out of the room he caught us in." said Sirius laughing.

Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.

"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."

"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor.

"For being petrified, you were moving very well." Snape sneered.

They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run-he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor.

"Oooh! Not good, not good at all." said the students.

The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.

"I thought that was Peeves making all that racket." said Professor Snape bitterly, the other teachers nodded.

"RUN!" Harry yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following—they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead,

"Small wonder he was in the lead." said Sirius with chuckle.

without any idea where they were or where they were going—

"Ever get the feeling Harry, kinda knew where he was going?" whispered Ron to Hermione.

"I didn't have a clue, I was just trying to get us the hell outta there." whispered Harry to them. The three of them laughed.

they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.

"Oh, really?" said Pansy sarcastically.

"About one and a half miles, actually." said Harry with a smile.

"How in the world do you know that?" she sneered.

"I felt it in my legs." said Harry simply.

No one contested that.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead.

"That means...whoa...the other guys must have been wiped out." whistled several different people.

Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.

"You are too flipping fast, Harry." said Hermione.

"I —told— you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I — told — you."

"Did you know that Draco wouldn't show up, Hermione?" said Luna, looking dreamily over to the Gryffindor Prefect.

"Well...no...but I knew that they were going to get in trouble." said Hermione quietly.

"Well, then you did know something would happen." said Luna happily.

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."

"Good thinking, go back to bed before anyone sees, you." said Tonks quickly.

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you — Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."

Harry thought she was probably right, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

Hermione sent him a glare.

"Boys don't tell girls they're right." said Ron and Harry.

Every male, even Dumbledore, in the room nodded, it was true. Boys, especially adolescent boys, never let on that a girl was right.

"Let's go."

It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.

It was Peeves.

"Just went from worse to even more worse." moaned Fred and George.

He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Shut up, Peeves — please — you'll get us thrown out."

"Telling him to shut up isn't a wise thing, trust me." said Lupin sadly.

Peeves cackled.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice,

"Saying 'Please' to him will get him talking like that." said Sirius shaking his head.

but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.

"Very big mistake." moaned Ron.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door — and it was locked.

"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"

Harry laughed as well as the rest of the school. " I bow to a greater 'Drama King'."

Ron waved his hand around regally, which set everyone off laughing again.

They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.

"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled.

She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora!"

The lock clicked and the door swung open — they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.

The teachers paled, wasn't that the...oh Lord.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please.'"

"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.

"That singsong voice of his is very annoying." mumbled Harry.

"All right —please."

"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!"

"We taught him that!" said Fred and George raising their hands.

And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

"I heard swear words, that I had never even heard of." said Harry laughing quietly

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay — get off, Neville!"

For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute.

"What?"

"Oh, Merlin! What now?" groaned Lupin.

Harry turned around — and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare — this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.

"That can't be good, if Harry is thinking that." said Dean, getting a little scared now.

They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

"Take a breath guys, cause all hell is going to break loose." said Harry to Ron, Hermione and Neville.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog,

"Oh he ain' monstrous!" said Hagrid, feeling a little hurt.

"He was to four, frightened first years." said Harry.

"Can we get on with the story!" said Sirius nervously.

a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.

"OH MY GOD! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!" screamed Sirius and Lupin.

It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise,

"Didn't need to hear that, didn't need to hear that." said Lupin rocking back and forth, holding onto one of Harry's hands tightly. Sirius was hugging the young man, just as tightly as could without hurting him.

but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.

Dumbledore paled, as did the rest of the regular staff.

Harry groped for the doorknob — between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.

"Live to sneak another day, very wise decision." said Snape, handing Calming Draughts to the staff and guests.

They fell backward — Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared — all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

A collective sigh rushed through the Great Hall.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.

"Don't tell her, she' s the biggest gossip in the school." said Bill.

"Never mind that — pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.

"It takes a lot for Harry to start trembling." said Neville a little proudly.

It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.

"That only lasted till morning." he said smiling.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

"Ron! We didn't know you could be funny!" said the twins proudly, rebounding quickly from hiding their eyes behind their hands and leaning heavily against each other.

Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor? Why were you focused on the floor?" said Justin in amazement.

"I couldn't look up, I was too scared." said Hermione.

"You made us think that you were the most observant one, Hermione." said Harry beaming.

Hermione blushed heavily.

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."

"Us too." said Neville and Ron.

"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."

She stood up, glaring at them. "I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed — or worse, expelled.

"We helped her prioritize her life a little bit." said Ron with a laugh.

"And she helped us prioritize our homework schedule." Harry laughed back.

"Not that you needed it." she said with a smile.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

Ron stared after her, his mouth open. "No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you."

But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something… What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide — except perhaps Hogwarts.

People looked at the book in earnest. Where was eleven year old Harry going with this?

It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.

"You figured all that out, that quickly?" I am intensely impressed, Harry." said Dumbledore proudly.

"Harry, I don't want to hear you going near that dog again, not it this lifetime, or the next!" bellowed Sirius, causing Harry look up quickly.

"I had no intention of going near him again." said Harry looking up at his godfather.

"Good! Cause if you do I...wait a minute, d-d-did you s-say that y-you HAD no int-intention?" he said fearfully.

"It's kinda towards the end." said Harry guiltily.

"You are SO grounded when I get you home." said Sirius with fear-ridden eyes.

"I'm not afraid of what you'll do for my groundings." said Harry with a slight smile.

"Why is that?" said Sirius with furrowed brows, he had never been a parent, but he knew that a grounding is something to be feared, not smiled at!

"I've gone fourteen years of 'Dursley Groundings' the Cruciatus Curse is better than what they did half the time." said Harry with a smile. Then he paused and smacked his forehead with his palm. "I need a filter for my mouth."

"Harry...I...I won't...ever...EVER...hurt you! Your...your leg...accident...I...didn't mean it. You've got to know that!" wailed Sirius. He started to cry hold him tightly. Harry, feeling the full repercussions of his words and a fresh wave of guilt, he allowed Sirius to hold him just as tightly as he dared and whispered to his godfather:

"I know, I know. I trust you, you and Remus. It's just, I keep forgetting that, you all know, now, parts of what I've been hiding. I'm sorry." said Harry trying to calm Sirius down.

Trying to steer the attention away from the two of them, to give them privacy. Dumbledore asked: "Who would like to read now? I think we can squeeze another chapter in, before dinner."

"May I sir?" asked Charlie.

"Of course, here you are." smiled Dumbledore, magicking the book down to the Dragon Tamer.

"All right then, the title is 'Halloween.'" said Charlie loudly.

"Bloody Hell." said Ron, Hermione, and Harry, the other students looked at them in wonder.

Chapter 15

Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day,

"I really was, I had hoped that Filch caught you." said Malfoy quietly.

looking tired but perfectly cheerful.

"You had bags under your eyes and big smiles, I was so pissed." said Malfoy smirking over to them.

"Your shocked face was what made us smile." said Harry in a cutesy voice.

The school, even Malfoy, started to laugh.

Indeed, by the next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure,

"In retrospect it was an excellent adventure, not then and there. At the time, it was an absolute nightmare!" said Ron shaking his head, Harry nodded in agreement.

and they were quite keen to have another one.

Under the glare of the adults in the room. Ron and Harry shifted uneasily in their seats.

In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.

"I was absolutely floored when he told me. I could hardly believe it." said Ron shaking his head again.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.

"Or both." said Sirius and Lupin.

"Or both," said Harry.

Sirius kissed the top of Harry's messy head, and Lupin gave him a broad smile.

Harry smiled, this was the kind of attention he liked, attention from a family, HIS family.

But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.

"Harry must've came up with about two hundred things that would fit that size. And what it really was, was the first ruddy thing he said." said Ron looking a little irked.

"What is it?" asked a second year, quickly.

"Not telling, you'll find out when first-year Hermione does." said Ron and Harry.

Several people groaned.

Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.

"Neville's smarter than the three of us in that aspect." said Harry happily over to a grinning Neville.

Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus.

"Ouch, sorry about that Hermione." said Ron and Harry.

"It's alright guys." said Hermione.

"I really, REALLY don't mean to be mean, but, how in the BLOODY hell did you guys become friends. Because you lot are like enemies in this book." said Bill with widened eyes.

"WILLIAM! WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!" admonished Mrs. Weasely.

All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.

"What happened?" said Sirius, getting excitedly.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls.

"We know what that is!" cried the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him,

My second letter and my first parcel!" said Harry, beaming broadly.

knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.

Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said.

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.

It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't

want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll

all want one. Oliver Wood will meet youtonight on the

Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session

Professor M. McGonagall.

"Very lucky that you read the letter first." said Lupin hiding a laugh.

"You got a Nimbus? Who paid for that?" asked Charlie incredulously.

"That would be me." said Dumbledore proudly.

The school went silent.

"What made you take it upon yourself to buy the broomstick, with the school funds?" said Umbridge angrily.

"I didn't spend a knut of the school's money. I spent my own. I missed out on several birthdays and several Christmas' presents and I thought I should get him his very first professional broom." said Dumbledore proudly.

Harry looked at him, and gave him a large grateful smile.

Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the not to Ron to read.

"You were ecstatic, mate." said Ron.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."

"Since then, I've ridden one!" said Ron remembering Harry's first broom.

"Several times, actually." corrected Harry.

They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class,

"Which was wishful thinking." said Ron sadly.

but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package

People slowly turned and faced Malfoy with angry looks on their faces, who cringed slowly in his seat.

from Harry and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said,

"You're brilliant." said Bill rolling his eyes, "a thin, long parcel and you needed to feel it to make sure?"

throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealously and spite on his face. " You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."

Ron couldn't resist it.

"Hey, we finally had something that Malfoy didn't, after all the crud we had to put up with, Harry deserved some bragging rights." said Ron defending himself against the condescending smiles sent his way.

"And I wasn't saying a word, I was letting Ron take the ball." said Harry brightly, trying not to laugh.

"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?"

"Not a bad broom, but those aren't nearly as good as a Cleansweep or Nimbus, in the way of speed. Comet's are used mostly for just showing off with their extra features and colors." said Harry absently.

"How do you know?" asked Malfoy curiously. "You've only had the best racing brooms."

"I subscribe to a few Broomstick magazines." said Harry.

"How about 'Moonlit Flight?'" asked Sirius with a wicked grin.

"If I catch you with that, you aren't going to be able to sit for a month." said Lupin quickly.

Harry laughed loudly. He could guess what that particular magazine was all about.

"Hey! The articles are great!" said Sirius indignantly.

"I'm sure, but you never read those articles, have you? You focus on the other part of the magazine." said Lupin with the sides of his mouth twitching.

"So do you." whispered Sirius to his friend. That statement earned him several smacks with cushion by the reddened face man.

Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

"What would you know about it, Weasely, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy stepped back.

"Coward." growled Moody.

"Ron aimed a swing at him, Malfoy stepped back and put Goyle in front of him." said Harry

"I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."

The Weasely children sat and scowled over to Malfoy.

Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.

"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.

"We wouldn't do that! Not in a million years!" said Harry, Ron and Malfoy together sarcastically.

The entire school laughed.

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"

"I'm just a big Quidditch enthusiast as Severus, Pomona, and Minerva." said Professor Flitwick.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.

"That was a low blow." said Sirius trying not to laugh out loud.

Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.

"Funniest face I had ever seen since Dudley got that pig tail." said Harry laughing hard.

The school was reminded of the tail and they couldn't contain their riotous laughter.

"Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team..."

"Give credit, where credit is due." said Dumbledore smiling.

Malfoy blushed heavily.

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.

Hermione gulped loudly as McGonagall blinked at her in shock.

"Sorry, Professor. I-I-" she trailed off.

"She wasn't aware of the facts." said Harry quickly.

McGonagall nodded, Hermione mouthed 'thanks' to Harry.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.

"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron. "it's doing us so much good."

Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.

The three friends looked amongst themselves and mouthed an apology.

Harry had a lot of trouble keeping his mind on his lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where his new broomstick was lying under his bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where he'd be learning to play that night. He bolted his dinner that evening without noticing what he was eating,

"That tells you that he's excited about something really, really good." said Ron.

and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last.

"I thought you were going to open it before the first class." said Angelina

"I never got that far, Malfoy and Hermione stalled me way too long. I would've been late to class." said Harry.

"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread.

Even Harry who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.

Harry sighed in remembrance of his very first racing broom. His very favorite broom.

As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. He'd never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Harry of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high.

Mr. Weasley eagerly explained what the book was talking about. Hermione and Harry had to correct him a few times, however.

Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Harry mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling-he swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever he wanted at his lightest touch.

"God, I miss that broom." said Harry, wiping the moisture from his eyes. Sirius patted his arm as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"What is it with boys and toys?" she whispered to Ginny.

"They love to go fast, they're crazy like that. But then again...I'm a Quidditch player too Hermione." she smiled widely.

Both girls laughed.

"Hey, Potter, come down!"

Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Harry landed next to him.

"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant...you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."

"Those were the good old days." said Alicia, Katie, Fred, George, and Harry. Angelina huffed playfully and crossed her arms.

"I'm not that bad!" she pouted.

"Close." said the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.

"Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers."

First year Muggleborns, who were confused at the very first game, listened intently.

"Three Chasers," Harry repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball.

The Chasers of the Hogwarts' Quidditch teams stood up to the loud cheers.

"This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"

"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Harry recited. "So-that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"

"What's basketball?" asked Malfoy.

"I'll explain at another time." said Harry.

"What's basketball?" said Wood curiously.

"Never mind," said Harry quickly.

"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper-

The keeper's then stood and took a bow, even Ron, though he was blushing and looking down.

I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring."

"Best one we've ever had, that is why we judge you so harshly Ron, it's nothing personal. We want you to be the best you possibly could be." said Angelina kindly.

"Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Harry, who was determined to remember it all.

So were some of the first years.

"And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for?" He pointed at the three balls left inside the box.

"I'll show you now." said Wood. "Take this."

He handed Harry a small club, a bit like a short baseball bat.

"Yeah, you are really going to need that." said Fred warningly.

"If we are right, on what he's about to set loose." said George quietly.

"I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do." Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers."

He showed Harry two identical balls, jet black and slightly small than the red Quaffle. Harry noticed they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.

"They've broken those straps before." said Fred, rubbing his arm.

"Right after a game too, when we tried to put them away." said George rubbing his chin.

"Took us off guard." they both said.

"Stand back," Wood warned Harry. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.

At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Harry's face. Harry swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking his nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air

"Wow. Nice shot!" complimented Fred and George.

-it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground.

"See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team

The Beaters from each house stood up to the sound of cheers. Fred and George graciously allowed their replacements stand up.

-the Weasely twins are ours-

The twins stood up quickly to the furious round of applause.

it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So-think you got all that?"

"Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Harry reeled off.

"Very good," said Wood.

"Er-have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Harry asked, hoping he sounded offhand.

"I don't think I sounded offhand, I heard myself squeak." said Harry snickering.

"Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that.

"We can add broken arms to that, numerous cracked bones from falling from more than fifty feet in the air, and the wind being knocked out of someone." said Madame Pomfrey darkly.

"They had better not have all been from you" said Sirius warningly.

Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers-"

"-unless they crack my head open."

"Don't worry, the Weaselys are more than a match for the Bludgers-I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."

"Yet he could never compliment us to our faces." huffed Fred and George.

"Only cause you could barely fly with your heads being already swelled by your egos." said Angelina laughingly.

Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings.

The seekers of the school began to cheer loudly this time.

"This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it.

The Seekers stood up and received the loudest cheer and applause yet. Harry remained seated and applauded his replacement, Ginny. Ginny stood and pulled Harry gently to his feet and when he did. The sound of clapping and cheering was almost deafening. Umbridge scowled.

You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages-I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the player could get some sleep.

"Well, that's it-any questions?"

Harry shook his head. He understood what he had to do, all right, it was doing it that was going to be the problem.

People stared at Harry, he was nervous about playing? The star Quidditch player?! They couldn't believe it.

"We won't practice with the snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try out with a few of these."

He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch.

Harry didn't miss a single one,

The Seekers all whistled, including Sirius and Lupin.

"Your dad did that little practice exercise, but he missed four of them!" exclaimed Sirius.

and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on.

"That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasely, and he could have played for England if hadn't gone off chasing dragons."

"Hey, now." said Charlie, pretending to look hurt." I wouldn't give up my dragons for nothing." he said defiantly.

Perhaps it was because he was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all his homework, but Harry could hardly believe it when he realized that he'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had.

"No one should really say that, but I am glad that you can call this a home." said Dumbledore, his eyes brighter than usual.

His lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.

The teachers smiled.

On Halloween morning they woke up to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors.

"Kinda warns you that something is going to happen. Learned that one real quick." muttered Harry. Hermione and Ron both nodded solemnly.

Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom.

"Trevor's still afraid of heights." whispered Neville to Ron, who snorted.

Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch his eye).

"Sorry about that." Harry said looking over to Neville, he smiled and nodded in response.

Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this.

"I don't mind being paired with her/him anymore." they both said absent-mindedly.

She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very importantly, too-never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

Several people turned to look at Harry, he looked back at them.

"What?" asked Harry curiously.

"I think they are wondering if you have some revelations about what Professor Flitwick said." said Dumbledore kindly.

"Saying the word properly is very important, pronouncing it, can vary the spell's results. I'll explain later, I think I know where this is going." said Harry, slowly taking out his little black notebook.

Umbridge looked longingly at that notebook, how she wanted it!

It was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop.

"You didn't even wave your wand. You let me go first with the feather, you never even got a chance."

Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it-Harry had to put it out with his hat.

"The only good use for those hats." said Harry and Seamus.

Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap.

"There is no real way to say that particular spell wrong, Hermione, the only thing he was doing wrong was the impression of a spinning wheel." said Harry flicking through the pages.

"It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"Not necessarily. It's the swish and flick and saying the word that gets it done. Making the 'gar' nice and long, will make it hover four feet, no more, no less. When Ron does it now, he can make it climb to about seven to eight feet." said Harry calmly. Hermione nodded and Ron beamed at the compliment.

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

"It's kinda cool challenging her, and seeing her prove you wrong." said Ron smiling broadly.

Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

"Four feet, no more, no less." said Harry looking kindly at Hermione.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.

"That was a major understatement." said Harry and Ron.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her, " he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor. "she's a nightmare, honestly."

"Sorry, Hermione, I didn't really mean it." said Ron sheepishly, before any adult could tell him off.

"It's alright Ron, I forgave you years ago." Hermione smiled brightly.

Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face-and was startled to see that she was in tears.

"I think she heard you."

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed that she's got no friends."

"That is all you could say, Harry?" asked Sirius in shock.

"That wasn't all that I said." said Harry quietly.

All of a sudden a several small balls of light erupted from the book, which startled Charlie.

"What are those, usually its scrolls!" shouted Charlie.

"Those are called Scattered Shots, they show some small part that pertains to the part of the book at hand. The Scrolls show's Harry's past, but those are longer bits. The Scrolls are long, the Shots are short." said an Unspeakable.

The balls of light then circled around Great Hall and then they broke apart into hundreds of pieces. Each piece flew into a different person. Once it entered a person's body, their vision blurred and then turned to darkness.

Then they found themselves in the corridor right beside the Charms' classroom. They saw younger Harry and Ron come out of the Charms class. They heard Ron say:

"It's no wonder no one can stand her, she's a nightmare, honestly!"

They then saw Hermione run right into Harry and speed off.

"I think she heard you." said younger Harry with a shocked look on his face.

"So? She must've noticed that she's got no friends." said Ron shifting slightly.

The Watchers then watched in shock as Harry looked over to Ron and then grabbed him by his ear and dragged him over to a deserted, empty classroom.

He just about threw Ron bodily into the room. The Watchers stared in amazement, what was going on?

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHY ARE YOU ACTING THIS WAY?" shouted Harry.

"You know what she is like!" Ron shouted back. "She's overbearing, a know-it-all!"

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET TO SAY THINGS LIKE THAT!" shouted Harry again. "Ron, she's new here, she doesn't know anybody. It's hard to make friends in a whole new world."

"You managed." said Ron shortly.

"You wanted to sit in the same compartment as the 'famous Harry Potter', Ron. I know, I sound like a hypocrite talking to you like this when I don't even watch my own mouth around her. But I saw her crying as she banged into me. You went too far, I went too far. We need to apologize to her in the next class. Alright?" then they heard Harry's voice break. "I know what bullying can do; I know what it feels to be on the wrong side of the punch, be it physical or verbal. I don't...I will not...allow the Dursleys affect me."

Dumbledore paled, as did a majority of the other Watchers, but not nearly to the same degree.

"What do you mean?" asked Ron nervously.

"It's nothing, just Dudley. Listen, we'll both apologize, alright?" said Harry shaking his head and then looking at Ron.

Ron nodded.

The balls of light left their bodies and there they were back in the Great Hall. The students looked around to the three friends.

"So they apologized and you all became friends right?" said Lavender towards Hermione.

"Umm...more or less." they said shifting about a little.

"How come I have the feeling it's leaning towards the 'more' part." said Lupin with a raised eyebrow.

"If it happened the way I suspect, it's A LOT more." said Snape drumming his fingers against each other.

"Thanks for agreeing to apologizing, Ron, means a lot actually." said Hermione with a smile.

Ron blushed and gave a half shrug.

Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon.

"So you didn't just apologize and become friends then." said Ginny.

On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone.

"I felt real, REAL bad." said Ron

Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.

Hermione put her hands on her hips and opened her mouth in mock indignation.

"Hermione, I was hungry." whined Ron.

"When are you not hungry." said Ginny and Hermione, both were smiling.

"I was hungry too, actually." Harry pouted, playing along.

"Oh well then, that's fine." said Hermione, Ginny and Sirius who caught on quickly.

The school laughed at the look of pretend shock on Ron's face.

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.

"Sorry I missed it now." said Hermione sadly.

"Compared to where you were, yeah, I would be upset if I missed it too." said Ron trying to cheer her up. Which amazingly worked.

Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face.

"Oh no, what is it now?" groaned Remus.

Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll-in the dungeons

"HOLY CRAP!" shouted Sirius

-thought you ought to know,"

He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

"Useless piece of garbage." muttered Moody and Tonks.

There was an uproar.

"First there was dead silence." said Harry with a smirk.

"THERE IS A TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS! THERE ISN'T ANYTHING FUNNY ABOUT IT!" shouted Sirius wringing his hands. Lupin was dead pale. "KNOWING YOUR LUCK, YOU'RE GOING TO MEET IT!"

Harry didn't say anything. Sirius groaned even louder.

it took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Percy was in his element.

"Go figure." said Bill whispering to Charlie.

"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders!

"What are you supposed to be able to do?" asked a first year. Percy blushed.

Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a Prefect!"

"Hex me if I start acting like that." said Ron quietly to Neville.

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.

"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."

"He wouldn't do that, Peeves loves almost all the students. He enjoys bringing excitement into children's life. But he wouldn't do anything life threatening." said Professor McGonagall.

They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.

"I've just thought-Hermione."

"What about her?"

Ron mouthed an apology.

"She doesn't' know about the troll."

"OH MY GOD! HERMIONE!" screamed Mrs. Weasely.

"I'm fine Mrs. Weasely, I'm fine!" reassured Hermione.

Ron bit his lip.

"Oh, all right," he snapped.

"Love you too, Ron." said Hermione raising her eyebrows at Ron. He mouthed another apology.

"But Percy'd better not see us."

Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girl's bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.

"Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin.

"Good reflexes, Weasely." said Moody approvingly.

"Learned to dodge Percy all the time at home." muttered Ron.

Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.

"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeon with the rest of the teachers?"

The guests and the students slowly turned to look at the man. The regular staff knew what he was doing and weren't concerned. They were more worried about the three first year Gryffindors.

"Search me."

Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.

"He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.

"One of only times I noticed something, before Harry." said Ron brightly.

"Can you smell something?"

Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.

Students cringed, in their seats. They weren't sure if they wanted to eat again.

And then they heard it-a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed-at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.

"Don't tell me what you saw was the troll." begged Sirius.

It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, it's skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. it was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

"I don't ever want to see it in person, ever." said a group of first years.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind,

"I found out later, much later, that what that means is that they hear something." said Harry sadly

then slouched slowly into the room.

"The key's in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."

"Good idea," said Ron nervously.

"Sorry, Hermione, it was my idea." Harry whispered to Hermione. She sent a reassuring smile over to him.

They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.

"Yes!"

"Good! Now get the hell out of there! I don't want you any nearer to that troll then you've already been." said Lupin worriedly

"Then go get a teacher!" yelled Sirius

Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop-

"CRAP! WHAT NOW?" yelled Bill. He didn't want his little brother getting almost killed by a fully grown mountain troll!

a high, petrified scream-and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.

"Dear lord, that room," said George weakly

"It was..." whispered Fred, even weaker than his brother.

They hurried over and pulled and hugged onto Hermione tightly.

"What the..." said Ron

"We aren't leaving till we know she's okay." they said quickly.

Sirius and Lupin looked over to Hermione worriedly.

"Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.

"It's the girls' bathroom!" Harry gasped.

People who didn't catch on nearly as quickly as the twins, started to scream:

"HERMIONE IS IN THERE!" screamed Ginny.

People screamed even louder.

"Hermione!" they said together.

It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have?

"Do...not...tell...me...you...went...in...there!" moaned Lupin weakly.

Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside.

"NO! DON'T GO IN THERE, GO FIND A TEACHER!" screamed Mrs. Weasely.

"I don't think they would've gotten there in time. From the dungeons to the girls' bathroom, not even I could fast enough to be in time to help her." said Harry quietly.

The teachers clutched at their throats, if they had gone for a teacher, would Miss Granger still be with them?

Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the wall as it went.

"OH, HERMIONE!" wailed Lavender.

"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron and seizing a tap, he threw it hard as he could against the wall.

"You look like a weak shrimp, but you are really strong when the need arises Harry." said Ron quietly to Harry.

The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.

"NO! NOT TOWARDS HARRY! NO!" screamed Sirius.

He stood up quickly and shielded Harry with his own body. As if the troll had made a repeat performance.

"Sirius, I'm fine, it's not here." said Harry looking up at his terrified godfather.

"Sirius, calm down!" yelled Lupin.

Snape hurried over and pulled Sirius' head back by the hair and poured a Calming Draught down his throat.

Sirius started breathing deeply, he was calming down, but he wasn't going to move from where he was kneeling.

"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead,

Bill ran over and embraced his younger brother now. "Don't get hurt, don't get hurt." he whispered over and over.

Mrs. Weasely and Mr. Weasely were practically sobbing into each other's shoulders.

giving Harry time to run around it.

"Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.

"Bad time to freeze Hermione." whimpered Tonks.

The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.

Charlie then rushed over and hugged Ron tightly as well. He threw the book to Moody, who continued on for him.

Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid:

"I think, all hell is going to break loose again Harry." said Ron sadly from the cocoon of his brother's arms.

Harry nodded, looking a little warily from Remus to Sirius who was still kneeling in front of him.

He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind.

Sirius moaned piteously and sank lower onto the floor.

The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had been in his hand when he'd jumped-it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.

"Ewww..I forgot all about that, Harry." said Ron with a sickened look on his face.

"Tell me you cleaned your wand after words." said Hermione a little pale.

"I borrowed Ron's wand and used a disinfecting charm on it." said Harry with a laugh. Which shocked Sirius and Remus, Dumbledore chuckled as well.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" bellowed Sirius to Dumbledore. "Harry going to get killed by a bloody troll!"

"What year was he in, when this occurred, Sirius?" said Dumbledore brightly.

"What? Oh, um...first year...my godson was eleven..." he said, then erupted into tears.

"How old is Harry now?" said Dumbledore calmly.

"Fifteen..." said Sirius looking up slowly.

"So, that means he didn't get killed, he's right here. Now calm down, if you don't I won't let you take him for the summer. I won't have someone so high-strung taking care of such a rambunctious teen. I will care for him myself." he said firmly.

Sirius worked hard to calm himself down.

"That's better, now Alastor, continue please." said Dumbledore looking quite pleased with himself.

"Gladly." said Moody gruffly.

Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.

"Keep calm, Sirius, keep calm. He's just fine, he just fine." said Sirius grasping Harry's hands and holding them close to his chest.

Harry had no notion of what to do to calm him down. He was hoping the Troll bogies on his wand would have made him laugh at least. Harry placed his forehead on Sirius's forehead. His eyes fluttered open and his dark eyes, met Harry's green.

"I'm fine, I'm right here. I'm not gone." he said soothingly.

Sirius stood back up and sat back in the bowl. He laid Harry's head back on his lap and grasped one of his hands.

"Once again, you're so grounded when I get you home." he muttered into his ear.

Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand-not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"

"The only spell you can't do, you pick that one." said Malfoy, shaking his head.

"I think it was nice, Ron was so worried about Hermione that he used a spell that he associated with her. Shows that he learned something from her." said Luna serenely.

Hermione and Ron both blushed deeply.

The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over-and dropped, with a sickening crack,

"Kinda describes the noise you made when you straightened your nose, during the scroll." said seventh year Hufflepuff to Harry.

Harry looked at him in confusion. Lupin quickly told him what the seventh year was talking about. Remembering, Harry nodded.

onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

"Tell me it didn't land on anyone." said Mr. Weasely weakly

Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath.

"Thank goodness, It didn't get Hermione or Ron and Harry didn't get hurt when the troll hit the floor." said Mr. Weasely, heaving a giant sigh of relief.

Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.

"Hey I was in shock." he said to the people sniggering.

It was Hermione who spoke first.

"Is it-dead?"

"I don't think so," said Harry, " I think it's just been knocked out."

"Good show, Potter, don't let your guard down. Could wake up at any moment." said Moody nodding.

"I didn't need to hear that." said Sirius weakly.

He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue.

"Didn't need to hear that, either." he said chuckling a little.

"Urgh-troll boogers."

He wiped it on the troll's trousers.

"Not too sure if that would have made it better or worse really." said Harry.

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roar. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.

"Plan didn't go too well for him did it?" whispered Hermione to Ron

Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Harry. Harry had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white. Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Harry's mind.

"Don't ask me where that thought came from. Cause I won't be able to tell you." he said waving away the incredulous looks.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Snape gave Harry a swift piercing look. Harry looked at the floor.

"I wanted to use Legilimency to find out what had happened, but he looked down too fast." whispered Snape to Dumbledore.

He wished Ron would put his wand down.

"I thought my wand was down." said Ron sheepishly.

Then a small voice came out of the shadows.

"Please, Professor McGonagall-they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.

"Bout time." muttered Moody. He wasn't pleased with Hermione, freezing like that.

"I went looking for the troll because I-I thought I could deal with it on my own-you know, because I've read all about them."

"What did she say?" said Lupin weakly.

Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?

"Miss Granger! You lied to me! You and I are going to have a little chat once this chapter is done." said McGonagall sternly. Hermione looked down and nodded slowly.

"If they hadn't found me, I 'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up in its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

"Only truth to that story it seems." muttered Snape, looking over at McGonagall. "And it is the more important part of the story, how she came to be there, is not so significant."

"She still lied to me." she muttered McGonagall firmly. "All the same, I guess, I cannot blame her, but I will still have a talk with her about lying to me."

"As long as it has nothing similar to Harry's detentions with Umbridge, I'll take whatever she gives me." muttered Hermione seriously to Ron who was going to speak up against Hermione getting detention.

Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.

"We failed miserably, I think." said Ron with a smile over to Harry.

"Well-in that case..." said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

"Turns out she didn't think she could." said Tonks giving Hermione a wink.

"Good thing too. Freezing up like that, foolish girl." said Moody shaking his head.

Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was pretending she had, to get them out of trouble.

Hermione smiled broadly over to Harry.

It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.

The school laughed loudly, but silenced immediately when Snape threw a glare at them.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their Houses."

Hermione left.

"I didn't want to look at that troll anymore." she said blushing.

Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

"Now we know all the facts." said Dumbledore brightly clapping his hands together. "I was a little concerned; I felt that I wasn't told everything."

"Why didn't you let me know that?" said McGonagall incredulously.

"I thought you were the one holding back." he said with smile and the twinkling in his eyes were going strong.

They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.

"We should have gotten more than ten points." Ron grumbled.

"I could've taken points, Mr. Weasely if you prefer." said McGonagall stiffly.

Ron quickly shook his head.

"Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione."

"I wasn't complaining." said Harry quickly to his Transfiguration teacher.

"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her."

"Wouldn't need saving if you lot didn't make fun of her and lock the troll in there with her." said Lupin sternly.

"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him.

"Spot on." said Lupin.

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Pig snout," they said and entered.

The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.

"Bit anticlimactic, isn't it." said Fred, pulling himself away from Hermione. George did the same thing.

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

"I think we'll have to take your word for it." said Bill with a smile untangling himself from Ron. "You better hope, you don't get into any more dangerous situations, or I'll do to you what Snape did to Malfoy." he said sternly.

"It was embarrassing coming back in here, after that." said Malfoy quietly.

"Don't feel too bad Malfoy, I'm guessing, that if I wasn't laid up, I'd of been paddled several hundred times by now." said Harry kindly. "Besides, not many people noticed you coming in."

Several people nodded.

"Oh," said Malfoy, feeling a bit better.

Charlie held the book out at arm's length.

"Whatcha doin', Charlie?" asked Bill with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, every night, we have that scroll come popping out of this thing. I thought it would happen again." he said meekly.

"If a Scattered Shot happens during the story, there will not be a Recollection Scroll that day. It takes a lot of magical energy to produce both of those." said an Unspeakable.

"Thank goodness, if it was a bad Recollection Scroll today, I don't think my heart could take it." said Sirius brushing his lips in his godson's messy locks.

"Well, now I think we better have some dinner. Before we all perish from hunger." said Dumbledore brightly.

The tables of food appeared once again and plates of food were magicked over to the trio in the bowl again. Harry helped himself to a piece of chicken, he munched greedily at it.

Umbridge, who was quiet for a large portion of the chapter, sat glaring at the three in the bowl. She was about to lose her teaching position, and her power over the Ministry personnel is fading fast. Even her hold over the Minister is waning, she needed to act! Last night's attempt went wrong somewhere. House-elves are supposed to go about unnoticed, how did that stupid house-elf get caught before he could slit the boy's throat? At first, she wanted nothing more than to discredit him, show he was a liar. But now, she wanted him to...suffer...yes that was it. She wanted nothing but screams of pain coming from that wretched boy! Now, how was she to go about it?

Bathilda pulled out the photo album from her bag and began to thumb through it once more.

"Oi! Don't hog that all to yourself Batty, let us see it too!" whined Sirius.

"Hey, not in front of everybody!" cried Harry.

"Harry, I want to see more of your baby pictures, we don't' have any of you growing up." said Sirius gleefully.

"Doctor Clark has pictures of me, about a year's worth." said Harry quietly.

"When he gets here, then we will ask him for some. But for now, we are happily stuck with your baby pictures." said Lupin consolingly.

The pictures were magnified to an extremely large size and it showed a tiny version Harry chomping down on a chocolate chip cookie, the cookie was the same size of his head.

"Did you finish, that thing?" asked Malfoy, laughing out loud.

"Oh no, his father finished it for him." said Bathilda, smiling over to Harry, who was blushing.

The next picture was one of baby Harry, fast asleep, snuggling against a giant stuffed dragon.

"Awwww!" cooed the girls in the Great Hall.

"I got ya tha'!" said Hagrid proudly. "I even remember wha' ya named it. You named it,.."

"Scorchie..." said Harry quietly, staring at the picture.

People cooed even louder.

Umbridge stole out of the room silently. No one even took notice of her leaving, their attentions lying on the pictures hovering in the air. She hurried up to the library and crept into the Restricted Section, she opened one book after another. Searching for something, anything, finally she found it. It was perfect, a delightful mix of emotional and physical pain. The only problem was, it required a potion, and from she noticed from the readings, Snape would never agree to making it. She would need another Brewer.

She knew just the man. She copied the spell and potion formula down and stole her way out of the castle.

Chapter 16

As everyone was still in the Great Hall looking at the pictures, Umbridge made her way to the gates, after she stopped in her office for just a second. The moment she stepped outside the gates, she apparated. She came to be in a very dark and dirty street, with mice and rats squeaking and skittering across the path. She looked up and saw an ancient warped sign saying "Narrowmoor" moving slowly back in forth in the autumn wind. Smiling widely, she walked down the way and passed several shops with a different assortment of things. Blood quills, burning necklaces and other forms of subtle means of torture.

She stopped at store where a large cauldron, that had something that looked like bloodstains on the side, sat beside the door. She entered the store and a cackle went through the store as the door opened. She looked about the room, cudgels with small spikes or knobs sitting along the wall, rows and rows of glass phials of liquids levitating in a glass case with large sign plastered on it saying 'DON'T DRINK'. A pale man came from the back of the store, carrying a tank of green liquid and knives hovering over it, the tips of the knives slightly submerged.

"Oh, good evening Delores, how'd those whips turn out?" said the man, laying the tank gently down on the counter.

"It worked out fine, he's not healing and its causing him pain every time he's moving." said Umbridge brightly.

"Good, good, is he remembering anything?" asked the man.

"...yes, he's starting to remember, is there something wrong with that?" said Umbridge, her smirk sliding off quickly.

"Yeah, not for you, but for him. If he remembers anymore, the pain will grow and grow until it may be more humane to just kill him outright. Your ex-lover must have some mentality strength about him. Now what can I do for you tonight?" he said adjusting the knives.

"I need you to brew a potion for me, this one." she said uncrumpling the parchment.

He took the parchment and looked it over. "Hmm...the Leechhold potion...that's a bit drastic for your 'ex' isn't it? You know what this will do don't you?"

"I do, and I cannot wait to see the look on his face, every time it takes effect." she said gleefully

"You are a sadist, aren't' you?" said the man with a raised eyebrow. "Well, let me go brew it up, do you have what you need?"

"Yes, I do. I'll get everything ready on my end." she said. The man went towards the back of the store, Umbridge took out a small phial with a black strand of hair, took it out and wrapped it around a piece of black onyx. Out of a small pouch, she removed a single emerald and an snowy owl feather, she took out a white bit of string and tied the both of them to the onyx piece. She then took out another phial, this one held a thick red liquid. She poured the contents of the phial onto the oddly decorated onyx piece. She laid the onyx and all its additions on top of a black cushion and waved her thick wand over it, muttering quietly.

An hour or so later, the man came back with a small, bubbling black cauldron. He placed down in front of her.

"Alright, drop in what you've got. I already spoke the incantation. Be warned, there is no going back. Not even I can remove it." he warned.

Without a hesitation, before he even finished his warning, she dropped the contents of the cushion in the cauldron. It bubbled and frothed, then a thick bit of golden smoke bellowed out of the cauldron.

"That's strange, from what you said about your 'ex', the smoke should be as dark as the cauldron. Gold smoke, means..." his eyes widened in shock. "means...he's a...kid..."

The smoke parted and it showed Harry's face, he was laughing in Sirius' arms and smiling brightly, laying in the bowl.

"That's...that's Harry Potter!" said the man, falling back against the wall of his shop.

"What of it?" she asked with an air of superiority.

"YOU TOLD ME THIS WAS YOUR EX-BOYFIREND! THE PERSON, THE MAN ALL THIS WAS FOR!" he yelled pointing to the figure in the golden fog.

"You weren't supposed to ask who it was for." she said majestically. "What's done is done, as you said. Now, I thank you for your help. If I need any more help, I 'll come back." she said as she laid a large bag of galleons down on the counter and taking her leave.

The man sat down, touching his pale, and sweaty face with his now clammy hand. He was looking at the boy through the cloud of smoke. He was so carefree, all of a sudden, he saw the boy twitch and grasp his stomach absently.

"Dear, God. What have I done?" he said weakly, He slammed down his fist on the counter and covered his eyes.

His devices, and those of the other shops, were all supposed to be used by adults, on adults. They had an unspoken code of honor, not that many people knew. But they didn't hurt children, no one under twenty was to be a victim of their craft...If he had known, he never would have done it. Especially not to Harry Potter himself! Forget Dumbledore's rage if he ever found out that he was in on an assault on his favorite student, but he had a great- nephew in that school, and he always talked of Harry Potter and all the good he's done. He went to his crow's cage, brought it out, and carried it to the table. He took a quill and parchment and wrote swiftly:

Albus Dumbledore:

I am sorry I cannot tell you who purchased my services, and I cannot tell you all I know, but the young man known as Harry Potter is in grave danger. I was asked to make a Leechhold potion and it was fixed to the boy. You currently have Severus Snape in your employment, he can make the necessary potions to make the poor boy's suffering a little easier. Also, stop him from remembering anything more about the cause of his injuries. Urge him to forget, it is imperative! When you get this, do not bother coming, I will no longer be here. I'm sorry. Please, tell the boy, I'm sorry.

Sylvester Hexting

He sent the crow off and looked around his small place of business. He raised his wand and was about to bring it down and blow his place and himself to kingdom come, when a black-gloved hand clamped down on it. He turned and a terrible mask met his eyes.

The moment that the crow had reached the Great Hall and Dumbledore had read the letter, he had rushed out of the school. To the bewilderment of the students who were listening to him tell a story of Harry's first trip to Hogwarts as a baby.

The moment he had turned down Narrowmoor Street an explosion met him, he ran forward after the blast had concluded and saw the remains of Hexting's shop. And there was no sign of life left in the building. Aurors swarmed the street and Dumbledore told them what had happened. They went inside the destroyed building and searched around, but they couldn't find anything, Except for what seemed like a full-grown man's body. Charred and unrecognizable. Then they found another body, this one had burnt robes and the gold fastenings almost melted into its flesh.

Dumbledore looked at one of the half-melted golden buttons on the corpse, He had seen that button before. In his office a night or two ago. It was from the Ranger Lionus' jacket! Could this be him? And if so, what was going to happen to Harry's Dr. Clark? How could he possibly tell Harry?

He clutched at his heart and gritted his teeth with almost unbearable pain as he made his way back down the street. Then, as if to add another shock to the evening, a hand reached out and pulled him into the shadows, one arm around his waist and the other firmly placed over his mouth.

Dumbledore tried hard to get free of his captor, he reached for his wand but the hand, that belonged to the arm around his middle, gripped his wand hand and pulled it away.

"Ssshh. Dumbledore it's me, Lionus." said the man whispering into Dumbledore's ear. Dumbledore tried to look behind him, he saw the same mask that he had seen in his office. The Ranger spun him quickly around.

"Lionus! What...isn't...wasn't that you in there?" Dumbledore said pointing back towards the charred remains of the Hexting shop.

"No, that was one of my corporals." said Lionus, he slowly took his mask off, to reveal that he was a young blonde haired man, with face that bore several different scars.

Dumbledore stared at him, "I know you, you're..."

"Please, Dumbledore, I told you that I gave up that name years ago. Let it go."

"Sorry, but the explosion, your corporal, I'm sorry. What happened?" said Dumbledore, almost stumbling over his words.

"I had a private and a corporal keep an eye on your High Inquisitor." said the Ranger, very fluent in nervous and shocked ramblings. "Since I went to your office, I decided that she wasn't to be trusted much, I won't confuse you with how I got to that conclusion, but I decided to put a tail on her. And I received mixed results.

"They followed her here and they learned what was going on, and what she had done. After she left, Hexting wrote you the letter that brought you here. He then decided, for some ridiculous reason, to end his life. My corporal hurried in and stopped him from blowing up himself and the building."

"But he didn't, the explosion happened!" said Dumbledore, slowly getting his wits back.

"Not the explosion that Hexting was going for. My corporal stopped him, but my private decided to show his true colors there and then."

"I don't understand." said Dumbledore still confused.

"My private was a Death Eater." said Lionus bitterly.

Dumbledore paled, "What?" he asked weakly.

"You heard me." he snapped. "He used his position to get close to the boy. At least that was what he was aiming for. It didn't work obviously. My corporal was going to send 'Doc' to Hogwarts to take care of the Leechhold potion, however my private had other ideas. They got into a raging battle, it didn't agree with some of the potions and artifacts in that shop and that caused the explosion."

"Your private? Oh, dear. What about Hexting? They only found two bodies so far." said Dumbledore, keeping his voice low as a group of Aurors carried the charred remains away.

"Hexting is safe at Devil's Garden." said Lionus plainly.

"Devil's Garden? That's your prison, isn't it?" said Dumbledore, gaining some ground at last.

"That's right, we offered him a job. Told him the kind of people he would use his craft on, he didn't take it right away, then I told him it would make up for what he just did. Took it right after that."

"So both your private and corporal are gone." said Dumbledore.

"Yeah, my corporal was a good man, we'll have to get the both of them out of the Ministry. The Corporal will get a Squadron funeral, the Private will be given to the 'Wolf and Raven Squad'." he said with a snarl.

"What is the 'Wolf and Raven Squad'?" asked Dumbledore.

"It's our Elimination squad, any criminal that dies before he goes to 'Devil's Garden' gets handed over to them, as well as any rotten apple we have in our ranks. They use wolves and ravens and any other animal they see fit to...devour the bodies."

Dumbledore paled and clutched his stomach and moaned.

"Going off-track," said Lionus.

"Thank you." said Dumbledore weakly.

"We've got Dr. Clark." said Lionus with a smirk.

Chapter 17

Dumbledore had not returned till the next morning, he was alone and he couldn't answer anyone's questions of where he rushed off to. He rushed over to Professor Snape and whispered hurriedly into his ear. Snape paled and ran as fast as he could out of the Great Hall.

Harry walked down to breakfast with Sirius and Remus half an hour later, When he entered the Great Hall he doubled over, teeth gritted with pain.

"Harry! What is it?" asked Sirius quickly.

"My...stomach..." he moaned.

"Here, let's sit you down in the bowl quick." said Remus picking Harry up gently and hurrying to the bowl.

Dumbledore rushed over and enlarged the bowl two twice its size, he then arranged the cushions and blankets.

Remus carried the suffering boy over to the bowl, Harry was gripping Remus' collar tightly and growled in pain. He laid Harry gently down in the bowl and Sirius sponged Harry's forehead. Ron and Hermione were looking at Harry anxiously, both of them were clutching at each other in fear.

Snape ran back into the Great Hall and hurried over to the bowl. As Harry gasped in pain, he helped Harry drink the potion completely. He continued to gasp in pain, until finally he opened his eyes.

"What..what happened?" he asked weakly.

Dumbledore threw a murderous look up to Umbridge, who sat with her sickening toad-like smile. He turned back to Harry and grasped his hand.

"It's a Leechhold potion, Harry. It's a vile poison that doesn't need to be drunk by the victim. Every hour on the hour, you'll be racked with pain in your abdomen, as if you had drank some strong poison. You'll get weaker and weaker until, you can no longer even get out of bed." he said grief-stricken.

"Isn't there an antidote." asked Hermione and Sirius quickly.

"No, there is nothing that can remove it." said Dumbledore sadly.

"How long will it last?" asked McGonagall fearfully.

Dumbledore looked away, tears falling freely from his eyes.

"Dear God." said Mrs. Weasely clutching her throat.

Suddenly, the doors opened and a man walked into the Great Hall, it was Lionus, unmasked. He was leading an old man towards the bowl. When he arrived he held out a hand.

"Here you go, Doc. Leechhold potion." said Lionus

"Alright lad, have you had any pain yet?" said the old man, opening a small doctor's bag.

"Just now." he said weakly.

"Well, this will take care of it." he said taking out a small needle with blue liquid inside.

He quickly stuck it in Harry's skin and pushed the liquid into this bloodstream. Sirius who looked down at the little needle in Harry's skin, turned pale and passed out on the floor. Harry and the Doctor looked at him and then each other. Harry tried not to laugh, the Doctor was too busy shaking his head.

"Alright boy, you're all done. It will take two days for it to take effect I'm sorry to say. So you will have to endure the pain for just forty-eight more hours, thankfully, you've got a Potions Master here, who can make the pain-relieving potions to help you through this." He put his syringe back into his bag.

"Will the pain get worse." said Lupin while he was slapping Sirius' face to wake him up.

"Fortunately, it won't get worse than it has already and you won't get weaker. That's the small comfort the antidote will give you."

"I thought Dumbledore said there wasn't any antidote for the Leechhold potion." said Hermione suspiciously.

"Not to you, but to us, yes. We use it on some of our prisoners. Now," said the Doctor quickly, not completely answering Hermione's question, not to her satisfaction anyway.

"I want that woman." said the Doctor looking up a Lionus.

"Done, Madame Umbridge consider yourself in custody."

"What charges?" demanded Umbridge and Filch.

"Well we can start with 'Conspiracy to be a b*^$%', but if you want more than that, then we've got the following: We've got torture on a child, person being eighteen years or younger, wrongful use of Dementors, person being eighteen years or younger."

"I did no such thing!" said Umbridge loudly.

"Oh get off it, we've got the paperwork you used to sign out the Dementors and send them to Little Whinging. Good Lord woman, if you're going to commit a crime, don't evidence like that laying out for anyone to see it. Pathetic really. Now, I would normally just ship you off to Devil's Garden, but I'm going to let you stay here, and listen to the books. If you're a good girl and you remain silent, you may stay, if not, off you go."

"She's entitled to a trial!" bellowed Fudge.

"Not with us, she doesn't, we don't make an arrest unless we have all the facts. Her goose is cooked. Oh, and your Caretaker Filch, he was in on it as well." he said matter-of-factly.

"WHAT?" yelled Dumbledore furiously.

Filch who was just entering, turned deadly shade of white.

Dumbledore made to leap and throttle the old caretaker when Lionus held him back. "Sir, allow me." he said with small smile.

Filch turned and began to run out of the Great Hall, but Lionus hurled a small pin-like object toward him, it struck him in the back and suddenly, he was gone.

"What happened to him?" shrieked Umbridge, afraid that, that was what was going to happen to her.

"He was just sent to Devil's Garden. He'll be there for maybe five or seven days." said Lionus.

"Why such a short stay?" asked Sirius baring his teeth, he got tired of Lupin slapping him.

"You'll see if it was enough or not when he gets back. Hey, Doc, about his prior injuries."

"Already seeing to them. There you are lad, it'll be a few more weeks with that cane, but it'll be a lot easier on you." said the Doctor.

"That's all then." said Lionus. "Thanks Doc, you can go back to torturing the other Rangers now." he finished with a smirk.

"If you all weren't such weaklings, it wouldn't be torture. And no, I'm not going anywhere, I don't see many 'Kodak moments' I'm not about to miss this." said the Doctor with a knowing smile.

"What's a 'Kodak moment'?" asked Ron.

"'Kodak' is a camera!" said Colin excitedly, "I asked Dad for one for my birthday this year! A Kodak Moment is a touching and special moment!"

"What moment are you talking about?" asked Harry.

"This moment." said Lionus walking toward the door exiting. He then came back, with a man with graying hair who bore an eye patch over his right eye. Despite the patch and the mass of the gray hair, Harry knew the man all too well.

"D-D-Dr...Dr. Clark!" screamed Harry. He stood up suddenly and hobbled as best he could over to the man. The man stared at him, and slowly moved forward. He then broke into a run and engulfed the young man in a embrace.

"Harry! My little Harry! Oh, I've missed you so much! Look how big you've grown." he said laughing holding Harry out at arm's length. He laughed and brushed back his hair, to look at his eyes. "Every night, I thought about those eyes of yours, the only thing that kept me going." he said hugging him once again.

"Where were you? I looked everywhere for you!" Harry said, tears of joy rushing down his cheeks, like two small waterfalls.

"I'm not too sure where I was, to tell you the absolute truth. I just remember it being dark." said Dr. Clark tears streaming down his own face, he didn't care about the past, now that he had his little Harry back.

"And I'm not at liberty to say where he was, I've already said too much, and just about our prison system." said Lionus with a small smile.

Umbridge wanted to make a comment on how Muggles shouldn't be at Hogwarts or know of its existence, when she was soundly smacked in the back of the head by a lieutenant who was standing beside her. Making sure she didn't get away.

"Be silent." he hissed.

Sirius looked at Harry and Dr. Clark his smiled faltered a little. He looked down and slowly walked away, into one of the antechambers off the hall.

Sirius gripped his shoulders and leaned heavily against one of the pillars. He cried silently.

"Padfoot?" said Lupin coming in moments later.

"What, Moony?" said Sirius, quickly wiping his eyes.

"What's wrong? You should be happy that Dr. Clark is back! Harry doesn't have to worry about him anymore." said Lupin with a smile.

"I am, but, what if Harry wants to go live with him? Instead of us? I don't know if I could actually take it." said Sirius brokenly.

"Actually..." said Lupin quickly

"I KNEW IT! HARRY WANTS TO GO LIVE WITH HIM!" wailed Sirius.

"Settle down! Geez, I thought I was high-strung. Harry isn't going to live with him, I asked Dr. Clark if he could live with us. He agreed, he lost his practice, being gone so long. And his apartment: given to another, his stuff: sent to charities, his money: lost in the system. Harry asked me if he could stay with us, And well, I said it was alright with me, and that I would come and ask you. Harry was a little scared when he wasn't seeing you in the Great Hall. Now, can Dr. Clark stay and live with us? With what Harry has shown us this far, on what he's like, we need all the help we can get." said Remus with a broad smile.

Sirius stared at his old friend and slowly grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes." he said clapping his friend on the back.

They both walked out into the Great Hall and saw Harry talking frantically to Dr. Clark. When Remus and Sirius came closer, he looked over to them quickly. Remus nodded and Harry's smile got bigger.

"Should we abandon the books, seeing as how the woman that orchestrated this event is in custody?" said McGonagall.

"No, that wouldn't be a good idea. You stop know, you could have some irreversible consequences. Best to continue on. Oh, speaking of the past, Dumbledore, you better tell Harry about the incident."

"That's right, Harry," said Dumbledore, walking over to the bowl, "about the incident, don't try and remember it. We don't need to know anymore, and if you do try to remember anymore, it would only cause you more pain. It would be best to just forget it, alright?" he said quietly.

"I'll try sir." he said honestly. Dumbledore smiled and patted his head.

"Well, let's continue on the with the books then. Sirius, Remus aren't you going to take your seats?" said Dumbledore gesturing to the bowl.

Sirius hurried over to the bowl and sat on Harry's immediate right and Lupin sat on Dr. Clark's left.

Dumbledore picked up the book and looked at the next chapter. He read it quickly and laughed. "Mr. Jordan, you may be the perfect person to read this next chapter."

Lee frowned and walked over to the Headmaster and looked at the chapter title. He grinned broadly, Dumbledore handed over the book and went to go sit down, to the left of the bowl.

Lee took a deep breath and shouted: "The next chapter is Quidditch!"

The Quidditch players and fans all cheered, as Harry quickly told Dr. Clark what Quidditch was.

"I've got a lot to learn, I see." said Dr. Clark smiling down to Harry.

"So did I. When I first came here." said Harry brightly.

Chapter 18

Lionus and the Doctor took seats beside Dumbledore, who conjured up the chairs for them.

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel.

"You always could describe things beautifully" said Dr. Clark giving Harry a one armed hug.

Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field,

"I always wondered what you were doing, Hagrid." said Percy looking thoughtful. He wasn't upset that Umbridge was now in Ranger custody, he never really liked her at all. And he was glad he wouldn't have to look at her any longer. She was a severe strain on his eyes.

bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaver skin boots.

"Very fashionable, as always." sneered Pansy.

"Don't get me started again." said Harry warningly.

Pansy turned pink and scowled at him.

The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the House Championship.

The Gryffindors, fifth years and up all groaned in memory of their devastating loss at the end of that year.

"Something tells me you didn't make it to the Championships." said Sirius consolingly.

"We made it to the Championships, but we didn't win." said Ron sadly.

Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret.

"Some secrets are not very well kept in this school." said Harry wisely. "And this was one of those times."

But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow,

"Um, yeah, that would be me." said Ron meekly.

"Oh, Ron! We wanted to keep Harry's playing a secret!" chided Katie.

"Sorry, I just bragged to a few people." said Ron sheepishly.

"Who then told a bunch more people." said Harry kindly.

and Harry didn't know which was worse, people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress.

"The mattress one was probably the one that made me feel worse." said Harry.

"I can understand that one." said Dr. Clark and Sirius.

It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend. He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her.

"With all the Quidditch practice, he almost forgot to do his homework. You kept reminding him, and me for that matter." said Ron putting an arm around Hermione.

"Now I know neither of you needed it." she huffed.

"I did! I was still a nitwit then!" said Ron laughing.

what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.

"I thought you would like that book." said Hermione brightly.

"After he took it back, I went and checked it out too." said Ron.

Harry learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473;

"That is a lot of fouls, and all those happened in that one game?" asked Dr. Clark.

"From what I hear." said Sirius with a smile.

"That must have been one hell of a game." said Dr. Clark laughing quietly.

that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players,

"Well then you were perfect for the position." said Dr. Clark fondly.

Sirius looked on jealously as Harry smiled and leaned heavily against the Doctor.

Dr. Clark and Remus both saw the look on his face. Remus leaned over slightly and whispered in his ear "He's a little possessive of his cub." Remus had a slightly apologetic look on his face.

"I've noticed, Jim was the same way. Anybody who messed with his 'Sport' was asking for a fist in their face. If he could have gotten away with it, Vernon Dursley wouldn't be around for as long as he has. Speaking of which..." said Dr. Clark, his face growing dark.

"He's in Auror custody." said Lupin quickly. Dr. Clark smiled broadly.

and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.

"And people still sign up for that job?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It pays pretty good, about two thousand galleons a game." said Sirius, he still was slightly put off by the Doctor.

"I take it that's a lot of money." said Dr. Clark with raised eyebrows.

"Hell, yeah." said Malfoy.

Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll,

"Like we said, we ruined you." said Harry and Ron brightly.

The whole school laughed.

and she was much nicer for it. The day before Harry's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar.

"That's a third year spell!" yelled the third years.

"And she used it in our first year." said Ron proudly.

They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard.

"Who's Snape?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Professor Snape," corrected Dumbledore absently. " is the Potion's Master of the school."

Harry let out a small gasp as the pain once again claimed hold of his body. Professor Snape hurried over and helped Harry drink the same potion as before. Dr. Clark held Harry's hand and Sirius took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat that had appeared from the strain of holding back a scream.

Once again, he gasped and weakly laid his head down with his head in Dr. Clark's lap. Sirius picked up his legs and cradled them in his own lap.

"He seems decent enough." whispered Dr. Clark to Remus.

"He's gotten a lot better. He used to be a holy terror." said Remus with a small smile.

"Haven't we all?" said Dr. Clark with a smirk.

Harry noticed at once that Snape was limping.

"Potter, you're too observant for your own good." said Professor Snape sharply.

"You can blame that on Jim, he wanted Harry to become a police officer. Trained up his observations skills, Harry's so good that he could tell you what you had for lunch, just by looking at your footprints in the mud." said Dr. Clark proudly. Moody looked up quickly with excitement in his eyes.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed.

"Normally yes, but if it used to keep a student warm, outside, then you are permitted to use it." said McGonagall looking over to Snape. "You better not have taken points away from the fire." she warned.

"Not the fire, no." muttered Snape quietly.

Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye.

"Half the time, Severus, you LOOK for the guilty faces in the halls." squeaked Professor Flitwick.

"How else do I stop the students from destroying the school and it's integrity?" he snarled.

He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.

"Go figure, Harry is over there, why shouldn't he look for a reason to tell them off?" said Fred sarcastically.

"Potter! Five points from Gryffindor for breathing too loud!" said George imitating Snape.

"I can't take points away, but that doesn't mean I can't give the two of you detentions!" snapped the Potions Master. Fred and George immediately silenced themselves.

"What's that you've got there, Potter?"

It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry showed him.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

"Severus! There is no rule against taking the books out of the school!" shouted McGonagall.

Snape shifted in his seat, "sorry." he muttered quietly.

"He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away.

"He most certainly did." said McGonagall furiously.

"Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.

"RONALD!" screeched Mrs. Weasely. "YOU APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW!"

"Sorry sir," he said just as quiet as Professor Snape's apology.

The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening.

"When isn't it?" said the Gryffindors in unison.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy

"Very good Miss Granger, don't let them cheat." said Professor Vector.

"But it seems that Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasely already knew the answers." said Professor Sprout.

"I didn't, Harry was tutoring me when Hermione wasn't around, so in a sense, I had two tutors." said Ron

("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.

"You'd be a great teacher Hermione, you should look into that." said Harry gaining back some strength.

"You're a better teacher, Harry." she replied quickly, thinking of the upcoming and previous D.A. sessions.

Harry felt restless. He wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back, to take his mind off his nerves about tomorrow. Why should he be afraid of Snape?

"I can give forty reasons, Harry!" whimpered Colin.

"I can give you fifty." said Neville looking warily over to Professor Snape. Snape was trying to hide a smirk behind his hand.

Getting up, he told Ron and Hermione he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.

"Better you than me," they said together,

"Nice to know that your friends have your back." said Dr. Clark with a small smile.

"We do, though!" cried Hermione, Ron looked ashamed.

"I was teasing, honey." he said with a warm smile. Hermione blushed.

but Harry had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening.

"Sound reasoning." said Professor Flitwick.

He made his way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing.

"Ever think no one is in there?" shot Zacharias.

"I heard voices in there, there was someone in there." said Harry quickly.

Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. He pushed the door ajar and peered inside – and a horrible scene met his eyes.

"Oh no! Now what?" moaned Sirius and Remus.

"Things didn't go well for you earlier?" said Dr. Clark looking down at Harry.

"You could say that." said Harry carefully.

Snape and Filch were inside, alone.

"Worse than I thought." said Sirius trying to hold in a laugh.

Remus was shaking with silent laughter.

Snape was snarling immensely.

Snape was holding his robes above his knees.

More people sniggered slightly, with their hands over their eyes. Snape's eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets.

One of his legs was bloody and mangled.

"What happened, sir?" said Malfoy, trying to recover from his silent laughing fit.

Snape refused to say.

Filch was handing Snape bandages.

"Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"

"Wait a minute...you went to that monster's corridor?" asked Sirius quickly.

Remus quickly explained to Dr. Clark what Sirius was talking about. Dr. Clark gripped Harry tightly.

Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but —

"POTTER!" Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped.

"I just wondered if I could have my book back."

"You've got some massive amount of guts to ask him for the book." said Charlie shaking his head.

"And some stupidity." said Bill shaking his head as well.

"GET OUT! OUT! "

Harry left, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor. He sprinted back upstairs.

"How many floors?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Seven." said Hermione.

"Well that should have only taken you at the most seven minutes, unless you put on some of that speed of yours." he said proudly.

"Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them. "What's the matter?"

In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen.

"Thanks for watering that down, mate." said Ron gratefully.

"You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him — he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"

"If you want my broomstick, sir, the Whomping Willow is currently borrowing it right now. Feel free to try and go and get it." said Harry with a playful smile.

Hermione's eyes were wide. "No — he wouldn't," she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Miss Granger." muttered Professor Snape with a smirk.

"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron.

"We know that ain't true now." said the three of them.

"I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape.

But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"

"Can't you tell us?" whined Dennis.

"Nope, you'll find out just as soon as our younger selves do." said Harry, holding a hand up to stop Hermione.

Harry went to bed with his head buzzing with the same question. Neville was snoring loudly, but Harry couldn't sleep.

"Yeah, remember when we read about you in that hotel? You never could sleep if you're worried about something." said Dean.

"Miss. Granger, Mr. Weasely, if Mr. Potter isn't able to sleep for any reason, you go and get Madam Pomfrey. Understand?" said Professor McGonagall quickly.

To Harry's dislike, Hermione and Ron quickly nodded.

He tried to empty his mind—

"So you do know how to close your mind!" said Dumbledore happily.

"Yeah, but it didn't work much that night." said Harry glumly.

he needed to sleep, he had to, he had his first Quidditch match in a few hours – but the expression on Snape's face when Harry had seen his leg wasn't easy to forget.

The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages

"Ron.." said Hermione when she heard Ron's stomach growl.

and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.

"You've got to eat some breakfast."

"I don't want anything."

"The same thing goes for him not eating!" said McGonagall sharply. Harry groaned.

"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.

"I'm not hungry."

Harry felt terrible. In an hour's time he'd be walking onto the field.

"Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."

"I guess I could've put that a little better." said Seamus a little embarrassed.

"Gee, you think?" said Charlie rolling his eyes.

"Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.

"I'm amazed I didn't throw up, there." said Harry quietly.

By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row.

"You like them too, eh?" said Dr. Clark to Dean. Lee coughed as they were going into their eleventh minute of discussing the finer points of the team and their games.

"Quidditch now, West Ham, later." he said with a regal look.

As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined.

"Stupid thing, he chewed them all to hell." muttered Ron.

It said Potter for President, and Dean, who was good at drawing,

"Don't tell me you can draw, as well!" said Hermione exasperatedly.

"Only floor plans." said Harry vaguely. "Thankfully that's only squares."

"Why would you draw floor plans?" said Hermione quickly.

"Never mind." said Harry. Hermione huffed.

had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors.

"Oooohhh!" said the students impressively.

"That would have been cool to see!" said one of the small first years.

Meanwhile, in the locker room, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green).

Wood cleared his throat for silence. "Okay, men," he said.

"And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.

"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."

"The big one," said Fred Weasley.

"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.

We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry, "we were on the team last year."

"Notice we said 'Oliver's SPEECH." said Fred, shaking his head.

"He never changes that speech, at least Angelina changes it around a bit." said Katie. She turned to look at Angelina, and was surprised to see her grinning maliciously.

"Why are you grinning like that Angelina?" asked Alicia. "It's a little scary."

"Because, Harry, Fred and George can play Quidditch again, Umbridge is gone! Her ban is lifted!"

The Gryffindors sat in shock, then they raised the roof with their shouts.

"Finally!" sighed George, Harry and Fred, all three of them were looking up at the ceiling.

"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."

He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."

"Nice guy." said Sirius with a chuckle.

"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."

Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and, hoping his knees weren't going to give way,

People looked around at each other, They couldn't believe it, Harry Potter was nervous before a game?

walked onto the field to loud cheers.

Madam Hooch was refereeing.

"I take it she doesn't get paid the two thousand galleons a game." said Dr. Clark to Lupin.

"No, she is the flying instructor and the best one on a broom. She automatically gets to referee. She does get a bonus though for doing it." said Lupin smiling.

She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year.

"Yeah, he was a real nasty and mean player." said Alicia furiously. "One time he actually picked me off my broom and dropped me in the stands. He wasn't allowed to play for the rest of the season."

Harry thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him.

"Explains a whole lot." said Alicia venomously.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Potter for President over the crowd. His heart skipped. He felt braver.

"We could see your grin all the way from up there." said Hermione smiling and laughing.

"Mount your brooms, please."

Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.

Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.

Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor—what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too—"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

Lee looked over to Angelina, and smiled as she blew a kiss to him.

"Now I wish I asked you out before George got ahold of you." said Lee grudgingly.

"Sorry Lee, but I ain't letting go." said George slyly.

The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.

"I have to, goodness knows if anything would have been commented on if I didn't try and keep him on track." said McGonagall massaging the bridge of her nose.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve—

"And not a bad looker either." said Lee. Alicia winked at him.

back to Johnson and—no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes—Flint flying like an eagle up there—

"Must been a good day for him, cause normally he flies like a drunken seagull." said Lee under his breath.

he's going to sc—no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle—that's Chaser Katie Bell

"another beauty of a flyer, on and off the field." said Lee looking at Katie.

"LEE!" shouted McGonagall. "Enough! Proposition the girls another time!"

"Yes ma'am." said Lee quickly, moving on with the book.

of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and—OUCH—that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger—

"It did, I saw stars for a while." said Katie.

Dr. Clark looked slowly at Harry.

"I didn't get hit, least not that year." said Harry quickly.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." said Remus, Sirius and Dr. Clark in unison.

"Oh, we are going to get along splendidly." said Sirius brightly, clapping Dr. Clark on the back.

Quaffle taken by the Slytherins—that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger — sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which—

"Still can't half the time." muttered Lee.

nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway,

"Nice save Lee." said George and Fred laughing.

and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes — she's really flying—dodges a speeding Bludger—the goal posts are ahead—come on, now, Angelina

People who were fourth years or younger sat forward in their chairs.

—Keeper Bletchley dives — misses — GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

The Gryffindor House erupted in cheers.

Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.

The Slytherins moaned once more.

"Budge up there, move along."

"Hagrid!"

"That was nice of you Hagrid, coming to Harry's first game." said Luna dreamily.

"Well, I used to see 'Arry's dad play, all the time." said Hagrid.

Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.

"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"

"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."

"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry.

"How high up in the air were you?" asked Dr. Clark.

"About sixty feet or so, I think." said Harry.

Dr. Clark whistled.

Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.

"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."

"I think we would rather you not be attacked at all." said Remus, the two other men nodded.

When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings.

"I actually saw that Harry, and so did a bunch others. They couldn't wait to have Gryffindor score again, just to see what you would do." said Angelina.

Harry turned red.

Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches,

"Kinda explains why you smacked us later on that day." said Fred, absently rubbing the back of his head.

and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.

"All right there, Harry?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the—wait a moment—was that the Snitch?"

A murmur ran through the crowd

As well as the crowd in the great hall.

as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.

Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch—all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.

"Oliver kinda yelled at us for that, but he was watching too." said Katie with a pout on her lips.

Harry was faster than Higgs—he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead — he put on an extra spurt of speed—

"And he gets it!" said Sirius excitedly.

"Not really." said Harry sadly, then he paled, he knew what was coming in a moment. He readjusted himself so he was leaning against Sirius now and held tightly onto his hand.

"You okay, cub?" said Sirius, with a worried look on his face.

"After last chapter, I think you need me over here." he said quietly.

"Not a wise idea, Harry." said Dr. Clark, who helped Harry pick his legs up and lay them on his lap.

"Why not?" said Harry confused.

"From your Rehabilitation days, I remember that you are ticklish...here" he stared digging his fingers into the back of Harry's leg.

"AAAHHH! NO PLEASE!" he said laughing and trying to squirm away.

Sirius laughed loudly.

"Dr. Clark, I mean, Sam, careful. His legs still hurt from a month ago." said Madame Pomfrey, not wishing to intervene. He stopped quickly, but smiled over to Harry.

"Gee, your mean." said Harry shaking his head.

WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below — Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.

"What the..? THAT DIRTY LITTLE..." Sirius stopped when he saw Mrs. Weasely glower he swallowed his curse.

But other people were shouting as well, including a few younger Slytherins.

Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.

Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.

The Gryffindors groaned.

Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"

"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.

"Good question." said Lee, looking confused.

"Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In football you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"

"Oh, well in that case...RED CARD!" yelled Lee.

People around the hall sniggered.

"But this isn't football, Dean," Ron reminded him.

"Who cares?" said Lee and Dean.

Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side. "They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."

"And if he had, I'd bust him right in the mouth." snarled Sirius.

"Sirius! He's a child!"

"Not anymore, Molly, the book said he was sixth year. He's twenty now." said Remus darkly.

Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.

"So — after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating —"

People started to giggle.

"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul…"

Then they were laughing.

"Jordan, I'm warning you—"

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure,

Then they were rolling on the floor laughing hard.

so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened.

"Huh?" said most of the students.

His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch.

"What?" asked Sirius, getting more and concerned by the minute.

For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that.

"What's going on?" asked Dr. Clark fearfully.

It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off.

"They most certainly don't! What in the hell?" asked Remus, he was quite pale.

Harry tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal-posts — he had half a mind to ask Wood to call time-out—and then he realized that his broom was completely out of his control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him.

People who weren't at the game, stared in fear. What was going on? Sirius, Dr. Clark, and Remus were holding on to Harry tightly.

Lee was still commentating.

"I didn't know all that was going on." said Lee a little shamefully.

"Slytherin in possession—Flint with the Quaffle—passes Spinnet—passes Bell—hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose—only joking, Professor—

No one laughed, they wanted to find out what was going on with Harry's broom.

Slytherins score—Ah no…"

The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.

"Get to the ground Harry!" yelled Dr. Clark.

"He can't, the broom's jinxed!" said Sirius fearfully.

"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom… but he can't have…"

"Well thank Merlin Hagrid was watching out for Harry." said Mr. Weasely, his face was white. "Goodness knows what could happen if no one noticed." he patted his wife on the back supportively.

Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it.

Several girls screamed.

Sirius and Dr. Clark's grip tightened on Harry's hands.

He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.

Dr. Clark screwed his eyes shut. He wasn't sure if he could take it anymore.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.

"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic — no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."

At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.

"What are you doing?" asked Remus, gray-faced.

"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, gray-faced.

"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape — look."

Ron grabbed the binoculars. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath.

Several people turned in their chairs and glared at him. Snape merely ignored them. He knew he was innocent, but proclaiming it now, would not help in him in the slightest.

"He's doing something — jinxing the broom," said Hermione.

Sirius snarled in Snape's direction and was about to pull out his wand.

"Sirius! It wasn't him." yelled Harry, gripping the wand.

Sirius looked at him in shock.

"Remember what I said in Dumbledore's office, about accusing someone without definite proof? He was one of the four people I was talking about!" said Harry, eyes flashing.

"Who were the other people?" said Remus, his wand was almost out of his pocket as well.

"You'll find out later." said Harry tiredly.

"I'm starting to hate that sentence." said the two Marauders.

"What should we do?"

"Leave it to me."

"When you get like that, you remind me of Harry." said Ron shaking his head.

Before Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer.

Mrs. Weasely was pale and sobbing into her husband's chest, who was also pale looking. The men in the bowl were holding onto Harry just as tightly as they dared.

The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good – every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell.

"We felt completely useless. It sucked. We didn't want you riding a broom after that." said George gravely.

Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.

"Professor McGonagall noticed, she gave him five weeks of detention for that stunt of his." said Lee, trying to lighten the mood, he failed miserably.

"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.

Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front.

"Well that explains how his jinx broke suddenly." said Snape to himself.

Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.

Hermione took one of the blankets from the floor and tried to cover herself up, away from Professor Snape's glare.

"You...were...the...one...who...set...fire...to me?" he said slowly, but his voice was loud and thunderous.

"Severus, she was trying to save Harry, you can understand, I hope?" said Dumbledore carefully.

"I DIDN'T JINX HIM!" he shouted.

"We know that now, but she didn't, not at the time. I will not allow you to punish her longer than two nights of detention. I'm sorry Miss Granger, but not even I can eradicate the whole." he said to her sadly.

"No detention, but she's buying me a new robe." he said, calming himself down.

"Yes sir, I will." she said quickly, still hiding herself.

"After this, we're throwing her a party, setting fire to Snape! She rules!" whispered Fred and George to Ron. He nodded furiously.

It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire.

"It's a special potions robe, I had saved up money for it." he said still looking over at Hermione.

"Umm...how much were they?" asked Hermione nervously.

"They run about three hundred galleons." said Harry calmly. Noticing her stricken face, he added. "I'll pay for it, it was because of me that you 'lit him up'."

A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row—Snape would never know what had happened.

"Till now anyway." said Neville.

It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.

There was a collective sigh of relief. Even the Ranger's Doctor was patting his chest, to steady his heart.

"The boy is worse than the lot of you." he said towards Lionus.

"I'm more impressed with the fact that he could stay on for that long. He does have Ranger tendencies, very strong ones." he said looking thoughtfully over to the bowl and its inhabitants.

"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.

"Sorry Hagird," said Neville sheepishly.

"S'all right Neville." said Hagrid kindly.

Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick—

"I think I would have gotten sick up in the air, I wouldn't be waiting till I got to the ground." said Dr. Clark, looking slightly green. Sirius nodded in agreement.

he hit the field on all fours—coughed—

"However, holding your hands out to catch the sick wasn't a good idea." said Dr. Clark flinching a bit.

"It wasn't sick I was catching." said Harry with a cunning smile.

and something gold fell into his hand.

I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.

Dead silence.

"What?" said a first year.

"You didn't!" said Charlie laughing.

"You caught the thing in your MOUTH?" yelled Sirius joyously.

"That sounds like the weirdest game ever to be played at Hogwarts. " said Remus shaking his head and laughing.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later,

"Suck it up, he didn't break any rules." said Sirius grasping Harry's shoulder and shaking it happily.

but it made no difference—Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results—Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Harry heard none of this, though.

"Dear lord, what now?" groaned Dr. Clark.

He was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione.

"Thank you Hagrid, strong tea is what he needed after that little episode." said Mrs. Weasely, wiping her eyes quickly on her husband's handkerchief.

"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."

"Counter-curses sometimes use the same method, but you didn't know that then." said Harry looking over to Hermione and smiling.

Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

"Cause he hated Harry since day one!" shouted Ron.

"Ron! Why would he, really?" said Mrs. Weasley.

"I used to think that it was just because I existed." said Harry with a small smile, unseen by him Sirius and Remus clutched at their chests, and Snape flinched.

"Only your monster of an uncle thinks that way." said Dr. Clark running his hand through the teen's hair.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.

"Like he always does!" shouted Ron and Hermione up to Fudge and Umbridge.

"I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

"Which he wasn't, by the way." said Harry loudly to the crowd.

Hagrid dropped the teapot. "How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.

"What did he just call that three-headed dog?" said Sirius with widened eyes.

"Fluffy." said Harry with a smile.

Sirius blinked several times at Hagrid, he then mouthed 'Fluffy?' to Hagrid with a disbelieving look on his face.

"Fluffy?"

"Yeah—he's mine—bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year—I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the—"

The students shot straight up in their chairs.

Yes?" said Harry eagerly.

"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."

"Damn!" said the twins.

"But Snape's trying to steal it."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."

"Too bad the other person couldn't take a leaf out of Snape's book." said Harry quietly.

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione.

The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape.

"I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh—yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh.

"Never stopped us!" said Ron with a wide grin.

It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel —"

The teachers groaned and smacked their foreheads.

"You let something slip again, Hagrid." said Harry with a smile.

"Never meant to'" said Hagrid turning red.

"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid looked furious with himself.

"We love you, Hagrid." said Harry with a laugh, and then, to his friends and newfound family's horror, his laughs turned to cries of pain. Snape ran over, as well as the Ranger's Doctor. They poured more and more potions down his throat. When he opened his eyes weakly, he gripped the Doctor, standing beside the bowl.

"Isn't there anything you can do? To make it hurt less?" he begged. Sirius, Dr. Clark, and Remus looked up quickly.

"There is, but it will stop the readings for a the next forty six hours."

"Please, I can't take it anymore!" he said whimpering. Ron and Hermione looked at each other in fear. Harry was admitting he was in pain?

"Let's see how much pain, your actually going through.." he said placing a small button-like object on his chest. A dummy then popped out of thin air. He pushed the button on Harry chest. The students and the guests watched in horror at what had happened to the dummy. Even the Doctor quickly turned it off.

"Alright, Lionus clear an area, we need to use a pod."

Lionus whipped out a gold handled wand and cleared the chairs away from a section towards the back of the Hall.

The Doctor then walked over and placed a small box on the ground and pushed the top of the cube. It started to glow, slowly at first until the glow of the box grew to an immense size. In the box's place stood a coffin shaped...thing...they couldn't describe it. It looked like a coffin, but there was pipes curved over the edges of the sides. The lid was made of glass there were buttons all over the bottom and side.

The Doctor went over and opened the pod as the Ranger went and picked up the ailing boy.

"What are you doing? What is that going to do?" asked Sirius quickly.

"It will make him better, no side-effects. It will even heal the injuries from the incident." he said, not bothering to turn around, he continued on walking and placed the young man in the pod.

The students started to crowd around, the Doctor was being bombarded with questions and first years were trying to get a closer look at the pod. Lionus had had enough, he whipped out a small black ball and immediately, the Hall was engulfed in darkness.

A moment later, they saw the pod was now filled with a sort of liquid, water it seemed, and inside...was Harry...asleep. His shirt was gone and they could see different coated wires attached to his chest and reporting their findings to a small monitor to the left of the unconscious figure. What stopped him from drowning was an oxygen mask attached to his mouth.

"What...WHAT DID YOU DO?" bellowed Sirius, flinging himself at the Doctor.

Lionus caught him by the throat and held him in the air, with one hand.

"Relax, Harry is fine, what he is right is an intensive care pod. We use it for serious cases, he's not one of those, but it was quicker this way. He will sleep for two days. Take this time to think about what you learned about the boy and take this time to rest." said Lionus sternly. He then lowered the man slowly to the ground.

"There is nothing you can do now, just wait till he wakes up. Then you can roughhouse with him all you want." said the Doctor kindly.

Sirius glared at the Ranger and walked forward, before the Ranger could grab him again, Sirius took a chair and placed it next to the pod.

"I'll stay till he wakes up, don't even think about moving me." said Sirius angrily. Lupin and Dr. Clark looked at each other and grabbed chairs to sit beside Harry as well.

The Doctor smiled. "He could use the company."

"The rest of you might as well go off and relax, no readings till Sunday afternoon." said the Ranger plainly. When no one moved, he shook his head. "There is no point you being here, go on and git!" he said sternly.

Dumbledore had to reassure that nothing would happen to Harry and that they should leave and let Harry rest. Slowly people left the hall.

"These books will take forever to go through!" whined Umbridge.

"What did we tell you, woman? Be silent!" said the lieutenant sharply.

"Deal with it, you stop reading now, as in permanently, it could cause some harm." said Lionus tiredly.

"You said that earlier, what could happen."

"Potter will lose all his memories, that's where these books come from. You stop reading, he won't remember who he is, and there will be no recovering from it." said Lionus seriously.

Chapter 19

Over the next two days, people were permitted to wander about as they saw fit. It was just as well, because there was a gaping hole in everyone's schedule. Umbridge was removed as a teacher, unable to be let go from Ranger custody, not to mention not being able to leave the Great Hall, and Lupin wasn't about to leave Harry's side for anything. People wandered aimlessly, discussing the books and all that Harry had seen and done. Some people even went to Hogsmeade to do a bit of shopping, to get their minds off of Harry's horrible home life and all the danger he seemed to find himself in, but found themselves buying something from Honeydukes for Harry when he woke up. The pile was growing steadily larger with each passing hour. As well as the numerous vases of get well flowers from female admirers.

Seeing Harry in that coffin-like pod was a little frightening. His hair was suspended by the water and his eyes were always closed, but they twitched if you looked close enough. And if you had the misfortune of watching too long, a yellow light would come on and Harry, inside the thing, would have his whole body twitch violently. Sirius just about lost his mind when he saw it for the first time.

In the meantime, while he was sitting beside the pod, Dr. Clark met and acquaintanced himself with the rest of the teachers of the school, as well as some of the guests. He was very popular with the Muggle Studies students and especially with Mr. Weasely. Despite Dr. Clark being worried about Harry, he couldn't help but laugh good-naturedly at Mr. Weasely's enthusiasm.

It was lunchtime when the constant red light turned slowly to green. The Doctor hurried over and pushed several different buttons. Keeping a close eye on the monitors. The water slowly left the container, and when it was gone, the Doctor opened the chamber, he took the wires and other monitoring paraphernalia off the boys chest. Harry's eyes flickered and slowly opened. The Doctor removed the oxygen mask and helped the boy out of the pod. Harry was almost completely limp, he was so weak that he could barely stand.

"Alright lad, take a deep breath, how do you feel?" said the Doctor supporting his full weight.

Harry gulped in breaths of air. "A lot better than I did before I went in there. But I'm still so tired." he said almost collapsing to the ground.

"I thought you said he wasn't going to have any side-effects!" shouted Ron.

"So I did, ask the woman what she used for the Leechhold potion." said the Doctor to Lionus.

"Why doesn't he ask her, himself?" whispered Blaise to Draco.

"He's the most lethal member of the Rangers. You say the wrong thing to him, and you're a criminal, you're dead in five seconds. No warnings." said Lionus, catching Blaise's question. "We like them to see Devil's Garden before they die." he said with a smirk.

Lionus then walked over to Umbridge, "What ingredients did you use in the potion, woman?"

"What if I don't tell you?" said Umbridge smugly. Lionus didn't answer, but he did take out a small object out of his pocket, it was a circular device with a giant glowing button. He pushed it and a thin needle shot out and embedded itself in her arm.

Immediately, she writhed in agony and the Great Hall was filled with her painful screams. He pushed the button again after five minutes.

"You'll get that again if you don't tell me and again if you lie to me. What were the ingredients?"

She gasped, "What was that?" she said weakly.

"I don't answer your questions, you answer mine. What were the ingredients?" he said quickly.

"All right, all right, it was one of his owl's feathers, a strand of hair, and an emerald." she said quickly.

"Is that all?" asked Lionus.

"Yes." she said, then without warning, she began screaming.

"I told you, don't lie to me! What else was there?" he said dangerously.

"...huff...huff...hair," she gasped. "a...huff...phial...of...his...blood...huff." No more screams came.

"See how easy that was?" said Lionus with an evil smile. "Well Doc?"

"Well in that case, he'll be weak for an hour or so. Let's let him rest a bit more, he's all yours gentlemen." said the Doctor, who was kneeling on the ground, Harry's head resting against his chest.

Sirius hurried over and picked him up. The three men walked over to the bowl and sat down in it. Snape was about to hand them a strengthening potion to Remus when the Doctor stopped him.

"He won't need that. Give him some time, he'll be right as rain momentarily." said the Doctor kindly.

Harry was fast asleep, the Doctor said that he needed plenty of rest, but moving him too far would have been a bad idea. So, while everyone finished their lunch, Harry slept soundly in Remus' lap.

After lunch, it was decided that while Harry rested, the rest of the school would continue on with the book. Dumbledore volunteered to read the next chapter. He cleared his throat and stated loudly.

"The next chapter is The Mirror of Erised."

"What is Erised? Is that a place?" asked Dennis.

"It's 'desire' spelt backwards." said Luna serenely.

"Oh." said Dennis, he leaned towards his older brother and whispered. " She's smart."

Christmas was coming.

"I remember the first Christmas we had with Harry, we had to do it a two weeks after December the twenty-fifth, just so he could come." said Dr. Clark with a small smile.

"Why was that?" asked Blaise.

"Something about his cousin's aunt. She didn't like him being out of her sight. Then we found out that anything he got for Christmas we would have to keep it at Jim's house or my apartment."

"Why? Why wasn't he allowed to take his stuff home?" asked Ron.

"His uncle threw away all of his presents, new clothes, toys, everything. Tried telling the proper authorities, never got anywhere. So we just decided to keep next year's Christmas stuff at Jim's.

"Well, the that year, Holly built a small gingerbread house with him, he had a lot of fun dismantling it afterwards. I took him out to build a snowman and Jim got to play Father Christmas for him. Never saw a kid so happy." said Dr. Clark smiling down at Harry with suspiciously wet eyes .

"You guys did a lot for him." said Sirius quietly, feeling a little guilty for not being there.

"He deserved it, every minute." said Dr. Clark.

Sirius and Remus smiled down at Harry. He certainly does.

One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasely twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.

Ron blinked, he walked up and looked at the book in Dumbledore's hands and reread the last part. He looked over to Hermione and started snorting with laughter. Hermione also tried hard to hold in her laughter.

"Hey! It wasn't funny! Quirrell almost killed us! Never saw him so angry, kinda out of character for him," said Fred indignantly.

"I think he would have hexed us if it weren't for Professor McGonagall stepping in and giving us detention." finished George.

"Remember that later. The whole 'out of character part'." said Hermione clutching the stitch in her side from her held in laughter.

The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.

"Hedwig wouldn' let me touch 'er, Harry had to come calm 'er down." said Hagrid with a slight smile.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms.

Dumbledore took the blanket and lightly tossed it over the sleeping figure.

Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.

"Why don't you put up some warming charms?" asked Professor Flitwick.

"You know that large hole I covered with a new bookshelf in my classroom?" said Snape calmly.

"Yes?" said Professor Flitwick.

"That's why." said Snape plainly. "Last time someone used a warming charm, they ended up in the dungeon down the hall."

"I remember that, almost all of his bones were broken." said Madame Pomfrey.

"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."

People turned to stare at Malfoy, who was shifting uneasily.

"How did you know he wasn't welcomed at home?" asked Colin suspiciously.

"I didn't really." he said shamefully.

He was looking over at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them.

"Good Harry, don't give into people like that, it only gives them satisfaction." said Dr. Clark with a broad smile, ruffling Harry's messy locks.

Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next.

"How would that make people laugh?" asked Fred.

"Beats me." said George.

Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny,

"Good! We were afraid someone actually found that funny." sighed George.

because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick.

"I didn't see it, and I'm impressed, was scared out of mind, but impressed." said Lupin smiling down at Harry.

So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about having no proper family.

"He had one, it was just a bit...scattered." said Dr. Clark sadly.

It was true that Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas.

"And you never will again." said Dumbledore looking down at the sleeping form.

Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up at once.

"Almost knocked into me, he was running so fast." said Percy thoughtfully.

Professor McGonagall looked down. "I should have noticed." she said bitterly.

"Don't blame yourself Minerva." said Professor Sprout kindly. "He hid his life away from even his closest friends."

He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he'd ever had.

"That hurts." said Dr. Clark sadly.

"You were gone, and I couldn't go to Mrs. McFinn's, I was trying to forget." said Harry sleepily.

"Mornin' cub!" said Sirius brightly.

"What do you mean? I thought you said that you still saw Mrs. McFinn!" said Hermione quickly.

"Let me guess, It's Holly's mother, right?" said Dr. Clark solemnly. Harry nodded.

"What's her mom got to do with anything?" asked Ron.

"Holly's mom is on the fast-track of the elite social circles. She never approved of Jim, thought her daughter should have married someone of equally high breeding, or of royal blood. I remember the time Harry met her. Right before Jim passed away, the Queen threw a Garden Party, and she selected decorated Police Officers to be honored guests.

"Jim was one of the most decorated officers on the force at the time and so he received an invitation. Holly thought a really nice party would be wonderful to take Harry to, so we rented a small suit for him, Jim and I and we all went.

"Well when we got there, Holly saw her mother and wanted to run for it, she didn't know that she was there and wanted to leave almost immediately. However, Harry saw the lilies and took off like a shot. You always had an attachment to those things, especially the Tiger Lilies." he said down to Harry, who was yawning hugely.

"It was too late anyway, Holly's mother saw her and walked straight over. Ignoring Jim and I she tried dragging her over to talk to some rich, single, male friend of hers. I will never forget this for as long as I live: Harry came running up and held out a lily for Holly. Her mother FREAKED, started shrieking about ruining the royal flowers and summoning the guards as if she owned the place. Who'd a guessed, that the Queen herself came up from behind him and told her that she said it was alright. That it was a gift for Holly. Holly's mother looked as if a train had hit her dead on. Holly took the flower, she was nervous as hell. Holly's mom wouldn't look at Harry at all that day. Or any other day, that I remember." said Dr. Clark laughing.

The school stared at Harry. "You met the Queen? Face to Face?" said Hermione weakly.

"Accidentally." said Harry modestly.

"Do we get to hear about this, so called 'accident?'" said Ron slowly. Harry looked away, his face red. "Guess not now anyway. You keeping track Hermione, of all the things he's gonna tell us later."

"That one is going on the top of the list." said Hermione writing quickly on a long piece of parchment.

Ron and his brothers were staying too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasely were going to Romania to visit Charlie.

"At least you got to come visit me two years later." said Bill smiling.

When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.

"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.

"What could you do to help?" asked Zacharias snidely.

"Ron's really good at the Levitation spell, he can lift things over eighty pounds with no strain, or have you forgotten the troll already? He was more than capable then handling a tree." said Harry stretching his thin frame.

Zacharias gave a small snarl. "What does weight have to do with anything?"

"Try lifting something." said Harry simply.

Zacharias looked around and smiled, he stood up and swished and flicked his wand toward the loveseat that Hermione and Ron sat in, it trembled a bit, but it wouldn't move. His smile faded quickly.

"Hagrid, do you mind if we use you for a demonstration?" asked Harry.

"Nah, I don' mind." said Hagrid, a little confused.

"Ron?"

Ron, without standing up, used the same movements, and Hagrid's chair levitated five feet off the ground. He then set the chair down gently.

"The more you practice that spell, lifting different things, the heavier the object you can lift. Most things require two wizards to lift, Ron's worked so hard that he can lift things all on his own. No help required." said Harry proudly. Ron blushed.

"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."

"T'was nice o' you ta ask tho'" said Hagrid, still looking over at Ron with some pride.

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them.

"Aren't you the polite one?" asked Katie with an upturned nose.

"Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasely? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose-that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."

"Can I offer a blanket apology too?" said Draco warily. Harry had to look up to look over him, he nodded.

"For what though?" he asked.

"For all the things I say about his family." he said quietly.

"Go for it." said Bill plainly.

"I apologize for every mean thing I say about your family." he said humbly.

"All right. We accept your apologies. Unless there is a big one that needs some considering, then we'll let you know." said Charlie wisely. Draco agreed to the terms.

Ron dived at Malfoy

"Get him Ron!" yelled the twins.

just as Snape came up the stairs.

"AACCK! NO! ABORT! ABORT!" they cried after what Dumbledore had read. They covered their eyes and dived for the floor, even Snape couldn't suppress a chuckle while everyone else laughed.

"WEASELY!"

Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.

"Wasn't quick enough." the twins whimpered.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagird," said Snape silkily.

"It is against the rules, but what do you expect an eleven year old boy is to do, when someone insults his family?" asked Tonks with a look of disgust on her face. Her usual bubblegum pink hair had turned red and wavy.

"Five points from Gryffindor, Weasely, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."

"And for insulting Ron's family, what did Draco get as punishment?" asked Luna serenely.

Draco and Snape didn't answer.

"You say that the other teachers are unfair towards the Slytherins, but you seem to be the only one who is unfair." she said calmly.

Snape stared at her with a frown on her face. Luna, however, switched her attention to something invisible flying over her head.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.

"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him-"

"Ron, don't make threats like that!" chided Mrs. Weasely.

"I hate them both," said Harry, "Malfoy and Snape."

Dr. Clark looked down at Harry. "Harry...we talked about hate. Do you remember?"

"Yes, I do." said Harry guiltily.

"Then why do you hate them?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Right now they sound like really stupid reasons." said Harry honestly, but not meeting Dr. Clark's eyes.

"Do you still hate them, then?" continued Dr. Clark. Harry shook his head.

"Good boy. You can dislike people all you wish, but someone so young shouldn't be hating people already." he said with a smile.

"I hate Voldemort." he said simply looking up at him.

"I don't know who that is." said Dr. Clark, with a confused look on his face.

"He was the one who killed my parents." he said.

Dr. Clark stared at him, then looked over to Sirius, who nodded. "...you can hate him all you want, then." he said rubbing Harry's head.

"You love contradicting yourself, don't you?" said Harry with a small smile.

"From where I am sitting, I can reach behind your knee still."

"Point taken, please continue reading." said Harry quickly. Dumbledore tried not to laugh.

"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."

So the three of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.

"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree-put it in the far corner, would you?"

The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

"Will the Great Hall be decorated for Christmas this year?" asked a first year Hufflepuff excitedly to his friend.

"It's decorated every year. You'll love it." said Sirius smiling broadly.

"I hope I'm around here to see it too." said Dr. Clark hopefully.

"You are always welcomed here, Dr. Clark, a gift, for taking care of Harry." said Dumbledore kindly.

"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked,

"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me-Harry, Ron, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."

"Yeah, like Harry and Ron are going to want to go to the library a DAY before holidays." said Charlie and Bill, shaking their heads.

"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron,

"What the...who are you and what have you done with our little brother." said Bill standing and pointing his wand at Ron, who started laughing.

tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand was trailing them over the branches of the new tree..

"That reminds me, Harry do you know any decorating spells? Cause I'm a Prefect, I have to help decorate the school." he added glumly.

"I know a few, write down what you had in mind and I'll come up with something."

"Thanks, mate. I think Hermione would like to sit in with that little tutoring class as well." said Ron looking at Hermione, who appeared very excited.

"I thought you knew some decorating spells already?" said Harry stunned.

"I want to know if you have some decorating spells I don't know!" she said quickly.

"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"

"I was thinking along the line of possessed." said Bill with a laugh. Harry heard Ginny groan, since his second year, she was always a little nervous around that word. Harry sent her a reassuring smile over to her.

"Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."

"Okay, I can understand that then." said Bill brightly. "You had me scared there for a moment."

"You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here-I've told yeh-drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."

"It's only to satisfy our curiosity." said Harry brightly over to Hagrid.

"We weren't even thinking of invading that dog's personal space again." said Ron with a smile.

"You had better not." said every single adult in the school. Except for the Rangers, who weren't around soon enough to hear about the dog, and the Teachers, because they knew that they indeed go visit that dog again.

"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.

"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere-just give us a hint-I know I've read his name somewhere."

"I can't believe it was right FREAKIN' there and I didn't see it." said Harry angrily.

"Mate, I had been looking at it for years, never dawned on me either." said Ron consolingly.

People looked at them wonderingly. What were they talking about?

"I'm sayin' nothin'," said Hagrid flatly.

"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.

"Sorry, Hagrid." said the three of them.

They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal?

"Nothing, as it turns out." said Harry looking over to Snape.

The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time; he was missing too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry.

"Looking back, there was no way in," Ron looked over to his mother quickly. "blazes, he would be in in there." he said shaking his head.

And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.

"It'll take you forever to find him!" cried one of the second year Hufflepuffs.

Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random.

"Wise decision Mr. Weasely. He is mentioned in several different books, you could get lucky." said Professor Dumbledore.

"However, we didn't get lucky." said Ron glumly.

Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section. He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there.

He is, in a majority of those books actually, he is mentioned." said Dumbledore approvingly. "However, I fear you aren't able to go examine those."

Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and he knew he'd never get one.

"Not until second year anyway." whispered Ron to Hermione, who giggled.

These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Actually Mr. Potter, with you taking your W.A.N.D.S test, you have free access to those books now." said Professor McGonagall.

Harry's eyebrows raised, " Really?"

"You'd better get out, then. Go on-out!"

"Nice to know we can just browse and find something new to learn." said Ernie with smirk.

Wishing he'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Harry left the library. He, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to.

"She would tell people what you were looking for. If she feels that it isn't part of your curriculum, she will ask teachers what you needed it for. Unless you have a note." said Professor Sprout.

Harry waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful.

"Nice of you to have faith in us." said Ron smirking.

They had been looking for two weeks, after all, but as they only had odd moments between lesson it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks.

"Won't happen, she never leaves those books, except to eat, sleep, or to use the restroom." said Professor Flitwick.

Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."

"I was hoping they would keep looking." said Hermione with a small smile.

"We did, for a while." said Harry guiltily.

"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them."

"Very safe, as they're both dentists." said Hermione.

"Nicolas is known in both the wizarding world and the muggle world. They could have heard of him." said Dumbledore helpfully.

"Wish I did ask them, then." said Hermione, pouting.

Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think about Flamel.

"Okay, so we didn't look much longer." said Ron shifting uneasily.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire.

"Now, that's where you can always find them." whispered a sixth year Gryffindor.

They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork-bread, English muffins, marshmallows-and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.

"I think Harry made sure they wouldn't work." said Ron thoughtfully.

Malfoy, as well as everyone else turned and stared at Harry, who was looking innocently up at the ceiling and whistling.

Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered.

"Well seasoned." said Harry loudly with a smile.

Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family-in this case, his grandfather.

"We had cousins and uncles that wanted that chess set, Grandpa wouldn't give it to them, they had to beat him in order to get it. Ron was the only one, and he was eight years old!" said Bill proudly.

"What made that old chess set so special?" asked Colin excitedly.

"It's The Chess Master chess set. It's the oldest chess set in the world, and the most valuable. If you wished to purchase it, instead of winning it in a Chess Master Duel, the board and the pieces are worth about twelve million galleons." said Harry, flipping through his little black book once again.

People stared at Ron. Ron and his family were staring at Harry, his mouth agape.

"W-W-What?" said the Weasely family, their voices combined were barely over a whisper.

"He's right," said Dumbledore with a broad smile. "That board is the most sought after chessboard in the world. It's a priceless treasure. Your Grandfather Bilius won it from me, almost three-quarters of a century ago. It was my most prized possession, and I lost it. He was a marvelous player, and for an eight year old to beat him, and, in a certain aspect, myself, you must be incredibly skillful." said Dumbledore beaming over to him. Ron blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"I always wondered why he made a speech the every time we played, especially after I beat him that one time."

"That's right, beating you in a friendly game won't get you the chessboard, you have to win it in a proper Chess Master Duel, and you have to make the traditional challenge. Your Grandfather always was one for the theatrics." said Dumbledore fondly. "Despite it's worth, I don't recommend selling it."

"We'll never sell it." said the entire Weasely family proudly.

However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all.

"They never are." said Ron proudly.

Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.

"That in itself is a great feat, Mr. Weasely. It took myself ten years for them to trust me. Even longer for your Grandfather." said Dumbledore.

Harry played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent him, and they didn't trust him at all.

"They just barely trust me." said Seamus quietly.

He wasn't a very good player yet

"I still suck at the game." said Harry with a smirk.

and they kept shouting different bits of advice at him, which was confusing. "Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him."

"I had to tell my chess pieces to shut up a few times when I first got them. They learned real quick that my plans were better than what they had in mind." said Ron with a snigger.

On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all.

"Why not?" asked Draco.

"Well, the only time I received any real presents were when I still had the McFinn's and Dr. Clark around, ever since I lost both them, I didn't have anyone that cared about me. So I didn't expect anything." said Harry. A few people looked towards their Housemates sadly.

When he woke early in the morning however, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed.

The students began to cheer, but Harry stared at them.

"What got into the lot of you?" asked Harry in confusion.

"You got presents! After so many years of nothing, you got presents!" said a first year excitedly.

"You lot are mental." he said shaking his head.

"Merry Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe.

A few girls wolf-whistled and then giggled madly. Sirius couldn't hold his laughter in.

"What's so funny?" said Harry with a low growl.

"You're starting to be a chick magnet with the girls." said Sirius in a giggling whisper.

"Do yourself a favor Harry, don't take any advice from him, in the ways of women. Unless you like getting slapped." said Remus muttering over to Harry. Sirius frowned and crossed his arms.

"You, too," said Harry. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!"

"What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Harry's.

"I think a turnip from the Dursleys would be a bit much, compared to their past presents." said Harry with a small smile. Some of the school students, teachers, and guests growled when they heard that. Sirius and Remus made a mental note to make his next Christmas better than ever before. Dr. Clark gave Harry's hand a gentle squeeze.

Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawl across it was To Harry, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it-it sounded a bit like an owl.

"I still have it." said Harry, reaching into his knapsack, that was sitting on the floor, and pulling out the flute. It was indeed hand-made, and the bottom of the flute was carved in the shape of an owl. He put it to his lips and began to blow. He was right, it did sound like an owl, but it had a tune to it.

Out of nowhere, Hedwig fluttered down, and landed on his knee and hooted along with the flute. The females in the Great Hall, except for Umbridge who was too busy glaring at Harry, cooed. It went on for a good three minutes till Harry finished with low note. The school applauded. Dr. Clark stared at the bird, "I had never seen an owl act like that." he said to Remus in a whisper.

"She's special." said Remus simply.

"You're telling me." he said keeping an eye on Hedwig.

"She won't bite, Dr. Clark. Hedwig, come here." he said holding out his arm. Hedwig fluttered up to the held out arm and nipped his finger affectionately.

"Hedwig, this is the Dr. Clark I told you about." said Harry. Hedwig, hopped over to Dr. Clark's leg and looked up to him. She got very close to his face and he leaned back a bit. "Hedwig, give him a bit of space." said Harry laughing quietly. "He's never met a owl before, let alone a beauty such as yourself, you are a bit overwhelming." he added silkily.

She puffed up importantly and settled herself down on his knee. Waiting for him to stroke her feathers.

"Stroke her head, that's what she's waiting for." he whispered to Dr. Clark. He slowly moved his forefinger down her feathers and she hooted happily. She turned her head around and nipped his fingers.

"So far she likes you." said Harry with a smile.

A second, very small parcel contained a note.

We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.

"What message did you send?" asked Sirius and Dr. Clark incredulously.

"I just wished them the best of the season." said Harry simply.

"How can you wish them anything after all they've done to you?" asked Bill in shock.

"I just thought..." he said helplessly.

"You really are too noble." moaned Remus smiling.

Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.

The Muggleborns stared at the book. Even Dumbledore mouth was distorted into a scowl.

"That's not a Christmas present! That's a five year old's allowance!" cried Hermione.

"It's more than what Potter's worth." said Umbridge loudly.

SNAP! CRACK!

Umbridge was on the ground clutching her cheek and the Ranger, who was standing guarding over her, was clutching a blood red whip.

"I told you once before. Be silent."

Harry nearly wrenched his neck as he snapped his head up to where the sound came from.

"Dumbledore, sir?" said Harry quickly.

"What is it, Harry?" said Dumbledore, a frown still on his face.

"I know what she used, during the incident, besides the cudgel." he said earnestly. The school became quiet, then students began to mutter and growl.

"Harry, I told you, try not to remember..." started Dumbledore soothingly.

"It was a whip." he replied quickly. After he said that, he rubbed his back suddenly, it felt as if something were slowly cutting into back. But nothing was there, and his back didn't feel as if there were any open wounds.

The school became as silent as a tomb. The three men in the bowl and Dumbledore stared in horror at Harry. He then turned towards the Ranger standing over Umbridge. "Would it be possible to hit her a thousand more times?" he snarled angrily.

"Not in front of the students we won't, but I'll add it to the list I'll give to Hexting." said Lionus with a sneer. Dumbledore nodded and continued. Remus pulled Harry back down, so that he was lying across the men's laps again. Hedwig flitted up and landed on Harry's knee again.

"I'm fine, I don't hurt anymore, Remus." Harry said indignantly.

"Don't care. You aren't moving out of arm's reach anytime soon." he said firmly.

"That's friendly." said Harry.

"You've got to be kidding me." moaned Hermione.

Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.

"Weird! he said, "What a shape! This is money?"

"You are so your father's son." said Mrs. Weasely fondly. Ron beamed and accepted the hug from his father. Malfoy looked on, with a peculiar expression on his face.

"You can keep it," said Harry, laughing at how pleased Ron was.

"Do you still have it?" asked Mr. Weasely. Ron dug into his pocket and pulled it out.

"I keep it for luck." said Ron.

"May I borrow it?" said Mr. Weasely to his son. Ron nodded and Mr. Weasely walked back to the sofa he shared with his wife.

"Hagrid and my aunt and uncle-so who sent these?"

"I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My mom, I told her you didn't expect any presents

"So you knew he hadn't received anything, in the past?" said Hermione looking at him in anger.

"I...he told me...I didn't know it was that bad." Ron said in a defeated voice.

and-oh, no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasely sweater."

"What is wrong with them?" asked Bill wonderingly.

"Just... didn't know if he would like something homemade."

"I was happy just to see a parcel with my name on it to be perfectly honest, I didn't care what was in it. Turned out to be a wonderful gift." he said happily.

Mrs. Weasely blushed.

Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green

"MOM! Green isn't a Gryffindor color!" scolded Charlie.

"It went so beautifully with his eyes though!" said Mrs. Weasely defensibly.

"It still does." said Harry absently.

"What?" asked Dr. Clark.

"I still wear it." said Harry.

"This was when you were eleven, how can you still fit into it? Wait a minute, never mind, I forgot how skinny you are. That damned pod showed me just how thin you are. Harry, I could see your ribs!" admonished Dr. Clark fearfully.

"Looks like you will have to make some the ribs you made the summer I Iast saw you. Those 'stick to your ribs' ribs." Harry said brightly.

"I think I'll have to make you your own batch." he said with a small smile.

and a large box of homemade fudge.

"The fudge was delicious by the way Mrs. Weasely." beamed Harry.

"Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine always maroon."

"I thought you liked maroon." said Mrs. Weasely, a little confused.

"Um...mom...I like maroon." said Charlie.

"Oh dear, Ron, what color is your favorite?" said Mrs. Weasely sheepishly.

"I like red." Ron said quietly. Mrs. Weasely quickly wrote it down on a piece of parchment.

"That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying the fudge which was very tasty.

His next present also contained candy-a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione.

"Those didn't last long when Ron found them." said Harry laughing.

This only left one parcel. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it.

Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds,

"What, wait...is that..?" asked Lupin quietly.

Ron gasped.

"I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Bean he'd gotten from Hermione. "If that's what I think it is-they're really rare, and really valuable."

"What is it?"

Harry picked the shining, slivery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.

"It is..!" whispered Sirius.

"I'm lost." said Dr. Clark. All the other students in the school, as well as a few guests were as well. Those that knew James Potter personally, knew what it was.

"It's an Invisibility Cloak," said Ron,

A gasp breezed through the hall. "Those things actually exist?" breathed Dr. Clark.

a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is-try it on."

Harry threw the cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell.

"It is! Look down!"

Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in midair, his body completely invisible. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.

"Who gave that to you?" asked several students in amazement. Harry didn't answer them. He looked over to Sirius and Remus curiously and saw that both of their eyes were shining and tears were trickling down their cheeks.

Dr. Clark also noticed the current emotional state the two men beside him wore. "What is wrong with them?"

"The cloak belonged to my father, they were his best friends." whispered Harry. Dr. Clark nodded and patted both of them men on the back.

"There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"

Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words:

Your father left this in my possession before

he died. It is time it was returned to you.

Use it well.

A Very Merry Christmas to you.

There was no signature. Harry stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak.

"I'd give anything for one of these." he said, "Anything.

"So would we!" said the Twins.

What's the matter?"

"Nothing," said Harry. He felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to his father?

"Yes...yes it did." said Sirius faintly.

Before he could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasely bounded in. Harry stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. He didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet.

"Gee, thanks for sharing. We would have liked to use it a few times, would have made pranking so much more awesome." said Fred and George with a pout.

"Thank you Mr. Potter for not sharing it with them." said Professor McGonagall.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Hey, look-Harry's got a Weasely sweater, too!"

Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, the other a G.

"Harry's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Harry's sweater. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."

"Oh I do not!" said Mrs. Weasely.

"It was thicker than ours." said Fred.

"Well...he was so skinny...I thought he would get cold." she said quietly.

"Oh...well...then...never mind." said Fred.

"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."

"They are." said the Weasely children and Harry.

"I hate maroon," Ron moaned halfheartedly as he pulled it over his head.

"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid-we know we're called Gred and Forge."

"They love that joke as well." said Mrs. Weasley shaking her head.

"What's all this noise?"

Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving.

"Who are we disturbing? There was nobody else there besides us!" said Ron throwing up his arms.

He had clearly gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy sweater over his arm, which Fred seized.

"P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Harry got one."

"I-don't-want-" said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the sweater over his head, knocking his glasses askew.

"And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," said George. "Christmas is a time for family."

They frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his sweater.

"That must have been embarrassing for you." said Luna dreamily.

"Like you haven't embarrassed us when we were younger." said George to Percy. "God, you would try and pull us all around the place when we were at other people's houses and telling people we were holy terrors."

"Well, you were!" said Percy defensively.

"Yeah, but mom at least let them figure it out for themselves. More fun for us!" said Fred indignantly.

Harry had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner.

"Don't be insulted, wait till you hear about it." said Harry quickly up to Dr. Clark.

A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas;

"I remember when you made them with Holly on when we celebrated Christmas. Those were the best chipolatas I had ever had." he said licking his lips. "Never thought sausage and bacon could taste so good."

tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce-and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table.

"Wizard crackers? They anything like normal, um...Muggle?...Christmas crackers?" asked Dr. Clark.

"These are way better." said Hermione excitedly.

These fantastic party favors were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside.

"Yeah, that sums it up about right, you mean that wizard crackers have something else inside?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Yeah, they have a lot more." said Harry brightly.

Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice.

"Yeah, that is a little more than what our crackers contain. They don't carry live animals." said Dr. Clark with his eyebrows raised as he stroked Hedwig's feathers.

"Hedwig was happy, she caught a few of those" said Harry smiling.

Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.

"I'm finding out very quickly that you march to the beat of a different drum, Professor." said Dr. Clark laughing over to Dumbledore.

"I pride myself on that, and please, call me 'Albus'." said Dumbledore reaching over and shaking Dr. Clark's hand.

"Then you can call me 'Sam'." said Dr. Clark.

Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver Sickle embedded in his slice.

"Ouch!" said a few students.

"After I saw that, I cut my turkey into very small pieces." said Harry trying not to laugh.

Harry watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Harry's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.

All the students gasped. McGonagall...giggled? Professor McGonagall blushed, as did Hagrid. The people who weren't there, and those that were there, but didn't notice, pouted. They would have killed to have seen that!

When Harry finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of non-explodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit,

"What did you do with that stuff?" asked Hermione.

Harry smiled mischievously, "I used both on Uncle Vernon."

The whole school sucked in a lungful of air.

"Harry, he beat the living S*&^ out of you! Why would you even think of using that stuff on him?!" asked Sirius staring at Harry in shock.

"I had a secret weapon at the time." said Harry with a smirk.

"What weapon could you possibly have against a man that almost beat you to death!" asked Dr. Clark worriedly.

Harry slowly took out his wand twirled in around his fingers. Not saying a word.

"Oh...that is a suitable weapon. But Petunia did grow up with Lily, she would have known that magic can't be used outside of school." said Sirius warningly.

"How does he know?" asked Harry.

"Beats me." lied Remus, he hated to do it, but he promised Snape that he wouldn't tell Harry anything about Severus and his mother.

and his own new wizard chess set.

"They're starting to trust me, cause they know that Ron's too good for me to handle. Sometimes they help me narrow the score a bit." said Harry.

The white mice had disappeared and Harry had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs. Norris's Christmas dinner.

"And Hedwig's apparently." said Dr. Clark, warming up to the owl at last.

Harry and the Weaselys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds.

"Which we won." said Fred and Ron at the same time. They glared at each other.

"I think Hagrid won that one." said Harry smiling over to Hagrid.

"That wasn't fair, his snowballs just about knocked us out of our socks." said the Weasely's pouting playfully.

"Just about? I had to actually dig for one of mine!" said Harry laughing. The school joined in.

Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Harry broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron. He suspected he wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help him so much.

"No offense Percy, but never let him help you play, he's the worst one in the family." said Bill fondly.

After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor Tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.

"That was one of the funniest things I had ever seen." said Harry thinking fondly back to that evening. "Never knew that Fred and George were such acrobats."

It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever.

"I guess I can let that one go." said Dr. Clark. "We didn't have you on Christmas day."

Yet something had been nagging at the back of his mind all day. Not until he climbed into bed he was free to think about it: the Invisibility Cloak and whoever had sent it.

Ron, full of turkey and cake and nothing mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost as soon as he'd drawn the curtains of his four-poster. Harry leaned over the side of his own bed and pulled the cloak out from under it.

His father's ...this had been his father's. He let the material flow over his hands, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, the note had said.

"It's the first thing I had of my dad's." said Harry quietly.

He had to try it, now. He slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around himself. Looking down at his legs, he saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.

Use it well.

Suddenly, Harry felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to him in this cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark and silence.

"If it's the excitement I know it is, this is isn't the first time you've had it." said Ranger Lionus.

Harry looked over to him quickly. People looked at him in puzzlement, what was he talking about?

He could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know.

Ron grunted in his sleep. Should Harry wake him? Something held him back-his father's cloak-he felt that this time-the first time-he wanted to use it alone.

"I wouldn't have woken me either, mate." said Ron understandingly.

He crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole.

"Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. Harry said nothing. He walked quickly down the corridor.

Where should he go?

The students yelled out several different places at the school he should visit. A seventh year boy yelled out a certain place and got smacked soundly by the women around him.

He stopped, his heart racing, and thought. And then it came to him. The Restricted Section in the library.

"Oohh! Good choice! Find out who Nicolas Flamel is!" yelled a few first years.

He'd be able to read as long as he liked , as long as it took to find out who Flamel was. He set off, drawing the Invisibility Cloak tight around him as he walked.

The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Harry lit a lamp to see his way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Harry could feel his arm supporting it, the sight gave him the creeps.

"Just thinking of it gives me the creeps." said a second year.

The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, he held up his lamp to read the titles.

They didn't tell him much. Their peeling, faded gold letters spelled words in languages Harry couldn't understand. Some had no title. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood.

"I say, pick up any book but that one." said Colin looking a bit green.

The hairs on the back of Harry's neck prickled. Maybe he was imagining it, maybe not, but he thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.

"Harry, I want you to take a 'Sensing' test sometime soon, you show amazing promise." said Dumbledore, looking over to Harry.

"Oh he'll take it." said Lupin smiling down at Harry, who nodded.

He had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, he looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught his eye. He pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on his knee, let it fall open.

"Bad feeling alert." said Ginny almost completely covering her eyes.

A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence-the book was screaming!

"OH S*^$! GET OUT OF THERE!" shouted Dr. Clark. Harry stared at him.

"You cursed, you never curse!" said Harry with his eyebrows raised.

"Hey, I'm human." said Dr. Clark shrugging.

Sirius, Harry, and Remus stared at him.

"What?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You sound just like me." said Remus while Sirius was trying not to laugh.

Harry snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, earsplitting note. He stumbled backward and knocked over his lamp, which went out at once. Panicking,

"Harry, you panicked?" said Dennis in disbelief.

"I was eleven and the book was screaming at me! I think panicking would be the logical response to this scenario." said Harry defensively.

he heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside-stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, he ran for it. He passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through him, and Harry slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor,

"That was a close one!" moaned George.

the book's shrieks still ringing in his ears.

He came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armor. He had been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Perhaps because it was dark, he didn't recognize where he was at all. There was a suit of armor near the kitchens, he knew, but he must be five floors above there.

"I take it there's no window near you." said Ron.

"Why do you say that?" asked Hermione.

"He can tell where in the castle he is exactly by looking outside." answered Ron.

"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library-Restricted Section."

Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to his horror, it was Snape who replied. "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."

"Why did you want Filch to come straight to you?" asked Sirius questioningly.

"You'll find later." said Harry, before Snape could answer.

Harry stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see him, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into him—the cloak didn't stop him from being solid.

"Glad you learned that right away, wish we did." said Sirius pouting.

"We kinda ran right into a suit of armor and nearly got ourselves caught." said Remus, answering Harry's unasked question.

He backed away as quietly as he could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was his only hope. He squeezed through it, holding his breath, trying not to move it,

"Trust me, Harry, you're so skinny, you could fit in a keyhole." said Tonks plainly.

and to his relief he managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Harry leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.

"You must have been freaking if you now decided to look around the room." said a third year Ravenclaw.

"Kinda like the corridor with the dog." said her friend.

"I would rather forget that dog." said Sirius, turning pale.

It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket–but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.

Very astute, Harry. I was just preparing to put it down in the chamber,thought Dumbledore.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

"What does that mean?" asked Fudge absentmindedly.

Dr. Clark looked down at Harry and noticed, he was fingering the small glowing phial around his neck.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just remembering." said Harry, still fingering the phial absently.

His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it.

He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming.

There wasn't a head that wasn't facing Harry and staring at him. Harry didn't take notice of them, but was focusing his attentions at the ceiling.

"Harry, what the hell made you almost scream! You don't even flinch when we set off Filibuster fireworks!" said George.

"And right beside you," said Fred.

"Without you noticing!" they said together.

"You'll find out soon enough." he said calmly, his fingers never left the phial.

He whirled around. His heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed—for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him.

"You got caught? That's what made you freak?" asked Fred in disbelief.

But the room was empty.

"Huh?" but you said that the mirror showed a whole bunch of people." said George, looking confused.

Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror.

There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind him, were at least ten others. Harry looked over his shoulder—but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?

"Who were they, Harry?" asked Ginny looking over at him, she had a look of worry on her face.

"If they hurt you, I'll hunt them down myself." snarled Sirius.

"They would never hurt me. Even if they were able to, they wouldn't." said Harry calmly, he had a small smile on his lips.

" 'If they were able to?' What are you talking about." asked Sirius.

He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air–she and the others existed only in the mirror.

Mrs. Weasely dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, she had an idea of who it was.

She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes—her eyes are just like mine, Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass.

Snape paled, while Remus's hand flew to his mouth in shock. It's Lily, he's seeing Lily for the first time.

Sirius' mouth opened in shock.

Bright green—exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time.

Sirius then pulled Harry up by the arms and pulled him into a hug. "It's okay. I've got you." he whispered.

"I know, I'm alright." said Harry allowed himself to be dragged over to Sirius' side and buried himself Sirius' arms.

The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Harry's did.

Sirius and Remus bowed their heads. Dr. Clark looked on in confusion.

"It's Harry's dad, their best friend." whispered Ron to Dr. Clark. He nodded and gripped Harry's free hand.

Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.

A few girls blew their noses quickly.

"Mum?" he whispered. "Dad?"

"It's okay Molly," said Mr. Weasely, trying to console his wife who was crying into his chest.

They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like his,

"Your mother's family." whispered Lupin.

other noses like his, even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees—

"I think the man you're seeing is your grandfather." said Sirius putting his head on Harry's.

Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life.

"Harry..." said Ginny quietly. Harry smiled at Ginny from the arms of his godfather. "I'm alright, Ginny."

The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them.

Sirius gripped Harry tighter. "Harry...don't think about it. I'm begging you, don't...even...think about...it" said Sirius almost bawling.

"Think about what?" asked Harry curiously.

"Ki...hurting yourself." he said changing the direction in which he was going, swiftly.

Harry shook his head. "I gave it a thought once, but I can't even contemplate it now."

"Harry!" wailed Hermione and Mrs. Weasely. Dumbledore gripped at his heart and almost dropped the book. Dr. Clark looked grief-stricken over at Harry. The students stared at Harry in disbelief. Some were holding each other in fear.

"I just said that I wouldn't do it! I only gave it a fleeting thought, that's why I won't sing you the song, I wrote That is what it was about." he said looking over to Dumbledore. The teachers and the guests looked horrified over to the teen.

"Harry," croaked Dumbledore. "do you wish to talk to someone about this?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm feeling a lot better, this was months and months ago."

"I would feel a lot better if you would talk to someone about this." he said earnestly. Harry thought carefully and then nodded.

"I guess I could use a bit more venting." he said with a smile.

He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness.

Remus buried his face in his hands, Dr. Clark patted his back gently.

How long he stood there, he didn't know. The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to his senses. He couldn't stay here, he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.

"Oh! Harry don't! Please!" moaned Mrs. Weasely.

You could have woken me up," said Ron, crossly.

"You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror."

"I'd like to see your mom and dad," Ron said eagerly.

"And I want to see all your family, all the Weasleys, you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone."

"You can see us any old time." said Bill with a smile.

"You can see them any old time," said Ron.

Bill high-fived his youngest brother.

"Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people.

"That was a gentle way of putting it." hissed Hermione.

Ron looked down shamefully.

Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?"

Harry couldn't eat.

Remus picked up a large chocolate bar from the small stand beside their chair, which was over-flowing with all the chocolate from his fellow students, and passed it over to Harry.

"Where did those come from?" asked Harry taking a bite of the bar, while he was still in Sirius' arms.

"Admirers." said Remus simply.

He had seen his parents and would be seeing them again tonight. He had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important anymore. Who cared what the three headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it, really?

Neville blinked heavily. "You actually gave up trying to defend something or someone?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Are you all right?" said Ron. "You look odd."

"You were staring into space and getting paler and paler. You looked as if you were losing weight right in front of my eyes." said Ron looking over to Harry sadly.

Madam Pomfrey looked over to the boy devastated.

What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to find the mirror room again.

"I didn't know you were that enthralled with the mirror." said Dumbledore a tear sliding down his crooked nose.

With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Harry's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.

"I'm freezing," said Ron. "Let's forget it and go back."

"Yes! Go back to bed!" moaned Charlie.

"No!" Harry hissed. "I know it's here somewhere."

They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction,

"That sounds like Helena." said Luna dreamily.

but saw no one else. just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Harry spotted the suit of armor.

"It's here—just here—yes!"

They pushed the door open. Harry dropped the cloak from around his shoulders and ran to the mirror.

"Usually he looked around the place, doesn't matter what room. He didn't care if someone else was in the room at all." said Ron.

There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him.

See?" Harry whispered.

"I can't see anything."

"Ron can't see them? Why is that?" asked Ginny.

"Look! Look at them all… there are loads of them…"

"I can only see you."

"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am."

Harry stepped aside, but with Ron in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Ron in his paisley pajamas.

Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image.

"Look at me!" he said.

"Can you see all your family standing around you?"

"No—I'm alone—but I'm different—I look older—and I'm head boy!"

"What?" asked the students.

"What?"

"I am—I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to—and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup—I'm Quidditch captain, too."

Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Harry. "Do you think this mirror shows the future?"

"Not if it showed Potter's family, it doesn't" said Blaise quietly.

"How can it? All my family are dead—let me have another look—"

"You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time."

"You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents."

"Don't push me—"

"Kinda reminds me of 'Return of the King' said Hermione quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Malfoy. "What 'King'?"

"It's a Muggle book. It's part three of 'The Lord of the Rings'." said Hermione.

"What does that have to do with Weasely and Potter fighting over the mirror?"

"Two of the characters fought over a ring. One person ended up getting his finger bitten off." she explained.

"A ring? They fought over a ring?" said Malfoy in disbelief.

"The ring was the deciding factor between a world full of peace, or a world full of slavery and war." explained Harry.

"You read that book, Harry?" asked Hermione smiling broadly.

"I did, that trilogy was some of the other books in my room. My favorite character was Aragorn."

"I like Legolas!" said Hermione.

"Go figure." he said with a smirk, Hermione blushed.

A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion.

"It wasn't a discussion, it was borderlining fistfight." said Harry with a laugh.

They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking.

"Quick!"

Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Ron and Harry stood quite still, both thinking the same thing—did the cloak work on cats?

"It does." said Remus.

After what seemed an age, she turned and left.

"This isn't safe—she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on."

And Ron pulled Harry out of the room.

"He wouldn't move, not for anything." said Ron quietly.

The snow still hadn't melted the next morning.

"That tells you just how upset he is, he isn't describing what is going on outside as much as usual." said Neville.

"Want to play chess, Harry?" said Ron

"No."

"Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?"

"No… you go…"

"I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror. Don't go back tonight."

"Listen to Ron! Don't go back." said Fred.

"That thing isn't good for you!" said George.

"Why not?"

"I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it—and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?"

"You sound like Hermione."

"I'm serious, Harry, don't go."

But Harry only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron wasn't going to stop him.

Remus groaned again, and Sirius held onto Harry tighter.

That third night he found his way more quickly than before. He was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than was wise, but he didn't meet anyone.

And there were his mother and father smiling at him again, and one of his grandfathers nodding happily. Harry sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him from staying here all night with his family. Nothing at all.

"Please tell me someone stopped you soon, and that you still aren't seeing that mirror." Dr. Clark pleaded.

"Someone did." said Harry with a smile.

Except—

"So—back again, Harry?"

"Who the hell is that?" asked Mr. Weasely.

Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore.

"Thank goodness!" yelled a few students and some of the adults heaved a sigh of relief.

Harry must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him.

Dr. Clark looked over at Dumbledore, and raised an eyebrow. "I think I would have noticed you immediately, Albus."

Dumbledore chuckled.

"I—I didn't see you, sir."

"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore,

"I don't think it was him being invisible, that made him miss you." said Kingsley.

and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling.

"So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Harry,

"You went and sat on the floor, Sir? said a first year staring at the Headmaster.

"That is why he's the best Headmaster, ever." said the people taught by the venerable old man.

Dumbledore smiled appreciatively.

"you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I actually meant 'delights' in a sarcastic way." he said quietly.

"I didn't know it was called that, Sir."

"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"

"It slowly kills you." whispered Sirius hugging Harry.

"It—well—it shows me my family—"

"And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy."

"How did you know—?"

"Good question. How did you know?" asked Bill.

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently.

"You were there, then?" asked Ron.

"I was, I placed an 'Alerting Charm' on the room, and I came swiftly when you entered the room. I thought it was someone who wished to view the mirror for another purpose. I breathed a little easier when I saw it was just two students out of bed." he said with a very small smile.

"Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"

"I show not your face but your heart's desire." said Luna and Harry, though he spoke very quietly.

"How do you know that?" said Terry Boot to Luna, he didn't hear Harry say it as well.

"The mirror said it. On the top. Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohshi. Write it out and look at it." said Luna dreamily.

Terry wrote it down and looked at it hard. Then his eyes grew large.

"Holy..." he whispered.

Harry shook his head.

"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"

Harry thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want… whatever we want…"

"Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts.

"And yours is your family? Oh, Harry!" whimpered Mrs. Weasely.

You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them.

The Weasely children all looked at Ron in shock, Ginny patted her brother's back. "You are the best, Ron. Remember when I was getting picked on when I was six? I came running to you and you socked that bully right in the jaw." she said brightly. "And you always have my back, when I really, really need you." she added happily. Ron smiled.

However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth.

"It gave me some truth, though. I got to see my family. And I even saw Officer McFinn in the back." Harry said, looking over to Dumbledore.

"Yes, but it showed them, physically, around you. That is not a truth." said Dumbledore sadly.

Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.

"Harry was almost done wasting away." said Remus.

"The mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again.

"I'm begging you not to go looking for it again." said Sirius crying silent tears.

If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared.

"He planned on it happening again?" said Hermione whispering over to Ron angrily.

Dumbledore hung his head in shame. "Never again, never again." he muttered to himself.

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"

"One gets the feeling he gave it to Harry." said Professor McGonagall to Professor Flitwick.

Harry stood up. "Sir — Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"

"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."

"It's..." started Umbridge but flinched and silenced herself when the Ranger held up his hand and was prepared to backhand her.

"Good, you're finally learning." he said with a low growl.

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"

"That's a personal question, Mr. Potter." drawled Snape.

"I was curious." Harry said simply.

"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."

"What?" said the students trying to hold back a snigger.

Harry stared.

"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."

"So since then, have you gotten socks?" said Dr. Clark.

"As a matter of fact I have, another anonymous gifter has sent me socks ever since as well. Would that possibly be you, Harry?" said Dumbledore.

"Boys don't knit socks." said Draco with smirk.

"Holly taught you how to crochet, did you make the socks?" asked Dr. Clark with a smile over to Harry.

"Maybe..." said Harry with a blush.

It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, as he shoved Scabbers off his pillow, it had been quite a personal question.

"Yes it was." said Mrs. Weasely.

Sirius released Harry from the embrace at last and Harry leaned heavily on Sirius.

"That was a hard chapter to read." said Remus, wiping the moisture from his eyes.

The afternoon was waning on, but the sun was far from ready to set.

They all looked over at Harry in a worried sort of way, but Harry ignored them.

"Are you sure you are alright. Do you want to stop the readings for the rest of the day?" said Madam Pomfrey hurrying over to the people in the bowl.

"No, I'm fine, I've slept enough this week." said Harry with a slight smile. "I'm fine." he stated once again when she leaned over and peered into his eyes.

"So do we continue on then?" asked Charlie a little hesitantly.

"I think so." said Dumbledore looking over at Harry. "Who would like to read next?"

"I'll read sir!" said Neville.

"All right then, I hope you have a better time of reading it then I did." said Dumbledore kindly, levitating the book over to Neville.

Chapter 20

"Nicolas Flamel" said Neville excitedly when he read the title aloud.

"Bout time!" yelled the students.

"While we had the break, we looked all over the place trying to find where Nicolas Flamel was!" shouted a fourth year.

"No dice." said a muggleborn third year.

"What does that mean?" said Malfoy.

"It means no luck." said the muggleborn.

Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again,

"Thank you!" said Sirius and Remus gratefully.

and for the rest of the Christmas holidays the Invisibility Cloak stayed folded at the bottom of his trunk.

"I would say that is a little disappointing but you've had enough excitement to last my lifetime." said Sirius wiping the worried sweat off his brow.

"Good idea to stick it on the bottom of the trunk, boy. Don't want people just reaching in and grabbing it." growled Moody approvingly.

Harry wished he could forget what he'd seen in the mirror as easily, but he couldn't. He started having nightmares. Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter.

"I still have that one every once in a while." said Harry leaning against Sirius.

Sirius gave his godson a reassuring squeeze.

"You'll see, Dumbledore was right, that mirror could drive you mad," said Ron, when Harry told him about these dreams.

"You never told me about that dream." said Hermione looking at Harry.

"You were worried about the dreams I have now, I don't want to think about how you would have reacted back then." said Harry with a small laugh.

Hermione, who came back the day before term started, took a different view of things.

"She always does when it considers breaking the rules." moaned Fred.

She was torn between horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row ("If Filch had caught you!), and disappointment that he hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was.

"Well, at least she has her priorities straight. She was thinking about Flamel." said Neville with a smile.

They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Harry was still sure he'd read the name somewhere.

"At the time, we didn't believe you." said Ron and Hermione honestly.

Once term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Harry had even less time than the other two, because Quidditch practice had started again.

"ALRIGHT!" yelled the Quidditch fans and players. Another game, as seen through the eyes of the Seeker!

Wood was working the team harder than ever.

"Why? They did so good during the last game!" said Charlie incredulously.

Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. The Weaselys complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic,

"Little did we know, he could get much worse!" said Fred shaking his head.

but Harry was on Wood's side.

"Traitor." said his Quidditch teammates. Harry couldn't help but laugh.

If they've won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the House Championship for the first time in seven years.

"Holy...was it that long of time?" asked Charlie.

"Yes." said Snape with a small smirk.

Quite apart from wanting to win, Harry found that he had fewer nightmares when he was tired out after training.

"Maybe you'll have less nightmares now that you're back on the team, Harry!" said Neville hopefully.

Harry hoped so too, but he wasn't all together sure.

Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practices session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news. He'd just gotten very angry with the Weaselys who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall of their brooms.

"Hey, he said we were done for the day. We were just letting out some energy." said George, shrugging his shoulders.

"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match!

"Yeah, right. If messing around lost games, your dad would never have won a game in his life." said Remus shaking his head.

"Your dad hardly ever practiced, except for three days before a game, then he would fly around from dawn until dusk." said Sirius.

Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"

Sirius looked up quickly and stared at Neville, then Snape.

"You're refereeing? You've never even played Quidditch!" shouted Sirius.

George Weasely really did fall off his broom at these words.

"Snape's refereeing?" he sputtered through a mouthful of mud.

"It doesn't taste nearly as good as it sounds." said George with his tongue sticking out.

"When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."

"Yeah!" said Sirius looking suspiciously over to Snape.

The rest of the team landed next to George to complain, too.

"It's not my fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."

"I can't say that we always play a clean game, to be honest, but we do play fairly for the most part." said Harry plainly.

Which was all very well, thought Harry, but he had another reason for not wanting Snape near him while he was playing Quidditch...

"I wouldn't either." said Lionus leaning back in his giant wooden chair.

Snape wanted to send one of his famous glares at him, but he didn't want to pick a fight with the Ranger.

The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Harry headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where he found Ron and Hermione playing chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at, something Harry and Ron thought was very good for her.

"Works wonders for me." said Harry with a smile. "Getting my butt handed to me."

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms, Harry and Ron couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Harry sat down next to him, "I need to concen-"

"You were being kind." muttered Hermione.

He caught sight of Harry's face. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible."

Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Harry told the other two about Snape's sudden sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.

"Nice way of putting it." said Ginny, trying not to laugh.

"Don't play," said Hermione at once.

"Can't he's the only one to play Seeker." said George.

"Say you're ill," said Ron.

"I can't fake sick to save my life." said Harry with a smile.

"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.

"How would he do that? It would kind of be obvious." said Dr. Clark.

"Besides, three seconds with Madam Pomfrey and your leg is all better." said Sirius.

"Are you serious?" asked Dr. Clark with widened eyes.

"In both senses, yes!" he said happily.

"What?" asked Dr. Clark missing the joke, much to the dismay of Sirius.

"Don't dwell on it, or he'll use it every single time." warned Remus.

"Really break your leg," said Ron.

"I'm going to advise against that." said Dr. Clark quickly. "You've had enough damage done to your legs."

"I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."

"There wasn't a replacement? Good lord, no wonder you haven't won in seven years." moaned Charlie.

At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse.

"I sat on the edge and pulled my feet up after me. It was a little harder to stand up, though." said Neville.

He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to the Gryffindor Tower.

"It was a really embarrassing." said Neville quietly, Luna patted him consolingly on the back.

Everyone fell over laughing except Hermione,

"Sorry Neville." said Ron, Harry and everyone else who was in the dormitory at the time.

who leapt up and performed the countercurse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling.

"What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Harry and Ron.

"Malfoy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."

Malfoy shifted uneasily in the gaze of angry Gryffindors.

"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"

"I would have put you in detention faster than you could even say Locomotor Mortis." said Professor McGonagall. Draco squirmed even more.

Neville shook his head.

"I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

"That doesn't just apply to Malfoy, Neville." said Remus kindly.

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.

"You're more than brave enough, to be in Gryffindor." said Harry.

Harry felt in the pocket of his robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Hermione had given him for Christmas.

"I managed to save that one from Ron." said Harry with a laugh. Ron crossed his arms and pouted.

He gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.

"I didn't know that was your last one Harry!" said Neville looking up from the book.

"That was really nice of you, Harry." said Luna over to him.

The three men in the bowl looked down at him proudly.

"You looked like you could've used it." said Harry simply.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said.

"So that's where he got that statement from." said Malfoy mumbling quietly.

"The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."

"Sorry!" Harry called over to the Slytherins quickly.

Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.

"Thanks, Harry...I think I'll go to bed...D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"

"What would have happened if Neville had just kept that card?" asked Hermione in a hushed voice.

"Dang, we never would have found out till we got another Dumbledore card, and his aren't all that common." said Ron.

As Neville walked away, Harry looked at the Famous Wizard card.

"Dumbledore again," he said, "He was the first one I ever-"

"Ah!" said Dumbledore with a broad smile on his face. "I sense an epiphany coming."

He gasped. He stared at the back of the card. Then he looked up at Ron and Hermione.

"I've found him!" he whispered. "I've found Flamel!

The school and some of the guests cheered loudly.

"Finally! Now we get to find out who he is!" shouted Dennis.

I told you I'd read the name somewhere before,

"He kept telling us, we kept not believing him." said Ron with regret.

I read it on the train coming here-listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945,

Dumbledore looked down and at his knees, looking slightly ashamed, when people began to cheer for him. Harry, Remus, Dr. Clark, and Sirius were the only ones close enough who caught his odd behavior. They wanted to ask, but felt it was not the right time.

for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"

"So he's a alchemy...person..."said a first year.

"I think the term you're looking for, Mr. Stapleton, is Alchemist." said Dumbledore kindly, rebounding from his sullen mood.

The first year blushed.

Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework.

"You were way too excited." said Ron shaking his head.

"Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Harry and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.

"I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"Light?" asked several people in the hall.

"Saw that coming." said Harry chuckling to himself.

"Light?" said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.

At last she found what she was looking for.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily.

The twins clutched at their sides and nearly fell over laughing.

Hermione ignored him.

"What else is new?" shrugged Ron with a small smile.

"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!"

"What is that?" asked a seventh year. Hermione stared at her.

"See, Hermione, she doesn't know either." said Ron pointing to the seventh year.

This didn't have quite the effect she'd expected.

"The what?" said Harry and Ron.

"We honestly didn't know." said Harry and Ron together.

"Oh, honestly, don't you two read?

"Harry does." said Ron.

Look-read that, there."

She pushed the book toward them, and Harry and Ron read:

The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixer of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.

There have been many reports of Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).

"He must love his wife very, VERY much to spend over six hundred years of living with her." said Lee quietly.

"She is a wonderful woman." said Dumbledore fondly.

"I thought your card said that you worked on the Stone with Flamel, Sir. How could you have helped him on it if he was already six hundred something?" asked Seamus.

"It was an imperfect stone, it created the Elixer of Life, but it didn't turn metal into pure, solid gold. It was transformed into a thick gold-platedmetal. It wasn't a perfect transformation. So I helped him complete the stone." said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling madly.

"See?" said Hermione, when Harry and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Sorcerer's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"

"Very good, Miss Granger. I also wished to confront the person trying to get it. But I unfortunately had another idea. A very cruel idea." said Dumbledore almost silently.

"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape after it! Anyone would want it."

"Almost everyone." said Harry and Dumbledore.

"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Development in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"

"He's more renaissance." said Blaise with a chuckle.

The next morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites,

"The only proper way is to treat the bite is to kill the thing that was bit." said Umbridge loudly before the Ranger could turn towards her and stop her. She smirked in a sort of a superior way.

Lupin made to stand up quickly when the Ranger cracked the whip and struck her with it heavily.

"Nightstrike! That's enough." shouted Lionus. Immediately after Lionus shouted Nightstrike stopped.

"My apologies sir, but I felt the need to be vindicated." said the Ranger who, the school now realized, was called Nightstrike.

"I didn't' say that you shouldn't have done it, but this man wants a shot as well." said Lionus with a grin, nodding over to Lupin.

"Whip, club, sword, what do you want to use?" said Nightstrike down to Lupin.

Lupin walked slowly over to Umbridge and watched as she cringed on the ground. He picked her up off the ground and looked towards the Ranger.

"I've never hit a woman." he said nervously.

"She's not a woman anymore, she's in Ranger custody, she's no longer even a person. Do what you will." said Nightstrike with a smirk.

Without hesitation, Lupin reared his fist back and punched her soundly in the face. Nightstrike laughed. "As one werewolf to another, nice shot." Lupin stared at him.

"You're a werewolf? And a RANGER?" his voice trembled.

"There is a whole squad of werewolves and vampires at Headquarters, not to mention centaurs, merpeople and giants. We don't go into the muggle world, we stick mostly to dealing with the criminal element of the magical world. I'm the only werewolf in my squad." he said proudly. "Handpicked by Captain Lionus, himself."

Harry and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Sorcerer's Stone if they had one. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team that Harry remembered about Snape and the coming match.

"That's a massive killjoy." said Katie.

"What would you do with a Sorcerer's Stone, Harry? It doesn't' say." said Colin excitedly.

"I don't remember what I said I would do with it." said Harry thoughtfully.

"I think you wanted to use the money to find someone, Harry. Looking back, must've been Dr. Clark." said Ron.

"Oh, that's right." said Harry quietly.

"You couldn't remember wanting to spend the Stone-made gold to find him?" asked Sirius looking down at Harry.

"He found another way to raise money." said Lionus. Harry looked quickly over to the Ranger again.

"How do you know so much about Harry?" asked Sirius suspiciously.

"You'll find out how and why I know so much about him soon enough, I believe." said Lionus with a cryptic smile.

"I'm going to play," he told Ron and Hermione. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them...it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."

"I like how you said the word 'IF'. " said Dr. Clark fondly. "Don't get a swelled head."

"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," said Hermione.

"...no offense, Ron, but I would have expected something like that coming from him, not from you, Hermione." said Tonks, with a disappointed look.

Hermione looked down at her feet.

As the match drew nearer, however, Harry became more and more nervous, whatever he told Ron and Hermione.

"We could see it in your eyes, that you were nervous, just about scared out of your mind." said Ron.

The rest of the team wasn't too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the House Championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years, but would they be allowed to, with such a biased referee?

Snape shifted a little in his serpentine chair.

"That's one of the reasons why Madame Hooch is the referee, she isn't the Head of any House." said Professor Sprout.

Harry didn't know whether he was imagining it or not, but he seemed to keep running into Snape wherever he went. At times, he even wondered whether Snape was following him, trying to catch him on his own.

"Were you?" asked Bill inquisitively.

"I don't need to answer your questions!" snapped Professor Snape, he was turning a little red.

"I take that to mean 'yes'." said Bill with a frown.

Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture,

"Torture? TORTURE!? You have been beaten, nearly to death, starved nearly to death, and various other things that we haven't gotten to as of yet, AND YOU VIEW MY CLASS AS TORTURE?" shouted Snape loudly, standing and gnashing his teeth towards the youth. Harry almost jumped right into Sirius's lap, and scrambled out of the bowl. He drew his wand, and was about to mutter a curse, until he caught himself, clawing at his own throat with his free hand.

He gasped, "Don't...look at me like that...your eyes...were like...never mind. Look at me again like that, and I'll go through with the hex." he warned, clutching his heart to steady his breathing.

"Harry, are you alright?" asked Remus while Dr. Clark and Sirius shouted at Snape.

"I'm fine, I haven't been yelled at like that for so many years, I overreacted, I apologize." he said quietly.

"Don't bother, Snape's getting a lesson in when not to overreact, as well. I think you were justified just a bit." said Remus, throwing an arm around the young man's shoulders and guided him back to the bowl. Once Sirius and Dr. Clark were done yelling at Professor Snape, and Mrs. Weasely was able to put her two knuts in , Neville continued.

Snape was so horrible to Harry.

To the astonishment of Harry, the normally mellow Dr. Clark started to growl once again.

Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Sorcerer's Stone? Harry didn't see how he could-yet he sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.

"One does not 'read' minds. The mind is not a book." said Snape quietly, he didn't' want to speak too loudly, he wasn't too sure what would set off Potter's 'uncles'.

Harry knew, when they wished him good luck outside the locker rooms the next afternoon, that Ron and Hermione were wondering whether they'd ever see him alive again.

"It wasn't a comforting thought." said Harry, leaning against Sirius. Sirius whimpered quietly, it wasn't a comforting thought to him either.

This wasn't what you'd call comforting.

"Duh." said Harry dully.

Harry hardly heard a word of Wood's pep talk as he pulled on his Quidditch robes and picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand.

"Wood never was much of an 'Inspirational Speaker'." said Angelina with a smile.

Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they had both brought their wands to the match.

"I do now." said Neville quietly.

Little did Harry know that Ron and Hermione had been secretly practicing the Leg-Locker Curse.

Harry looked over to his two friends quickly, they simply waved back.

They'd gotten the idea from Malfoy using it on Neville, and were ready to use it on Snape if he showed any sign of wanting to hurt Harry.

Professor Snape glared over to them and snarled. "I wasn't trying to hurt him!" he growled.

"We know, but you were the one most likely one responsible." said Harry apologetically.

"Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered as Ron slipped his wand up his sleeve.

"I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag."

"Just like an old married couple." said Harry and Ginny at the same time. Ron and Hermione blushed.

Back in the locker room, Wood had taken Harry aside.

"Don't want to pressure you, Potter,

"He did more than that in the next year." said Fred angrily. He never forgave Wood for saying what he did to Harry in the first game of his second year on the team.

but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favor Hufflepuff too much."

"Oliver couldn't believe that those words came out of his mouth." said Katie, giggling.

"The whole school's out there!" said Fred Weasely, peering out of the door. "Even-blimey-Dumbledore's come to watch!"

Harry's heart did a somersault.

"Your heart does some odd things Harry, maybe it's Rumplepoufs, they like playing with hearts, making them dance around." said Luna dreamily.

"Dumbledore?" he said, dashing to the door to make sure, Fred was right.

"You doubted me?" asked Fred pretending to look hurt.

"I thought it was too good to be true." said Harry honestly.

There was no mistaking that silver beard.

"That's how I knew it was him." said Fred to his twin.

Harry could have laughed out loud with relief. He was safe.

Harry sent a smile over to Dumbledore, Dumbledore however was looking down, a tear sliding down his crooked nose again. "See how much he trusted you, how much he depended on you to keep him safe? And you threw him into fire time and time again! Do you really deserve to know someone so...good, so pure? Do you have any real love for the boy? You say you do, but do you really?" he thought to himself bitterly. He could never make up to Harry enough, he would continue to repay for all his past cruelties, of course but could he ever forgive himself?

Harry saw darkness overtake the old man's eyes, and hopped out of the bowl, took a Calming Draught off the table and held it in front of Dumbledore's eyes. Dumbledore blinked and looked up at Harry.

"You're starting to scare me again." said Harry with a smile. "Don't make me do a repeat performance with the knife and the wire." said Harry still smiling.

There was simply no way that Snape would dare to try to hurt him if Dumbledore was watching.

"No one would dare hurt you in front of me." said Dumbledore sternly, as he took the potion.

Perhaps that was why Snape was looking so angry as the teams marched onto the field,

"If I had some notion of him coming, I wouldn't have bothered of refereeing the match!" muttered Snape over to Dumbledore.

something that Ron noticed, too.

"I've never seen Snape was looking so mean," he told Hermione. "Look-they're off. Ouch!"

Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.

"Oh, sorry, Weasely, didn't see you there."

"One of the only redheads in your school, at least one and a half heads taller than you, and you don't see him?" asked Ginny with a scowl.

Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasely?"

"Gambling is prohibited on school grounds!" said Professor McGonagall.

"There goes Poker Night." said Harry over to his dorm mates.

"What?!" screeched McGonagall.

"We play poker on Friday nights. Instead of money, we use candy. five beans are worth one galleon, licorice wands are worth five galleons, pumpkin pasties are ten galleons and chocolate frogs are worth twenty. We never cash in the candy, we just eat it when it's all said and done. And Neville whups us every dang week! We're lucky if we get some licorice wands for ourselves!" said Harry with a laugh.

Neville blushed.

Fred and George looked at each other and then Lee.

"Can we get in on this action?" all three of them said, Ginny also looked eager.

Professor McGonagall looked over to Dumbledore who smiled.

"Minerva, it's only gambling if they use money, but if it's for candy, I see nothing harmful about it." he said with twinkling eyes. McGonagall looked shocked for a moment, but nodded.

"Poker Night's back on then." said Seamus happily.

Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasely had hit a Bludger at him.

"The Hufflepuff Chaser was there! He flew right into the path!" shouted Fred, defending his twin. Snape scowled at Fred, but, amazingly, the combined snarls of the twins overpowered his own.

Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.

"You looked really cool." said Dean.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy

"They take only the best?" said Luna curiously. It didn't seem like she knew Malfoy was being sarcastic. The Gryffindors cheered her without restraint.

loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all.

"There was a reason!" said Snape angrily.

"And that would have been...what?" asked Madam Hooch.

Snape only grinded his teeth.

"It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents,

Sirius and Remus started to growl.

then there's the Weasely's, who've got no money-

The Weasely family ignored it, Malfoy already said he apologized for all the mean things he was going say in the books.

you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

"Mr. Malfoy, please apologize, for the curse from before, and for this current development." said Dumbledore to Malfoy.

"Sorry, Longbottom." said Malfoy quietly.

Neville nodded, hesitantly.

Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.

Harry looked up to Neville quickly. Neville, meanwhile, blushed.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."

"Thanks Ron." said Neville with a smile.

"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasely, and that's saying something."

"Sorry, again." said Malfoy.

Ron's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point with anxiety about Harry.

"I'm warning you, Malfoy-one more word-"

"Ron!" said Hermione suddenly, "Harry-!"

"Dear Lord, what now?" said Dr. Clark worriedly.

"What? Where?"

Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth, as Harry streaked toward the ground like a bullet.

"Oh no! Is there something wrong with your broom again?" Dr. Clark asked nervously.

"I don't think so, what he's doing is one of the Seeker plays that I've seen James do." said Remus leaning forward.

"You're in luck, Weasely, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.

"Okay, that's going too far." said Charlie angrily.

"I'm sorry." said Malfoy, looking down.

Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening. Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground.

"GO RON!" yelled the twins excitedly. "Wish we didn't miss that." the added sadly.

Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help.

"GO NEVILLE! Really wish we hadn't missed that." said the twins even sadder.

"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, leaping onto her seat to watch as Harry sped straight at Snape-

"You aimed right at Snape?" said Sirius with a shocked look.

Harry smiled slightly. "I only saw the Snitch."

she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Gee thanks," said Ron and Neville with smirks on their faces.

"You took on Crabbe and Goyle?" asked Harry with a stunned look on his face. "I wouldn't have done that at eleven!"

Neville stared at Harry, paling slightly.

Ron laughed, "See Neville, we told you, you were brave enough to be in Gryffindor!"

Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches-the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he tried fouling you just then." said Dr. Clark calmly.

"He wouldn't have been able to. Once the Snitch is caught, game is over, no matter what." said Madam Hooch.

The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.

"He did break the previous record for the school, the prior record was ten minutes and forty-two seconds. That was set by your father." said Madam Hooch.

Harry stared at Madame Hooch a moment, then looked down, closed his eyes and smiled.

"The new record, set by you, is four minutes and twenty-four seconds." said Madame Hooch.

"Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Parvati

Patil in the row in front.

"I was dancing around too!" said Parvati

Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground. He couldn't believe it. He'd done it-the game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, he saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped-

"Most likely ticked off, 'cause you flew so close to him and he couldn't nail you with a foul." said Sirius with a grin.

then Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Dumbledore's smiling face.

"Well done," said Dumbledore quietly, so that only Harry could hear. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror...been keeping busy...excellent..."

"Quidditch and cooking always takes my mind off of things." said Harry thoughtfully.

Snape spat bitterly on the ground.

Harry left the locker room alone some time later, to take his Nimbus Two Thousand back to the broomshed.

"What would happen if someone tried taking a broom that doesn't belong to them?" asked Ginny.

"Some students place protective charms on their broomsticks." said Dumbledore.

"Harry put a charm on his broom, he made it so that if anyone else, besides him try and take it out of the broomshed, it starts beating them about the head and then it will fly to Harry." said Ron with a smile. "It actually was almost taken one day, the broom came right up to him in Charms class, never did find who tried to take it."

McClaggan rubbed the back of his head, making sure no one could see him. He just wanted a ride on it. Potter shouldn't be so selfish, not sharing his broom with other experienced Quidditch players.

He couldn't ever remember feeling happier. He'd really done something to done proud of now-no one could say he was a just a famous name any more.

Several people flinched and cringed in their seats. They were believers of Umbridge and Fudge, now they were quickly falling behind Harry.

The evening air had never smelled so sweet. He walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour in his head, which was a happy blur: Gryffindors running to lift him onto their shoulders;

"The last time that happened was at the Track Championships." said Harry remembering fondly.

Ron and Hermione in the distance, jumping up and down, Ron cheering through a heavy nosebleed.

"I couldn't figure out how that happened." said Harry with a laugh.

Harry had reached the shed. He leaned against the wooden door and looked up at Hogwarts, with its windows glowing red in the setting sun. Gryffindor in the lead. He'd done it, he'd shown Snape...

And speaking of Snape...

A hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. Harry's victory faded from his mind as he watched. He recognized the figure's prowling walk. Snape,

"Hmmm...very impressive..." said Moody and Lionus.

sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner-what was going on?

Harry jumped back on his Nimbus Two Thousand and took off. Gliding silently over the castle he saw Snape enter the forest at a run. He followed.

"Oh Harry, don't go in there!" cried Mrs. Weasely.

The trees were so thick he couldn't see where Snape had gone. He flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until he heard voices. He glided toward them and landed noiselessly in a towering beech tree.

"Very good." said the two seasoned warriors.

He climbed carefully along one of the branches, holding tight to his broomstick, trying to see through the leaves.

Below, in a shadowy clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there, too. Harry couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever. Harry strained to catch what they were saying.

"...d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus..."

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after all."

Students leaned forward in their chairs.

Harry leaned forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.

"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

"B-b-but Severus, I-"

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step toward him.

"I-I don't know what you-"

"You know perfectly well what I mean."

Sirius and Remus looked quickly over to Snape with suspicious eyes.

An owl hooted loudly, and Harry nearly fell out of the tree.

"Crud, Harry! Hang on!" shouted Lee.

He steadied himself in time to hear Snape say,"-your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."

"B-but I d-d-don't-"

"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."

He threw his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Harry could see Quirrell, standing quite still as though he was petrified.

"You must realize, Severus, you don't put yourself in a good light." said Dumbledore kindly.

"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked.

"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Harry on the back.

People started laughing loudly. "Hey, I was excited." said Ron defensively.

"And I gave Malfoy a black eye,

Ron's brothers and his sister all gave him a high-five and pats on the back.

and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed!

People who were bullied by Crabbe and Goyle all stood up and cheered for Neville. Neville blushed and continued on.

He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right-

"Awww...that sucks." said Lee, shaking his head.

"You did good Neville." said Harry.

"Did you give me that large box of Frogs, Harry?" asked Neville.

"I take it you got them, then?" he said with a smile.

talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."

"Not much danger in doing that, as it turns out." said Ron a little disappointed.

"Never mind that now," said Harry breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this..."

He made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, then he told them what he'd seen and heard.

"So we were right, it is the Sorcerer's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it.

"That was wrong." muttered Harry.

He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy-and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus-pocus'-I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably,

"Very, very good!" muttered Dumbledore smiling broadly.

and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark spell that Snape needs to break through-"

"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm.

"It'll be gone by next Wednesday." said Arthur shaking his head.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron.

"You were being kind, Ron." said Arthur with a smile.

"That's the end of the chapter. What now?" asked Neville.

"It's almost time for dinner, so I think we should take a bit of a break." said Dumbledore.

Harry stood up and walked towards the Great Hall door.

"What's up, Harry?" asked Remus looking concerned.

"I don't know, I just have the urge to go down to the kitchens and make something. Anything." he said looking back, smiling.

"If you're going to be cooking anything, make that 'Italian Night Pizza' you made for me before I left for the army." said Dr. Clark, licking his lips.

"Alright then, I'll make enough for everyone then. See you in a bit." said Harry as he left the Great Hall.

After Harry left, Sirius turned towards Dr. Clark. "Is the pizza really that good?"

"You have no idea, how good!" said Dr. Clark with a smile. Before Dr. Clark could elaborate on the pizza, a shout rang out.

Neville was staring at the book and the giant glowing scroll that came out of the book.

"Hope it's a good one." said Hermione hopefully.

"What is that thing?" said Dr. Clark.

"It shows us the times that aren't shown in the books." said Sirius looking warily at the scroll.

The scroll unfurled itself and blackness began to enveloped the entire room once again.

"Oh damn, this happened the first time and it didn't go well!" shrieked Ginny.

Darkness over took them all.

Chapter 21

They landed in the middle of the Dursley's living room and judging from the outside, it was in the middle of the afternoon. They heard some noise coming from the kitchen and they all started to move towards the sounds.

They saw Harry, standing on a small little step stool and reaching for little jars and small canisters of spices, he had to stand on tiptoe just to reach the things he needed. He was shaking a canister of spice over a boiling pot when they heard the doorbell ring.

"BOY! GET THE DOOR!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the living room, which was, maybe, ten feet away from the aforementioned door. Harry turned the stove off, placed a lid on top and wandered out to the front door.

They followed him, so far this wasn't so bad, was this really a bad memory? Harry opened the door to find a much younger Dr. Clark he had reddened eyes. The present day Dr. Clark's hand flew to his mouth.

"I know what day this is. Oh...Harry..." said Dr. Clark weakly.

"How do you know?" asked Ron worriedly.

"This is the only time I came for Harry, alone." said Dr. Clark.

"Hello, Dr. Clark! What can I do for you?" said Harry brightly.

"Take them outside!" shouted Uncle Vernon, not knowing it was only Dr. Clark. "I don't want them in here!"

"Yes, sir." said Harry, he shut the door behind himself and The Watchers found themselves outside.

"What is it, Dr. Clark?" said Harry happily.

"Harry...um...let's...let's go for a ride." said Dr. Clark finally, his throat seemed to be constricted by something. He picked the smiling young boy up and took him to his car.

The scene shifted forward and they found themselves in a park. They watched as Dr. Clark, with Harry in his arms, came walking towards the bench The Watchers were standing in front of.

They watched as Dr. Clark sit Harry on his lap. Dr. Clark looked tired, and very upset, while Harry was bouncing around, excited to get out of Privet Drive.

"Harry I need to talk to you, about something." said Dr. Clark.

"What is it? Is Officer McFinn and Mrs. McFinn coming? Are we going somewhere?" said Harry excitedly.

"No, Harry, James and Holly aren't coming. I need to tell you something, very important."

"What is it?" smiled Harry.

"Dear God, I can't watch this." said the older Dr. Clark. He turned his whole body to face away from his past self, and little Harry. But he slowly turned back to face the scene before his eyes.

"Harry, I'm...Off..." he stammered, he looked up into the sky and tears began to well in his eyes. He was used to telling people bad news, but to someone he knew, and loved, it was very difficult.

"Harry...you know...uh...how...Officer McFinn had to...w-work today?" said Dr. Clark thickly.

"Yes, sir." said Harry nodding eagerly.

"W-well Of-Officer McFinn got called to a store today, and...well...he was met with some very bad people. They were taking things that didn't b-belong to them, and they were using guns to try and hu-hurt people..." said Dr. Clark, trying to explain to Harry what was wrong. He had to be very careful about how he put things, but he wasn't too sure how to go about it.

"And Officer McFinn got them no problem!" yelled Harry happily throwing his arms into the air in victory.

"There was a problem, Harry." said Dr. Clark sadly, Harry's hand's slowly lowered. "They came out shooting their guns at anything and everything. There was...a little boy in the street, Officer McFinn saw him and tr...tried to get him out of there. Officer McFinn got hurt, very badly. They had to bring him to the hospital."

Harry had a look of the utmost horror. "Officer..." he hopped off Dr. Clark's lap and wanted to run back to the car and go to the hospital. But Dr. Clark caught him before he could touch the ground.

"Let me go! I wanna see him, LET ME GO!" yelled Harry, kicking in the air.

"Oh, Harry!" moaned Mrs. Weasely.

"Harry," said Dr. Clark, he grabbed Harry's legs and cradled the little boy. "Harry, I'm sorry, we didn't want to tell you, until we had no choice, Officer McFinn is...he's...gone..." he said, stray tears falling from his eyes.

Harry stared at him, it was several minutes before Harry even moved. He started to shake his head, "No...he can't...he..." Harry started to cry, uncontrollably. Dr. Clark hugged him tightly, Harry screamed and pounded his small fists against the man's chest. Passersby were standing around staring, some were even dialing 999* to get the police to come and get the boy away from the man, they suspected, was hurting him.

Several minutes later, police officers came out to the park and saw who it was, and who he was consoling. The officers reassured the people around that Dr. Clark was breaking really bad news to the little boy. Some people weren't convinced, especially when Harry gave a soul-wrenching scream.

When Dumbledore and all the other Watchers heard the scream, they all flinched, and covered their ears. Almost all the adults wanted to just pick Harry up and hold him tightly, whisper to him that everything is going to be alright, but they knew they couldn't.

Harry couldn't be consoled by anybody, he cried, screamed, and beat his small fists into Dr. Clark for twenty minutes more, until finally and unwillingly, he cried himself to sleep. Dr. Clark continued to hug him tightly and rock him back and forth gently. He looked up to the one of the officers that stayed behind.

"I'm going to take him to Holly's, don't know if that will help, but she wanted to see him." he said standing up.

"Okay, you want me to drive you? So you don't need to put the little guy down?" asked the officer.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for coming by." said Dr. Clark standing up carefully.

The scene shifted forward once more and they found themselves in a very nice and tidy little house. They saw Harry laying on a sofa and the same lovely woman that was at the Track races. Instead of smiling and laughing, she was crying into Dr. Clark's shoulder.

"Oh...Sam...what am I going to do? He was my world, my best friend!" she cried.

"I know Holly, he was great man. God!" he said bitterly. "I can't believe it, I still can't believe it!"

"Do you know if he was in any pain?" she asked after a half an hour of crying. "I don't think I can.."

"No, he didn't feel a thing, it went straight through his spine. Do you need help with any arrangements, Holly?" asked Dr. Clark carefully.

"No, no, Chief Harrison and his wife are helping me take care of things. I would like some help with Harry though." she said looking back towards the small figure on her couch.

"You've got it, I could never abandon him now." said Dr. Clark sadly.

"How did he take it?" she asked, walking over to him and brushing the bangs out of his tear-laden eyes, and throwing a fluffy blanket over top of him. She gently pulled the thumb out of his mouth.

"Really, really bad. The way he screamed, it tore my heart right out of my chest. Little guy's been through hell, and he's being thrown into a repeat performance. I don't know who has it in for this kid, but whoever it is, demon or human, they'll have me to deal with." said Dr. Clark, sitting beside the couch and rubbing Harry's little head.

Harry whimpered and opened his eyes, he looked at Mrs. McFinn, who still had some evidence of crying, then he started crying again. She sat one the couch and pulled him into a comforting embrace.

The scene shifted once more and they were now standing in a church cemetery. Harry, Dr. Clark, and Holly were standing in front of a large crowd and facing towards a dark brown casket. They saw Harry, dressed in a little blue suit and holding a lily, while Dr. Clark and Mrs. McFinn held a rose, each. Harry walked up and placed the lily on the casket and backed up slowly, not taking his eyes off the coffin, tears still flowing from them. The Watchers stared in amazement, as people walked past and give Mrs. McFinn hugs and reassuring words of sympathy, the Queen herself, came and placed a blue rose on the casket offered her condolences to Holly, taking her by the hand, and giving her a medal, in honor of Officer McFinn for saving the little boy. She then went over to little Harry and gave him a hug, wiping his eyes with her own handkerchief.

"Why was the Queen there?" asked Hermione, dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief.

"She sort of took to Harry after the garden party I told you about." said Dr. Clark sadly.

Once again, the scene shifted and they saw, Harry, it was the same day, but his clothes were once again the same oversized ones he normally wore around the Dursleys. He was carrying pots and pans from the sink to the cabinets, when Dudley shoved him roughly into the stove.

"Oi!" shouted Ron moving forward, but Hermione held him back.

"You can't do anything remember?" she reminded him.

"Dad says that police officer won't come by anymore. Says that he got shot." said Dudley with a wicked grin. Harry looked down in grief.

Uncle Vernon then came in the kitchen, with a broad, demonic grin.

"See, boy? See, what happens? You're jinxed, anyone that even remotely cares about you, dies. Your parent's died in a car crash, now your precious Officer McFinn was gunned down."

Harry fell to his knees and cried, Uncle Vernon pulled him off the floor by his arm, dragged him to the cupboard under the stairs picked him up and threw him inside the cupboard, like bag of unwanted rubbish.

The scene rushed once more this time, it looked like a few more months had past. They were back in Mrs. McFinn's living room, only this time, it was a sort of party. A giant banner was draped across the southern most wall. "COME HOME SOON!" There were several people that the Watchers didn't recognize, but they saw Dr. Clark in full ceremonial military apparel.

"This was the farewell party for me." said Dr. Clark sadly.

Holly McFinn was walking around with a tray of drinks, the Watchers tried to find Harry but they couldn't. Then Harry came out with a freshly baked pizza. People turned to look at Harry and then they noticed the pizza.

It was a very large pizza, with a golden crust. It's cheese was still bubbling a little bit and steam rose languidly from the pizza. Ron started to drool when he saw it.

"That is one tasty looking pizza, Harry! I've never a pizza with actual meatballs on it though, what do you call it?" said Dr. Clark, throwing an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Italian Night Pizza," said Harry quietly, he didn't look as happy as some of the other people. "It's got meatballs, pepperoni, mozzarella, parmesan, and asiago cheese, marinara sauce drizzled on top." said Harry just as quietly as before.

Dr. Clark took a slice of the pizza and smiled broadly as the cheese stringed itself between the liberated slice and the rest of pizza that was woefully left behind.

"Looks like the pizza's you see on television commercials." said one of the partiers excitedly.

Harry moved away from the table of food and went to go sit on the sofa. Dr. Clark noticed this and went to go sit on the sofa with him, he continued feasting on the slice of pizza.

"What's up, bud?" asked Dr. Clark. "Normally you're prouder than a peacock when you bring out something you cook."

Harry, leaning back into the sofa, heaved a sigh, "Now you're going away, Officer McFinn is gone, now you are going away too." tears began to form in his eyes.

Dr. Clark put the pizza down on the nearby table and brought him into a large hug. "I won't be gone for long. I'm just going to be gone till they get more doctor's in the area, I'm going to. I'm only going to be gone for a year, I promise, I'll come home, I'll be back by your birthday."

"I didn't keep that promise," moaned Dr. Clark woefully.

"You didn't have much choice, Dr. Clark. You would have, had you of been able to." said Lionus helpfully.

The scene shifted once more to a bawling Harry seated in Mrs. McFinn's house once more and a highly decorated military officer was looking down at them, Harry was being consoled by Mrs. McFinn.

"That was when he was told you were missing, most likely." said Lionus. Dr. Clark placed a tightened fist on his chest and grimaced in pain. The darkness ebbed away and they all found themselves back in the Great Hall.

"That was horrible." said Dr. Clark faintly.

"The first one was much worse." said Bill he then added. "No offense."

"I didn't know." said Dumbledore quietly.

Suddenly, the table of food came back and there was dozens of the same pizzas from the Recollection Scroll and other tasty dinner entrees. People didn't want to eat, not so soon after hearing Harry's scream like he did, and seeing Harry so upset. But the aroma of the pizza's was just too overpowering, Ron was the first one to go over and take a piece of pizza.

"The cheese's just as stringy as it was in the scroll!" he said loudly. He took a bite of the pizza. "Mmmmm...this...is...really, REALLY good!"

People slowly made their way to the table and they helped themselves to a piece of the pizza. Harry came back to the Great Hall, after everyone had one piece at least. Dr. Clark and Ron each had three pieces to themselves.

"What did you think about the pizza's?" said Harry brightly.

Dr. Clark put his piece of pizza down and walked over to Harry and held onto him tightly.

"What the...what's wrong?" said Harry wonderingly, when he felt tears start to soak his shirt, he began to pat Dr. Clark on the back. "What is it? Can't you tell me?"

"We...we saw..." choked Dr. Clark.

"Was it another one of those scroll things? Good or bad?" asked Harry over to Dumbledore.

"It was a bad one. You just found out that Officer McFinn was gone and that Dr. Clark was going away." said Charlie quickly.

"Good thing I missed it, then." said Harry calmly.

One of the Unspeakables had a sudden thought, but he decided to let it go, for now. He would wait till he had some more evidence.

*See! I do learn!

Chapter 22

It was stormy weather that visited the school the next day. The students, teachers and the guests assembled themselves in the Great Hall to satisfy their hunger with a hearty breakfast. Harry walked through the Hall's doors with Remus, Sirius and Dr. Clark and they helped themselves with plates of fruit and toast.

After everyone had finished their tuck-in, Mr. Weasely decided that today, he would like to read. So he picked the book up off the dais and read the title to himself, he smiled to himself.

"I think Charlie should have requested to read this one." he said with a laugh.

"Why's that, dad?" asked Charlie.

"The title is Norbert The Norwegian Ridgeback."

Charlie paled, as did Hagrid, Ron, Hermione and Harry, who stood up quickly and unceremoniously took Madam Bones and Dumbledore by the hands and pulled them out of the hall. He pulled them almost to the Great Staircase when he finally stopped.

"What is wrong, Mr. Potter?" asked Madam Bones curiously.

"I wanted to ask, if something happened four years ago, can one be held accountable?" Harry asked quickly.

"You don't need to worry, Harry, no student will be in trouble." Dumbledore said kindly.

"It's not a student I'm worried about." said Harry, "It's a teacher."

"I can't press charges against someone if I find out about it from these books." said Madam Bones gently.

"That obviously didn' t stop you from arresting the Dursleys." said Harry with a raised eyebrow.

"Child abuse is another matter entirely, and we had your physical evidence to back it up." said Madam Bones.

"There may be physical evidence here to." said Harry carefully.

"I'll think about it, unless someone gets killed, I won't pursue anything." she said kindly.

"Thank you Madam Bones, it's a weight off my mind." said Harry heaving a sigh, he walked back to the Great Hall.

"He shouldn't' have anything weighing on his mind, in my opinion." said Madam Bones.

"I agree as well." said Dumbledore seriously. "But I fear, that he may have to at some point, this year."

"Can't you leave it for when he's a bit older?" asked Madame Bones sternly.

"I don't think I can. He's deserving of some knowledge, especially that which I have been keeping from him." said Dumbledore sadly.

When they reentered the Great Hall, Dumbledore looked over to Charlie Weasely.

"Mr. Weasely, may we count on your expertise in this chapter? I think the students would absolutely love to hear some interesting facts about Ridgebacks and other species of dragons." said Dumbledore eyes twinkling.

"Sure thing, sir, be happy to." said Charlie with a wide grin.

Quirrell, however, must have been braver than they'd thought,

"Yeah, not nearly chicken-hearted." said Fred with a laugh.

In the weeks that followed he did seem to be getting paler and thinner, but it didn't look as though he'd cracked yet.

"I would have given him a day, to crack." said George with a smirk.

Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside.

"As long as you don't go in there, I have no problems." said Sirius, looking at Harry sideways.

Snape was sweeping about it in his usual bad temper, which surely meant that the Stone was still safe.

"Wow, is the stone STILL safe?" asked a brave first year, Snape heard it and sent a reproachful look towards the foolish young Gryffindor.

Whenever Harry passed Quirrell these days he gave him as encouraging sort of smile, and Ron had started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.

"Pardon us, I think we're going to be sick." said Harry and Ron, shaking their heads.

Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Sorcerer's Stone. She had started drawing up study schedules and color-coding all her notes. Harry and Ron wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same.

"I don't nag!" said Hermione in a hurt voice.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away."

"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped.

"That is over two months, Hermione!" said Sirius staring at fifth year girl.

"I just wanted them to be prepared." she said shuffling her feet.

"Trust us, we were fine." said Ron shaking his head. "Harry was tutoring me in the evenings. I needed a lot of work, but he and I were doing our best."

"That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."

"You aren't six hundred years old, Miss Granger." said Dumbledore kindly.

"But we're not six hundred years old," Ron reminded her,

"It appears that Mr. Weasely and I agree on that." said Dumbledore smiling happily. Ron had a pale tint in his cheeks as he smiled broadly.

"Anyway, what are you studying for, you know it all."

"You never know, I might have forgotten something!" said Hermione.

"You failing a test is like Harry screwing up a recipe, doesn't happen." said Ron with a broad grin.

"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year?

"We've never had a student fail their tests so badly that they didn't pass into the next year." said McGonagall.

They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me…"

"cough...Nicolas Flamel...cough..." Harry coughed into his hand.

Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione.

"When don't they?" asked Neville to Ron in a whisper. Ron snorted

They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones.

"They never are." moaned a majority of the students.

It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood

"That is not on your first year tests, Miss. Granger." said Professor Flitwick.

or practicing wand movements.

"Some movements are required on the tests." said Professor Vector nodding.

Moaning and yawning, Harry and Ron spent most of their free time in the library with her, trying to get through all their extra work.

"We managed to get through it, too bad it took a long time." said Ron moaning.

"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing down his quill and looking longingly out of the library window.

"Harry helped me a bit with that, it was for Herbology class." said Ron quietly.

It was the first really fine day they'd had in months. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue,

"You really like colors don't you, Harry?" asked Luna serenely. Harry groaned.

and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming.

"I wasn't looking forward to that." said Harry quietly.

"I wouldn't either if I had only the Dursley's to look forward to." said Sirius giving Harry a squeeze as the young man lounged against him. "But look on the bright side, you don't have to go back there anymore!" said Sirius brightly.

"I know, I'm looking forward to summer now." said Harry happily.

Harry, who was looking up "Dittany" in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, didn't look up until he heard Ron say, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

"That was one weird coincidence." said Harry calmly.

"What do you mean?" asked Charlie.

Harry got up and walked over to Charlie and whispered into his ear. "Dittany makes dragons sneeze."

"Oh! Duh!" he said smacking his forehead "That is one odd coincidence." said Charlie with his eyebrows raised. "Why not say it out loud?"

"Don't want to ruin the surprise for everyone." said Harry with a malicious grin.

Hagrid shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat.

"Sorry Hagrid, but you look out of place everywhere." said Harry fondly.

"Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once.

"Oh that's not fair." said Dr. Clark trying to stifle a laugh. "He can't even keep a secret to himself, without you three pestering him."

Ron, Hermione and Harry shifted their feet guiltily, but Hagrid laughed. That made them feel a bit better.

"An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Nope, they moved onto greener pastures." said Fred.

"Yeah, they want to know what else is going on that doesn't concern them." said George

"Right on." said a voice out into the Hall. People looked around keenly, trying to find the speaker. If they had looked over towards Professor Snape, they would have seen him an amused look on his face, and his hand covering his mouth.

"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," said Ron impressively. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Sorcerer's St—"

"Oh, don't say it there! Go somewhere else, if you must!" moaned McGonagall slapping her forehead with her hand.

"Shhhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"

"Thank you Hagrid, for having sense!" she said shaking her head.

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Harry, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy—"

"I feel real ashamed of myself now." said Harry shaking his head while it was in his hands.

"SHHHH!" said Hagrid again. "Listen—come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh—"

"And you didn't, least not in so many words." said Ron with a sheepish grin.

"See you later, then," said Harry. Hagrid shuffled off.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" said Hermione thoughtfully. "Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"

"Looking back, it couldn't' have, he didn't really care about what was down there, he knew what it was." said Hermione thoughtfully. Harry smiled over to her. She saw his face.

"You knew it didn't have anything to do with it!" she said with a shocked look on her own face.

"I had a feeling." said Harry with a sly smile.

I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron,

"Good thinking." said Dumbledore approvingly.

who'd had enough of working. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table.

"Hope Madam Pince didn't hear that, she'd skin you alive for slamming the books down." said Terry Boot with a slight cringe.

"Dragons!" he whispered.

"Huh?" asked a few students in confusion.

"Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide. "

"Those are both really good Dragon books." said Charlie absently.

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told me so the first time I ever met him, " said Harry

"Good memory there, Potter." said Moody approvingly. "Only heard it once and you memorized it."

Lionus's eyes twitched excitedly. Very good memory, that. He thought to himself. He had been toying with the idea to recruit Potter for several years now. Ever since he attracted their attention. But his age always made Lionus take a step back in that decision. But now, Potter was becoming more and more appealing as an agent, despite his age. The only downside he could foresee is that he may have a furious battle with the wizened old Auror over who got to take him under their wing.

"But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that.

"Ummm...not everyone..." said Seamus.

"Huh?" asked Ron.

"You only know that as common knowledge, because Charlie, here, wouldn't ever shut up about dragons." said Bill clapping a hand to his younger brother's back.

It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden—anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous.

"Just misunderstood." said Hagrid defiantly.

You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."

"They get pretty bad sometimes. I landed myself in the Romanian branch of St. Mungo's a few times. Nuthin' serious, Mum!" he said quickly seeing the shocked look on his mother's face.

"But there aren't wild dragons in Britain?" said Harry.

"There are quite few dragons, still soaring about." said Charlie fondly, but then his face fell. "I just wish that we could at least tag them. That way, we don't have to worry about them so much. But we can't get near enough to do so."

Of course there are," said Ron. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."

"That spell does more harm than good, in my opinion." said Harry fiercely.

No one, aside from Dumbledore, McGonagall, Ron, Ginny and Hermione could understand why.

"So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" said Hermione.

"Good question! C'mon dad! Continue reading so we can find out!" said Fred.

"I would have continued on, if you...hadn't...had...interrupted...me." said Mr. Weasely sternly, but he said it with a smile.

When they knocked on the door of the gamekeeper's hut an hour later, they were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. Hagrid called "Who is it?" before he let them in, and then shut the door quickly behind them.

"Sorry if I was a bit rude." said Hagrid a little guiltily.

"Don't be, Hagrid, we were imposing on you." said Harry with a smile.

It was stifling hot inside. Even though it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate. Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches, which they refused.

"I'm all better now, Hagrid, when do you want some cooking lessons?" said Harry happily.

"Whenever is good." said Hagrid with a smile, "Sorry if I ain't much of a student." he added with a bit of worry in his black eyes.

"If I can tutor Ron in magic, I can teach anybody, anything." he said with a grin.

"Can you indeed?" said Rivers with a small smile. Harry turned over to him quickly. He had forgotten he was there.

"I might want to talk to you at some point, Mr. Potter." he said drumming his fingers on his chair.

Moody and Lionus looked over to him quickly, as did the Unspeakables. They all wanted Harry to join their ranks. Harry saw the looks in their eyes. Picking his career might not be as easy as he thought. Especially if they wanted to put their two knuts in.

"So—yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"

"Yes," said Harry. There was no point beating around the bush.

"You never do waste time, when you want information." said Hermione with a grin.

"We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Sorcerer's Stone apart from Fluffy."

"No, he can't." said Professor McGonagall sternly.

Hagrid frowned at him. "O' course I can't," he said.

"Very good, Hagrid." she said approvingly.

"Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts—I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy."

"They're just too nosy for their own good." said Remus trying not to laugh.

"Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here," said Hermione in a warm, flattering voice.

"When you need information out of a guy, and he ain't giving it, always send in a girl. They'll spill their guts in a heartbeat. Especially if you use flattery." said Harry with a laugh.

"Did this little talk with Hagrid teach you that?" asked McGonagall sternly, crossing her arms and peering over to him.

"No, he's known that for a while." said Lionus with a laugh. Harry looked over at him again, how much about him did that Ranger know?

Hagrid's beard twitched and they could tell he was smiling. "We only wondered who had done the guarding, really." Hermione went on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."

"That was playing dirty." said Dumbledore, the sides of his mouth twitching.

Hagrid's chest swelled at these last words. Harry and Ron beamed at Hermione.

"Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that-

"Yes it will! But I guess," said McGonagall to Professor Flitwick, "we should be thankful he told them, goodness knows if they went down there and they didn't have any idea of what was there."

"Oh dear, I really don't want to think about it." squeaked Professor Flitwick, covering his eyes.

let's see-he borrowed Fluffy from me- then some o' the teachers did enchantments-

"We volunteered, we didn't' want anyone getting ahold of the Stone either." said Professor Sprout quietly.

Professor Sprout—Professor Flitwick—Professor McGonagall—" he ticked them off on his fingers, "Professor Quirrell —an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."

"He helped?" said Fred in disbelief.

"That's unbelievable!" said George loudly.

Snape snarled at them

"Snape?"

"Yeah—yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."

"The same can't be said for someone else." said Hermione to Ron.

Harry knew Ron and Hermione were thinking the same as he was. If Snape had been in on protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He probably knew everything—except, it seemed, Quirrell's spell and how to get past Fluffy.

"Just switch Snape's name with someone else's and you've got it right." muttered Harry.

You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy aren't you, Hagrid?" said Harry anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"He told a student, what is so far-fetched about him telling a stranger?" said Pansy nastily.

"Were you conscious at all before this?" asked Harry, snapping out of his calm ravine.

"What are you talking about, Potter." she snapped.

"Hagrid didn't tell us how to get past the dog, just accidentally let on some clues as to what was down there. Everything else we found out." he said sternly. "So, unless you have an intelligent, or a half-way decent, witty remark, keep your forked-tongue behind your teeth." he hissed.

Pansy stared at him with pursed lips.

"I know where that statement came from." said Hermione with a broad grin.

"My favorite line from those books." said Harry with a large grin. "Gandalf rules!"

"Amen!" said Dumbledore broadly.

"You've read them too, sir?" said Harry and Hermione together.

"Oh, yes. I was good friends with Tolkien, I believe he said once that I was the inspiration for Gandalf."

"I can buy that." said Harry quickly but quietly.

"Though I don't see it myself." Dumbledore added.

"He's the only one." muttered Hermione.

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.

"Well, that's something," Harry muttered to the others. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."

"Can't, Harry, sorry," said Hagrid.

"Hagrid! The past neglect and malnourishment left him with a very weak internal system! He's very delicate!" said Madame Pomfrey angrily.

"I'm not delicate!" said Harry shortly, people were trying not to snigger or laugh out loud.

"Of course not dear." said Madam Pomfrey absently. Harry gritted his teeth.

Harry noticed him glance at the fire. Harry looked at it, too.

"Never look at anything that you don't want him to know about." said Dumbledore a large smile.

"Hagrid—what's that?"

But he already knew what it was. In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, was a huge, black egg.

"Wait a minute, wasn't he looking up dragons in the library?" asked Ernie.

"Yeah, so that means...that's a dragon egg?" said Hannah.

Madam Bones looked to Hagrid quickly and then to Harry.

"That is what I meant." said Harry.

"Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard, "That's—er…"

"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."

"An egg, especially what breed it is, is worth over nine hundred thousand galleons." said Charlie with widened eyes.

"Won it," said Hagrid.

"How do you win something like that?" asked Charlie. "Where can I get in on that game?"

"Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

"Hagrid! That should have been your first clue! If he wanted to get rid of it, (though I hate saying that) he could have just sold it in Knockturn Alley! There are several different people that would have given you the full nine hundred thousand galleons!" said Charlie shaking his head.

"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" said Hermione.

"That is a very good question." said Remus carefully.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library—Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit—

"That's a horrible book!" said Charlie angrily. "But it does have some helpful info on raising young hatchlings." he added rather half-heartedly.

it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on I 'em,

"Thank God I'm not a dragon. I'd be burnt to a crisp before I was even a year old." said a first year.

"Dragons have fireproof scales, their mothers strengthen them up by breathing fire on the eggs. The scales start to harden themselves as the heat builds inside. Unfortunately, sometimes the scales are too weak, and they don't form as fast. Some hatchlings don't even make it out of the egg." said Charlie sadly. "Survival of the fittest, right off the bat."

see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour.

"Why? Sounds nasty!" said Neville shuddering.

"It's a perfect mix to imitate the mother dragon's milk." said Charlie. "It's got the proteins and the burning taste it wants."

"That's disgusting." said Parvati faintly.

An' see here—how ter recognize diff'rent eggs—what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."

"More than rare, there's only thirty left in the world. They're barely hanging on." said Charlie sounding even more depressed.

He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't.

"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," she said.

"Yeah, that could pose a really big problem." said Tonks, with a small smile.

"Why are you smiling?" asked Remus looking at her.

"His house is still standing, so nothing bad happened." she said shrugging.

But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire.

So now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut.

"Harry lost a few night's sleep worrying about it." said Ron out loud.

Hagrid turned to look at Harry with a look of intense guilt on his face. Harry glared at Ron, as Remus and Dr. Clark swung his legs up onto their laps and covered him with a blanket.

"And I thought I needed a filter for my mouth." Harry said with a frown on his face.

Sirius 'shh' ed sound. "Hey, we want to know these things."

"Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed,

"Wish I knew." said Harry wistfully.

Dumbledore closed his eyes and bowed his head slowly.

as evening after evening they struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had now started making study schedules for Harry and Ron, too. It was driving them nuts.

"We already had a study time, and you giving us more was...yeah it was driving us nuts." said Ron trying to explain to Hermione, who was looking insulted.

Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Harry another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: It's hatching.

Charlie leaned forward in his chair eagerly.

Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut.

"I would too!" shouted Charlie, Fred, George and Lee.

Hermione wouldn't hear of it.

"Awwwww! Come on, Hermione! How many times are you going to be able to see a hatching?" asked Lee disappointedly.

"Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"

"Not many times, I work with dragons, and I've never seen one up close. The mothers tend to scorch things that try to come in within visual range of their eggs." said Charlie.

"How did you manage the First Task, last year?" asked Harry.

"We had to knockout the dragons before we got too close." said Charlie.

"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing—"

"I'm don't think that keeping an illegal dragon is the same as not doing your homework, Miss Granger." said Madam Bones seriously.

"Shut up!" Harry whispered.

Malfoy was only a few feet away and he had stopped dead to listen. How much had he heard? Harry didn't like the look on Malfoy's face at all.

"Your face is no better Potter!" smirked Pansy.

"Explain then, the Valentine you sent me in our second year." said Harry with a sneer.

Pansy whitened and stuttered.

"Did she really?" asked Lupin.

"Yeah, but it was more a hate-tine then a valentine." said Harry with a smile.

Ron and Hermione argued all the way to Herbology and in the end, Hermione agreed to run down to Hagrid's with the other two during morning break.

"Like I really would have missed it." said Hermione.

When the bell sounded from the castle at the end of their lesson, the three of them dropped their trowels at once and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited.

It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.

The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it.

"That would be the claws against the shell of the egg." said Charlie earnestly.

They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.

All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty;

Charlie turned to stare at Harry. "Sorry, but, um...it was just a shock." said Harry smiling a little bit.

Harry thought it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.

"Just hearing the description, she was a beautiful baby Ridgeback." sighed Charlie quietly.

It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout.

"Aww!" said Charlie.

Bill slowly turned to look at his brother. "You're...freaking...insane."

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.

"Nice baby." said Blaise chuckling.

"Bless him, look, he knows his mommy!" said Hagrid.

" 'Mommy'? Why not 'Daddy'?" asked Dennis curiously.

"Male dragons don't stick around for the baby dragon's life, once they mate with the female, then they take off again. Never to be seen by the baby dragon, unless either they fight over the same female, or they mate with each other." said Charlie matter-of-factly.

Several students stared at him, "They mate with their kids?" said Lavender faintly.

"Sometimes the Norwegian Ridgebacks have to, not enough young females to go around, after a female dragon lays eggs about three times, they can't lay anymore." said Charlie.

Hagrid," said Hermione, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"

"They're the fastest growing species of all the dragon species." said Charlie.

Hagrid was about to answer when the color suddenly drained from his face — he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.

"Oh no." moaned Sirius, "What now?"

"What's the matter?"

"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains—it's a kid—he's runnin' back up ter the school."

"Well that's not good." said Dr. Clark.

Harry bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him.

"That would be your seeker sight, right there." said Fred proudly.

Malfoy had seen the dragon.

"Oohh, not the person you want seeing something like that." said Tonks worriedly.

Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Harry, Ron, and Hermione very nervous.

"Back when I was here, any smile on a Slytherin's face was never a good thing." said Sirius, "And we had Bella in there a few years ahead of us. You never wanted to see her smile."

They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him.

"Just let him go," Harry urged. "Set him free."

"He's too young, he could die before he's even a week old." said Charlie.

"I can't," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die."

They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils.

"At the least the internal flame is going, that means the dragon is so far really healthy." said Charlie thoughtfully.

Hagrid hadn't been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy.

"That would explain why the grounds' flora were looking so decrepit." said Snape.

There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor.

"And that means that the dragon is eating all right." said Charlie.

"I've decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mommy?"

"Umm...we kinda needed to change the name, Hagrid." said Charlie looking up at Hagrid.

"What? Why?" said Hagrid. "What did you change it to?"

"Norberta. He's a she." said Charlie with a smile. Hagrid stared at Charlie, but then smiled.

"Didn't you people ever think to check?" asked Ernie.

"Dragons don't develop reproductive organs until they are at least seven months. So Hagrid would never have known in such a short amount of time." said Charlie.

"You, Mr. Weasely, are a fountain of knowledge, especially where dragons are concerned. Hagrid, perhaps you should have a Dragon Week for your class, Mr. Weasely here or one of his friends could come and give lectures. I think people would find that immensely fascinating." said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. Several students talked amongst themselves excitedly.

"If Charlie's up to it." said Hagrid smiling down at the Dragon keeper.

Charlie beamed.

"He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered in Harry's ear.

"He lost them when he got that dragon." whispered Snape to McGonagall.

"Hagrid," said Harry loudly, "give it two weeks and Norbert's going to be as long as your house.

"Actually that would need to take five weeks for that breed." said Charlie.

Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."

"No, I never did." said Malfoy regret filling his usual drawling voice.

"Why not come to me?" asked Snape.

"Didn't think of it." said Malfoy sadly.

Hagrid bit his lip. "I—I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't."

Harry suddenly turned to Ron. "Charlie." he said.

"Harry...I'm Charlie, he's Ron." said Charlie, pointing to himself and then to Ron.

You're losing it, too," said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?"

Fred and George snorted.

"No—Charlie—your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"

"How often had you told him about me, Ron." said Charlie curiously.

"Actually, I only told him once about you." said Ron with a small smile.

"And months later...HE REMEMBERED?" said Charlie in shock.

"Yeah...shocked me too..." said Ron smiling over to Harry.

"Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?"

And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.

The following week dragged by.Wednesday night found Hermione and Harry sitting alone in the common room,

"Where was Ron?" asked Ginny

long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open.

"Who would have been out and about at that later hour?" demanded McGonagall.

Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry's invisibility cloak. He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.

"That's gross!" said Padma cringing.

"It bit me!" he said,

"Oh, CRAP! That's not good! Ridgebacks have venom in their teeth!" said Charlie loudly.

Mrs. Weasely turned and stared fixedly over to Ron, "I'm fine mom." he said quickly.

"Tell me that you went to the hospital wing right away!" said Charlie weakly.

showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."

"Sorry, Ron." said Hagrid shamefully.

"Don't be, I'm fine." said Ron graciously. "I was just ticked that Norbert...ta, bit me."

There was a tap on the dark window. "It's Hedwig!" said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"

The three of them put their heads together to read the note.

Dear Ron,

How are you? Thanks for the letter—I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon. Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.

Send me an answer as soon as possible.

Love,

Charlie

McGonagall paled, that day, that Saturday, so there really was a dragon in the school!

They looked at one another.

"We've got the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It shouldn't be too difficult–I think the cloaks big enough to cover two of us and Norbert."

It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that the other two agreed with him. Anything to get rid of Norbert—and Malfoy.

There was a hitch. By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size.

"CRAP! Go to the hospital wing!" moaned Charlie.

He didn't know whether it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey—would she recognize a dragon bite?

"Not then anyway." said Madam Pomfrey angrily. She hated the students being subjected to dangerous situations. And last year was full of opportunities for the students to get hurt. "Also, I have a no questions asked policy. That way, if the students really wanted a teacher to know what was going on, they could just ask. But if I see something horrible, I ask. The bite was bad, but not nearly bad enough for me to ask questions."

By the afternoon, though, he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norbert's fangs were poisonous.

"They are, oh please go to Hospital Wing!" said Charlie trying hard to keep his mother in her seat.

Harry and Hermione rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed.

"It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books

"I don't know why I bought that." said Madam Pomfrey to the angry looks that she received.

so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me-I've told her it was a dog, but I don't think she believes me-

"I didn't, but I stuck to my policy." said Madam Pomfrey.

I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this."

"He would have come up with reason, even if you hadn't struck him, I shouldn't wonder." said Mr. Weasely towards his son.

Harry and Hermione tried to calm Ron down.

"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, but this didn't soothe Ron at all. On the contrary, he sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat.

"Midnight on Saturday!" he said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no oh no—I've just remembered—Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert."

"Oooohh!" moaned the students.

"That was stroke of luck for Malfoy, wasn't it." said Dr. Clark, clapping a hand to his good eye.

Harry and Hermione didn't get a chance to answer. Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.

"You did, you looked really tired and worn." said Hermione.

"It's too late to change the plan now," Harry told Hermione. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have got the invisibility cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that."

"He knows now." said Tonks with a singsong voice.

They found Fang, the boarhound, sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened a window to talk to them.

"Norbert, er...Norberta nipped his tail a little too hard." said Hagrid scratching the back of his head.

"I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage—nothin' I can't handle."

"...that was a good idea, Hagrid. If anyone especially Harry had gone in there, They would almost had been ripped to shreds." said Charlie heaving a sigh of relief.

"Why would Harry have been in the most danger?" said Sirius worriedly.

"At that stage, they grab and latch onto anything shiny. Jewels, pearls, beads, stuff like that. They tend to like green things, we found that out in a behavior study. With Harry's emerald-like eyes..."

Harry blushed a deep red.

"I think Norberta would have killed him. Despite Hagrid being there." said Charlie seriously.

Sirius gripped Harry tightly, Harry's breath hitched up, Remus had to smack Sirius's shoulder to release Harry just a bit so he could breathe.

"Thankfully the stage only lasts a day or two. But it is a dangerous stage to be around." said Charlie, continuing on.

When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten him on the leg.

"I was sad! I was gonna lose 'im!" said Hagrid.

"Hagrid, it was either Norberta or Harry, you really couldn't choose both. Despite the stage ending, Harry's eyes would always attract her attention and she would always claw her way to him." said Charlie honestly.

Hagrid looked down sheepishly. "I would've picked 'Arry."

"There you go." said Charlie. Charlie then smiled over to Harry who looked at Hagrid with a small smile.

"Thanks, Hagrid." he said quietly.

"Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot—jus' playin'—he's only a baby, after all." The baby banged its tail on the wall, making the windows rattle.

George laughed loudly. "Nice, Harry."

Harry and Hermione walked back to the castle feeling Saturday couldn't come quickly enough.

They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to say good-bye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried about what they had to do. It was a very dark, cloudy night, and they were a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they'd had to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the entrance hall, where he'd been playing tennis against the wall.

"Peeves?" asked Dr. Clark.

"He's the ghost that stole one of your eye patches and did a pirate impersonation." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"Oh, I thought he was kind of funny." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"You'll want to smack him about, soon enough." said Sirius.

Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate.

"Good, then he can't see Harry, He might bust right through the crate." said Remus worriedly.

"He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey," said Hagrid in a muffled voice. "An' I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."

"His teddy? You packed his teddy?" said Draco with a laugh.

"Remember when we would take Harry for an outing? And we forgot Scorchie? He was not a happy little camper." said Lupin with a laugh.

"Oh lord, you screamed, cried.. Nothing we gave you would make you happy, We had to finally go home and grab your stuffed dragon. Then you were all smiles. Only time I ever called you 'Brat'." said Sirius to Harry, laughing so hard he was crying.

From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded to Harry as though the teddy was having his head torn off.

People in the Hall began to laugh, even Hagrid.

"Thankfully," said Remus wiping a tear away from his eye, "you never tried to destroy Scorchie."

"Bye-bye, Norbert!" Hagrid sobbed, as Harry and Hermione covered the crate with the invisibility cloak and stepped underneath it themselves. "Mommy will never forget you!"

"Neither will we." said a few students. "And we didn't know her nearly as long."

How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, they never knew.

"It weighed about as much as I did." said Hermione.

"And twice Harry's weight." muttered Madam Pomfrey darkly.

Midnight ticked nearer as they heaved Norbert up the marble staircase in the entrance hall and along the dark corridors. Up another staircase, then another–even one of Harry's shortcuts didn't make the work much easier.

"If that's the shortcut I think it is, that takes away the need to go up seven sets of stairs." said Ron.

"Where is that one?" said Neville.

"Is that one besides the tapestry of Merlin and Morgan Le-Fay? asked the twins.

"No, this one is next to the statue of Hogwarts founders on the second floor." said Harry.

"Whoa, might have to look for that one." said Seamus and Dean.

"Nearly there!" Harry panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.

"We had to stop a few times to catch our breath." said Hermione.

Then a sudden movement ahead of them made them almost drop the crate. Forgetting that they were already invisible, they shrank into the shadows,

"Can't be too careful." said Moody approvingly.

staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flared.

Professor McGonagall, in a tartan bathrobe and a hair net, had Malfoy by the ear.

Several snickers rang through the hall as they imagined that picture in their minds.

Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you-"

"You don't understand, Professor. Harry Potter's coming—he's got a dragon!"

"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on—I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"

"I apologize for accusing you of lying, but you should not have been out of bed." said McGonagall fairly.

Draco stared at her, and nodded slowly.

The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they'd stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again. Hermione did a sort of jig.

"Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"

"Don't," Harry advised her.

"I want Harry to sing again." said Hermione with a laugh.

"I would rather not." said Harry.

Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited, Norbert thrashing about in his crate. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness.

Charlie's friends were a cheery lot.

"I'll tell them you said that. They liked the two of you, a lot." said Charlie with a smile.

They showed Harry and Hermione the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert between them. They all helped buckle Norbert safely into it and then Harry and Hermione shook hands with the others and thanked them very much.

"They were sort of hoping you would have another dragon soon. They loved the excitement." said Charlie with a laugh.

At last, Norbert was going… going… gone.

"Sounds like a baseball game." said Colin.

"What's baseball." asked Ron.

"I'll show you sometime." said Harry.

They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light as their hands, now that Norbert was off them. No more dragon—Malfoy in detention—what could spoil their happiness?

"Famous last words." said Tonks, covering her eyes.

The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness.

"Well at least he can't see you." said Sirius.

"Well, well, well," he whispered, "we are in trouble."

"What? How can he see you?" asked Remus questioningly.

They'd left the Invisibility Cloak on top of the tower.

"Oh no! This isn't good!" moaned Remus. "I'll read the next chapter, Arthur. I want to know what is going to happen, right now!" he said quickly.

He stood up and took the book quickly, he then walked over to the bowl and sat down.

"All right, let's see how much trouble you get into." he said turning the page.

"The Forbidden Forest."

Remus stared at the chapter title. "It just went from bad to worse." he said looking deathly pale.

Chapter 23

"Now I'm thinking I don't really want to read this one." said Remus looking over to Sirius.

"What makes you think I want it?" said Sirius leaning away from him.

"I think you are stuck Remus, you'd better just start right now." said Dumbledore with a saddened expression on his face.

Remus chewed his lip but cleared his throat loudly and bravely continued.

Things couldn't have been worse.

"We were so wrong!" moaned Harry and Hermione.

Filch took them down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without saying a word to each other.

"Remember the first time we got caught, Moony?" asked Sirius, trying to lighten Remus' mood. "We spent a majority of the time, before she got there and when she was there, bickering about who did what to get us caught."

Remus' mouth twitched slightly. "You got us caught, you stepped on Mrs. Norris' tail." he said with small smirk.

"No I didn't, I shoved Peter and HE stepped on Mrs. Norris' tail." said Sirius defensively.

Hermione was trembling. Excuses, alibis, and wild cover-up stories chased each other around Harry's brain, each more feeble than the last.

"I wouldn't have been in the mood to hear excuses at the moment." said McGonagall sternly.

He couldn't see how they were going to get out of trouble this time. They were cornered. How could they have been so stupid as to forget the cloak?

"Very good question." said Sirius shaking his head.

"Stuff it, Paddy." said Harry.

He paid dearly for his cheek when Sirius reached down and tickled him mercilessly.

There was no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest Astronomy Tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes.

"At least you knew enough not to give me a cock and bull story." said McGonagall.

"Not that he doesn't try." said Snape with smirk on his lips.

"Hey now, I only remember lying to you...maybe...three times." said Harry ticking off the incidents that he could recall.

Snape snorted in disbelief.

Add Norbert and the Invisibility Cloak, and they may as well be packing their bags already.

"We wouldn't have been surprised if you did send us home packing." said Harry and Hermione.

Had Harry thought that things couldn't have been worse? He was wrong.

"It was going to get even more worse than what happens next." said Harry.

When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was leading Neville.

"How does that make it worse?" asked Kingsley.

"Wait for it." said Neville sadly.

"Harry!" Neville burst out, the moment he saw the other two. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag—"

"Never mind." said Kingsley shaking his head.

Harry shook his head violently to shut Neville up, but Professor McGonagall had seen. She looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towered over the three of them.

"Sorry, ma'am." said Harry sheepishly.

"Don't be, Mr. Potter, nice to know that I'm like an enraged dragon when I get mad." said McGonagall with a smirk.

"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."

"I don't think I would have believed you, even if you told me under Veritiserum." said McGonagall shaking her head.

It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. She was staring at her slippers, as still as a statue.

Several students stared at Hermione in shock. How could she not answer a question?

"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble.

Pansy snickered loudly. Harry looked over to her quickly.

"You want to have a go? I can take you on with wands or insults. Choose your weapon."

"Wands then, cause I've had enough of your mouth." she said sneering and slipping the wand from her robes.

"Mr. Potter, don't make me give you a detention." smirked Professor Snape.

"You actually can't, sir, I'm defending the honor of my Head of House, school rules state that I can, it actually encourages it." Harry said standing up and flicking his wrist. His wand came swiftly down his sleeve and lodged firmly in Harry's grip.

The battle was over in an instant, and Pansy's friends were trying to pick her up off the floor. Harry, unharmed and unphased sat back down in the bowl. "You and another fellow Slytherin should learn not to pick a fight with me. I took you on alone, with him, I have lots of backup." said Harry.

I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?"

"We didn't...we wouldn't..." said Harry a switching from a taunting behavior to a fretful one, looking between McGonagall and Neville. Sirius gave his arm a squeeze.

"We know, cub, we know. She didn't know at the time though, she does now, I'll bet." said Sirius with a smile.

McGonagall shifted nervously.

Harry caught Neville's eye and tried to tell him without words that this wasn't true, because Neville was looking stunned and hurt. Poor, blundering Neville—

Remus turned and looked at Harry slowly. Before he could fully turn around, Harry quickly apologized to a Neville who just smiled back.

Harry knew what it must have cost him to try and find them in the dark, to warn them.

"We appreciated it, Neville, but...you shouldn't have risked expulsion just to find us." said Hermione kindly.

"You guys are worth risking that for though!" said Neville happily. Ron, Hermione and Harry turned a bright pink.

"You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this.

"That hurts. Bad form, Professor." moaned Charlie.

"Indeed, Minerva, not even I would say that to my Slytherin students." said Snape looking at her with widened eyes.

Professor McGonagall looked over to Harry, she had an apologetic look on her face.

All three of you will receive detentions—yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days,

"What was going on in those days?" asked a fourth year Ravenclaw.

"I think the reason will make itself known in this chapter, Mr. Tomen." said Dumbledore addressing the student

it's very dangerous—and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"Fifty? For being out of bed? And getting someone else out on a prank?" asked Sirius and George incredulously. "What were you playing at? You never took that much off of us for being out of bed and flooding the lower dungeons/setting off fireworks in the corridors!" they shouted. Then they looked at each other in shock. "You did what?"

"I...I...I didn't want Potter to be as much of a troublemaker as his father was." said McGonagall, trying to defend herself.

"One has to look at him, listen to him talk, and watch him walk and see he isn't going to be anything like his dad!" said Lupin sternly.

Fifty?" Harry gasped—they would lose the lead, the lead he'd won in the last Quidditch match.

"Oh, come on, Professor!" moaned Charlie.

"Fifty points each," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long, pointed nose.

"Each?" asked Remus faintly.

Sirius let out a breath of air. "McGonagall, that was going overboard."

"Amazingly, I agree with the mutt, Minerva." said Snape quietly.

"Professor—please—"

"You can't—"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."

"If you think you were upset, I wonder if it will say how upset we were." said Neville wonderingly.

"I really hope it doesn't." said Harry sadly.

A hundred and fifty points lost.

That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the house cup. Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. How could they ever make up for this?

Harry looked down in shame.

Harry didn't sleep all night. He could hear Neville sobbing into his pillow for what seemed like hours.

McGonagall looked a little upset, but she still held onto what little ground she had.

Harry couldn't think of anything to say to comfort him. He knew Neville, like himself, was dreading the dawn. What would happen when the rest of Gryffindor found out what they'd done?

Several balls of light popped out of the book in Remus' hands and began to spin around. Lionus, Rivers, Nightstrike and the two Doctors stared in amazement.

"What are those things?" asked Lionus quickly.

"They're called Scatter Shots, they reveal a past event, it's not like a Scroll though. But why would it show us this part, I don't know." replied Sirius quickly. The balls shattered and each of the fragments shot straight into each person in the Great Hall. The slightly familiar darkness claimed their sight for a brief instant.

They found themselves in the Gryffindor Dormitory, where Dean and Seamus were found to be fast asleep. Members of the other houses looked around the dormitory eagerly.

"This is a little different than ours are." whispered Ernie. "They have different color curtains on their beds."

They watched as Neville and Harry both came in, Neville was bawling while Harry was looking as white as Dumbledore's beard.

Neville fell heavily onto his bed, without undressing and cried loudly into the pillow. McGonagall looked at the sobbing boy in shame. It seemed like forever that eleven year old Harry stood in the corner, beside his bed and watched Neville, with regret and deep emotional pain radiating off his body. Sirius wanted to go over and hold him, tell him everything was going to be alright, but he knew he couldn't. Neville stopped crying and turned his head.

"What...what...what are we going to do, Harry?" he said tearfully.

"I don't know...I do know what I'm going to do now, though." said Harry weakly.

"What is that?" asked Neville.

Harry stood up and walked into their dorm's bathroom and closed the door behind himself. The dorm was silent, until they heard a retching sound. Madam Pomfrey, and most of the adults turned towards Harry and stared at him.

"I want an honest answer, Potter," said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "Did you make yourself sick."

"No, I didn't. I know better than to do that on purpose, it sucks when it comes about on its own." he said looking down sadly.

The Harry of the past came back, several minutes later, and laid down on the bed. His face, drawn, pale and sweaty. He clutched at his stomach and whimpered slightly. Neville continued his crying while Harry got up several times, and repeated the actions that he had done behind the closed doors. Sirius hugged Harry tightly and whispered in his ear, "I don't want you getting that upset again."

"Neither do I." said Dr. Clark with a shocked face.

"I don't get that upset on purpose." said Harry quietly. He thought back to the past summer and flinched, if it showed them that summer, they would be seeing another repeat performance.

The balls of light left their bodies and they were back in the Great Hall. Remus sent Harry a worried look and sent a scowl over to McGonagall, who looked devastated. Reluctantly, he continued on reading.

At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hourglasses that recorded the house points the next day thought there'd been a mistake. How could they suddenly have a hundred and fifty points fewer than yesterday?

"We actually went and grabbed Professor Flitwick and asked him if it was malfunctioning." said a sixth year Gryffindor.

"It was very hard trying to explain to them what had happened." said Flitwick sadly.

And then the story started to spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points, him and a couple of other stupid first years.

"We didn't know all the facts, now we did." said the sixth year apologetically.

From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry was suddenly the most hated.

"That almost seems to happen at least once a year." said Harry absently. Several students cringed in their seats.

Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him,

Tonks and Rivers looked sternly at their two houses.

"Hufflepuffs are supposed to be loyal!" she growled to her House.

"And I would have expected more of my fellow Ravenclaws." said Rivers sternly.

because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the house cup. Everywhere Harry went, people pointed and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him.

"Harry..." said Dumbledore quietly.

"Yes, sir?" asked Harry looking over to the Headmaster.

"Have you told a teacher about this?" asked Dumbledore seriously. The teachers sat up.

"No sir, I felt that I deserved what I was getting." said Harry quietly.

Most of the teachers and guests groaned at that statement. "No Harry, you most certainly did not deserve that kind of treatment from your fellow students." moaned Dumbledore.

Damned Dursleys thought Sirius and several others.

Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped as he walked past them, whistling and cheering, "Thanks Potter, we owe you one!"

Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark snarled over to the students of Slytherin House.

Only Ron stood by him.

"Good for you, Ron!" said Charlie. But Ron only stared at his knees, remembering his behavior last year.

"They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them."

"They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?" said Harry miserably.

"No, no we haven't." said Fred and George quietly.

"Well—no," Ron admitted.

It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Harry swore to himself not to meddle in things that weren't his business from now on.

"Seriously? You were that upset?" said Dean with his mouth hanging open.

"At the time, I had had it." said Harry bitterly.

He'd had it with sneaking around and spying. He felt so ashamed of himself that he went to Wood and offered to resign from the Quidditch team.

The Quidditch members of the other houses all gasped. Potter...quitting? Professor McGonagall's hand flew to her mouth and horror. She almost caused her star Quidditch player to resign!

"Resign?" Wood thundered. "What good'll that do? How are we going to get any points back if we can't win at Quidditch?"

But even Quidditch had lost its fun. The rest of the team wouldn't speak to Harry during practice, and if they had to speak about him, they called him "the Seeker."

The Gryffindor Quidditch team shuffled their feet miserably. Fred and George turned and scowled at the chasers.

"We didn't turn our backs on them." said Fred.

"Yeah, we figured that a prank went wrong and we thought nothing of it. We knew that with Hermione answering all kinds of difficult questions and Harry's flying, we'd get back on top in no time flat. " said George.

Hermione and Neville were suffering, too. They didn't have as bad a time as Harry, because they weren't as well-known, but nobody would speak to them, either.

"We didn't have a bad time at all, compared to you." said Hermione sadly.

Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class, keeping her head down and working in silence.

The teachers all looked down slowly, they remembered her keeping her hand down. They hurried to Professor McGonagall to tell her, they were shocked to learn that she was party to the massive loss of points for Gryffindor.

Harry was almost glad that the exams weren't far away.

Dean, Seamus, Neville, and Ron turned to stare at the black haired teen.

"It said 'almost'" said Harry without looking at them.

All the studying he had to do kept his mind off his misery. He, Ron, and Hermione kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions...

"I hate end of term exams!" moaned Ron. Almost all of the students nodded their heads in agreement. Hermione and a few Ravenclaws however looked slightly irritated.

Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Harry's new resolution not to interfere in anything that didn't concern him was put to an unexpected test.

"One gets the feeling you didn't pass." sneered Snape.

Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, he heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he drew closer, he heard Quirrell's voice.

"No—no—not again, please—"

It sounded as though someone was threatening him. Harry moved closer.

"What the..? Who is talking to him?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Harry's there! He'll find out!" said Dennis quickly.

"All right—all right—" he heard Quirrell sob.

Next second, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom straightening his turban.

"Why would he be straightening it?" asked Tonks loudly. "Did he get in a fight with someone?"

He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry. He strode out of sight; Harry didn't think Quirrell had even noticed him. He waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, then peered into the classroom.

"Well, well, you did fail miserably, didn't you?" said Snape with a smirk.

"Wait for it." warned Harry.

It was empty, but a door stood ajar at the other end.

Harry was halfway toward it before he remembered what he'd promised himself about not meddling.

"I stopped myself before I could even begin to meddle." said Harry with a small smile. "But you are right, I did just about fail." continued Harry, giving Snape (surprisingly) some credit.

All the same, he'd have gambled twelve Sorcerer's Stones that Snape had just left the room,

Snape slowly extended an open palm to Harry, "I'll take the stones now," he said with a smirk.

Harry looked down, thinking deeply. He then stood up and walked over to the Potions Master. He reached behind his neck, appearing to unfasten something. When he pulled his arms back, in his hands was a fine golden-wrought chain. He held it out for the Professor to take.

"It's not a Sorcerer's Stone, but it's the most valuable thing I have." he said seriously.

Snape slowly took it, he was only kidding about taking anything from the boy, he looked at the small charm in his hands. It was small locket, ornately decorated with a delicate gold flower, a lily.

"What is this?" he said, he wanted to sound snarky, but it only came out in a pale whisper.

"I bought this last year, it's nothing special to anyone else but me, so I'll do anything to win it back." said Harry looking down at the golden bauble. The phial that Luna had captured his tear in, was still glowing silently.

"What's this inside?" said Snape opening it. It held a small, glass bead, with a lock of red hair inside.

"I had to go to Godric's Hollow just to get that." said Harry quietly. "Took me some doing to find it."

"What is it?" pressured Snape. He had a feeling what it was, but he needed to know for sure.

"It's a lock of my mother's hair. I scoured all over the remnants of my parents' house just to find it." said Harry with a small smile. "Took me all day to find it."

Dumbledore sat forward in the chair and stared, as some of the other teachers started to blow their noses loudly.

Snape held it out for Harry to take it back. "I can't take this." he said in a hoarse whisper.

"Take it, till I win it back." he said finally.

He left the chain with Professor Snape and went to go sit back down. Snape couldn't take his eyes off the locket, or the lock of hair resting inside.

"But Harry you bet your broomstick! And you didn't give it to him!" said Zacharias loudly, he had to dodge a smack from Hannah.

"The broom is there for him to grab, the remnants anyway." said Harry with a smirk. "Though I think the tree might make a grab at him first."

and from what Harry had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step—

"That's a horrible picture, right there." said Ron to Neville, who chuckled, but looked nervously over to Professor Snape. But he wasn't listening, the locket captured his attention for the time being.

Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.

"He lasted longer than what I gave him credit for." said Bill.

Harry went back to the library, where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy.

"He wasn't doing too badly." said Hermione honestly.

Harry told them what he'd had just heard.

"Snape's done it, then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell—"

"His what?" said Draco with a smile.

"Hey, I was panicking a little." said Ron defensively

"There's still Fluffy, though," said Hermione.

"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," said Ron, looking up at the thousands of books surrounding them. "I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog.

"Actually, there is no book that states how to get past Fluffy. That's a special quirk only he has." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Unless you count a Greek Mythology book in the Muggle World." muttered Harry.

So what do we do, Harry?"

The light of adventure was kindling again in Ron's eyes,

"I don't want to hear it!" screeched Mrs. Weasely.

Dr. Clark looked over to her. "I wish some parents were a lot like her. Protective, instead of neglectful."

"Have you seen many parents like the Dursleys?" asked Hermione.

"Quite a few, but none nearly as bad as the Dursleys." said Dr. Clark with a dark look.

but Hermione answered before Harry could.

"Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."

"But we've got no proof!" said Harry. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor—who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining."

"Very true, it would have been almost impossible to explain." said Dumbledore wisely, he didn't however smile. Professor McGonagall looked down in shame.

Hermione looked convinced, but Ron didn't.

"If we just do a bit of poking around—"

"Yeah! That will help you guys figure it out!" said Colin excitedly.

"No," said Harry flatly, "we've done enough poking around."

"Wow, he was still staying true to his word?" said Dennis in wonder.

He pulled a map of Jupiter toward him and started to learn the names of its moons.

"That must have taken a lot of self-control, Harry." said Dumbledore over to him.

"It was either that or giving up and poking around." said Harry quietly.

The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione, and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same:

Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.

Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.

Professor McGonagall

"Eleven o'clock? You are going to give first year students detention at eleven o'clock?" shouted Sirius.

"It was a Friday night!" she said defending herself.

"I DON'T CARE IF IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVE! YOU..." shouted Sirius, but stopped when Harry, and Dr. Clark gripped his arm and shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"Since then Sirius, I have placed into teacher/detention policy that no detention should start past nine o'clock, especially for students under fourth year. Having a detention starting that late is very excessive." said Dumbledore sternly, while looking over to McGonagall.

Harry had forgotten they still had detentions to do in the furor over the points they'd lost. He half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of studying lost, but she didn't say a word. Like Harry, she felt they deserved what they'd got.

"You didn't deserve that many points lost, or that late of a detention!" snarled Sirius.

At eleven o'clock that night, they said good-bye to Ron in the common room and went down to the entrance hall with Neville. Filch was already there—and so was Malfoy. Harry had also forgotten that Malfoy had gotten a detention, too.

"Seeing Malfoy down there made me feel a lot better." said Neville quietly.

"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside.

I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yes... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me...

"Exactly." said Umbridge quickly.

"I don't normally bite garbage, but if you don't shut up soon, you're going to be in a lifetime worth of hurt." snarled Nightstrike.

It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out... hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days I've got the chains still in my office,

Harry blinked heavily and then turned to Dumbledore, before he could say anything, his wrists and ankles began to slowly burn.

"Sir?" said Harry rubbing his wrists.

"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore looked irate, but Harry bravely continued to speak.

"I think I remember something from the incident," said Harry quickly.

"Harry we discussed this three times now, don't try to remember, it only hurts you further." said Dumbledore worriedly.

"There were chains, on my wrists and ankles." said Harry quietly.

Dumbledore paled, "Are you sure?"

"I think so, I remember that I marked the chain on accident." He looked down at his hand, several nails were jagged, "I dug my nails into the steel so much that I broke several of them. They should have some scratches on the cuff."

Dumbledore left the Great Hall quickly, his robes fluttering angrily behind him. Suddenly, the students heard several deafening 'bangs' and then Dumbledore returned, with a satisfied yet grim look on his face.

"He doesn't have them anymore." he said fiercely. "And he better not catch me in a bad mood, because I will not be kind."

"I just had a thought," said Bill quickly. "When does he get back?"

"Today." said Lionus, "I have one of Hangman's crew bringing him."

"Who's Hangman?" said Charlie.

"She's the Chief Jailer. Warden, as it were." said Lionus.

keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed...

"They won't be." snarled Dumbledore.

Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

They marched off across the dark grounds. Neville kept sniffing. Harry wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted.

Sirius clutched Harry to him tightly.

The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Harry could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

"Well, at least if it's with Hagrid he won't make the detention too hard. Hell...if you start falling asleep, he'll take you to his hut and let you sleep." said Charlie with a fond smile up to Hagrid.

Harry's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad.

His relief must have showed in his face, because Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy—it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

"The forest? You're taking them into the forest?" growled Sirius threateningly. McGonagall and Hagrid both shuffled their feet nervously.

At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.

"The forest?" he repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night—there's all sorts of things in there—werewolves, I heard."

"There aren't any werewolves in there. Who told you that?" asked Remus looking over to Malfoy.

"My father." said Malfoy, a little indignantly.

"There was a werewolf in the forest when he was there. But not now, right Moony?" said Sirius with a grin. Remus almost heaved the book towards his head.

Neville clutched the sleeve of Harry's robe and made a choking noise.

"I was about to either faint or start bawling." said Neville.

"Or wet your pants." said Draco quietly with a smirk.

"You DID the last time I saw you in the forest." said Harry when he heard that.

Draco blushed heavily as Ron sniggered.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

"How can they think of them, when they aren't there, and..." said Sirius with a dark look. "you should never have thought that the teachers would send you in there."

McGonagall gave up trying to defend herself.

Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.

"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione?"

"At least he wanted to see if you two were alright, seeing as how it was sort of his fault you got in trouble." said Mrs. Weasely.

Hagrid shuffled his feet.

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, they're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"Let him have it, Hagrid." said Fred and George.

"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily,

"More than what's going to be left of you when I get ahold of you." muttered Dumbledore darkly.

and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.

Malfoy now turned to Hagrid. "I'm not going in that forest," he said,

"Let's see how far that statement takes you." sneered Angelina.

and Harry was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.

"Why?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It was his fault he was there. He wanted to get us three in trouble, and instead, he pulled himself down in the muck." said Harry with a smile.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"Wasn't talking to the you three, just Malfoy." said Hagrid quietly.

"We knew, Hagrid." said Harry and Hermione, Neville just nodded.

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd—"

"Tell you that is how it is done, if you're out of bed, you don't just copy lines. You work." said Sirius and Remus.

"—tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone. Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on."

"I didn't want to leave, really." said Malfoy quietly.

Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously, but then dropped his gaze.

"Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

"D-D-Dangerous?" squeaked Sirius. "Just how much danger were you in?" he said weakly. Harry didn't answer, he merely squeezed Sirius' hand. Remus gulped but continued on.

He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest.

"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood.

"Uni...Unicorn b-b-blood?" whispered the students crossed the hall.

There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday.

Everyone, including the Rangers, paled and had a sorrowful look on their faces.

"That is what danger was lurking about Hogwarts, Mr. Tomen. Something was killing our unicorn herd." said Dumbledore sadly.

We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"I hope you don't." said Tonks faintly.

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

"That is a very good question to ask." said Bill, looking pale.

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid.

"That is true." said Charlie. "Hagrid has earned the respect of the creatures in the forest, and if they see him, or if they see Fang. They won't come near you guys. The centaurs may come and visit a bit, but only if Hagrid is with you."

"An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions.

"You split them up?!" moaned Sirius weakly.

"If Fang or Hagrid was with them, they would have been fine." reminded Charlie.

There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

"That poor thing." moaned Lavender and Parvati.

"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid.

"That wasn't comforting." said Malfoy quietly.

"So me, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, an' Fang'll go the other.

"Pairing me with Malfoy wasn't a very good idea." said Neville shaking his head.

"I wasn't about to put him with 'ermione." said Hagrid gruffly. "And 'arry had the sharpest eyes. I wanted him to help me with findin' the unicorn."

Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now— that's it—an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh—so, be careful—let's go."

The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path, and Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left path while Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right.

They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.

Several people flinched, and others were trying to stop crying.

Harry saw that Hagrid looked very worried.

"That's not good." said Charlie.

"Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" Harry asked.

"Since Malfoy brought it up, I was concerned." said Harry defensively.

"Werewolves aren't fast enough." said Remus looking down at him.

"Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before."

"So what could be killing them?" asked a first year nervously.

They walked past a mossy tree stump. Harry could hear running water; there must be a stream somewhere close by.

Lionus and Moody were getting more and more impressed by the minute. Despite the danger, and the late hour, he was taking in his surroundings. They wanted him badly now.

There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path.

"You all right, Hermione?" Hagrid whispered.

"She was shiverin' somethin' awful." said Hagrid looking down at Hermione.

"Don' worry, it can't've gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we'll be able ter—GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"

"Oh F# &! WHAT NOW?" bellowed Sirius pulling Harry up to his lap and twisting his body around as if to protect him from an invisible foe.

"Sirius, I'm fine!" said Harry quickly.

Not till you're out of this damned forest, you're not! thought Sirius frantically, not willing to untangle himself from his godson.

Hagrid seized Harry and Hermione and hoisted them off the path behind a towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. The three of them listened. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby: it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground.

Sirius screwed his eye shut and hugged Harry tighter. Harry couldn't breathe, he wanted to whisper to Sirius to let him go, but couldn't. He was about to pass out from lack of oxygen when he felt Sirius grip lessen considerably.

"SIRIUS! HE CAN'T BREATHE!" shouted Dr. Clark. Harry fell back into Sirius' outstretched arms and breathed deeply.

"I-I'm sorry Harry." whimpered Sirius.

"I'm fine, just relax, I'm right here. Nothing major happens." said Harry weakly, but smiled up to his godfather, massaging his ribs. Sirius stretched Harry out crossed his and Dr. Clark's lap and held onto Harry's hand as he tried to control his breathing. Remus had to be reassured that Harry was okay before he would continue.

Hagrid was squinting up the dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away.

"I knew it, " he murmured. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."

"A werewolf?" Harry suggested.

"That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither," said Hagrid grimly. "Right, follow me, but careful, now."

They walked more slowly, ears straining for the faintest sound. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved.

"Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself—I'm armed!"

And into the clearing came—was it a man, or a horse?

To the waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail. Harry and Hermione's jaws dropped.

"A centaur! Oh..." moaned Charlie.

"Disgusting half-breeds." snarled the ever ignorant Umbridge.

A flying disc zoomed over people's heads and crashed right into Umbridge's chest. It flew back to its owner, who was standing in the doorway.

It was a centaur woman, she had light blue eyes and long flowing white hair, her humanoid torso was covered in what would have passed for an Amazon woman's battle armor, intricately designed, and very well kept. The rest of her body, the body of a Irish Cob horse, was a sleek white, the shade of which matched her long hair perfectly.

"I would prefer that you keep your filthy mouth shut, woman." said the centaur.

"Ah! Tempest, how kind of you to stop by, did you bring Filch?" said Lionus innocently.

"I did, little pest barely lasted the two days, and we kept him in Isolation." said the centaur named Tempest. She reached behind herself and Filch came stumbling out from behind her.

He was horribly sunburnt, but behind the burns, you could see that he was pale, his whole, now extremely gaunt body trembling. He didn't hold that malicious look in his eyes anymore, now they were filled with an almost ever present fear.

Tempest smacked the back of his head and he slowly hobbled over to Harry. He whispered, for he could barely talk, an apology and then backed away very slowly.

"You can go now." said Tempest in a warning tone. Filch hurried out of the hall and went to barricade himself in his office.

"What you do with him is up to you, he's paid his debt. What do I take back with me?" she said at first to Dumbledore, but then addressed Lionus.

"You take the thing you just smacked, back with you. But I, unfortunately, I promised it that it could sit and listen to the books, if it behaved." said Lionus with a smile.

"Has it?" said Tempest with a raised eyebrow.

"Not really, but it's making other people feel better." said Lionus turning his smile to a smirk. "They get the opportunity to smack the living daylights out of it."

Remus shuffled his feet guiltily. Tempest caught sight of it.

"Seems one person regrets it." she said with smile.

"Why is that 'cousin'?" asked Nightstrike with a smile.

"So he's a werewolf, eh?" mumbled Tempest to herself.

"I don't know what came over me..." whispered Lupin.

"Full moon is in a week, could be that." said Nightstrike plainly. Remus' head snapped up, his eyes widened with fear.

"Don't worry lad," said the Ranger's doctor. " I can give you the same medicine I give all the other werewolves. Makes them as innocent and gentle as lambs."

"Why not..." said Hermione.

"Not many people have earned the right to that medication. Mr. Lupin has." said the Doctor.

With a slightly new spring in his step, Remus continued on with the reading, as Tempest went over and stood beside her new prisoner. But before Lupin could start. Sirius had a question to Lionus.

"Why are you calling Umbridge, 'it'?" asked Sirius.

When we take a criminal in custody, they aren't people anymore. When they get out, after they serve their sentence, we give them back their humanity. They learn to appreciate being a person more, and not likely to commit another crime." said Lionus with a smile. "Umbridge won't have that luxury, she's never getting out. So she better appreciate the readings, because if she pushes her luck, off she goes. And when it's all done, off she goes." said Lionus with an evil grin.

"Oh, it's you, Ronan," said Hagrid in relief. "How are yeh?"

He walked forward and shook the centaur's hand.

"Good evening to you, Hagrid," said Ronan. He had a deep, sorrowful voice. "Were you going to shoot me?"

"I wouldn'ta shot unless I was sure of what I was shootin'" said Hagrid.

"Can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid, patting his crossbow. "There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur."

"We'd noticed," said Hermione faintly.

"Nice manners that girl has." smirked Tempest. Hermione blushed heavily.

"Good evening," said Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?"

"Erm—"

"A bit," said Hermione timidly.

"A bit. Well, that's something." Ronan sighed. He flung back his head and stared at the sky. "Mars is bright tonight."

"One of the reasons I left my herd, they all want to preoccupy their times with the stars, when actions are called for!" said Tempest pawing the ground warningly.

"Yeah," said Hagrid, glancing up, too. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt—

Tempest gasped and clutched at her heart.

you seen anythin'?"

Ronan didn't answer immediately. He stared unblinkingly upward, then sighed again.

"Always the innocent are the first victims," he said. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now."

Sirius gripped Harry a little tighter, but making sure he didn't hurt Harry this time.

"Yeah," said Hagrid, "but have yeh seen anythin', Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"

"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan repeated, while Hagrid watched him impatiently. "Unusually bright."

Tempest rolled her eyes. "He sounds like an elder, you won't get anything out of him."

"Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home, said Hagrid. "So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"

Yet again, Ronan took a while to answer. At last, he said, "The forest hides many secrets."

"He better hide himself, he's not helping that unicorn, or helping you find it! If I catch him..." Tempest pawed the ground again.

A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Hagrid raise his bow again, but it was only a second centaur, black-haired and-bodied and wilder-looking than Ronan.

"Hullo, Bane," said Hagrid. "All right?"

"Good evening, Hagrid, I hope you are well?"

"Well enough. Look, I've jus' bin askin' Ronan, you seen anythin' odd in here lately? There's a unicorn bin injured—would yeh know anythin' about it?"

Bane walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked skyward.

"Mars is bright tonight," he said simply.

"Bane's no better than Ronan." muttered Tempest angrily. No one else dared make a comment while she was here.

"Ronan wasn't so bad." said Harry absently. People looked up and saw Tempest staring at him. Lionus looked at Harry with a sort of new interest. No one would have dared spoken to her while she was commenting on something, let alone tell her she was mistaken on something!

"We've heard," said Hagrid grumpily. "Well, if either of you do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then."

Harry and Hermione followed him out of the clearing, staring over their shoulders at Ronan and Bane until the trees blocked their view.

"Never," said Hagrid irritably, "try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon."

"Not all of them, it seems." said Dumbledore, smiling up to Tempest. Tempest looked down at the Headmaster and gave him a smile. If one thought no one could possibly improve on her beauty, they were sorely mistaken.

"Are there many of them in here?" asked Hermione.

"Oh, a fair few... Keep themselves to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if ever I want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs... they know things... jus' don' let on much."

"D'you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?" said Harry.

"I was clutching at straws." said Harry to himself.

"Did that sound like hooves to you? Nah, if yeh ask me, that was what's bin killin' the unicorns—never heard anythin' like it before."

They walked on through the dense, dark trees. Harry kept looking nervously over his shoulder. He had the nasty feeling they were being watched.

"Knowing your feelings, you are being watched." said Tonks with a shudder.

He was very glad they had Hagrid and his crossbow with them. They had just passed a bend in the path when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.

"Hagrid! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!"

Snape turned swiftly and looked at Malfoy, while Mrs. Weasely looked over to Neville in horror.

"You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!"

"Don't leave them!" cried Dr. Clark.

They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of leaves around them.

"You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" whispered Hermione.

"We weren't." said Draco, sheepishly.

"I don't care if Malfoy has, but if something's got Neville... it's our fault he's here in the first place."

"Thanks Harry." said Neville quietly.

"Yeah, thanks Potter." said Malfoy rolling his eyes.

The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed sharper than usual. Harry's seemed to be picking up every sigh of the wind, every cracking twig.

"Yours maybe, not mine, I was too busy panicking." said Hermione.

What was going on? Where were the others?

At last, a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return. Malfoy, Neville, and Fang were with him. Hagrid was fuming.

"Not a good idea to piss off Hagrid." said Fred

"You won't like it." said George.

Malfoy, it seemed, had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him as a joke. Neville had panicked and sent up the sparks.

"Either you apologize right now, or I'll drag you out of here by your ear again." muttered Snape in Draco's ear.

Draco hurriedly stood up and apologized to Neville for scaring him.

"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'.

"You kind of made it sound like you all were fishing." said Kingsley with a small smile.

"We were going to take you fishing, sadly that never happened." said Dr. Clark with a frown.

"We can go fishing this summer. No harm in it." said Lupin and Sirius with bright smiles.

Right, we're changin' groups—Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot.

"Apt description." said Lionus with a frown over to Draco, who flinched horribly under his stern gaze.

I'm sorry," Hagrid added in a whisper to Harry, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you,

"It's almost impossible to scare him, we've tried." said George shaking his head sadly.

an' we've gotta get this done."

So Harry set off into the heart of the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Harry thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by.

"You're a good tracker, Potter." said Madam Bones, she, like Moody, was dead-set on having Harry join her Aurors.

Harry could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.

"Look—" he murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy.

"Wow, you were shielding Malfoy?" asked Neville in a hushed voice. "You'll protect anybody, won't you?"

Harry blushed.

Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.

It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead.

A sorrowful moan creeped through the students of the hall. People began to dab at their eyes, and cry into their neighbor's shoulders.

Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.

"You have such a horrible way of putting things, boy." said Tempest, flinching a little.

Harry had taken one step toward it when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered... Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast.

Dr. Clark now tightened his grip on Harry's right hand and wasn't about to relinquish it's hold.

Harry, Malfoy, and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.

"AAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Several people screamed as well. They weren't even aware of the fact that someone in the book had screamed as well. Though, Lupin may have just screamed for his own purposes.

Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted—so did Fang.

"It doesn't say that you ran as well." said Dr. Clark worriedly

"Umm...cause I didn't." said Harry quietly.

The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry—unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward Harry—he couldn't move for fear.

"DON'T FREEZE, NOT THERE! RUN!" screamed Sirius. Several other people were hollering too, but not nearly as loudly so they were drowned out.

Then a pain like he'd never felt before pierced his head; it was as though his scar were on fire.

"It picked a bad time to start hurting." said Remus worriedly, his hands were trembling horribly.

Half blinded, he staggered backward.

"No...no..." moaned Sirius hugging Harry tightly. "Someone...anyone...save him...save my cub...please..."

He heard hooves behind him, galloping, and something jumped clean over Harry, charging at the figure.

Sirius sighed, "Someone came to save you, thank Merlin."

The pain in Harry's head was so bad he fell to his knees. It took a minute or two to pass. When he looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body.

"Are you all right?" said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet.

"I was afraid that you were hurt before I had time to arrive." said a voice towards the Great Hall doors.

The crowd in the Great Hall turned quickly in their chairs and saw the centaur from the book, standing in the doorway, as real as anything.

"Ah, Firenze, what can we do for you on this," Dumbledore looked at the sky, "dismal day."

"I come bearing a message, and, though it hurts my pride, a request. The message is, due to the Ministry cutting our access to our land, the centaurs are refusing to allow any wizard, or witch allowed in the forest." said Firenze solemnly.

"Oh, dear. Well, I don't blame them for wanting to protect their land, until the Ministry relinquishes their hold, I will comply with their wishes. Now, what is your request?" said Dumbledore thoughtfully.

Firenze took a deep breath and asked with great dignity." May I seek refuge here? I spoke in your def..."

"Of course Firenze, we would be most honored to have you in our company. Please, make yourself comfortable, and help us worry about the events of the past. Dear...me...Firenze...you have an arrow sticking through your arm!" he stated quickly as Firenze came over slowly and kneeled beside Dumbledore's chair.

"It was Bane's, you don't have any ginger root, do you?" He asked calmly. "It's an old centaur remedy. Ginger heals most of our ailments, and Bane poisons his arrows."

Harry reached into his knapsack quickly and pulled out a thick tan cookie slab.

"Will gingerbread work?" he said standing up and handing it to Firenze. The centaur looked at it cautiously but took it. He bit into the side of it slowly, when the taste filled his mouth, he ate the rest quickly.

While Firenze ate, and before Hagrid or Madame Pomfrey could hurry over. Harry snapped the side of the arrow and pulled the broken shaft and tip out of Firenze's arm. He took a bottle of healing potion out of his bag, and a thick, long bandage. He wrapped Firenze's arm and tied the ends.

"Feeling better?" asked Harry carefully.

"Much, it seems you've grown up, and learned much since our last meeting Harry Potter." said Firenze with a smile. "And seen much more than foals your age should." said Firenze sadly, looking into Harry's eyes.

"You rest Firenze, while we continue on with the story." said Dumbledore smiling.

"Yes—thank you—what was that?"

The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Harry's forehead.

"I needed no introduction to know who you were." said Firenze calmly.

"You are the Potter boy," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time—especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way. My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that Harry could clamber onto his back.

Tempest whinnied suddenly, Firenze, had not noticed her, but when he did, he stood up quickly.

"You let him ride you?" she asked incredulously. Firenze nodded defiantly. People thought she was going to be upset, but she merely smiled. "Finally, a male centaur with some sense." Firenze blushed.

There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.

"Firenze!" Bane thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back!

"Bane's a genius." said Tempest rolling her eyes.

Firenze couldn't' t take his eyes off her, he had never seen such a lovely centaur woman. His heart pounded madly beneath his chest.

Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"

"Do you realize who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this forest, the better."

"What have you been telling him?" growled Bane.

"Nothing! You old nag!" snarled Tempest. Firenze was quickly starting to like her.

"Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"

"I have never forgotten, but that doesn't mean that I allow foals to die, just because the stars say it is so." he said bitterly. "And I have seen that your time, Harry, has yet to end."

"That's welcoming to hear." said Sirius with a small smile.

Ronan pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best, " he said in his gloomy voice.

"At least Ronan was kinda on your side." said Ron.

"He wasn't today." said Firenze, sadly.

"We'll get everything sorted out soon Firenze. just you wait." said Dumbledore kindly.

Bane kicked his back legs in anger. "For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"

"It's our duty!" shouted Tempest. "We are the guardians of the woods, caretakers of the unicorns and all creatures. If there is a stray child in the forest, we abandon our current activity and attend to the child!"

Firenze looked towards her, and she looked back. They stared at each other for a moment. Then broke apart, looking away.

"Bet you a galleon they get together." said Ron to Hermione.

Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Harry had to grab his shoulders to stay on.

"My apologies." said Firenze looking over to the boy.

"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."

"Very noble of you, Firenze. And thank you for saving Harry. I don't want to think what might have happened to him, had you not been there." said Dumbledore gratefully.

And Firenze whisked around; with Harry clutching on as best he could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them.

Harry didn't have a clue what was going on.

"I was scared, I didn't really want to think at that moment." said Harry honestly.

"Why's Bane so angry?" he asked. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?"

Firenze slowed to a walk, warned Harry to keep his head bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but did not answer Harry's question.

"I was debating how to tell you." said Firenze quietly. "One so young shouldn't be burden with such horrific facts."

They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Harry thought Firenze didn't want to talk to him anymore.

"No, I was just thinking, and I am so used to not speaking to many people, that I remain silent for a majority of the time." said Firenze.

They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.

"Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"

"We don't use it for anything." said Snape coldly. "No potion uses it."

"No," said Harry, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."

"At least you remember something from the classes, Mr. Potter." sneered Professor Snape.

"That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."

"Oh, dear...who would ever want such a life." whispered Mrs. Weasely.

Harry stared at the back of Firenze's head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight.

"But who'd be that desperate?" he wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"

Remus groaned while Dr. Clark cringed. Sirius tugged at Harry and looked at his green eyes.

"I don't want you to say that...ever again." said Sirius warningly.

"What? I only said that I wouldn't want to be cursed forever." said Harry in confusion.

"You mentioned death, you'd rather die than be cursed." said Lupin fretfully.

"I'd rather die, then kill a unicorn." said Harry finally.

Lupin blinked, "Sorry, I'm getting really jumpy."

"You're telling me." said Harry shaking his head.

"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else—something that will bring you back to full strength and power—something that will mean you can never die. Mr. Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"

"How did you know about its whereabouts?" asked Dumbledore curiously.

"The stars tell us many things, also we could sense the arrival of such a magical object." said Firenze. He would have left it at 'the stars' comment, but saw the look on Tempest's face and decided to elaborate quickly. Not wanting to incur her wrath.

"The Sorcerer's Stone! Of course—the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who—"

"Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"

"Were you talking about You-Know-Who?" asked Parvati, who couldn't help but sneak glimpses at the centaur.

"Indeed I was." said Firenze simply.

"Must I say it again? HE...ISN'T...BACK!" shouted Fudge.

"Must I say it again? We will find out the truth in due time!" said Madam Bones crossly.

It was as though an iron fist had clenched suddenly around Harry's heart. Over the rustling of the trees, he seemed to hear once more what Hagrid had told him on the night they had met: "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die."

"Like I said Potter, you have one hell of a memory." said Moody quietly.

"Do you mean," Harry croaked, "that was Vol-"

"Harry! Harry, are you all right?"

Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.

"Where was Neville and Malfoy?" asked Fred.

"Hagrid sent them back with another centaur. I wouldn't go, I wanted to make sure Harry was alright." said Hermione.

"I'm fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying.

"It now seems to be that you use that statement for just about anything. I think those around you should take careful warning if you ever say it again." said Dumbledore with a small smile.

"The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."

"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn.

"You left them alone, AGAIN?" moaned Mrs. Weasely.

"He had to go and see to the poor, innocent victim , Madam. For if any creature were to inadvertently start feasting on it, though highly unlikely for any decent sort of creature, the results would be disastrous." said Firenze calmly.

"What would have happened?" asked Dennis.

"I would rather not say." said Firenze quietly.

"You are safe now."

Harry slid off his back.

"Good luck, Harry Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

"It was, and I was very glad." said Firenze with a smile.

He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving Harry shivering behind him.

"Once Hagrid came back and saw Harry shivering like that, he picked Harry up, wrapped him in his coat and carried him to the castle." said Hermione thinking back.

"Hey! Hagrid gave me his coat to wear in my first year, too!" said Dennis excitedly.

"Harry didn't wear it, he was wrapped up in it." said Hermione, explaining it a bit further to the small Creevey brother.

Ron had fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for them to return. He shouted something about Quidditch fouls when Harry roughly shook him awake.

"It was a dream about the Chudley Cannons." said Ron defensively. "The other teams always smack them about."

In a matter of seconds, though, he was wide-eyed as Harry began to tell him and Hermione what had happened in the forest.

Harry couldn't sit down. He paced up and down in front of the fire. He was still shaking.

"You looked like you had a run in with a banshee, mate." said Ron.

"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort...and Voldemort's waiting in the forest... and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich..."

Every time that Remus said "Voldemort" the crowd in the school would flinch and cringe. Except the Rangers, Dumbledore, Harry and a select few members of the Order.

"HE'S..." said Fudge angrily.

"I give you the same treatment I gave Umbridge, unless you be silent. I'm getting tired of you." said Tempest, fingering her disk.

"Stop saying the name!" said Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.

Harry wasn't listening.

"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so... Bane was furious... he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen... They must show that Voldemort's coming back... Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me... I suppose that's written in the stars as well."

"Not quite, but close." said Firenze quietly.

"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed.

"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone,"

"What are you talking about?" asked Sirius looking down at him.

Harry went on feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off... Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."

Sirius and Remus both went silent, then they both looked over to Harry, staring with widened eyes.

"One so young shouldn't be dwelling on death." said Lionus darkly. "It's too bad you grabbed his family before we had a go at them."

"How does he know?" asked Harry.

"While you were sleeping in that thing he asked a lot of questions." said Bill.

Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort."Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you.

"That part made me feel a lot better." said Harry quietly.

Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

"Very rarely does it actually prove itself to be even remotely useful." growled McGonagall.

The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night's surprises weren't over.

"I hope nothing bad happens." said Sirius. Remus read a head quickly.

"It all depends on how you look at it, I guess." said Remus with a frown.

When Harry pulled back his sheets, he found his invisibility cloak folded neatly underneath them. There was a note pinned to it:

Just in case

"'Just in case'? Just in case of what?" moaned Sirius.

"Just in case he has great need of it." said Dumbledore simply.

"Who wants to read next? Because I don't want to." said Remus with distaste.

"We will!" shouted the twins. They hurried up to him and grabbed the book. When they turned the page and read the next chapter title, they paled.

"Oh..." said Fred.

"We picked a doozy, didn't we?" said George.

"Through The Trapdoor." said the twins.

"WHAT?" shouted some of the adults and some of the younger students. Ron and Hermione huddled closer together while Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark took hold of Harry tightly.

Chapter 24

"Before we read, I think we should have a bit of lunch." said Dumbledore, hearing, not Ron's stomach, but Harry's.

"Really, Albus, you want people to eat, especially after what the chapter title is?" asked McGonagall in shock.

"I heard something that tells me it is time for lunch." said Dumbledore, nodding slightly in Harry's direction. McGonagall caught the subtle hint and nodded in agreement.

So the table was magicked back to the center of the room and people began to fill their golden plates with sandwiches and fruit. They wanted to eat quickly and get back to the readings, only the Rangers were refraining the repast. While everyone, (other than her comrades), were eating, Tempest was turning her gaze from Umbridge to Firenze.

It was Dr. Clark's turn to fetch their food this time, he chose only the choicest morsels of everything for Harry. He came back with three moderately full plates and one towering one for Harry. Harry stared at the mountain of food coming his way.

"If you don't finish it, you can snack on it as we go, and if you do finish it, you're gonna have one hell of a stomach ache." said Dr. Clark with a teasing smile.

"I think if I polish off a fourth of that, I'll have a stomach ache." said Harry staring at the plate.

When the twins finished their lunches, they tore open the book and jumped into the reading.

In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the doors at any moment.

"It wasn't very easy to concentrate when you're worried about getting killed before you finish question fourteen." said Harry with a small smile.

Sirius groaned and pulled Harry tight to him. "I could have gone my whole life without hearing you say that, and I would have been happy."

Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.

"We kept checking on him to be safe." said Hermione.

"Good idea, whoever is after the stone, could have snuck down without you knowing." said Tempest approvingly.

It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exam, which had been bewitched with an Anit-Cheating spell.

"Your father, Lupin and Black tested them personally." said Dumbledore with a broad smile.

"What happened?" said Dennis eagerly.

"It sprayed their parchment with ink, Mr. Creevey. They had to start all over, with a whole new question layout." said McGonagall with a smirk.

"Well that just ruins all the fun." pouted George.

They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tapdance across a desk.

"His tests are always so much fun!" said Lavender happily. The rest of the students nodded in agreement and smiled at the blushing Charms professor.

Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox-points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers.

"I still have mine!" said Hermione happily. Several other students nodded.

"Pitched mine." said Ron shrugging. Most of the students nodded in agreement, they also threw theirs away.

"I don't think I got mine back." said Harry thoughtfully. "Moment I did mine, she took it."

"I have it Mr. Potter, here." said McGonagall, reaching into her cloak. She walked over to Dumbledore and showed it to him.

"Oh my! Harry...you do have a fascination with lilies." whispered Dumbledore. Harry's cherry-wood snuffbox had a single lily decorating the top. But what the lily was composed of was what made it absolutelyexquisite.

The stem of the lily was made up of tiny emeralds each one the size of the head of a pin. The petals, that crowned the emerald stem, were made of minuscule rubies glittering with a hidden fire in each stone. The lowest ruby-encrusted petal had a single dewdrop, clinging to the petal a dewdrop in the form of an almond shaped opal. However, the dewdrop resembled more of a tear drop than anything else. The entire flower glinted and glimmered in the candlelight.

"I've never seen a seventh year, let alone a first year transfigure jewels on anything!" said McGonagall eagerly.

Snape stood up and looked over Dumbledore's shoulder. His breath was snatched clean out of his body, and his hand tightened on the locket in his cloak pocket.

Dumbledore passed it to the three in the bowl. Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark stared at the box. They marveled at it and handed it between themselves.

Harry looked at it, "I didn't' even get to really see it when I made it. If you want, Professor McGonagall, you can keep it."

"I would love to, Mr. Potter. I've grown quite attached to it, and had forgotten to give it to you. That snuffbox should have told me that you were ready to take the W.A.N.D's tests." said Professor McGonagall shaking her head.

Hearing the word 'wands' a light clicked on in Hermione's head.

"Oh! I found out what W.A.N.D.S. stands for!" said Hermione quickly after examining the snuffbox eagerly. " It took me so long to find it, but I finally did! It stands for 'Warlocks Accomplishments Nearing Dusk's Set'. But I don't really know what that means." she said dejectedly.

"What that means, Miss Granger, is that the person taking the test, is almost completing his academic learning. 'Dawn' would be considered when you arrive here at school, 'Dusk' is when you have mastered what there is to master. Once he passes his W.A.N.D.S' test, he has the opportunity to take his M.A.G.I.C.S test. Once he takes the W.A.N.D.S. test, he is a full fledge scholar. In which grants him immense privileges, such as visiting other schools and having full access to their books and secrets" said Dumbledore with pride. "Despite not passing my W.A.N.D.S test yet, I've been given some privileges, due to my past experiences. By the way, have you discovered what M.A.G.I.C.S means yet, Miss Grangers." he asked with a smile.

"Not yet, sir. " said Hermione sadly.

"Fortunately, I have." said Dumbledore with a smile. "It stands for Magicians, Alchemists, Gnostics, Illusionists, Conjurors, and Sorcerers."

"It doesn't spell out what the test is like the other three." said Terry thoughtfully.

"Actually, it spells out what wizards who typically take that test becomes. Magicians are your most common type of wizard, they can do everything fairly well, compared to the Alchemists, Gnostics, Illusionists, and Conjurers who only focus on one or two practices. Alchemists deal mostly with potioneering and, obviously, alchemy. Gnostics deal mostly on spiritual matters, religion and such. Illusionists, well..they deal with illusions of course. Conjurers mostly forge things out of thin air with much more precision than most wizards can. Sorcerers are the most powerful of all, there is nothing they cannot do."

The students stared at their old Headmaster in shock. They thought their tests were hard, but if their headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, couldn't pass this test, what hope did Harry have to even think about passing!

"I think I will give the W.A.N.D.S another try this year, care to study with me Harry?" said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

"I would be very grateful sir, that test is starting to freak me out." said Harry honestly.

Fred and George had to slap themselves to get back to reading. They couldn't freak Harry out, but a test was going to?

Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.

"You always did love irony." said Remus looking over to Snape, who scowled.

Harry did the best he could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in his forehead, which had been bothering him ever since his trip into the forest.

Harry absently rubbed his scar, it was hurting all the time again, but when he blocked his mind to the fullest extent, it didn't hurt much at all.

Neville thought Harry had a bad case of exam nerves because Harry couldn't sleep, but the truth was that Harry kept being woken by his old nightmare, except that it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it.

Sirius pulled Harry towards him a little further and Dr. Clark adjusted the blankets.

"If you want to take a nap, cub, you can." said Sirius quietly.

"I just might at some point." said Harry with a yawn.

Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Harry had seen in the forests, or because they didn't have scars burning on their foreheads, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Harry.

"Children shouldn't be worried about anything except tests." said Tempest looking haughty. The adults nodded in agreement, while Harry rolled his eyes.

"I would love to only have to worry about tests, but with my life, that doesn't happen." said Harry bitterly.

"Careful lad, you don't want to pick a fight with her. She's a jailer." said Lionus warningly. "They're the most vicious."

The idea of Voldemort certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they were so busy with their studying they didn't' t have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.

"Kinda gives you a clue that Harry doesn't find the tests all that difficult. He wasn't worried about the tests at all." said Ron.

Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free,

The students, nor the staff and guests couldn't keep themselves from laughing. It was an apt description of the class, to be perfectly honest.

free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Harry couldn't help cheering with the rest.

"He never notices that we're cheering, just ignores us." said Fred shaking his head.

"That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."

"I should hope not Miss Granger, those are learned in your third year." said McGonagall with her eyes wide.

Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterward, but Ron said this made him fell ill,

"Not really." said Ron with a small smile.

so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasely twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.

"A what?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Yeah, Octavius is awesome! If someone falls in, he'll go right over and save you!" said Dennis excitedly.

"And Oct loves being tickled. Just a big lovable lug." said George.

"Take a guess who trained him." said Dumbledore with a broad smile.

"I'm guessing Hagrid." said Harry snuggling down in the covers.

"Very good, Harry...oh!" said Dumbledore, seeing Harry almost falling asleep. "Why don't you take a rest, we'll carry on."

"Sounds..." he yawned hugely "...good to me." he said, finally succumbing to sleep.

"You'd best give those three a strong calming draught, so they don't awaken him. "said Dumbledore to Snape, tilting his head to the three in the bowl.

Each of them were given the strongest calming draught Snape had. Dr. Clark wasn't too sure what to make of himself drinking a potion, it wasn't the most pleasant thing he's ever tasted, but it wasn't all that bad. He felt himself become more easygoing, and calmer.

Dumbledore gave the twins the go-ahead to continue on with the story.

"No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."

"You weren't worried about your exams at all were you?" said Hermione shrewdly.

"Nah, I knew I did alright. We both knew you knocked it out window, Harry was kind of aiming to get an 'E' in everything." said Ron.

"And so he did if I remember correctly. A dead-on 'Exceeds Expectations' in every class." said Dumbledore thinking back.

"Very impressive, aiming for a certain grade at the age of eleven." said Nightstrike. "Remind you of anyone, Captain?"

"Indeed, Nightstrike. He is much like myself." said Lionus with a cryptic smile.

Harry was rubbing his forehead.

"I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily.

"SILENCE!" shouted Tempest, backhanding Umbridge who had mumbled something.

"Now see here!..." shouted Fudge, he had had enough.

Nightstrike whipped out a long sword and placed it to Fudge's throat. "SIr, Tempest and I have authorization to kill anyone we see fit. We've been very meek so far. Don't push your luck."

Fudge gulped loudly and felt his throat move against the cold, sharp steel.

"I really like those two." mumbled Fred to Lee.

"My scar keeps hurting-it's happened before, but never as often as this."

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.

"Not even she can help, I'm sorry to say." said Dumbledore with a downcast look.

"I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning...it means danger's coming..."

"Very astute." said Dumbledore to the sleeping form.

"I still can't get over the fact he doesn't snore." said Sirius.

"Why is that?" asked Ron.

"His dad sounded like a bloody, roaring dragon when he slept." said Lupin, shaking his head.

Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.

"All Weasely men are like that." said Mrs. Weasely shaking her head, while Ginny rolled her eyes. "When it gets to be hot, they can't seem to work."

"Or much of anything else." said Ginny.

The Weasely men all pouted playfully, while the two Weasely women laughed loudly.

"Harry, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry.

"That had happened months ago though, so he could have been ready for another go." said Ron quietly.

And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."

Several people laughed.

Harry nodded, but he couldn't shake off a lurking feeling that there was something he'd forgotten to do, something important. When he tried to explain this, Hermione said, "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one."

"He doesn't often forget things, especially important things, but when he does, he'll freak out until he remembers." said Ron.

Harry was quite sure the unsettled feeling didn't have anything to do with work, though. He watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in it's mouth.

"Nothing escapes those brilliant green eyes." said Dumbledore beaming.

"Is that the letter...?" asked Hermione.

"It was indeed, Miss Granger." nodded Dumbledore.

Hagrid was the only one who ever sent him letters. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy...never...but-

Harry suddenly jumped to his feet.

"And here is the...what did you call it sir...epiphany?" said Ron excitedly.

"Where're you going?" said Ron sleepily.

"I've just thought of something," said Harry. He had turned white. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."

"The smallest thing will set him off like that, some little fact or phrase. Bit annoying really, cause we can't see the connection till he explains it fully." said Ron.

"Why?" panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd," said Harry, scrambling up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"

"Wow...he put that all together by watching an owl fly overhead?" said Ernie stunned.

"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Harry, sprinting across the grounds towards the forest didn't answer.

"He was so fast, even faster than what the scroll showed him!" said Hermione thinking back to that day.

Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.

"Hullo," he said smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time for a drink?"

"It was pumpkin juice, mom." said Ron exasperated, before his mom could accuse Hagrid of anything.

"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harry cut him off.

"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

"Good question, and good job keeping your visit straight and to the point." said Moody approvingly.

"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn't take his cloak off."

He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.

"Who plays cards with someone they can't identify?" asked Hermione rolling her eyes. The adult males in the room, except for Dr. Clark, raised their hands, shockingly even Tempest raised hers. She stared at each of them.

"You're all mental." she scolded.

"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head-that's one o' the pubs down in the village.

"If you want a quiet drink, you go there, anything else, you better go to the Three Broomsticks." said Sirius with a wink over to Hermione, who shuffled her feet.

Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."

"You never know, it could have been, but I kinda doubt it, if Harry's this concerned." said Charlie.

Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas.

"What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"

"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah...he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here...He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after...so I told him...an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon...an' then...I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks...

"That should have been your first clue to bail on that guy, Hagrid." said Tonks carefully.

Let's see...yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted...

"He just happened to have a dragon egg on him, and he would play cards for it?" said Charlie weakly. "Man, Hagrid, you must have been tanked to agree to that."

"So that's the second clue to bail, third if you count not seeing his face." said Tonks keeping track.

but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home...

"Most dragon dealers don't give a damn about the dragons, Hagrid." said Charlie faintly, shaking his head.

"Clue four." said Tonks.

So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."

"And did he-did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Well-yeah-how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep-"

"Oh, crap." moaned Fred.

"You did tell someone how to get past Fluffy." groaned George slapping his forehead.

"And now these three know." whined Fred.

"And now they need to save the world." sighed George.

Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey-where're yeh goin'?"

"Off to save humanity and small animals from a fate worse than death." said George dramatically.

Firenze looked at them questioningly and whispered to Dumbledore.

"They are very...odd." said Firenze quietly.

"So they are, so they are." said Dumbledore with a broad smile.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.

"We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Harry. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak-it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk.

"Don't be offended, Hagrid. You can just about anything out of anybody when they're drunk enough." said Lupin reassuringly. "Right, Sirius?"

"Shut up." said Sirius quickly.

"What did he tell you?" asked Dr. Clark with a smirk.

"He'll kill me if I tell you." said Remus quietly.

I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him.

"He would have stopped me. And I suppose I would have...'backed you up'." said Firenze calmly.

"Good, I knew I liked you." said Tempest with a broad smile.

Firenze jumped slightly and beamed towards Tempest.

"Ever notice that when she speaks, he switches from calm and bored, to happy and excitable?" said George to Fred quietly.

"Yeah, flipping hilarious, that is." said Fred trying not to laugh out loud.

Where's Dumbledore's office?"

"Gee, we don't even know. We always draw the line just before we get into really big trouble." said Fred looking over at George.

They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction.

"You never can tell with Hogwarts." said Lupin with a smile.

They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.

"We really should show the first year students where my office resides. That way if they have an issue, and they wish to talk to me directly, they can come and see me." said Dumbledore to McGonagall.

"I think that is a very good idea, Albus. It would put some of the students' mind at ease, knowing they can come to you if they have a serious problem." said McGonagall.

"We'll just have to-" Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.

"What are you three doing inside?"

It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.

"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Harry and Ron thought.

"Normally you say 'please'." said Ron to Hermione.

"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"

"'Fishy?' To want to come and speak to me?" said Dumbledore with a confused smile.

"Well...I..." said McGonagall trying her best to explain, but sadly, she was failing.

Harry swallowed-now what?

"It's sort of secret," he said, but he wished at once he hadn't, because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.

"She hates it when students keep things from her." said Sirius with a smile.

"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."

"The owl Harry saw must have been the one with the letter!" said Dean quickly.

"Harry told us that too, after we talked to McGonagall." said Ron.

"He's gone?" said Harry frantically. "Now?"

"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time-"

"But none as important as the students of my school." said Dumbledore sternly. Professor McGonagall looked down.

"But this is important."

"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"

"Anything he has to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic." said Sirius importantly.

Fudge wanted to speak, but was silenced by the look in Madam Bones' eyes.

"Look," said Harry, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor-it's about the Sorcerer's Stone-"

"That'll get her attention." said Fred with a smirk.

Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that.

"It most certainly wasn't! No one, let alone three first years were supposed to know about it!" said McGonagall.

The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up.

Fred and George stared at Harry.

"We've said about a thousand things, trying to get a response out of her..." said George.

"And you say what," said Fred, looking at the book and counting the words. "seven words and you get her so stunned that drops her books?" finished Fred looking insulted.

"How do you know-?" she spluttered.

"We hate you." said George simply to Harry, who didn't hear him, on account he was still sleeping.

"Professor, I think-I know-that Sn-that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."

She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion.

"That look didn't make us feel any better." said Hermione.

"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."

"That's what you think." chanted Ron and Hermione.

"But Professor-"

"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."

"How can we, if we're worried about the Stone being stolen." said Ron rolling his eyes.

But they didn't.

"Duh!" said the people who knew the trio personally, the number of people who knew them so well, was growing with each passing chapter.

"It's tonight," said Harry, once he was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."

"It was." said Dumbledore and Fudge together.

"But what can we-"

Hermione gasped. Harry and Ron wheeled round.

Snape was standing there.

"Oooh! Not good." said the twins wincing.

"Good afternoon," he said smoothly.

"Pfft, when does he say that and mean it?" said Dean to Neville.

They stared at him.

"He never said that to us before, didn't really know what to say." said Ron.

"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd, twisted smile.

"We were-"Harry began, without any idea what he was going to say.

"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"

"What are you going to do?" asked Sirius leaning forward, being careful not to wake Harry up. "Take points off for not being outside during free time?"

Snape only snarled back at him.

Harry flushed.

"You can't hide that if you're Harry. He's so damned pale that it shows up easily." said Sirius caressing Harry's cheek with a finger. Still asleep, he moved his hand to swat Sirius' finger away. The ones who saw it, laughed and cooed quietly.

They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back.

"Be warned, Potter-any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you."

He strode off in the direction of the staffroom.

"Be warned Snape," mimicked Sirius threateningly, the strength of his calming draught lessening quickly, "you harass my cub for any reason I'll throw you to Fluffy and lock the door!"

Snape stared at Sirius, turning a pale white.

Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.

"Right, here's what we've got to do," he whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape-wait outside the staffroom and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that."

"Why me?"

"You wouldn't look out of place, asking questions about the tests." said Moody looking over to her.

"It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know." He put on a high voice, "'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen bwrong..."

"I didn't say it like that! It was more like this..." and Ron repeated his falsetto voice and the rest of the school could hardly contain their laughter.

"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape.

"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told Ron. "Come on."

But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again

"Harry didn't plan on her coming to check on Fluffy." said Ron loudly.

and this time, she lost her temper.

"Oh, heaven help you guys." moaned Sirius, Lupin, Fred and George.

"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" she stormed. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own House!"

McGonagall wringed her hands nervously. She feared, that by not believing him and not taking him seriously, she had ruined whatever trust she was building with the young boy.

"Harry knew you meant well, Minerva." said Dumbledore, knowing her fears. "And he does trust you."

Harry and Ron went back to the common room. Harry had just said, "At least Hermione's on Snape's tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.

"She's not on his tail anymore." said Tonks.

"I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went."

"Wondered where you went to." said Flitwick with a chuckle.

"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said.

The other two stared at him. He was pale and his eyes were glittering.

"That's his, 'My life be damned' look. He's planning several different things in his head, all having to do with saving someone, or something." said Ron with a grin.

"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first."

The Calming Draught was really kicking into high gear now, the three in the bowl were frightened, but they merely accepted the fact that, Harry was lying on top of them, and he was perfectly fine.

"You're mad!" said Ron.

"You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"

"Shoot!" said Fred reading on.

"I want to leap into this book and join him." said George, reading ahead as well.

"He has a wonderful way of drawing you in." said Fred.

"Don't interrupt us, until we give you the go ahead." said George to the rest of the hall.

"SO WHAT?" Harry shouted. "Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the House Cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it's only dying a bit later than I would have, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through the trapdoortonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?"

"There you go. What do you think of that?" asked Fred.

Dumbledore stared at the sleeping form. "You are right, you do want to leap into the book and join in the battle."

Sirius bent low and kissed the top of his messy head. "At least you got out of this mess in one piece."

McGonagall stared at the three in the bowl. Her heart was going about a mile a minute, and yet...they sit there, as calm as could be. "I take it, the Draught you gave them was amazingly strong." she said looking over to Snape.

"Delayed reaction one, makes it last longer, and yes, it was one of the strongest ones I had." said Snape with a smirk.

He glared at them.

"You're right, Harry," said Hermione in a small voice.

"He's more than right." said Moody approvingly.

"He'd make a wonderful Minister." said Madam Bones with a bright smile.

"Here now!" said Fudge irritably.

"I'll use the Invisibility Cloak," said Harry. "It's just lucky I got it back."

"Or planned." said Lupin, his now calm eyes were flashing from serenity to anger and fear.

"Severus, I do believe that they are inadvertently casting off the Calming Draughts." said Dumbledore, noticing the same occurrences in the two other men's eyes.

"But will it cover all three of us?" said Ron.

"All-all three of us?"

"Oh come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?"

"He always thinks he going to go on alone. Never thinks we intend to stick by him." said Ron and Hermione.

"Of course not," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful..."

"Thankfully I went through those books, that's where I read about the second obstacle." said Hermione quietly to Ron.

"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too."

"Why does he have to be so selfless?" moaned Hermione.

"I fear that living with the Dursleys have given him the feeling that his life is worthless, as opposed to how we feel it to be most valuable." said Dumbledore sadly. "We must do what we can to rectify that, but not in a way that makes us appear to merely just pity him."

"Yeah, that's one of things he hates the most, pity." said Ron quietly.

"Not if I can help it," said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."

"If you take part in something bad enough, you could be expelled, Miss Granger." said Dumbledore kindly. "But no, chances are, that Professor Flitwick would defend you to the very end."

"I would, too." squeaked Professor Flitwick with a smile.

After dinner

"None of you ate very much, you two picked at your food, but Harry was eating a lot of bread though." said Neville thinking out loud.

"The carbs in the bread would have given him energy to burn for whatever he planned on doing." said Dr. Clark to Neville.

the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry any more, after all. This was the first night he hadn't been upset by it.

"I was crying almost every night, so was Hermione, Harry didn't have a single tear coming down though, I heard some of the sixth years call him 'heartless.'" said Neville.

"Give me their names, if you can, and I'll set them straight myself." said Dumbledore with the twinkle gone from his eyes, now they held a sort of fiery power behind them.

"Well, after this all ended, they went up and apologized to him, he ignored them though." said Neville with a smile.

"Hmmm..." said Dumbledore thoughtfully, then smiled. "Giving them a taste of their own medicine."

Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try to break. Harry and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do.

"Harry was giving me some small notes, with plans on them. Like what to do if something specific were to happen. Like if there was a troll or something like that. He had about forty plans or so. At least those were the ones he told me about." said Ron with a smile.

Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.

"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning.

"Lee, Fred and George were the only ones who even remotely nice to us." said Hermione bitterly.

Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. He pulled out the cloak and then his eyes fell on the flute Hagrid had given him for Christmas. He pocketed it to use on Fluffy-he didn't' feel much like singing.

"That's too bad." said Luna sadly, yet serenely.

He ran back down to the common room.

"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us-if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along its own-"

"That would be a very bad thing." said Fred with a smile.

"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though, he'd been making another bid for freedom.

Neville laughed along with most of the other students.

"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.

Neville stared at their guilty faces.

"You're going out again," he said.

"Very good! Nev, you win a Kewpie doll!" said Fred he took a cup and transfigured it into a small, winged, baby-like doll.

Neville took it graciously.

"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"

Harry looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.

"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."

"You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important."

"It actually is, it's really important." said Fred.

But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.

"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll-I'll fight you!"

"Say what? You were going to fight them?" asked Tonks incredulously.

"Neville," Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot-"

"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"

"I don't think they meant that you fight them!" moaned Bill.

"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."

He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.

"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"

"No offense, Neville, but I'd love to see you or anyone try and stop one of Harry's kicks." said Ron with a smirk.

"Kicks?" asked Kingsley curiously.

"Kicks like a hippogriff, he does." said Ron rubbing his chin. "Says he's been strengthening up his legs for running and other things."

"If he had the spare time, he could win some major awards in kickboxing." said Lionus with a smirk.

"Have you been stalking him or something?" asked Tonks scrutinizing the Ranger Captain.

"You'll find out later." said Lionus with cryptic smile.

"I'm getting tired of that statement and that smile." whispered Tonks to Remus.

Harry turned to Hermione.

"Do something," he said desperately.

"Why did he want her to do something?" asked Lavender indignantly.

"Harry didn't want to hurt Neville, and we really didn't learn any charms or hexes in our classes to knock him out with, he didn't want to let on that he knew a lot more than what Hermione thought he did." said Ron quickly.

Hermione stepped forward.

"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."

She raised her wand.

"Pertrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville.

Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.

"So you were the one who did it? I would have thought Harry..." said Percy thoughtfully.

Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.

"I didn't expect you to stand up to me!" said Neville with a small smile. "I wanted you guys to just listen to me and go back to bed."

"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.

"It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."

"We had to, Neville, no time to explain." said Harry.

"You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as they stepped over him and pulled on the Invisibility Cloak.

But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them.

"That's what you get for attacking people." said Fred with mock dignity. "Paranoia."

At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.

"Oh, give her a good kick." moaned George eagerly.

"Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered in Harry's ear, but Harry shook his head.

"He really is a gentleman." said Alicia sighing.

As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamplike eyes on them, but didn't do anything.

The students released a long sigh of relief.

Suddenly crackles and pops could be heard from the bowl. Finally a loud bang was heard and the bowl overturned itself. The bowl was covering the three men and the sleeping teen, like a retreated turtle.

The bowl, suddenly flipped itself right and Harry stood, his wand pointing straight ahead of him looking quickly from side to side.

"What happened?" asked Harry quickly.

"It seems your 'uncles' fought off their calming draughts unintentionally." said Dumbledore with a smile. He magicked the bowl back to where it was, while the men scrambled to stand. "It was an odd time to do it though. I would have thought that it would have happened during a more hazardous part."

"Him almost getting caught might have been the twig that broke the hippogriff's back." said Luna dreamily.

"Sorry about that." said Sirius scratching the back of his head, looking embarrassed.

They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.

"Nice." said Dr. Clark smiling and shaking his head and rubbing his now bruised side.

"You still like him don't you?" said Sirius, looking at him in wonder. He conjured up an icepack and placed it lightly against the bump on his head.

"Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"

"He always had a fascination for rhymes." said Remus shaking his head and massaging his shoulder.

He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.

"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."

Harry had a sudden idea.

"Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

The entire school went quiet.

"That...is...AWESOME!" yelled Fred.

"Why didn't we think of that?" said Sirius angrily.

"If your father were here, he'd be doing backflips. His son, is a true prankster." said Remus a tear in his eye.

Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.

"So sorry, you bloodiness, Mr. Baron, sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake-I didn't see you-of course I didn't, you're invisible-forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."

"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Harry. "Stay away from this placetonight."

"Geez, I really wish we had thought of it." pouted Sirius.

"I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."

And he scooted off.

"Brilliant, Harry!" whispered Ron.

"More than just brilliant." said Sirius proudly.

A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor-and the door was already ajar.

"Oh yeah, Stone's safe alright." said Dean rolling his eyes.

"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."

Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Harry turned to the other two.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."

"Don't you dare leave him alone." said Remus growling. "Better yet, don't go in there."

"Should I break the news to him?" said Harry to Ron and Hermione in a serious tone.

"What?" said Remus hurriedly.

"We go in there." said Harry teasingly.

"I don't need to be teased right now." said Remus angrily.

"Just thought I'd raise your spirits, can't happen now I guess." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"Don't be stupid," said Ron.

"We're coming," said Hermione.

Harry pushed the door open.

As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.

"Well, at least you don't get killed right on the spot." Seamus laughed weakly.

"What's that at it's feet?" Hermione whispered.

"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."

"Definitely wasn't Snape then, he's not a harp kinda guy." muttered Sirius with a small smile.

"Definitely not." drawled Snape.

"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Harry. "Well, here goes..."

He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune,

"Actually that was the first time I played the flute, I've played it almost once a week ever since." said Harry with a large smile.

but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Harry hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased-it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

"Well that was kinda easy." said Dennis eagerly.

"Yeah...easy..." groaned the three fifth years rolling their eyes.

"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry

"Didn't need to tell me twice." said Harry with a smile.

as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.

"Be careful now." moaned Mr. Weasely, who was consoling his wife, who was crying loudly once again.

"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"

"I think 'Ladies first' doesn't' apply to this, Mr. Weasely." said Dumbledore with a small smile.

"No, I don't!"

"Don't blame you." said Ginny.

"All right." Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.

"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.

"Nothing-just black-there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."

"Oh, no!" moaned Mrs. Weasley.

Harry who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.

"Don't tell me you volunteered to be the first one to drop!" groaned Dr. Clark.

"You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep."

"You were doing pretty good about being in charge, Ron." said Harry with smile.

Harry handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.

Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom.

"I wouldn't fall down that." said Fred with a shudder.

He lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Ron and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"

"Right," said Ron.

"See you in a minute, I hope..."

"You that's some upper body strength, Harry." whistled Lee.

"It's just he's so light." growled Madam Pomfrey.

And Harry let go.

Several people gasped loudly. Mrs. Weasely took a tighter hold of her husband and moaned.

Cold, damp air rushed past him as he fell down, down, down and-

FLUMP.

"Flump?" asked Sirius, who was covering his eyes, peeked through his fingers.

"Hey," said George.

"We didn't write it." said Fred defensively.

"Oh dear." whispered Professor Sprout in horror, she knew what it was that Harry landed on.

With a funny, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.

"Oh dear, oh dear." moaned Professor Sprout.

"It's okay!" he called up to the light the size of a postage stamp,

No it's not! thought Professor Sprout frantically.

which was the open trapdoor. "it's a soft landing, you can jump!"

Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Harry.

"What's this stuff?" were his first words.

"Good idea to ask, once you've already landed in it." said Charlie with a small laugh.

"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!"

The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side.

"How did you get the flute back?" asked Luna.

"I had to go back several days later and get it." said Harry simply.

"What did you use to put the dog to sleep?" asked Luna.

"I sang that time." said Harry with an embarrassed smile.

"What song?" asked Cho eagerly.

"I don't want to say, you lot might ask me to sing it." said Harry quickly.

"We must be miles under the school," she said.

"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.

"Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"

"Dear lord, now what?" cried Tonks.

She leapt up and struggled toward the damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.

"What the hell is that thing?" yelled Bill.

"It's Devil's Snare!" cried Professor Sprout.

"What the...dear god..." moaned Charlie.

Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.

"Well, Harry wasn't too nervous about being in that predicament." said Luna calmly.

"How do you know?" asked Hannah anxiously.

"He was still examining his surroundings." said Luna dreamily.

Hermione opened and closed her mouth several times. Then she looked over to Harry slowly.

"Could you have saved us?" she said faintly.

"Only if you couldn't." said Harry quietly. "And only in the beginning."

"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is-it's Devil's Snare!"

"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.

"Bill! I'm fine!" shouted Ron as his oldest brother enveloped him in a tight hug.

"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.

"FIRE! LIGHT A GOD-DAMNED FIRE!" shouted Remus.

"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.

"HURRY UP! HARRY'S GOING TO DIE!" shouted Dr. Clark.

"SO IS RON!" yelled Bill.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare...what did Professor Sprout say?-it likes the dark and damp-"

"So light a fire!" Harry choked.

"It was the only hint I could cough up." said Harry simply. "And I'm not too sure I would have been able to help at that point." he said humbly.

"Yes-of course-but there's no wood!" Hermione cried wringing her hands.

"Have you gone mad? Are you a witch or not?" shouted Malfoy loudly.

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

Ron and Malfoy groaned loudly. The school, despite the danger happening in the book, couldn't help but give a small laugh.

"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. In a matter of second, the two boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.

"At least that obstacle is conquered. Please tell me that is the hardest one." pleaded Sirius.

"Um...one of the five hardest ones." said Harry carefully.

"Five?" said Sirius, then he ticked off the challenges that he remembered Hagrid mentioning earlier in the book. "Out of seven challenges? Well, the odds aren't with you at all then." he finished, his face was ghostly pale.

"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry as he joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.

"Lucky you don't lose your head when you're in danger, boy." said Lionus with a smile.

"Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis-

Lionus laughed out loud while Ron blushed.

"Seems like the some children aren't completely hopeless." said Lionus with a laugh.

'there no wood,' honestly."

"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward.

"Not much choice in direction." said Harry with a smile.

All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Harry was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, he remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon-Norbert had been bad enough...

"Wondered why you told us to walk quieter, and why you kept putting you hand down on the ground...why did you put your hand on the ground by the way?" asked Ron questioningly.

"I was feeling for vibrations, if something large was stomping around down the way, I wanted to know about it. BEFORE we stumbled on it." said Harry calmly.

"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.

Harry listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.

"Do you think it's a ghost?"

"I don't know...sounds like wings to me."

"There's light ahead-I can see something moving."

"Who said what?" asked Ginny inquisitively.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked between each other.

"Ron said the ghost one I think." said Harry thoughtfully.

Hermione paused. "Harry said the one about the wings."

"And Hermione," said Ron. "noticed the light."

They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.

"What the heck are you supposed to do with the birds?" asked Blaise curiously.

"They aren't birds." said Harry with a pensive look.

"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.

"Probably," said Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once...well, there's no other choice...I'll run."

"Why do you keep insisting on going first?" said Remus with a large sigh.

He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched.

"Thankfully." sighed Sirius.

He pulled the handle, but it was locked.

"Go figure." said Angelina.

"Alohomora Charm should open it up!" said Colin excitedly.

The other two followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora Charm.

"Oh, never mind then." said Colin sadly.

"Now what?" said Ron.

"These birds...they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione.

They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering-glittering?

They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly. "They're key! Winged keys-look carefully. So that must mean..." he looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys.

"We still didn't see it." said Hermione and Ron.

"...yes-look Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"

"But there are hundreds of them!"

"That challenge is designed to keep them there forever, until they give up completely." said Flitwick.

"That is the one thing about humans that I cannot possibly understand. Flying, I like to keep all four hooves on the ground." said Firenze.

"I find flying invigorating, actually." said Tempest with a smirk.

"How can, um...you fly?" asked Ernie, hoping not to sound insulting.

She gazed at him, then snapped her fingers. A large pair of white, feathered wings emerged from the sides of her Irish cob body. She smiled smugly at the shocked looks on students, and other guests.

"Where did you get the wings?" asked Firenze weakly.

"Rangers, who take the rank of lieutenant or higher, have the option of undergoing surgery. Some have their bodies altered, things taken, or added. My wings are invisible for the most part." said Tempest caressing her wings. "Took seven months of painful training to get my wings strong enough to lift me off the ground. I don't stop training them either, they can now take me on flights that last more than twelve hours at a time."

"Wow..." said a few students.

Ron examined the lock on the door.

"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one-probably silver, like the handle."

"Hmmm...maybe I should have changed the color of the key." said Flitwick thoughtfully.

They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.

"That complicates things a bit." said Dr. Clark with a worried look.

Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. He had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhold.

"That seems to be the one." said Charlie.

"Seems my challenge didn't slow down the villain at all." said Flitwick sadly.

"That one!" he called to the others. "That big one-there-no, there-with bright blue wings-the feathers are all crumpled on one side."

Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom.

"Well that didn't work very well." said Remus with a small smile.

"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not talking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above-Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down-and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"

Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.

"You looked like a flipping comet chasing after that thing." said Ron, cheering along with the rest of the school.

They landed quickly and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned-it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.

Harry stood up and walked over to Dumbledore and whispered in his ear: "How did you get past all the challenges so quickly, sir?" Harry asked.

"I didn't need to complete any of them, I merely radiated my aura and made all the enchantments, flora and fauna shrink back." whispered Dumbledore back, smiling brightly.

"Cheater." said Harry with a fake pout.

"Ready?" Harry asked the other two, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open.

The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.

They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly-the towering white chessmen had no faces.

"They normally have faces." said Ron quietly.

"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."

Behind the white pieces they could see another door.

"How?" said Hermione nervously.

"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."

"Oh dear! If it's Wizard Chess..." moaned Mrs. Weasely.

He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.

"I hate to tell you this ma'am, but that definitely means it's Wizard Chess." said Lionus to Mrs. Weasely carefully.

"Do we-er-have to join you to get across?"

The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.

"This needs thinking about..."he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces..."

Professor Snape had to hand Mr. Weasely a calming draught for his wife.

Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess-"

"Trust me, we weren't offended. Neither one of us could ever hope to beat you in chess, we were happy to let you take over." said Harry and Hermione with broad smiles.

"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."

"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go next to him instead of that castle."

If I knew more about chess, I could figure out if Harry was in a good position or not. thought Dr. Clark fretfully.

"What about you?"

"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.

"You always loved that piece, you always have him win the whole game." said Bill with a smile.

"Not always." said Ron carefully.

The chessmen seemed to have been listening because at these words a knight, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that Harry, Ron, and Hermione took.

"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes...look..."

A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?

"Sorry, Ron. I should have had more faith in you." said Harry apologetically.

"Don't worry mate, it's one thing to play Wizard Chess while you are just directing them where to go. It's another thing competely to be one of the pieces." said Ron wisely.

"Harry-move diagonally four squares to the right."

Their first really shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.

Mrs. Weasely whimpered. The Calming Draught was working hard to keep her quiet.

"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."

Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall.

"Oh, no..." moaned Mrs. Weasely into her husband's shirt.

Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger.

"At least you were keeping track of them. You must have had several things attracting your attention." said Dumbledore approvingly.

"Just barely got to them in time." mumbled Ron humbly.

He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

"GO RON!" cheered the twins, Ron's ears went a bright red.

"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly, "Let me think-let me think..."

The white queen turned her blank face toward him.

"Yes..." said Ron softly, "it's the only way...I've got to be taken."

"WHAT? NO, RON!" shouted the twins when they reread the last thing Ron had said.

"Ronald Bilius Weasely, Don't you dare!" shouted Mrs. Weasely crying loudly. Her Calming Draught breaking down at last.

Professor Snape looked at his phials of remaining Calming Draught. "I'm going to have to rebrew more. These aren't as strong as I thought they were."

"How can you even think about letting yourself be taken!" shrieked Ginny. "You're going to get hurt!" she clamped her hands together in a pleading way.

"It's chess! You've got to let pieces get taken, that's the only way you win!" said Ron loudly.

"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.

"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me-that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"

"Oh, Ron." moaned Remus. "I'm going to say the same thing to you, I have the unsettling feeling that I'm going to say to Harry about a hundred times. Please don't do anything dangerous ever again."

"Um...from now on? Or from this point in the book, on?" asked Ron innocently.

Remus groaned. I don't need to hear that." he said shaking his head. Mrs. Weasely wimpered again.

"But-"

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Ron-"

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"

There was no alternative.

"Harry would have come up with a plan!" said Colin eagerly.

"Not really, I suck at chess. If Ron couldn't figure out a way to save all three of us. What hope did I have?" said Harry plainly.

"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go-now, don't hang around once you've won."

"Oh, Ron! You're so noble!" cooed Lavender.

He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor-

Mr. and Mrs. Weasely stood up quickly and took their youngest son into a great hug. Bill was rocking back and forth his arms clamped together, knuckles whitened. Charlie was staring at Ron, making sure that Ron didn't suddenly disappear, or fade away. Fred and George gulped loudly and kept looking at their brother, with new respect in their eyes. Ginny started shaking so horribly that Harry had to get up out of the bowl and wrapped an arm around her.

"Get back here." said Sirius, who was pale.

"What about Ginny?" asked Harry, a little short-tempered.

"Bring her over." said Sirius simply.

Harry helped Ginny to her feet and while the men in the bowl shifted themselves. Sirius moved over so Harry could sit beside him, and Ginny sat beside Harry.

"You two dating yet?" asked Dr. Clark, with a mischievous smile, but like the other three, he was still pale.

"When have I had time to ask her out?" said Harry with raised eyebrows.

"What's stopping you from asking her now?" said Sirius with a small smile.

Harry stared at him, and then picked up Ginny's hand. It was trembling. "I'll wait till after this book is done."

Harry magicked the phoenix blanket over to him and he draped it over her and himself. Ginny didn't even notice Harry pulling her close. When she did take notice, she gave Harry a weak smile and they both held hands under the covers.

"You mess with her..." warned Fred, noticing where his sister was sitting.

"I wouldn't dare, I actually like living." said Harry with a smile. "But let's get back to Ron."

Hermione screamed but stayed on her square-the white queen dragged Ron to one side.

The good mood was immediately squashed. Mrs. Weasely moaned in her son's red hair.

He looked as if he'd been knocked out.

"That was all that was wrong with him." said Madam Pomfrey. "A slight concussion, and a bruise or two. He was all right after an hour of sleep in the hospital wing, Molly." She succeeded in trying to calm the woman's fears.

Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.

"I remember Harry having to shout at me, I wanted to go and see to Ron, but he reminded me that we were still playing." said Hermione quietly.

The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.

"You didn't even check to see if he was alright?" screeched Mrs. Weasely. Hermione and Harry shuffled their feet guiltily. Ron quickly came to their defense:

"Mom! I was fine! I told them to leave me and go! If they hadn't I would of been pissed at them. We needed to save the Stone." said Ron angrily

"What if he's-?"

"He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself,

"At least they just didn' t take off, mom and not give him a second thought." said Fred, trying to calm his angry mother.

"What do you reckon's next?"

"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the key; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's..."

They had reached another door.

"All right?" Harry whispered.

"Go on."

Harry pushed it open.

A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.

Sirius sighed with relief, "Well, that was easy, whoever is..." , he suddenly stopped. "The person after the stone is still ahead." he finished quietly.

Fred and George just about dropped the book. They hadn't thought of that.

Ginny looked up at Harry quickly. "Do you get out of it alright."

"I get out just fine. I'm right here, aren't I?" he said with a smile.

Two pairs of eyes stared angrily at the two of them in the bowl. Not so much towards the young man, but the young girl with him. Cho and a fourth year Gryffindor were far from happy.

"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."

He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next-but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven different shaped bottles standing on it in a line.

"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"

They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple.

"That's a Teleportal fire. Step in that, without the proper potion and you'll just be dropped right back into that same room. Only you'll be dropped from a height of ten feet." said Bill quietly.

At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward.

"Don't touch that one! Touching that fire will kill you! Unless you have the proper potion, but you guys didn't know that was down there! How can you possibly get through?" cried Bill loudly.

They were trapped.

"You really are!" moaned Charlie, his brother Bill was shaking violently.

"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you, whichever one you would find,

One among us seven will let you move ahead,

Another will transport the drinker back instead,

Two among our number hold only nettle wine,

Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.

Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,

To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

First, however slyly the poison tries to hide

You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;

Second, different are those who stand at either end,

But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right

Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

"Wow! I don't I can figure it out without looking at the bottles!" whistled Terry.

"Who figured this one out?" asked Neville.

"It'll tell you." said Harry with a smile.

Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing.

"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic-it's logic-a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."

"But so will we, won't we?"

"I may be slightly book smart, I have no logic skills. I'm good when it comes to practical obstacles, I'm good. Words on paper however...leave me out of it. I tried my hand at it before she answered. I would have killed us both I think." said Harry with a weak laugh.

"Which ones did you pick out to be the ones that would send us on?" asked Hermione.

"Middle one and the first one, I think it was." said Harry thinking back.

"We would only have had a bottle of nettle wine each to drink with you choosing." said Hermione with a smile.

"PARTY!" yelled the twins. They began to dance in place, however, their mother glared at them so fiercely that they ceased immediately.

"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."

"But how do we know which to drink?"

"Give me a minute."

Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.

"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire-toward the Stone."

"Took me a whole month to come up with that riddle and an eleven year old girl solves it, in under a minute!" snarled Professor Snape.

"Don't be too upset, Severus. If you remember, you handed that puzzle and a photograph of the potion bottles to myself, Minerva and Filius. None of us could get the correct answer in less than two days." said Dumbledore with a smile. "Miss Granger just has a very logical mind, and she was twelve, not eleven."

Hermione blushed heavily.

"Makes no difference." spat Snape.

Harry looked down at the tiny bottle.

They looked at each other.

"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"

Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.

"You drink that," said Harry. "No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy-go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore,

"My escape plan for her and Ron kept changing with each passing room." said Harry with a slight smile.

"What about your escape plan?" asked Sirius quickly.

"I thought I could hold him off from using the Stone. At least until Dumbledore would arrive." said Harry honestly. "And I would leave with Dumbledore."

"Did he leave with you?" asked Remus.

"He did." said Dumbledore choosing his words carefully.

we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."

Snape stared at him, Snape knew it wasn't him that was after the Stone, of course. But Potter...despite knowing that he couldn't contend against a Dark Wizard (as Potter thought he was) he still went on alone. Not, taking Miss Granger so that he may show off in front of her, but sending her out of harm's way. He had seriously misjudged Harry Potter.

"But Harry-what if You-Know-Who's with him?"

"Well-I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."

Dumbledore looked down sadly. He knew Harry didn't mean that.

Hermione's lip trembled and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him.

"What the...?" said George looking between the two of them.

"Read on." said Harry.

"Hermione!"

"Harry-you're a great wizard, you know."

"Aww tender moment, before more horrible things happen." said Fred.

"Sounds like a plot to a play doesn't it?" smiled George condescendingly.

"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.

"She can never be as good a wizard as you." said Ginny brightly.

"Why do you say that?" said Harry confused.

"She's not a boy." said Ginny with a smile. Hermione laughed loudly, as did the rest of the girls in the Great Hall. Even Tempest laughed gaily, she laughed harder when she saw Harry blushing heavily.

"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness!

"I didn't catch on to what you realized, Ginny!" said Hermione still laughing.

There are more important things-friendship and bravery

"She has a point, Harry. You knew more about friendship and bravery than any other eleven year old I had ever seen. And more importantly, you were never taught those things." said Dumbledore happily.

"I was shown what both of those things." said Harry quietly. "Officer McFinn showed me."

"It's one thing to be taught, another thing entirely to put it into practice." said Firenze wisely.

and-oh Harry-be careful!"

"Worry wart. Harry's always careful!" said George.

"Except for when he's in danger." added Fred.

"Which is all the time." said George.

"So...nope your right, better warn him to be careful." said both the twins with large grins on their faces.

"You drink first," said Harry. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"

"Positive," said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.

It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.

"No-but it's like ice."

"Quick, go, before it wears off."

"So Potter, you knew the potion required to get past the purple flames has a twenty second time limit." said Snape with widened eyes.

"I had read about transporting flames." said Harry with a smile. "And not the Floo Powder kind."

"Good luck-take care-"

"GO!"

Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.

Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. He turned to face the black flames.

"Here I come," he said, and he drained the little bottle in one gulp.

"Yeah, yeah, we already established the fact that I was Drama King." said Harry with a smile.

It was indeed as though ice was flooding through his body. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black flames licking his body, but he couldn't feel them-for a moment he could see nothing but fire-then he was on the other side, in the last chamber.

There was already someone there-but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.

"Who was it?" asked several fourth years and under gasped. The adults leaned forward in their chairs and eagerly waited for the twins to say who it was.

"It doesn't say. It's in the next chapter, I guess." said George.

"So who wants to read it now?" asked Fred eagerly.

No one wanted to read, they didn't want to be the one reading what might happen.

"I think I will read." said the Ranger Doctor.

He walked over and took the book from the twins.

He walked back to his chair and read the chapter title aloud.

"The Man With Two Faces."

"Two, what?" asked Sirius. He stared at 'Doc' and then looked to Harry and Ginny. "I'm sorry, but I may be pulling him over here without warning."

"I may be holding onto him too." said Ginny.

"Great, I've always wanted to be used for tug-of-war." said Harry rolling his eyes.

Chapter 25

The Ranger Doctor read the first sentence of the chapter and smiled.

"Saw that coming." he smirked.

It was Quirrell.

"Him?" said several students and guests.

"It was." said Dumbledore quietly.

"He helped protect the stone! Why?" shrieked Mrs. Weasely.

"I think it will all become clear in due time." said Dumbledore.

"If he hurts you, we'll kill him." growled Sirius and Remus.

"You!" gasped Harry.

Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.

"What? He wasn't twitching?" said Fred in amazement.

"It can't be him." said George.

"It was him." said Dumbledore just as quiet as before.

"Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter."

"So he was waiting for you." said Sirius worriedly.

"But I thought-Snape-"

"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an over-grown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"

Snape scowled at the book. Dumbledore didn't mention that Quirrell had mocked and insulted him. He wished that he himself were down there to greet the Defense teacher.

Harry couldn't take it in. This couldn't be true, it couldn't.

"There was so much evidence against Professor Snape, it didn't even register that someone else could be the one behind it all." said Harry.

"It must be easier when you read it instead of living it." said Lionus with a smirk.

"You knew?" said Professor Lupin.

"It's what we get paid to do. See things that go unnoticed." said Nightstrike.

"But Snape tried to kill me!"

"No I didn't." said Snape tiredly.

"No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse, trying to save you."

"He was trying to save Harry?" said Sirius stunned.

"That he was." said Dumbledore.

"Snape was trying to save me?"

"I wouldn't believe it either." said Sirius with a small smile.

"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match?

"To take the Slytherin opposition out?" said Fred innocently. Trying to lighten the mood, but he failed.

He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really...he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching.

"I always feel safer knowing Dumbledore is nearby." said Harry with a small smile.

"Yet, he's the one that puts you in danger." said Remus with a scowl.

"That was the only time, Remus, that I actually gave him the tools and the means of doing something dangerous. I think you will realize that." said Dumbledore.

"What about last year then?" said Remus angrily.

"That was a magical contract." said Harry loudly. "There was nothing he could do. Trust me; I pleaded with him to get me out of it."

All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular...and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."

Sirius gripped Harry tightly about the shoulders, while Ginny squeezed Harry's hand.

Mrs. Weasely looked over to Harry in horror.

Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry.

"NO!" yelled Sirius and Dr. Clark. Remus clutched at his throat.

"You're too nosy to live, Potter. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."

"He was going to save a friend from a stupid troll!" yelled Fred.

"You let the troll in?"

"He let it in?" asked George weakly.

"Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls-you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there?

"That isn't a special gift, all you did was knock the stupid thing out." snarled Charlie.

Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me,

"Wow, you go, Professor Snape!" said a small first year Gryffindor.

"Yeah! You're so cool!" said another first year Gryffindor.

Professor Snape stared at the two first years, eyes wide and mouth slackened.

Dumbledore smiled brightly over at him.

went straight to the third floor to head me off-and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death,

"Thanks to Ron." said Harry with a smile.

that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly.

Snape growled threateningly.

"Now wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror."

"What mirror?" asked Dr. Clark.

It was only then that Harry realized what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised.

"OH, SHIT!" yelled Bill. "Harry! Don't look at it! You'll get distracted again!"

"I don't get distracted this time, I don't even see my family this time." said Harry with the same small smile that he had had on his face since the beginning of the chapter.

"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this...

"That's true, who else would use a mirror that drives you nuts?" said Sirius shaking his head, but pulling Harry close to him.

but he's in London...I'll be far away by the time he gets back..."

"That's what you think." said Dumbledore and Harry at the same time.

All Harry could think of doing was to keep Quirrell talking and stop him from concentrating on the mirror.

"No! Don't do that!" moaned Mr. Weasely.

"Why not, dad? If it keeps the Stone away from him..." said George curiously.

"He's dangerous! If Harry ticks him off, or distracts him too much, he could just kill him outright!" cried Tonks answering for Mr. Weasely.

"I saw you and Snape in the forest—" he blurted out.

"Harry...don't distract him!" moaned Sirius. "I don't want him to hurt you!"

"Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me—as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side.…"

"So...He WAS in on it..." said Madam Bones quietly,

"NO, HE..." shouted Fudge, but was silenced by Nightstrike fingering his sword.

Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it.

"He's starting to be enthralled with the mirror." said Tempest wisely.

"You know of it?" asked Charlie stunned.

"There is no magical object that we don't know about." said Lionus calmly.

"I see the Stone… I'm presenting it to my master.… but where is it?"

Harry struggled against the ropes binding him, but they didn't give.

Ginny whimpered slightly. Harry had to lean over and whisper in her ear. "I'm alright; I get out of it ok."

He had to keep Quirrell from giving his whole attention to the mirror.

"No you don't!" said Katie shrilly.

"But Snape always seemed to hate me so much."

"That seems to be true." said Neville. "He picks on you more than he picks on me."

"Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other.

"They most certainly did." said Remus thoughtfully, yet still panicking. "Though I can't remember what really made them hate each other, right off the bat."

But he never wanted you dead."

"Sometimes, I wonder though..." said Harry quietly with a faint smile.

"Why do you say that, Potter?" said McGonagall taken aback.

"You'll find out in the fourth book, I think." said Harry.

"But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing—I thought Snape was threatening you.…"

"That's what I thought too." said Seamus.

For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face.

"Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions—he is a great wizard and I am weak—"

"He was in the room with him?" asked Moody quickly.

"Thank god you didn't go through that ajar door, then. If you had..." said Angelina faintly.

"Going through that door wouldn't have done anything." said Harry with another small smile.

"You mean he was there in the classroom with you?" Harry gasped.

"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly.

"Say what?" asked Bill.

"I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it…

"There is good and there is evil. Sadly, some people sit in a gray area, in between the two." said Dumbledore quietly.

"The Dursleys are evil." muttered Katie.

"I think they fit in the gray area." said Harry absently.

"Bull." said the three Gryffindor Chasers sharply.

"I agree with the girls." said Dr. Clark sternly.

Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me." Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me… decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me…"

Quirrell's voice trailed away. Harry was remembering his trip to Diagon Alley—how could he have been so stupid? He'd seen Quirrell there that very day, shaken hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron.

"How were you to know he was the one after the Stone?" asked Hermione. "He was right! Who would consider him a threat?"

Quirrell cursed under his breath.

"I don't understand…is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"

"If he breaks it, the Stone is lost forever. Never to appear in this world again." said Dumbledore.

Harry's mind was racing.

What I want more than anything else in the world at the moment, he thought, is to find the Stone before Quirrell does. So if I look in the mirror, I should see myself finding it—which means I'll see where it's hidden!

"Wow, Harry. That was some fast thinking!" said Tonks.

But how can I look without Quirrell realizing what I'm up to?

"Good luck with that." said Fred.

He tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around his ankles were too tight: he tripped and fell over.

Fred and George snorted loudly.

"What's so funny?" shrieked Mrs. Weasely.

"The mental picture of Harry tied up and falling over." said Fred quickly, he began to laugh out loud.

"Sorry, Harry. But it sounds hilarious!" said George wiping a tear from his eye.

"I almost started laughing when I fell actually. I had to stop myself." said Harry.

"So you weren't, all together, that much worried?" said Remus his eyebrows raised.

"I was worried, but I knew there was help coming." said Harry honestly.

Quirrell ignored him. He was still talking to himself.

"What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"

"Don't tell me he was there." moaned Remus standing up and walking behind the bowl. He placed a hand on Harry's right shoulder.

And to Harry's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself.

"Use the boy… Use the boy…"

"No...no...don't..." moaned Remus again.

Quirrell rounded on Harry. "Yes—Potter—come here."

He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Harry fell off. Harry got slowly to his feet.

"RUN!" yelled the inhabitants of the Great Hall.

"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."

Harry walked toward him.

"What made you walk towards him?" yelled Sirius.

"I'm not too sure." said Harry thoughtfully.

I must lie, he thought desperately. I must look and lie about what I see, that's all.

"You can't lie, we already established that! You're a horrible liar." said George clapping his hand to his forehead.

Quirrell moved close behind him. Harry breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban.

"If he does anything..." snarled Dr. Clark.

"What do you mean?" said Harry curiously.

"If he molests you down there..." said Dr. Clark darkly.

Harry turned and stared at Dr. Clark, "No…no one touched me, not him, not anyone. I didn't need that image in my head, thank you very much!" he shook his head furiously.

He closed his eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again.

He saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket—and as it did so, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow—incredibly—he'd gotten the Stone.

"Oh...that was a bad move, Potter." said Lionus looking over to Harry.

"Why?" asked Ron quickly.

"It makes him a target, all it would take now to get the Stone is to either incapacitate or kill an eleven year old boy." said Tempest plainly.

Remus' nails dug into Harry's flesh. When Harry flinched, Sirius shoved the hand off Harry's shoulder.

Remus looked at Sirius quickly, Sirius pulled Harry's shirt down a little and he saw the marks dug into the alabaster skin. Remus blanched, and then whispered an apology to Harry. Harry merely waved the apology away.

"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"

Harry screwed up his courage.

"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he invented. "I—I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."

The twins stared at the book. "...that was actually a pretty good lie..." said Fred.

Quirrell cursed again.

"Get out of the way," he said. As Harry moved aside, he felt the Sorcerer's Stone against his leg. Dare he make a break for it?

"Don't turn your back on him, boy." said Moody quickly.

But he hadn't walked five paces before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips.

"He lies… He lies…"

"Oh, crap." moaned Mr. Weasely.

"Is he a ventriloquist or something?" asked Dr. Clark.

"No, the voice belongs to someone else." said Harry plainly.

"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?"

The high voice spoke again. "Let me speak to him… face-to-face…"

Ginny gave a small squeak, while Sirius yelped as if someone had stamped on his animagus form's tail.

"Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough… for this…"

Harry felt as if Devil's Snare was rooting him to the spot. He couldn't move a muscle.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, MOVE!" yelled McGonagall. She had been silent for a majority of the time, wringing her hands and turning paler and paler.

Petrified, he watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.

Harry would have screamed, but he couldn't make a sound.

"When Harry screams and doesn't. You know that if you were to see it, you'd faint dead away." said George carefully.

Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.

"Dear...God..." said Dr. Clark.

"That's Lord Voldemort." said Dumbledore to Dr. Clark, "The...one...who killed Harry's parents."

Dr. Clark sent a distraught look over to Harry, who sat looking forward, not noticing the looks he was receiving.

"What do you have to say now, Minister?" said Harry quietly, eyes closed.

Fudge was sitting and staring at the book in shock. Umbridge merely sniffed and turned her nose upwards. That action earned her a sharp slap to her face.

"Sit and don't make a nuisance of yourself." snarled Nightstrike.

"Harry Potter…" it whispered.

Harry tried to take a step backward but his legs wouldn't move.

"I'm guessing you told your friends that you were standing your ground, bravely staring him down." said Professor Snape with a smirk.

"No, he did not!" screeched Hermione.

"He told us he couldn't move he was so scared." said Ron.

"See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor… I have form only when I can share another's body… but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds…Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks… you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest…

"That was him?" whispered McGonagall. She and Hagrid both paled, they had taken first year students into the forest, where Lord Voldemort himself was hunting and killing unicorns!

and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own…. Now… why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

"Oh no...He knows..." moaned Charlie.

So he knew. The feeling suddenly surged back into Harry's legs. He stumbled backward.

"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me…or you'll meet the same end as your parents… They died begging me for mercy…"

"LIAR!" shouted Sirius and Remus. "THEY DIDN'T BEG! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!"

"I know they didn't, trust me, I know." said Harry quietly.

"How could you know?" said Fudge suspiciously.

"The Dementors you sent to the school two years ago." said Harry plainly.

"LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly.

Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.

"Him smiling, is not a good thing." said Flitwick faintly.

"How touching…" it hissed. "I always value bravery..."

"That's a lie, if he did, he'd like Harry." said Neville jokingly. Instead of laughs he received only stares.

Yes, boy, your parents were brave….I killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fight…but your mother needn't have died… she was trying to protect you….Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."

"Don't do it, Harry!" shouted Bill.

"NEVER!"

"Good lad!" said Lionus, the Doctor, Tempest, and Nightstrike. The Aurors nodded in approval. "You'd make a fine Ranger, boy." said Lionus with a smile.

"Or Auror." added Madame Bones quickly.

Harry sprang toward the flame door,

"If he touches the flame now, what would have happened?" asked Colin.

"It would have sent them straight to Dumbledore's office. And placing them in a full-body bind." said Snape. "You only die if you wish to go forward without a potion, not backwards."

but Voldemort screamed "SEIZE HIM!" and the next second, Harry felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Harry's scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two; he yelled, struggling with all his might, and to his surprise, Quirrell let go of him.

"Wha' happened?" asked Lee in shock.

The pain in his head lessened—he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers—they were blistering before his eyes.

"How the hell did that happen?" asked Terry.

"Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet landing on top of him, both hands around Harry's neck—

"NO!" yelled Sirius.

Harry's scar was almost blinding him with pain, yet he could see Quirrell howling in agony.

"Master, I cannot hold him—my hands—my hands!"

And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees,

"GET OFF HIM!" shouted Remus.

let go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms — Harry could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny.

"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort.

"NO! NO, PLEASE!" cried Dr. Clark.

Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse,

"HARRY!" shouted Sirius.

"I'm right here!" said Harry turning Sirius' face to look at his own. "I'm right here." he said quietly. He took ahold of Remus' hand with his other hand, letting go of Ginny's hand, and gave it a squeeze. "Both of you need to settle down, you too." he said including Dr. Clark in his scolding.

but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face-

"AAAARGH!"

"Good instincts." said Kingsley wiping the sweat off his brow.

Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering, too, and then Harry knew: Quirrell couldn't touch his bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain—his only chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse.

"Alright! Harry can fight back!" said Fred excitedly.

"Why didn't' you use your wand?" asked Moody.

"I didn't think I could beat him with what spells I learned. To be perfectly honest, I was scared." said Harry quietly.

Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off—the pain in Harry's head was building—he couldn't see—

"Hold on, Harry!" shouted George.

he could only hear Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's yells of, "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" and other voices, maybe in Harry's own head, crying, "Harry! Harry!"

"What?" asked George looking confused.

Harry looked to Dumbledore who smiled, and nodded.

He felt Quirrell's arm wrenched from his grasp, knew all was lost, and fell into blackness, down…down…down…

"Oh no, Harry..." said Mrs. Weasely faintly.

Something gold was glinting just above him. The Snitch!

"What's the Snitch doing there?" asked Seamus.

"It wasn't the Snitch." said Harry.

He tried to catch it, but his arms were too heavy.

"What?" What are you going on about?" asked Zacharias.

He blinked. It wasn't the Snitch at all. It was a pair of glasses. How strange.

"Are you stoned or something?" asked Dean wonderingly.

"No, he wasn't." said Dumbledore with a smile.

He blinked again. The smiling face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view above him.

"Good afternoon, Harry," said Dumbledore.

"The way I woke up that afternoon was a lot better than the way I would wake up at the Dursleys'." said Harry brightly.

"Getting ice cold water dumped on you at three in the morning is a better way of waking up, then what your Aunt Petunia does." said Fred shaking his head.

Harry stared at him. Then he remembered: "Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick—"

"You just about climbed out of the bed and lunged yourself at me." said Dumbledore with a small smile.

"Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," said Dumbledore. "Quirrell does not have the Stone."

"Then who does? Sir, I—"

"Harry, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out."

"So does that mean he's in the hospital wing?" asked a second year Hufflepuff.

"Yeah, and you don't want to tick off, the school nurse, just agree with whatever she says." said George warningly.

Harry swallowed and looked around him. He realized he must be in the hospital wing. He was lying in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to him was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.

"I didn't expect to see candy." said Harry shaking his head.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows.

"Ain't that the truth." said Lee with a broad smile.

I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you.

"FRED, GEORGE! I SAID: DON'T BLOW UP TOILETS!" yelled Mrs. Weasely.

"But, mom!" whined George.

"We wanted to make him feel better!" whined Fred.

Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it."

"Damn, so you never did get it." said Fred disappointed.

"What did you think of the toilet seat we sent you, Ginny?" asked George, walking over and whispering into her ear.

"It's hanging in my room. Right behind the door, so mom doesn't see it." said Ginny, trying not laugh out loud.

"How long have I been in here?"

"Three days.

Sirius and Remus moaned, whined, groaned and held onto Harry tightly.

"Why are you upset now?" asked Harry.

"Three days with Madam Pomfrey means that you were really bad." said Sirius. Dr. Clark paled.

Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried."

"Not nearly as worried as Dumbledore was." said Ron quietly to Hermione.

"But sir, the Stone —"

"I see you are not to be distracted.

"He never is when he's worried about something." said Neville.

Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say."

"At least before he passed out." said Dumbledore quickly to the furious glares sent in his direction.

You got there? You got Hermione's owl?"

"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you."

"Oh! So the person yelling 'Harry' was you, sir?" asked Colin eagerly.

Dumbledore merely nodded.

"It was you."

"I feared I might be too late."

"You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer–"

"Not the stone Harry, he's talking about you!" said Mrs. Weasely helplessly.

"Not the Stone, boy, you—the effort involved nearly killed you. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had.

Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark were completely silent.

"What do you mean, 'effort nearly killed him'?" asked Remus in barely a whisper.

Little balls of light came popping out of the book in the Doctor's hands.

"Didn't we already do one of these today?" asked Lionus, slightly confused.

"Scattered Shots can sometimes happen multiple times in a day as the books progress. Scrolls only happen once every twenty four hours, at this point anyway, as the books progress they will become more numerous." said an Unspeakable.

After the now familiar spinning and shattering was completed and the balls found their way into each reader's chest, they found themselves down in an open, yet frightfully dark chamber. In the center of the room, they saw Harry holding on tightly to the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher of four years past.

Sirius rushed forward and tried his best to grab ahold of the man who dared to hurt his cub. But his clawing hands fell on empty space.

They all saw the face behind Professor Quirrell's own burnt face give him orders to kill the boy hanging on for dear life. All the students and a few of the guests screamed when they saw it, while Mrs. Weasely just about fainted dead away.

"Don't you dare!" shouted Dr. Clark to Professor Quirrell.

"We've already been through this part." said Harry quietly.

"Yeah, well, we weren't standing here watching it happen!" said Sirius loudly.

Younger Harry's head was hung backwards, his eyes were squeezed tightly shut and his teeth were gritted in pain. They heard a loud bang and saw another Dumbledore come running down the stairs and shouting Harry's name.

"So that was you, sir." said Colin, staring at his wounded and blinded hero.

He disarmed Quirrell and wrenched the man's arms away from Harry. As if in slow motion, Harry fell to the ground, his hand limply holding the much sought after stone.

Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark clutched at the present-day Harry, and not relinquishing their hold.

Quirrell screamed as Harry's hold on him was removed, and then some sort of mist came from his mouth. As the mist left him, his skin began to dry and cling to his bones. His eyes bulged out of their sockets and his hands flew to his throat.

"That's disgusting." said Fred and George weakly.

The Watchers and the Dumbledore of the past stared in horror and shock as the mist left the poor man's body completely. Quirrell crumpled to the ground his arm slowly raised and tried to reach out to the vapor above him, but his arm fell and his breath was reduced to a weak shudder. The vapor hissed at him, and then tried to waft quickly over to the fallen first year. Dumbledore casted a spell over Harry, covering him with a shimmering veil of light. Try as it might, the vapor couldn't penetrate the veil. It then disappeared out the door and through the flames.

Dumbledore dispersed the veil and bent low over the unconscious child, the boy looked as he was merely sleeping on the cold stone.

"Harry? Harry, wake up." said Dumbledore, giving the boy's shoulder a shake. The moment he touched him he pulled back slightly. "Why are you so cold, Harry? Harry? HARRY!" yelled Dumbledore shaking Harry harder.

"Oh, no!" moaned Sirius. Mrs. Weasely came rushing over to the present day Harry and held onto him just as tightly as the three men were.

The scene shifted forward and they saw Madam Pomfrey covering Ron, who had fallen asleep, with a warm blanket. The door to the Hospital Wing burst open and Dumbledore came running towards the Medi-witch.

"Poppy! Poppy, Please!" cried Dumbledore hurriedly. "It's Harry, he's..." he laid the pale and lifeless body down on a nearby bed.

"I didn't hear all this, must've been the potion she gave me." said Ron quietly.

Fudge merely stared in shock down at the injured boy of the past.

Madam Pomfrey quickly rushed over and examined him, as she did, her face turned from worry to absolute horror.

"Poppy, please, please don't tell me..." said Dumbledore weakly. "Don't tell me he's gone."

"Not yet, but I don't know how much longer he's going to last." said Madam Pomfrey, waving her wand over the boy and letting the magical waves wash over his body.

"Is there anything I can do?" said Dumbledore quickly.

"No, there's...what is that thing?" said Madam Pomfrey looking under Harry's eyelids, then looking to the stone, which caught her eye, laying on the table.

"It's the Sorcerer's Stone." said Dumbledore bitterly.

"Give it here!" she quickly, taking it off the table. She took a large glass and placed it down on the side-table, picked up the stone and between her two hands, squeezed it.

Soon, a small trickle of golden liquid fell from the Stone and began to pool into the glass. When the glass was almost a fourth of the way full, she stopped squeezing and placed the stone back down. She picked the glass up and lifted Harry's limp head.

"Open his mouth!" ordered Madam Pomfrey to Dumbledore. He stood up and gently opened the boy's mouth. Madam Pomfrey poured the liquid slowly into the boy's mouth. With the help of Madam Pomfrey's wand, the liquid was swallowed down.

"Now what?" said Dumbledore anxiously.

"You really are shaken up, aren't you? You should know what that was." said Madam Pomfrey with a dry chuckle. "Now he rests, he's going to be just fine. He'll be sore and very weak for a while, and magically drained for a month or two, but fine. Good thing that stone is here, without it..." she said wiping her wet eyes on a handkerchief.

"Thank goodness...thank goodness." whispered Dumbledore, burying his eyes into Harry's messy locks.

The balls of light left their bodies and they once again found themselves in Great Hall. They all turned and looked at Harry, who felt his abdomen.

"I drank Elixir of Life?" he said weakly.

"It was the only thing that kept you from dying that night." said Madam Pomfrey sadly.

It was several moments till 'Doc' cleared his throat and continued on with the reading.

As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."

"Destroyed?" asked Fred and George quietly in unison.

"Destroyed?" said Harry blankly. "But your friend—Nicolas Flamel—"

"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted. "You did do the thing properly, didn't you?

"It only took us about three-quarters of a year." said Ron with a smirk.

Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best."

"Little chat?" said Dr. Clark. "How do you have a little chat with that topic? 'Sorry Nicolas, someone tried to steal the thing you spent so long to create, so you're going to have to destroy it and die'?"

"It didn't quite go like that, Sam," said Dumbledore with a small smile. "more along the lines of just showing the disastrous effects of protecting a stone such as that."

"What did you show him?" asked Tonks questioningly.

"Harry, unconscious in the hospital wing. Once he saw you Harry and heard what had placed you in that condition, he destroyed it right then and there." said Dumbledore.

"But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?"

"You're in the hospital wing, and you don't even give a damn about what is wrong with you?" said Charlie stunned.

"I was more concerned about someone dying because of me." said Harry sadly.

"It wasn't because of you, it was because of Voldemort that Nicolas had to remove that path of empowerment." said Dumbledore giving Harry a reassuring smile.

"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die."

"And you were the last person to drink straight from that stone." said Dumbledore with a small smile. "Speaking of their affairs, I fear that I have not told you, though it was my duty to do so as the executor of his will, they left all their wealth and possessions to you."

Harry looked quickly over to Dumbledore. "What?" he said in barely a whisper.

"They had no children and obviously, no living relatives. They had no one to give their assets to. Also, it was Nicolas' way of apologizing, for being the cause of someone almost taking your life. Also, there is a trust fund for Mr. Weasely and Miss Granger, about a million galleons each."

"Huh?" said Ron staring at Dumbledore. Hermione's mouth slackened and hung loosely open.

"It will be available to you the year after you graduate from Hogwarts. Giving you a large head start in your future careers." said Dumbledore with a broad smile.

"Why? Why did he give us..." said Hermione weakly.

"For your participation in trying to save the Stone as well." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on Harry's face.

"To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible,

"To anyone but you, I think, it's incredible." said Bill shaking his head.

but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day.

"That's an odd way of looking at it, but then again, being a doctor, I don't always see people die peacefully." said Dr. Clark thinking carefully.

"Who do you mostly treat, Dr. Clark?" asked Hermione, extremely interested.

"I'm an E.R. surgeon." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"So you ARE one of the muggle nutters that cut people open? OUCH!" said Ron and then yelped as Hermione elbowed him hard in the ribs.

Dr. Clark, was not insulted however, he merely laughed. "Yeah, Ron, I guess you could call me and my profession that. Especially after what I've seen of magical healing." he said with a smile.

After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing.

"Except for the part about it saving Harry's life, correct?" said McGonagall.

"I didn't think that Harry was up to hearing that tale just yet." said Dumbledore sadly.

"I really wasn't, after a while, I just wanted to go back to sleep." said Harry with a smile.

As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all—

"Not all of us." said the Rangers, Aurors, and Harry.

"We want it so that there is no more need for us, so we can take it easy." said Lionus, as the other Rangers nodded.

"Same thing with us." said Moody.

Harry said nothing, thinking of his parents, Officer McFinn, Cedric and the end of Voldemort.

the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."

"That's true." said Firenze and Tempest together.

Harry lay there, lost for words. Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling.

"You do love to have people think about what you say and then try and come up with a rebuttal." said McGonagall with a smile.

"And I didn't have one." said Harry with a smile.

"Sir?" said Harry. "I've been thinking… sir—even if the Stone's gone, Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who—"

"Call him Voldemort, Harry.

"How come you don't stutter over his name, like everyone else?" asked Percy suspiciously.

"We don't worry about him, he's not on our radar." said the Doctor, shrugging.

"He's on our radar now, Doc. He used my squad to try and get the Potter boy. Its personal." said Lionus with a snarl.

"Oh, well, killing him won't take too long now." said Doc shrugging.

"Why didn't you take him out if he's no problem?" said Sirius angrily.

"You had the means to take him out, you didn't need us." said Lionus simply.

Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

"Wise words." said Tempest nodding approvingly over to the Headmaster.

"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"

"YES HE HAS!" shouted Umbridge. Lionus whipped out his wand and immediately a gag appeared over her mouth and ropes around her wrists, securing her to the chair.

"I'm not ready to go and take care of the paper work just yet, and neither is Nightstrike or Tempest, I shouldn't wonder. So this," he said standing up and walking over to her. He pulled the gag out of her mouth and snapping it back, like a rubber band. "should take care of your bothersome chatter."

Fudge was still staring at Harry in shock, he hadn't noticed that his colleague was now gagged and bound.

"No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share… not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies.

"That was obvious from the Scattered Shot." said Kingsley shuddering; he was remembering what had happened to the unsuspecting Quirrell.

Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time—

"That was a little promise to myself, that I would not have you do something like this again." said Dumbledore sadly.

and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."

Harry nodded, but stopped quickly, because it made his head hurt.

"I remember you wincing in pain. I just about summoned Madam Pomfrey." said Dumbledore quietly.

Then he said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me… things I want to know the truth about…"

"That is what stopped me dead in my tracks." said Dumbledore sadly.

"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."

"That was a little hint to me that, you weren't going to tell me much." said Harry with a small smile.

"Well… Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"

"A question the whole world would like to know." said Remus.

Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.

"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day… put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older… I know you hate to hear this… when you are ready, you will know."

And Harry knew it would be no good to argue.

"I was right." said Harry with a larger smile.

"But why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love.

"His famous 'love speech'." said Nightstrike smiling with his eyes looking up at the ceiling.

He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign… to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."

Sirius smiled broadly with tears in his eyes, he kissed the top of Harry's head.

Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Harry time to dry his eyes on the sheet.

"Awww!" cooed several girls.

When he had found his voice again, Harry said, "And the invisibility cloak — do you know who sent it to me?"

"Ah — your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful things… your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here."

"Wasn't just using it to sneak food." said Remus with a broad smile.

"And there's something else…"

"Fire away."

"Quirrell said Snape —"

"Professor Snape, Harry."

"You still have to keep reminding me of the title in front of his name." said Harry to Dumbledore.

"Yes, him —

Several people snorted.

Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"

"Bout as true as true can be." said Sirius with a glare towards Snape.

"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy.

"I don't detest him anymore, at least not really." said Harry quietly. "I just dislike him."

And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive."

"What?"

"He saved his life."

"What?"

Sirius shuffled his feet guiltily and chewed his lip.

Yes…" said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt… I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace…"

"Makes sense." said Fred.

"I guess." said George.

Harry tried to understand this but it made his head pound, so he stopped.

"And sir, there's one more thing…"

"Just the one?"

"How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?"

"You wanted to find it, and not use it." said Luna dreamily.

Dumbledore smiled brightly at her. "We must have a chat sometime Miss. Lovegood. I think we would have the most stimulating conversations."

Luna looked happily over to the man, "Oh yes sir! I've heard that you have a Humroonbow in your office!"

"A Humroonbow, Miss Lovegood?" said Dumbledore with a smile.

"It's a creature that instills comfort and calmness in a room. They love to be near powerful people." she said dreamily.

"There might be one in there, if so, it is a very good hider." said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling brightly.

"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas,

"From what I've heard, you have every right to have a high opinion of yourself." said Dr. Clark with a bright smile.

and between you and me, that's saying something.

Dumbledore laughed. "Dear me, what has become of my humility? I must get it in check."

You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone—find it, but not use it—would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes…

Dumbledore continued laughing but now he was burying his face in his hands. "Oh, dear me!" he said still laughing.

Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets.

"That's is a very nice way of shutting him up." said Dr. Clark teasingly.

"If he had another question, I would have answered him." said Dumbledore brightly.

"And I did have one more, I asked if you were alright." said Harry with a smile.

"Why would you ask him that?" said Mrs. Weasely.

"You'll find out real soon." said Harry with a grin. Dumbledore chuckled.

Ah! Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them—but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"

He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"

"Since you had that one, sir, I don't eat them either." said Harry laughing along with Dumbledore. Several students laughed too, along with Mrs. Weasely, who got the answer to her question.

Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict.

"Nice description of me Mr. Potter." said Madam Pomfrey smiling.

"Just five minutes," Harry pleaded.

"Absolutely not."

"You let Professor Dumbledore in…"

"I can't really say no to Dumbledore." said Madam Pomfrey smiling.

"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You needrest."

"I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey…"

"Oh no. you've got your mother's cheek! What is living with you going to bring?" said Sirius pretending to look worried.

"Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only."

And she let Ron and Hermione in.

"Harry!"

Hermione looked ready to fling her arms around him again, but Harry was glad she held herself in as his head was still very sore.

"Madam Pomfrey said she'd throw us out if we were too rough with you." said Hermione with a small smile.

"Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to—Dumbledore was so worried—"

"I guess we didn't know just how worried." said Ron quietly.

"And we didn't know how close you were to..." said Hermione faintly.

"The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"

It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Harry told them everything:

"Well you softened it quite a bit." said Hermione looking over to Harry with a fond smile. "Thanks for that by the way."

Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.

"I'm amazed that Madam Pomfrey didn't come and check what was going on." said Ron thinking back.

"I was too busy listening to the story, Mr. Weasely, and I had to barely hold back my scream as well." said Madam Pomfrey defensively.

"So the Stone's gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to die?"

"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that—what was it?—'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.'"

"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.

"Like I said Harry, that one is my favorite phrase to describe my eccentricities." said Dumbledore, smiling towards Ron.

"So what happened to you two?" said Harry.

"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round—that took a while—and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall—he already knew—he just said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor."

"He was just about as fast a runner as Harry is." said Ron loudly.

"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"

"Well, " Hermione exploded, "if he did—I mean to say that's terrible—you could have been killed."

"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could…"

"And I swear, I will never do that again." said Dumbledore sadly. "From that point on, I always made sure that I or someone else was within calling distance."

"Made sure? You mean to say that he's gotten into more danger after this?" said Sirius weakly.

"Sort of..." said Harry plainly.

"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course—

"Damn, that sucks." said Remus sadly.

you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you—

"Being without a seeker will do that." said Charlie shaking his head.

but the food'll be good."

"The end-of-the-year feasts are always good." said Bill with a smile.

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over. "You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly.

"Story time was over, now it's sleepy time." said Fred in a cutesy voice.

After a good night's sleep, Harry felt nearly back to normal.

"I'm not too sure what normal is." said Harry with a chuckle.

"I want to go to the feast," he told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened his many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?"

"Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said stiffly, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realize how risky feasts could be.

"They can be! He was fragile!" said Madam Pomfrey ignoring Harry's groan. "He could have been jostled around and injured further!"

"And you have another visitor."

"Wonder who it is?" said Ernie.

"Oh, good," said Harry. "Who is it?"

Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke.

"That was nice of you Hagrid!" said Mrs. Weasely. She was feeling much better, now that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were out of danger.

As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down next to Harry, took one look at him, and burst into tears.

"What was wrong, Hagrid?" said Mrs. Weasely confused.

"It's—all—my—ruddy—fault!" he sobbed, his face in his hands. "I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"

"Whoa! Hagrid never cries, or swears off drinking! Did you really do it?" asked Charlie looking up to Hagrid.

"He did, for quite a while." said Dumbledore kindly.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him."

"That was nice of you, trying to calm him down." said Ginny quietly.

"I was in shock, he was so big, and he was so strong, I didn't know he could cry like that." whispered Harry.

"Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!"

"VOLDEMORT!" Harry bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying.

"I've met him and I'm calling him by his name.

"Dumbledore gave me the go ahead to say it. Before, I was too nervous to say it, just in case someone would get angry at me for saying it." said Harry quietly.

Sirius and Remus thought back to the Dursleys. Sirius growled softly. "Unless you swear, we aren't going to get mad at you."

Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I've got loads…"

"You're so generous, Harry!" cooed Mrs. Weasely.

"I didn't have my knapsack or anything, or I would have given him some gingerbread, but chocolate made Neville feel better." said Harry, blushing furiously.

Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me. I've got yeh a present."

"Seems like he's always got something for you." said Remus with a smile.

"It's not a stoat sandwich, is it?" said Harry anxiously,

"I only eat stoats or weasels while I'm in dog form." said Sirius shaking his head.

"Your dog form needs a bath, now that I think about it." said Dr. Clark smirking.

Remus and Harry laughed as Sirius smacked him on head with a cushion.

and at last Hagrid gave a weak chuckle.

"Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it.

"Fix what?" asked Dean.

'course, he shoulda sacked me instead—anyway, got yeh this…"

It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Harry opened it curiously. It was full of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at him from every page were his mother and father.

"Oh, Hagrid." said Sirius smiling up to Hagrid, Remus was drying his eyes.

"Dumbledore put me in charge of gatherin' it all up." said Hagrid proudly.

"Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos…

"Sorry, Harry, I wasn't one of the people who gave Hagrid photos. But I've got a bunch, all of the ones that Sirius and I took." said Remus sadly.

"Why didn't you send Hagrid any?" asked Ron confused.

"I was abroad. In South America actually." said Remus.

knew yeh didn' have any… d'yeh like it?"

"I loved it, I still love it." said Harry, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Harry couldn't speak, but Hagrid understood.

Harry made his way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. He had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving him one last checkup,

"I wish I did one to look for non-magically caused injuries." said Madam Pomfrey bitterly.

so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row.

A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.

When Harry walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once.

"Nothing all that different from what happens now." said Harry to himself.

He slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him.

Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.

"Whereas with 'The Toad' she has to clear her throat." said Fred with a smirk.

"And still people talk over her." said George with a grin.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast.

"Nice opening speech." said Dr. Clark laughing heartily.

What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were… you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…

"We all do try our best to forget everything." said Harry happily.

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Harry could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.

"Took everything I had not to smack you." said Harry over to Draco.

"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

"Huh?" asked Sirius and Bill at the same time.

The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.

Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...

"Can he do that?" asked Tonks to McGonagall.

"He can, and for any reason he sees fit. This, as the rest of the teacher (except for Snape) agreed, was a very good reason." said McGonagall.

First—to Mr. Ronald Weasley…" Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.

"Gee, thanks mate." said Ron with a raised eyebrow.

"… for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

"Go Ron!" yelled Charlie and Bill.

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

"Yeah, if I had known just how difficult it was..." said Percy weakly.

At last there was silence again.

"Second—to Miss Hermione Granger… for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

"Were you trying to make a joke? Cause if you did, you did one heck of a job." said Kingsley, trying to hide a smile.

Hermione buried her face in her arms; Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears.

"I had never been awarded points in front of the whole school before." said Hermione trying to defend herself.

Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves—they were a hundred points up.

"You're narrowing the lead!" yelled Sirius, getting more and more excited.

"Third—to Mr. Harry Potter…" said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "… for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

"Come on! One more point and they would win!" said Dr. Clark counting up the points fast. "Has there ever been a year in which houses are tied?"

"Nope, never. If it does happen, then Dumbledore, or if there is another headmaster, gives points for things he's noticed throughout the year."

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points—exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup—if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.

Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

"Go Neville! I guess getting cursed and left on the ground all night, sort of paid off!" said Charlie clapping Neville on the back.

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before.

"Since then, he's won quite a bit in Herbology class." said Harry proudly.

Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.

"I had to tell my students that it was well within the rules what Dumbledore did." said Snape with a frown.

Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."

He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. He caught Harry's eye and Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward him hadn't changed one jot.

"Big surprise." said Fred and George rolling their eyes.

This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.

It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls… he would never, ever forget tonight.

"I still haven't." said Harry quietly.

Harry had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both he and Ron passed with good marks;

"Meaning I got through with mostly 'E's and Harry scored all 'E's he was worried that he might have hit an 'O' or dropped down too low." said Ron with a smirk.

Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years.

"Big surprise." chanted Fred and George again, but they were smiling.

Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one.

"That hasn't changed at all." said Neville with a small smile.

They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.

"Goyle managed to get an 'A' in Potions, which raised his average from a 'T' to a 'P'." muttered Draco.

"Which is just enough to get you through to second year." said Snape.

And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets;notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred Weasley sadly);

"Not with you two as students, I won't" said Professor McGonagall sternly.

Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.

"It never seems like to take a long time to get there, but it takes all day to get to the school." said Hermione thoughtfully.

"That's because the train goes slower at the beginning of the year." said Harry absently.

"How do you know?" said Hermione quickly.

"I timed it." said Harry with a broad smile.

It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.

"Could use him at the beginning for the Muggle-borns." said Harry to Dumbledore.

"I will see if he wishes to do so." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you—I'll send you an owl."

"Thanks," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to."

"Wish I had asked about that further." said Ron angrily.

People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:

"Bye, Harry!"

"See you, Potter!"

"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at him.

"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry.

"Tell me we don't have to listen to more of the Dursley's." whined Remus.

"Sorry." said Harry.

"You don't need to be sorry, they do." said Remus quickly.

He, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together.

"There he is, Mom, there he is, look!" It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.

"Sorry, Ron." said Ginny sadly.

"It's all good." said Ron waving away the apology.

"Harry Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mom! I can see —"

"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point." Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them.

"Busy year?" she said.

"Oh, dear, I asked a loaded question, didn't I." said Mrs. Weasely shaking her head.

"Very," said Harry. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh, it was nothing, dear."

"Ready, are you?"

It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people.

"Oh, just let me at him for a few moments. It's all I'm asking." said Remus angrily.

Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry.

"They thought I could fight back, now. They used to be this nervous...around...Officer McFinn..." said Harry changing quickly from a happy mood, to a downtrodden one. Dr. Clark reached around and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day." He walked away.

"I just thought they were grumpy." said Mrs. Weasely earnestly to Harry.

"It's alright, you were there when I really needed you." said Harry consolingly.

Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione.

"See you over the summer, then."

"Hope you have—er—a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.

"They were more than just unpleasant." said Hermione angrily.

"Oh, I will," said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face.

"It wasn't just the smile, it was that you looked really evil." said Ron with a laugh.

"They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer…"

"Don't push your luck boy." growled Moody warningly.

"Well that's the end of this book." said the Doctor.

"Good job, Nicodemus. I'm amazed you didn't all of a sudden switch to Latin. He loves to do that." said Lionus rolling his eyes.

"These are children, I didn't want to overwhelm them." said Nicodemus haughtily.

"Can we start the next book?" asked Colin excitedly. "I'm in that one!"

"It's six forty-two." said Harry looking at the sunset. "And if it starts the way I think it does, we better save it for tomorrow."

"Your choice, Harry." said Dumbledore kindly. "Well, let's stretch our legs and await dinner."

"Mind if I go down and cook something?" asked Harry. "Better vent before tomorrow rolls around."

"Of course not, dear boy. Go and cook to your heart's desire." said Dumbledore smiling broadly.

"Harry, we need to talk." said Remus.

"Is it about punishing me for going down the trapdoor?" said Harry looking up to him.

"Yeah, I…" said Remus.

"Dumbledore said we weren't going to be punished for anything that happened in the past." said Ron worriedly.

"School won't punish you, but we will." said Remus nodding over to Mrs. Weasley.

"What sort of punishment did you have in mind?" asked Harry plainly.

"We can talk about that in private." said Remus.

"Like I told Sirius before, I've had worse, whatever you do." said Harry shrugging. "Paddling won't do much to me, better get creative." Harry stood up in the bowl and walked out and towards the kitchens. But stopped before he closed the door behind him, he addressed the rest of the students without looking at them.

"You believed the rumors that year, and they mentioned Voldemort, and yet when I tell you almost directly what happened last year, not one of you believed me." he then took leave.

As the students digested this Remus had his own worries, he turned to Sirius.

"Why does he keep fighting me?" he asked worriedly.

"Beats me, I'll ask him later." said Sirius shrugging.

He was pouring candied chestnuts and syrup in a bowl when Ginny came in, she looked around until she found Harry.

"What are you making?" asked Ginny walking over to him.

"Candied Chestnuts, thought they'd be a nice snack for tomorrow. Whatcha need?" said Harry wiping his hands on a towel.

"Dumbledore just announced that on the weekends, we won't be doing any reading. I just wanted to know, if you wanted to go to Hogsmede with me on Saturday." she said giving Harry a shy smile.

"I'd love to. You hungry? I've got a small pot of my seven-day spaghetti on the stove, it's just about ready." said Harry looking over to the streaming pot.

"Sure, um..what makes it 'seven-day spaghetti'." asked Ginny sitting down at a little table.

"Every day, I add more spices to the mix. Here we go." said Harry placing some of it onto a plate and hands it to her. She twirled her fork around the noodles and places the fork full of spaghetti into her mouth. She moaned in delight of the multitude of flavors blending together in her mouth. It was sweet and spicy all in one tasty bite.

"Hmm...mmm.." moaned Ginny.

"I take it, you like it?" said Harry eating from his own plate.

"You need to teach mom this recipe." said Ginny getting another forkful.

"Your mom doesn't need any help in the kitchen." said Harry with a smile. "So, what do you want to do in Hogsmede?" said Harry pouring Ginny a tall glass of butterbeer.

"Well, we can just wander about." said Ginny with a smile. "We can talk and walk..."

"That sounds great. I think both of our families would kill us if we moved way too fast. Ron might not like the idea of me dating you though." said Harry helping himself to seconds.

"When it comes to my choice of who I date, I don't care what Ron thinks." said Ginny rolling her eyes.

"You don't sleep in the same room with him." said Harry shaking his fork at her playfully.

Once they ate all they wanted, which was the entire pot, Harry magicked the pot into the sink and it began to clean itself.

"Want to help me finish off the chestnuts?" said Harry with a broad smile. Ginny nodded and listened to Harry's instructions.

It was ten o'clock when they were almost finished, Harry was magicking the syrup to be absorbed faster into the delectable little chestnuts, when Sirius came down with Mrs. Weasely on his heels. When they saw both teens in the kitchen together; Mrs. Weasely placed her hands on her hips.

"What are you two doing? It's ten at night!" she scolded.

"Making a snack for tomorrow." said Harry getting a large baking sheet. "Thank God for magic, this would normally take a whole week to make."

"Well, it's time for the both of you to go to bed." said Sirius looking suspiciously over to Harry.

Ginny left with her mother and Sirius came over to Harry.

"You like pushing your luck, don't you?" said Sirius with a mischievous grin.

"I'm not too sure what you're talking about." said Harry, placing the nuts in the stove.

"Don't go too fast with Ginny. You don't want to ostracize yourself from that family." said Sirius with a smirk.

"I don't intend to do anything hasty with Ginny. I may be reckless with my life, but I've got morals." said Harry smacking Sirius' hand with a wooden spoon when he reached for a finger-full of the excess syrup.

"I was about to kiss her a week ago, if you can bother to remember, but I pulled back. I don't want to rush in; I want to take it slow. I had a crush on Cho, and I wanted to run into a relationship with her." said Harry setting the timer.

"That really, really cute Ravenclaw? Hell, I would have!" said Sirius with a smirk.

"I would have gone headlong, forgetting about her lingering feelings for...Cedric." Harry looked down, with a saddened expression. "I don't want to put her through hell."

Sirius stared at him and smiled. "Alright, finish cooking and let's get you to bed. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be a long day for me, if it's got the Dursley's in the chapter. And on the way, Remus wants me to ask why you keep scrapping with him."

"He wants to punish me for either things that had already happened four years ago, or for things I've thought. He needs to lay off. Also, Ron and I ended up in the hospital wing; I think we were punished enough." said Harry looking at the stove intently. "And you already told me I was going to be grounded when I get home, so what's the point of going on about it?"

"Fair enough, little late for Ron, but…I'll have a talk with Moony." said Sirius ruffling his godson's hair. "Thanks again for letting us treat you like a kid."

"No problem, thanks for letting me sleep when I want to." said Harry.

"Yeah, Dumbledore and I were wondering about that, why do you sleep all the time?" asked Sirius, finally sneaking a bit of syrup.

"I'm not all together sure; I just get so tired at random times. I have a theory, but I don't' know…" said Harry quietly.

"Well, no matter, take all the naps you want, we'll stay alert for you. Come on, the house-elves can polish it up, let's get you to bed." said Sirius putting an arm around the youth and leading him out of the kitchen.

Chapter 26

The next morning, after everyone had finished with their breakfast and Bathilda had returned from going home quickly to check on her cat, Harry wanted to read the next chapter, but Sirius wouldn't have it.

"I don't need you skipping a part, just to avoid us worrying about you." he said scolding him lightly.

"The Unspeakables said that I couldn't do that." pouted Harry.

"Don't care." said Sirius, " Besides, remember what I said last night? What if you get tired right in the middle of reading? If I volunteer to read, you can read half." he said fairly.

So it was decided that Professor Flitwick would begin the reading of the second chapter. He went and picked up a completely different book then the one they had spent the past week or so reading.

"The next book is called ' Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'." he said loudly.

Ginny motioned to Harry that she would sit beside her mother, father and oldest brothers. Harry nodded and smiled understandingly.

"I think I 'd better explain something, I rechecked the powers of 'Memorial Books' and found that as the books progress, they gain a bit more strength. Now for this chapter, we may experience a Scatter Shot and a Recollection Scroll in one day, or three Scatter Shots." said the Head Unspeakable. People began to talk about themselves excitedly, they loved the short movies (as one of the muggleborns called it.) though they didn't really like the bad memories.

Professor Flitwick took a deep breath and read the chapter title, rather reluctantly.

The Worst Birthday.

"Oh, I don't think I really want to hear this." said Sirius wincing a little.

Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive.

"And it won't be the last." said Harry shaking his head.

Mr. Vernon Dursley had been woken in the early hours of morning by a loud hooting noise from his nephew Harry's room.

"That would be Hedwig." said Ron with a smirk.

"She is the best alarm clock, during the summer." said Harry, watching his owl as she fluttered down to him. She puffed out her feathered chest importantly.

"Third time this week!" he roared across the table. "If you can't control that owl, it'll have to go!"

"If you would let me let her out, she would be hooting so loudly in the morning." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"He didn't let her out?" asked Sirius angrily.

"He hates her with a passion." said Harry stroking Hedwig's feathers absently. "She's not too fond of him either."

Hedwig clicked her beak angrily at the book.

Harry tried, yet again, to explain.

"She's bored," he said. "She's used to flying around outside. If I could just let her out at night-"

"Do I look stupid?" snarled Uncle Vernon, a bit of fried egg dangling from his bushy mustache.

"Yes!" yelled everyone in the Great Hall in unison.

"Or was that a trick question." said George out loud.

"I know what'll happen if that owl's let out."

"What would happen if you did let her out?" asked Charlie.

"I would send letters to Hagrid or Dumbledore for help." said Harry forgetting to censor his words.

"What do you mean, help?" said Remus slowly.

"Umm..." said Harry.

"Maybe the readings will let us know." said Flitwick, trying to spare Harry from releasing information that he wasn't ready to let go.

He exchanged dark looks with his wife, Petunia.

"That doesn't mean anything good." said Sirius looking worried.

Harry tried to argue back but his words were drowned by a long, loud belch from the Dursleys' son, Dudley.

"Disgusting child." said McGonagall turning up her nose.

"Sounds like he got better over the year." said Ron sarcastically.

"I want more bacon."

"There is something wrong with that." said Fred with a smirk.

"The pig wants more bacon?" said George looking horrified.

"Cannibal!" the twins yelled.

"There's more in the frying pan, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia, turning her misty eyes on her massive son.

"I made almost eight rashers of bacon. He went through five of them." said Harry with a laugh.

"We must build you up while we've got the chance...

"More likely while I'm there." said Harry angrily.

I don't like the sound of that school food..."

"What kind of food do they have there?" asked Hermione.

"Dudley bragged about what he gets at Smeltings to me. They get porridge, eggs, bacon, sausages, cereal, milk and juice in the morning. Sandwiches and tea, for lunch. And a different choice of meat, vegetable, and dessert every night for dinner." said Harry ticking off the things that Dudley had told him. "He asked me what 'pathetic excuse for a meal' we get here." said Harry rolling his eyes. "I told him that we get about seven times more of a selection than he does."

"How did he take to that?" asked Ron with a smirk.

"He...um…." said Harry almost silently.

"What did you say?" asked Sirius quickly.

"He...dislocated...my...arm..." he said louder.

Sirius stared at Harry, as did most of the people in the room.

"I'm going to beat that little b $! & !" yelled Sirius.

"Get in line." snarled Hermione.

"There's a long line." growled Ginny.

"Hey, I was fine, I just…snapped it back in place…" said Harry helplessly.

"Like your nose?" asked Remus with a pale look.

"Maybe…" said Harry quietly.

"Nonsense, Petunia. I never went hungry when I was at Smeltings," said Uncle Vernon heartily.

"He's never gone hungry, period." snarled Harry.

"Dudley gets enough, don't you, son?"

"Too much." said Fred shaking his head.

"Way too much." said George rolling his eyes.

Dudley, who was so large his bottom, drooped over either side of the kitchen chair,

"That sounds absolutely horrible!" said a few girls, their hands quickly tracing their hips.

"I'm an amazed that most of us don't become that size, easily." said a seventh year girl.

"Not with our classes so far apart, Transfiguration is at least three-quarters of a mile away from at least Charms class, and the distance varies, but it doesn't get much shorter than that." said Harry with a grin. "We work off our meals just going to the first two lessons of the day."

The students stared at Harry in amazement. They really do all that walking?

grinned and turned to Harry.

"Pass the frying pan."

"Stupid prat can't even say 'please'." said Dean.

"You've forgotten the magic word," said Harry irritably.

"That was a bad, BAD choice of words." moaned Tonks.

"Tell me about it." said Harry shaking his head.

The effect of this simple sentence on the rest of the family was incredible: Dudley gasped and fell off his chair with a crash that shook the whole kitchen;

"That should have been a clue to someone that he was too big, especially for an eleven year old." said Mrs. Weasely bitterly.

Mrs. Dursley gave a small scream and clapped her hands to her mouth; Mr. Dursley jumped to his feet, veins throbbing in his temples.

Sirius sat forward, his baring his teeth like vicious dog.

"Steady, steady..." growled Remus to himself.

"I meant 'please'!" said Harry quickly. "I didn't mean-"

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU," thundered his uncle, spraying spit over the table,

"Say it, don't spray it." said Hermione quietly, her eyes flashing in anger.

"ABOUT SAYING THE 'M' WORD IN OUR HOUSE?"

"What 'M' word is he talking about?" asked Neville.

"Magic." said Harry simply.

"But I-"

"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN DUDLEY!" roared Uncle Vernon pounding the table with his fist.

"He didn't threaten your fat, worthless son!" yelled Sirius angrily. "I'll show him threaten." he finished clenching his fist.

"I just-"

"I WARNED YOU! I WILL NOT TOLERATE MENTION OF YOUR ABNORMALITY UNDER THIS ROOF!"

"Abnormality? That's what he calls it?" said Draco viciously.

"He doesn't like anything out of his so-called norm." said Harry shrugging.

Harry stared from his purple-faced uncle to his pale aunt, who was trying to heave Dudley to his feet.

"That took her a while to do." said Harry with a smirk.

"All right," said Harry, "all right..."

Uncle Vernon sat back down, breathing like a winded rhinoceros

"I would have thought walrus, but I guess a rhino is good too." said Lee shrugging.

and watching Harry closely out of the corners of his small, sharp eyes.

Ever since Harry had come home for the summer holidays, Uncle Vernon had been treating him like a bomb that might go off at any moment,

"A bomb?" asked Remus, confused.

"It's like a firework, only louder, larger and lethal." said Dr. Clark sadly. "I've seen men, women and children blown to pieces by them."

"Merlin." said Remus gulping loudly.

because Harry Potter wasn't a normal boy. As a matter of fact, he was not normal as it is possible to be.

Harry Potter was a wizard-

"Why is it going over what we already know?" said Zacharias rolling his eyes.

"In past readings, more and more people have been added to the readings as the books go on. So the books recap themselves." said the lead Unspeakable nodding towards Dr. Clark, Tempest, and Firenze.

"Can't we cut these bits out, Speckerton?" asked Fudge to the head Unspeakable.

"No." he said plainly.

a wizard fresh from his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The current and past students cheered loudly.

And if the Dursleys were unhappy to have him back for the holidays, it was nothing on how Harry felt.

"Not one person blames you." said Blaise, "I wouldn't want to go back there either."

He missed Hogwarts so much it was like having a constant stomachache.

Ginny looked at Harry, "That's called being...homesick."

"No one should be homesick, when they are home." said McGonagall sadly.

He missed the castle, with its secret passageways and ghosts, his classes (though perhaps not Snape, the Potions master),

"Feeling was mutual." drawled Snape.

the mail arriving by owl, eating banquets in the Great Hall, sleeping in his four-poster bed in the tower dormitory, visiting the gamekeeper, Hagrid, in his cabin next to the Forbidden Forest in the grounds,

"Missed yeh too 'Arry." said Hagrid with a smile.

and, especially, Quidditch,

Fred and George whistled.

the most popular sport in the wizarding world (six tall goal posts, four flying balls, and fourteen players on broomsticks).

All Harry's spellbooks, his wand, robes, cauldron, and top-of-the-line Nimbus Two Thousand broomstick

"Wasn't top-of-the-line much longer after that." said Draco with a sneer.

had been locked in a cupboard under the stairs by Uncle Vernon the instant Harry had come home.

"What?" said Hermione and the teachers quickly.

What did the Dursley care if Harry lost his place on the House Quidditch team because he hadn't practiced all summer?

"The only way we would kick you off the team, is if someone bans you." said Angelina scowling up to Umbridge.

What was it to the Dursleys if Harry went back to school without any of his homework done?

"What would have happened if I did come to school and none of my homework was done? Would you have believed me?" asked Harry looking to the teachers.

"No, I don't think we would have." said McGonagall sadly. "But if we had, we would have given you a pass on the homework."

The Dursely were what the wizards called Muggles (not a drop of magical blood in their veins), and as far as they were concerned, having a wizard in the family was a matter of deepest shame.

"My mom and dad are so proud of me, they brag to all my aunts and uncles." said Hermione, "Its' not right that they feel ashamed of you."

"That's not all that's wrong with them." mumbled Dr. Clark.

Uncle Vernon had even padlocked Harry's owl, Hedwig, inside her cage, to stop her from carrying messages to anyone in the wizarding world.

"That's cruel! She needs to stretch her wings!" shouted Charlie.

Harry looked nothing like the rest of the family. Uncle Vernon was large and neckless, with an enormous black mustache;

"Walrus!" shouted Fred.

Aunt Petunia was horse-faced and boney;

"Horsie!" yelled George.

Dudley was blond, pink, and porky.

"Piggy!" chanted the school's students.

Harry on the other hand was

"Attractive!" said Cho.

"Handsome!" said Ginny.

"Cute!" said the fourth year Gryffindor that kept trying to catch Harry's eye.

They all spoke at the same time, and their words were jumbled about. The three girls scowled at each other, as Harry looked at the three of them with a confused look.

"Think there's going to be a cat-fight?" asked Fred eagerly.

"My money's on Ginny." said George.

"That's an easy bet." said Fred.

"Don't give those girls any idea!" scolded Mrs. Weasley.

"I think you better stop the fight, before it starts." said Dr. Clark quickly.

"If I knew how, I would." said Harry looking over to Ginny, worried. For she was still glaring at the two other girls.

"You are clueless about girls, aren't you?" said Sirius shaking his head and smiling broadly.

"Don't take any of his advice, Harry. I'm begging you." said Remus giving Sirius a scrutinizing look.

small and skinny, with brilliant green eyes and jet-black hair that was always untidy. He wore round glasses, and on his forehead was a thin, lightening-shaped scar.

"Funny, Harry." said George with a straight face.

"You don't sound attractive," said Fred.

"Or handsome," said George.

"Or cute." the twins said together.

"I guess not." said Harry with a laugh.

It was this scar that made Harry so particularly unusual, even for a wizard. This scar was the only hint of Harry's very mysterious past, of the reason he had been left on the Dursley's doorstep eleven years before.

"Now there is no reason for you to go back." said Sirius ruffling his godson's hair.

At the age of one year old, Harry had somehow survived a curse from the greatest Dark sorcerer of all time, Lord Voldemort,

A strong flinch went through the school.

whose name most witches and wizards still feared to speak. Harry's parents had died in Voldemort's attack,

Sirius bowed his head, while Remus wiped a tear from his eye.

but Harry had escaped with his lightening scar, and somehow-nobody understood why-Voldemort's powers had been destroyed the instant he had failed to kill Harry.

Umbridge, who had been tied to the chair and gagged once again, thrashed about angrily. Whereas Fudge looked down in shame.

So Harry had been brought up by his dead mother's sister and her husband.

"I wouldn't say 'brought up'. I would say 'beaten up'." said Madam Bones angrily.

He had spent ten years with the Dursleys, never understanding why he kept making odd things happen without meaning to, believing the Dursley's story that he had got his scar in the car crash that had killed his parents.

"Wasn't an accident." muttered Sirius furiously.

And then, exactly a year ago, Hogwarts had written to Harry, and the whole story had come out. Harry had taken up his place at wizard school, where he and his scar were famous...but now the school year was over, and he was back with the Dursley for the summer, back to being treated like a dog that had rolled in something smelly.

"How dare they!" shouted Mrs. Weasely angrily.

"Say one more crack about my dog form Sam, and I'll beat you senseless with this pillow." said Sirius to Dr. Clark, raising a large cushion.

"Why aren't you angry about this?" yelled Mrs. Weasely.

"They're already going to get their come-uppance, thanks to Madam Bones. All I'm asking is to go to their trial and the opportunity to smack Vernon about a few times." said Sirius with an evil grin.

The Dursleys hadn't even remembered that today happened to be Harry's twelfth birthday. Of course his hopes hadn't been high; they'd never given him a real present, let alone a cake-

"You are getting, a cake, presents, a party, and anything else you could possibly want for your birthday this coming year." said Sirius and Dr. Clark quickly. Remus took a piece of parchment out of his pocket and started writing ideas down for the party.

but to ignore it completely...

"Your standards shouldn't have been so low." said Tonks angrily.

At that moment, Uncle Vernon cleared his throat importantly

"He sounds like Umbridge." said Ginny with a smirk.

and said, "Now as we all know, today is a very important day."

"You mean to tell me that they are going to do something nice for your birthday?" asked Dr. Clark in amazement.

Harry looked up, hardly daring to believe it.

"This could well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career." said Uncle Vernon.

"What a...F# &!#& BASTARD!" yelled Bill.

"WILLIAM!" screeched Mrs. Weasely.

"MOM! HE PUT HIS BUSINESS DEAL ON HIS NEPHEW'S BIRTHDAY!" yelled Bill.

Harry went back to his toast. Of course, he thought bitterly, Uncle Vernon was talking about the stupid dinner party.

"Dinner party? Are they going to at least have cake for your birthday then?" asked Neville, trying to find the silver lining.

"Nope, they have another activity for me to do." said Harry with scowl.

He'd been talking of nothing else for two weeks. Some rich builder and his wife were coming to dinner and Uncle Vernon was hoping to get a huge order from him (Uncle Vernon's company made drills).

"Well, you love cooking right? You can at least make them enjoy their meal with your food." said Lavender hopefully.

"I'll explain when it comes around, why I won't be cooking that night." said Harry kicking the air.

"I think we should run through the schedule one more time," said Uncle Vernon. "We should all be in position at eight o'clock.

"Schedule? You don't have a schedule for a dinner party. You just enjoy yourself." said Bathilda Bagshot looking incredulous.

Petunia, you will be-?"

"In the lounge," said Aunt Petunia promptly,

"Is it a nice lounge?" asked Luna.

"It's clean, that's all I can say about it." said Harry with a scowl.

"waiting to welcome them graciously to our home."

"I wouldn't want to go anywhere near her." said Snape with a snarl.

"Good, good. And Dudley?"

"I'll be waiting to open the door." Dudley put on a foul, simpering smile. "May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"

"Hell no! I don't want your pudgy hands all over my nice designer coat!" said Fred to an invisible Dudley.

"They'll love him!" cried Aunt Petunia rapturously.

"They'll hate him!" said George mimicking Aunt Petunia.

"Excellent, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon. Then he rounded on Harry. "And you?"

"Setting the table and putting the finishing touches on the food?" said Seamus half-heartedly

"I'll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," said Harry tonelessly.

"Wait, what? It's your birthday and you've got to stay in your room all night?" said Charlie looking at Harry in shock.

"That's one reason why the chapter is labeled 'Worst Birthday' I suppose." said Harry shrugging.

"One?" mouthed Sirius.

"Another reason is that they didn't want me cooking. Thought I would screw up the food on purpose." said Harry with a scowl.

"Exactly," said Uncle Vernon nastily. "I will lead them into the lounge, introduce you, Petunia, and pour them drinks. At eight-fifteen-"

"I'll announce dinner," said Aunt Petunia.

"Dinner should be served nice and hot, not freaking stone cold!" said Ron angrily.

"She kept the food in the oven, it only burnt a little." said Harry shrugging.

"And, Dudley, you'll say-"

"May I take you through to the dining room, Mrs. Mason?" said Dudley, offering his fat arm to an invisible woman.

"I wouldn't let that wretched boy touch me." said McGonagall her nose turned upward.

"Neither would I." nodded Professor Sprout.

"My perfect little gentleman!" sniffed Aunt Petunia.

"Again, like Rebecca said, the only gentleman there is Harry." said Alicia

"And you?" said Uncle Vernon viciously to Harry.

"'I'm going to go out and enjoy my bloody birthday!'" said Bill, speaking for Harry.

"I would have given anything to say that." said Harry laughing hard.

"I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," said Harry dully.

"He's still asking you what you are going to do? I'm gonna kill him." said Remus angrily. "He shouldn't...keep reminding you that your birthday isn't something to be recognized!"

Harry stared him with a large smile. "You better think about what you just said." said Harry with a laugh.

Remus thought quickly and then smacked himself in the forehead. "Oh...I didn't mean it!"

"I know you didn't, it's just so funny." said Harry laughing.

"Precisely. Now we should aim to get in a few good compliments at dinner. Petunia, any ideas?"

"Who plans a compliment?" said Hermione in disbelief.

"Dysfunctional people." said Ron rolling his eyes.

"Venon tells me you're a wonderful golfer, Mr. Mason...

"Um...I take golfing lessons and I need a forty point handicap in mini-golf?" said Fred in a deep voice.

Do tell me where you bought your dress Mrs. Mason..."

"The local consignment store." said George in a high-pitched voice.

"Perfect...Dudley?"

"How about-'We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr. Mason, and I wrote aboutyou.'"

"Really? Mind if you read a bit of it? Love to hear it." said Fred in the same deep voice.

This was too much for both Aunt Petunia and Harry. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and hugged her son,

"What a sap." said Blaise shaking his head.

while Harry ducked under the table so they wouldn't see him laughing.

"Oh, come on, Harry, laugh in his face! It's your birthday!" said Tonks eagerly.

"I get him, it's not much, but I get him." said Harry with a smirk.

"Is that when you used those things you got in the Wizard Crackers?" said Dean, remembering what Harry said.

"About seven days after I got back." said Harry with a smirk. "I heard Uncle Vernon complaining about gas he was getting from restaurant food. And he said he was getting boils from all the stress at work. So, I put the balloons in the bed, filled them only a little and didn't seal them all the way, and snuck into their room a few nights later and put the boils all over his face and arms."

"What did he do when he found out everything." said Remus anxiously, he loved hearing about pranks, but not if it meant his cub getting hurt.

"Well...um...he...can we forget about it?" said Harry helplessly.

"No. What..did..he..do?" said Sirius sternly.

Harry looked down in shame. "He...just..." he couldn't finish. He wasn't defending his Uncle's abusive ways, it was just...embarrassing. With all his brains and leg strength, he couldn't defend himself against his overstuffed Uncle.

"I guess...you'll tell us when you're ready." said Sirius in a defeated tone.

Professor Flitwick looked over to Harry sadly, then continued on.

"And you boy?"

"He's got a name you..." said Ginny, not finishing what she was saying.

Harry fought to keep his face straight as he emerged.

"I'd a failed, miserably." said Lee, still laughing.

"I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," he said

"They keep making you repeat it? That's got be some form of torture." said Charlie, his fists clenching.

"Too right you will," said Uncle Vernon forcefully. "The Masons don't know anything about you and it's going to stay that way.

"Too bad, the Masons might have loved you." said Angelina with a smile.

When dinner's over, you take Mrs. Mason back to the lounge for coffee, Petunia,

"She can't even make a decent cup of coffee." muttered Harry.

and I'll bring the subjects around to drills.

"How would he do that?" asked Fred curiously.

"I found a drill bit in the pork roast. Speaking of which...'?" said Harry shrugging his shoulders. "He's not a smooth talker."

"Would that have worked?" asked Neville with a smile.

"Only if Aunt Petunia had cooked that night." said Harry with a smirk.

"If you didn't cook then who did?" asked Neville.

"It was all frozen meat, and store-bought dessert." said Harry rolling his eyes.

With any luck, I'll have the deal signed and sealed before the news at ten. We'll be shopping for a vacation home in Majorca this time tomorrow."

"Wow, that must have been a massive sale." said Hermione staring at Harry.

"Yeah, it was a big one." said Harry shaking his head.

Harry couldn't feel too excited about this. He didn't think the Dursleys would like him any better in Majorca than they did on Privet Drive.

"That is, IF they took me." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"Wouldn't they?" asked Hermione worriedly.

"They didn't need me there, there are tons of restaurants in Majorca." said Harry shrugging.

"Right-I'm off into town to pick up the dinner jackets for Dudley and me. And you," he snarled at Harry. "You stay out of your aunt's way while she's cleaning."

"Oh!" said Harry suddenly.

"What is it?" said Sirius quickly.

"Uncle Vernon did give me a present, though I shot it all to hell. Damn, it was a good one too." said Harry disappointedly.

"What was it?" said Remus.

"It was a day, with no chores. And I screwed it up." said Harry sadly.

"How did you screw it up?" asked Ron.

"You'll find out later." said Harry.

Harry left through the back door. It was a brilliant, sunny day.

"At least the sun was shining on your birthday." said Mrs. Weasley kindly to Harry.

"That's not a good thing, if it the sun shines on your birthday, your year will be smothered in darkness." said Luna dreamily.

"Oh, that's not true!" said Hermione shortly.

"Oh, I don't know, the past five years, there was sunshine on my birthday. And yeah, the years were sort of dark." said Harry thoughtfully.

Luna smiled at him, while Hermione stared at him.

He crossed the lawn, slumped down on the garden bench, and sang under his breath:

"Happy Birthday to me...happy birthday to me..."

Lee stared at the book, "Wow, that's depressing."

Fred dragged him over to himself and George and had a quick discussion. When Ron and Hermione caught wind of it, they also hurried over and plotted.

"That's never a good sign, seeing Fred and George smile like that." said Harry worriedly.

No cards, no presents,

"Ron and Hermione didn't even send you a card?" said Dr. Clark, looking angrily over to the two fifth years.

"We didn't forget!" said Hermione tearfully.

"They actually didn't, it'll say what happened to their letters." said Harry trying to ease the situation.

and he would be spending the evening pretending not to exist. He gazed miserably into the hedge. He had never felt so lonely.

Sirius looked over to Harry sadly and pulled him into a tight hug. "You won't be lonely anymore cub." he said whispering in his ear.

"I know." said Harry with a smile.

More than anything else at Hogwarts, more even than playing Quidditch, Harry missed his best friends, Ron Weasely and Hermione Granger. They, however, didn't seem to be missing him at all.

"We were!" said Ron.

"I didn't know that at the time. I found out what happened that night." said Harry quietly.

Neither of them had written to him all summer, even though Ron had said he was going to ask Harry to come and stay.

"And I did, mate, right as I got home! I told mom if you could come and stay for the whole summer. She reckoned, at the time anyway, that you wanted to spend a bit of time with your family." said Ron.

Countless times, Harry had been on the point of unlocking Hedwig's cage by magic and sending her to Ron and Hermione with a letter,

"Do it! You shouldn't be there!" said Sirius loudly.

but it wasn't worth the risk.

"Bull$#!%. do it!" said Sirius again.

"SIRIUS! Watch your mouth!" said Mrs. Weasely angrily.

Underage wizards weren't allowed to use magic outside of school. Harry hadn't told the Dursleys this; he knew it was only their terror that he might turn them all into dung beetles

Several students snorted with laughter.

"You only would have stopped at dung beetles? I would have gone past that and straight to dung!" said Charlie laughing loudly.

"I didn't want to hurt them." said Harry quietly.

"Why the hell not?" asked Remus stunned.

"They hit me unprovoked, I didn't want to be just like them." said Harry, looking away from the large gathering, a grimace of pain on his lips.

that stopped them from locking him in the cupboard under the stairs with his wand and broomstick.

"Wait, what? They would have locked you up? If you hadn't of threatened them with magic?" said Remus angrily.

For the first couple of weeks back, Harry had enjoyed muttering nonsense words under his breath and watching Dudley tearing out of the room as fast as his fat legs would carry him.

"Which was about as fast as a flooberworm's crawl." said Harry with a smirk.

But the long silence from Ron and Hermione had made Harry feel so cut off from the magical world that even taunting Dudley had lost its appeal-

"Wow, you didn't even want to make fun of Dudley anymore?" said Neville with a shocked look.

"I was depressed." said Harry quietly.

"Are you still, depressed." asked Dr. Clark quickly.

"With all the stuff going on, especially after last year? To be honest, how can you expect me to be anything else?" muttered Harry shaking his head.

Dumbledore looked over to Harry quickly. He met Harry's eyes, without speaking they agreed to have a talk later.

and now Ron and Hermione had forgotten his birthday.

"Honestly! We didn't!" said Hermione fretfully.

What wouldn't he give now for a message from Hogwarts? From any witch or wizard? He'd almost be glad of a sight of his archenemy,

"Voldemort? You would welcome a glimpse of him?" said Remus faintly.

Draco Malfoy,

"Forget You-Know-Who, the foe that holds his attention at all times..." said Fred in a dramatic tone.

"Is the little twit of Slytherin House!" said George.

just to be sure it hadn't all been a dream...

"Last year sounded more like a nightmare, than a dream." said Tonks.

Not that his whole year at Hogwarts had been fun.

"First part, yeah, last part...not so much..." said Bill cracking a smile.

"Oi! Bill!" said Fred looking indignant.

"Leave the comedy to the professionals!" said George annoyed.

"I would if there were some comedians here." said Bill nastily.

Fred and George stared at their oldest brother, while Lee was rolling on the floor laughing.

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt!" wheezed Lee.

At the very end of last term, Harry had come face-to-face with none other than Lord Voldemort himself. Voldemort might be a ruin of his former self,

"You have such an interesting way of describing things Harry, and very accurate too." said Dumbledore kindly.

"I wouldn't even try and think about Voldemort." said Dr. Clark with a shudder.

"You...said...his name!" said Ron stunned.

"Why shouldn't I?" said Dr. Clark.

"Do me a favor, just say the stupid name." said Harry shaking his head.

but he was still terrifying, still cunning, still determined to regain power. Harry had slipped through Voldemort's clutches for a second time, but it had been a narrow escape,

"You're not kidding." said Terry shaking his head.

and even now, weeks later, Harry kept waking in the night, drenched in cold sweat, wondering where Voldemort was now, remembering his livid face, his wide, mad eyes-

Sirius, without speaking, pulled Harry up and placed him onto his lap.

"What the..." said Harry confused.

Sirius only hugged him tighter.

Harry suddenly sat bolt upright on the garden bench. He had been staring absent-mindedly into the hedge-and the hedge was staring back.

"What? Who was looking at you?" asked Lavender.

"You'll find out later." said Harry with a small smile.

Two enormous green eyes had appeared among the leaves.

Harry jumped to his feet just as a jeering voice floated across the lawn.

"Now who the hell is it?" said Tonks angrily.

"I know what day it is." sang Dudley,

"Wonderful, you know what day it is." said Kingsley shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

waddling toward him.

People began to laugh and clutch at their sides.

The huge eyes blinked and vanished.

"What?" said Harry, not taking his eyes off the spot where they had been.

"That's right, don't take your eyes off it. Never know what it might be." said Moody.

"I know what day it is," Dudley repeated, coming right up to him.

"Well done," said Harry. "So you've finally learned the days of the week."

Kingsley and Harry smiled at each other.

"You two are freaking awesome!" said Fred clutching his side.

"Too cool!" Said George.

"Why do you only use this attitude on Dudley and Malfoy?" asked Charlie to Harry.

"Today's your birthday," sneered Dudley. "How come you haven't got any cards? Haven't you even got friends at that freak place?"

"That hurt, that really hurt." said Harry from Sirius's lap.

"It's okay cub." said Sirius. "You don't need to deal with him anymore."

"Better not let your mum hear you talking about my school," said Harry coolly.

Dudley hitched up his trousers, which were slipping down his fat bottom.

"Gross!" yelled Lavender or Parvati..

"Why're you staring at the hedge?" he said suspiciously.

"'It was those creepy eyes that stared at me. I wanted to know whose stalking me'." said Ernie with a smirk.

"I'm trying to decide what would be the best spell to set it on fire," said Harry.

Umbridge started to wrestle out of her bonds and tried hard to yell something out.

"You might as well just shut up, 'cause we aren't going to listen to you." said Nightstrike.

"I think she wants to yell at Harry for threatening the young Dursley." said Dumbledore kindly.

Dudley stumbled backward at once, a look of panic on his fat face.

"You c-can't-Dad told you you're not to do m-magic-he said he'll chuck you out of the house—

"Like that would be a bad thing, really." said Ron rolling his eyes.

and you haven't got anywhere else to go-you haven't got any friends to take you-"

"Bull! You had the whole entire Weasely family to take you in." said Charlie.

"Jiggery pokery!" said Harry in a fierce voice. "Hocus pocus-squiggly wiggly-"

Malfoy started laughing, "What the hell was that, Potter?"

"In the muggle world, those might count as incantations." said Harry with a smile.

"Dumbest thing I've ever heard." Malfoy said shaking his head.

"MUUUUUUM!" howled Dudley, tripping over his feet as he dashed back toward the house. "MUUUUM! He's doing you know what!"

"He needs a smack, badly." said Malfoy and Blaise.

"I'll give him 'you-know-what'." said Ginny clenching her fist.

Harry paid dearly for his moment of fun.

The laughter died almost immediately.

As neither Dudley nor the hedge was in any way hurt, Aunt Petunia knew he hadn't really done magic, but he still had to duck as she aimed a heavy blow at his head with the soapy frying pan.

Before Harry could reassure her that he was fine, she came over and examined his head.

"It said I ducked. That means it missed me." said Harry calmly.

"Can't be too careful." she said, not stopping her inspection until she was absolutely sure nothing was broken or bruised.

"Besides, Poppy," said Nicodemus. "The pod he was in would have healed all broken bones, lacerations, gashes, and some other forms of injury."

Lionus looked over to Nicodemus, he felt that the doctor held back slightly, the doctor slipped him a small note and Lionus slyly read it. His eyes widened slightly and he looked over to the doctor, who nodded solemnly.

Then he gave him work to do, with the promise he wouldn't eat again until he'd finished.

"What? They wouldn't have fed you till you finished doing stuff?" said Ron quietly.

"That is how I ruined the birthday present Uncle Vernon gave me." said Harry with a smirk.

While Dudley lolled around watching and eating ice cream,

"He's not the child that needs the extra nourishment!" said Madam Pomfrey.

Harry cleaned the windows, washed the car, mowed the lawn, trimmed the flowerbeds, pruned and watered the roses, and repainted the garden bench.

Everyone sat and stared Harry.

"You had to do all that in one day, and on your birthday?" asked Dr. Clark.

"And you had to get it all done before you could eat?" said Ron weakly.

The sun blazed overhead, burning the back of his neck.

"Explains the nasty sunburn you had on your neck." said Fred staring at Harry.

Harry knew he shouldn't have risen to Dudley's bait,

"You really shouldn't have dear." said Mrs. Weasely looking slightly guilty. Were her son's telling her the truth all those years ago?

but Dudley had said the very thing Harry had been thinking himself…maybe he didn't have any friends at Hogwarts….

Ron and Hermione looked over to him, they had a strange, worried look on their faces.

Wish they could see the famous Harry Potter now, he thought savagely as he spread manure on the flower beds, his back aching, sweat running down his face.

Both Draco and Snape cringed in their seats. They really did misjudge Harry. They thought he led the perfect life, now they realized…this was far from even a decent life.

It was half past seven in the evening when at last, exhausted, he heard Aunt Petunia calling him.

"Get in here! And walk on the newspaper!"

"What time did you start all this?" asked Bill angrily.

"Maybe nine o'clock in the morning." said Harry thinking back.

"So you worked your butt off for ten hours, in the hot sun, too? Jeez, a twelve year old shouldn't have to work that long." said Bill shaking his head. "I would love to see them try and do days like that." he finished angrily.

Harry moved gladly into the shade of the gleaming kitchen. On top of the fridge stood tonight's pudding: a huge mound of whipped cream and sugared violets.

"She bought that at a store." said Harry. "Cost her about thirty one pounds."

"Why didn't she just have you make it?" asked Hermione.

"I was busy with my punishment." said Harry shrugging.

A loin of roast pork was sizzling in the oven.

"That is all she can do for food. Thaw out the meat I season." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"Eat quickly! The Masons will be here soon!" snapped Aunt Petunia, pointing to two slices of bread and lump of cheese on the kitchen table.

"That isn't a meal!" said Ron and Mrs. Weasely furiously.

All that work you did, that was all you got?" said Neville sadly.

Remus, Sirius and Dr. Clark were snarling at the book in Professor Flitwick's arms. Madam Bones wrote a little note on a piece of parchment.

She was already wearing a salmon-pink cocktail dress.

"I hate that color, it's her favorite." said Harry bitterly.

Harry washed his hands and bolted down his pitiful supper. The moment he had finished, Aunt Petunia whisked away his plate.

"Was there even a crumb left on the plate?" asked Tonks angrily.

"Nope, I picked up every last one." said Harry quietly.

"Upstairs! Hurry!"

As he passed the door to the living room, Harry caught a glimpse of Uncle Vernon and Dudley in bow ties and dinner jackets.

"Bow ties are so horrible, worst fashion accessory for men…ever…created…" said Parvati.

He had only just reached the upstairs landing when the doorbell rang and Uncle Vernon's furious face appeared at the foot of the stairs.

"Doorbell rang, dumb $$." said Charlie.

"CHARLES!" scolded Mrs. Weasely.

"Hey! He ain't worth respecting!" said Charlie to his mother, he was even angrier than she was.

"Remember, boy—one sound—"

Harry crossed to his bedroom on tiptoe,

"I would have stomped, and made sure that the Masons heard me." said Seamus.

slipped inside, closed the door, and turned to collapse on his bed.

"Well, sleeping will keep you out of trouble, and you could use the rest after that waste of a day." said Sirius holding onto Harry still.

The trouble was, there was already someone sitting on it.

"What? Who the hell is on your bed?" asked Dean.

"You'll find out soon." said Harry.

"You say that one more time, and I'm gonna snap." said Sirius sternly.

"What else am I going to say?" asked Harry innocently.

"How about telling us what happens." said Sirius.

"I don't want to, ruins the surprise." smirked Harry.

"You're just asking for it, aren't you?" said Sirius with a playful scowl.

Chapter 27

"Who would like to read now?" asked Professor Flitwick to the group of people.

"Guess I will again, sir." said Bill when he saw no one raising their hands.

Bill took the book and opened to the chapter they were going to start on.

"Dobby's Warning." said Bill to the group.

"Dobby?" said Draco quietly. "Who's he warning?"

"You know him?" asked Blaise quietly.

"Yeah, I do." whispered Draco.

"Wait, wasn't that the name of that house-elf from Dumbledore's office?" asked Sirius, who didn't hear what Draco had said.

"Yeah." said Harry, thinking deeply. "Dumbledore, sir?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, Harry?" said Dumbledore.

"What ever happened to…?" said Harry carefully.

"He's back down in the kitchens." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Harry managed not to shout out, but it was a close thing.

"If I had yelled, I'm pretty sure that they would have heard me downstairs." said Harry with a smile.

The little creature on the bed had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls.

"That's where the eyes from the hedge came from!" said Tonks excitedly.

Harry knew instantly that this was what had been watching him out of the garden hedge that morning.

"See! Harry knew it too!" said Tonks excitedly.

As they stared at each other, Harry heard Dudley's voice from the hall.

"May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"

"Just as rehearsed." said Hannah rolling her eyes.

The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long, nose touched the carpet. Harry noticed that it was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm- and leg-holes.

"Why is it wearing that?" asked Lavender crinkling her nose in disgust.

"It's the mark of a house-elf's enslavement. While a house-elf is enslaved to a family, it isn't doesn't wear regular clothes. They feel that they shouldn't be allowed to. They attach themselves to a family,( or when they reach adulthood), after about a month or two, they find a sheet, or something, with their master's scent on it and wear it. The scent serves as a constant reminder that they belong to someone." said Harry whipping out his little black book and flipping to a certain page.

"They don't even wash it really, if it is washed, then it loses the master's scent. Some people have an assortment of different things for their house-elf wears, different pillowcases and other things. Each thing has their scent, that way, they look presentable if the house-elf is seen." said Harry, still looking at his little book passively.

"If a family has a house-elf, the family only has one chore to do about the house, and that's laundry." said Harry with a smirk.

"Why does the family have to do their own laundry?" asked Colin. "My mum hates doing that."

"If you give a house-elf an article of clothing, it could even be a single, solitary sock," said Harry with a smile, enjoying his little inside joke. "That means that the house-elf is free and must leave your house, and never to return. House-elves don't like that one bit."

"Why not? If it means that they get their freedom?" asked Justin, Hermione looked over to Harry quickly.

"House-elves don't need to eat or drink, hell, they don't even sleep really, unless they are very ill. The thing that gives them sustenance, and gives them energy, is the comfort they give to others." said Harry with a fleeting look over to Hermione, who looked shocked.

"Imagine you eating a large plate of, well, bacon, eggs, sausages and other things in the morning." said Dumbledore interjecting. "That gives you energy that lasts till you eat lunch. The same energy you get from breakfast is the exact same energy they get from let's say, picking up the dormitories and/or making dinner. If you take that away, by giving them clothes, then you are basically starving them to death. If they don't have a family to care for, then they slowly fade away to nothing."

"But most families don't have house-elves and want them, why don't the house-elves find those families?" asked Charlie looking over to his mother quickly.

"Not many people want a house-elf that had been dismissed. They have the misconception that the house-elf had done something seriously wrong. Which doesn't happen, they are mostly dismissed out of misplaced anger, or the house-elf didn't overcome a personal fear they had. Or if the owner was attempting to be kind and let them go." said Harry looking over to Hermione, his tone was gentle, but Hermione only looked at him in horror.

"There are only about twenty-two hundred house-elves left in this world due to the stupidity of wizard's and witches." said Dumbledore thinking deeply.

Hermione looked down in shame, as did a majority of the others in the Great Hall.

"Great thing about Hogwarts and other magical schools is that they take in the dismissed house-elves with open arms. They welcome them gratefully, 'cause if they didn't then they would have to hire wizards, or witches to clean up after all the students." said Harry with a smile.

"And what is wrong with that!" said Hermione indignantly.

Harry sighed, shook his head and looked over to her. "If they had to pay for people to clean up after the students and cook for them, than that would take away from the school's fund for Muggleborns and orphaned wizarding children. When you first came here, you and a bunch of others, there was a fund for you all to get books, wands, and such like that. You didn't need to pay for anything, that money is there for you to use, at least the first year."

"Hogwarts has more than enough money!" said Draco indignantly.

"And that is because we employs house-elves, if we didn't then the school wouldn't be able to support itself. If the house-elves didn't have schools to go to when they get dismissed for no reason, they would disappear. So it's a mutualism." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"What the hell is a mootcha-whatever?" asked Fred wonderingly.

"A mutualism is a relationship between two living things, in which both things get something out of the partnership. Like the bees and flowers, flowers can't reproduce until they get pollinated by another flower. Bees need the nectar for food. While the bee gets the nectar, pollen is attached to the bee and the bee goes to another flower, after that, a seed forms, and that's how flowers reproduce." said Harry. "Sorry if I stated the obvious." he added with a smile up to Professor Sprout.

"Trust me, Mr. Potter, any extra knowledge is greatly appreciated." said Professor Sprout with a beaming smile.

"Er—hello," said Harry nervously.

"Some of the students here could also use some knowledge in manners from you as well." Professor Sprout added with a giggle.

"Harry Potter!" said the creature in a high-pitched voice Harry was sure would carry down the stairs. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir…Such an honor it is…"

"Indeed it is." said Dumbledore quietly.

"Th-thank you," said Harry, edging along the wall and sinking into his desk chair,

"Was finding someone in your room so shocking that you needed to sit down?" asked Dr. Clark.

"I had a very long day, and I didn't really know what to do in this situation." said Harry shaking his head.

next to Hedwig, who was asleep in her large cage.

"Normally, she has a fit when someone is in the room with me." said Harry with a smile. "But she was so bored and tired; she didn't give much of a damn."

He wanted to ask, "What are you?" but thought it would sound too rude, so instead he said, "Who are you?"

"Good choice." said McGonagall approvingly.

"Dobby, sir. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf," said the creature.

"And you managed to find out what he was at the same time." said Sirius. Dr. Clark was still trying to wrap his mind around the concept of house-elves; his head was starting to hurt. He'd have to have a chat with Remus about them later.

"So there was a house-elf in that house." said Madam Bones looking up to Fudge.

"D-D-Doesn't mean that the elf used the Hover Charm." said Fudge nervously.

"Oh—really?" said Harry. "Er—I don't want to sound rude or anything, but—this isn't a great time for me to have a house-elf in my bedroom."

"It really wasn't, if Uncle Vernon had heard him and found Dobby there, I don't think it would have gone very well." said Harry, mostly to himself.

Growls cascaded through the Great Hall.

Aunt Petunia's high, false laugh sounded from the living room. The elf hung his head.

"I wouldn't be hanging my head, I'd be covering my ears." said Michael whispering to Terry.

"I don't think that the elf was hanging his head because of the laughter, mate." said Terry with a smirk.

"Not that I'm not pleased to meet you," said Harry quickly, "but, er, is there any particular reason you're here?"

"I would like to know that too." said Draco wonderingly.

"Why are you so concerned about that elf?" asked Blaise. "When Potter was talking about house-elves you were cringing all over the place."

"I'll tell you later." mouthed Draco.

"Oh yes, sir," said Dobby earnestly. "Dobby has come to tell you, sir…it is difficult, sir…Dobby wonders where to begin…."

"Sit down," said Harry politely, pointing at the bed.

"You're wonderful, Harry." cooed the fourth year Gryffindor.

"Who is that? She keeps looking over here." asked Sirius to Remus.

"That's Romilda Vane. I remember her from my teaching here. She was always sort of…clingy." said Remus.

"Just what you need, a bloody stalker." whispered Sirius to Harry. "Don't talk with her; they tend to get a bit, whacked out."

"He knows all about 'stalker girls'." said Remus with a smirk.

To his horror, the elf burst into tears—very noisy tears.

"Oh dang, I hope they don't hear you downstairs." said Remus worriedly.

"S-sit down!" he wailed. "Never…never ever…"

"He's never been asked to sit down before?" asked Ginny.

"Apparently not, at least, not in a polite way." said Dumbledore.

Harry thought he heard the voices downstairs falter.

"Oh no. this isn't good." moaned Mr. Weasely.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything—"

"You didn't offend him, they are just very sensitive for some reason." said Fred rolling his eyes.

"Offend Dobby!" choked the elf. "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard—like anequal—"

"They are just as good!" shrieked Hermione. "They are no less of people than we are!"

"That's not the kind of equality he was talking about, Hermione, though I didn't know it at the time. When a house-elf talks about 'equality' he's talking about friendship and camaraderie. There aren't many wizards at all that will sit down and listen to a house-elf, let alone have a civil conversation." said Harry over to Hermione.

"But still…" said Hermione angrily.

"But nothing, Hermione, it's great what you are trying to do, I respect that. There isn't a person with a soul that doesn't respect that. But you have to realize something. Humans and house-elves don't always have the same point of view of things. The same thing can be said about the centaurs, giants, mer-people, goblins, and other magical entities. We can't think that we all have the same points of view on things. We can think that we are doing what is best for them, what we view as right and just, in their eyes, we are just destroying everything they hold dear."

Tempest and Firenze both nodded and marveled at the wisdom coming from such a young child.

"I just didn't want them working so hard!" said Hermione irritably.

"Did you even sit down and ask a house-elf about their history or their feelings? That's where I got all my information." said Harry with a smile. "Them working hard is the same way as Ron gorging out on food. They love it; they can't get enough of it. You can ask them, the next time you go down in the kitchens, Hermione. Let's let Bill continue and you can chalk that up to another thing you and I have to have a discussion on when this is done."

Harry, trying to say "Shh!" and look comforting at the same time,

"I hope I did, he looked pretty upset." said Harry with a concerned look.

ushered Dobby back onto the bed where he sat hiccoughing,

"It's not a word, but that describes what he was doing." said Harry with a slight smile.

looking like a large and very ugly doll.

"You make one more comment on how that's not nice, I'm never making those triple chocolate chip cookies you love so much, again." said Harry, not looking at Remus, whose mouth was opened, prepared to tell Harry off, quickly snapped shut.

At last he managed to control himself, and sat with his great eyes fixed on Harry in an expression of watery adoration.

"….Peter used to look at us like that." said Remus tensely.

"You can't have met many decent wizards," said Harry, trying to cheer him up.

"That was the completely wrong thing to say." said Snape shaking his head. He was well aware of whose house-elf he was.

Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the window, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

"Is there something wrong with that house-elf? Why is he doing that?" asked Dean quickly.

"You'll find out." said Harry simply.

"Don't—what are you doing?" Harry hissed, springing up and pulling Dobby back onto the bed—

"I was sure that Uncle Vernon had heard that." said Harry quietly.

Hedwig had woken up with a particular loud screech and was beating her wings wildly against the bars of her cage.

"Even more noise for Uncle Vernon to hear." said Sirius worriedly.

"Dobby had to punish himself, sir," said the elf, who had gone slightly cross-eyed.

"Just about got a fractured skull there." said Madam Pomfrey bitterly. She hated any sort of harm to any creature, be it human or non.

"Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, sir…"

"So if he bad mouths his family, he's got to smack himself?" asked Dean. "My mom would really like that ability stuck on me when I take the mickey out of my cousins."

"Your family?"

"The wizard family Dobby serves, sir….Dobby is a house-elf—bound to serve one house and one family forever…."

"So, it's sort of obvious that he doesn't like his family that he serves…wow…he must have a miserable life." said Bill thoughtfully.

Draco shifted uneasily again.

"Do they know you're here?" asked Harry curiously.

Dobby shuddered.

"Definitely not." said Ernie.

"Oh, no, sir, no…Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you, sir.

"Poor Dobby!" said Padma with saddened look on her face.

Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this.

"Hell! That's got to hurt." said Seamus holding his ears.

If they ever knew, sir—"

"But won't they notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?"

"I would kinda notice someone slamming their ears in the oven." said Fred nodding.

"Dobby doubts it, sir. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They lets Dobby get on with it, sir. Sometimes they reminds me to do extra punishment…."

"I'm going to curse the family that has ownership over that poor little elf!" muttered Mrs. Weasely threateningly.

Draco shifted even more uneasily. He was remembering Mrs. Weasely's howler and he hoped that she would never find out that Dobby belonged to his family.

"But why don't you leave? Escape?"

"He can't, not until his family sets him free. Or unless he passes away." said Remus sadly.

"A house-elf must be set free, sir. And the family will never set Dobby free…Dobby will serve the family until he dies, sir…."

Harry stared.

"And I thought I had it bad staying here for another four weeks," he said.

"Now you think a house-elf has a worse life than you?" said Sirius in shock.

"Well, my opinion at the time was that they really did. I didn't have to slam my ears in an oven when I didn't do something, or went were I wasn't supposed to be." said Harry honestly.

"This makes the Dursleys sound almost human.

"I like how you said 'almost'." smirked Dr. Clark.

Can't anyone help you? Can't I?"

"Oh, Harry! You're so noble!" cooed Romilda.

Harry looked over at her and stared, then at Ginny who was looking at him in a confused way.

"I don't know what she's on about." mouthed Harry.

"I know what it is, I recognize the symptoms." she mouthed back with a smile.

Almost at once, Harry wished he hadn't spoken. Dobby dissolved again into wails of gratitude.

"The day I need to be absolutely silent, I get a noisy house-guest." said Harry with a smile.

"Please," Harry whispered frantically, "please be quiet. If the Dursleys hear anything, if they know you're here—"

"What would have happened?" said Sirius quickly.

Harry ignored him, much to his and some other people's dismay.

"Harry, I think we need to have a chat later, about what has been going on in the Dursleys' house." said Dr. Clark solemnly. "No holding back."

Harry looked down, "Yes, sir."

"Harry asks if he can help Dobby…Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew…."

"No surprise." said Snape quietly, giving Draco a knowing looking.

Harry, who was feeling distinctly hot in the face,

"Aww! Harrykins is blushing!" cooed Fred and George.

said "Whatever you've heard about my greatness is a load of rubbish. I'm not even top of my year at Hogwarts; that's Hermione, she—"

"On paper, maybe." said Hermione with a fake pout.

But he stopped quickly, because thinking about Hermione was painful.

Hermione's pout went away quickly and she looked over to him in anguish.

"Harry Potter is humble and modest,"

"He is actually." said Remus smiling over at the young man.

said Dobby reverently, his orb-like eyes aglow. "Harry Potter speaks not of his triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named—"

"Voldemort?" said Harry.

Dobby clapped his hands over his bat ears and moaned, "Ah, speak not the name, sir! Speak not the name!"

"Sorry," said Harry quickly. "I know lots of people don't like it. My friend Ron—"

"Yeah, I hate it when you say it too." said Ron.

He stopped again. Thinking about Ron was painful, too.

Ron scratched his head and looked over to Harry sadly.

Dobby leaned toward Harry, his eyes wide as headlights.

"Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely, "that Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for second time, just weeks ago…that Harry Potter escaped yet again."

"Yeah, but he won't talk about it." said Ron with a chuckle.

Harry nodded and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears.

"Ah, sir." he gasped, dabbing his face with a corner of the grubby pillowcase he was wearing. "Harry Potter is valiant and bold! He has braved so many dangers already!

"Makes me sound like a knight from King Arthur's time." said Harry with a blush.

But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later….Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

"Huh? Why the hell not?" asked Sirius worriedly.

There was a silence broken only by the chink of knives and forks from downstairs and the distant rumble of Uncle Vernon's voice.

"At least they ignored the noise he was making." said Dr. Clark with a sigh.

"W-what?" Harry stammered. "But I've got to go back—term starts on September first. It's all that's keeping me going.

Bill froze after he read those words, then he and the rest of the school turned slowly towards him and stared.

"What did you mean by that, Harry?" asked Kingsley.

Harry refused to speak, but shifted in the bowl uncomfortably. Sirius moaned loudly and held him tightly. "You ever feel like that again, you let me know, I don't want you to…" he couldn't finish it.

"I won't I promise I won't." said Harry whispering in Sirius' ear.

You don't know what it's like here. I don't belong here. I belong in your world—at Hogwarts."

"No, no, no," squeaked Dobby, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. "Harry Potter must stay where he is safe.

"I'm sorry Harry, but he's as dumb as a box of cauldron cakes. You are not safe there in any sense of the word." said Remus irritated.

He is too great, too good to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger."

"Apparently, if he had stayed at Privet Drive much longer, He might not of been around much longer he won't have to worry about the mortal danger at Hogwarts." said Sirius still holding onto Harry. He was greatly relieved to hear Harry promise that he wasn't going to hurt himself, but it didn't stop him from worrying.

"Why?" said Harry in surprise.

"There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over.

"Nothing different than any other year." said Ron with a smirk.

"Dobby has known it for months, sir. Harry Potter must not put himself in peril. He is too important, sir!"

Zacharias scoffed. "He's nothing special."

He had to duck down quickly to avoid flying objects that came from the Gryffindor table, but mostly they were enchanted over by Sirius and thrown by Dr., Clark.

"Listen, brat, we don't know who the hell you are, but you'd better take care not to push your luck with us." said Sirius and Dr. Clark together.

Zacharias sneered over to them and rolled his eyes. Sirius and Dr. Clark wanted to hurl more things at him, but were stopped by Remus and Harry.

"He's not worth the time. Let it go." they said simply.

"What terrible things?" said Harry at once. "Who's plotting them?"

"He might not be able to, especially if it's his master plotting them." said Moody.

Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.

"That means that it is Dobby's master." Moody growled.

"All right!" cried Harry, grabbing the elf's arm to stop him. "You can't tell me. I understand. But why are you warning me?" A sudden, unpleasant thought struck him. "Hang on—this hasn't got anything to do with Vol—sorry—with You-Know-Who, has it?

"That's an unpleasant thought to you?" said Fred staring at him.

Harry merely shrugged.

You could shake or nod," he added hastily as Dobby's head tilted worryingly close to the wall again.

Slowly, Dobby shook his head.

"Not—not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, sir—"

"So it's not Voldemort, then who the heck is it?" said Bill looking up from the book.

But Dobby's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Harry a hint. Harry, however, was completely lost.

"You aren't the only one." said Charlie.

"He hasn't got a brother, has he?"

"That would be frightening, wonder if they would have a resemblance?" said George with a snigger.

"George!" shouted Mrs. Weasely fearfully.

"What?" asked Fred innocently.

"Mum, he's not here to hear what we're saying, he won't know if I insult him or not." said George.

"That reminds me, remember in the last book, when you bounced snowballs off Quirrell's turban?" said Harry with a smirk.

"Yeah, what about it?" asked George.

"Oh, man…George!" said Fred grabbing his twin's arm. "Remember what was under that turban?"

George thought quickly than paled, he turned to Fred; both of their mouths were slackened.

"We smacked You-Know-Who with snowballs…in the face." they whispered together. Then they turned to Dumbledore and Harry.

"Save us…." they said in hushed voices.

"You two better write a will quick." said Lee, trying not to laugh.

"It's not funny!" screeched Mrs. Weasely.

Dobby shook his head, his eyes wider than ever.

"Well then, I can't think who else would have a chance of making horrible things happen at Hogwarts," said Harry.

"Voldemort was the only one with the stupidity to try and do something at Hogwarts with Dumbledore there." said Harry with a smirk.

"I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing—you know who Dumbledore is, don't you?"

"There isn't a creature that speaks that doesn't know who Dumbledore is." said Firenze.

Dobby bowed his head.

"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had, Dobby knows it, sir. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of Her-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength. But, sir" –Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper—"there are powers Dumbledore doesn't …powers no decent wizard…"

And before Harry could stop him, Dobby bounded off the bed, seized Harry's desk lamp, and started beating himself around the head with earsplitting yelps.

"Dobby is going to get you killed." said Dr. Clark.

Harry looked up in the air and whistled innocently.

"What are you whistling for?" asked Bill.

"First Quidditch game of the year." he said plainly.

A sudden silence fell downstairs. Two seconds later Harry, heart thudding madly, heard Uncle Vernon coming into the hall, calling, "Dudley must have left his television on again, the little tyke!"

"Oh, no! Harry! Run!" shouted Seamus.

"Quick! In the closet!" hissed Harry, stuffing Dobby in, shutting the door, and flinging himself onto the bed just as the door handle turned.

"You don't run, but you do stuff Dobby somewhere safe and you lay on the bed like nothing is going on? Do you welcome pain?" asked Dean.

"No, it's just I know that there was nowhere to go." said Harry.

"What—the—devil—are—you—doing?" said Uncle Vernon through gritted teeth, his face horribly close to Harry's.

"He had better not hurt you." snarled Sirius.

"You've just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke….

"Those kind of jokes are the worst jokes on the planet." said Fred, George, Lee and Professor Flitwick together.

One more sound and you'll wish you'd never been born, boy!"

"Madam Bones, I'm begging you, let me at them, three minutes is all I'm asking." said Sirius and Remus pleadingly.

He stomped flat-footed from the room.

"The Masons are going to wonder what is going on upstairs, if he keeps stomping around." said Luna dreamily.

Shaking, Harry let Dobby out of the closet.

"See what it's like here?" he said. "See why I've got to go back to Hogwarts? It's the only place I've got—well, I think I've got friends."

"You do Harry!" said Hermione almost in tears.

"Friends who don't even write to Harry Potter?" said Dobby slyly.

"Hey! How did he know?" asked Anthony Goldstein.

"I expect they've just been—wait a minute," said Harry, frowning. "How do you know my friends haven't been writing to me?"

"That's what I want to know!" said Anthony.

Dobby shuffled his feet.

"Harry Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best—"

"Have you been stopping my letters?"

"Why that little…" said Sirius angrily.

"Dobby has them here, sir," said the elf. Stepping nimbly out of Harry's reach, he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Harry could make out Hermione's neat writing, Ron's untidy scrawl, and even a scribble that looked as though it was from the Hogwarts game-keeper, Hagrid.

"I wasn' too sure if yeh got the letter." said Hagrid. "I'm sorry tha' I didn' check on yeh."

Dobby blinked anxiously up at Harry.

"Harry Potter mustn't be angry….Dobby hoped…if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him…Harry Potter might not want to go back to school, sir…."

"It would take more than that to keep me from Hogwarts." said Harry defiantly.

Harry wasn't listening. He made a grab for the letters, but Dobby jumped out of reach.

"Harry Potter will have them, sir, if he gives Dobby his word that he will not return to Hogwarts. Ah, sir, this is a danger you must not face! Say you won't go back, sir!"

"No," said Harry angrily. "Give me my friends' letters!"

"Just tell him yes, than go anyway!" said Tonks anxiously.

"I couldn't." said Harry looking over to her.

"Why the bloody hell not?" said Tonks angrily.

"He was asking for my word. I would have had to promise not to go. I couldn't give him that." said Harry quietly.

"Then Harry Potter leaves Dobby no choice," said the elf sadly.

Before Harry could move, Dobby had darted to the bedroom door, pulled it open, and sprinted down the stairs.

Mouth dry, stomach lurching, Harry sprang after him, trying not to make a sound. He jumped the last six steps, landing catlike on the hall carpet,

"What do they mean 'cat like'?" asked George.

Harry sighed and took out his wand and conjured a staircase with exactly twelve steps on it, with a landing above. Harry climbed the stairs and crossed the landing.

"I did this." he said simply.

He ran over the landing ran down the stairs and jumped the last six steps. He landed on his hands and brought his feet down after himself.

"Wow…that's cool!" whistled Fred and George.

"How the hell did you get so agile, with all the beatings your uncle did?" asked Colin in wonder.

"Lots of practice." said Harry.

"Why would you practice stuff like that?" asked Colin.

Harry only smiled.

looking around for Dobby. From the dining room he heard Uncle Vernon saying, "…tell Petunia that very funny story about those American plumbers, Mr. Mason. She's been dying to hear…"

Harry ran up the hall into the kitchen and felt his stomach disappear.

"You don't have much of a stomach to start with." said Sirius tickling his godson's stomach. Harry, laughingly, fell victim to his godfathers tickling and could find no means of escape.

Aunt Petunia's masterpiece of a pudding,

"Her paid-for masterpiece." said Hermione rolling her eyes.

the mountain of cream and sugared violets, was floating up near the ceiling.

"Did it just say floating?" said Madam Bones cautiously.

On top of a cupboard in the corner crouched Dobby.

"No," croaked Harry. "Please…they'll kill me…."

Harry Potter must say he's not going back to school—"

"Dobby….please…"

"Harry's begging? He never begs!" said Fred looking horrorstruck at Bill.

"Say it, sir—"

"I can't—"

"Quit being noble and lie to him!" screeched Tonks.

Dobby gave him a tragic look.

"Then Dobby must do it, sir, for Harry Potter's own good."

"Ever since then, every time someone said 'for your own good.' I don't believe them, especially after what happened next." said Harry with a frown. Dumbledore and Mrs. Weasley both looked apologetically over to him.

The pudding fell to the floor with a heart-stopping crash. Cream splattered the windows and walls as the dish shattered. With a crack like a whip, Dobby vanished.

Fudge stared at the book in shock. Harry was telling the truth? Umbridge only rolled her eyes and groaned, but with her mouth gagged, no one else heard her.

"So it was a house-elf. Mr. Potter I would like to offer an apology, for holding you accountable for the Hover charm in your house. I don't really see how we could have mixed up the aura signatures. I wonder who was working that night." said Madam Bones thoughtfully.

"You'll find out who and what happened afterwards." said Harry sadly.

There were screams from the dining room and Uncle Vernon burst into the kitchen to find Harry, rigid with shock, covered from head to foot in Aunt Petunia's pudding.

"Oh, shit." said Draco.

"You aren't kidding." said Blaise.

At first, it looked as though Uncle Vernon would manage to gloss the whole thing over. ("Just our nephew—very disturbed—meeting strangers upsets him, so we kept him upstairs….")

"What did the Masons say about that?" asked Hermione.

"Before Uncle Vernon took them back to the other room, Mrs. Mason wiped my face with her handkerchief. She was actually a nice lady. Mr. Mason even asked what I liked to do. It was kinda hard to play along with what Uncle Vernon described me as. I had to say I liked…finger-painting." said Harry with a smirk.

"You actually did like painting with your fingers…when you were a year old, and that was with mashed peas and banana mush." said Remus laughing hard.

He shooed the shocked Masons back into the dining room, promised Harry he would flay him to within an inch of his life when the Masons had left,

"I'm gonna…." said Sirius threateningly. Remus' fists were clenched and Dr. Clark growled menacingly.

The rest of the school were quietly discussing what they would love to do if they had five minutes alone with them.

and handed him a mop. Aunt Petunia dug some ice cream out of the freezer and Harry, still shaking,

"Your Uncle terrifies you that bad?" asked Dennis anxiously.

Harry only looked down at his knees. "He used to, yeah." he said finally.

started scrubbing the kitchen clean.

"Didn't the Masons wonder why you were cleaning?" said Hermione.

"Uncle Vernon said that my therapist told them to teach me not to make messes." said Harry shaking his head.

Uncle Vernon might still have been able to make his deal—if it hadn't been for the owl.

"What owl?" asked Colin. "Did Hedwig get out?"

"Nope." said Harry simply.

Aunt Petunia was just passing around a box of after-dinner mints when a large bar owl swooped through the dining room window, dropped a letter on Mrs. Mason head, and swooped out again.

The Ministry officials stared in amazement. A letter from the wizarding world came and landed right in front of a whole living room full of muggles. Fudge smacked his forehead.

Mrs. Mason screamed like a banshee and ran from the house shouting about lunatics. Mr. Mason stayed just long enough to tell the Dursleys that his wife was mortally afraid of birds of all shapes and sizes, and to ask whether this was their idea of a joke.

"That's one sick joke." said Fred shaking his head.

Harry stood in the kitchen, clutching the mop for support,

"I didn't expect a letter to show up then and there, and I wasn't all together sure what Uncle Vernon was going to do." said Harry weakly.

as Uncle Vernon advanced on him, a demonic glint in his tiny eyes.

"Sounds like the same glint in his eyes that was in the first scroll." said Sirius weakly.

"Read it!" he hissed evilly, brandishing the letter the owl had delivered. "Go on—read it!"

Harry took it. It did not contain birthday greetings.

Dear Mr. Potter,

We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine.

As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C)

We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy

Enjoy your holidays!

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic.

"That explains it. Mafalda never looks at the monitoring instruments." said Madam Bones angrily. "She just sends the letters, doesn't matter if it's life threatening or a magical creature near you."

Harry looked up from the letter and gulped.

"You didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic outside school," said Uncle Vernon, a mad gleam dancing in his eyes. "Forgot to mention it….Slipped your mind, I daresay…."

"You…He'd better not touch you." said Sirius quietly, a storm of thunderous fury raging in his eyes.

He was bearing down on Harry like a great bull-dog, all his teeth bared. "Well, I've got news for you, boy….I'm locking you up….You're never going back to that school…never…and if you try and magic yourself out—they'll expel you!"

And laughing like a maniac, he dragged Harry back upstairs.

Little balls of light appeared out of the book and circled around.

"NO! I he didn't….!" shouted Sirius.

But it was too late.

They found themselves in the Dursleys living room, they saw the tail-lights of the Mason's car lit casted a red glow on the windows. Then they saw Vernon taking ahold of twelve year old Harry's wrist and dragging him upstairs. Laughing as if some demon had taken ahold of him. Sirius looked to the present day Harry worriedly, but Harry only clutched at his arm and rubbed it absently.

Like the Recollection Scrolls, the scene shifted and they found Harry, slightly bloodied but mostly bruised, gasping for air. Uncle Vernon was still in the room, looking down on the unfortunate boy, laughing.

"You're never going to that freak place again, boy! You better get comfortable, you're going to be here a long time." he said, giving Harry one last kick to the stomach and then slamming the door.

The Watchers looked over to Harry, who was being almost squeezed to death by Remus, Sirius and Dr. Clark. Then they noticed Hedwig fluttering and clicking her beak angrily at the door. By the looks of it, she wanted to rip open the cage and attack the man who had hurt her master.

Twelve year old Harry remained on the floor and grasping at the covers of the bed. He slowly reached under the bed and pulled out a small box.

"Never thought I would need these so soon." he said pulling out a crystal phial. He dipped his finger in the phial and gently rubbed it on the open sores on his face and on the bruises. He poured the rest of the potion down his throat. He felt the area where his ribs were and a little while later, he released an enormous sigh of relief.

"This beats snapping my bones back into place." said Harry with a smile up to Hedwig.

Harry lifted himself slowly onto the bed and groaned as he laid down.

"Yeah, Dobby, I'm really safe here." he said sarcastically as sleep claimed his pain racked body. "Wish I could get away from here."

The balls of light left each person and were brought back to the Great Hall. People shifted uneasily and dried their eyes quickly.

"I hate those things." whimpered Remus, burying his face in Harry's hair.

Madam Bones looked at Harry in horror. "Oh, Mr. Potter, I'm so sorry. We will be making restitution to you, believe me." she wiped a tear away from eyes. "I-I'm sorry."

Bill coughed nervously, he was unsure if he should continue.

"Please, Mr. Weasely," said Dumbledore quietly, knowing what was on the young man's mind. "The sooner Harry gets away from them, the better."

"I agree." said Sirius darkly.

Uncle Vernon was as bad as his word. The following morning, he paid a man to fit bars on Harry's windows.

Mrs. Weasely paled even further and stared at Harry.

"What excuse did he give the man to put the bars on your window?" asked Hermione, she was seething with anger more than Harry had ever seen her.

"He told the man that I had seizures and fell through the window." said Harry rolling his eyes.

He himself fitted a cat-flap in the bedroom door, so that small amounts of food could be pushed inside three times a day. They let Harry out to use the bathroom morning and evening. Otherwise, he was locked in his room around the clock.

"THOSE MONSTERS!" screeched Mrs. Weasely and McGonagall.

Dumbledore had a hand to throat and the other to his mouth. He had once again taken the same shade of white that his beard was.

Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and Harry couldn't see any way out of his situation.

"Really?" asked Lionus, his jaw clenched but his voice soft.

"Not without getting smacked around even more." said Harry.

"I am amazed you couldn't find a way out." said Lionus.

"The last confrontation sort of knocked the fight out of me." said Harry quietly.

Dumbledore paled even further and gulped loudly. What had he done?

He lay on his bed watching the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered miserably what was going to happen to him.

What was the good of magicking himself out of his room if Hogwarts would expel him for doing it? Yet life at Privet Drive had reached an all-time low.

"That's the understatement of the year." said Fred snarling.

Now that the Dursleys knew they weren't going to wake up as fruit bats, he had lost his only weapon. Dobby might have saved Harry from horrible happenings at Hogwarts, but the way things were going, he'd probably starve to death anyway.

Lavender and Parvati held each other tightly.

The cat-flap rattled and Aunt Petunia's hand appeared, pushing a bowl of canned soup into the room. Harry, whose inside were aching with hunger, jumped off his bed and seized it. The soup was stone-cold, but he drank half of it in one gulp.

Madam Pomfrey's lip trembled and blew her nose quickly. Harry took the opportunity to summon the bowls of candied chestnuts from down in the kitchen.

"Snacks anyone?" he said as he magicked the chestnuts into smaller bowls and levitated each small bowl to a person. He himself took a larger bowl and placed it on his lap, well within reaching distance of the three men and passing distance of Dumbledore.

"What are those?" asked Remus weakly, he was still reeling from the Scattered Shot.

"Candied chestnuts." he said popping one of the small nuts in his mouth. No one else reached for the small chestnuts, they just looked at the ground, seething with anger towards the Dursleys.

Bill looked over to Harry with a curious expression, and then continued on.

Then he crossed the room to Hedwig's cage and tipped the soggy vegetables at the bottom of the bowl into her empty food tray. She ruffled her feathers and gave him a look of deep disgust.

"It's no good turning your beak up at it—that's all we've got," said Harry grimly.

"You're starving death, you only have one bowl of soup to eat, and you give half of it to Hedwig?" said Dumbledore, looking at Harry with higher reverence.

He put the empty bowl back on the floor next to the cat-flap and lay back down on the bed, somehow even hungrier than he had been before the soup.

"My cores were taking most of the nutrients from the food, before my body could even utilize it." said Harry. "Speaking of which, how come the Ministry thought I could use magic outside of school? I was told by Madam Pomfrey the end of first year that I couldn't even summon sparks out of my wand. Surely she sent a notice or something?"

"Mafalda must not have looked your file then either, it would have had it in big bold letters if you were suffering from magic fatigue." said Madam Bones bitterly.

Supposing he was still alive in another four weeks, what would have happen if he didn't turn up at Hogwarts? Would someone be sent to see why he hadn't come back?

"Most assuredly, Potter." drawled Snape.

Would they be able to make the Dursleys let him go?"

"I, personally, would have come and persuaded them to let you go." said Dumbledore with a furious growl in his voice.

The room was growing dark. Exhausted, stomach rumbling, mind spinning over the same unanswerable questions, Harry fell into an uneasy sleep.

"You'd better get some food in your stomach in the next few hours." said Madam Pomfrey, getting more and more worried by the minute.

He dreamed that he was on show in a zoo, with a card reading UNDERAGE WIZARD attached to his cage. People goggled through the bars at him as he lay, starving and weak, on a bed of straw. He saw Dobby's face in the crowd and shouted out, asking for help, but Dobby called, "Harry Potter is safe there, sir!" and vanished. Then the Dursleys appeared and Dudley rattled the bars of the cage, laughing at him.

Bill held the book at arm's length and looked slowly over to Harry.

"I've had some whacked out dreams before," said Bill slowly, " but this one…" he whistled.

"Stop it," Harry muttered as the rattling pounded in his sore head. "Leave me alone…cut it out…I'm trying to sleep…"

He opened his eyes. Moonlight was shining through the bars on the window. And someone wasgoggling through the bars at him: a freckle-faced, red-haired, long-nosed someone.

Ron Weasely was outside Harry's window.

"Ron came to save you?" said Sirius stunned.

"And Fred and George." said Harry with a smile.

Sirius looked over to the three Weasely children.

"I could kiss you!" he said smiling broadly.

"Please don't." said Ron, Fred and George leaning back with their tongues sticking out.

Chapter 28

"Who wants to read now?" asked Bill.

"Can I?" said Dr. Clark.

"Sure you want to?" said Remus faintly.

"Why not?" said Dr. Clark. "It sounds like Harry escapes."

He took the book and read the title, he looked a little puzzled.

"The Burrow. What burrow are they talking about?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It's sort of the name of our house." said Fred shrugging.

"Oh! Okay!" said Dr. Clark with a smile. "Then he does get away."

"Ron!" breathed Harry, creeping to the window and pushing it up so they could talk through the bars. "Ron, how did you—What the-?"

"You looked like you got hit with a brick. It was really funny." said Ron with a smirk.

Harry's mouth fell open as the full impact of what he was seeing hit him. Ron was leaning out of the back window of an old turquoise car, which was parked in midair.

Several first years looked at the Weasely's with shocked looks. Their faces slowly turned to intense excitement. They wanted to know what else the twins and Ron would do next.

Grinning at Harry from the front seats were Fred and George, Ron's elder twin brothers.

"Like we would let Ickle…*cough*...we could let Ron go on a rescue mission alone." said Fred, catching himself quickly.

"All right, Harry?" asked George.

"Just looking at him, I should have known he wasn't alright. Last we saw him, he had some meat on his bones, looking at him then, his skin was getting tighter to his bones. Hell, he didn't look much better than Quirrell did in that Scattered Shot." said Fred trying hard to suppress a shudder.

"What's been going on?" said Ron. "Why haven't you been answering my letters? I've asked you to stay about twelve times,

"I didn't know someone was stealing your mail, mate." said Ron apologetically.

and then Dad came home and said you'd got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles—"

Umbridge strained against the ropes and the gag once again.

"What's the problem now?" said Lionus rolling his eyes.

"I think it's complaining that Mr. Weasely knew about it." said Tempest looking over at Umbridge haughtily.

"How did you find out about Potter's warning?" asked Fudge suspiciously.

"Mafalda never keeps secrets, she tells everyone who'll listen who uses magic outside of school." said Madam Bones rolling her eyes. "It's no surprise that he heard about it."

"It wasn't me—and how did he know?"

"He works for the Ministry," said Ron. "You know we're not supposed to do spells outside school—"

"Nice to know you guys believed me." said Harry with a smirk.

"I think we were more shocked by how you looked and the bars on the window." said George trying to apologize.

"You should talk," said Harry, staring at the floating car.

"Oh, this doesn't count," said Ron. "We're only borrowing this. It's Dad's, we didn't enchant it.

"That's a grey area." said Dumbledore with a smile.

But doing magic in front of those Muggles you live with—"

"You don't listen to him do you?" said Dr. Clark looking over at Ron with raised eyebrows.

"We planned to tell him off, but the speech sort of fell apart." said Fred.

"When we saw him locked up." said George quietly. "And saw the state he was in."

"I told you, I didn't—but it'll take too long to explain now—look, can you tell them at Hogwarts that the Dursleys have locked me up and won't let me come back, and obviously I can't magic myself out, because the Ministry'll think that's the second spell I've done in three days, so—"

"Did you just ask them to go and find a teacher and rescue you?" asked Sirius worriedly.

"I was kinda desperate." said Harry shrugging.

Sirius stared at him with his mouth open.

"Stop gibbering,' said Ron. "We've come to take you home with us."

"You make it sound like he's a puppy." said Anthony with a smirk.

"But you can't magic me out either—"

"He's got you there." said Dean.

"We don't' need to," said Ron, jerking his head toward the front seat and grinning. "You forget who I've got with me."

"There's nothing we can't do." said Fred and George with broad smiles.

"Tie that around the bars," said Fred, throwing the end of a rope to Harry.

"If the Dursleys wake up, I'm dead," said Harry as he tied the rope tightly around a bar and Fred revved up the car.

"Now I think he really meant it." said Fred quietly to George.

"Don't worry," said Fred, "and stand back."

Harry moved back into the shadows next to Hedwig, who seemed to have realized how important this was and kept still and silent.

"Wow, she's brilliant." said Dr. Clark leaning over and stroking Hedwig's feathers.

"She sure is." said Harry with a smile.

The car revved louder and louder and suddenly, with a crunching noise, the bars were pulled clean out of the window as Fred drove straight up in the air.

"Yay! Jailbreak!" shouted Sirius happily.

"I knew you were going to say something like that." said Remus shaking his head.

Harry ran back to window to see the bars dangling a few feet above the ground. Panting, Ron hoisted them up into the car.

"Hey! They were heavy!" said Ron to the snickers that creeped through the hall.

Harry listened anxiously, but there was no sound from the Durselys' bedroom.

"Not even snoring?" asked Fred looking confused.

"No, only Dudley snores." said Harry.

When the bars were safely in the back seat with Ron, Fred reversed as close as possible to Harry's window.

"Wait a minute. How old were you?" asked Lionus.

"Um, we were, what Fred, fourteen?" said George.

"Wow, you were able to drive with that much precision? I'm impressed." said Lionus with a smile.

Fred and George beamed at each other.

"Get in," Ron said.

"But all my Hogwarts stuff—my wand—my broomstick—"

"Harry, wands, books, cauldrons and broomsticks can be replaced, you can't be." said Dumbledore sadly over to Harry.

Harry shifted uneasily in the bowl.

"Where is it?"

"Locked in the cupboard under the stairs, and I can't get out of this room—"

"Never saw him look so desperate." said Fred shaking his head.

"No problem," said George from the front passenger seat. "Out of the way, Harry."

Fred and George climbed catlike through the window into Harry's room.

"And you thought leaping cat-like was impressive? You guys looked like had practiced that." said Harry with a smile.

"Well, one never knows when one has to save someone from a second floor, locked bedroom and you need to climb over a car seat to do it." said Fred with mock dignity.

You had to hand it to them, thought Harry, as George took an ordinary hairpin from his pocket and started to pick the lock.

"And you couldn't think of that?" asked Lionus with a smirk.

"Do I look like I use hairpins?" said Harry with a smirk. "Besides, there isn't one to find in the Dursley's. Aunt Petunia only uses hairspray."

"You knew how to do that?" said Fred in shock.

"Not with a hairpin, till you taught me." said Harry with a smile. "I can do it with a paper clip, but there wasn't one in the room either, and my knapsack was in the trunk."

"A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick," said Fred, "but we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow."

"FRED!" yelled Mrs. Weasley. She didn't want her son learning such things.

"Mum, it was either that or magic. We weren't going to leave Harry there." said Fred tiredly.

"Of course you shouldn't leave him there, but….never mind…it was for a good cause…." said Mrs. Weasely in a guilty tone.

"I think Mum is still reeling from the whole 'not believing the bars and starvation' thing." said George to Fred in a whisper.

"Who taught you how to do that?" asked Remus wonderingly.

"Umm…the source of our knowledge must be kept secret." said George unconvincingly.

Harry, Sirius, and Remus all saw Mr. Weasely mouth, "Me" behind his wife's back.

There was a small click and the door swung open.

"Not bad, boys, not bad." said Nightstrike with a broad grin.

Fred and George beamed at each other.

"So—we'll get your trunk—you grab anything you need from your room and hand it out to Ron," whispered George.

"So who was making sure the car didn't fall, with Ron in it?" asked Sirius over to Fred.

"It's an automatic hover." said Fred shrugging.

"Watch out for the bottom stair—it creaks," Harry whispered back as the twins disappeared onto the dark landing.

"I didn't hear that, did you George?" said Fred.

"Nope, good thing we jumped that step." said George staring wide-eyed.

"And jumped over it as we went up the stairs." said Fred gulping.

Harry dashed around his room, collecting his things and passing them out of the window to Ron.

"There wasn't a whole lot there, just a few notebooks and few of Hedwig's things." said Ron.

Then he went to help Fred and George heave his trunk up the stairs. Harry heard Uncle Vernon cough.

"I thought Harry was going to have a strained neck, he looked around so quickly." said George with a small smile.

"We looked in that cupboard, the one where your stuff was, please say it wasn't THAT cupboard you slept in." said Fred with a worried look. He of course knew the answer, but he wished it weren't true.

"Umm…." said Harry looking down.

"How could you fit in there?" said George looking confused and angry all at the same time.

"I'm small, I can get into almost anything just fine." said Harry shrugging.

At last, panting, they reached the landing, then carried the trunk through Harry's room to the open window. Fred climbed back into the car to pull with Ron, and Harry and George pushed from the bedroom side. Inch by inch, the trunk slid through the window.

"I wanted to say to you: 'What in blazes do you have in this thing?'" said Fred staring at Harry.

"Almost everything I owned." said Harry with a smile.

Uncle Vernon coughed again.

"We all stopped when we heard that." said Ron with a smile.

"A bit more," panted Fred, who was pulling from inside the car. "One good push—"

Harry and George threw their shoulders against the trunk and it slid out of the window into the back seat of the car.

"Okay, let's go," George whispered.

"You got out of there without waking them up! Good work!" said Remus with a bright smile.

"Not quite." said the twins, Ron and Harry.

But as Harry climbed onto the windowsill there came a sudden loud screech from behind them,

"Screech?" asked Bill.

"Did Petunia wake up?" said Snape with a smirk.

"No, we forgot something important." said Fred.

"VERY important." said Harry stroking Hedwig's feathers.

followed immediately by the thunder of Uncle Vernon's voice.

"THAT RUDDY OWL!"

"Hedwig? Oh no! You forgot her!" said Dr. Clark looking over to Harry in horror.

"I've forgotten Hedwig!"

"At least you remembered her before you left." said Luna dreamily.

"She was mad at me for the longest time though, especially after what happened when we arrived at Hogwarts." said Harry

"What happened?" asked Sirius.

"You'll…um…uh…" said Harry.

"Let me guess, 'you'll find out later'?" said Sirius looking at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah." said Harry scratching the back of his head.

"Well, do I have to wait very long?" said Sirius tapping his forefinger on his knee.

"No, not really." said Harry with a slight smile as Hedwig hooted loudly.

"Too soon for her liking, I think." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Harry tore back across the room as the landing light clicked on—

"Better hurry it up!" said Bill worriedly.

he snatched up Hedwig's cage, dashed to the window, and passed it out to Ron. He was scrambling back onto the chest of drawers when Uncle Vernon hammered on the unlocked door—

"Occupied!" shouted Fred.

Despite the tension, a ripple of laughter wandered about the hall.

and it crashed open.

For a split second, Uncle Vernon stood framed in the doorway; then he let out a bellow like an angry bull and dived at Harry, grabbing him by the ankle.

"NO!" shouted Sirius and Remus.

"I'm gonna kill him…" muttered Dr. Clark, his knuckles tightened on the side of the book.

Dumbledore closed his eyes and rocked back and forth in his purple plush rocking chair. His jaw clenched.

Harry took notice of Dumbledore's rocking, which was quickly getting faster and faster, he leaned forward and magicked a small phial of Calming Draught to slightly bounce off the tip of his crooked nose. Dumbledore's eyes snapped open and recoiled slightly from the crystal phial.

"Drink it, please." said Harry quietly.

Dumbledore smiled over to Harry, guilt written all over his face. He put the phial to his lips and drank the contents down in one gulp.

Ron, Fred, and George seized Harry's arms and pulled as hard as they could.

Madam Pomfrey Dr. Clark sent stern looks over to the twins and Ron.

Sirius noticed this, "What's up, Doc?"

Hermione, Harry and other Muggleborns began laughing out loud. Even the sides of Dr. Clark's mouth twitched.

"What's so funny?" asked Sirius.

"It's…what you just said is something a cartoon character in the Muggle world says." said Harry with a smile.

Sirius thought quickly. "Is it at least a cool character?" he said with a smile.

"And here I thought James was always the egotistic one of the group." said Lupin with a smile and fond remembrance of his old friend.

"Oh, yeah, Bugs Bunny was always brilliant." said Harry trying not to laugh.

"….I quoted a bunny?" said Sirius with a disbelieving look.

"You asked." said Hermione with a cheeky grin.

"Wish I hadn't. A bunny?" he shook his head quickly. "Anyway, why are you looking pissed off at Ron and the twins?"

"They could've hurt Harry, pulling him the way they did." said Dr. Clark. He then turned to Harry quickly. "Were you sore, later?"

"A little bit, but I would rather be sore at the Weasely's then trapped at the Dursley's." said Harry with a weak smile.

"Point taken." said Dr. Clark.

"Petunia!" roared Uncle Vernon. "He's getting away! HE'S GETTING AWAY!"

Dumbledore heaved a sigh and continued to rock back and forth in his chair.

"HOW DARE YOU ACT INDIFFERENT?" screeched Mrs. Weasely.

"He's not Mrs. Weasely, he just took a calming draught. A freshly brewed, super strong one." said Harry.

"It's true, Molly." said Snape. "I just made it this morning; it's what you should have received the other day. Dumbledore now cannot even try and work himself up, which may be for the best."

"I don't see how!" said Mrs. Weasely.

"I don't feel like electrocuting him again, Mrs. Weasely." said Harry simply.

Mrs. Weasely paled and looked down, shame etched across her face. "Sorry."

"It's alright Molly, I would be upset too." said Dumbledore kindly. "I am trying to stir up some anger, but I can't seem to do so at the moment. I've never had a Calming Draught this strong before, it is an odd sensation."

"I would rather you have that sensation, than me shocking you." said Harry with a smile.

But the Weaselys gave a gigantic tug and Harry's leg slid out of Uncle Vernon's grasp—Harry was in the car—he'd slammed the door shut—

The students cheered and applauded the twins and Ron. Mr. Weasely gave each of his youngest sons a large hug.

Mrs. Weasely was still ashamed of her not believing her sons and snapping at Dumbledore for wishing to avoid another heart attack.

"Put your foot down, Fred!" yelled Ron, and the car shot suddenly toward the moon.

Harry couldn't believe it—he was free.

Sirius smiled and gave Harry a hug.

He rolled down the window, the night air whipping his hair, and looked back at the shrinking rooftops of Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were all hanging dumbstruck, out of Harry's window.

"See you next summer!" Harry yelled.

Remus lightly smacked the back of Harry's head.

"Yipe! What?" said Harry rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't goad them. I don't want to hear that they were horrible to you next year." said Remus sternly.

"Well…" said Harry teasingly. "They weren't the ones mean to me next year."

"You're going to love what happens next summer." said Fred eagerly.

"Can't wait." said Remus skeptically.

The Weaselys roared with laughter and Harry settled back in his seat, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let Hedwig out," he told Ron. "She can fly behind us. She hasn't had a chance to stretch her wings for ages."

"That was so nice of you to think of her." said Katie. "Especially after you almost left her." she finished with a smirk.

"I thought I would try and make it up to her." said Harry shrugging slightly.

George handed the hairpin to Ron and, a moment later, Hedwig soared joyfully out of the window to glide alongside them like a ghost.

Hedwig's fans all sighed with enjoyment, while Ron had to dodge his mother's glare, she didn't know her youngest son could pick locks too. Harry, Sirius and Remus all smiled at each other. Mr. Weasely's secret was safe with them.

"So—what's the story, Harry?" said Ron impatiently. "What's been happening?"

Harry told them all about Dobby, the warning he'd given Harry and the fiasco of the violet pudding. There was a long, shocked silence when he had finished.

"Very fishy," said Fred finally.

"Definitely dodgy," agreed George.

"That's all you could say?" said Sirius looking over to the two of them in shock.

"Hey! It was late at night and we were still riding off the excitement." said Fred defensively.

"So he wouldn't even tell you who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?"

"I don't think he could," said Harry. "I told you, every time he got close to letting something slip, he started banging his head against the wall."

He saw Fred and George look at each other.

"What, you think he was lying to me?" said Harry.

"House-elves can't lie. It is physically impossible for them to." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Well," said Fred, "put it this way—house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?"

"At the time, the entire Slytherin house." said Harry with a smile.

"Yes," said Harry and Ron together, instantly.

"Draco Malfoy," Harry explained. "He hates me."

"Draco Malfoy?" said George, turning around. "Not Lucius Malfoy's son?"

"The one and only." said Ron with a smirk.

"Must be, it's not a very common name, is it?" said Harry. "Why?"

"I've heard Dad talking about him," said George "He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who."

Several students turned and stared at Malfoy. He looked down, unwilling to meet the other student's gaze.

"And when You-Know-Who disappeared," said Fred, craning around to look at Harry, "Lucius Malfoy came back saying he'd never meant any of it. Load of dung—Dad reckons he was right in You-Know-Who's inner circle."

"He was proven innocent!" shouted Fudge.

"Hang on," said Harry as he whipped out his black notebook and copied down something on a spare piece of parchment. "Here you go, Madam Bones." he said handing her the piece of parchment.

She took it and read it slowly, her eyes getting wider and wider until the monocle couldn't hold itself to her face.

Ranger Lionus walked over and read what was written, his eyes widening as well. "It would seem," he said without taking his eyes away from the parchment. "that I need to utilize my authority and request to my chief that he perform an audit of your Ministry goings-on."

Fudge gulped loudly, however Madam Bones agreed whole-heartedly. "Things must be changed, for the better. I will fully cooperate with your superior."

"He'll appreciate it." said Lionus with a smirk. "The chief's getting on in years and he isn't all that active in the field anymore."

"Mind your tongue, Lionus. He still manages to beat you in the training room every time." said Dr. Nicodemus, with a smirk.

Nightstrike and Tempest shared a broad smile.

Harry had heard these rumors about the Malfoy family before, and they didn't surprise him at all.

"Are there really rumors about me?" said Malfoy quickly.

"There are rumors about everyone." said Harry. "Some are proven true, some aren't. Your father's rumors were easy to prove."

Malfoy made Dudley Dursley look like a kind, thoughtful, and sensitive boy.

"Ouch, that really, really hurts." said Bill with a smirk.

"I don't know whether the Malfoys own a house-elf…." said Harry.

"We do." said Malfoy. "Two of them, one's assigned to do house work and be the valet to my father and I and the other is my mother's personal maid."

"Well, whoever owns him will be an old wizarding family, and they'll be rich," said Fred.

"Yeah, Mum's always wishing we had a house-elf to do the ironing." said George.

"Dobby should have gone to my house, Mum would have loved him." said Ron whispering to Hermione, who sat quietly.

She was torn between trying to stand up for what she called 'Elf Rights' and what Harry and Dumbledore had told everyone about 'Elf Culture'. She knew slavery was wrong, and she knew that Ron and Harry believed that too. But…could there be a situation in the Magical world where creatures depend on the work they are given? That if they had no family to care for, that they would perish? She wasn't sure what to believe now, at least on a 'SPEW' perspective.

"But all we've got is a lousy old ghoul in the attic and gnomes all over the garden. House-elves come with big old manors and castles and places like that; you wouldn't catch one in our house…."

"There isn't anything wrong with 'The Burrow'." said the Weaselys and Harry.

"And I don't know why a house-elf wouldn't be at the Weasely home, it should be large enough…" said Lionus quietly, looking over at all the Weasely children.

Harry was silent. Judging by the fact that Draco Malfoy usually had the best of everything, his family was rolling in wizard gold; he could just see Malfoy strutting around a large manor house. Sending the family servant to stop Harry from going back to Hogwarts also sounded exactly like the sort of thing Malfoy would do.

"Malfoy shifted nervously in his seat, he had toyed with the idea of pranking Harry in his own home.

Had Harry been stupid to take Dobby seriously?

"You never know when people mention danger you need to retain CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" said Tonks yelling the last part a few inches away from Moody's ear. As he pulled himself off the floor, cursing all the way, she moved her chair quickly and sat beside Dumbledore, grinning cheekily over to her mentor.

"I'm glad we came to get you, anyway," said Ron. "I was getting really worried when you didn't answer any of my letters. I thought it was Errol's fault at first—"

"Errol?" asked a Slytherin third year.

"He was the last hatchling of the owl I had with me when I went to school." said Mr. Weasely with a smile.

"Who's Errol?"

"Our owl. He's ancient. It wouldn't be the first time he'd collapsed on a delivery. So then I tried to borrow Hermes—"

"Who?"

"The owl Mum and Dad bought Percy when he was made prefect," said Fred from the front.

"I never did understand that. How come Percy got to get two things for becoming Prefect when Bill and Ron only got the one thing each?" asked Fred.

"Well, that was a mistake, no offence Percy, that your father and I made. I got him the robes. I forgot to tell your father that I had already rewarded him, so he went out and got Percy his own owl. Ron, dear, did you want something else to go with that broom? To make up for it?" said Mrs. Weasely anxiously.

"No Mum, the broom was more than enough." said Ron with a smile.

"But Percy wouldn't lend him to me," said Ron. "Said he needed him."

"What reason did you have anyway?" said George looking puzzled.

"None of your business." said Percy quickly.

"It was a girl than." said Fred with a smirk. Percy turned bright red.

"Percy's been acting very oddly this summer," said George frowning. "And he has been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room….I mean, there's only so many times you can polish a prefect badge….You're driving too far west, Fred," he said pointing at the compass on the dashboard. Fred twiddled the steering wheel.

"I wanted to call you a backseat driver." said Fred with a smirk.

"So, does your dad know you've got the car?" said Harry, guessing the answer.

"Er, no," said Ron, "he had to work tonight. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back in the garage without Mum noticing we flew it."

Both Charlie and Bill snorted loudly. That was never going to happen. Their mother knew everything that goes on at home.

"What does your dad do at the Ministry of Magic, anyway?"

"He works in the most boring department," said Ron. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

"Um..er..dad…uh.." said Ron quickly.

"It's alright Ron. My department is pretty boring next to the others." said Mr. Weasely with a smile.

"The what?"

"It's all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house.

"It's a very important department. That's way we give Ministries full funding for the department, to pay for the resources and the people to work in it." said Lionus with a smile.

The Weaselys looked over to the Ranger curiously while Fudge shifted nervously.

Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare—Dad was working overtime for weeks."

"God man! Glad someone besides the Aurors has a work ethic." said Dr. Nicodemus approvingly.

"What happened?"

"The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with the sugar tongs clamped to his nose. Dad was going frantic—it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins in the office—

Lionus stared at the book, "That can't be right, I sign the monetary release every month and it states there are supposed to be ten people in there."

Fudge gulped loudly.

Lionus looked up to him quickly, his eyes blazing, "Explains why I only get two reports every month."

and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up—"

"But your dad—this car—"

Fred laughed. "Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided ourhouse he'd have to put himself under arrest. It drives Mum mad."

Fudge ceased his nervous antics and glared at Mr. Weasely menacingly. Who took his turn at shifting about.

Harry looked at Mr. Weasely worriedly, and then turned his attention to the Ranger, who was snarling at the Minister. The Ranger snapped his fingers and Nightstrike came swooping over to Lionus' side. The Ranger captain whispered in Nightstrikes' ear and in an instant, the werewolf was gone.

"That's the main road," said George, peering down the windshield. "We'll be there in ten minutes….Just as well, it's getting light…."

A faint pinkish glow was visible along the horizon to the east.

Fred brought the car lower, and Harry saw a dark patchwork of fields and clumps of trees.

"We're a little outside the village," said George. "Ottery St. Catchpole."

"Hey, that town is near the area we were going to take you fishing! Man, you almost met the Weaselys early." said Dr. Clark with a broad smile.

Lower and lower went the flying car. The edge of a brilliant red sun was now gleaming through the trees.

Fred and George both gave a loud crow like a rooster, to the amusement of their fellow students.

"Touchdown!" said Fred as, with a slight bump, they hit the ground. They had landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard, and Harry looked out for the first time at Ron's house.

"I love the Burrow." sighed Harry fondly. Mr. Weasely and Mrs. Weasely beamed at each other.

"As do I, it is such a restful place." said Dumbledore with a smile. Mr. and Mrs. Weasely beamed even brighter. Despite her recent disagreements with Dumbledore, she was happy that even he thought highly of their home.

It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which Harry reminded himself, probably was).

"Yeah, about once a year we need to reinforce the spells." said Mr. Weasely with a smile.

"Why are you living in a refurbished pigpen? No offense meant, but I pay you enough to own a large house. Why do you have need to live there?" said Lionus growing genuinely concerned.

"How much do you think you pay dad, sir?" said Bill looking over to the Ranger Captain with raised brows.

"I signed the release for your father to get paid about twenty-five galleons an hour. He's been in that department for so long and his reports are always good." said Lionus, when he saw their disbelieving looks; he turned an even more furious glare towards the Minister. "How much do you get paid, Mr. Weasely?" he said without looking at the man he was addressing.

"about five galleons's an hour." said Mr. Weasely looking confused.

"I AM going to find out where the money went, and you better hope that I'm in a fair mood when I do, Cornelius. If I'm not, I'll send you to the same place I'm gonna send her!" he shouted.

He then turned quickly over to Mr. Weasely, "Expect a check for back wages, Arthur." he said shortly.

Mrs. Weasely gripped her husband's arm and smiled. "I always said you were worth more than what they were paying you."

"You did, you really did." he said giving her a kiss.

Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, THE BURROW. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.

"It's not much," said Ron.

"It's wonderful." said Harry happily, thinking of Privet Drive.

"An outhouse would be wonderful compared to Privet Drive." said Ron with a smirk.

"True, but I loved your house the moment I saw it. It was perfect, you couldn't believe how jealous I was of you." said Harry with a smile.

"….what?" said Ron weakly.

"I would have given everything I had, just to be you for ten minutes. Have a home that's really a home, a family I could hold and all that went with it. I still wish that quite often." said Harry with an even more sincere smile.

"You don't need to wish anymore, you've got it." said Sirius hugging him.

"You two are way too cheesy for me." said Remus with a smirk.

"Go howl at a moon, Moony." Sirius shot back.

Both Remus and Nightstrike laughed loudly.

"Come join us." said Nightstrike nastily.

They got out of the car.

"Now we'll go upstairs really quietly," said Fred "and wait for Mum to call us for breakfast. Then, Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, 'Mum, look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be all pleased to see Harry and no one need ever know we flew the car."

"I wouldn't have bought that." whispered Mrs. Weasely to her husband, who snickered.

"Right," said Ron. "Come on, Harry, I sleep at the—at the top—"

Ron had gone a nasty greenish color, his eyes fixed on the house.

"What happened? What frightened Ron that much?" said Neville quickly.

The other three wheeled around.

Mrs. Weasely was marching across the yard,

"That'll do it." said the Weasely children, Harry, Sirius, Remus and Dumbledore.

scattering chickens, and for a short, plump, kind-faced woman, it was remarkable how much she looked like a saber-toothed tiger.

Sirius gave a bark-like laugh. "She is over-protective of her cubs, not to mention everyone else's cubs too."

"I'll take that as a compliment." said Mrs. Weasely with a smirk.

"Good! Cause I meant it as one." said Sirius with a grin.

"Ah," said Fred.

"Oh, dear," said George.

Mrs. Weasely came to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next.

Harry thought back to that day and gulped loudly. Mrs. Weasley would never hurt him like his Uncle would, or at all, but he was more afraid of upsetting her than he ever was of upsetting Uncle Vernon.

She was wearing a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket.

"So," she said.

"'Morning, Mum," said George, in what he clearly thought was a jaunty, winning voice.

"It didn't come out that way." said Fred, Ron, Harry and Mrs. Weasely.

"What did it sound like then." said George who looked hurt.

"Like a mouse being stepped on." said Fred with a smirk.

"Have you any idea how worried I've been?" said Mrs. Weasley in a deadly whisper.

"What time did you see the car gone, mum?" asked Charlie eagerly.

"I saw them pull out of the driveway." said Mrs. Weasely sending a stern look to her three youngest sons.

"Damn, I knew she heard you tripping over that bucket." said George to Fred.

"How was I to know that dad magicked it to fill itself full of chicken feed in the middle of the night?" said Fred defending himself.

"You should have known! We watched him enchant it the day before!" said George.

"Oh…right…" said Fred looking sheepish.

"Sorry, Mum, but see, we had to—"

All three of Mrs. Weasley's son were taller than she was, but they cowered as her rage broke over them.

"Beds empty! No note! Car gone—could have crashed—out of my mind with worry—did you care?—never, as long as I've lived—you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy—"

"Perfect Percy," muttered Fred.

"YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" yelled Mrs. Weasely, prodding a finger in Fred's chest.

"Would rather not to be perfectly honest." muttered Fred to George. Neither one of them was all that forgiving to Percy yet.

"You could have died, you could have been seen, you could have lost your father his job—"

"I think the first one would have been the most important one." said Kingsley in his calm, deep voice.

"I know, but…just…." said Mrs. Weasley.

"We understood you mum." said Fred with a smile.

It seemed to go on for hours. Mrs. Weasely had shouted herself hoarse before she turned on Harry, who backed away.

"You fling yourself into a fight with a troll, and a dark wizard and you back away from an angry mother?" said Dean with a smile on his lips.

"You weren't there." said Ron and Harry together.

"I'm very pleased to see you, Harry, dear," she said. "Come in and have some breakfast."

"I was really taken aback. I had never seen anyone do an about-face like that." said Harry with a smile to Mrs. Weasely.

"She's good at that, she can soothe and comfort one kid and scream at the other for getting the other one hurt." said Fred with a smirk.

"Happens a lot at home." said George.

"Especially with you two for brothers." said Ginny with a grin.

She turned and walked back into the house and Harry, after a nervous glance at Ron, who nodded encouragingly, followed her.

"You looked so pale, I was afraid you were either going to faint or get sick." said Ron with a small smile.

"Oh, dear! I didn't mean to frighten you!" said Mrs. Weasely anxiously.

"I was a little tired, Mrs. Weasely, and hungry. I was jumping at the least little thing." said Harry soothingly.

"I hope you got to eat something and get some sleep." said Remus quickly.

"I got to eat, but after a while, I wasn't tired at all." said Harry. "Adrenaline is a fickle visitor."

"You're talking like Dumbledore again." said Sirius with a smirk.

The kitchen was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle, and Harry sat down on the edge of his seat,

"You still have wonderful posture, Potter." said Madam Pomfrey.

"It comes from Aunt Marge visiting constantly." said Harry bitterly.

"I don't see why you should sound so bitter…" said Madam Bones.

"She hates it when anyone slouches, with the great exception of Dudley. You'll find out in the next book why I despise her." said Harry with a snarl.

looking around. He had never been in a wizard house before.

"Any other wizard house would pale in comparison." said Harry with a grin.

"Wait'll you see ours, after I clean all the kitten crap out of there." said Sirius beaming.

The clock on the wall opposite him had only one hand and no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like Time to make tea, Time to feed the chickens, and You're late,

"That clock is such a wondrous thing, Molly. I greatly admire it." said Dumbledore with a broad smile.

"It was a wedding gift from my grandmother." said Mrs. Weasley with a smile. "She used it for her own family."

books with titles like Charm Your Own Cheese, Enchantments in Baking, and One Minute Feasts—It's Magic!

"I looked at those books while I was there; I was really interested in the 'Enchantments in Baking' one." said Harry. "There was a few recipes that attracted my attention and I wrote them down quick…let me see…oh here's the one I wanted to make but I haven't had the time. 'Black Magic Cake'."

"Black Magic Cake?" said Sirius slowly.

"Oh it's delicious!" said Mrs. Weasely earnestly. "Remus, I think you would like it, it's a chocolate cake with a taste of coffee."

"If it has chocolate in it or on it, he'll eat it." said Sirius with a smirk.

And unless Harry's ears were deceiving him, the old radio next to the sink had just announced that coming up was "Witching Hour, with the popular singing sorceress, Celestina Warbeck."

"Sirius is a big fan of hers." said Remus with a smirk.

"Hey! She's got a great singing voice!" said Sirius defensively.

"That's not the only thing you like about her." said Remus slyly.

Mrs. Weasely was clattering around, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, throwing dirty looks at her sons as she threw sausages into the frying pan.

"I cook when I'm pissed too, but it's better if there is no one else in the room. I tend to fling things around." said Harry with a smile.

"Like what?" said Sirius quickly.

"Knives, plates, you name it, it's flying." said Harry with a smile.

Every now and then she muttered things like "don't know what you were thinking of," and "never would have believed it."

"I don't blame you, dear," she assured Harry, tipping eight or nine sausages onto his plate.

"I could tell that he was just about or near starving to death, but I was so angry that I didn't even give my children the chance to explain further. I only thought of the four of them crashing to the ground." said Mrs. Weasely shamefully. "I'm so sorry that I didn't listen to you boys, back then!"

"It's okay mom, it must have sounded like we were just trying to get out of trouble." said George quickly.

"And beside Mrs. Weasley, you made me all better." said Harry with child-like grin.

"But…" said Mrs. Weasley worriedly.

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty." said Dumbledore and Harry.

"We all have parts of our lives that we wish we could go back and change it. I have several points in my life that I wish I could go back and change." said Dumbledore kindly, "Due to these books, the list of moments are growing with each passing day." he finished with a grieved look.

"Arthur and I have been worried about you, too. Just last night we were saying we'd come and get you ourselves if you hadn't written back to Ron by Friday.

"What day was it?" asked Dean.

"It was a Tuesday." said Harry.

"You wouldn't have been able to get out of the room on your own if they had waited till Friday." said Madam Pomfrey bitterly.

But really" (she was now adding three fried eggs to his plate to his plate),

"You went from eating only half a can of soup for a meal to eating enough for two people? That won't go well with your stomach." said Dr. Clark worriedly.

"I got sick later in the garden, yeah." said Harry quietly.

"That'll happen when you aren't used to eating that much." said Dr. Clark sadly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Harry!" said Mrs. Weasely horrified.

"It's alright, Mrs. Weasely, I didn't throw up everything." said Harry trying to comfort her. "I managed to keep some of it down."

"flying an illegal car halfway across the country—anyone could have seen you—"

She flicked her wand casually at the dishes in the sink, which began to clean themselves, clinking gently in the background.

"That charm is really handy when I cook here at school." said Harry with a broad smile. "Love to cook, hate to do the damn dishes."

"It was cloudy, Mum!" said Fred.

"You keep your mouth closed while you're eating!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"Were you eating Fred?" asked Lee in a whisper. "Or was your mom still freaking out?"

"No, I was eating. She always tells me to close my mouth. It's a reflex with her." he said with a smile.

"Cause you do eat with your mouth open." said George. "It's nasty when you eat mashed potatoes."

"They were starving him, Mum!" said George.

"And you!" said Mrs. Weasley,

"So you didn't believe him?" asked Sirius frowning.

"I could see that he was very thin, but…I just couldn't believe that any family could be so cruel." said Mrs. Weasely anxiously.

"I know just how you feel Molly. First year in the Emergency room and the things I saw, not just the accidents, but all the abuse and self-inflicted wounds, I couldn't believe people could do things like that. It was so horrible." said Dr. Clark, a full-body shiver ran through his body. He then gave Harry a tight one-arm hug. "I saw you when you first came in there and you….I wanted to spend the rest of my life protecting you the best I could." he said with a broad smile.

but it was with a slightly softened expression that she started cutting Harry bread and buttering it for him.

"Well, at least you're being gentle with him." said Dr. Clark kindly. "He'd had enough going on that summer."

At that moment there was a diversion in the form of a small, redheaded figure in a long nightdress, who appeared in the kitchen, gave a small squeal, and ran out again.

Ginny sent a stern glare around the school, but she couldn't stop one person who wolf-whistled. She turned slowly over Harry with a smirk, Harry, in turn, smiled back and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm going to get you for that." said Ginny, still smirking.

"Like last time? I shaking in my shoes." he grinned cheekily.

"Ginny," said Ron in an undertone to Harry. "My sister. She's been talking about you all summer."

"Yeah, she'll be wanting your autograph, Harry," Fred said with a grin, but he caught his mother's eye and bent his face over his plate without another word.

"I think we'll have a bit of lunch real quick. While we read." said McGonagall quickly, she had heard a loud grumble coming from several different students, she whipped out her wand and summoned the table full of food.

Dr. Clark waited until Harry had returned with the four food-filled plates to resume his reading.

Nothing more was said until all four plates were clean, which took a surprisingly short time.

"Food never stays long at the Burrow." said Mrs. Weasely smiling at all her sons who all were wolfing down their sandwiches.

"Blimey, I'm tired," yawned Fred, setting down his knife and fork at last. "I think I'll go to bed and—"

"Oh no you don't, you stay up all night, you don't go to bed during the day." said Bill with a smirk.

"You will not," snapped Mrs. Weasely. "It's your own fault you've been up all night. You're going to de-gnome the garden for me; they're getting completely out of hand again—"

"Well, at least she gave you a fun job to do." said Charlie. "So she wasn't completely pissed at you. She believed you a little bit."

"Oh, Mum—"

"And you two," she said, glaring at Ron and Fred. "You can go up to bed, dear," she added to Harry. "You didn't ask them to fly that wretched car—"

"This is when my adrenaline visited me, wasn't tired at all for the rest of the day." said Harry with a smile. "But boy, did I crash that night."

But Harry, who felt wide awake, said quickly, "I'll help Ron. I've never seen a de-gnoming—"

"Oh that's sad; you really shouldn't kick them out. They bring good fortune." said Luna dreamily.

"Gnomes tend to come back if they really like the garden." said Neville grinning.

"That's very sweet of you, dear, but it's dull work," said Mrs. Weasely.

"After doing it, I've had duller work." said Harry with a smile. "It was actually a lot of fun."

"Now, let's see what Lockhart's got to say on the subject—"

Remus and Kingsley both groaned loudly.

"Who is he?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Worthless waste of hair tonic and space." said Remus stiffly.

"And that's being kind." said Kingsley with a scowl.

"How do you two know him?" asked Neville.

"I was in school with that…" Remus coughed loudly into his hand.

"And he just about stalked me all about the Ministry a few years ago." said Kingsley, his fingers massaging the bridge of his nose.

Mrs. Weasely blushed quickly, while her husband smiled broadly.

And she pulled a heavy book from the stack on the mantelpiece. George groaned.

"Mum, we know how to de-gnome a garden—"

"Pick up, spin around and let 'er fly!" said the Weasely children and Harry, who all smiled broadly.

Harry looked at the cover of Mrs. Weasely's book. Written across it in fancy gold letters were the words Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests.

"Did you read that book?" asked Ginny eagerly.

"Yep." Harry said simply. "Wasn't worth the time I spent reading it." he finished shaking his head.

There was a big photograph on the front of a very good-looking wizard with wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes.

Sirius blinked several times and then turned slowly to face the young man in the bowl. He had a smirk on his lips.

"No, I don't go for blokes." said Harry smacking Sirius about the head with a cushion.

"And if you did, you could really do better." said Kingsley with a smirk.

As always in the wizarding world, the photograph was moving: the wizard, who Harry supposed was Gilderoy Lockhart,

"That was a no brainer." said Harry with a smirk.

kept winking cheekily up at them all. Mrs. Weasely beamed down at him.

"Why would you?" said Remus gagging on his plate of turkey sandwiches.

"He was quite dapper." said Mrs. Weasely turning red.

"Oh, he is marvelous," she said. "He knows his household pests,

"He should, seeing as how he's almost always been one." said Remus bitterly.

"I don't think I remember this Lockhart guy…" said Sirius questioningly.

"He's the one that flirted with Lily and, I think you would sort of call it, tried to flirt with James." said Remus carefully.

"Dazzle Gums? That was Lockhart?" said Sirius with widened eyes.

"Yeah." said Remus nodding.

"He flirted with both of my parents?" said Harry staring at Remus dumbfounded.

"Yeah, there were several people at school that played either straight, both sides of the field or the same side, some were secretive about it, some were proud. He was downright obnoxious about it. Thought himself 'God's gift to women and men." said Remus shaking his head.

"The only girls who dated him were only after his looks, the guys, who were either bi or homosexual, wouldn't touch him with a twenty foot broomstick." said Sirius with a small chuckle. "They knew what he was all about. Imagine your dad's surprise when 'Dazzle Gums' asked him out on a date. Your dad ran and hid in the Gryffindor Quidditch Locker Room. We had to use the map to find him, and had to spend the whole weekend coaxing him from the rafters." he finished laughing loudly.

"Lockhart asking him out scared him that bad?" said Harry

"Not so much the whole 'a bloke asking another bloke out' part. Your Great-Uncle Rudolph Potter is homosexual. His boyfriend Leroy is always good for a laugh, great cook too." said Sirius thoughtfully. "It was the fact that 'Dazzle Gums' asked your dad out. James couldn't show his face for three days. Freaking hilarious, it was."

"I have an actual living relative?" said Harry dumbstruck. He was more focused on the knowledge of a living blood relative, than funny stories about his least favorite school teacher.

"Yeah, we'd take you to meet them both, but um…they're in Africa right now. They've been down there for the past…what Moony…fourteen years. They study animals and plants down there. When they come back to Europe, we'll take you to them. They would absolutely adore you. They did when you were a baby. Uncle Rudolph and Leroy would always come over and dote on you something fierce, just like Batty." said Sirius with a broad smile up to Bathilda who blushed heavily.

"They know about Lily and James right?" said Sirius asking Remus quickly.

"I tried finding them years ago, but all I was doing was chasing their dust. I think, last I heard, they were in the Congo." said Remus thoughtfully. "So I don't think they do know. When they get back, I guess we'll have to tell them."

all right, it's a wonderful book…."

"It's got the basics, but nothing more than what anybody else would know from common sense." said McGonagall with an irritated sniff.

"Mum fancies him," said Fred, in a very audible whisper.

"No different than dozens of others. I don't blame you, Molly, he's always been a charmer." said Remus and Sirius.

"Don't be so ridiculous, Fred," said Mrs. Weasely, her cheeks rather pink.

"Wow, Arthur, you don't care about this little crush your wife has?" said Tonks with a cheeky grin.

"I wasn't worried, I knew she fancied him, but she wouldn't run off with him even if the opportunity arose. She wouldn't leave me or the kids." said Mr. Weasely. He and his wife shared a loving kiss.

"All right, if you think you know better than Lockhart, you can go and get on with it, and woe betide you if there's a single gnome in that garden when I come out to inspect it."

"What would have happened if there was a gnome in the garden?" said Sirius looking over to her sternly.

"I don't know, they've always had the garden cleared of gnomes. I never had to dream up anything, I guess they would have had to finish de-gnoming and then weed a patch of the garden." said Mrs. Weasely thinking carefully.

"Yeah, when Mum tells you to do a chore in the house, you do it and do it right." said Bill and the rest of the Weasely children. "But de-gnoming the garden is always fun, so we do it right."

Yawning and grumbling, the Weasely slouched outside with Harry behind them. The garden was large, and in Harry's eyes, exactly what a garden should be.

"Oh thank you, dear!" said Mrs. Weasley happily.

Dr. Clark read a head a little and smirked. "Hold that thought."

The Dursleys wouldn't have liked it—there were plenty of weeds, and the grass needed cutting—

"Fred and George are the ones, who are supposed to cut the grass, but we were all sort of worried about you that Arthur and I couldn't bring ourselves to have the children do much of anything." said Mrs. Weasley looking over to Harry.

"I loved your garden, I still do." said Harry with a broad smile.

but there were gnarled trees all around the walls, plants Harry had never seen spilling from every flower bed, and a big green pond full of frogs.

"Professor Sprout loves to come and look at the plants and our pond every summer." said Bill with a broad smile.

"It has such a lovely specimen of fresh water gillyweed growing in in your pond, Molly." said Sprout eagerly.

"Muggles have garden gnomes too, you know," Harry told Ron as they crossed the lawn.

"Yeah, I've seen those things they think are gnomes." said Ron, bent double with his head in a peony bush, "like fat little Santa Clauses with fishing rods…."

"And they don't move, made of some sort of clay or something." said Ron.

There was a violent scuffling noise, the peony bush shuddered, and Ron straightened up. "Thisis a gnome," he said grimly.

"Gerroff me! Gerroff me!" squealed the gnome.

It was certainly nothing like Santa Clause.

"Thank goodness, he'd frighten small children if he looked like a garden gnome." said Sirius smirking.

It was small and leathery looking, with a large, knobby, bald head exactly like a potato.

"I remember going over to your house a year ago or so, Seamus, and your mom asked me to go find a potato for the stew she was cooking, scared me out of my mind when I saw a body with it and it was talking to me." said Dean laughing.

Ron held it at arm's length as it kicked out at him with its horny little feet; he grasped it around the ankles and turned it upside down.

"This is what you have to do," he said. He raised the gnome above his head ("Gerroff me!") and started to swing it in a circle like a lasso. Seeing the shocked look on Harry's face,

"You really are way too kind sometimes." whispered Sirius kissing the top of Harry's head. Harry blushed heavily.

Ron added, "It doesn't hurt them—

"And they really enjoy it actually. They get a kick out of it." said George with a grin. "Didn't find that out till the following year, though."

you've just got make them really dizzy so they can't find their way back to the gnomeholes."

He let go of the gnome's ankles: It flew twenty feet into the air and landed with a thud in the field over the hedge.

"Pitiful." said Fred smugly.

"Pitiful," said Fred. "I bet I can get mine beyond the stump."

"And did you Fred?" said Ron cheekily.

"Shut up." said Fred quickly.

"His flew back behind him and smacked the house." said Harry with a large smile. Fred turned beet red when the students and guests laughed good-naturedly.

Harry learned quickly not to feel too sorry for the gnomes. He decided just to drop the first one he caught over the hedge,

"Aww! That was nice of you!" said Parvati.

but the gnome, sensing weakness, sank its razor-sharp teeth into Harry's finger and he had a hard job shaking it off—until—

"Wow, Harry—that must've been fifty feet…."

"It bit you?" said Dr. Clark quickly and closed the book quickly and turning his body to examine Harry's fingers.

"This was three years ago." said Harry as he watched Dr. Clark examine his fingers with worry.

"That explained why Ron hurried in and grabbed a bandage." said Ginny with a small smile.

"Were you hurt badly?" said Dr. Clark quickly.

"No, it was just a small bite. Ron overreacted." said Harry quickly, giving Ron a quick warning look.

The air was soon thick with flying gnomes.

"See, they're not too bright," said George, seizing five or six gnomes at once. "The moment they know the de-gnoming's going on they storm up to have a look. You'd think they'd have learned by now just to stay put."

"Professor Sprout told me that they come up to have a look and to get in line for the de-gnoming." said George beaming up to the Herbology Professor.

Soon, the crowd of gnomes in the field started walking away in a straggling line, their little shoulders hunched.

"They're pretending, makes it more funny for them when they sneak on back." said Fred smirking.

"They'll be back," said Ron as they watched the gnomes disappear into the hedge on the other side of the field. "They love it here….Dad's too soft with them; he thinks they're funny…."

"They are funny! It's the only reason I go out and sit in the garden every night. They pull pranks on each other." said Mr. Weasley grinning broadly. "Reminds me of two twins I know." he added looking over to his twin sons.

They heard this and started shoving each other saying "Gerroff!"

Just then, the front door slammed.

"He's back!" said George. "Dad's home!"

They hurried through the garden and back into the house.

"That's cute! They're so excited when you come home!" said Tonks joyfully.

"I may have a boring office job, but they love the in-the-field stories I bring home." said Mr. Weasley with a broad grin.

Malfoy looked down; his father was never this open with him. His father only talked about their family history. There were no funny stories coming from his father's lips, only serious business.

Mr. Weasely was slumped in a kitchen chair with his glasses off and his eyes closed. He was a thin man, going bald, but the little hair he had was as red as any of his children's. He was wearing long green robes, which were dusty and travel worn.

"By the way, thanks for the new robes I received that year for Christmas, Harry." said Mr. Weasley smiling over to the youth in the bowl.

"What a night," he mumbled, groping for the teapot as they all sat down around him. "Nine raids. Nine! And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me when I had my back turned…."

"Speaking of him…" said a voice by the door.

It was Nightstrike and he had ahold of Mundungus by the collar. In his other hand, there was a large cream colored bag, and it was bulging out at the sides.

"I was coming back from the Burrow when I caught this man coming out of your father's house." said Nightstrike over to Sirius.

"What?" said Sirius and the Weasleys together.

"I'll start with the Burrow: I was ordered by Captain Lionus to seize your muggle artifacts, Arthur." said Nightstrike.

"My…my…why?" said Mr. Weasley stuttering loudly.

"If we seized the things, than that would be the end of it, your Ministry can't touch you on them. Even if we hand them back to you, just as we took them. All you would have to do is pay a fine." said Lionus over to Mr. Weasley.

"What fine? How much?" said Mr. Weasley earnestly.

"Six hundred thousand galleons." said Lionus quietly. Mr. Weasley paled. "I know you can't pay it, I'll discuss how you'll get your belonging later. Now, what was Mr. Fletcher doing in the place in which you found him?" he finished, he knew the significance of the place in which Mundungus was found.

"Looting." said Nightstrike simply. Dropping the bag gently down to the ground, "This is all yours Mr. Black. I however, removed one item, its back at our headquarters. It has some significance, nothing you need worry about at the moment." he said cryptically.

"What are you going to do to Mundungus?" asked George and Fred.

"Nothing, except detain him till the books are over, just to waste his time." said Nightstrike with a grin. "It'll spare other people from falling victim to his sticky fingers"

"Good, he could learn a thing or two from this experience." said Lionus with a smirk.

Mr. Weasely took a long gulp of tea and sighed.

"Find anything, Dad?" said Fred eagerly.

"All I got were a few shrinking door keys and a biting kettle," yawned Mr. Weasley. "There was some pretty nasty stuff that wasn't my department, though Mortlake was taken away for questioning about some extremely odd ferrets, but that's the Committee on Experimental Charms, thank goodness…."

"You don't want to know what they were doing." said Mr. Weasely warningly. He wasn't enjoying himself as he was, he didn't want to have all of his treasures taken away, and as for the fine, how was he going to raise or save up that much money?

"Why would anyone bother making door keys shrink?" said George.

"Just Muggle-baiting," sighed Mr. Weasely. "Sell them a key that keeps shrinking to nothing so they can never find it when they need it….Of course, it's very hard to convict anyone because no Muggle would admit their key keeps shrinking—they'll insist they just keep losing it.

"I wonder if that's what happened to a few sets of my keys. I never did find them." said Dr. Clark absently.

Bless them, they'll go to any lengths to ignore magic, even if it's staring them in the face….But the things our lot have taken to enchanting, you wouldn't believe—"

"LIKE CARS, FOR INSTANCE?"

"This won't go well." said Remus with a small smile.

Mrs. Weasley had appeared holding a long poker like a sword. Mr. Weasley's eyes jerked open. He stared guiltily at his wife.

"C-cars, Molly, dear?"

"Yes, Arthur, cars," said Mrs. Weasley, her eyes flashing. "Imagine a wizard buying a rusty old car and telling his wife all he wanted to do with it was take it apart to see how it worked, whilereally he was enchanting it to make it fly."

"Mr. Weasley blinked.

"I wasn't too sure why she was bringing it up, we talked about this a year ago, I already got chewed out for it." said Mr. Weasely with a small smile to his wife.

Mrs. Weasley knew what was troubling her husband and reassured him that they were going to get his things back.

"Well, dear, I think you'll find that he would be quite within the law to do that, even if—er—he maybe would have done better to, um, tell his wife the truth….There's a loophole in the law, you'll find….AS long as he wasn't intending to fly the car, the fact that the car could fly wouldn't—"

"Arthur Weasley, you made sure there was a loophole when you wrote that law!" shouted Mrs. Weasely.

"Explains why you asked me all those questions." said Madam Bones with a slight smile.

"Just so you could carry on tinkering with all that Muggle rubbish in you shed!

"I didn't mean it like that, dear." said Mrs. Weasley anxiously.

And for your information, Harry arrived this morning in the car you weren't intending to fly!"

"Harry?" said Mr. Weasley blankly. "Harry who?"

"I wanted to hug you, right then and there." said Harry with a grin.

He looked around, saw Harry, and jumped.

"Good lord, is it Harry Potter? Very pleased to meet you, Ron's told us so much about—"

"I also loved how your eyes didn't look for this stupid thing." said Harry pointing to his scar.

"I had the feeling you were tired of people looking for it." said Mr. Weasely with a smile.

"Your sons flew that car to Harry's house and back last night!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "What have you got to say about that, eh?"

"Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Did it go all right?

Laughter rang throughout the hall.

"Why can't my dad be that easy going?" said Dean jealously.

"Mine too." said Draco quietly.

I—I mean," he faltered as sparks flew from Mrs. Weasley's eyes, "that—that was very wrong, boys—very wrong indeed…."

"And that is why I don't scold often, I never can, unless it's a major incident." said Mr. Weasely smiling at his wife.

"Let's leave them to it," Ron muttered to Harry as Mrs. Weasely swelled like a bullfrog. "Come on, I'll show you my bedroom."

They slipped out of the kitchen and down a narrow passageway to an uneven staircase, which wound its way zigzagging up through the house. On the third landing, a door stood ajar. Harry just caught sight of a pair of bright brown eyes staring at him before it closed with a snap.

"Aww! Harry noticed your eyes!" said Tonks squealing with glee.

"Wow, mate, you actually notice eye color?" said Ron in a whisper; he was rewarded with an elbow to the stomach, delivered by Hermione.

"Ginny," said Ron. "You don't know how weird it is for her to be this shy. She never shuts up normally—"

"That's nice." said Hermione with a smirk.

"I meant that she's just as nuts as Fred and George." said Ron defensively.

"It didn't come out that way, mate." said Harry with a smile.

They climbed two more flights until they reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying RONALD'S ROOM.

"Do you have to notice everything?" said Ron exasperatedly.

"Sorry." said Harry apologetically.

Harry stepped in, his head almost touching the sloping ceiling, and blinked. It was like walking into a furnace:

"What? It wasn't that warm in there." said Ron inquisitively.

"Like I said the other day, he's delicate!" said Madam Pomfrey. Harry groaned and buried himself in Sirius' shoulder.

"It wasn't the temperature." mumbled Harry.

Nearly everything in Ron's room seemed to be a violent shade of orange: the bedspread, the walls, covered nearly every inch of the shabby wallpaper with posters of the same seven witches and wizards, all wearing bright orange robes, carrying broomsticks, and waving energetically.

"With all that orange, I was amazed that you liked blue." said Harry with a smile.

"Your Quidditch team?" said Harry.

"The Chudley Cannons," said Ron, pointing at the orange bedspread, which was emblazoned with two giant black C's and a speeding cannonball. "Ninth in the league."

"I'd love to join the team." said Ron dreamily.

"With you as keeper, I'm sure they'd win a lot more." said Harry and Hermione.

However, they couldn't stop a few Slytherins from pretending to cough in their hands.

Ron's school spellbooks were stacked untidily in a corner, next to a pile of comics that all seemed to feature The Adventure of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle.

"Do you have the issue where he goes to that place in America, what is it…that Ripley's Believe or Not building?" asked Ernie earnestly.

"Yeah, I got it up in my trunk." said Ron. "Why do you want it?"

"I haven't read it all yet, I lost my copy." said Ernie excitedly "Can I read it later?"

"Sure, I guess." said Ron shrugging.

"Boys and their comic books." said Hermione shaking her head.

Ron's magic wand was lying on top of a fish tank full of frog spawn on the windowsill, next to his fat gray rat, Scabbers, who was snoozing in a patch of sun.

Remus, Sirius, Ron, Harry and Hermione all scowled.

"What's with you guys?" asked Dr. Clark, hearing all the grinding teeth.

"Wait till the third book, Sam." said Remus angrily.

Harry stepped over a pack of Self-Shuffling playing cards on the floor and looked out of the tiny window.

"We use those for poker night." said Harry with a laugh.

In the field far below he could see a gang of gnomes sneaking one by one back through the Weasley's hedge. Then he turned to look at Ron, who was watching him almost nervously, as though waiting for his opinion.

"It's a bit small," said Ron quickly. "Not like that room you had with the Muggles.

"At least my room didn't have bars on the windows and a cat flap on the door." said Ron quietly.

And I'm right underneath the ghoul in the attic; he's always banging on the pips and groaning…."

"I'm still amazed he doesn't' wake you up in the middle of the night." said Ron.

"He did the second night. First night I was just too tired, second I wasn't used to the noise. I went downstairs and slept on the sofa." said Harry with a smile. "After dawn, and after I ran around outside a bit, I went back up to your room and slept for the rest of the morning."

"You get up at dawn?" said Fred and George incredulously.

"I always do, unless I had a rough day the day before." said Harry shrugging.

But Harry, grinning widely, said, "This is the best house I've ever been in."

Ron's ears went pink.

"I should have turned bright red, we saw the McFinn's, they had an awesome house." said Ron quietly.

"Who'd like to read now?" said Dr. Clark.

"I will!" said Professor Sprout eagerly.

Dr. Clark handed the book to her and returned to the bowl.

"Is the next chapter as good as the one I read?" said Dr. Clark eagerly.

"The next chapter is At Flourish and Blotts." said Professor Sprout.

"Nope." said Harry.

Chapter 29

"So, we get to hear more about your take on Diagon Alley?" said Tonks brightly.

"Hopefully, nothing bad happens." said Bill.

"Well, not at the Burrow or in Diagon Alley at least." said Harry plainly.

"Where else did you go?" said Sirius quickly.

"Oh, you'll find out." said Fred and George excitedly.

Life at the Burrow was as different as possible from life on Privet Drive.

"I would certainly hope so, dear." said Mrs. Weasely, she sniffed in disgust, she had certainly hoped that her household was very different than an abusive one.

The Dursleys liked everything neat and ordered; the Weasleys' house burst with the strange and unexpected.

"Never a dull moment in our house." said Charlie with pride. "My friends love coming over and spending a day or two during the normal year. They love the spontaneity of it."

"Never knew Charlie knew such big words." whispered Fred to his twin.

Charlie heard what Fred had said and threw a handful of chestnuts at his younger brother.

Harry got a shock the first time he looked in the mirror over the kitchen mantelpiece and it shouted, "Tuck you shirt in, scruffy!"

"I received that as a present from Great Aunt Muriel when Bill was born, she went on about how boys were scruffy little monsters." said Mrs. Weasley smiling at all her children.

"It's a lot of fun to overwhelm it. It's image in the glass starts swirling around and tries to show you what you're supposed to look like. Mind you, the mirror's tastes are from the late 1800's." said Fred laughing hard.

"We laugh ourselves silly when we see what the mirror wants us to look like." said George trying not to fall off his seat laughing.

The ghoul in the attic howled and dropped pipes whenever he felt things were getting too quiet,

"Yeah, Merlin forbid that anyone gets any peace and quiet." said George shaking his head.

"Or gets any sleep." said Fred.

and small explosions from Fred and George's bedroom were considered perfectly normal.

"Except when it knocks the door right off it's hinges." said Mr. Weasely with a broad grin. "I've had to fix that door seven times in three years."

What Harry found most unusual about life at Ron's, however, wasn't the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul:

"I would have thought that those would have been the most unusual things." said Bill.

It was the fact that everyone there seemed to like him.

The Weasleys turned and stared at Harry.

"Why wouldn't we like you, mate?" said Ron.

"I never felt welcomed or even remotely liked at the Dursleys, it was an odd feeling." said Harry absently. "The last time I had felt liked at somewhere besides Hogwarts was the McFinn's."

"Yeah, Holly had a way of welcoming you into a house, no matter if she didn't like you or not. It was easy for her to welcome you into her house, she absolutely adored you." said Dr. Clark giving Harry a quick hug.

"I miss both of them." he said quietly. Dr. Clark kissed the top of Harry's head.

Mrs. Weasely fussed over the state of his socks

"There was holes in each pair he had!" said Mrs. Weasley to the staring eyes she received. "I made him ten new pairs of socks that summer."

"Were they warm?" asked Dr. Clark.

"They're really nice." said Harry with a smile. "You'd love them."

and tried to force him to eat fourth helpings at every meal.

"You didn't throw those meals up did you?" asked Remus quickly.

"Only after the first two days." said Harry with a smile. Mrs. Weasley looked around fearfully at Harry.

"After that, I could keep them down." said Harry trying to reassure her.

Mr. Weasley liked Harry to sit next to him at the dinner table so that he could bombard him with questions about life with Muggles, asking him to explain how things like plugs and the postal service worked.

"I never learned so much in one summer!" said Mr. Weasley with a smile over to Harry.

"Fascinating!" he would say as Harry talked him through using a telephone.

"From what happened when Ron used the phone, I think I should have told you how to use it twice." said Harry with a smile.

"Sorry about that, mate" said Ron.

"Ingenious, really, how many ways Muggles have found of getting along, without magic."

"Now that I think about it, it is amazing how we get along without it, but I guess we make up for it, with some of the stuff we invent." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"It's true, Muggles make up for their lack of magic for their ingenuity with electricity." said Lionus with a smile.

Harry heard from Hogwarts one sunny morning, about a week after he had arrived at the Burrow. He and Ron went down to breakfast to find Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny already sitting at the kitchen table. The moment she saw Harry, Ginny accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter.

"What the…? How come you all of a sudden became clumsy?" said Bill and Charlie to Ginny, who quickly blushed.

Ginny seemed very prone to knocking things over whenever Harry entered a room.

"Oh!" said Bill and Charlie nodding, they knew now what had caused their sister's clumsiness. Young girl crushes could be dangerous and disastrous things.

She dived under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerged with her face glowing like the setting sun.

Ginny did a pale imitation of her past self's blush. Harry smiled over to her.

Pretending he hadn't noticed this, Harry sat down and took the toast Mrs. Weasley offered him.

"He knew you had a crush on him, then." said Fred wickedly to Ginny.

"Letters from school," said Mr. Weasley, passing Harry and Ron identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink. "Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry—

"You stalking him too? Just like the Rangers?" said Remus quickly over to Dumbledore.

"For Harry's safety, I put monitoring wards around Privet Drive. If someone or something magical were to enter the perimeter, I would be aware of it." said Dumbledore calmly.

"So you knew about Dobby?" said Remus, "yet you didn't bother to tell the Ministry and clear Harry's record?" he finished angrily.

"I tried to tell Miss Hopkirk, but she wouldn't have it. She didn't believe me, I find that woman quite infuriating." said Dumbledore sternly, not to Remus but to the absent Mafalda.

doesn't miss a trick, that man. You've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pajamas.

For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their letters. Harry's told him to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There was also a list of new books he'd need for the coming year.

SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2

by Miranda Goshawk

"I ordered that before Christmas the year prior. It was already in my trunk." said Harry with a smirk.

"You had the second year spellbook?" asked Hermione.

"I had grades 1-5 in my first year. When mastered the basics of each spell, in each book, I ordered the next year's." said Harry with a smile.

"Explains why your trunk was so damn heavy." said Fred rolling his eyes.

Break with a Banshee

by Gilderoy Lockhart

Gadding with Ghouls

by Gilderoy Lockhart

Holidays with Hags

by Gilderoy Lockhart

Travels with Trolls

by Gilderoy Lockhart

Voyages with Vampires

by Gilderoy Lockhart

Wanderings with Werewolves

by Gilderoy Lockhart

Year with the Yeti

by Gilderoy Lockhart

"What the hell?" said Remus slowly.

"Yeah, a whole book list of his stuff." said Ron rolling his eyes.

"I don't believe it, I was hoping we would only hear about 'Dazzle Gums' once this book!" said Remus groaning.

"Nope, his name pops up a lot this year." said Fred with a secretive sneer.

Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Harry's.

"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan—bet it's a witch."

"Cough up." said Ron, whispering over to Fred.

"Doesn't count, he was as good as a witch." said Fred with a smirk.

At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade.

"That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive…."

"I wouldn't give him three knuts for all of his books." said Kingsley shaking his head.

"I wouldn't even give him that much." said Remus snarling a bit.

"Well, we'll manage," said Mrs. Weasley, but she looked worried.

"Oh dear! I wish you wouldn't be so observant!" said Mrs. Weasley, she smiled but her face fell when she saw Harry look down in shame slightly. "Oh, Harry dear, I didn't mean it. I was kidding." Her face lit up when she saw him smile.

"I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand."

"Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked Ginny.

She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish.

"I don't remember seeing that." said George looking at Ginny.

Fortunately no one saw this except Harry, because just then Ron's elder brother Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his sweater vest.

"Thank Merlin for Percy." said Ginny rolling her eyes.

"Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."

He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a molting, gray feather duster—at least, that was what Harry thought it was, until he saw that it was breathing.

"Poor Errol." said Fred and George, trying not to laugh.

"Be thankful that it wasn't Dudley that sat on him." said Harry with a snigger.

"He wouldn't be three-dimensional, if that had happened." said George laughing out loud.

"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally—he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."

"So you had an idea that something awful had happened." said Dr. Clark looking at the two in the loveseat.

"Well…we had a feeling." said Ron carefully.

He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron laid him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic."

A few giggles and snickers went through Great Hall, even Mr. Weasley smiled a little, making a mental note to get a new owl and retire his faithful pet.

Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:

"'Dear Ron, and Harry if you're there,

"'I hope everything went all right and that Harry is okay and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out, Ron, because that would get Harry into trouble, too. I've been really worried and if Harry is all right, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl, because I think another delivery might finish your one off.

"'I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course'—How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We're on vacation!—'and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley?

"'Let me know what's happening as soon as you can.

Love from Hermione.'"

"Nice to know that she can tell you off one minute and then ask to go shopping with you the next moment." said Ron with a smile.

"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Mrs. Weasley, starting to clear the table. "What're you all up to today?"

"Hang Harry by his ankles from Ron's bedroom window, and see if he can fly again." said Fred and George together.

"You can fly?" said Dr. Clark.

"I'll tell you about it later." said Remus with a proud smile.

Harry, Ron, Fred, and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below it, meaning that they could practice Quidditch there, as long as they didn't fly too high. They couldn't use real Quidditch balls, which would have been hard to explain if they had escaped and for one another to catch.

"It happened once with a bludger, the village florist was nearly pummeled to the ground by one of them." said Fred with a smirk.

They took turns riding Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand, which was easily the best broom; Ron's old Shooting Star was often out-stripped by passing butterflies.

"Despite it being dreadfully slow, it didn't stop Harry from doing some tricks on it." said Fred whispering to Charlie.

"On the Shooting Star? I'm not too sure I wanna play him now." said Charlie with a smirk.

"Trust me, it would be one hell of a game if you did." said George excitedly.

Five minutes later they were marching up the hill, broomsticks over their shoulders. They had asked Percy if he wanted to join them, but he had said he was busy.

"He hates sports." said Bill shaking his head.

"I was a Prefect!" said Percy defensively.

"I was a Prefect and Head Boy and I still went out and raised hell at a Quidditch game." said Bill looking over to Percy. "Hell, you were there! You saw me…." he looked quickly over to his mother and silenced himself. "Never mind." he said quietly.

Harry had only seen Percy at mealtimes so far; he stayed shut in his room the rest of the time.

"Wish I knew what he was up to," said Fred, frowning. "He's not himself. His exam results came the day before you did; twelve O.W.L.s and he hardly gloated at all."

"We snuck into his room, when he was sleeping and used a baby thermometer to see if he had a temperature. We shoved it under his armpit, and he nearly smacked the both of us in his sleep. I swear smacking us is a reflex of his." said Fred with a smirk.

"Ordinary Wizarding Level," George explained, seeing Harry's puzzled look.

"Did you know about O. at the time?" said George.

"I knew of them, but I was amazed, with all the panicking he did he managed to scrape twelve." said Harry with a smile.

"Bill got twelve, too.

"I didn't panic much, just enough to blend in with the others." said Bill laughing. "I wasn't too worried about them."

If we're not careful, we'll have another Head Boy in the family. I don't think I could stand the shame."

"That's nice." said Tonks.

Bill was the oldest Weasely brother. He and the next brother, Charlie, had already left Hogwarts. Harry had never met either of them, but knew that Charlie was in Romania studying dragons and Bill in Egypt working for the wizard's bank, Gringotts.

"Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all out school stuff this year," said George after a while. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything…."

Harry said nothing. He felt a bit awkward.

"Why are you feeling awkward?" asked Colin.

Stored in an underground vault at Gringotts in London was a small fortune that his parents had left him. Of course, it was only in the wizarding world that he had money;

"What? No money?" said Lionus with a raised brow.

Harry shifted uneasily. How much did this man….of course, the Rangers would know what he does, it was foolish of him to think it would go unnoticed by them.

"I stored my Muggle money away for someone else, after I established the funds to find Dr. Clark." said Harry with a small smile.

"Someone else? Finding Dr. Clark?" asked Remus.

"I have a….summer job….that I do from time to time and I started up a fund for me to go about and search for Dr. Clark. After I graduated from here or at the time, the Muggle School, I was going to go around the world and see if I can find him. No one else could, so I thought I would give myself a try." said Harry leaning on Dr. Clark's shoulder.

"What about the someone else?" said Sirius.

"It's a friend, I started a fund for her, she needed some help and I thought I'd help her out." said Harry.

"What's wrong with her? What did she need the help with?" asked Ron.

"Just something she needed." said Harry, the tone in his voice stated that the conversation was over.

"What summer job do you do?" asked Neville.

"You'll find out soon enough." said Lionus saving Harry the trouble of answering Neville.

you couldn't use Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts in Muggle shops. He had never mentioned his Gringotts bank account to the Dursleys; he didn't think their horror of anything connected with magic would stretch to a large pile of gold.

"They'd take it in a heartbeat." said Harry quietly. "I know they would."

"They wouldn't be able to get ahold of it." said Remus with a growl.

Mrs. Weasley woke them all early in the following Wednesday. After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each,

"Six sandwiches? That's a hefty lunch." said Ernie.

they pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.

"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today….Ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!"

And she offered him the flowerpot.

"What is he supposed to do with a flowerpot?" asked Colin.

Harry stared at them all watching him.

"W-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.

"He's never traveled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot."

"I hate Floo powder travel." said Harry bitterly.

"Why? What is it like?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Harry only hates it, cause he does it wrong." said Ron with a smirk.

"I did it right when I did it a third time, and I still hated it." said Harry in retort.

"That was the last time you did it right." said Ron still smirking.

"Your first two tries didn't go too well, huh?" said Zacharias snidely.

"What happened with your first Floo powder traveling experience?" said Bill quickly.

Zacharias did a wonderful impression of a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing quickly.

"Thought so." said Bill with a smug smile.

"Never?" said Mr. Weasley. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"

"I went on the Underground—"

"Really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Were there escapators? How exactly—"

"Not now, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley.

"We never would have gotten to London if we had let Arthur interrogate Harry on those things." said Mrs. Weasley with a smile towards her husband.

"Floo powder's a lot quicker, dear,

"I would rather walk to London with rocks in my trainers than travel by Floo powder." said Harry in a quiet voice to Sirius. Sirius snorted and worked hard to hold his laughter in.

but goodness me, if you've never used it before—"

"He'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Harry, watch us first."

He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames.

With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished.

"You must speak clearly, dear," Mrs. Weasely told Harry as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot. "And be sure to get out at the right grate…."

"I saw your face before we left. You were pale and shaking." said George with a small smile.

"The right what?" said Harry nervously as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight too.

"Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly—"

"He'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss," said Mr. Weasley, helping himself to Floo powder, too.

"But, dear, if he got lost, how would we ever explain to his aunt and uncle?"

"They would love to hear that." said Harry with an evil smirk.

"All you're doing is making me want to bite them, Harry." whispered Remus.

"I keep forgetting you're a werewolf." said Dr. Clark leaning back a little.

"He isn't F.M-ing yet." said Harry.

"F.M-ing?" said Sirius.

"Full Mooning." said Harry with a smirk.

"I'm gonna get you." said Remus with an evil smile.

"They wouldn't mind," Harry reassured her. "Dudley would think it was a brilliant joke if I got lost up a chimney, don't worry about that—"

"Well….all right…you go after Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley.

"It's alright that he get shoved up a chimney?" said Sirius staring at Mrs. Weasley.

"No, I…." said Mrs. Weasley quickly. "I just…."

"Let her be, it was a very tiring day." said Harry with a smile.

"Now, when you get into the fire, say where you're going—"

"And keep your elbows tucked in," Ron advised.

"And keep your eyes shut," said Mrs. Weasley. "The soot—"

"Don't fidget," said Ron. "Or you might well fall out of the wrong fireplace—"

"But don't panic and get out too early; wait until you see Fred and George."

"I think you overwhelmed his brain." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

Trying hard to bear all this in mind, Harry took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire. He took a deep breath, scattered the powder into the flames, and stepped forward; the fire felt like a warm breeze; he opened his mouth and immediately swallowed a lot of hot ash.

"Oh, crap, we didn't tell you about that part." said Ron worriedly. "Sorry mate."

"And you didn't tell me to take off my glasses." thought Harry to himself.

"D-Dia-gon Alley," he coughed.

"That wasn't speaking clearly." said Bill shaking his head. "I hope you didn't get shot clear out of the country."

"No, I went to London." said Harry slowly.

"Well, that's good, but hopefully you landed in a good part of London." said Bill feeling reassured. But when he saw the look Harry's face, his face fell.

It felt as though he were being sucked down a giant drain.

"Yeah, that's what it normally feels like. I actually really like that sensation." said Sirius with a grin.

Harry stared at him, "If we go anywhere, I am taking the Knight bus, broom, car, train, or walking. I am not Flooing anywhere." said Harry looking over to Sirius sternly.

"Oooh! Are we demanding now?" said Sirius with a smirk.

"I'm not demanding, I'm pleading that we…don't…Floo…anywhere…." said Harry clasping his hands together dramatically. "You can, just don't ask me to."

Sirius smirked over to Remus, who shook his head. "Promise him, Padfoot."

"Alright, alright, I promise." said Sirius smiling at Harry and throwing his hands up in defeat.

He seemed to be spinning very fast—the roaring in his ears were deafening—he tried to keep his eyes open

"But Ron said to keep your eyes shut." said Dennis quickly.

ut the whirl of green flames made him feel sick—something hard knocked his elbow and he tucked it in tightly,

"We told you keep your elbows in." chided Fred mockingly.

still spinning and spinning—now it felt as though cold hands were slapping his face—

"Oh….crap…that means you're going somewhere you shouldn't be, right?" asked Charlie to his father.

"Yeah, he's going somewhere that isn't even open to the normal Floo network system anymore. He's going through an old, old Floo network path. One that had been shut down for at least eleven years." said Mr. Weasley.

squinting through his glasses he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond—

"Did you see anywhere familiar?" asked George eagerly.

"Not really, everything was moving way too fast, and I didn't want to open my eyes too wide.

his bacon sandwiches were churning inside him—

"That's why." said Harry with a smirk.

he closed his eyes again wishing it would stop, and then—

He fell, face forward, onto cold stone and felt the bridge of his glasses snap.

"I hope you didn't get hurt badly." said Madam Pomfrey.

"No, just my glasses, they suffered some damage." said Harry with a smile.

"That reminds me, we need to get you, some new glasses, how about Saturday, no readings to worry about or keep you here." said Remus with a smile over to Harry.

"Um…" said Harry looking over to Ginny quickly, "are they open Sunday? I have a…thing going on, on Saturday."

"Well, no, they're not open on Sunday, do you want to go next weekend then?" said Remus frowning at Harry, but then brightening up when he saw the significant look that was exchanged between the only Weasley daughter and Harry.

"Harry can go on this Saturday, his thing can wait till Sunday." said Ginny with a smirk.

"You sure?" asked Harry quickly.

"Go for it, I want to see what glasses you get." said Ginny with a smile.

"You two dating?" said Ron quickly.

"Saturday was going to be our first date." said Harry and Ginny with broad grins.

Cho Chang and Romilda Vane scowled from their seats.

Dizzy and bruised,

"I'm fine." said Harry tiredly as Sirius gripped his shoulder.

covered in soot, he got gingerly to his feet, holding his broken glasses up to his eyes.

"You couldn't just use 'Reparo'?" asked Neville.

"No, I still couldn't use magic cause of what happened at the end of first year and I didn't want to get another letter." said Harry with a smile.

He was quite alone, but where he was, he had no idea. All he could tell was that he was standing in the stone fireplace of what looked like a large, dimly lit wizard's shop—

"What drew you to that conclusion?" asked Anthony.

"One, I don't think that some stray witch or wizard could Floo into a muggle's house and the other was, I saw things that no Muggle-shop would carry. Not without being shut down permanently and the owner being arrested." said Harry.

but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a Hogwarts school list.

A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a bloodstained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye. Evil-looking masks staring down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling.

"I would certainly hope those wouldn't show up on a school supply list." said Rivers with a disgusted look.

"It sounds like… Borgin and Burkes." said Dumbledore carefully.

"What are you doing in there?" asked Sirius quickly.

"You act like I asked to go there." said Harry with a pointed look.

"Right…I forgot…it was an accident…" said Sirius sheepishly.

Even worse, the dark, narrow street Harry could see through the dusty shop window was definitely not Diagon Alley.

"I was panicking a bit; I didn't know where I was. I thought for a moment that I was completely out of the country." said Harry with a small smile. "I didn't have Hedwig to send a message to anyone, no money on me to even hope for a train ticket or bus fare, and the contents of the shop scared me. I was actually frightened." said Harry shaking slightly.

The sooner he got out of here, the better.

"My sentiments exactly." said Dr. Clark uneasily.

Nose still stinging where it had hit the hearth,

"It was a scratch, nothing more." said Harry to the men in the bowl and to Madam Pomfrey.

Harry made his way swiftly and silently toward the door, but before he'd got halfway toward it, two people appeared on the other side of the glass—and one of them was the very last person Harry wanted to meet when he was lost, covered in soot, and wearing broken glasses: Draco Malfoy.

Draco paled, had Potter heard what his father had said to Mr. Borgin? He hoped not. His father would be in serious trouble if it had gotten out what he was doing there.

Harry looked quickly around and spotted a large black cabinet to his left; he shot inside it and pulled the doors closed, leaving a small crack to peer through.

"I learned from another book that was in my bedroom, that you don't close a cabinet when you're in there." said Harry with smile. Hermione smiled broadly.

"What book is that?" asked Seamus quickly.

"Chronicles of Narnia." said Harry and Hermione together.

Seconds later, a bell clanged, and Malfoy stepped into the shop.

"What on earth were you doing in that shop, Mr. Malfoy?" said McGonagall quickly.

"Um…" said Draco quietly.

"It will be revealed, I suspect." drawled Snape, coming to Draco's defense. He had been silent for so long, absently fingering the locket that rested in his hand. He didn't know how Potter was going to win it back, and a part of him wanted to just hand it over. But there was another part that wanted to hold onto it tightly.

The man who followed could only be Draco's father. He had the same pale, pointed face and identical cold, gray eyes. Mr. Malfoy crossed the shop, looking lazily at the items on display, and rang a bell on the counter before turning to his son and saying "Touch nothing, Draco."

"Why bring you to the shop if he feels that things are too dangerous for you to touch?" asked Terry.

"My mother wasn't with us that trip, we were doing my school shopping that day too." said Draco quickly.

"So instead of doing your school shopping another day, or going to Borgin and Burkes some other time, he brings you along?" said Tonks incredulously.

Draco looked down at his feet.

Malfoy, who had reached for the glass eye, said, "I thought you were going to buy me a present."

"What a brat." said Fred rolling his eyes.

"I said I would buy you a racing broom," said his father, drumming his fingers on the counter.

"What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team?" said Malfoy, looking sulky and bad-tempered.

"If we had acted like that, Mum would have smacked us." said Charlie to Bill.

"Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good,

"Good enough to impress the greatest Chaser Gryffindor ever had." said Dumbledore with a broad smile.

"Who was that, sir?" asked Dennis eagerly.

"That of course, would be Minerva McGonagall." said Dumbledore. He chuckled warmly as the stunned looks on the student's face. "Why one game, she scored thirty goals, all on her own, and within the same two hours."

The current Chasers of each house turned at stared at McGonagall.

"Got any tips?" asked Katie with a hopeful smile.

"None that you don't already know." said the Head of Gryffindor house. "I made sure that you were trained with the basics that I learned myself in my playing days.

it's just because he's famous…famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead…."

"Pretty accurate in my opinion." said Harry with a smirk.

Malfoy bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls.

"…everyone thinks he's so smart,

Harry looked thoughtful, "Who the heck thought I was smart? I was only aiming for slightly better than average grades."

"Beats me mate, maybe someone saw right through you." said Ron shrugging.

wonderful Potter with his scar and his broomstick—"

"You have told me this at least a dozen times already," said Mr. Malfoy, with a quelling look at his son.

"He didn't tell it to him, he whined it to him." smirked Fred.

"And I would remind you that it is not—prudent—to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as they hero who made the Dark Lord disappear—

"So, fake fondness, huh? Good luck with that. I've seen what he looks like, he'll need all the help he can get to act fond." said Charlie.

ah, Mr. Borgin."

"So it is Borgin and Burkes." said Kingsley.

A stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face.

"Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," said Mr. Borgin in a voice as oily as his hair. "Delighted—and young Master Malfoy, too—charmed. How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, and very reasonably priced—"

"You have got to be kidding me! He's purchased stuff from Borgin and Burkes?" said Madam Bones.

"It…he…he could be doing….DOESN'T MEAN THAT HE'S DOING ANYTHING ILLICIT!" shouted Fudge. "He's been proven innocent, beyond a shadow of any doubt!"

"I don't remember holding a trial for him, when was this?" asked Madam Bones shrewdly.

"Well…it was by some members of the Wizengamot." said Fudge quietly.

"Really? The ones that we discovered were under the Imperius curse themselves?" said Madam Bones sternly.

"Well…um…" said Fudge, growing ever more quiet.

"I thought not…well let's add Mr. Malfoy's name to the group of people that needs to be investi…oh…his name's already on the list. Never mind." said Madam Bones. "I had forgotten that while reading the last chapter, Mr. Potter had informed me of several reasons to question Mr. Malfoy."

Fudge looked angrily down at Harry, who merely waved innocently.

"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling." said Mr. Malfoy.

"Selling?" The smile faded slightly from Mr. Borgin's face.

"Selling?" said Moody eagerly.

"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," said Mr. Malfoy, taking a roll of parchment from his inside pocket and unraveling it for Mr. Borgin to read. "I have a few—ah—items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call…."

"Nice to know that he doesn't think he's so high up on the food chain, that he can't be subjected to raids." said Sirius bitterly.

Mr. Borgin fixed a pair of pince-nez to his nose and looked down the list.

"The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?"

Mr. Malfoy's lip curled.

"I have not been visited yet. The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows even more meddlesome.

Fudge blinked hard. What did Lucius say?

There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act—no doubt that flea bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it—"

Bill and Charlie's faces were both contorted in snarls. Percy had turned white and looked down. Fred, George and Ron smirked evilly. They knew he was going to get his comeuppance.

Harry felt a hot surge of anger.

Mr. Weasley smiled over to Harry.

"Nice of you to get angry at that." said Charlie with a grin as well.

"I liked Mr. Weasley." said Harry simply.

"—and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear—"

"'Appear' nothing, no self-respecting wizard keeps poison about the place. Unless they're pest control poisons." said Tonks sharply.

"I understand, sir, of course," said Mr. Borgin. "Let me see…"

"Can I have that?" interrupted Draco, pointing at the withered hand on its cushion.

"Why?" asked Dr. Clark, wrinkling his nose at the description of it.

"It looked cool." said Draco simply.

"Children are psychotic nowadays." said Dr. Clark shaking his head.

"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" said Mr. Borgin, abandoning Mr. Malfoy's list and scurrying over to Draco. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir."

"'The Hand of Glory?'" said Tempest inquisitively. "Wasn't that in Panic's care, Nightstrike?"

"He did have it in his possession, but he was the Death Eater spy in our company." said Nightstrike bitterly.

"Oh…my apologies, but it looks like he sold some of the weapons he was supposed to guard." said Tempest somberly.

"It seems that way, we'll have to hunt down the weapons and tools all over again." said Lionus tiredly. "I hate 'Weapons detail'."

"What is 'Weapon's detail'?" asked Padma quietly.

"In a nutshell, we go around the world and confiscate different weapons that could potentially be harmful to the masses. Each Operative has at least five to thirty different weapons in their protective custody. He had about twenty in his care, so we've got some searching to do, if he sold them." said Lionus.

"I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin," said Mr. Malfoy coldly, and Mr. Borgin said quickly, "No offense, sir, no offense meant—"

"Though if his grades don't pick up," said Mr. Malfoy, more coldly still, "that may indeed be all he is fit for—"

"Wow…nice dad…" said Dr. Clark with raised eyebrows.

"Gee, wonder who would get father of the year…Arthur or Lucius?" said Sirius with a smirk.

"Give me a moment to think about that." said Tonks, pretending to think hard.

"It's not my fault," retorted Draco. "The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger-"

"We don't have favorites, we appreciate hard work from everyone, not just from Miss Granger." said Professor McGonagall.

"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam" snapped Mr. Malfoy.

"Nice, real nice." said Lavender. "Just what you want to teach your kids, sexual and blood discrimination."

"Ha!" said Harry under his breath, pleased to see Draco looking both abashed and angry.

"Don't get caught Harry!" said a second year Ravenclaw.

"Save the celebrating for later." said Moody.

"It's the same all over," said Mr. Borgin, in his oily voice. "Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere—"

"As it really should." said Harry with a slight smile. "Bloodlines should not be the first things you talk about in a conversation."

"Not with me," said Mr. Malfoy, his long nostrils flaring.

"No sir, nor with me, sir," said Mr. Borgin, with a deep bow.

"In that case, perhaps we can return to my list," said Mr. Malfoy shortly. "I am in something of a hurry, Borgin, I have important business elsewhere today—"

"Grrr…" snarled Harry, leaning forward in the bowl.

"What is it, pup?" said Sirius.

"Nothing, at least, nothing I'll tell you about yet." said Harry not meeting his eyes.

They started to haggle. Harry watched nervously as Draco drew nearer and nearer to his hiding place, examining the objects for sale. Draco paused to examine a long coil of hangman's rope and to read, smirking, the card propped on a magnificent necklace of opals, Caution: Do Not Touch, Cursed—Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date.

"Hmph…he would smirk at something that hurt Muggles." said Hannah disgustedly.

Draco turned away and saw the cabinet right in front of him. He walked forward—he stretched out his hand for the handle—

"Done," said Mr. Malfoy at the counter, "Come, Draco—"

Harry wiped his forehead on his sleeve as Draco turned away.

"You have luck working for you in the oddest moments, dear boy." said Dumbledore letting out a sigh of relief.

"Good day to you, Mr. Borgin. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow to pick up the goods."

The moment the door had closed, Mr. Borgin dropped his oily manner.

"Good day yourself, Mister Malfoy, and if the stories are true, you haven't sold me half of what's hidden in your manor…."

Moody looked at the book eagerly, "Did you catch what he was selling, boy?"

Harry scratched his head. "There were some poisons he mentioned. Other than that he only pointed and they haggled over the prices of the stuff."

"Hmm…too bad…" said Kingsley.

Muttering darkly, Mr. Borgin disappeared into a back room. Harry waited for a minute in case he came back, then, quietly as he could, slipped out of the cabinet, past the glass cases, and out of the shop door.

"Outside of that store is just about as dangerous as the inside." said Kingsley wisely.

Clutching his broken glasses to his face, Harry stared around.

"Bet you looked like a dork." said Pansy with a smirk.

"We could have been twins that day, Pansy!" said Harry gleefully.

Hermione tried to hold in her laugh, meanwhile Fred and George looked insulted

He had emerged into a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. The one he'd just left, Borgin and Burkes, looked like the largest, but opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads and, two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders.

Ron cringed and moaned loudly.

"There are no spiders here, Ron." said Hermione soothingly.

Two shabby-looking wizards were watching him from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other.

"Don't go over there!" said Sirius quickly.

"Gee, I had no idea. Thanks for the warning." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"I'm not kidding!" said Sirius angrily. "There are some people down where you're at that kidnap children and sell them off to other people! Or people that would want to…hurt you…!"

"I know, I know. But calm down! I don't go over there, and someone comes to my rescue real soon." said Harry leaning against Sirius.

Feeling jumpy, Harry set off, trying to hold his glasses on straight and hoping against hope he'd be able to find a way out of here.

An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles

"Stay out of there boy, the air in there is toxic." said Moody with a stern gaze.

told him he was in Knockturn Alley.

"I always wanted to go down there, just to see what is there, I don't want to now." said Blaise.

This didn't help, as Harry had never heard of such a place. He supposed he hadn't spoken clearly enough through his mouthful of ashes back in the Weasley's fire.

"How could you speak clearly with hot ash in your mouth?" asked Dennis.

"You can't." said Harry with a frown.

Trying to stay calm, he wondered what to do.

"Not lost are you, my dear?" said a voice in his ear, making him jump.

An aged witch stood in front of him, holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails. She leered at him, showing mossy teeth. Harry backed away.

"I know of that woman, she'll stun people and rip the nails right off people." said Snape quietly. People started to cringe and Sirius wrapped his arms around Harry.

"Why would someone want fingernails?" said Parvati with a green tint to her face.

"They are used for some poisons." said Snape plainly.

"I'm fine thanks," he said. "I'm just—"

"HARRY! What d'yeh think yer doin' down there?"

"Hagrid to the rescue!" shouted Charlie.

"How do you know?" asked a first year Slytherin.

"Who else talks like that?" said Charlie shrugging.

Harry's heart leapt. So did the witch; a load of fingernails cascaded down over her feet and she cursed as the massive form of Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, came striding toward them, beetle-black eyes flashing over his great bristling beard.

"I believe that she was upset that she lost the opportunity to collect some young fingernails." said Snape quietly.

"And thank goodness for that." whispered Sirius.

"Hagrid!" Harry croaked in relief. "I was lost—Floo powder—"

Hagrid seized Harry by the scruff of the neck and pulled him away from the witch,

"Thank god!" sighed Dr. Clark

"I was sorta shocked ter see yeh down there." said Hagrid.

knocking the tray right out of her hands. Her shrieks followed them all the way along the twisting alleyway out into the bright sunlight. Harry saw a familiar, snow-white marble building in the distance—Gringotts Bank. Hagrid steered him right into Diagon Alley.

"I was never so happy to see the bank." said Harry with a broad smile.

"Yer a mess!" said Hagrid gruffly, brushing soot off Harry so forcefully he nearly knocked him into a barrel of dragon dung outside an apothecary.

"Sorry 'bout that." said Hagrid sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it, you caught me before I fell." said Harry brightly.

"Skulkin' around Knockturn Alley, I dunno—dodgy place, Harry—don't want no one ter see yeh down there—"

"I realized that," said Harry, ducking as Hagrid made to brush him off again. "I told you, I was lost—what were you doing down there, anyway?"

"Harry! He's an adult! He may go where he pleases." chided Mrs. Weasely.

"Well aware of that. But…I wanted to know if someone…" Harry looked over to Dumbledore. "sent him to find me."

"I had no notion that you were missing." said Dumbledore honestly. "If you were missing, I would have come and found you myself."

"I was lookin' fer a Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellant," growled Hagrid. "They're ruinin' the school cabbages.

"Are the slugs flesh-eating, or the repellant?" asked Dean.

"The slugs are the ones that eat flesh. The repellant is quite safe." said Professor Sprout.

"They can keep the cabbages." said Ernie sticking his tongue out.

"I know a great Cheddar Cabbage Casserole recipe. I could make it for you and see if you still hate it." said Harry with a smile.

"Cheese and cabbage?" said Ernie a twinge of green in his cheeks.

"It's not just cheese and cabbage; it's got onion, cream of celery soup, mayonnaise and believe it or not, cornflakes. It's not too bad. Dudley hates cabbage too, but I have to make two baking dishes of it when I make it. Only time he eats the stuff."

"That's not his favorite dish is it? I don't want to be like him in any sense." warned Ernie.

"Almost everything is his favorite dish. You'll have to stop eating to be the opposite of him." said Harry with a smirk.

Yer not on yer own?"

"I'm staying with the Weasleys but we got separated," Harry explained. "I've got to go and find them…."

They set off together down the street.

"How come yeh never wrote back ter me?" said Hagrid as Harry jogged alongside him (he had to take three steps to every stride of Hagrid's enormous boots). Harry explained all about Dobby and the Dursleys.

"Oh…I fergot yeh told me 'bout it, sorry, 'arry." said Hagrid. "I didn' remember yeh tellin' me."

"Lousy Muggles," growled Hagrid. "If I'd've known—"

"And I don' think yeh told me everythin'. I'd've remembered the beatin' if yeh had told me. I woulda gone to the Dursley's and gave 'em what fer." said Hagrid softly, but his tone turned harsher towards the end of his statement.

"Harry! Harry! Over here!"

Harry looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her bushy brown hair flying behind her.

"What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid—Oh, it's wonderful to see you two again—Are you coming into Gringotts, Harry?"

"How do shift from different topics like that without a clutch?" asked Dr. Clark looking at Hermione with an amused look on his face.

"What's a clutch?" asked Malfoy.

"It's the part of a car." said Dr. Clark with a smile. Malfoy looked down, he was taught to be harsh and aggressive towards Muggles and Muggle-borns, but this one…he sort of…liked.

"As soon as I've found the Weasleys," said Harry.

"Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said with a grin.

Harry and Hermione looked around: Sprinting up the crowded street were Ron, Fred, George, Percy and Mr. Weasley.

"I was amazed to see Percy running, he's thin, but I've never seen him take part in much exercise." said Harry.

"I run, just not often." said Percy quietly.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley panted. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far…." He mopped his glistening bald patch.

"Turns out, you went about thirteen grates too far." said Mr. Weasley.

"Molly's frantic—she's coming now—"

"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.

"Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly.

"Excellent!" said Fred and George together.

"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.

"If you had said Knockturn Alley, and underage, it would of course not have let you though." said Dumbledore with a smile. "I'm not too sure how you managed to get past the underage blocks in the Floo network. Perhaps…fate is what made you stop at that particular one. It was very fortunate, for someone that you did stop there." finished Dumbledore with a gentle smile.

"It's fortunate that Hagrid was down there." growled Remus not knowing the significance of Dumbledore's statement.

"I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid.

Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging to the other.

"Oh, Harry—oh, my dear—you could have been anywhere—"

Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot Hagrid hadn't managed to beat away.

"And I thought I was prepared for anything." said Harry with a smile.

Mr. Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand and returned them, good as new.

"Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs. Weasley ("Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found him, Hagrid!"). "See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.

"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione as they climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father."

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Mr. Weasley sharply behind them.

"At least you're interested in catching the blighter as well." said Moody with a smirk.

"No, he was selling—"

"So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something…."

"You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew—"

"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr. Weasley indignantly,

"It's my job to worry frantically." said Mrs. Weasley with a smile.

but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.

"Why were they nervous?" asked Padma.

"This was the first time they were in Gringotts without someone there to mind us." said Hermione with a smile. "The first time, we had Professor McGonagall."

"But you're Muggles!" said Mr. Weasley delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money, Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten pound notes in Mr. Granger's hands.

"For a moment, my parents thought you were mad. But then, after they talked with you a while longer, they really liked you." said Hermione brightly.

"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and Harry were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.

The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Harry enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault,

"You weren't the only one. Fred and George were whooping it up on the way down." said Ron with a smile.

but felt dreadful, far worse than he had in Knockturn Alley, when it was opened. There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mr. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. Harry felt even worse when they reached his vault. He tried to block the contents from view as he hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag.

"Wow…I kinda would've gone bragging about all the money I had, if I had it." said Seamus quietly.

Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.

"So…there is no adult watching you." said Dr. Clark looking down at Harry.

"No, but we were always within shouting distance of someone. And we knew where everyone was." said Harry with a smile.

"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts an hour to buy your schoolbooks," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twin's retreating backs.

"Did you listen to me for once?" said Mrs. Weasley quickly.

"We actually did." said Fred and George, "we went straight to Gambol and Japes."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry's pockets was clamoring to be spent,

"I hope you didn't go spending your money frivolously, young man." said Sirius in a mock paternal voice.

so he bought three large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams,

"Nope, you didn't, very practical." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Why would you mix strawberry and peanut butter together?" said Lavender looking revolted.

"We thought it was gross too, but Harry told us to try it. Turns out I love those two flavors together." said Hermione happily.

which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows.

"We knew we weren't allowed in, so we just window shopped." said Ron with a smirk.

Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies

"Took everything I had not to beg you to buy those for me." said Ron with a guilty smile.

"You never know…you could get them at some point." said Harry with a smile.

until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door.

"That sucked, we went from fun shopping to boring shopping in two minutes." sulked Ron.

In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks,

"What did I tell you about those things?" scolded Mrs. Weasley.

"We forget, you tell us not to do so many things." said George cutely.

"I told you not to buy those before school starts. I don't need a letter telling me that you shot those things in corridors, and hurt someone!" she continued to scold.

"We don't set them off in the corridors!" said Fred indignantly.

"We set them off in the dorms." said George quietly with a smile.

and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands,

"Ugh…we really need to speak to Turner…he shouldn't be selling broken wands." said McGonagall tiredly.

lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.

"How do you know it's boring?" said Percy defensively.

"I read it in my first year. Trust me, it's boring." said Harry shaking his head.

"A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers," Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating…."

Fred and George high-fived their little brother.

"Go away," Percy snapped.

" 'Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out….He wants to be Minister of Magic…" Ron told Harry and Hermione in an undertone as they left Percy to it.

"He doesn't have what it takes." said Madam Bones sternly.

Percy shot back angrily. "What don't I have?"

"Loyalty to the people." said Madam Bones twice as stern as before. "You couldn't even show loyalty to your family."

Percy shuffled his feet guiltily.

An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts.

"What the hell were you guys doing for an hour?" asked Fred.

"We were just bobbing about," said Harry. "doing nothing important."

They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in.

"Are they having a big sale or what?" asked Dr. Clark.

"They only have a sale the first part of summer. For the students who are eager to start on the next year." said Flitwick.

The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper window:

GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies of his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

today 12:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

"Oh…goody…" groaned Remus.

"Wonderful…" said Kingsley quietly.

"Tell me you don't go in." moaned Sirius.

"That's where we were told to meet the Weasley's so we don't have a choice." said Hermione with a smile.

"Hermione was overjoyed when she read that little sign." said Ron with a smirk. He had to dodge as she smacked him with a pillow.

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"

"You squealed?" said Remus in disbelief.

"He was…nice to look at…" said Hermione.

"Only if you don't know him." said Remus plainly. "Once you know him, you want to stab your eyes out with a rusty nail."

The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age.

"Bet Dazzle Gums didn't like that." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Why do you say that?" said Harry wonderingly. "It seemed like he was having a good time." he thought back to that day.

"He likes dates that are a little younger than him." said Remus rolling his eyes. He then blinked hard and slowly looked over to Harry, his eyes filled with worry.

A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies….Don't push, there…mind the books, now…."

"He won't allow another author to do a book signing ever again. He suffered quite a lot of damages to the store." said Dumbledore shaking his head.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2

"Why did you buy a second copy?" said Hermione curiously. "Why spend your money like that?"

"You wouldn't happen to be the unknown philanthropist that donates books to the 'Stray Spell' organization would you?" said Dumbledore beaming.

"What is that?" asked Seamus quickly.

"It's an organization that gives books and some equipment to Muggleborns, and Purebloods who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it." said McGonagall.

Sirius looked down at his blushing godson and smiled broadly.

and sneaked up to the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…."

"Oh…boy…" moaned Remus.

"You looked great Mrs. Weasley," said Harry with a smile.

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd.

"He hasn't changed a bit, has he?" said Sirius shaking his head.

"Not a bit. From what I hear." said Remus tiredly.

The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes;

"He always wore the shade of blue that matched his eyes." said Sirius rolling his eyes. "According to him,' no other color would do'. He wasn't in Ravenclaw, but he would always wear at least a blue tie." said Sirius groaning.

"What House was he in?" asked Ron quickly. "Don't tell me Gryffindor!" he moaned.

"He was in Hufflepuff." said Professor Sprout, she looked slightly put out.

his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.

"He always had his hat on a stupid angle." moaned Remus.

"I thought it looked pretty good." said Hermione sheepishly.

"You should have tried growing up with 'Dazzle Gums'." said Sirius rolling his eyes.

A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"He was taking so many pictures, that nobody could even breathe." said Fred.

"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet—"

"Big deal." said Remus and Sirius.

"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.

"Go Ron." said the two Marauders.

Gilderoy Lockhart heard him.

"Yeah, he always had a very high opinion of himself. He didn't like anyone else not having the same high opinion as he did." said Remus rolling his eyes.

He looked up. He saw Ron—and then he saw Harry. He stared.

"Bet he noticed the hair and the eyes first." growled Remus.

"Right now, I'm kinda hoping that he looked at the scar." said Harry shaking his head. "I don't think I want him hitting on me."

"Did he hit on you at all that year or…anything else...?" said Sirius carefully. Remus, Dumbledore and Dr. Clark looked quickly over to Harry.

"Not that I remember, and I think I would." said Harry shaking his head. "I'd remember if…Dazzle Gums…tried anything."

Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter?"

"He still could've looked at your hair and eyes. There wasn't a person that your parent's went to school with that didn't your name. Your parents bragged about you all the time. 'Harry summoned all the cookies out of the cookie jar.' and stuff like that." said Sirius giving Harry a tight one armed hug.

The crowd parted, whispering, excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front.

"Wow, if one didn't know better, I would think you didn't want to be up there." said Dr. Clark with a grin. "I still cannot believe that they find you famous here. And for such a horrible reason."

"You're telling me." said Harry shaking his head.

The crowd burst into applause. Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly,

"Damn, would have loved to have seen that picture." said Sirius with a smirk.

"I've got a scrapbook." said Hermione, "It's got a whole bunch of pictures and newspaper clippings with Harry in them. Not the more recent ones though, those aren't worth the parchment their written on." Hermione said with a scowl. Rita Skeeter snarled over to her.

"Oh sure, nothing with me in there." said Ron indignantly.

"It's not just Harry! I've pictures of all three of us in there." said Hermione soothingly.

wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys.

"I'd kick the photographer." said Remus shaking his head.

"Nice big smile, Harry," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."

"Harry alone is worth a year full of front pages, and the pages after for that matter." said Sirius quickly.

"Harry didn't even smile, it was more like someone stamped on his foot and he was trying not to call out." said George with a grin.

When he finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers. He tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.

"Every time I tried to get away, he'd pull me back again." said Harry shaking his head.

"Tell me where he's at, and I'll rearrange his face for you." said Sirius quickly.

"Oh don't I wish you could, but…he's almost harmless now." said Harry slowly.

"What do you mean?" asked Remus carefully.

"He's…not all there anymore." said Ron with a smirk.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!

"He already came out of the closet in our third year…what extra info did he need to release?" mumbled Sirius to Remus quietly.

"When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography—

"Bullshit…I didn't want that book." muttered Harry quietly.

Dr. Clark smacked the back of Harry's head. "Watch your mouth." he warned.

"Sorry." said Harry rubbing the back of his head.

"Did he have issues with language when he was little?" asked Remus with a smile.

"Not really, he didn't swear at James' or my place. I don't know where he got the mouth…" said Dr. Clark looking at Harry questioningly.

Fred and George smirked at each other.

"Wasn't just you two." said Harry quietly.

which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge—"

"Bet you were thrilled!" mocked Remus.

"Even free, they weren't worth it." said Harry rolling his eyes.

The crowd applauded again. "He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me.

Slowly, a scowl appeared on Sirius and Remus' face. When Harry heard the growls coming from both sides of him He looked up at them.

"What is it?" asked Harry.

"Don't mind us, we just aren't very comfortable with him touching you." said Sirius, his teeth bared.

Dumbledore looked over quickly, "Harry…he didn't…" he was pale and shaking.

"No, how many times…?" asked Harry shaking his head.

"After seeing the living daylights beaten out of you, we want to be absolutely sure that nothing…even more horrible has happened to you, dear boy." said Dumbledore with a sad smile.

"I know, I know…but still…nothing like, what you lot are thinking, happened." said Harry in a defeated voice.

He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me.

"What did he just say?" said Dr. Clark slowly.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. I have the great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

Remus, and Sirius stared at the book with their mouths opened, then they turned slowly to look at Dumbledore. "You didn't. He's kidding, right? said Sirius faintly.

"He was the only one who applied for the job, I waited to see if Remus would come back to the country sooner than what he did, but…" said Dumbledore rubbing the bridge of his nose. "He didn't, so, I had no other recourse to take."

"I knew I shouldn't have stopped at Amboro National Park." said Remus clapping a hand to his forehead. "I stayed an extra week just to explore that place."

"Did you enjoy yourself?" asked Hermione eagerly.

"Actually, I did. It was beautiful down there, the forest, the falls, the animals." said Remus fondly.

"Then we can forgive you for staying there, if you had fun. Though I don't think you got much of a tan down there." said Harry shoving Remus slightly.

"I burn, I don't tan." said Remus with a grin.

The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart.

"How nice of him." said Tonks sarcastically. "Just what you always wanted."

Staggering slightly under their weight,

"Hey there were a lot of books and there wasn't a whole lot of room to walk." said Harry, slightly irritated by the snickering.

he managed to make his way out of the lime-light to the edge of the room,

"You never did like the lime-light did you?" asked George with a smile.

where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.

"You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own—"

"Gee, and here I thought you were being kind." said Ginny sarcastically.

"Hey! I…no you're right, I was being cruel." said Harry with a broad smile. Ginny picked up an abandoned cushion and hurled it over to him. After it hit him in the face, he picked it up and threw it back to her, laughing.

"Oi!" said Sirius, after getting clipped by the second throw Ginny did. "Save it for the…never mind." said Sirius catching himself before he said something wrong.

"Good save." said Remus shaking his head.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice Harry had no trouble recognizing. He straightened up and found himself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.

"That was the only part that I saw a similarity between you and a Defense Professor." said Harry to Malfoy with a smirk. "Lockhart didn't respect personal space either."

"Gee, thanks." said Draco slightly scowling.

"Famous Harry Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."

"You've known him for a whole year, and you think he likes all that attention." asked Sirius stunned.

"Well…" said Draco quietly.

"He was only trying to push my buttons." said Harry to Sirius.

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny. It was the first time she had spoken in front of Harry. She was glaring at Malfoy.

"I was impressed, not even Neville wanted to stand up to him at first. I got a quick glimpse at the real you, though I was an immature little kid, I didn't know what it really meant." said Harry with a smile.

"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Malfoy.

"Only took me three years to wake up to that little fact." said Harry with a smirk.

Ginny went scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.

"Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe.

Snickers and giggles could be heard rippling across the floor. "So much for the name of Malfoy commanding respect, huh?" said Anthony with a smirk on his face.

"Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Malfoy.

"So, does that mean that he had nothing to do with Dobby?" asked Tonks questioningly.

"Yeah, all he did was blink at me and think I was crazy." said Ron with a small smile.

"I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."

"Sorry again." said Draco quietly.

"You already gave us a blanket apology, forget it." said Bill kindly.

Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too,

"It was getting very, very heavy then." said Ginny.

"Sorry 'bout that." said Harry and Ron.

and started toward Malfoy, but Harry and Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket.

"Ron!" said Mr. Weasley struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"So you'd let them fight, if they were outside?" asked Bathilda incredulously.

"Boys will be boys." said Mr. Weasley, Sirius and Moody.

"Well, well, well—Arthur Weasley."

It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.

"I started to think that a sneer is a Malfoy family trait. Like red hair with the Weasleys." said Harry with a smile. "Either that or a permanent fixture."

"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids…I hope they're paying you overtime?"

"He knows you don't get overtime." said Fudge absently.

"How…would he know?" asked Madam Bones carefully.

"Well…he...uh…advised me…" said Fudge quietly.

"Stupid, stupid man." said Madam Bones and Tempest angrily.

"Well…that explains a lot." said Nightstrike looking at his Captain.

"You are done." said Lionus angrily to Fudge.

He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.

"Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

"I've known this man for one chapter, I already hate him." said Dr. Clark.

"What about the 'No hating people' shtick you tell me?" said Harry with an amused smile.

"This is different." said Dr. Clark sharply.

"Hypocrite." said Harry with a chuckle, but it was turned to high pitched laughter when Dr. Clark reached under his knee and began to tickle Harry.

Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.

"Any decent wizard's opinion is different from his." said Kingsley in his deep voice.

"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley….and I thought your family could sink no lower—"

A majority of people in the Great Hall began to snarl and growl towards the book and towards Draco. Draco shuffled his feet sheepishly. He opened his mouth to apologize, but Mr. Weasley stopped him.

"You didn't insult us, your father did." said Mr. Weasley, his tone slightly cold.

"I didn't stop him." said Malfoy quietly.

"You didn't want to at the time." said Charlie.

There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf.

Bill and Charlie stared in amazement at their mild-mannered father. "You tackled Malfoy, Dad?" said Bill quietly.

"Awesome!" Charlie said in a whisper.

Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads;

Remus slowly turned and looked at Harry, Harry felt Remus looking at him and he leaned forward.

"What?" asked Harry. "Let me guess, 'did a book hit you?' I can understand you having an anxiety attack when something dangerous happens, but not when it's something this…for the want of a better word, petty. Please calm down, or you're gonna have Calming Draught coming out of your ears." said Harry with a small smile.

Remus sighed, "Well, at least you and I aren't fighting anymore." he smiled.

"We were never fighting, you were freaking out over something that happened years ago and it was getting a bit much." said Harry still smiling. "Well, getting back to where you were going, I did get hit in the head with a book, but I didn't sustain any real injuries."

there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George;

"I couldn't believe that you both shouted that." chided Mrs. Weasley.

"If they didn't, we would have." said Bill and Charlie grinning ear to ear.

Mrs. Weasley was shrieking. "No, Arthur, no!"; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please—please!" cried the assistant,

"And that is the reason Flourish and Blotts will no longer do book signings. After the almost riot going on in their poor store, they banned them." said Dumbledore with a smile.

and then, louder than all—

"Break it up, there, gents, break it up—"

Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books.

"He didn't start the fight." said Fred.

"But he'll finish it." said George

In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools.

"So…who won?" asked Colin curiously.

"I think it was a tie. To be perfectly honest." said Mr. Weasley. "It felt good to smack him with that book though."

"I would have beaten him with a thicker book than that one." said Kingsley with a smirk.

He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Bastard" Harry hissed. Dr. Clark quickly looked over to Harry.

"What the hell was that?" he asked

"What?" said Harry quickly.

"You sort of choked and hissed at the same time." said Dr. Clark.

"Oh…that was called Parseltongue, I can…talk to snakes…" said Harry quietly.

The Rangers' eyes flashed in excitement, while Dr. Clark blinked.

"Really? That's…really cool! Show me sometime, will you?" said Dr. Clark excitedly. "Always loved snakes…" he said absently.

The entire Slytherin house stared at him in amazement.

"Here, girl—take your book—it's the best your father can give you—"

"What a jerk." said Lavender angrily.

Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept form the shop.

"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that—

Malfoy shuffled his feet.

"Yer getting' better." said Hagird gruffly down to the pale faced young man.

no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter—bad blood, that's what it is—come one now—let's get outta here."

The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them from leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it.

"You couldn't ask for a better protector." said Harry beaming up to Hagrid. He then looked to the men in the bowl with him. "When it comes to physical strength, I mean." he added quickly.

They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright

"They were afraid they would have to dodge spells and curses." said Hermione "They were relieved to not have to." said Hermione.

and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.

"A fine example to set for your children…brawling in public…what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought—"

"Who gives a damn what he thought?" said Remus.

"Well…it was his book signing" she said quietly.

"He was pleased," said Fred.

"Seriously?" asked Remus rolling his eyes.

"Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report—said it was all publicity—"

"What a…" he gulped loudly and looked down at Harry. "an idiot."

"Not where you were heading." said Harry with a smirk.

"Don't want to swear, least not in front of you." said Sirius sternly.

"Whatever you say, I've heard worse…" said Harry with a smile.

But it was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, the Weasleys, and all their shopping would be traveling back to the Burrow using Floo powder.

Sirius snorted loudly.

"Don't make me beat you." said Harry with a smirk.

They said goodbye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face.

"You were in so much trouble at that time, you didn't deserve a treat." said Mrs. Weasley frowning slightly at her husband.

Harry took off his glasses and put them safely in his pocket before helping himself to Floo powder.

"Well, at least you learned to not wear glasses when flooing." said Remus with a smile.

"Yeah, no one told me that rule when I left the first time." said Harry solemnly.

It definitely wasn't his favorite way to travel.

"What happened when you got back to the Burrow, was that a good landing?" asked Colin.

"I got shot out of the fireplace like a cannon." said Harry chewing his lip.

"Were you hurt?" asked Dr. Clark.

"No, I got thrown into the sofa." said Harry.

"Well…" said Dumbledore chuckling silently, " It's about six o'clock now, shall we read on, or have dinner first."

"Eeeek!" screamed Professor Sprout. She almost dropped the book as a Recollection scroll appeared.

"What could it be now?" said Harry questioningly. "Officer McFinn is gone, so are you." said Harry looking up to Dr. Clark. "What could it be, now?"

A red light, with golden twinges in the middle enveloped them all.

Chapter 30

The dual colored light deposited them in room where several people were hurrying about carrying files, answering phones, and leading people that looked as if they had seen better days out of the room The Watchers were standing in.

"This is a Police Station!" said Dr. Clark. "What are we doing here?" he turned to look at Harry, but Harry looked as confused as the rest of them.

"Parker! Where is that Stapelton file?" said an important man coming out of the corner office. He had salt-and-pepper hair, clean shaven and strong arms. Though he spoke with high authority, he had a kind smile on his face.

"Right here, Inspector Homes" said the man named Parker standing up and walking the file over to the Inspector.

"Hey! That Parker guy is the same guy that was at the Dursley's in the first Scroll! He was one of the Detectives that came once you were heading for the ambulance!" said Hermione eagerly.

"Yep, that's him." said Harry looking around curiously. "We never really talked, he's sort of cynical and Officer McFinn and Mrs. McFinn never really wanted me to become that. But I get along really great with Inspector Homes."

"Little late for you not to be cynical." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Oh, I can be even more cynical if you want." said Harry teasingly.

"I need to you go and speak to Mrs. Heavebow on Wilkin Street. She may know something about her sister's disappearance. She if she can give you an insight to their mother. I don't trust that cold old fish." said the Inspector.

"Yes, sir."

"Lunch!" shouted a young voice coming from the door which swung widely open.

Several officers stood up and walked over to the door, the Watchers walked over as well, half-knowing whose voice it belonged to.

There was Harry, with a neatly repaired food trolley bearing the photos of several different foods which included pizza, spaghetti, different sandwiches, chili, soup, chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs and several other things, each bearing a different price.

"What's the special today, Bud?" asked Inspector Homes, walking over.

"My 'Seven-day spaghetti', with garlic bread, fruit of your choice and a slice of apple pie, only twelve pounds." said Harry pointing to the large pot on a portable hot plate.

"Twelve pounds? I'd charge forty galleons for that spaghetti." said Ginny looking at Harry in shock.

"You've had it?" asked Ron quickly.

"Yeah, the other night." said Ginny with a smile.

"Sounds good to me, sign me up." said Inspector Homes smiling broadly, he took out his wallet and placed the money on the small counter on the food trolley that wasn't covered with sandwiches or fruit. "How's the fund raising going? Are you going to have enough money to find Sam when you graduate?"

"I hope so…but it's going pretty slow." said Harry sadly.

"What did you expect? You can't raise almost two million pounds in the course of a few months. There are people that work two jobs a day and they don't make even a half million pounds in a few years. It's gonna take some time, Bud." said Inspector Homes with a smile.

"Why is he smiling?" asked Fred.

"He was happy that I was still naïve. He thought Uncle Vernon killed my childhood." said Harry plainly.

"He was close to doing so." growled Dr. Clark.

"I know, but I thought I would get some money together and send someone else first. Like a Privet Eye." said younger Harry sadly.

"Well, I can understand that, but it is going to take some time. I would say, go home and enjoy your childhood, but you really can't do that at your house, can you?" said Inspector Homes with a frown.

"Why couldn't they arrest your Uncle Vernon?" said Hermione angrily.

"He threatened the Police departments' solicitor with a lawsuit if the police bugged him again about me." said Harry scratching the back of his head absently.

"Would they have lost that lawsuit?" asked Dean.

"Yeah, I think they would have." said Harry

The scene shifted slightly and they found themselves in Inspector Homes's office.

"How much money have you raised so far, Bud?" asked Inspector Homes twirling his fork in the spaghetti.

Harry whipped out a small white book and read quickly. "Five thousand and twenty six pounds and fifty-four shillings."

Inspector Homes dropped his fork in shock. "Wow! You must be working very hard, how did you raise that much money so soon?"

"Mrs. McFinn and I take food all over the building here and sell baked goods out of her house. I even made a wedding cake a month ago." said Harry with a smile.

"Have you even given yourself a day off, or anything?" said Inspector Homes concernedly. "You should be out having fun, acting like a kid! Let the military fellows find Sam."

"All they're going to do is label him M.I.A nothing more." said Harry beginning to weep bitterly. "I…I want to find him! I wanna bring him home!"

Inspector Homes, took a quick step back, but then walked around his desk and brought the small eight year old into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Bud, I'm sorry. Why don't you let us help you raise the money? We could start a collection here."

"I wanna earn the money, I don't want people going without their own hard-earned money 'cause I can't raise it." he dried his eyes quickly. "I gotta get back; Mrs. McFinn and I are making a cake for a garden party."

"Sure thing, Bud, see you tomorrow." he said as Harry pushed his little cart out of the room. He then sighed, and spoke too quietly for young Harry to hear, but The Watchers heard. "Are you ever going to let other's help you?"

Sirius and Remus looked quickly down at Harry and smiled. "Apparently, that took a few years didn't it?"

"So…the first time you actually took help from someone since then, was with us?" said Ron in shock.

"Yep." said Harry simply.

The scene shifted forward and now they were at the entrance of the Police Department. There was a well-dressed, rotund man, hair combed over the ever present bald spot on his head, surrounded by several different cameras and reporters.

"This latest string of thefts in getting out of hand, thieves are just coming into our places of business, our havens of cultural enrichment and thieving all we hold dear and cherish. This has to end now!" he shouted dramatically.

"What the hell is this guy going on about?" asked Sirius.

"And to help restore the peace of mind of our noble and fellow citizens." The man stated loud, like a preacher shouting the good word to a congregation. "I have created a brand new security system! And to prove that it will halt any criminal in his path, I will invite any thief who dares to try, can come and test it out. If you lose…well," he laughed slightly. "You go to jail." he said with a smirk.

"Can you tell us anything about this security system?" asked one of the reporters.

"Unfortunately no, it would take away the surprise, for when the culprit comes calling." said the man stroking his mustache.

"I know this guy." said Lionus with a smirk. "That is Edward Buckthorn. He wasn't all that dangerous, but he did attempt to eradicate a portion of the Police Department."

"How was he going to do that?" asked Dean curiously.

"By creating so-called security systems and placing them in every business, museum, bank, and home, halting burgling dead in its tracks, after stopping all the thefts in the country, he would tell Parliament that the Police Department was no longer needed for those particular occurrences. with one portion of the police department removed, they wouldn't need to give them that much funding." said Lionus.

"That couldn't happen." said Hermione skeptically.

"You didn't know those politicians. They were all about money and trying to get a little something on the side for themselves." said Lionus. Hermione thought deeply.

"Not even the Ministry of Magic is without those who try and line their pockets with gold." said Nightstrike looking over to Fudge.

"How do you know all this?" said Dean skeptically. "About this Buckthorn guy and his plans."

"We just know, and that's all I'm saying on that subject. As for making sure that no criminal could get past his system, he joined forces with most of the professional thieves in the country and told them not to rob anywhere that had his security systems. Everywhere else would get hit hard and the villains would vanish without a trace. People would have to buy his high priced system…"

"But how does that satisfy the other thieves?" asked Ron.

"They would take on the guise of maintenance men and enter the house, to upgrade the systems. They would tell the people that they would have to leave for an hour and leave them to their 'sensitive' work. Priceless paintings would be replaced with forgeries; antique silver would be replaced with silver plated objects and so forth. It was a very cunning plan."

"Holy…crap…" said Justin in a whisper. "So did you guys stop him?"

"No, we didn't, someone else did for us." said Lionus with a smile.

"What is it that they are going to try and steal?" asked a reporter.

"Well…my entire manor is engulfed in my security system, but…I happen to have the famous 'Forbidden Fruit' ruby in my manor. If they can steal that…I will give the thief three million pounds!" said Mr. Buckthorn.

The photographers began to click madly and reporters asked questions, however, they were asking them all at the same time so no one could really hear one question in particular.

Dumbledore looked over to younger Harry quickly and saw…an odd gleam in his eyes. He turned to the present day Harry and caught his eye. This Harry was smiling excitedly.

Finally one reporter asked a question with a louder voice than any other one had.

"How would they collect the reward, sir?" asked the reporter.

"They can come here, hand it to the officers and ask them to call me. I hereby swear, on tape, that I will not press any charges and that the money will be theirs, if they can get past my security systems!" he said smugly. "And if they get caught by my methods, off to jail they go."

"What a fraud." said Inspector Homes walking up behind younger Harry. "I'll bet that he's told all the thieves in town to go to his house and surrender the moment they go in there, then turn around and bail them all out, through a "prepaid" attorney."

"He was right on the money." said Lionus with a smirk.

"So, anyone could go in and rob the place?" said Harry quietly.

"Anyone with brains, I suppose. You better head on to Holly's." said Inspector Homes patting Harry's head. "She's most likely waiting for you."

Harry reached under the cart and slid a bicycle out, attached the cart to the back of the bike, clambered on board and pedaled off.

"Oh! What a cute little boy! Quick get a shot of the kid!" said one of the reporters.

"Would rather you didn't." said the veteran officer quickly. "Don't ask why, we would just rather you didn't."

"Camera shy, eh?" said one of the photographers.

"None of your business to be honest." muttered Inspector Homes making sure that he stood between the camera and Harry.

"Why not take your picture?" asked Colin.

"Yeah, it would have looked cute." said Lavender.

"If Uncle Vernon had seen the news or the paper and saw me at the Police Station…it wouldn't have gone well." said Harry rubbing the back of his neck. A low rumble of growls etched its way across the Hall.

The scene shifted once more and they saw fleeting glimpses of Harry in kitchen mixing the contents of a bowl, in a library pouring over several different books, typing swiftly on a computer, and pouring different compounds in different beakers in what looked like a high school chemistry classroom and in a junkyard sifting through different piles of unwanted refuse.

"What the heck is this all about?" asked George.

"I'm working hard." said Harry with a worried look towards the men in the bowl and the Weasleys.

The scene shifted once more and they found themselves against a large brick wall. It was a dark night and the wind was howling fiercely as they stood beside the giant wall. But oddly enough, the branches weren't swaying in the wind.

"What are we doing here?" asked Hermione, "And how come it's so windy but none of the trees are moving?"

"The Winds of Change, it's a turning point in Harry's life." said Speckerton.

"And as for the reason why we're here, here it comes." said Nightstrike with a smile.

They turned and saw a dark clothed figure come hurrying over to them, when they reached them; they noticed that the figure was a little shorter than even the first years.

"This wouldn't be you, would it?" asked Sirius quickly to Harry.

The dark figure stopped underneath a large tree and tossed a thin rope up to one of the higher branches, as he climbed the Watchers rose with him.

"I'll take this as a 'yes'." said Sirius.

"Oh, Harry! Don't tell you me you turn to thievery!" said Mrs. Weasley worriedly.

Harry ignored her.

"Answer her." warned Remus sternly.

"He's testing the security system." said Lionus shortly to the two adults.

"Do you do a good job?" asked Sirius excitedly, he was trying to get Harry to speak. Harry ignored him as well.

Dumbledore however was confused, for Harry was excited not more than a minute ago, why would Harry worry about this episode now?

He continued to climb onto the tree and pulled himself one of the higher branches. He pulled his rope up from along the wall. He climbed further up the tree and pulled out a large bag of powdered sugar out of the knapsack on his bag. He tossed it high into the air and watched it as it fell, as it fell, the entire ground was lit up with crisscrossing lasers.

"What the heck?" said Remus staring at the ground.

"If you touch one of those, an alarm will go off." said Tempest.

"Non-magic folk are quite…strange…" said Firenze.

"You're telling me." said Draco staring at the small red beams of light.

The dark figure took out a large tube from the knapsack and aimed it carefully, when he decided on a spot, he pulled on a small trigger underneath the tube. Something came whizzing out of the end and flew all the way over to the manor on the other side of the lawn. Then the scene shifted once more.

"What? Don't we get to see you rob this place? That's not fair!" moaned Fred.

"So much for getting tips." said George, begrudgingly putting a piece of parchment back in his pocket.

"How did you know how to do that stuff?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Remember that T.V. show, MacGyver?" said Harry quietly.

"Yeah, James and I would watch it…every…afternoon…" he said slowly, then slapped his forehead. "I forgot, you learn a lot of interesting things on that show."

"Can we watch it?" said Fred excitedly, but quickly cringed under the stern gaze of his mother.

They found themselves back in Inspector Homes' office this time the same man from the press conference was in the office, and two men with briefcases sitting on either side Inspector Homes' desk.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT! YOU CAN'T HAVE MY RUBY!" shouted Mr. Buckthorn slamming his fist down on the table.

"So someone did take it, awesome!" said Dean eagerly.

"Not someone! Harry! He took it! He had to have!" said George.

"But, sir, I have it right here." said Inspector Homes innocently with a broad smile. He pulled out a small white bag and tipped the sole content out onto his hand. Out came a single ruby, the exact same size as an apple and round as an orange. "This is the Forbidden Fruit ruby isn't it?"

"It cannot be! I have the ruby right here!" shouted Mr. Buckthorn, pulling out another similar looking ruby. Inspector Homes, placed the ruby he had in his hand, in a drawer and then took the ruby from Mr. Buckthorn and examined it carefully. He then smiled.

"Your's is a fake." He said handing it back to the man.

"WHAT?" shouted the man. "That's not possible!"

"Trust me, I've had several years of experience with what this is, to know it's not a real ruby." Inspector Homes smiled and looked over the man's shoulder. "Hello sir, thanks for coming."

Mr. Buckthorn turned around and took a quick step back. The man was obviously of Asian descent and he had an jeweler's eyepiece dangling around his neck. He wore a finely tailored suit and a solid gold watch on his wrist.

"It is my pleasure, what did you need?" said the man bowing deeply.

"I need you to examine this," said Inspector Homes pointing to the ruby in the man's hand. "Do you know of the Forbidden Fruit ruby?" asked Inspector Homes.

"I do, sir. It is a very famous jewel." he said taking the jewel in hand. He examined it, turning it over and over in his hand. "And this is not it."

Mr. Buckthorn stared, fearfully. "What…How can this be?"

"This is not it." said the jeweler once again.

"Prove it!" said Mr. Buckthorn's lawyer.

The jeweler smiled and placed his teeth on the jewel and bit…a…chunk…off…

"You wouldn't be able to do that with the real thing." said the jeweler munching on the piece in his mouth.

"What…what is that…?" asked Mr. Buckthorn his finger pointing shakily.

"A type of rock candy it seems. It doesn't leave a sticky residue anywhere and it is absolutely clear. A very good idea to use as a jewel replacement." said the jeweler.

"I've got children that love that stuff, my daughter is very good at making it." said Inspector Homes tapping a picture of his family. "Here is the one that was taken from his house last night." said Inspector Homes handing the jewel over to the Asian man with great care.

After a moment of examination, he looked up with a smile. "This IS the Forbidden Fruit ruby."

"So that means that you lose, and someone is two million pounds richer." said the man standing beside Inspector Homes. "And if you think you're going to go back on your word, I've got a surprise for you."

He took out a remote and pointed it towards the TV hanging on the wall. On the TV, it showed Mr. Buckthorn, standing in front of the Police Department and saying: "I hereby swear, on tape, that I will not press charges and that the money will be theirs, if they can get past my security system."

"What have you got to say to that?" said Inspector Homes.

Mr. Buckthorn growled fiercely.

"Bring the money here tomorrow, I'll see to it that the money is given to the person who broke through your system." said Inspector Homes, "And until you do, the Police Department will keep your ruby safe for you, we'll call it evidence."

"I want to meet the foul beast that stole it!" shouted Mr. Buckthorn.

"He doesn't particularly trust you, so he's going to remain anonymous." said the man standing beside Inspector Homes. "And, you opened your home, and invited thieves to come and steal the ruby. You cannot possibly be angry with someone who took the ball you dropped and ran with it."

"Fine, whatever just keep this to yourselves!" growled Mr. Buckthorn.

"Ooh, sorry about that. I already called the TV stations and newspapers. They were waiting a whole week to hear news of someone to try and succeed." said the man beside Inspector Homes.

Mr. Buckthorn turned and stormed out of the room, with his solicitor in tow. The jeweler bowed and left.

"You think he's going to give me the two million pounds?" said a quiet voice coming from behind a cabinet.

"He's going to have to, Bud." said Inspector Homes, "guess this takes care of raising the money you need to hire the P.I." he smiled.

"It's more than enough!" said Harry happily stepping out from hiding. "Now I'm certain to find him!"

"That however wasn't the case, obviously." said Dumbledore sadly.

"What did the Privet Eye, find out?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing helpful at all, after he came back, I was in the same boat as I was before." said Harry angrily.

The red and gold light enveloped them again.

"Why was the light like that, before this it was white or black." asked Ginny curiously after the light had disappeared and they were once more in the Great Hall.

"It was the Dawning of a Change, the Winds of Change's partner." said Speckerton plainly. "It's only been seen once before this, I'm...we're very lucky."

Harry stood up and walked out of the Great Hall and left them all behind, not stopping even when Dumbledore and Remus called his name.

Chapter 31

Dumbledore strolled casually down to the kitchens, remembering words that Harry and Remus had exchanged days prior. Harry always felt better when he was cooking, so the logical place to search for his young protégé would be in the kitchens.

When he opened the door, he was met with the sound of clanging and muttered curses towards the corner of the room. He slowly walked over towards the noise when a bottle of wine flew past his head and smashed into the wall.

"ARRGGHH!" shouted Harry, stabbing the knife down into the cutting board.

Dumbledore gathered up all the glass and deposited it into a waste basket that a house-elf had carried over quickly. Then he walked over to Harry placing his hand on his young man's shoulder.

"What is it, Harry?" asked Dumbledore. "What is troubling you?"

Harry shook his head furiously and began stirring what looked like cheese, apple pieces, and breadcrumbs together in a large bowl.

Dumbledore took a step back and allowed him to vent his anger on the ingredients and the utensils.

"I forgot how…unfair…these books were." said Harry slamming two hands down on two pieces of wax-papered covered chicken breasts.

"They do have their good points Harry." said Dumbledore kindly.

"And yet, they seem to want to make my life a living hell." he spat angrily.

"We want to know these things, Harry. There isn't a person here who doesn't care for your well-being. Well…except for a select few, but still. Your friends, the Weasleys, Sirius, Remus, Dr. Clark, myself and the rest of the staff, we want to be able to help you. We worry about you." said Dumbledore sadly.

"But why did it have to show that!" shouted Harry angrily. "Now Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, Remus, everybody, is going the think that I'm a CRIMINAL!" shouted Harry even louder. "I don't steal to take things! I don't steal here!" he shouted, pounding the counter hard.

"You did nothing wrong, Harry. I remember what that man said, he welcomed anyone into his home to try and get past that system of his. You were merely testing to see if it was as great as he said." said Dumbledore calmly.

"Did you see Sirius' face? Or Mrs. Weasley's?" yelled Harry.

"I didn't, but I do know, that if they feel you did something wrong, they find themselves in the wrong." said Dumbledore. "They will come to their senses in due time, rest assured."

Harry looked down and poured the stuff in the bowl on top of the flattened chicken breasts.

"What are you making, Harry?" asked Dumbledore interestedly.

"It's 'Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast' do you want some?" said Harry absently as he rolled the meat up.

"I'd love some, aside from the cookies, pizza and those delightful 'glories' I haven't had the chance to partake in any other culinary masterpiece you bring to light."

After a short while, Harry brought the chicken breast to Dumbledore's golden plate and poured gravy on top.

Dumbledore carved a slice of the chicken and placed a bit into his mouth.

"This is utterly delicious, Harry. Miss Weasley was correct. Your cooking is worth more than what you charged at the police department!" said Dumbledore happily, relishing the flavors dancing in his mouth.

"Thanks." said Harry glumly, as he put the fork to his mouth.

"I wouldn't worry about what your Uncles or Mrs. Weasley thinks, dear boy. You are almost a man now, and besides, you seemed to really enjoy what you did." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"So that's why you didn't see their faces, you were watching me." said Harry with a grim smile.

"You were enjoying yourself, until something changed it." said Dumbledore softly.

"Their faces." said Harry simply.

"It'll be alright, Harry. Just give them time. They'll come around." reassured Dumbledore. "Don't worry, if anything, I'll take care of it."

A few hours later, while Dumbledore was looking over some papers in his office, Sirius and Remus came in with Dr. Clark close behind, who was marveling at everything his good eye saw.

"What can I do for you three gentlemen tonight?" said Dumbledore.

"Where is Harry?" asked Remus quickly.

"He's in the Gryffindor dorms, sleeping." said Dumbledore smiling in amusement at the wonder on Dr. Clark's face. Dr. Clark was staring intently at Fawkes with a longing gaze.

"So he didn't eat?" said Remus sternly.

"Actually he made his own dinner, a wonderful 'Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast'. It was quite delicious." said Dumbledore with a wide smile. "Now, could you tell what is troubling you?" said Dumbledore, staring at Remus intently.

""I don't know what you mean." said Remus stiffly.

"Remus…" said Sirius wearily. "You've been snapping at Dumbledore since the books first started, and then you start inadvertently picking fights with Harry. What's up?"

"Full moon's coming." said Remus sharply.

"That excuse isn't going to work today. Cough up another one." said Sirius tiredly.

"I'm worried about him, so sue me." said Remus still sharply.

"That doesn't explain what going on with you and Albus." said Dr. Clark still staring at Fawkes.

"I haven't forgiven you for dropping Harry off at the Dursley's on a cold night and LEAVING HIM WITH THOSE BASTARDS!" said Remus angrily to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore sighed and leaned back in his giant chair. "Remus, I never said that my actions were justified. Now that I know the truth, I regret my actions every single time that I look in Harry's eyes."

Remus gnashed his teeth and turned away, he then turned to Sirius and Dr. Clark.

"Why the hell aren't you pissed?" said Remus angrily to Dr. Clark.

"Harry told me what happened, I was angry, but…I just couldn't bring myself to blame him." said Dr. Clark.

"What?" shouted Remus.

"When James did the investigating when Harry was first hurt, James went and talked to all the teachers and neighbors that knew the Dursleys, they couldn't and wouldn't believe it. If we hadn't of had James' keen mind and his observations, we wouldn't have had any idea that Vernon had done it. Harry never spoke of it to anyone, nor had he shown the bruises to others."

"He can bloody look into people's minds!" shouted Remus, pointing to Dumbledore.

"Unless he lets you in, you can't tell that he's hurting." said one of the portraits behind Dumbledore shortly. "Even a Legimency master can't break through such a powerful emotional block."

Remus stared.

"When he was still in rehabilitation for his legs, we finally earned his trust. He still never told us the worst of it, from all the old breaks and internal bruises we both could tell that this was not the first time he was smacked about that severely. And it wasn't' the worst one, it was most likely the third to worst one." said Dr. Clark sadly. Dumbledore covered his eyes with both hands and wept silently. Remus and Sirius both paled.

"When he opened up, we caught a glimpse of the pain he experienced, the pain he felt deep in his heart and soul. I don't know how we managed to feel what was going on in his soul, but we felt…crushed, buried. I don't know how he could have survived the force on his mind, it just about killed me." Dr. Clark finished quietly.

Dumbledore looked up from his hands quickly. "You felt the pain?"

"I felt it, and almost saw it, I guess." said Dr. Clark. "Why do you ask?"

"Harry's core must have been screaming out for help." said Dumbledore taking out a black notebook.

"You have one of those too?" said Sirius staring at Dumbledore.

"Oh, no, this is Harry's, I borrowed it. However, he did warn me reading it is not so easy, and I fear that this book is more protected than what magic could ever do." said Dumbledore holding up the book. "It's in code. From what I've deciphered so far, it's staggering. He and I really must talk on a scholastic level." said Dumbledore beaming widely.

Remus stared at the floor with a stern gaze. "I'm not ready to forgive you yet."

"I'm not ready to forgive myself either. Let's just work together to ease Harry's life." said Dumbledore with a small smile. "I at the very least owe him that. Well then, would you care for a nightcap? I have an intense feeling that we will be in for a rough day tomorrow."

The next morning, Harry walked down to the Great Hall and the moment he walked three feet beyond the door Remus came walking up to him.

"Harry…you okay?" said Remus quickly.

"Fine, you angry?" said Harry seriously.

"About your 'summer job'? No. Captain Lionus explained everything to us." said Remus with a smile. "More pissed at Dumbledore, than you any day."

"I'd say something, but I don't need you being moody." said Harry walking past Remus towards the breakfast table.

"What's that?" said Remus with a smile.

"You're mad at Dumbledore for not getting me out of there sooner, so, where were you?" said Harry not facing him. Remus blanched and looked down at the ground, his face contorted in pain.

"Harry!" said Mrs. Weasley sharply. "He's only concerned about you!"

"Well aware of it, but the both of you need to lay off him." said Harry nodding towards Dumbledore.

"Harry…We're adults, we can treat people the way we see fit." said Remus growling at the floor, still reeling from the pain of Harry's words.

"And I'm a teenager, and I have the capacity to act rebellious and reject your affections. Either we can play nice and accept each other's wishes, or cause each other harm. Pick you poison." said Harry shortly. "I don't need to sit by you; I'm a big boy now. I can sit by myself." said Harry with his brows raised.

Sirius rushed up and smacked Remus' head. "Agree to the terms, dammit. Bury the bloody hatchet!"

Remus rubbed the back of his head and nodded.

Harry turned to Mrs. Weasley, "I hate to pull this card, but looking around, you owe me a favor."

Mrs. Weasley looked at all of her children and her eyes rested on Ginny, and nodded slowly.

After breakfast everyone took their regular seats. Remarkably, Harry sat next to Remus.

"I promise to take a chill pill, if you do." said Harry with a smile.

"If it avoids a fight with you, I'll do it." said Remus with a smile.

"Let's press on, shall we?" said Dr. Nicodemus. "Who'd like to read now?"

"I will!" said Neville excitedly.

"The Whomping Willow

"What are you doing near that thing?" said Remus quickly.

"Hey now." said Harry with a smirk. "You promised."

"Sam, I'm switching with you." said Sirius quickly.

"What could a willow do to you?" said Dr. Clark with a cynical smile as he switched positions.

"I hope you don't find out. Least not till the next book." said Sirius worriedly throwing an arm around Harry.

The end of the summer vacation came too quickly for Harry's liking.

"Exact opposite of the year before that." said Ernie.

He was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, but his month at the Burrow had been the happiest of his life.

"Nice of you to say that mate." said Ron happily.

It was difficult not to feel jealous of Ron when he thought of the Dursleys and the sort of welcome he could expect next time he turned up on Privet Drive.

"Did you think about it often while you were at our house?" asked George.

"About every other day towards the end of summer, why?" asked Harry.

"Cause you kinda did full body shivers every once in a while." said Fred.

On their last evening, Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous dinner that included all of Harry's favorite things, ending with a mouth-watering treacle pudding.

"Where Harry's concerned, you could've just made an entire meal of treacle tart." said Remus with a smile.

"I made sure that he had other food, not just treacle tart." said Mrs. Weasley with a smile. "He had seconds of everything and still had two platefuls of treacle tart."

"Did you get sick later?" asked Dr. Clark with a smirk.

"Nope, it was treacle tart, I wasn't going to allow myself to get sick." said Harry indignantly.

"Sounds like me and that pizza you make, I could eat thirty helpings of it and I tell myself that I'm not going to get sick." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks; they filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour.

"So you don't mind them setting off fireworks in the kitchen?" asked Tonks quickly.

"We kinda just did it, we didn't bother asking." said Fred with a smile.

"We got told off for it later though." said George.

Then it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed.

"Their hot chocolate is the best." said Harry wistfully. "I've tried again and again to replicate the recipe, but it never turns out right."

"I can teach it to you, Harry." said Mr. Weasley. "It's a family recipe."

"I thought mom came up with it." said Percy quickly.

"No, your father's great-great-great grandmother came up with it." said Mrs. Weasley with a kind smile to her husband.

It took a long while to get started next morning.

"Yeah, that always happens on first day of school, you can plan all you want, and still you can't get out of there on the time you want." said George.

"Mum tries to keep us on a schedule, never works." said Fred.

They were up at dawn, but somehow they still seemed to have a great deal to do. Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood looking for spare socks and quills;

"I forget, who was missing the socks?" asked Ron.

"Me." said Harry. "It turns out you shoved my socks in your trunk."

"Oh, yeah, at least I gave you them back." said Ron with a smile.

"Percy was the one missing the quills." said Fred. "He lost his somehow."

"Yeah, I wonder how." said Charlie looking suspiciously at the twins.

people kept colliding on the stairs, half-dressed with bits of toast in their hands;

"Ginny dropped her piece when she saw Harry coming down without a shirt on, Mum had all of his on the line and forgot to take them off." said George wickedly.

"I had a shirt on!" said Harry quickly blushing. "It was a sleeveless shirt!"

Fred and George merely shrugged. "We didn't see it."

and Mr. Weasley nearly broke his neck, tripping over a stray chicken as he crossed the yard carrying Ginny's trunk to the car.

"Were you okay dad?" asked Bill quickly.

"I was fine, it was funny though." said Mr. Weasley.

"What was?" asked Charlie.

"Watching all the boys trying to catch that chicken and put it in the coop. Molly was too busy fussing over me to use magic to catch it." said Mr. Weasley with a laugh.

Harry couldn't see how eight people, six large trunks, two owls, and a rat were going to fit into one small Ford Anglia.

"You mean it can't normally?" said Mrs. Weasley quickly, she turned to her husband who began to look up and interest himself with the clouds overhead.

He had reckoned, of course, without the special features that Mr. Weasley had added. "Not a word to Molly," he whispered to Harry as he opened the trunk and showed him how it had been magically expanded so that the luggage fitted easily.

"Arthur…" she said warningly.

"Uh…umm…" said Arthur.

When at last they were all in the car, Mrs. Weasley glanced into the back seat, where Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy were all sitting comfortably side by side, and said, "Muggles do know more than we give them credit for, don't they?"

"We tried to pretend that that was normal for a car. Apparently it worked." said Ron.

She and Ginny got into the front seat, which had been stretched so that it resembled a park bench. "I mean, you'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"

"Sorry, Molly." said Mr. Weasley apologetically.

Mr. Weasley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard, Harry turning back for a last look at the house. He barely had time to wonder when he'd see it again when they were back. George had forgotten his box of Filibuster fireworks.

"I thought Fred had it." said George with mock angry look towards his twin.

"You said that you left some of your potion ingredients!" said Mrs. Weasley angrily.

"Well…uh…" said the twins softly.

Five minutes after that, they skidded to a halt in the yard so that Fred could run in for his broomstick.

"I was quickly losing my patience." said Mr. Weasley with a smile.

"And that is a bad thing if he does." said Fred

"Even worse than Mum sometimes." said George. Percy nodded.

They had almost reached the highway when Ginny shrieked that she'd left her diary.

Some of the people in the Hall couldn't figure out why the Weasley family was growling, Harry baring his teeth like a wrathful wolf, and Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle.

Even Bill and Charlie were looking curiously at their own family.

"What's going on? Why are you upset over her forgetting a diary." asked Bill.

"It wasn't hers." said Harry angrily.

Sirius tugged on Remus' cloak. "You never looked that pissed." he said glancing at Harry.

"Wonder what has him so upset." said Remus quietly.

By the time she had clambered back into the car, they were running very late, and tempers were running high.

"Tempers? Only Mum's temper was running high." said Fred in a whisper.

Mr. Weasley glanced at his watch and then at his wife.

"Molly, dear —"

"No, Arthur —–"

"You wanna fly don't you?" said Sirius excitedly.

"He wouldn't, not with Molly right there." said Remus smacking Sirius on the back of his head.

"No one would see — this little button here is an Invisibility Booster I installed — that'd get us up in the air — then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser —"

Sirius smiled broadly to Remus who groaned loudly. Remus leaned his head over, and taking the cue, Sirius smacked the back of his head.

"I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight —"

"Seems your son and his leader didn't hear you." sneered Snape.

Ron and Harry both looked about uncomfortably.

They reached King's Cross at a quarter to eleven. Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station.

"That is cutting it really close." said Sirius shaking his head.

Harry had caught the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto platform nine and three-quarters, which wasn't visible to the Muggle eye. What you had to do was walk through the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the Muggles noticed you vanishing.

"Why does it say stuff like that? It's common knowledge." said Zacharias irritably.

"Not to me." said Dr. Clark indignantly.

Zacharias opened his mouth to argue, but was elbowed by a nearby Hufflepuff.

"Stuff it Zach." said Ernie sharply.

"Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.

Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed.

"I'll take Ginny and you two come right after us," Mrs. Weasley told Harry and Ron, grabbing Ginny's hand and setting off. In the blink of an eye they were gone.

"Let's go together, we've only got a minute," Ron said to Harry.

Harry made sure that Hedwig's cage was safely wedged on top of his trunk and wheeled his trolley around to face the barrier.

"You always worry about her." cooed a sixth year Ravenclaw.

"I didn't want her p…angry with me." Harry said with a quick glance up at Remus.

He felt perfectly confident;

"This won't go well." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"Why not?" asked Remus quickly.

"Call it a feeling." said Dr. Clark.

this wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as using Floo powder. Both of them bent low over the handles of their trolleys and walked purposefully toward the barrier, gathering speed. A few feet away from it, they broke into a run and —

CRASH.

Sirius and Remus both stared at Neville.

"Did it really say 'crash'? Or was that an attempt at a joke?" said Remus, a little hopefully.

"No, it said 'Crash'." Neville said regretfully.

"I wonder what happened to the barrier?" said Luna dreamily.

Both trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backward; Ron's trunk fell off with a loud thump, Harry was knocked off his feet, and Hedwig's cage bounced onto the shiny floor, and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly; people all around them stared and a guard nearby yelled, "What in blazes d'you think you're doing?"

"Stupid idiot, what does it look like happened. They ran into a brick wall." said Fred.

"And crashed and burned." said George.

"Lost control of the trolley," Harry gasped, clutching his ribs as he got up.

Dr. Clark turned and looked at Harry quickly. He had to lean forward very far to see him, for Sirius had turned his entire body to look at Harry.

"Were you alright?" asked Remus as Sirius stared at Harry.

"Are you nuts? He probably broke several ribs!" said Dr. Clark anxiously.

"No, I just had the wind knocked out of me. I've crashed into a wall worse than that before." said Harry quickly.

"When?" said the three men in the bowl together.

"If the Scroll had let you seen, I smacked the wall like a birds smacks a window." said Harry with a smile. "And I got out of there just fine, obviously."

Remus looked at Harry skeptically, but Sirius thought about the mental picture and snorted.

"As worried I am about you that would have been really funny to see." said Sirius.

Ron ran to pick up Hedwig, who was causing such a scene that there was a lot of muttering about cruelty to animals from the surrounding crowd.

"No one grabbed her that time?" said Parvati earnestly.

"No, someone tried though, when I handed her back to him." said Ron with a smirk.

"I kicked him right where it counts." said Harry with a smile.

"A skinny shrimp can't kick all that hard." said Pansy nastily.

Ron whispered something in Hermione's ear and she conjured up a padded chair.

"Here you go mate, kick through that." said Ron magicking it over to the bowl.

Harry stood up and met the chair halfway. In one swift movement, he brought his back and then brought it up like a rocket shooting up from the ground. The chair broke in two and laid splintered on the ground.

"Oohh!" moaned every male in the room. Remus even gasped and leaned forward, clutching his knees.

"Bet he sounded like a chipmunk." moaned Dean. "After that."

"Why can't we get through?" Harry hissed to Ron.

"That's what we'd all like to know." said Kingsley thoughtfully.

"I dunno —"

Ron looked wildly around. A dozen curious people were still watching them.

"We're going to miss the train," Ron whispered. "I don't understand why the gateway's sealed itself —"

Harry looked up at the giant clock with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Ten seconds… nine seconds…

"Crap, even if you could get through the barrier now, you wouldn't have made it." said Tonks.

He wheeled his trolley forward cautiously until it was right against the barrier and pushed with all his might.

"I was ready to start kicking the damn wall to get in there." said Harry.

The metal remained solid.

Three seconds… two seconds… one second…

"It's gone," said Ron, sounding stunned. "The train's left. What if Mum and Dad can't get back through to us?

"Could they get through?" asked Remus.

"It turns out that, if we had waited two more minutes, they would have come out." said Harry bitterly. "The barrier was only blocked for the time it took the train to leave."

"How do you know?" said Charlie.

"I owled your dad later." said Harry.

Have you got any Muggle money?"

"Did Ron know about your summer job?" asked Neville.

"Nope, he kept that a deep dark secret." said Ron and Hermione.

"And I didn't have money on me at all." said Harry.

Harry gave a hollow laughed. "The Dursleys haven't given me pocket money for about six years."

"Have they actually given you money?" asked Bill quickly.

"To get groceries, nothing else, and I needed to keep the receipt, there supposed to be nothing else on that receipt besides what I was sent for." said Harry.

"And if you got a candy bar or a snack?" said Sirius gritting his teeth.

"Read on Neville." said Harry quickly.

Ron pressed his ear to the cold barrier.

"Can't hear a thing," he said tensely,

"Don't ask me why I thought I could hear something through that." said Ron holding up his hands.

"What're we going to do? I don't know how long it'll take Mum and Dad to get back to us."

"Three minutes." said Harry and Ron glumly.

They looked around. People were still watching them, mainly because of Hedwig's continuing screeches.

"She was angry." said Harry shaking his head.

"I think we'd better go and wait by the car," said Harry. "We're attracting too much atten —"

"Harry!" said Ron, his eyes gleaming. "The car!"

"What about it?" said Remus and Sirius plainly.

"What about it?"

"Awesome." said the two Marauders together, giving Harry a one armed hug each.

"We can fly the car to Hogwarts!"

Snape leaned forward in the serpentine chair he sat in. "So, Weasley, it was your idea. Unfortunately, it seems that I owe you an apology, Potter."

Harry shrugged, "Evidence was there, and you've never seen Ron take charge, it was logical that I would come up with something that reckless and stupid."

"So, you did take the car?" said Remus rubbing both his eyes wearily.

"Yeah." said Ron and Harry.

"But I thought —"

"We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we?

"Send an owl." said all the teachers and adults together.

"Don't we know it, now at least." said Ron and Harry.

And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy —"

"I don't believe I know that one, Mr. Weasley. How does that one go?" said Dumbledore, his eyes regaining their usual twinkle.

"I'd love to hear it." said Madam Bones good-naturedly.

Ron blushed and smiled, but remained silent.

"But your Mum and Dad…" said Harry, pushing against the barrier again in the vain hope that it would give way.

"I really didn't want to take their car." said Harry quietly.

"How will they get home?"

"They don't need the car!" said Ron impatiently. "They know how to Apparate! You know, just vanish and reappear at home!

"Did you know about it?" said Hermione quickly.

"Not before then. After he said that, and when we got to school, I looked it up real quick. Not too fond of that travel either, I can live without the chance of me missing a foot or something." said Harry shaking his head.

They only bother with Floo powder and the car because we're all underage and we're not allowed to Apparate yet…"

Harry's feeling of panic turned suddenly to excitement.

"Can you fly it?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm such an idiot. A stupid reckless idiot." said Harry angrily.

"You were acting like a kid, let it go." said Sirius in a whisper.

"No, problem," said Ron, wheeling his trolley around to face the exit.

"And who taught you to drive." said Mrs. Weasley sternly.

"Uh…" he said slowly, taking notice of the twins who were shaking their heads swiftly. "I just watched what Dad was doing." he said almost convincingly.

Fred and George wiped the sweat off their brows.

"C'mon, let's go. If we hurry we'll be able to follow the Hogwarts Express —"

And they marched off through the crowd of curious Muggles, out of the station and back onto the side road where the old Ford Anglia was parked.

Ron unlocked the cavernous trunk with a series of taps from his wand.

"Didn't have the key." said Ron shrugging his shoulders.

They heaved their luggage back in, put Hedwig on the back seat, and got into the front.

"Check that no one's watching," said Ron, starting the ignition with another tap of his wand. Harry stuck his head out of the window: Traffic was rumbling along the main road ahead, but their street was empty.

"Okay," he said.

"At least no one saw you." said Sirius heaving a sigh.

"Would rather he didn't do it at all." said Remus quietly.

Ron pressed a tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car around them vanished — and so did they. Harry could feel the seat vibrating beneath him, hear the engine, feel his hands on his knees and his glasses on his nose, but for all he could see, he had become a pair of eyeballs, floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars.

"Write that down." said Fred to George, who whipped out a piece of parchment.

"Floating Eyes." said George as he wrote.

"Let's go," said Ron's voice from his right.

And the ground and the dirty buildings on either side fell away, dropping out of sight as the car rose; in seconds, the whole of London lay, smoky and glittering, below them.

"That must have looked so cool." said Blaise quietly.

Then there was a popping noise and the car, Harry, and Ron reappeared.

"Cool part over." said Blaise quickly.

"That's not good." said Dr. Clark, "we aren't supposed to see flying cars."

"Uh-oh," said Ron, jabbing at the Invisibility Booster. "It's faulty —"

Both of them pummeled it.

A few people laughed at it, despite them warning if the two boys were going to be caught, it was funny to picture them pummeling a button.

The car vanished. Then it flickered back again.

"Hold on!" Ron yelled, and he slammed his foot on the accelerator; they shot straight into the low, woolly clouds and everything turned dull and foggy.

"Weren't fast enough." said Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore.

"Now what?" said Harry, blinking at the solid mass of cloud pressing in on them from all sides.

"We need to see the train to know what direction to go in," said Ron.

"Dip back down again — quickly —"

They dropped back beneath the clouds and twisted around in their seats, squinting at the ground.

"…Sage idea, Harry, but perhaps, a double edged sword." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"How do you mean?" asked Sirius.

"They could see them/us." said Ron, Harry, Remus and Dumbledore.

"Oh…right." said Sirius grinning sheepishly.

"I can see it!" Harry yelled. "Right ahead — there!"

The Hogwarts Express was streaking along below them like a scarlet snake.

"That sounds awesome." said Fred wistfully.

"Really wish we had been with you guys." said George in a whisper to Ron.

"Due north," said Ron, checking the compass on the dashboard. "Okay, we'll just have to check on it every half hour or so — hold on —"

And they shot up through the clouds. A minute later, they burst out into a blaze of sunlight.

It was a different world. The wheels of the car skimmed the sea of fluffy cloud, the sky a bright, endless blue under the blinding white sun.

All across the room, eyes closed and smiled as the picture formed in their minds.

"It sounds beautiful." sighed Hermione and Dr. Clark.

"All we've got to worry about now are airplanes," said Ron.

They looked at each other and started to laugh; for a long time, they couldn't stop.

It was as though they had been plunged into a fabulous dream. This, thought Harry, was surely the only way to travel — past swirls and turrets of snowy cloud, in a car full of hot, bright sunlight, with a fat pack of toffees in the glove compartment, and the prospect of seeing Fred's and George's jealous faces when they landed smoothly and spectacularly on the sweeping lawn in front of Hogwarts castle.

"That was the idea, anyway, a very stupid one at that." said Ron scratching his head.

They made regular checks on the train as they flew farther and farther north, each dip beneath the clouds showing them a different view. London was soon far behind them, replaced by neat green fields that gave way in turn to wide, purplish moors, a great city alive with cars like multicolored ants, villages with tiny toy churches.

"Aww! That sounded like a wonderful way to go about." squealed a couple of fourth year girls.

"Sounds like my bike when I take it out." said Sirius with a fond smile.

"Yeah, but on this trip the good times leave eventually." said Harry glumly.

Several uneventful hours later, however, Harry had to admit that some of the fun was wearing off. The toffees had made them extremely thirsty and they had nothing to drink. He and Ron had pulled off their sweaters, but Harry's T-shirt was sticking to the back of his seat and his glasses kept sliding down to the end of his sweaty nose.

"Yup, good times gone." said Sirius with a smirk.

He had stopped noticing the fantastic cloud shapes now and was thinking longingly of the train miles below, where you could buy ice-cold pumpkin juice from a trolley pushed by a plump witch.

"Okay, now we're happy we didn't go with you." said Fred to Ron.

Why hadn't they been able to get onto platform nine and three-quarters?

"Can't be much further, can it?" croaked Ron,

"We were really getting thirsty." said Ron.

hours later still, as the sun started to sink into their floor of cloud, staining it a deep pink. "Ready for another check on the train?"

It was still right below them, winding its way past a snow-capped mountain. It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds.

"Wow, you guys were up really high, if you were up higher than that mountain." said Remus with a smile.

Ron put his foot on the accelerator and drove them upward again, but as he did so, the engine began to whine.

"Shit!" said Dr. Clark.

"What?" said Remus and Sirius.

"You don't want a car dying way up there." said Dr. Clark becoming pale, as did Sirius and Remus.

Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances.

"It's probably just tired," said Ron. "It's never been this far before…"

"Couldn't you fix it, Harry? You seem to know everything." said Colin excitedly.

"I'm still reading up on car mechanics, and even if I did know how to fix it I wouldn't be able to fix it in midair." said Harry rolling his eyes.

And they both pretended not to notice the whining growing louder and louder as the sky became steadily darker. Stars were blossoming in the blackness. Harry pulled his sweater back on, trying to ignore the way the windshield wipers were now waving feebly, as though in protest.

"They just turned themselves on, don't know how that happened." said Ron thinking back.

"Not far," said Ron, more to the car than to Harry, "not far now," and he patted the dashboard nervously.

"Why are you talking to the car?" asked Seamus.

"I was nervous, so sue me." said Ron shortly.

When they flew back beneath the clouds a little while later, they had to squint through the darkness for a landmark they knew.

"There!" Harry shouted, making Ron and Hedwig jump. "Straight ahead!"

"Good thing he saw it, cause I didn't." said Ron.

Silhouetted on the dark horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle.

But the car had begun to shudder and was losing speed.

"Oh, dear." said Mr. Weasley looking worried.

"Come on," Ron said cajolingly, giving the steering wheel a little shake, "nearly there, come on —"

The engine groaned. Narrow jets of steam were issuing from under the hood. Harry found himself gripping the edges of his seat very hard as they flew toward the lake.

"Were you scared." said Remus quickly.

"Yeah, but I hadn't seen anything yet." said Harry leaning harder against the werewolf and swinging his legs up onto the men's laps.

"I'm not going to like this one bit, am I?" said Remus seriously.

"That's why I'm laying like this." said Harry plainly looking up from Remus' side.

The car gave a nasty wobble. Glancing out of his window, Harry saw the smooth, black, glassy surface of the water, a mile below. Ron's knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The car wobbled again.

"Come on," Ron muttered.

They were over the lake —

"Please don't hit the lake." said Tonks earnestly.

Remus took a deep breath and released it slowly.

"You're doing good Moony. I'll fret for you." said Sirius quietly.

the castle was right ahead — Ron put his foot down.

There was a loud clunk, a splutter, and the engine died completely.

Those that understood what happens when an engine died in a car, yelled and screamed.

"No! Harry! Ron!" shrieked Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum! You know what happens." said Ron gasping for air, his mother had hurried over and clutched her son to her.

"Uh-oh," said Ron, into the silence.

Few people started to snicker nervously.

"It was either that or screaming." said Ron sourly.

The nose of the car dropped. They were falling, gathering speed, heading straight for the solid castle wall.

Remus, Sirius and Dr. Clark gripped Harry tightly, he flinched from the pain (from holding him so tight) but he barely showed it.

"Noooooo!" Ron yelled, swinging the steering wheel around; they missed the dark stone wall by inches as the car turned in a great arc,

The three men in the bowl released the breath they held hostage slowly.

"You…are…never…ever…flying…in…a…car…again." said Dr. Clark sternly.

"I don't plan on it." said Harry with a smirk.

"This ain't funny anymore." said Sirius gripping Harry's right hand.

soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time.

Ron let go of the steering wheel completely and pulled his wand out of his back pocket —

"ARE YOU MENTAL?" shouted Fred.

"PUT THE DAMN WAND AWAY AND PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE BREAK!" yelled George.

"STOP! STOP!" he yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield, but they were still plummeting, the ground flying up toward them —

"WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!" Harry bellowed, lunging for the steering wheel, but too late —

CRUNCH.

People covered their eyes and began to cry softly, they all forgot that the two who were in the car were in the room and alive and well.

Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasely were holding onto Ron tightly, while the three men were hugging any part of Harry they could. Even the teachers were holding each other's hands, and Dumbledore was quickly drinking a Calming Draught.

Neville gulped and continued on with the chapter, he knew they were fine, but it was hard reading about it.

With an ear-splitting bang of metal on wood, they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a heavy jolt. Steam was billowing from under the crumpled hood; Hedwig was shrieking in terror; a golf ball-size lump was throbbing on Harry's head where he had hit the windshield;

Trying to be subtle, Remus brought his hand up and started to pat Harry's head, looking for a lump, however, two other hands met his.

"What are you three doing?' said Harry not moving his head but looking over to each of them in turn.

"Nothing." said the three of them together.

"Sure." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"Were you hurt, Harry." said Dumbledore quickly. McGonagall looked over quickly, she remembered blood coming from a cut on Ron's head, but she didn't bother asking if Harry was alright.

"I was fine, just a knock on my head, nothing more." said Harry with a reassuring smile.

and to his right, Ron let out a low, despairing groan.

"Are you okay?" Harry said urgently.

"I didn't know you were hurt, and you ask how I was doing?" asked Ron incredulously.

"Do you remember how you moaned? I thought you were dying!" said Harry over to Ron.

"My wand," said Ron, in a shaky voice. "Look at my wand —"

It had snapped, almost in two; the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.

"Ron, why didn't you tell us that your wand was broken?" said Mr. Weasley calmly from Ron's left.

"Howler." said Ron and Harry simply.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked at each other uneasily.

Harry opened his mouth to say he was sure they'd be able to mend it up at the school, but he never even got started.

"What now?" moaned Remus.

"You remember the title of the chapter?" said Sirius weakly.

"…oh…no…." said Remus faintly. "Please get out of this alright." said Remus burying his face in Harry's locks.

At that very moment, something hit his side of the car with the force of a charging bull, sending him lurching sideways into Ron,

Several people screamed and the men in the bowl whimpered and clutched Harry tightly.

just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof.

"What's happen —?"

Ron gasped, staring through the windshield, and Harry looked around just in time to see a branch as thick as a python smash into it.

"What the hell!" shouted Bill, the entire school acted as if the tree were attacking them right then and there. People were scrambling to get under cover and hide under their chairs.

The tree they had hit was attacking them. Its trunk was bent almost double, and its gnarled boughs were pummeling every inch of the car it could reach.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" shouted Charlie, running over to join his mother and father in embracing his little brother. Bill couldn't move from shock. Percy, Ginny, Fred and George were rocking back and forth, whispering to themselves that they got of the situation alright.

"Aaargh!" said Ron as another twisted limb punched a large dent into his door; the windshield was now trembling under a hail of blows from knuckle-like twigs and a branch as thick as a battering ram was pounding furiously on the roof, which seemed to be caving in.

"Run for it!" Ron shouted, throwing his full weight against his door, but next second he had been knocked backward into Harry's lap by a vicious uppercut from another branch.

Mrs. Weasley shrieked loudly and hugged her son even tighter.

"We're done for!" he moaned as the ceiling sagged, but suddenly the floor of the car was vibrating — the engine had restarted.

"Harry's luck at work again." said Draco quietly.

"Reverse!" Harry yelled, and the car shot backward;

"Did Ron even get to the driver's seat?" asked Neville looking up from the book.

"No, Harry shouted and it just went backwards." said Ron smiling over to Harry. "Thank goodness for that."

the tree was still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out at them as they sped out of reach.

"That," panted Ron, "was close. Well done, car —"

"Seriously?" said Sirius staring at Ron in disbelief.

The car, however, had reached the end of its tether. With two sharp clunks, the doors flew open and Harry felt his seat tip sideways: Next thing he knew he was sprawled on the damp ground. Loud thuds told him that the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk;

"If I was forced to go over a hundred miles, with no rest, and nearly crashing into castle wall, and knocked about by a tree that unfortunately fights back. Yeah I would be a little irked with you two as well." said Remus with a sigh and a smile. He was highly relived that they got away from that horrible tree.

Hedwig's cage flew through the air and burst open; she rose out of it with an angry screech and sped off toward the castle without a backward look.

"She still refuses to go near that tree." said Harry with a small smile.

Then, dented, scratched, and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily.

"How can you tell if a car is angry?" asked Zacharias with a sneer. "Can you speak car now?"

"I'm really against corporal punishment of any sort, but that kid is begging for a paddling." said Dr. Clark sternly to Sirius.

"You're telling me." said Sirius scowling at the youth.

"The car seemed to think for itself, so…" said Harry shrugging, ignoring the plotting men.

"Come back!" Ron yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand. "Dad'll kill me!"

"I would have guessed that your mom would kill you first." said Colin looking nervously to Mrs. Weasley.

"You'd think that, but this was Dad's car." said Ron pointedly.

But the car disappeared from view with one last snort from its exhaust.

"Can you believe our luck?" said Ron miserably, bending down to pick up Scabbers.

"I'd say it was good luck, the tree could have harmed you more than what it did." said Kingsley thoughtfully.

"Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back."

The twins and quite a few others snorted with laughter.

"When did you get to be so funny, Ron?" said Fred quietly.

He glanced over his shoulder at the ancient tree, which was still flailing its branches threateningly.

"Come on," said Harry wearily, "we'd better get up to the school…"

"You were still hurting, weren't you boy." said Dr. Nicodemus searchingly.

"I was just tired." said Harry quickly. The Ranger scoffed in disbelief.

"He is like you. You don't come to me even if your arm is hanging on a thin piece of tendon." said Dr. Nicodemus to Lionus.

Lionus just smiled. He was getting more and more determined to have Harry join his ranks.

It wasn't at all the triumphant arrival they had pictured.

"Wasn't even close." said Ron and Harry together.

Stiff, cold, and bruised, they seized the ends of their trunks and began dragging them up the grassy slope, toward the great oak front doors.

"I think the feast's already started," said Ron, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through a brightly lit window. "Hey — Harry — come and look — it's the Sorting!"

"That sucks, there is no way to sneak into the feast now." said Sirius ruffling Harry's hair.

Harry hurried over and, together, he and Ron peered in at the Great Hall.

Innumerable candles were hovering in midair over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars.

"You looked all around the Great Hall before watching Sorting?" said Ernie.

Harry shrugged.

Through the forest of pointed black Hogwarts hats,

"Good thing I wasn't there, my hat is nothing but burns and scorch marks, never did get a new one." said Harry with a smirk.

Harry saw a long line of scared-looking first years filing into the Hall. Ginny was among them, easily visible because of her vivid Weasley hair.

"Felt guilty then." said Harry.

"Why?" asked Ginny.

"I would have told you there was nothing to be worried about with the Sorting"

"Oh, Ron told me all about it, he told me not to listen to Fred or George." said Ginny with a smile.

"We wouldn't have lied to you!" said Fred and George together to Ginny.

"You lied to me! What would have stopped you from lying to her?" asked Ron quickly.

"She's a little girl, they tend to cry if you scare them too much." said Fred seriously.

Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall, a bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.

Every year, this aged old hat, patched, frayed, and dirty, sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin).

Each student, old and present, shouted and cheered when their house was called out.

Harry well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered aloud in his ear. For a few horrible seconds he had feared that the hat was going to put him in Slytherin, the house that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other

"Sorry." said Harry sincerely to the members of Slytherin house.

but he had ended up in Gryffindor, along with Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys. Last term, Harry and Ron had helped Gryffindor win the House Championship, beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years.

"Still say that it wasn't fair." said Pansy sorely.

"Here's an idea, get over it." said Harry irritably.

A very small, mousy-haired boy had been called forward to place the hat on his head.

"That's me!" said Colin excitedly.

Harry's eyes wandered past him to where Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, sat watching the Sorting from the staff table, his long silver beard and half-moon glasses shining brightly in the candlelight.

"Were you worried when you couldn't find him." asked Dr. Clark to Dumbledore.

"We received word of what had happened and I had someone waiting for them when they arrived." said Dumbledore with a calm smile.

"You drank a Calming Draught again haven't you?" asked Remus.

"Yes he did." said McGonagall sternly. "When that tree came about. So don't…"

"I know, I know." said Remus. "Just asking."

Several seats along, Harry saw Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in robes of aquamarine. And there at the end was Hagrid, huge and hairy, drinking deeply from his goblet.

"Nice to know that Hagrid isn't worried." said Charlie with a smirk.

"I wasn' aware o' them comin' ter school tha' way." said Hagrid "Missed tha' briefin'"

"Hang on…" Harry muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table… Where's Snape?"

"You picked him to meet them? You out of your mind?" said Sirius angrily.

"He volunteered." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"I'll bet he did." said Sirius bitterly.

Professor Severus Snape was Harry's least favorite teacher. Harry also happened to be Snape's least favorite student.

"Nice to know you two hold each other in such high esteem." said Moody with a laugh.

Cruel,

"Wow, you call him cruel, but you don't call your Uncle that?" said a third year Hufflepuff.

Snape flinched.

sarcastic, and disliked by everybody except the students from his own house (Slytherin), Snape taught Potions.

"Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully.

"Ronald!" scolded Mrs. Weasley.

"Maybe he's left," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defense Against Dark Arts job again!"

"I'm not that petty." said Snape sternly.

"Or he might have been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him —"

"Students hating him isn't enough to get him sacked." said McGonagall. "Or someone here would have been out of here months ago." she said sternly, looking over to Umbridge, who was still straining against the bonds and gag.

"She still isn't giving up is she? I'm amazed she didn't say anything during the last scroll." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Tempest had her Circle blade to her throat, the entire time." said Nightstrike with a cruel smile.

"Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train."

"That would take a few years off of one's life." said Remus with a smirk.

Harry spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape.

"Nice dramatic touch." said Sirius with a bark like laugh.

"Why are you laughing Black?" drawled Snape.

"Ever since I heard you were a teacher here, I couldn't believe it, you were teacher material. But, with what I've just heard…you are. Wish Slughorn was like you, a veritable challenge. Besides the one McGonagall always was." said Sirius laughing again. "Would have been awesome to try and outwit you."

Snape stared, than looked down, his face a faint pink.

He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair, and at this moment, he was smiling in a way that told Harry he and Ron were in very deep trouble.

"Yeah, he's happiest when Gryffindors get in trouble." muttered Fred.

"Follow me," said Snape.

Not daring even to look at each other, Harry and Ron followed Snape up the steps into the vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches. A delicious smell of food was wafting from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.

"Wow, that's dramatic thinking." said Blaise laughing silently.

"In!" he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and pointing.

They entered Snape's office, shivering. The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of revolting things Harry didn't really want to know the name of at the moment. The fireplace was dark and empty. Snape closed the door and turned to look at them.

"If you hit him…" said Sirius warningly, switching from being in a good mood.

"He doesn't." said Harry quickly.

"So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?"

"He didn't plan on missing the train!" said a first year Gryffindor.

"Yeah, something stopped him!" said a third year Hufflepuff.

"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it —"

"Silence!" said Snape coldly.

"You asked them a question!" said Dr. Clark looking over at Snape incredulously.

What have you done with the car?"

"It drove itself away." said Fred.

"No, a tree ate it." said George with a smirk.

Ron gulped. This wasn't the first time Snape had given Harry the impression of being able to read minds.

"You can't read minds. The mind isn't a book." said Snape in a bored tone.

But a moment later, he understood, as Snape unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet. "You were seen," he hissed, showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began to read aloud: "Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower… at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing… Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police… Six or seven Muggles in all.

"Damn, that's not good." said Sirius slapping his hand to his forehead.

I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?" he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily. "Dear, dear… his own son…"

"That was a low blow, Severus." said Dumbledore as stern as he could.

Harry felt as though he'd just been walloped in the stomach by one of the mad tree's larger branches.

"Why?" asked Dr. Clark.

If anyone found out Mr. Weasley had bewitched the car… he hadn't thought of that…

Mr. Weasley smiled over to him. "Nice of you to worry about me."

"Little late though." said Snape quietly.

"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on.

"Oh, that's a lie. It's worth more to take the damn thing out than it is to keep it. Smacking that thing and knocking it right off its roots did a service to the school." said Remus snarling a bit.

"That tree did more damage to us than we —" Ron blurted out.

"That is true. The damage done to the three was very minimal." said Professor Sprout.

"Silence!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me.

"He can't even expel people, or even decide it." said McGonagall sternly.

"Like he would go and expel someone in his house." said Fred skeptically.

"I've have had to ask for expulsion for a student or two from my own house." said Snape defensively.

I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power.

"Jealous much?" asked Lionus with a smile.

You will wait here."

Harry and Ron stared at each other, white-faced. Harry didn't feel hungry any more. He now felt extremely sick.

"I didn't think he would appreciate me throwing up on his office floor." said Harry the sides of his mouth twitching.

He tried not to look at a large, slimy something suspended in green liquid on a shelf behind Snape's desk. If Snape had gone to fetch Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, they were hardly any better off. She might be fairer than Snape, but she was still extremely strict.

"I thought we were dead before she and Dumbledore even got in there." said Ron faintly.

Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him. Harry had seen Professor McGonagall angry on several occasions, but either he had forgotten just how thin her mouth could go, or he had never seen her this angry before.

"Nope, she was madder than I have ever seen her before." said Harry.

"It was really scary." said Ron.

She raised her wand the moment she entered; Harry and Ron both flinched, but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where flames suddenly erupted.

"What did you think was going to happen?" said McGonagall.

"We weren't sure, but our nerves just couldn't take any more surprises." said Harry in almost a whisper.

"Sit," she said, and they both backed into chairs by the fire.

"You two didn't even blink when you two sat down. Nor did you even turn around." said McGonagall.

"Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously.

"Wow single word sentences, you must be royally pissed." said Fred worriedly.

Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.

"— so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."

"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?" Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry.

"Like we said earlier, 'send an owl.'" said most of the teachers.

Harry gaped at her. Now she said it, that seemed the obvious thing to have done.

"I — I didn't think —"

"That," said Professor McGonagall, "is obvious."

"Ouch, that hurts real bad." said Remus shaking his head.

"Remember when she told that to James and us? Oh hell, we did something way worse than just get seen by a couple of muggles." said Sirius with a laugh. "Least by some people's opinions."

"What did you guys do?" asked Fred eagerly.

"We sort of…made all the toilets in the school have sticky glue on the lids." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Oh, she was angry!" said Remus shaking his head.

"It was hilarious seeing the Prefect hunched over with a towel around his waist." said Sirius laughing hard.

"How was that worse than being seen by muggles." asked Colin.

"Well we snuck some heavy duty laxative potions in the student's food." said Sirius smiling with glee. "Every student was in the bathroom! Classes were canceled till Slughorn could figure out how to release the students, from the toilet seat and a cure for the laxative."

"Couldn't you tell them how to get out?" said Hermione sternly.

"We were busy." said Remus with a frown.

"Making all new food without the potion we put in it." said Sirius. "We couldn't cook worth anything, so everyone got sandwiches for dinner."

"It didn't take him too long to figure out how to cure everyone." said Remus. "Only a few hours."

"Thank god you can cook, or we'd be living on chicken sandwiches." said Sirius with a broad smile.

There was a knock on the office door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it.

"You're such a sadist." said Remus to Snape.

There stood the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. Harry's whole body went numb.

"Why?" said Sirius looking down at Harry.

Dumbledore was looking unusually grave. He stared down his very crooked nose at them, and Harry suddenly found himself wishing he and Ron were still being beaten up by the Whomping Willow.

"Yeah, Dumbledore has that ability." said Fred, George, Sirius and Remus.

There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, "Please explain why you did this." It would have been better if he had shouted.

"He doesn't yell, but when he does, you just want to curl up and hide. Kinda like when you shout, Harry." said Ron with a nervous smile.

Harry hated the disappointment in his voice. For some reason, he was unable to look Dumbledore in the eyes, and spoke instead to his knees.

"That's called shame." said Sirius giving Harry a hug.

He told Dumbledore everything except that Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car, making it sound as though he and Ron had happened to find a flying car parked outside the station.

"I knew where it came from, but I did find it quite honorable that you skipped that little fact." said Dumbledore with a smile.

He knew Dumbledore would see through this at once, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car. When Harry had finished, he merely continued to peer at them through his spectacles.

"We'll go and get our stuff," said Ron in a hopeless sort of voice.

"Oooh, Ron gave up." said Fred.

"Never give up, Ron!" said George.

"What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall.

"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron.

Harry looked quickly at Dumbledore.

"Not today, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore.

"That was an ominous way of putting it." said Dr. Clark.

"But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done.

"Oh trust me, we knew how serious it was." said Ron tensely.

I will be writing to both your families tonight.

"Obviously Mrs. Weasley got it, but what about the Dursley's?" asked Ernie.

"They threatened that if I got expelled, It would be the last breath of freedom I would know." said Harry stretching his arms.

"What? Why didn't' you tell us?" said Ron angrily.

"I didn't want you to worry." said Harry.

"I thought they wanted you to never come here again." said Remus.

"After the whole car incident, they knew they couldn't keep me there when I have school." said Harry.

I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."

"At least they're giving you another chance." said Kingsley.

Snape looked as though Christmas had been cancelled.

"And interesting way of putting it." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"I didn't look like that." said Snape hotly.

He cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree — surely acts of this nature —"

Sirius glared at Snape angrily.

"It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly.

"As it always will be." said McGonagall. "No going behind my back." she looked sternly up to Umbridge.

"They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility." He turned to Professor McGonagall. "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample —"

"That's his weakness." said Harry with a smile.

Snape stared at him. "How do you know?" he said in a hiss.

"The house-elves have a platter of that stuff in the kitchen with your name on it, it's always there when I go down." said Harry.

Snape shot a look of pure venom at Harry and Ron as he allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle.

"You'd better get along to the hospital wing, Weasley, you're bleeding."

"It was the only wound I saw, I didn't see the lump on Harry's head." said McGonagall.

"Not much," said Ron, hastily wiping the cut over his eye with his sleeve.

"That's not hygienic." said Madam Pomfrey.

"Professor, I wanted to watch my sister being Sorted —

"The Sorting Ceremony is over," said Professor McGonagall. "Your sister is also in Gryffindor."

"Oh, good," said Ron.

"I was almost expelled and killed in the same day! Give me a break!" said Ron looking at the false look of insult on his sister's face.

"And speaking of Gryffindor —" Professor McGonagall said sharply, but Harry cut in: "Professor, when we took the car, term hadn't started, so — so Gryffindor shouldn't really have points taken from it — should it?" he finished, watching her anxiously.

"You'd be one hell of a gambler." whistled Sirius.

"Yet, I lose on Poker Night." said Harry with a smile.

Professor McGonagall gave him a piercing look, but he was sure she had almost smiled. Her mouth looked less thin, anyway.

"I was impressed by your reasoning." said McGonagall with a smile.

"I will not take any points from Gryffindor," she said, and Harry's heart lightened considerably. "But you will both get a detention."

"We deserved much worse, so we were grateful." said Harry.

It was better than Harry had expected. As for Dumbledore's writing to the Dursleys, that was nothing. Harry knew perfectly well they'd just be disappointed that the Whomping Willow hadn't squashed him flat.

Growls emerged from people around the Great Hall.

Professor McGonagall raised her wand again and pointed it at Snape's desk. A large plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets, and a jug of iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.

"You will eat in here and then go straight up to your dormitory," she said. "I must also return to the feast."

"She didn't want you to brag to people." said Dr. Clark.

When the door had closed behind her, Ron let out a long, low whistle.

"I thought we'd had it," he said, grabbing a sandwich.

"So did I," said Harry, taking one, too.

"Can you believe our luck, though?" said Ron thickly through a mouthful of chicken and ham. "Fred and George must've flown that car five or six times and no Muggle ever saw them." He swallowed and took another huge bite. "Why couldn't we get through the barrier?"

Harry shrugged. "We'll have to watch our step from now on, though," he said, taking a grateful swig of pumpkin juice. "Wish we could've gone up to the feast…"

"You really were way too tired, weren't you?" said Fred.

"You weren't thinking at all were you?" said George.

"Nope." said Harry with a slight smile.

"She didn't want us showing off," said Ron sagely. "Doesn't want people to think it's clever, arriving by flying car."

"Very good, Mr. Weasley, very good." said Dumbledore happily.

When they had eaten as many sandwiches as they could (the plate kept refilling itself) they rose and left the office,

"I ate about ten." said Harry.

"Fifteen for me." said Ron with a smirk.

treading the familiar path to Gryffindor Tower. The castle was quiet; it seemed that the feast was over. They walked past muttering portraits and creaking suits of armor, and climbed narrow flights of stone stairs, until at last they reached the passage where the secret entrance to Gryffindor Tower was hidden, behind an oil painting of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said as they approached.

"Er —" said Harry.

"You forgot to ask Professor McGonagall what the password was." said Bill smacking his forehead.

They didn't know the new year's password, not having met a Gryffindor prefect yet, but help came almost immediately; they heard hurrying feet behind them and turned to see Hermione dashing toward them.

"Hermione to the rescue!" shouted Ron and Harry.

"There you are! Where have you been? The most ridiculous rumors — someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying car!"

"Half right, half wrong." said Harry.

"Well, we haven't been expelled," Harry assured her.

"You're not telling me you did fly here?" said Hermione, sounding almost as severe as Professor McGonagall.

"Skip the lecture," said Ron impatiently, "and tell us the new password."

"It's 'wattlebird,'" said Hermione impatiently, "but that's not the point —"

"I've learned to hold that kind of info till after I've scolded them." said Hermione.

"Which really sucks for us." said Ron and Harry.

Her words were cut short, however, as the portrait of the fat lady swung open and there was a sudden storm of clapping. It looked as though the whole of Gryffindor House was still awake, packed into the circular common room, standing on the lopsided tables and squashy armchairs, waiting for them to arrive. Arms reached through the portrait hole to pull Harry and Ron inside, leaving Hermione to scramble in after them.

"We always celebrate stuff like that!" said Fred happily, to the quizzical looks from the other houses.

"Wish I was in Gryffindor then." said a second year Hufflepuff.

"Brilliant!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years —"

"We still talk about it." said a few fourth years.

"Yeah, it's sort of a saying now. 'I feel like I crashed into the Whomping Willow.' or 'make a Weasley and Potter entrance.'." said another fourth year.

"Wonderful." said Harry rolling his eyes, while Ron smiled.

"Good for you," said a fifth year Harry had never spoken to; someone was patting him on the back as though he'd just won a marathon;

"Oh, yeah, after…um…did anyone come to see you run?" asked Parvati.

"No, I just ran for myself, helped with my…summer job." said Harry quietly.

"Like I said, Lionus talked to us. It's alright, only…don't do it every night." said Remus.

"I don't, I only do three jobs a summer." said Harry.

Fred and George pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together, "Why couldn't we've come in the car, eh?"

"Now we know we didn't want to." said Fred and George.

Ron was scarlet in the face, grinning embarrassedly, but Harry could see one person who didn't look happy at all. Percy was visible over the heads of some excited first years, and he seemed to be trying to get near enough to start telling them off. Harry nudged Ron in the ribs and nodded in Percy's direction. Ron got the point at once.

Percy looked at the two of them, insulted.

"Hey, you can be overbearing." said Bill shrugging his shoulders.

"Got to get upstairs — bit tired," he said, and the two of them started pushing their way toward the door on the other side of the room, which led to a spiral staircase and the dormitories.

"'Night," Harry called back to Hermione, who was wearing a scowl just like Percy's.

"That was scary." said Ron. "Please don't look like that again."

"Can't promise that, you two tend to do stupid stuff." said Hermione haughtily.

They managed to get to the other side of the common room, still having their backs slapped, and gained the peace of the staircase. They hurried up it, right to the top, and at last reached the door of their old dormitory, which now had a sign on it saying SECOND YEARS.

"It's nice to have the familiar dorms as opposed to someplace new." said Harry with a smile.

They entered the familiar, circular room, with its five four-posters hung with red velvet and its high, narrow windows. Their trunks had been brought up for them and stood at the ends of their beds.

Ron grinned guiltily at Harry.

"I know I shouldn't've enjoyed that or anything, but…"

"It was nice to be popular." whispered Ron to Hermione.

The dormitory door flew open and in came the other second year Gryffindor boys, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom.

"Unbelievable!" beamed Seamus.

"Cool," said Dean.

"Amazing," said Neville, awestruck.

Harry couldn't help it. He grinned, too.

"I felt really stupid later." said Harry.

"Who'd like to read now?" asked Neville.

"I'll do it." said Colin excitedly.

He took the book and almost dropped it in his excitement.

"Gilderoy Lockhart!" said Colin happily.

"Yay!" said Sirius sarcastically. "More adventures with Dazzle Gums."

Chapter 32

The next day, however, Harry barely grinned once.

"Before these books came about, you didn't smile or laugh much before this." said Neville.

"Glad we could rectify that." said Dr. Clark reaching behind Harry's knee and tickling him mercilessly.

"GAH! NO! PLEASE!" said Harry laughing uncontrollably.

Things started to go downhill from breakfast in the Great Hall. The four long house tables were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon, beneath the enchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy gray). Harry and Ron sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione,

"I don't see how this is bad at all." said Colin looking up from the book confused.

who had her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jug. There was a slight stiffness in the way she said "Morning," which told Harry that she was still disapproving of the way they had arrived.

"Okay, that doesn't help." said Colin with a small smile.

Neville Longbottom, on the other hand, greeted them cheerfully. Neville was a round-faced and accident-prone boy with the worst memory of anyone Harry had ever met.

"Sorry, Neville." said Harry quickly.

"It's alright, I know I don't have the best memory in the school." said Neville with a smile.

"You have the worst memory." sneered Pansy.

"Better than yours, you seem to have forgotten the last time you and I locked horns." said Harry sternly.

Pansy silenced herself, but glared over to the bowl.

"Mail's due any minute — I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot."

"Almost every year, Gran has to send me something that I've forgotten." said Neville still smiling.

Harry had only just started his porridge when, sure enough, there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls streamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head

"It was the rest of my socks, I only remembered to pack two pair." said Neville with a blush.

and, a second later, something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers.

"Took a week for me to get the stray bits of feather-fluff out of my hair." said Hermione.

"And two days to get the milk stains off my glasses." said Harry examining his glasses and wiping them on his robes.

"Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, Unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak.

"Poor Ron." said Sirius.

"Poor Ron? Poor owl!" said Dr. Clark.

"Yeah, but Ron's got a Howler." said Sirius in a whisper.

"What in the world is that?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You'll find out." said Harry. "And it won't be pretty."

"Oh, no —" Ron gasped.

"It's all right, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.

It's not that — it's that."

Ron was pointing at the red envelope.

"Nice that you give a hoot over your dad's owl." said Tonks with a smile.

It looked quite ordinary to Harry, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode.

"Cause they do!" said the both of them.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"She's — she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly.

Several people, who were fourth year and under, groaned and looked over to Ron sympathetically, the students that remembered the Howler, looked over to Ron with pitying looks.

"You'd better open it, Ron," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" — he gulped —"it was horrible."

"Did that happen here?" asked Ron.

"No, this was when I was staying with a relative, I broke a lamp, and…yeah…" said Neville.

Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope.

"What's a Howler?" he said.

"Wish I had never heard of them, now." said Harry.

But Ron's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke at the corners.

"Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes —"

"It wasn't all over, I can still hear it." muttered Ron.

Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol's beak, and slit it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears.

"Wish I took the hint." said Harry shaking his head.

A split second later, Harry knew why. He thought for a moment it had exploded; a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.

"I had dust in my tea after that was all done." said Ron glumly.

"—STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE —"

Colin shouted himself almost hoarse reading the book.

"Mr. Creevy, you don't need to shout, speaking normal will do just fine.' said McGonagall crossly.

"Sorry Professor." said Colin.

"We thought a Muggle teenager had taken the car." said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "When we first came out of King's Cross."

"Sorry Mum." said Ron quieter.

Mrs. Weasley's yells, a hundred times louder than usual, made the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the hall were swiveling around to see who had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen.

"We could still see you." said Ernie with a laugh.

Ron glared fiercely over to Ernie, who ceased his laughter just as soon as he had started.

"—LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED —"

Harry had been wondering when his name was going to crop up. He tried very hard to look as though he couldn't hear the voice that was making his eardrums throb.

"Didn't work, I could actually see a tear sliding down your face." said Hermione almost silently.

"—ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED — YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."

"Nice to know you took that warning to heart." said Mrs. Weasley sternly.

"Yes, Mum." said Ron quietly.

A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Harry and Ron sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them. A few people laughed and,

"Sadists." said Sirius angrily.

"Padfoot received one every day when he got sorted into Gryffindor, by his mother and father. They were really bad to start out, but after a while, he just burnt them." said Remus.

gradually, a babble of talk broke out again.

Hermione closed Voyages with Vampires and looked down at the top of Ron's head.

"Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you —"

"Hermione…" said Remus sternly.

"Sorry." said Hermione.

"Have I told you lately that I appreciate the fact that you only did that once every five years." said Sirius to Remus.

"Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron.

Harry pushed his porridge away.

"Mr. Potter! You must eat!" said Madam Pomfrey.

"I know, but…I just couldn't, not without it coming back up to me." said Harry quietly.

His insides were burning with guilt.

"It wasn't your fault mate, I was the one who came up with the idea." said Ron quickly.

"But I should've known better, I had an owl, and I was smart enough to know that it wouldn't have ended well for either of us." said Harry angrily. "But I went along with it anyway." Harry placed his hands on his face, to block their view of stray tears falling from his brilliant green eyes.

Ron and the rest of Weasley family said nothing. They couldn't think of one comforting to say to remove the guilt he was feeling. But they saw Sirius pull Harry to lean on him, Harry tore his hands away from his face and silently leaned against Sirius.

Mr. Weasley was facing an inquiry at work. After all Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had done for him over the summer…

"We were perfectly fine Harry, no real damage done, we were more relieved that the two of you were fine." said Mr. Weasley kindly.

But he had no time to dwell on this; Professor McGonagall was moving along the Gryffindor table, handing out course schedules. Harry took his and saw that they had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first.

"At least the first class of the day wasn't all that bad." said Remus. "The Hufflepuffs are always decent."

"Thanks for the shout-out." said Tonks happily.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the castle together, crossed the vegetable patch, and made for the greenhouses, where the magical plants were kept. At least the Howler had done one good thing:

Hermione seemed to think they had now been punished enough and was being perfectly friendly again.

"That was the only good thing that came from that Howler." said Ron bitterly.

"Thanks to my mother, I can guarantee that I won't be sending you a Howler." said Sirius with a smile.

"I don't know what they are, but I can promise that I'd just send an angry non-vocal letter." said Dr. Clark beaming.

"I'd probably send a Howler, but only if you did something really, really bad." said Remus with a slight smile.

"I can deal with that." said Harry. "How do you rate 'really, really bad'?"

"You almost dying again." said Remus smacking Harry's head slightly.

As they neared the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had only just joined them when she came striding into view across the lawn,

"Well this sounds like a nice calm day." said Remus smiling a little.

accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart.

"And the whole week is ruined." he said in a defeated tone.

Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and with another twinge of guilt, Harry spotted the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings.

"That twinge didn't last long." said Harry with a smirk.

"I would hope not, it did more damage to you than you did to it." said Remus.

"What was wrong with it anyway?" asked Sirius.

"It had several sprained limbs." said Professor Sprout.

Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes and her fingernails would have made Aunt Petunia faint.

"Really, Mr. Potter? I wonder if I could spend a day with Mrs. Dursley then." said Professor Sprout spitefully.

Gilderoy Lockhart, however, was immaculate in sweeping robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming.

"I thought he was wearing blue." said Ron.

"Turqoise is blue." said Hermione.

"And you knew what that kind of blue was called?" said Fred and George staring at Harry in horror.

"Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students.

"Was he shocked to see you guys there?" said Bill. "It's class time!"

"He's always been an idiot." said Sirius and Remus together.

"Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is!

"Which is complete bullocks, she's the most respected and celebrated authority on Herbology alive!" said Neville proudly.

"Thank you Mr. Longbottom." said Professor Sprout blushingly.

I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels…"

"Exotic my ass. They are only indigenous to Europe. You can' t find Whomping Willows in any other part of the world." said Kingsley angrily.

"Wow, Kingsley is actually getting angry and swearing? That's a first." said Tonks teasingly.

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout, who was looking distinctly disgruntled, not at all her usual cheerful self.

"He had been pestering me all morning, telling me that he was my most prized student and that I absolutely must read his latest book because that I was mentioned in it and all sorts of other nonsense." said Professor Sprout rolling her eyes.

There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before — greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants.

"Wow, you kids are lucky, we weren't allowed into greenhouse three until we became fourth years." said Tonks eagerly.

Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Harry caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella-sized flowers dangling from the ceiling.

"It was actually a decent sort of smell." said Harry absently.

"I find it quite nice as well." said Professor Sprout.

He was about to follow Ron and Hermione inside when Lockhart's hand shot out.

"Harry! I've been wanting a word — you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?"

"Oh he did not just pull him out of Herbology." said Sirius in shock.

"You can pull anybody out of anywhere…just not Herbology…" said Remus with a smile.

"She doesn't like it when someone is pulled. She doesn't even allow me to remove someone." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Judging by Professor Sprout's scowl, she did mind,

"Of course! That class happened to be very important!" she said indignantly. "More important than even I thought." she finished quietly.

but Lockhart said, "That's the ticket," and closed the greenhouse door in her face.

Several of the adults and older students groaned.

"That won't do." said Sirius with a pained smile.

"Harry," said Lockhart, his large white teeth gleaming in the sunlight as he shook his head. "Harry, Harry, Harry."

"We heard you the first time." said Sirius to Colin.

"No, that's what he said, he said it four times." said Colin pointing in the book.

"Like I said before, he's an idiot." said Remus.

Completely nonplussed, Harry said nothing.

"What could I say? I didn't know what he wanted." said Harry.

"When I heard — well, of course, it was all my fault. Could have kicked myself."

"I'll give you a kick, right up your…"

"REMUS!" scolded Mrs. Weasley.

"Careful Moony, that could be taken another way…" said Sirius with a smirk.

It was a full half-hour before Colin could start reading again, for that's how long it took to pull Remus off of Sirius (of whom Remus was pummeling heavily with an over-stuffed cushion).

Harry had no idea what he was talking about. He was about to say so when Lockhart went on,

"I swear, he knows right when you want to talk, and then interjects with his garbage." said Sirius rolling his eyes, rubbing his head from where Remus smacked him repeatedly.

"Don't know when I've been more shocked. Flying a car to Hogwarts! Well, of course, I knew at once why you'd done it. Stood out a mile.

"Did he stop you from going through the barrier?" accused Kingsley.

"Nope, wasn't him." said Ron, Hermione and Harry.

Harry, Harry, Harry."

"If he says Harry's name three times again, I swear, I'm gonna snap." said Dr. Clark.

"Welcome to our world." said Harry, Sirius and Remus.

It was remarkable how he could show every one of those brilliant teeth even when he wasn't talking.

"Man, you would not believe how happy I was to see him not smile for a week." said Fred.

"What do you mean…?" said Remus slowly.

"He wore a muffler for one whole week." said George with glee.

"How did you guys manage that?" asked Sirius and Remus eagerly.

"Well, you know, it's really sad how we didn't notice his capabilities then isn't it, Fred?" said George smiling to his twin.

"'Tis true." said Fred nodding solemnly.

"What happened?" pressed Sirius.

"Well, there was this trick toothpaste we had, it's supposed to turn your teeth looking old, cracked, and dark gray for a week. No charm can release it." said George grinning maliciously.

"George!" scolded Mrs. Weasley.

"Leave them be, it was for a very good cause." said Remus quickly. "So how did you do it?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, actually, we couldn't figure that part out, but Harry overheard what we were doing and volunteered for the mission." said George.

"How did that go? How did you do it?" asked Bill and Sirius quickly.

"Um…well…" said Harry.

"He won't even tell us how he got into Lockhart's office." said Fred pouting.

"Well, when I got in there, I got rid of all of the rest of his usual toothpaste, and replaced it with the trick one. It took a while, twice he almost woke up." said Harry.

"You did this at night?" asked Remus slowly. "I hope you didn't get too close to him." said Remus quietly.

"Yeah…but he didn't wake up and no one saw me." said Harry carefully. He looked slowly over to Dumbledore, who merely smiled.

"Tell them what sort of pajamas he wears." said Fred excitedly.

"I DON'T WANNA KNOW!" shouted Sirius plugging his ears.

"They're pink, with little purple bunnies." said Harry with a smirk.

Sirius actually pulled the fingers out of his ears and stared in wonder as the rest of the school laughed loudly. He broke down and asked what the sleepwear looked like. When he was told, he joined in the raucous laughter.

"Gave you a taste for publicity, didn't I?" said Lockhart.

"No, he made Harry hate it even more actually." said Ginny with a smile.

"Gave you the bug. You got onto the front page of the paper with me and you couldn't wait to do it again."

"He wouldn't have needed you to get on the front page, you prat." said Dr. Clark.

"Oh, no, Professor, see —"

"Harry, Harry, Harry,"

"Breathe in, breathe out." said Dr. Clark to himself over and over again.

"Do you want a Calming Draught, Sam?" asked Dumbledore, passing a phial over to the bowl.

"No, just hoping to God, that he doesn't say it again." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

said Lockhart, reaching out and grasping his shoulder.

"He really likes touching you doesn't he?" said Sirius gritting his teeth.

"You know, if I start waking up screaming from all these images you've put in my head, I'm going to smack the daylights out of you, you know that right?" said Harry looking up to his godfather.

"I'm serious." said the black-haired man. Abandoning his own personal joke.

"I know, quit dwelling on it, nothing happened, with him or anybody else." said Harry reassuringly.

"I understand. Natural to want a bit more once you've had that first taste —

"You are the complete opposite of him, Harry. And for that, I'm immensely proud of you." said Dumbledore, beaming brightly.

Harry smiled shyly and accepted the hug that the men in the bowl gave him.

and I blame myself for giving you that, because it was bound to go to your head —

"It hasn't." said Harry's close friends.

but see here, young man, you can't start flying cars

"Well, I'll give him that." said Remus grudgingly.

to try and get yourself noticed.

"I take it back." said Remus angrily.

Just calm down, all right? Plenty of time for all that when you're older. Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking!

"'Get away from me, you loser?" said Sirius with a shrug.

"'Don't touch me, you're scaring me?" said Remus with his brows raised.

"Quit smiling at me, I'm going 'snow-blind'?" smirked Dr. Clark.

Several people laughed loudly.

"I love you guys." said Harry laughing along with the rest of the school. The men beamed.

'It's all right for him, he's an internationally famous wizard already!'

"He wasn't all that famous to us. I would think that being a great 'Anti-Dark wizard' you should at least be known by us." said Lionus with a smirk.

But when I was twelve, I was just as much of a nobody as you are now.

"Excuse me?" said most of the people in the Great Hall.

"He's not a nobody! Everyone knew his name before he could get his first real tooth." said Sirius.

"Dear Lord." said Harry burying his face in his hands.

In fact, I'd say I was even more of a nobody! I mean, a few people have heard of you, haven't they?

"A few?" said McGonagall indignantly.

All that business with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" He glanced at the lightning scar on Harry's forehead.

"Merlin! Tell me he isn't there the entire year." said Remus rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Sorry." said Harry with a smile.

"I know, I know — it's not quite as good as winning Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award five times in a row, as I have — but it's a start, Harry, it's a start."

"He's delusional isn't he?" said Neville staring at the book.

"Let's think about this for a moment," said Nightstrike with a faked seriousness. "if you were a criminal, would you quake in fear from someone who has defeated a dark wizard in his infancy. OR someone who won a smiling contest?"

Several people pointed towards Harry, who looked down and blushed.

"But I didn't do anything." said Harry. "It was my mom…"

"Your first year, when you went up against him, you didn't have your mom." said Sirius giving Harry a quick one armed hug.

"If you think about it, I did." said Harry quietly.

He gave Harry a hearty wink and strode off. Harry stood stunned for a few seconds,

"Why were you stunned?" asked Remus quickly.

"I didn't know he was an even bigger idiot than what I thought." said Harry with a smirk.

"Oh, I thought he tried to use a memory charm or something." said Remus worriedly.

"No, you can actually tell if a memory charm is used on yourself." said Dumbledore. "It gives the sensation of butterflies fluttering about your brain. Have you felt like that at all, Harry?"

"Not then, a few weeks ago sort of and little sprastic periods here and there. Since the incident." said Harry scratching his head.

"That was a memory charm, yes, but it was a much darker version of it." said Dumbledore with a saddened expression. "Once again, I ask you not to remember anything more than what you have already. I don't want you suffering anymore."

"Us either." said most of the adults.

then, remembering he was supposed to be in the greenhouse,

"Harry…" said Remus quickly.

"Nothing happened, if it had, I'm pretty sure Madam Pomfrey would have seen some evidence of anything that might have happened." said Harry calmly.

"….this is true…if something like that had happened; I would have found it out." said Madam Pomfrey thoughtfully. "Especially when I ran my Diagnostic spell."

"Well that's a relief." said Remus with a sigh. But then he caught himself quickly. "You guys didn't see anything like that have you?" he said quickly to the Rangers. "When you had him in that pod thing?"

"I'd rather forget that you were in there, it was…disturbing…" said Sirius wincing.

"We saw no evidence of that….sort of assault." said Nicodemus, trying to be gentle about it.

"It's odd hearing you put things softly, you know?" said Lionus with a smirk.

"I don't need to be gentle with you lot, you're all just big babies." said Nicodemus.

he opened the door and slid inside.

Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the center of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different-colored ear muffs were lying on the bench. When Harry had taken his place between Ron and Hermione, she said, "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"

"I waited till he came in, this was an important lesson and I didn't want him coming in when they would start crying." said Professor Sprout.

"Crying?" said Dr. Clark confused. Some other students were also in the dark.

To nobody's surprise, Hermione's hand was first into the air.

"Nobody else's hand even twitched to be raised." said Ernie.

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook.

"You really need to put things in your own words, Granger." said Snape smoothly. "It's quite annoying when you recite things in that fashion."

"But, it's the information you're asking for!" said Hermione defensively.

"We know dear, but it is better to hear it from your own words. You get points yes for knowing the answer, but we would like it more if you gave it to us in your own words." said Professor McGonagall kindly.

"It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

"How did you come about having Mandrakes that year, Pomona?" asked Dumbledore with a smile.

"Well, the year before, I had my N.E.W.T.s students use the parents in their exams, so I thought I would start the year with the infants." said Professor Sprout proudly. "Everyone dealt with them in their first Herbology class of the year."

"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"

"A plant can be dangerous? Really?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You're forgetting the Devil's Snare, and the Whomping Willow." said Neville.

"Oh crap!" moaned Dr. Clark.

Hermione's hand narrowly missed Harry's glasses as it shot up again.

"Geez, everyone just wants to smack me about." said Harry with a laugh.

"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," she said promptly.

"Is there anything in this school that isn't fatal?" asked Dr. Clark with a nervous laugh.

"Peevesie isn't!" said a voice above the bowl.

Suddenly a pale hand reached down and took the eye patch off of Dr. Clark's head. When the patch was removed, they all saw small vertical slice down his eyelid. When his eye fluttered open, they saw his pupil and iris had a black slice through it.

Pevees placed the patch over his eye, and began to do a sort of sailor's jig.

"Yo ho ho, and a bottle of Butterbeer!" sang Peeves in a sea chantey style.

Dr. Clark laughed and rubbed his sliced eye.

"That's enough Peeves, give Sam back his patch." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Peeves dropped the patch in Sam's lap and glided out of the room. Sam put the patch back on and noticed Harry's face.

"I'm alright, I just can't see out of this eye. Dr. Nicodemus said that it should get better at some point." said Dr. Clark reassuringly. "He even gave me some sort of eye drops that ease the pain immensely."

"Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young."

She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, were growing there in rows. They looked quite unremarkable to Harry, who didn't have the slightest idea what Hermione meant by the "cry" of the Mandrake.

"Really?" asked Hermione quickly.

"Well, Miss Granger, Mandrakes are really a plant I wouldn't have gotten to for quite some time, till about your seventh year." said Professor Sprout.

"So I was really proud of you, then." said Harry beaming.

"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout.

There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy.

"Well, at least the boys were scrambling to grab ones that weren't pink." said Dean bitterly.

"What's up with him?" asked Fred.

"He had to take one that was pink and fluffy." said Seamus with a smirk.

"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right — earmuffs on."

Harry snapped the earmuffs over his ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard.

Harry let out a gasp of surprise that no one could hear.

"I screamed." said Parvati blushing.

"I did too." said Lavender.

Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs.

"How did you know it was a boy?" asked Dr. Clark.

Every male in the room turned towards him and stared, some of the girls giggled.

"What…oh…" said Dr. Clark, realizing the answer. Several people smirked when he mouthed "On a plant?"

Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs-up, and removed her own earmuffs.

"As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet," she said calmly as though she'd just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia.

"Wow." said Dr. Clark looking at Professor Sprout in an impressed tone. Professor Sprout blushed.

"However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.

"Four to a tray — there is a large supply of pots here — compost in the sacks over there — and be careful of the Venemous Tentacula, it's teething."

"And it's painful when it is. Not for the tentacula, but the people around it." said Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Have you three been bitten?" asked Dr. Clark quickly.

"Ron was," said Harry and Hermione. "backed up too far."

She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder.

"It can also be fresh." said Professor Sprout with a frown.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were joined at their tray by a curly-haired Hufflepuff boy Harry knew by sight but had never spoken to.

"Wow, really?" said Justin with a bright smile.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley," he said brightly, shaking Harry by the hand. "Know who you are, of course, the famous Harry Potter…

"Harry groaned there." said Ron with a smirk.

And you're Hermione Granger — always top in everything" (Hermione beamed as she had her hand shaken too) "— and Ron Weasley. Wasn't that your flying car?"

Ron didn't smile. The Howler was obviously still on his mind.

"Right then, I knew what you felt like, mate. With everyone talking about you." said Ron sadly. "Stupid me, I didn't remember it last year."

"What happened last year?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You'll find out." said Harry.

"That Lockhart's something, isn't he?" said Justin happily as they began filling their plant pots with dragon dung compost.

"Oh yeah, he's something." said Remus rolling his eyes.

"Awfully brave chap.

"Are you freaking nut? He couldn't even face a niffler in Care of Magical Creatures class! Scared him almost out of his mind. And if you show him a snake…he loses his damn mind." said Remus clapping a hand to his eyes.

Have you read his books? I'd have died of fear if I'd been cornered in a telephone booth by a werewolf,

"Oh he didn't corner that werewolf." said Nightstrike angrily.

"How do you know?" asked Remus, "not that I believe Dazzle Gums."

"I was right there; I was taking out the stronger ones, in my werewolf form. It was an ugly old guy that did it. Funny thing is, he never came to the headquarters and receive his medal." said Nightstrike worryingly.

"You'll find out why, towards the end of the book." said Harry.

"Wait, how can you control yourself in during the full moon?" asked Remus, not catching what Harry had said.

"The shot you get from Dr. Nicodemus, it keeps your mind while you're having the furry out of body experience. You even get a bit of a strength boost too."

but he stayed cool and — zap — just fantastic.

"Zap?" said Remus and Sirius together, staring at Justin in disbelief.

"Hey!" he said indignantly. "I didn't know much about magic yet!"

"You had one whole year." said Sirius.

"Yeah…well…" said Justin weakly.

"My name was down for Eton, you know.

Dr. Clark smiled. "I went there, nice school. Nothing like this though." he beamed while looking around.

I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Of course, Mother was slightly disappointed,

"I would sort of hope so. It takes a lot to get in there." said Dr. Clark.

but since I made her read Lockhart's books I think she's begun to see how useful it'll be to have a fully trained wizard in the family…"

"Useful?" said Fred.

"That's insulting." George.

After that they didn't have much chance to talk. Their earmuffs were back on and they needed to concentrate on the Mandrakes. Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't.

"That's the bonus of being an adult." said Sirius with a smirk. "We make everything look easy."

"I showed you how to set the oven and you still couldn't figure it out." said Harry.

"Hey, it was hard! You made it look…never mind." said Sirius pouting.

The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either.

"Why is that?" asked Colin.

"They're nice in warm in the ground, but when they get out, they realize they're free and they can do whatever they want." said Harry simply.

"Why aren't you whipping out your book?" asked Ron.

"It's in Dumbledore's office." said Harry.

They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth;

"I really hated those things. One scratched my face." said Sirius absently touching his cheek.

"He was obsessed with his face when he was younger." said Remus whispering to Harry.

"Hey! I had a good face!" said Sirius indignantly.

"He was a major ladies man." said Remus with a smirk.

Harry spent ten whole minutes trying to squash a particularly fat one into a pot.

"You picked him." said Ron with a smirk. "Your fault."

"Why would you? Those are the hardest." said Remus confused.

"Reminded me of Dudley. Fat and ugly." said Harry with a laugh.

By the end of the class, Harry, like everyone else, was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth.

"Was just like trying to weed the Dursley's garden on my birthday. I was ready to just pass out." said Harry. "But I still had classes to go to, man that sucked. No offense Professor!" said Harry looking up to McGonagall quickly. She merely smiled slightly and nodded.

Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash and then the Gryffindors hurried off to Transfiguration.

"Well that explained why all of you were almost falling asleep in class and rubbing your shoulders." said McGonagall with a smile.

Professor McGonagall's classes were always hard work, but today was especially difficult. Everything Harry had learned last year seemed to have leaked out of his head during the summer.

"Ahh, the misfortune of youth." said Dumbledore with a smile.

He was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button, but all he managed to do was give his beetle a lot of exercise as it scuttled over the desktop avoiding his wand.

"I actually intended to actually do it right at least the first three times, but that didn't work out to well." said Harry with a slight smile.

"Everybody's arms were so sore that only Hermione managed to turn her beetles into buttons." said Ron.

"How come she wasn't sore?" asked Charlie.

"Ron and Harry both handled my mandrake, it wouldn't go in." said Hermione with blush.

Ron was having far worse problems. He had patched up his wand with some borrowed Spellotape,

"Well, compared to the other objects you could use, that would be the best thing to use." said Dumbledore kindly. "At least the best thing to use that is available to you."

"Why didn't you send us an owl to get you a new wand!" said Mrs. Weasley.

Ron stared at her. "'If you put another toe out of line.'" said Ron in a shrill voice. "I was nervous about you pulling me out of Hogwarts."

but it seemed damaged beyond repair. It kept crackling and sparking at odd moments, and every time Ron tried to transfigure his beetle it engulfed him in thick gray smoke that smelled of rotten eggs.

"I had to go and open a window real quick." said Harry with a smile.

Unable to see what he was doing, Ron accidentally squashed his beetle with his elbow and had to ask for a new one. Professor McGonagall wasn't pleased.

"She hates it when people accidentally kill the animal they're trying to transfigure. She's a real animal lover." said Remus with a smile.

Harry was relieved to hear the lunch bell. His brain felt like a wrung sponge. Everyone filed out of the classroom except him and Ron, who was whacking his wand furiously on the desk.

"Harry you have a real funny way of describing things, you know that?" said Lee clutching his sides.

"Stupid — useless — thing —"

"Write home for another one," Harry suggested as the wand let off a volley of bangs like a firecracker.

"Just about fried my eyebrows right off, like Seamus did in one of our first year classes." said Harry with a smirk.

"Oh, yeah, and get another Howler back," said Ron, stuffing the now hissing wand into his bag."'It's your own fault your wand got snapped — '"

"We wouldn't have done that, Ron dear." said Mrs. Weasley.

"From your howler, I wasn't too secure with that knowledge." said Ron.

They went down to lunch, where Ron's mood was not improved by Hermione's showing them the handful of perfect coat buttons she had produced in Transfiguration.

"I wasn't in the mood to be secretively thrilled for you at the moment." said Ron apologetically.

"What've we got this afternoon?" said Harry, hastily changing the subject.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once.

"Why," demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, "have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?"

Remus and Sirius both groaned and covered their eyes. "Hermione," said Sirius in a pained voice. "you go do so much better!"

Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously.

They finished lunch and went outside into the overcast courtyard. Hermione sat down on a stone step and buried her nose in Voyages with Vampires again.

"It was my favorite book at the time." said Hermione.

"Thank Merlin, that changed." said Remus.

Harry and Ron stood talking about Quidditch for several minutes before Harry became aware that he was being closely watched.

Remus removed the hand away from his face and slowly looked up.

"It's not that house-elf again is it?" he said carefully.

"Nope." said Harry.

Looking up, he saw the very small, mousy-haired boy he'd seen trying on the Sorting Hat last night staring at Harry as though transfixed.

"What's that kid's problem?" asked Sirius with a raised eyebrow.

"That's me!" said Colin defensively.

"Oh, sorry." said Sirius quickly.

He was clutching what looked like an ordinary Muggle camera, and the moment Harry looked at him, he went bright red.

"Why would you?" asked Remus curiously.

"Well, I was only a first year and he was famous." said Colin shyly.

"Yeah but he's just a second year, and he doesn't like his fame, so you can look at him all you want." said Sirius shrugging.

"Gee, thanks." whispered Harry, nudging him hard with his elbow.

"All right, Harry? I'm — I'm Colin Creevey," he said breathlessly, taking a tentative step forward. "I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think — would it be all right if — can I have a picture?" he said, raising the camera hopefully.

"A picture?" Harry repeated blankly.

"Yeah, Harry, it's a little square that has an image of you on it!" said Fred excitedly.

"So I can prove I've met you," said Colin Creevey eagerly,

"Prove it to whom?" asked Dr. Clark.

"My family." said Colin.

"But your family are Muggleborns, Col." said one of his friends.

"Yeah, but when I wrote back home the first time, I told my family all about Harry." said Colin with a smile.

edging further forward.

"You do know all about personal space, right?" said Sirius questioningly.

"Well, yeah…" said Colin slowly.

"Think about it." said Sirius.

Colin looked down sadly.

"Do you want me to read?" asked Dean.

"No, I'm fine. Sorry Harry." said Colin sorrowfully.

"It's okay." said Harry kindly.

"I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead" (his eyes raked Harry's hairline)

"Jeez, wish people wouldn't look for that the moment they see me." said Harry bitterly.

"and a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures will move." Colin drew a great shuddering breath of excitement

Remus and Sirius stared at the young fourth year.

"That made me sound really creepy." said Colin uneasily.

and said, "It's amazing here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him.

Umbridge, despite the bonds and the gag, gave a muffled shout and strained against her restraints.

"How dare you take pictures and give them out to Muggles!" shouted Fudge, guessing what she was upset about.

"Oh, leave him be! He asked permission to take pictures of the school! The Headmaster gave him special permission with strict guidelines and rules. He's not allowed to share them with anyone else besides close family member and not to take pictures of anyone if they don't want it." said McGonagall.

And it'd be really good if I had one of you" — he looked imploringly at Harry — "maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you?

"Oh I was thrilled." said Ron rolling his eyes.

And then, could you sign it?"

"Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Potter?"

Loud and scathing, Draco Malfoy's voice echoed around the courtyard.

"Go figure he would show up right then and then." said Sirius harshly.

Draco looked down shamefully.

He had stopped right behind Colin, flanked, as he always was at Hogwarts, by his large and thuggish cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.

"When he doesn't have Crabbe and Goyle, he's got his Daddy." said a seventh year Gryffindor quietly.

"Little twat never did fight his own fight." said his friend.

"Everyone line up!" Malfoy roared to the crowd. "Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!"

"The ones that were heading over first were the first year girls." said Hermione with a smirk. "Till the guys pulled them back and said, 'Malfoy's joking.'"

"It was hilarious, the look on Malfoy's face." said Ron.

"No, I'm not," said Harry angrily, his fists clenching. "Shut up, Malfoy."

"When you were a baby, and you happened to come across a picture of yourself, you would grab a crayon and scribble something on the bottom. So you were really into signing something on the bottom of your pictures." said Remus with a smirk. "You were signing photos before you could even say "Momma."

A few people snorted.

"I could've gone without knowing that." said Harry crossly.

"You're just jealous," piped up Colin, whose entire body was about as thick as Crabbe's neck.

"Jealous?" said Malfoy, who didn't need to shout anymore: half the courtyard was listening in. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself."

"Though it does sound like he's jealous of something." said Dr. Clark plainly.

"Like what?" asked Blaise.

"Perhaps the fact that Harry is always surrounded by his friends." said Dr. Clark shrugging.

Draco said nothing.

Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly.

"Eat slugs, Malfoy," said Ron angrily.

Malfoy smirked slightly, while Ron turned slightly green.

Crabbe stopped laughing and started rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way.

"Took several minutes for it to dawn on him that Ron had said that." said Harry with a smirk.

"Be careful, Weasley," sneered Malfoy. "You don't want to start any trouble or your Mommy'll have to come and take you away from school." He put on a shrill, piercing voice. "'If you put another toe out of line'—"

"That was a low blow." said Tonks angrily.

"Even for a Slytherin." said Moody looking at Draco with a stern look, his other eye looking over at Fudge.

A knot of Slytherin fifth-years nearby laughed loudly at this.

"Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter," smirked Malfoy. "It'd be worth more than his family's whole house —"

"Actually, that is pretty accurate." said seventh year Hufflepuff girl. "He never signs any and he doesn't pose for any."

Ron whipped out his Spellotaped wand, but Hermione shut Voyages with Vampires with a snap and whispered, "Look out!"

"What's all this, what's all this?" Gilderoy Lockhart was striding toward them, his turquoise robes swirling behind him.

"ACCK! You could have warned them who it was!" said Sirius.

"Or us!" moaned Remus covering his eyes.

"Who's giving out signed photos?"

"Not me." said Harry quickly.

Harry started to speak but he was cut short as Lockhart flung an arm around his shoulders and thundered jovially, "Shouldn't have asked! We meet again, Harry!"

Remus began to growl.

"Nothing happened." said Harry in a bored tone.

"Doesn't mean that I have to like him touching you." said Remus.

"Look, we all know he's bats for both teams, but what makes you think that he likes little kids?" said Harry tiredly.

"We remember seeing him asking a first year out on a date when we were in our final year." said Sirius bitterly.

"I ran up and blacked his eye." said Remus with a satisfied look.

"Okay, granted that is really freaking creepy…." said Harry, he wanted to continue to say that nothing happened, but he gave up.

Pinned to Lockhart's side and burning with humiliation, Harry saw Malfoy slide smirking back into the crowd.

"I knew you hated the attention, that's why I did it." said Draco quietly.

"Come on then, Mr. Creevey," said Lockhart, beaming at Colin. "A double portrait, can't do better than that,

"A picture of a flobberworm is better than one of you, Dazzle Gums." said Remus crossly.

and we'll both sign it for you."

"Harry never did sign it I don't think." said Colin thoughtfully.

"Nope, and I refuse to." said Harry.

Colin fumbled for his camera and took the picture as the bell rang behind them, signaling the start of afternoon classes.

"Off you go, move along there," Lockhart called to the crowd, and he set off back to the castle with Harry, who was wishing he knew a good Vanishing Spell, still clasped to his side.

"Genius, bell rang, Harry-boy needs to go to class now." said Sirius rolling his eyes.

"It was his class we were going to next." said Harry.

"A word to the wise, Harry," said Lockhart paternally

"That is a huge insult to James." said Sirius staring at the book.

"I agree." said Remus.

as they entered the building through a side door. "I covered up for you back there with young Creevey —

"What a twat, he only came over because he heard the word 'picture'." said Remus skeptically.

if he was photographing me, too, your schoolmates won't think you're setting yourself up so much…"

"Anybody that really knows him knows that he isn't trying to attract attention." said Fred.

Deaf to Harry's stammers, Lockhart swept him down a corridor lined with staring students and up a staircase.

"We didn't expect to see you with him. Your sort of modest and quiet, and he…isn't" said a seventh year Hufflepuff.

"Let me just say that handing out signed pictures at this stage of your career isn't sensible — looks a tad bigheaded, Harry, to be frank.

"He's a complete and utter idiot." said Kingsley shaking his head.

"I can't believe he was in our house." said Ernie and Hannah together.

There may well come a time when, like me, you'll need to keep a stack handy wherever you go, but" — he gave a little chortle — "I don't think you're quite there yet."

"What an egotistical bastard!" said Bill.

"WILLIAM!" shouted Mrs. Weasley.

They had reached Lockhart's classroom and he let Harry go at last. Harry yanked his robes straight and headed for a seat at the very back of the class,

Sirius squeezed Harry's hand. "You dad and us used to sit all the way in the back of the class too, especially for teachers we didn't like."

where he busied himself with piling all seven of Lockhart's books in front of him, so that he could avoid looking at the real thing.

"Good thinking." said Moody gruffly.

The rest of the class came clattering in, and Ron and Hermione sat down on either side of Harry.

"You could've fried an egg on your face" said Ron.

"You looked so funny." said Ron with a laugh.

"You'd better hope Creevey doesn't meet Ginny, or they'll be starting a Harry Potter fan club."

"That actually does exist, before they had about forty people in it. Then after the final task, it sort of dropped to about twenty, then after the books started, it zoomed up to about a hundred or so." said Neville.

Harry groaned and buried his face in Remus' cloak.

"Shut up," snapped Harry. The last thing he needed was for Lockhart to hear the phrase "Harry Potter fan club"

"Tell me there wasn't a "Gilderoy Lockhart fan club." said Sirius with a pained expression.

"There was, but that only lasted one year." said Hermione.

"She was a founding member." said Harry with a smirk.

When the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He reached forward, picked up Neville Longbottom's copy of Travels with Trolls, and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front.

"Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well.

"Really? I thought it was the troll in the book." said Harry sarcastically.

People in the Great Hall began to laugh; even Remus cracked a huge smile.

"Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class,

"Means that he's not very important and hasn't done much. They just gave it to him to shut him up." said Kingsley.

Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League,

"He came to us and asked if he could join up. He wasn't all that qualified to become one of us, so we made him honorary." said Kingsley.

"You part of it?" asked Ron eagerly.

"Yeah, I'm one of the higher ranked ones." said Kingsley with some slight pride.

and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"

He waited for them to laugh; a few people smiled weakly.

"He never was much of a comedian." said Remus.

"Remember the one time when Hogwarts held a sort of stand-up comedy competition? God, most people booed him right off the stage." said Sirius with a smile. "Some even threw fruit."

"I threw the grapefruit." said Remus proudly.

"Who won it?" asked George.

"My brother Regulus, from Slytherin House. I'll admit it, he was insanely funny." said Sirius.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books — well done.

"Cause we had a choice." said Ron with a groan.

I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about — just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in —"

When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes — start —now!"

Harry looked down at his paper and read:

1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?

2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?

3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?

On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." said Kingsley.

"That's not a Defense quiz." said Moody irritably.

54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?

"That was a pathetic excuse for a test." said Remus.

Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class.

"Tut, tut — hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac. I say so in Year with the Yeti.

"Did he greet a Tibetan man and say "Hi, I'm Lockhart and my favorite color is lilac?" scoffed Sirius.

"Actually, in the book he commented on the lilac trees in a hidden valley." said Hermione.

"Bull." said Remus simply.

And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully —

"Would really rather not." said Bill.

I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples —

"He sounds like a beauty pageant contender." said Sirius with a smirk.

"He couldn't even win Miss. or Mr. Congeniality." said Tonks with a laugh.

though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogdens Old Firewhisky!"

"Nice, tell that to a bunch of twelve you olds." said McGonagall irritably.

He gave them another roguish wink. Ron was now staring at Lockhart with an expression of disbelief on his face;

"I thought he was a complete idiot. I still do." said Ron.

Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were sitting in front, were shaking with silent laughter.

"First time we heard a Professor talk about wanting liquor." said Seamus with a smirk.

Hermione, on the other hand, was listening to Lockhart with rapt attention and gave a start when he mentioned her name.

"… but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions —

"Wonder which one he would have failed at first." said Dr. Clark to Sirius.

"AWESOME!" I've successfully corrupted him!" said Sirius with a fist raised and clapping Dr. Clark on the back.

"Merlin help us all." said Professors all together.

good girl! In fact" — he flipped her paper over — "full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"

Hermione raised a trembling hand.

"Oh, come on." said Charlie shaking his head.

"Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor! And so — to business —"

He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it.

"Now — be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard kind!

"He had better not have released anything dangerous with all of you in there." said Professor Sprout angrily.

You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room.

"Nope that happens the next year, with an actual teacher, teaching us." said Harry proudly.

Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here.

"They're dead." said Lee.

All I ask is that you remain calm."

In spite of himself, Harry leaned around his pile of books for a better look at the cage.

"Hey! I was curious." said Harry to the looks he was receiving from Remus and Sirius.

Lockhart placed a hand on the cover. Dean and Seamus had stopped laughing now. Neville was cowering in his front row seat.

"It'll be okay, Neville." said Luna patting Neville's head.

"I know." said Neville blushingly.

"I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them."

As the whole class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover.

"Yes," he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies."

"Say what?" said Remus slowly.

"Pixies." said Sirius with a laugh.

Seamus Finnigan couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter that even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror.

"Yeah, it was sort of loud and obvious." said Seamus with another snort.

"Yes?" He smiled at Seamus.

"Well, they're not — they're not very —dangerous, are they?" Seamus choked.

"I was holding back a laugh." said Seamus with a chuckling.

"Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Seamus. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!"

"That is actually true." said Remus thoughtfully.

The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them.

"Right, then," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage.

Remus face-palmed while Sirius moaned loudly. "What an idiot! Didn't he remember what happened when we did it?" said Remus irritably.

"You released a bunch of pixies?" said Fred dumbfounded.

"Yeah, in our sixth year. We let them loose in the Great Hall, two batches of them. They never caught us." said Remus with a small smile.

"Who did you think did it?" said George.

"There was a colony infesting the upper part of the Great Hall. We had assumed that they just decided to swarm down upon everyone." said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling while looking over to the two men.

It was pandemonium.

"It was a nightmare." said Harry.

"Pandemonium is an understatement." said Neville.

The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air.

"My ears are still sore from that." said Neville rubbing his ears absently.

"Be thankful Miss Trunchbull wasn't there." said Hermione with a smile.

"Who?" said Neville and the Weasley children.

"A fictional Headmistress in Muggle book. She swung a small boy around by his ears." said Harry.

"You've read it too, huh?" said Hermione with a smile.

"It was one of the books in the room at the Dursleys." said Harry with a smile.

Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass.

"Oh! No one was hurt, I hope." said Madam Pomfrey anxiously.

"No, everyone was mostly fine." said Ron.

The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino.

"Apt description." said Hermione.

They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the waste basket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and Neville was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling.

"Where the hell was Gilderoy?" asked Professor Sprout angrily.

The Hufflepuffs stared at their Head of House in shock.

"Come on now — round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted.

"Five or so is one thing. Not forty!" said Ron angrily.

He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"

The Aurors, Rangers, Professors, and several other people laughed hard.

"What the hell was that?" said Sirius wiping a tear from his eye.

"I think he tried to create a new spell. Using Theory of Gympdon's Conjurtor." said Rivers, thoughtfully.

"Yeah, he's trying to add an 'í' to the end of everything. He's really saying 'Pesky Pixie Pester Not Me.' He just eliminates the 'y' and the 't'. " said Harry with a smile.

"More stuff from your notebook?" said Sirius.

"No, that book of Umbridge's." said Harry with a smile.

It had absolutely no effect;

"Exactly." said Rivers looking sternly over to Umbridge.

one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window,

"Took him two days to find it." said Ron with a laugh. "He gave thirty points to the first person to find it. Only the girls volunteered."

too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a second later as the chandelier gave way.

"I hope he learned something from this at the very least." said McGonagall massaging her temples.

The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit. In the relative calm that followed,

"There was still panic going on in the room, most of the pixies were still in there." said Ron.

Lockhart straightened up, caught sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were almost at the door, and said, "Well, I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage." He swept past them and shut the door quickly behind him.

"I'm going to kill him." said Remus.

"You think you're going to want to kill him now, wait till later." said Ron with a smile.

"Thanks Ron." said Harry through gritted teeth.

"Oh, sorry mate." said Ron noticing the look in Remus' eye.

"Can you believe him?" roared Ron as one of the remaining pixies bit him painfully on the ear.

"I certainly can't." said Sirius bitterly.

"He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," said Hermione, immobilizing two pixies at once with a clever Freezing Charm and stuffing them back into their cage.

"You're as delusional as he is." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

"Hands on?" said Harry, who was trying to grab a pixie dancing out of reach with its tongue out. "Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing —"

"Well Harry figured him out the first day." said Remus with a proud smile.

"Rubbish," said Hermione.

"Oh, really?" said Sirius.

"You've read his books — look at all those amazing things he's done —"

"He says he's done." said Dr. Clark.

"He says he's done," Ron muttered.

"Amen." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"I think that it is lunch time." said Dumbledore kindly, he pulled out his wand and the table of food emerged.

"Let's change readers now, who would like to read?" said Professor McGonagall.

"May I?" said Sirius.

"Of course." said Dumbledore happily.

Sirius took the book and read the title

"Oh I don't want to read that word…" said Sirius with a groan.

"What word?" asked Remus.

Remus looked at the word and gasped. "I don't think we have a choice mate." said Remus.

Sirius sighed. "Mudbloods" the school gasped and the teachers clenched their hands. "And Murmurs." said Sirius. "Well right off the bat you know this won't be a good one."

"Who in this school would call somebody that!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey.

"Well we got Pansy and the person who said it in this chapter." said Harry. "So far we're up to two people."

Chapter 33

You going to help me read." said Sirius. "Right?"

"Sure, I'll read the second half." said Harry quickly. He knew what was in the back half of the chapter and he didn't want Sirius reading it.

Sirius however, looked at Harry skeptically. "Hmm, I think I'll have you read the first part. You answered a bit too quickly for my liking."

Harry grumbled and snatched the book.

Harry spent a lot of time over the next few days dodging out of sight whenever he saw Gilderoy Lockhart coming down a corridor.

"Good, keep away from him, he makes me nervous when you are with him." said Remus calmly.

"He ain't going to like ending part is he?" whispered Ron with a smirk.

Harder to avoid was Colin Creevey, who seemed to have memorized Harry's schedule.

"You didn't, did you?" asked Fred staring at Colin stunned.

Colin looked nervous.

Nothing seemed to give Colin a bigger thrill than to say, "All right, Harry?" six or seven times a day and hear, "Hello, Colin," back, however exasperated Harry sounded when he said it.

Colin shuffled his feet embarrassingly.

"Poor Colin." whispered Hermione.

"He asked for it." said Ron.

Hedwig was still angry with Harry about the disastrous car journey

"It took a long time to have her warm back up to me." said Harry with a small smile.

"What did it take?" asked Remus.

"I think she finally thought that I had enough of the silent treatment." said Harry with a smile. "And making her homemade owl treats didn't hurt either."

and Ron's wand was still malfunctioning,

"Uh oh." said several students in the Great Hall.

surpassing itself on Friday morning by shooting out of Ron's hand in Charms and hitting tiny old Professor Flitwick squarely between the eyes, creating a large, throbbing green boil where it had struck.

"Oooh!" moaned Sirius and Remus together.

"Were you okay?" asked Dr. Clark trying not to laugh.

"I was fine. I've suffered worse." said Professor Flitwick with a broad grin. "A boil is nothing serious."

So with one thing and another, Harry was quite glad to reach the weekend.

"I was ready to sleep in that day." said Ron with a broad smile.

"I planned on finishing reading my books." said Hermione.

"I was going to go down to the kitchen and make something real early that morning." said Harry with a smile.

"Then we were going to go down to Hagrid's at in the afternoon." said Ron.

He, Ron, and Hermione were planning to visit Hagrid on Saturday morning.

"'Planning' is a good choice of words." said the trio.

Harry, however, was shaken awake several hours earlier than he would have liked by Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"I was pissed." said Harry with a smile. "That was one of the mornings that I didn't want to get up all that early. Six o clock in the morning was one thing, not five."

"Whassamatter?" said Harry groggily.

"You make it sound like you've been woken up in the middle of the night before. By someone with a problem." said Dumbledore thoughtfully.

Neville, Seamus, and Dean looked up innocently.

"Sort of." said Harry.

"Why would someone wake you up in the middle of the bloody night?" asked Sirius.

"Homesick, questions about random stuff, stuff like that." said Harry shrugging.

"Quidditch practice!" said Wood. "Come on!"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me! That early?" said Remus stunned.

"James was never that bad, he was bad, but at least he let you get some sleep." said Sirius with a smile.

Harry squinted at the window. There was a thin mist hanging across the pink-and-gold sky. Now that he was awake, he couldn't understand how he could have slept through the racket the birds were making.

"I thought that you always got up at dawn." said Hermione with a smirk.

"That was one of those mornings that I really wanted sleep in." said Harry. "And that is the only part of dawn I hate, normally I love songbirds, but those birds," said Harry shaking his head, "God, right away in the morning, they don't sound all that wonderful. It's a horrible sound right away in the morning, it's like they've all got bronchitis."

Several people laughed.

"Oliver," Harry croaked. "It's the crack of dawn."

"Exactly," said Wood. He was a tall and burly sixth year and, at the moment, his eyes were gleaming with a crazed enthusiasm.

"'Crazed'?" said George looking at Harry.

"That is a HUGE understatement, mate." said Fred shaking his head.

"It's part of our new training program. Come on, grab your broom, and let's go," said Wood heartily. "None of the other teams have started training yet; we're going to be first off the mark this year —"

"I would really freaking hope so." said Charlie shaking his head. "I would hope no other house trains right away in the year."

Yawning and shivering slightly,

"Was it cold that morning?" asked Dean.

"Sort of, but you try and get up hours earlier than what you wanted, you start shaking too." said Harry

Harry climbed out of bed and tried to find his Quidditch robes.

"Tried is a good choice of words. I just about started to use a shirt for pants." said Harry with an embarrassed smile.

"I've done that after a full moon." said Remus with a smile. "I actually almost stepped outside with that ensemble."

"Good man," said Wood. "Meet you on the field in fifteen minutes."

"So he really doesn't give you a chance to eat something when you get up?" said McGonagall appalled.

"Nope," said the veteran Gryffindor Quidditch team.

When he'd found his scarlet team robes and pulled on his cloak for warmth, Harry scribbled a note to Ron explaining where he'd gone

"That was nice of him." said Mrs. Weasley smiling over at him.

"Yeah, Scabbers tried to eat the note when I woke up." said Ron.

and went down the spiral staircase to the common room, his Nimbus Two Thousand on his shoulder. He had just reached the portrait hole when there was a clatter behind him and Colin Creevey came dashing down the spiral staircase,

"What in the world were you doing up so early?" asked McGonagall sternly.

"I just wanted watch Harry practice." said Colin quickly.

"How did you know that we were going to practice that early?" asked Fred.

"Yeah, cause not even we really knew when we were going to go to the pitch." said George.

"Well…" said Colin even quieter.

"I'm not too sure we wanna know." said Fred and George.

his camera swinging madly around his neck and something clutched in his hand.

"I heard someone saying your name on the stairs, Harry! Look what I've got here! I've had it developed, I wanted to show you."

"What the heck were you talking about?" said Ron.

"The picture of Lockhart and me." said Harry with a smirk.

Harry looked bemusedly at the photograph Colin was brandishing under his nose.

A moving, black-and-white Lockhart was tugging hard on an arm Harry recognized as his own. He was pleased to see that his photographic self was putting up a good fight and refusing to be dragged into view.

"That's the wonderful thing about magical photos." said Dumbledore with a broad smile. "If you don't want to show up in the picture, your photo self won't appear."

"Wish that would happen sometimes in the Muggle World." said Dr. Clark. "I've had a few that I wish I weren't in."

As Harry watched, Lockhart gave up and slumped, Panting, against the white edge of the picture.

"Yeah, he never was in shape." said Sirius. "He looks skinny, but he was in worse shape than, well, Peter."

"And that's saying something." said Remus with a smirk.

"Will you sign it?" said Colin eagerly.

"No." said Harry automatically.

"No," said Harry flatly, glancing around to check that the room was really deserted.

"Why did you look around?" asked Anthony.

"I didn't want a repeat of last time." said Harry.

"Sorry, Colin, I'm in a hurry — Quidditch practice —"

He climbed through the portrait hole.

"Oh, wow! Wait for me! I've never watched a Quidditch game before!"

Colin scrambled through the hole after him.

"Jeez, you can't shake him can you?" said Fred quietly.

"It'll be really boring," Harry said quickly,

"You really can't lie, Harry, you keep forgetting that." said Tonks grinning broadly.

but Colin ignored him, his face shining with excitement.

"You were the youngest House player in a hundred years, weren't you, Harry? Weren't you?" said Colin, trotting alongside him. "You must be brilliant. I've never flown. Is it easy? Is that your own broom? Is that the best one there is?"

"Holy…" said Sirius shaking his head. "I'd have gone absolutely mad with you following me all around the place." said Sirius looking over to Colin.

Harry didn't know how to get rid of him.

Colin turned and looked at Harry in shock.

"It was real early and…sorry." said Harry looking up from the book apologetically.

Colin looked down hurtfully, but then looked up with a smile.

"It's okay, I forgive you, if," said Colin.

"'If'?" said Harry.

"If you sign one of the photos I took of you." he said with a mischievous smile.

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but sighed and held out a hand for a photo.

Colin reached into his big photo album and selected the best photo he had and ran it over to Harry.

He smirked as he saw it was the one where he was talking and laughing with Ron and Hermione.

He signed it quick and walked it over to Ron and Hermione. "You guys need to sign it too."

Ron and Hermione took the quill and signed the photo and handed it back to Colin, who looked ecstatic.

It was like having an extremely talkative shadow.

"I don't really understand Quidditch," said Colin breathlessly. "Is it true there are four balls? And two of them fly around trying to knock people off their brooms?"

"I would have snapped by that time." said Sirius groaning.

"Yes," said Harry heavily, resigned to explaining the complicated rules of Quidditch. "They're called Bludgers. There are two Beaters on each team who carry clubs to beat the Bludgers away from their side. Fred and George Weasley are the Gryffindor Beaters."

Fred and George stood up and took a bow.

"And what are the other balls for?" Colin asked, tripping down a couple of steps because he was gazing open-mouthed at Harry.

"Harry actually caught me and stopped me from busting my face on the steps." said Colin excitedly.

"Did you?" asked Remus impressed.

"I caught his collar and broke his fall a bit." said Harry shrugging.

"Well, the Quaffle — that's the biggish red one — is the one that scores goals. Three Chasers on each team throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through the goal posts at the end of the pitch —

Angelina, Alicia, and Katie comically curtsied.

they're three long poles with hoops on the end."

"And the fourth ball —"

"— is the Golden Snitch," said Harry, "and it's very small, very fast, and difficult to catch. But that's what the Seeker's got to do, because a game of Quidditch doesn't end until the Snitch has been caught. And whichever team's Seeker gets the Snitch earns his team an extra hundred and fifty points."

"And you're the Gryffindor Seeker, aren't you?" said Colin in awe.

"You bet your wand he is." said Sirius giving Harry a shove with his shoulder.

"Yes," said Harry as they left the castle and started across the dew-drenched grass. "And there's the Keeper, too. He guards the goal posts. That's it, really."

"That made a very complex game sound so simple." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

But Colin didn't stop questioning Harry all the way down the sloping lawns to the Quidditch field, and Harry only shook him off when he reached the changing rooms;

"I didn't want to bother him when he was changing." said Colin with a slight blush.

Colin called after him in a piping voice, "I'll go and get a good seat, Harry!" and hurried off to the stands.

The rest of the Gryffindor team were already in the changing room. Wood was the only person who looked truly awake. Fred and George Weasley were sitting, puffy-eyed and tousle haired, next to fourth year Alicia Spinnet, who seemed to be nodding off against the wall behind her. Her fellow Chasers, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, were yawning side by side opposite them.

"What did Harry look like?" asked Sirius wickedly.

"His hair was flat on one side." said Angelina with a smirk.

"There you are, Harry, what kept you?" said Wood briskly.

"'I was sleepwalking.'" said Harry with a smile.

"Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field,

"Oh that's nice, he didn't even wait to hear what kept you." said Cho, she kept sending small smiles and quick glances over to Harry.

because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference…"

"It actually did help, especially for what the Slytherins had up their sleeves." said Katie.

Wood was holding up a large diagram of a Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in different colored inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram like caterpillars. As Wood launched into a speech about his new tactics, Fred Weasley's head drooped right onto Alicia Spinnet's shoulder and he began to snore.

"Yeah, I don't remember much of what he said." said Fred with a smirk.

"Explains how you managed to fly in the complete opposite direction you were supposed to go." said George smiling.

The first board took nearly twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third under that one. Harry sank into a stupor as Wood droned on and on.

"I was about to excuse myself to the bathroom and sleep in the shower." said Harry with a laugh.

"So," said Wood, at long last, jerking Harry from a wistful fantasy about what he could be eating for breakfast at this very moment up at the castle.

"Not what I would have been fantasizing about." said Sirius with a wicked grin.

"You'd better not share that little fantasy with him, if it's the one you told me about years ago." said Remus warningly.

"There was nothing wrong with it!" defended Sirius.

"It couldn't even be labeled triple X! It would have to be severely watered down to be allowed into that category!" said Remus curtly.

"I'm fifteen now, how much longer do I have to wait to hear it?" said Harry teasingly.

"Dumbledore isn't even old enough to hear it." said Remus shortly.

"Hmm, it must be one very explicit sort of fantasy." said Dumbledore with a knowing smile.

"Is that clear? Any questions?"

"I've got a question, Oliver," said George, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?"

"That's a good point, might as well tell them all this stuff when their brains are actually functioning." said Rivers with a smile.

Wood wasn't pleased.

"When is he, during a strategy session?" said Katie rolling her eyes.

"Now, listen here, you lot," he said, glowering at them all. "We should have won the Quidditch cup last year. We're easily the best team. But unfortunately — owing to circumstances beyond our control —"

Harry shifted guiltily in his seat. He had been unconscious in the hospital wing for the final match of the previous year, meaning that Gryffindor had been a player short and had suffered their worst defeat in three hundred years.

"It wasn't your fault mate, we should have had a reserve." said Fred soothingly.

"Besides, it's not like you planned on getting knocked out for three days." said George.

"And almost dying." said Remus sternly.

"Yeah, I didn't plan on that either." said Harry not looking at Remus.

Remus was about to strike up another argument but received a sharp blow to the back of his head. He glared over to Sirius, but Sirius smiled and nodded over to Remus' left. Remus looked over and saw Dumbledore smiling as well, but his eyes were focusing on the ceiling.

Wood took a moment to regain control of himself. Their last defeat was clearly still torturing him.

"Harry too apparently." said Alicia to Angelina sadly.

"So this year, we train harder than ever before… Okay, let's go and put our new theories into practice!" Wood shouted, seizing his broomstick and leading the way out of the locker rooms. Stiff-legged and still yawning, his team followed.

"I voted that we stun him and then lock him in his Quidditch locker." said Fred.

"Then we go up to the castle and get some sleep." said George.

They had been in the locker room so long that the sun was up completely now,

"What time was it?" asked Hannah.

"It was about seven-thirteen." said Harry.

although remnants of mist hung over the grass in the stadium. As Harry walked onto the field, he saw Ron and Hermione sitting in the stands.

"Nice of you guys to come out and watch his first practice of the year." said Charlie.

"Aren't you finished yet?" called Ron incredulously.

"I wished I was." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"Haven't even started," said Harry, looking jealously at the toast and marmalade Ron and Hermione had brought out of the Great Hall.

"Sorry mate, didn't know you didn't eat." said Ron.

"You should have asked for some, we would've gone and grabbed you some." said Hermione.

"I was drooling." said Harry. "I don't know how I could've asked any plainer."

"Wood's been teaching us new moves."

He mounted his broomstick and kicked at the ground, soaring up into the air. The cool morning air whipped his face, waking him far more effectively than Wood's long talk.

"That's one of the bad things about morning training, once you do it, you're awake the whole day." said Fred.

"Then you're not able to fall back asleep." said George.

It felt wonderful to be back on the Quidditch field. He soared right around the stadium at full speed, racing Fred and George.

"Bet you paid for that one later." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Actually, that was one of the moves, it never did pan out." said Harry.

"But you gotta admit, it was a lot of fun to practice." said George.

"What's that funny clicking noise?" called Fred as they hurtled around the corner.

"I'm still amazed that I heard that." said Fred with a smile.

Harry looked into the stands. Colin was sitting in one of the highest seats, his camera raised, taking picture after picture, the sound strangely magnified in the deserted stadium.

"You sound like a member of the paparazzi." said Dr. Clark shaking his head.

"What's that?" asked Draco.

"It's a photographer that follows around celebrities and other famous people, taking pictures of them all the time. They're really annoying actually, from what I hear."

"Why would you want to have that job?" asked Blaise confused.

"The opportunity to get close to a celebrity I guess." said Dr. Clark.

"Look this way, Harry! This way!" he cried shrilly.

"He was busy Mr. Creevey." said McGonagall sternly.

"Who's that?" said Fred.

"No idea," Harry lied, putting on a spurt of speed that took him as far away as possible from Colin.

Most of the people in the great hall gave a large gasp.

"Harry lied!" said some first year Hufflepuffs.

"Why did his first lie have to be to me." said Fred beginning to cry.

"Think of it this way, you were his first." said George with a snide smile.

Several people laughed as Fred and Harry glared at George.

"Sweet Merlin!" said Remus wiping his eye and looking over at Sirius. "It's like seeing you and James going at each other again!"

"What's going on?" said Wood, frowning, as he skimmed through the air toward them. "Why's that first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy, trying to find out about our new training program."

"We've never had to stoop to spying." said Snape sniffing in disgust.

"Don't be too sure about that." said Katie.

"We've caught several Slytherin boys trying to catch Chaser practice." said Angelina folding her arms.

"But I wouldn't exactly call them spies." said Alicia.

"Yeah, spies don't try and sneak into the girl's locker rooms." said Katie.

McGonagall looked as if she could breathe fire again, Snape had paled and stared at the three Gryffindor chasers, and the sky above darkened once again.

"Who were they?" said Dumbledore coldly, his voice vibrating off the walls.

"They were already dealt with," said Angelina with a smile. "We sort of made sure of that."

"And so did the boys." said Katie with an evil grin. "If they thought they were in bad shape after dealing with us, they were sorely mistaken after the boys got through with them."

"He's in Gryffindor," said Harry quickly.

"Should have realized that you had lied to me then, if you didn't know who he was, you wouldn't have known which house he belonged to." said Fred pouting.

"And the Slytherins don't need a spy, Oliver," said George.

"What makes you say that?" said Wood testily.

"Because they're here in person," said George, pointing.

"That would eliminate the need for spying alright." said Ernie with a smirk.

Several people in green robes were walking onto the field, broomsticks in their hands.

"Hey, that's not fair, the Gryffindors were there first." said Sirius angrily.

"I don't believe it!" Wood hissed in outrage. "I booked the field for today! We'll see about this!"

"Can you book the field for the whole day?" asked Remus over to McGonagall.

"Only if the other Heads of Houses agree, however, that entitles the other houses to have the field for one whole day as well." said McGonagall.

"It doesn't happen often." said Professor Flitwick.

Wood shot toward the ground, landing rather harder than he meant to in his anger, staggering slightly as he dismounted.

"Yeah, he couldn't walk very well after that." said Fred.

Harry, Fred, and George followed.

"We landed a bit softer though." said George.

"No point hurting ourselves." said Fred.

"Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"

"I told Flint that the field was off limits. What is he doing there." said Snape thoughtfully.

Draco cringed in his seat.

Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning

"That's a contradiction in terms." said Charlie with a smirk.

on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."

"I don't know what gave him the gall to disobey me and go to the Quidditch pitch." said Snape sternly.

Angelina, Alicia, and Katie had come over, too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors, leering to a man.

"You leer at a girl, you get slapped." said one of the Slytherin Chasers. "And it would have killed the chance to date them."

"But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"

"He heard you the first time." said George.

"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape.

"What?" said the Potions Master dumbfounded.

'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker'. "

"I did not write that letter." said Snape tensely.

"You've got a new Seeker?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?"

And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy.

"Mind telling me whose idea it was to forge that letter?" growled Snape to Malfoy.

"Well….um…it was Flint's idea." said Malfoy quickly.

"You're lying to me." said Snape sternly.

"It was mine." said Malfoy quietly.

"We will talk about this later." said Snape sternly.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" said Fred, looking at Malfoy with dislike.

"Yeah we never actually met the twit." said Fred.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled still more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."

"Gifts?" said McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout, each one stunned.

All seven of them held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words Nimbus Two Thousand and One gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the early morning sun.

"You told me that they pooled their money and sold their old brooms!" said McGonagall angrily.

"That was what I was told." drawled Snape but staring at Draco with anger in his eyes. "I wasn't aware of the fact that Lucius had struck a deal with Flint to get his son on the team."

"Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount.

"Not true, the speed is only ten more miles per hour, and the wood is stained black. Nothing more special than that." said Harry with a smirk. "But speed is only one factor in a game, they hold special games in the United States for one team to ride Shooting Stars and go up against Nimbus'. The ones on the Shooting Stars actually win some of the time."

"Seriously?" said Draco stunned.

"If you would read the articles instead of looking at the pictures in Witch Broomstick you'd learn something." said Harry with a small smile.

As for the old Cleansweeps" — he smiled nastily at Fred and George, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives — "sweeps the board with them."

"And yet, you lot still have the best, well…the second best brooms in the school, and you haven't won a game against us." said Fred.

"Least not with us and Harry playing." said George.

"Ahem." said the three Chasers together.

"Against all of us, including Ron." said Harry with a quick look over to Ron. "Nobody can beat us in a fair game."

None of the Gryffindor team could think of anything to say for a moment.

"Which must have been a first." said Remus shaking his head.

Malfoy was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were reduced to slits.

"You weren't very pleasant to look at, let me tell you." said Katie with her tongue sticking out. "You looked like a real freak."

"Oh, look," said Flint. "A field invasion."

Ron and Hermione were crossing the grass to see what was going on.

"Two people make an invasion?" said George with a raised brow.

"What an idiot." said Fred slapping his forehead.

"What's happening?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?"

"Um, the Slytherins had brooms in their hands, and their Quidditch gear on. Chances are we're here to practice." said Draco with a smirk.

Ron blinked and opened his mouth, but slowly closed it. "Shut up." he mumbled.

He was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes.

"And that didn't give it away?" asked a smirking Slytherin.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team."

"Nice to know you can buy your way onto a sports team." said Dr. Clark. "Can you at least play well?" he asked the fifteen year old Slytherin Student.

"He's alright, he's the fifth best seeker the school has." said Angelina tartly.

"Fifth, aren't there only four teams?" asked Dr. Clark.

"I was replaced." said Harry pointing over to Ginny.

"Yeah, I don't know how Gryffindor managed to get the two best Seekers." said Ernie pouting slightly.

"Hey!" shouted Cho angrily.

"You're third best; Harry was always the best one in the school. Then came….Cedric…." said Ernie.

The entire school looked down in grief.

Dr. Clark looked around in confusion. "Am I missing something?"

"Cedric…" Harry started but couldn't finish.

"He was a seventh year Hufflepuff, a very brave and loyal young man, who unfortunately passed away last year." said Dumbledore somberly.

"How did it happen, seventeen year olds don't just fall down dead!" said Dr. Clark.

"He was murdered by order of Voldemort." said Dumbledore solemnly.

Dr. Clark paled. "I'm sorry."

Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him.

"Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."

"What a beast." said Katie quietly.

The Slytherin team howled with laughter.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione sharply. "Theygot in on pure talent."

"You go girl!" said Fred bobbing his head.

"Testify, sister!" said George snapping his fingers.

"Just like a boy, both of them are idiots." said Alicia.

The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered.

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudbloods," he spat.

People in the Great Hall released a loud gasp.

"He did not just say that!" said a small first year Ravenclaw.

"He did!" said her friend covering her mouth.

Muttering and growling fluttered around the Great Hall.

Draco looked slowly up to his Head of house. Snape looked at him, fury thundering from his eyes.

"We're going to talk now." he said venomously.

Snape took Malfoy by the arm and dragged him out of the Great Hall.

"I take it, that Mu…um…that word is a real bad word." said Dr. Clark nervously as he watched the furious professor drag the young man out of the room.

"Real bad." said Sirius.

"It's a foul name for someone born from an all muggle family. People like the Malfoy family don't like Muggleborns and Half-Bloods." said Ron angrily.

Dr. Clark sighed, "We've got people like that in our world, as well. They don't accept people of different cultures, skin or love life."

"I don't see how humans can be so cruel to their own kind." said Tempest shortly.

Firenze gave a small snort and rubbed the hoof prints on his chest and flank.

"Oh…" said Tempest sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

Lionus stared at the two of them. "She said 'sorry'? I don't believe it!" he said with a broad smile.

"That young stallion is ruining her." said Dr. Nicodemus with a smirk.

"She could use some softening." said Nightstrike.

Harry knew at once that Malfoy had said something really bad because there was an instant uproar at his words.

"I'm happy you didn't know that word before this." said Sirius.

"Hell, I hated reading that word. Let alone saying it." said Harry with a snarl.

Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George jumping on him,

"That must have been the only brave thing Flint's ever done." said Angelina.

"And stupid, did you see all the teeth that Fred knocked out of Flint's mouth?" said Katie.

"How about the black eyes, George gave him." said Alicia.

Alicia shrieked, "How dare you!" and Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoys face.

"Oh this won't end well." said Remus closing his eyes.

"Why not! Ron is a skilled enough wizard." said Mrs. Weasley defending her son.

"Ron's wand is busted." reminded Dr. Clark.

"Oh dear!" said Mrs. Weasley fretfully, she didn't remember that little fact..

A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out

"RONALD! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" shouted Mrs. Weasley.

"It wasn't that spell, Mum" said Ron.

of the wrong end of Ron's wand,

"Oh no!" said Bill anxiously. "Ron, this can't be good!"

hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass.

"Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed Hermione.

"That really scared me." said Hermione with a deep blush.

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap.

"Eeeww!" cried quite a few girls from every house.

"You have spells that do that? Of what use is that?" said Dr. Clark holding his stomach.

"It's a school-age curse; they aren't really supposed to do much of anything, except give you something to laugh at." said Sirius shrugging.

The Slytherin team were paralyzed with laughter.

"Oh that's real nice." said Dr. Clark.

Flint was doubled up, hanging onto his new broomstick for support.

"I hope it snaps." said Sirius glaring at the book.

"It did, he had to use a repair kit to fix it." said Harry with a malicious laugh.

Malfoy was on all fours, banging the ground with his fist.

"I hope he gets whatever is coming to him." said Mr. Weasley angrily.

"Oh he will." said Remus looking at the closed Great Hall door.

The Gryffindors were gathered around Ron, who kept belching large, glistening slugs. Nobody seemed to want to touch him.

"I don't blame you." said one of the seventh year Hufflepuffs.

"We'd better get him to Hagrid's, it's nearest," said Harry to Hermione, who nodded bravely,

"What do you mean 'bravely'?" asked a third year Gryffindor.

"Would you want to touch someone belching up slugs?" asked Hermione irritably.

"No." said the third year girl and her friends quickly.

and the pair of them pulled Ron up by the arms.

"I'll take it from here, cub." said Sirius taking the book from Harry's hands.

"Oh, come on! It hasn't been half a chapter yet!" pouted Harry trying to take the book back playfully.

"It's been more than half a chapter!" said Sirius tugging on the book. Finally he wrenched the book out of his godson's hands.

"What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he ill? But you can cure him, can't you?"

"Three guesses to who that is." said Fred with a laugh.

Colin had run down from his seat and was now dancing alongside them as they left the field. Ron gave a huge heave and more slugs dribbled down his front.

"That had to really suck." said Sirius.

"It did." said Ron turning greener by the minute.

"Oooh," said Colin, fascinated and raising his camera. "Can you hold him still, Harry?"

"Are you freaking kidding me!" said Bill wearily.

"You want a picture of someone sicking up slugs?" said Charlie.

"I had never seen it before." said Colin quietly.

"Be thankful for that." said Lee.

"I am." said Dr. Clark.

"Get out of the way, Colin!" said Harry angrily.

"That's your first warning, never incur the 'Evans Wrath'." said Remus with a smirk.

"You're life expectancy decreases immensely." said Sirius with a smirk. "Bout forty years per scolding." said Sirius tugging at a lock of gray hair. "I got this when I turned nineteen, when I scared your mother while she was pregnant with you. I thought the screaming and the curses were never going to end."

He and Hermione supported Ron out of the stadium and across the grounds toward the edge of the forest.

"Nearly there, Ron," said Hermione as the gamekeeper's cabin came into view. "You'll be all right in a minute — almost there —"

"I don't remember you reassuring me." said Ron.

"You were a little…um…busy." said Harry with a slight smile.

They were within twenty feet of Hagrid's house when the front door opened, but it wasn't Hagrid who emerged. Gilderoy Lockhart, wearing robes of palest mauve today, came striding out.

"ACCK! RUN!" shouted Harry and Ron together.

"Quick, behind here," Harry hissed, dragging Ron behind a nearby bush. Hermione followed, somewhat reluctantly.

"Thanks Harry, I didn't want him to try and help me." said Ron appreciatively.

"He was a teacher, I thought he could help us!" said Hermione defensively.

"I would rather ask help from Aragog then Lockhart." said Ron shortly.

"Who's Aragog." said Sirius.

"Never mind." said Harry and Ron quickly.

"Must be one of those 'you'll find out later' moments." said Remus frowning slightly.

"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!" Lockhart was saying loudly to Hagrid. "If you need help, you know where I am!

"Trying to get your hands on Harry?' said Remus shortly.

"Moony, drop it, okay? Cub says that nothing happened." said Sirius.

I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one —

"Hagrid only gets books that have something to do with creatures." said Charlie. "Factual books."

I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, good-bye!" And he strode away toward the castle.

"Used it ter start me fire that next night." said Hagrid with a smile.

Several students laughed loudly. Remus and Sirius clapped loudly.

"Wish I had been there to see it." said Harry wistfully.

Harry waited until Lockhart was out of sight, then pulled Ron out of the bush and up to Hagrid's front door. They knocked urgently.

Hagrid appeared at once, looking very grumpy, but his expression brightened when he saw who it was.

"I was wonderin' if it were him again." said Hagrid gruffly.

"Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me — come in, come in — thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again —"

"We wouldn't do that to you." said Ron kindly.

Harry and Hermione supported Ron over the threshold into the one-roomed cabin, which had an enormous bed in one corner, a fire crackling merrily in the other.

"We love going to Hagrid's during the winter. It's always so nice and warm in there." said Hermione.

Hagrid didn't seem perturbed by Ron's slug problem, which Harry hastily explained as he lowered Ron into a chair.

"I've seen worse." said Hagrid shrugging slightly.

"Better out than in," he said cheerfully, plunking a large copper basin in front of him. "Get 'em all up, Ron."

"I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop," said Hermione anxiously,

"There isn't anything you can do." said Remus thoughtfully. "Not with that curse."

watching Ron bend over the basin. "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times,

"Wow! So that means that Harry's tutoring was really working!" said Dennis excitedly.

but with a broken wand —"

"If it had been casted in the right direction, it would have been most impressive." said Dumbledore quietly, but he had a large smile on his face.

Hagrid was bustling around making them tea. His boarhound, Fang, was slobbering over Harry.

"He knocked me off my chair and pinned me on the floor. I had to scratch his ears like mad to get him off." said Harry with a bright smile.

"What did Lockhart want with you, Hagrid?" Harry asked, scratching Fang's ears.

"It was the only way to get up off the floor." said Harry.

"Givin' me advice on gettin' kelpies out of a well," growled Hagrid,

"Hagrid's been getting kelpies out of a well, way before Lockhart's mother even thought of having kids." said Charlie defending the large man.

moving a half-plucked rooster off his scrubbed table and setting down the teapot.

"Not what I would call a conversation piece." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

"Weren' going ter talk about it, it was my lunch." said Hagrid slightly confused.

"You in the habit of using school chickens for your own meals?" asked Rivers.

"It was already dead. Got to the coops and it was just layin' there." said Hagrid shrugging.

"Like I don' know. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle."

"And I still got me kettle." said Hagrid with a smirk.

It was most unlike Hagrid to criticize a Hogwarts' teacher,

"He doesn't criticize anyone except for Filch." said Ron.

and Harry looked at him in surprise. Hermione, however, said in a voice somewhat higher than usual, "I think you're being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job —"

"The only man for the job." said Professor McGonagall grudgingly.

"He was the on'y man for the job," said Hagrid, offering them a plate of treacle fudge,

McGonagall smiled.

"I was sold." said Harry with a smile.

"But it's Hagrid cooking." whispered Sirius.

"I don't care, it's treacle." said Harry licking his lips.

"We could stick you in a maze, and leave a small piece of treacle at the end. You'd find the exit in two seconds." said Sirius.

"I'd give him half a second." said Remus. "I've seen him eat treacle; the bowl has to keep refilling itself every three minutes."

while Ron coughed squelchily into his basin.

"Okay, your descriptions have gone from picturesque to disgusting." said Fred sticking out his tongue.

"An' I mean the on'y one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job.

"I couldn't even locate an applicant this year, That is why I had to settle for…" said Dumbledore looking up at the restrained Umbridge.

People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's jinxed.

"Trust me, it is." said Remus with a small smile.

"Least you didn't die." said Harry with a smile. "The jinx looked out for at least the one real teacher we've had in the class."

"Didn't work for Professor Moody." said Dean quickly.

"That wasn't really him." said Harry.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot." said Dean.

"At least you could." said Moody gruffly, trying to put his magical eye back into place.

No one's lasted long fer a while now. So tell me," said Hagrid, jerking his head at Ron. "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"

"Someone who deserved it." said Snape sweeping back into the Great Hall.

Draco came following closely behind him, rubbing the back of his head in an embarrassed way. It didn't seem that Snape used corporal punishment this time.

"If I ever hear anyone saying that word one more time, be it boy or girl, I will make you wish I could just expel you." said Snape snarling mostly at the Slytherin students.

"Thank goodness I'm in the house I'm in." muttered a small Pure-Blood Ravenclaw student.

"That goes for all houses." snapped Professor Snape.

"Malfoy called Hermione something — it must've been really bad, because everyone went wild."

"That was an understatement." said Fred.

"It was bad," said Ron hoarsely, emerging over the tabletop looking pale and sweaty. "Malfoy called her 'Mudblood,' Hagrid —"

"The book said it, not me." said Sirius holding up his hands in surrender.

Ron dived out of sight again as a fresh wave of slugs made their appearance. Hagrid looked outraged.

"Cause of the slugs?" asked Dennis.

"Cause of the word." said Remus.

"He didn'!" he growled at Hermione.

"He did," she said. "But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course —"

"Just rude?" said George stunned.

"It was way more than that." said Angelina growling over to Draco.

"It's about the most insulting thing he could think of," gasped Ron, coming back up.

"That's saying something." said a small first year Gryffindor.

"Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born — you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards — like Malfoy's family — who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood."

"I would rather be a Muggleborn." said Hermione defiantly.

He gave a small burp, and a single slug fell into his outstretched hand. He threw it into the basin and continued, "I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all.

"Exactly." said Mr. Weasley.

Look at Neville Longbottom — he's pure-blood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up."

"Sorry, Neville." said Ron quietly.

"An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can' do," said Hagrid proudly, making Hermione go a brilliant shade of magenta.

"There isn't a spell she hasn't been able to master." said Ron.

"Except for the Patronus." said Hermione in a whisper.

"You'll get it, I wasn't able to do it right for the longest time." said Harry with a smile.

"It's a disgusting thing to call someone," said Ron, wiping his sweaty brow with a shaking hand. "Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd've died out."

"Wow, seriously?" said Dr. Clark.

Do you wish to hear the story of our origins? It is quite the tale?" asked Dumbledore with twinkling eyes. "I told this story a few weeks ago to Harry and he thoroughly enjoyed it."

"I think the students would benefit from that narrative as well. I don't think that Binns has dwelled on it yet." said McGonagall with a small smile.

"Might I start?" asked Harry. "I'm pretty sure that I remember it all, anything before is still a little foggy though."

"Of course." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

"Thousands of years ago, there were four different separate sets of beings in this world. There were the animals, the beings that wander about in the normal world. You know, giraffes and stuff. Then there were the creatures, these had special abilities that the animals didn't, such as longevity or fire breathing. The only drawback was, was that the creatures didn't reproduce as often, so they were very rare. But they did live in some harmony with the animals. Though they mostly kept their distance." said Harry.

"Then there were the Men," said Dumbledore with a smile, "they lived in the caves and hunted and gathered for their food, they had no special abilities except for their ingenuity to utilize the materials around them and their ability to increase their strength. The final beings were the Milenia, they resembled the Men in every way, but they had many special talents to make up for their inability to increase their strength all that far and they were quite a bit more advanced in knowledge. These beings quarreled with each other constantly, over the fact that the Men had to work hard to hunt and gather their food, while the Milenia only had to wave their hands and food appeared out what seemed nowhere. It was quite a petty reason not to get along with each other."

"The Men however forgot their jealousy when the weather grew cold, and the Men's food supply ran out. The Milenia weren't so forgetful towards the past arguments and refused to help. So the Men had to work twice as hard just to find game to hunt, and when the spring storms came, the Milenia needed help rebuilding their own wooden houses and moving the debris left over by the storm." said Harry still reading. "However, the Men refused. So the Milenia had to create a way to lift the fallen trees. By the time they found a way to lift the trees out of the way, it was almost fall."

"It took them that long to come up with the levitation spell?" asked Fred.

"Life is easy due to the fact someone worked hard." said Dumbledore kindly.

"And they could whip food out of thin air? Isn't that against a magical physics law?" asked Hermione.

"Those were put up when we began using wands." said Harry.

"For several decades it went on like this," said Dumbledore shaking his head and continuing on with the story. "All the petty squabbling when the both of them could have created such a wonderful world for us to inherit, but alas, as it seems to be the common theme of late, 'hindsight is twenty-twenty'."

Harry smiled, "One day there was a fateful occurrence that caused quite an uproar that both parties tried their best to bury the knowledge as best they could. However, only the men were able to bury the knowledge, 'cause one of the Milenia tried to make the best of it."

"One day, a beautiful young Milenia woman, who had just been married to one of the most powerful Milenia men, had gone wandering. She however was attacked viciously by one of the Men, and was raped. Her husband Harmonia, went to join her and discovered the attacker, still in the process of ravaging his wife. Using his powers, he emitted a green jet of light and the man was instantly killed." said Dumbledore, his voice as cold as ice. "Thus the form of the 'Avada Kevada' curse was born."

"The woman lived, but due to the attack, nine months later she gave birth, to three children. None of them had the silver hair of Harmonia, or the blonde hair of the woman, but they did have the dark brown hair of the assaulter." said Harry. "Most of the Milenia wanted to abandon the children, or drop them off at the Men's dwellings, but Harmonia wouldn't have it, he and his wife decided to leave their village and live away from the rest of the Milenia and raise the small children."

"It was discovered as the children got older, that they couldn't just wave their hands and conjure the magic, like their mother and their loving adopted father. They would need some additional magical objects, and something to be an appendage of their hand. So Harmonia gathered an assortment of things and asked his children to find something to go with them, long stick. So they ran to the woods and gathered long and short sticks to use. Thus, creating the very first wands and the very first staff." said Dumbledore smiling.

The school stared in amazement, even Hermione and Ron stared, mostly at Harry.

"I see everyone's got a wand." said Dr. Clark looking around. "But not one staff."

"Oh those are used only for the most powerful of wizards and witches, I have one myself, but I hardly ever use it." said Dumbledore with a smile. "A wand is less cumbersome."

"Let's continue on with the reading, or we'll never get the chapter done with today." said Harry nudging Sirius.

"Hey! I found that stuff interesting." said Sirius defensively. "And you were telling the story too!"

"Only because there was a pretty girl in it." said Remus with a small smile.

"Yeah, but…that shouldn't have happened to her, I don't care if we came to be after that." said Sirius.

"What happened to the Milenia after that?" asked a small first year Ravenclaw.

"They died, it was never discovered how, but the entire village was destroyed by some unknown force. The Men who lived nearby managed to escape it for they moved several months before it happened." said Dumbledore.

He retched and ducked out of sight again.

"You picked a great line to start reading again on." said Fred laughing hard.

"Well, I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron," said Hagrid loudly over the thuds of more slugs hitting the basin.

"Oh that's gross." said Bill shaking his head. "Tell me you got better soon, Ron."

"Yeah, but it took a while." said Ron.

"I remember when Percy got cursed once; he had kippers flying out of his nose. Funniest thing I ever saw." said Charlie whispering to his older brother.

"Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired.

"I disagree, throwing up slugs really sucked." muttered Ron.

'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son.

"He would have, and you would have been punished, but not more than what coincides with the crime." said McGonagall sternly.

Least yer not in trouble."

Harry would have pointed out that trouble didn't come much worse than having slugs pouring out of your mouth,

"Exactly!" said Ron.

but he couldn't; Hagrid's treacle fudge had cemented his jaws together.

"You didn't learn from last year?" said Charlie shaking his head.

"He said it was treacle fudge, I was willing to risk it." said Harry with a broad smile.

"So we can tack treacle to the list of your weaknesses, huh?" said Moody. "You've got about ten or so now."

"Looks like I have to get stronger than, doesn't it? To protect those weaknesses." said Harry with a smile.

Moody stared at him.

"Harry," said Hagrid abruptly as though struck by a sudden thought. "Gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?"

"Oooh, sorry Hagrid, but I hope Harry whacks out on you." said Fred cringing.

"That's a low blow." said George shaking his head at Hagrid.

Furious, Harry wrenched his teeth apart.

"My jaw was sore for a week after that." said Harry rubbing his jowls absently.

"I have not been giving out signed photos," he said hotly. "If Lockhart's still spreading that around —"

"He actually was, said you were his protégé." said Professor Flitwick rubbing his temple.

"Sweet Merlin..." moaned Remus.

But then he saw that Hagrid was laughing.

"I still would have whacked out on you." said Fred shaking his head.

"I'm on'y jokin'," he said, patting Harry genially on the back and sending him face first into the table.

Several people laughed loudly.

"Sorry 'arry." said Hagrid apologetically.

"I was fine." said Harry with a smile. "But it didn't do my jaws any favors."

"I knew yeh hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn' need teh. Yer more famous than him without tryin'."

"Bet he didn't like that." said Ernie with a snigger.

"Bet he didn't like that," said Harry, sitting up and rubbing his chin.

"Don' think he did," said Hagrid, his eyes twinkling. "An' then I told him I'd never read one o' his books an' he decided ter go.

"Wasn't a very good day for Dazzle Gum's ego." said Sirius with a loud, bark-like laugh.

Treacle fudge, Ron?" he added as Ron reappeared.

"No thanks," said Ron weakly. "Better not risk it."

"I saw how hard it was for you to open your mouth, didn't want that happening to me at the moment." said Ron with a weak smile.

"Come an' see what I've bin growin'," said Hagrid as Harry and Hermione finished the last of their tea.

In the small vegetable patch behind Hagrid's house were a dozen of the largest pumpkins Harry had ever seen. Each was the size of a large boulder.

Lionus whistled. "You must have had a secret weapon."

Hagrid, Hermione, Ron and Harry stared at him in wonder.

"Gettin' on well, aren't they?" said Hagrid happily. "Fer the Halloween feast… should be big enough by then."

"They sound big enough now!" said Dr. Clark laughing. "What day is it now?"

"It's October eighteenth." said Professor Vector.

"Excellent! I want to see what a Halloween is like here." said Dr. Clark excitedly.

"What've you been feeding them?" said Harry.

Hagrid looked over his shoulder to check that they were alone.

"Something not exactly normal, judging by his suspicious behavior." said Tonks with a smirk.

"Well, I've bin givin' them — you know — a bit o' help —"

Harry noticed Hagrid's flowery pink umbrella leaning against the back wall of the cabin.

"Oh, that's cheating!" said Sirius with a laugh.

Harry had had reason to believe before now that this umbrella was not all it looked; in fact, he had the strong impression that Hagrid's old school wand was concealed inside it.

"Jeez, took me three years to come to that conclusion." said Charlie pouting.

Hagrid wasn't supposed to use magic. He had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, but Harry had never found out why —

"I still say they're going to find out." said Fred rubbing his hands plottingly.

"We'll see." mumbled Zacharias.

any mention of the matter and Hagrid would clear his throat loudly and become mysteriously deaf until the subject was changed.

"I can only imagine that, doing so, only made that boy more suspicious." said Professor McGonagall with a smile.

"An Engorgement Charm, I suppose?" said Hermione, halfway between disapproval and amusement. "Well, you've done a good job on them."

"You never lighten up do you?" asked Anthony with a smile.

"She's lighten up a lot since first year." said Harry and Ron.

"That's what yer little sister said," said Hagrid, nodding at Ron.

"You knew about the Engorgement Charm?" asked Bill, highly impressed.

"Well, I did read a few of your old books." said Ginny with a mischievous smile.

"Met her jus' yesterday." Hagrid looked sideways at Harry, his beard twitching.

"Oh come on! Even he knew you had a crush on Harry." said George with a laugh.

"Said she was jus' lookin' round the grounds, but I reckon she was hopin' she might run inter someone else at my house." He winked at Harry.

"Harry was blushing all the way down to his socks." said Ron with a laugh.

"If yeh ask me, she wouldn' say no ter a signed —"

"Oh, shut up," said Harry.

"That's the great thing about Hagrid. He will mess with you and welcome all the comeback you got." said Charlie.

Ron snorted with laughter and the ground was sprayed with slugs.

"Hagrid won't like that one bit." said Tonks with a smirk.

"Watch it!" Hagrid roared, pulling Ron away from his precious pumpkins.

"Yeah, Hagrid's garden is his pride and joy, you don't want to deface it." said Remus. "One year, he had three fifth years blow up several of his pumpkins, they had to fertilized his garden for six months. By hand."

"Yeah, that really sucked." said Sirius, looking at his fingernail. "I swear I still have fertilizer under my nails."

It was nearly lunchtime and as Harry had only had one bit of treacle fudge since dawn,

Remus handed Harry the bowl of candied chestnuts from the day prior. "Eat something."

"I actually really like those, I'm gonna have a handful." said Sirius as Harry took some.

he was keen to go back to school to eat. They said good-bye to Hagrid and walked back up to the castle, Ron hiccoughing occasionally, but only bringing up two very small slugs.

"Well at least the curse is wearing off." said Dedalus, who had kept his mouth closed during most of the readings.

"I thought you were going to go the entire readings without speaking." said Bathilda with a smile.

"Well, I didn't really want to speak, these books are quite terrifying." said Dedalus.

"And he's a member of the Order?" whispered Ron.

"He deals mostly with taking people and putting them in a sort of protection program." said Sirius whispering back.

They had barely set foot in the cool entrance hall when a voice rang out, "There you are, Potter — Weasley." Professor McGonagall was walking toward them, looking stern. "You will both do your detentions this evening."

"That's a way to ruin your whole day. You get up at the crack of dawn and then you have to do detention till who-knows-when." said Sirius with a laugh, but then he stopped. "You aren't going into the forest again, are you?"

"No, he did not, neither of them." said Professor McGonagall.

"What're we doing, Professor?" said Ron, nervously suppressing a burp.

"I didn't want to vomit slugs all over her shoes. I would have gotten another night of detention tacked on." said Ron.

"Unless you make yourself sick, I wouldn't have given you a detention. I would have sent you straight to Hospital Wing and you might have gotten out of detention, at least for one week anyway." said McGonagall.

"Dang, I'll need to remember that." said Ron pouting slightly.

"You will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr. Filch," said Professor McGonagall. "And no magic, Weasley — elbow grease."

"That was the worst detention ever." said Sirius. "James and I've done it all, but that was the worst one I've done. Hate cleaning."

Ron gulped. Argus Filch, the caretaker, was loathed by every student in the school.

"He threw garbage on the trophies we had to do." said Sirius baring his teeth.

"And you, Potter, will be helping Professor Lockhart answer his fan mail," said Professor McGonagall.

The entire school went quiet.

"What…were…you…thinking?" asked Remus to the Transfiguration teacher.

"What happened? You were the best one to assign detentions, you're slipping." said Sirius shaking his head.

"She didn't pick it." said Harry.

"Oh n — Professor, can't I go and do the trophy room, too?" said Harry desperately.

"Certainly not," said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. "Professor Lockhart requested you particularly.

"And you didn't notice him not wanting to do something easy?" asked Remus slowly. "And that Lockhart asked for Harry specially?"

"It concerned me, but I made sure he was fine." said McGonagall defiantly.

"How?" asked Remus sharply.

"There was a cat outside the window of the Lockhart's office." said Harry with a broad smile. "It was Tootsie."

Eight o'clock sharp, both of you."

Harry and Ron slouched into the Great Hall in states of deepest gloom, Hermione behind them, wearing a well-you-did-break-school-rules sort of expression.

"Moony gave that look to us once, what happened after that?" asked Sirius innocently.

"Someone put frog spawn in my shorts." muttered Remus.

Harry didn't enjoy his shepherd's pie as much as he'd thought.

"Who would have? If they knew they had Dazzle Gums to deal with later?" said Tonks with a laugh.

Both he and Ron felt they'd got the worse deal.

"I still say I got the worse deal." said Ron and Harry together.

"I'm actually not too sure who to vote for who had the short end of the stick." said Sirius with a smile.

"Harry did." said Remus quickly.

"Filch'll have me there all night," said Ron heavily. "No magic! There must be about a hundred cups in that room. I'm no good at Muggle cleaning."

"Nobody in our family except for Mum is all that good at Muggle cleaning." said Charlie.

"I'd swap anytime," said Harry hollowly. "I've had loads of practice with the Dursleys.

Snarls and growls crawled along the Great Hall.

"What did they have you polish, Harry?" asked Dumbledore coldly.

"Their silver, Aunt Petunia's wedding present from Uncle Vernon's family." said Harry.

"There wasn't a lot of it, was there?" asked Remus.

"They had a complete silverware set, platters and other small stuff like that. They also had some small silver statuettes. Takes the whole day to get them as shiny and clean as Aunt

Petunia wants it." said Harry.

"How many times do you do it?" asked Sirius.

"About once a week." said Harry shrug. "I usually do it on a Sunday."

"Did do it on Sundays." corrected Sirius. "You aren't going back, you're never going back."

Answering Lockhart's fan mail… he'll be a nightmare…"

"I can understand that." said Remus with a growl.

Saturday afternoon seemed to melt away, and in what seemed like no time, it was five minutes to eight, and Harry was dragging his feet along the second-floor corridor to Lockhart's office. He gritted his teeth and knocked.

"Wow, you sound really excited to go see Lockhart." said Lee with a smirk.

The door flew open at once.

"Dear Lord, he was waiting for you way too eagerly for my liking." said Remus muttering darkly.

Lockhart beamed down at him.

"Ah, here's the scalawag!" he said.

"Shoot me." said Sirius covering his eyes.

"That's what I was saying to myself when I was there." said Harry.

"Come in, Harry, come in —"

Shining brightly on the walls by the light of many candles were countless framed photographs of Lockhart. He had even signed a few of them.

"What the f…? He gave himself a signed photograph?" said Dr. Clark stunned.

"Yeah, it even said 'To the bravest and handsomest man, sighed Me'. It was beyond awkward." said Harry.

Remus and Sirius stared at Harry, and then started gagging.

"Hey! Do that somewhere else!" said Harry lifting the bowl of chestnuts out of harm's way.

Another large pile lay on his desk.

"You can address the envelopes!" Lockhart told Harry, as though this was a huge treat.

"I would rather have licked a boot." said Harry in disgust.

"This first one's to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her — huge fan of mine —"

"Poor, stupid Gladys." muttered Sirius to Remus.

The minutes snailed by. Harry let Lockhart's voice wash over him, occasionally saying, "Mmm" and "Right" and "Yeah." Now and then he caught a phrase like, "Fame's a fickle friend, Harry," or "Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that."

"I would have snapped and beaten the man to a bloody pulp." said Kingsley quietly.

"I'd pay good money to see that." said Tonks eagerly.

The candles burned lower and lower, making the light dance over the many moving faces of Lockhart watching him.

"That was the only creepy part of that detention." said McGonagall quietly.

Harry moved his aching hand over what felt like the thousandth envelope, writing out Veronica Smethley's address.

"I still remember almost every single stupid address from those letters." said Harry darkly.

It must be nearly time to leave, Harry thought miserably, please let it be nearly time…

And then he heard something — something quite apart from the spitting of the dying candles and Lockhart's prattle about his fans.

It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom.

Several people snapped their necks up to stare at Harry.

"What is it?" asked Bill quickly. Remus, Sirius, and Dr. Clark looked pale.

Harry said nothing.

"Come… come to me… Let me rip you.. .Let me tear you.. .Let me kill you…"

The entire school went as silent as a tomb.

Sirius stared at the page he was reading, "Tell me you don't go chasing after that thing."

"I don't." said Harry reassuringly.

"Least not then." muttered Ron to Hermione.

Harry gave a huge jump and a large lilac blot appeared on Veronica Smethley's street.

"What?" he said loudly.

"I know!" said Lockhart. "Six solid months at the top of the best-seller list! Broke all records!"

"He wasn't talking about that you idiot! The homicidal voice!" screeched Tonks.

"No," said Harry frantically. "That voice!"

"Wow, Harry was frantic? That's a first." said George.

"Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"

"That — that voice that said — didn't you hear it?"

Lockhart was looking at Harry in high astonishment.

"So…he didn't hear it?" said Dr. Clark worriedly.

"What are you talking about, Harry? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy? Great Scott — look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it — the time's flown, hasn't it?"

"Not for Harry it didn't." said Lee with a small chuckle.

Harry didn't answer. He was straining his ears to hear the voice again, but there was no sound now except for Lockhart telling him he mustn't expect a treat like this every time he got detention. Feeling dazed,

Remus tensed once more. McGonagall noticed this and reassured him. "Nothing happened, I was right there, watching it all."

"Did you hear the voice?" asked Sirius quickly.

"No, I didn't." said McGonagall.

Harry left.

It was so late that the Gryffindor common room was almost empty. Harry went straight up to the dormitory. Ron wasn't back yet. Harry pulled on his pajamas, got into bed, and waited.

"Wow, I thought you had just gotten there about five minutes ahead of me." said Ron.

Half an hour later, Ron arrived, nursing his right arm and bringing a strong smell of polish into the darkened room.

"Explains the cleaning dream I had." said Seamus with a smirk.

"My muscles have all seized up," he groaned, sinking on his bed. "Fourteen times he made me buff up that Quidditch cup before he was satisfied. And then I had another slug attack all over a Special Award for Services to the School.

"Ouch, that sucks." said Charlie shaking his head.

Took ages to get the slime off… How was it with Lockhart?"

"Living hell." said Harry.

Keeping his voice low so as not to wake Neville, Dean, and Seamus, Harry told Ron exactly what he had heard.

"And Lockhart said he couldn't hear it?" said Ron. Harry could see him frowning in the moonlight. "D'you think he was lying? But I don't get it — even someone invisible would've had to open the door."

"Unless they were ghosts." said Moody thoughtfully.

"But Dazzle Gums would have heard that." said Remus.

"This is getting scary." said Dr. Clark reaching behind Sirius' head and rubbing the back of Harry's neck.

"I'm fine." said Harry with a small smile.

"I'm starting not to believe you when you say that." said Remus shortly.

"I know," said Harry, lying back in his four-poster and staring at the canopy above him. "I don't get it either."

"And you don't tell a Professor that you heard a disembodied voice of someone thinking of killing?" asked Bill stunned.

"Would you believe me?" said Harry seriously.

"No I guess not." said Bill embarrassedly.

"Who would like to read the next chapter?" asked Sirius.

"I'll take a crack at it." said Tonks happily.

"How the hell can you be happy?" asked Remus looking at Tonks in disbelief.

"Harry's fine, so I know he gets out of stuff all right." said Tonks.

She took the book passed to her and read the chapter title loudly.

"The Deathday Party."

"The what party? asked Dr. Clark.

"You'll find out." said Harry.

"This won't go well." whispered Hermione to Ron.

Chapter 34

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Exploring Harry Potter's Life

Ginny W. & Harry P. - Words: 513,181 - Rated: T - English - Family - Chapters: 60 - Reviews: 299 - Updated: 22-09-2013 - Published: 25-07-2013 - by StarLover'sLife (FFN)

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle.

"Yeah, I've noticed that it gets a little cold in here, sometimes." said Dr. Clark picking up the phoenix blanket and covering Harry with it, who had for some reason fallen asleep.

Sirius looked over to Dumbledore pointedly who nodded solemnly.

"Poppy come here quickly, run another checkup on him quick and see what is wrong." said Dumbledore quietly. "But take care not to wake him."

Madam Pomfrey nodded and waved her wand. Dumbledore nodded his head over to Tonks, signaling for her to continue reading.

"Won't it wake him?" she whispered.

"I don't think so." said Remus brushing the hair from Harry's eyes.

Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students.

"There isn't a year that I don't have a spring of cold cases coming to me." said Madam Pomfrey feeling Harry's forehead.

"Did Harry need it much." said Remus worriedly.

"No more than any other student in the school." said Madam Pomfrey examining under Harry's eyelids. "Strange."

"What's strange?" asked Dumbledore quickly. Everyone else went silent, minus the scuffling and the mumbled shrieks coming from Umbridge.

"Watch." she said and she opened Harry's eyes gently. When she did, they stayed open. If they hadn't seen Harry's chest rise and fall slowly, they would have thought that Harry had suddenly died in the arms (and laps) of the three men.

"What's going on?" said Sirius fearfully.

"I'd answer that, but I think I'll wait." said Dr. Nicodemus with a frown.

"Why? I'm begging you, tell us!" said Dumbledore his hands shaking.

"I've got tests running back at headquarters, we will know for certain if it is what I fear it to be." said Dr. Nicodemus.

Several people paled. If a doctor to the Rangers was afraid of what was wrong with Harry, it had to be really bad.

"So what can we do?" asked Remus quickly.

"Just let him rest when he wishes, there isn't much we can do." said Lionus his brows furrowed.

"Let's continue on. It being Harry's life, he won't miss out on anything." said Dumbledore trying to regain his cheerful tone of voice.

Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward.

"What does that potion do again?" asked Dr. Clark holding onto one of Harry's hands tightly.

"It cures the common cold." said Madam Pomfrey, still examining Harry.

"And the side effect is smoke coming out of a person's ears? I'll stick with the stuffy nose and cough. Don't want people thinking my head's on fire." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

"Don't you guys have a cure?" asked Draco.

"Well, there are products and medicines that cut the cold short, but we don't have a real cure." said Dr. Clark.

Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale,

"Were you okay, Gin." said Bill quickly.

Ginny said nothing, but just looked over to where Harry laid.

was bullied into taking some by Percy.

"I didn't bully her!" said Percy defensively.

"You threatened to call Mum and have her come and take her home." said Fred sternly. "That's called 'bullying'."

The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire.

Ginny blushed heavily. "I hate that potion."

Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds.

"Wow, think you can get them that size again, Hagrid?" asked Dr. Clark, trying to keep his mind of the nagging worry in his heart.

"I might be able to." said Hagrid looking down at Harry with a sorrowful look.

Oliver Wood's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened,

"It never is, where practice is concerned." said George shaking his head.

which was why Harry was to be found, late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween, returning to Gryffindor Tower, drenched to the skin and splattered with mud.

"Oh, the poor thing." said Mrs. Weasley.

"I hope he didn't stay in those wet things for long." said Bathilda, who moved closer to the bowl and ran her old, bony fingers through Harry's hair.

Even aside from the rain and wind it hadn't been a happy practice session. Fred and George, who had been spying on the Slytherin team,

"Hey! At least we didn't go into the girls' locker room!" said Fred defensively.

"But then again, they don't' have girls on their team, so it made it easier." said George wickedly.

"We should have had Harry do it, he could have gotten in there without being seen I'll bet." said Fred excitedly.

had seen for themselves the speed of those new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. They reported that the Slytherin team was no more than seven greenish blurs, shooting through the air like missiles.

"It didn't look to us like they were only going ten miles faster than Harry flies." said Fred thoughtfully.

"Harry was most likely referring to the Nimbus Two Thousand's top speed." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Why doesn't Harry fly that fast, we'd win every game easily." said George.

"If you continue to go at top speed all the time, your broomstick will start to wear away." said Sirius knowledgably, "Harry goes at a pretty standard speed, not too slow to lose sight of the snitch and not fast enough to accelerate the wear and tear on his broom."

As Harry squelched along the deserted corridor he came across somebody who looked just as preoccupied as he was. Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor Tower,

"What's the point in telling us all this, we know already." moaned Zacharias.

"Mr. Smith." said Dumbledore warningly.

"Hey! Everyone else is picking on different people, why can't I pick on Potter?" said Zacharias.

"Mr. Potter didn't write these books, the knowledge is repeated for the benefit of those who might come into the readings at a later time. So unless you want to be removed from the Great Hall, please choose your words carefully." said McGonagall sternly.

was staring morosely out of a window, muttering under his breath, "… don't fulfill their requirements… half an inch, if that…"

"He's still complaining about that?" said Lionus clapping his hand to his eyes.

"You know him?" asked Sirius quickly.

"Yeah, I went to school here." said Lionus with a smile.

"Do you remember him?" Sirius whispered to Remus.

"No, he could have been before us, or after us. I can't place his face, or narrow his age." whispered back Remus. "But he looks close in age to us."

Lionus smirked when heard their discussion.

"Hello, Nick," said Harry.

"Hello, hello," said Nearly Headless Nick, starting and looking round. He wore a dashing, plumed hat on his long curly hair, and a tunic with a ruff, which concealed the fact that his neck was almost completely severed. He was pale as smoke,

"Harry described him perfectly." said Professor McGonagall with a smile.

and Harry could see right through him to the dark sky and torrential rain outside.

"Good thing you aren't still out there." said Sirius ruffling Harry's hair gently.

"You look troubled, young Potter," said Nick, folding a transparent letter as he spoke and tucking it inside his doublet.

"So do you," said Harry.

"He always did notice other people's problems before he would even think of his own." cooed Parvati.

"Yeah." sighed Lavender.

"Too bad you didn't believe him this year, instead you thought he was a nutter." growled Ron over to the two girls.

"Ah," Nearly Headless Nick waved an elegant hand, "a matter of no importance… It's not as though I really wanted to join… Thought I'd apply, but apparently I don't fulfill requirements —"

"If it's what I think it is, he's been refused many a time before." said Dumbledore sadly. "It's most distressing for him."

In spite of his airy tone, there was a look of great bitterness on his face.

"But you would think, wouldn't you," he erupted suddenly, pulling the letter back out of his pocket, "that getting hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?"

"I would be happy with less hits to the neck to be completely honest." said Remus with a small smile yet he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh — yes," said Harry, who was obviously supposed to agree.

"He really is too eager to please." said Flitwick whispering to Professor Sprout. "Makes me wonder just what he had to do to keep the peace at the Dursleys."

Professor Sprout shook her head. "I don't want to think about it."

"I mean, nobody wishes more than I do that it had all been quick and clean, and my head had come off properly, I mean, it would have saved me a great deal of pain and ridicule.

"Who ridicules him?" asked McGonagall quickly.

"Nobody from our house, I know that." said George.

"He probably means other ghosts." said Hermione. "From outside the school."

However—" Nearly Headless Nick shook his letter open and read furiously:

"'We can only accept huntsmen whose heads have parted company with their bodies. You will appreciate that it would be impossible otherwise for members to participate in hunt activities such as Horseback Head-Juggling and Head Polo. It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfill our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.'"

"Wow, they aren't asking much are they?" said Lee with a smirk.

Fuming, Nearly Headless Nick stuffed the letter away.

"Half an inch of skin and sinew holding my neck on, Harry! Most people would think that's good and beheaded, but oh, no, it's not enough for Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore."

Several people snorted with laughter.

"Never knew he was so funny." said Charlie with a laugh.

Nearly Headless Nick took several deep breaths and then said, in a far calmer tone, "So — what's bothering you? Anything I can do?"

"Hmm…the only two gentlemen in Gryffindor Tower. One is dead and one is too insecure to try and charm the ladies." said Katie with a giggle.

"He may be younger, but I wouldn't mind it if he tried charming us." said Alicia with a squeal.

"He is a little cutie." said Angelina quietly.

Fred, George and Lee all pouted.

"Yeah, but guys, we're dating you, not Harry." said Angelina tapping Fred's nose.

"And I'm not sharing." said Ginny with a smirk.

"No," said Harry. "Not unless you know where we can get seven free Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones for our match against Sly—"

"Good luck, you can't even find one free Shooting Star." said Sirius. "You can't find anything for free these days."

The rest of Harry's sentence was drowned out by a high-pitched mewling from somewhere near his ankles.

"Oh crap, it's Mrs. Norris." said George covering his eyes.

He looked down and found himself gazing into a pair of lamp-like yellow eyes. It was Mrs. Norris, the skeletal gray cat who was used by the caretaker, Argus Filch, as a sort of deputy in his endless battle against students.

"Well he's getting very close to losing the war." said Dumbledore, still furious over the part the caretaker took in the attack on Harry. "He's lucky he's still breathing right now. And when this is over, he may not have a job here any more."

"You'd better get out of here, Harry," said Nick quickly. "Filch isn't in a good mood —

"Oh, hell, he's never in a good mood." said Sirius with hollow laugh, as he squeezed Harry's hand.

he's got the flu

"Aww…poor baby." said Fred sarcastically.

"We gave him the option of taking time off to get better, it's his own fault for not resting." said McGonagall shortly.

and some third years accidentally plastered frog brains all over the ceiling in dungeon five.

"Sounds like something Fred and George would do." said Charlie looking fixedly over to his brothers.

"It wasn't them." said Snape plainly.

Fred and George stared. "Wow, he defended us." said Fred in an awed whisper.

"You weren't third years." drawled Snape. "And if you had done the defacing, which you tend to do on purpose, I would have had you clean it up."

"Just like Slughorn." groaned Sirius.

He's been cleaning all morning, and if he sees you dripping mud all over the place —"

"It's raining, what does Filch think is going to happen?" asked Tonks incredulously.

"Right," said Harry, backing away from the accusing stare of Mrs. Norris, but not quickly enough.

"Wow." said Fred looking at the sleeping form of Harry with intense disappointment.

"You didn't have the sense to hightail it the moment you see her?" said George looking at Harry as well.

"That's pathetic." said Lee shaking his head.

"And you call yourself a runner." said Sirius joining in on the fun and tapping the boy's nose.

"Knock it off." said Remus smacking the back of Sirius' head sharply. "You'll wake him."

Drawn to the spot by the mysterious power that seemed to connect him with his foul cat,

"That would be a 'familiar's' connection." said Dumbledore, looking down at the young man with a smile. He was worried about what kept knocking the small young man into unconsciousness but he knew that if the Rangers had an idea what it could be, they would sort it all out. For he himself had no ideas of his own.

Argus Filch burst suddenly through a tapestry to Harry's right, wheezing and looking wildly about for the rule-breaker.

"Oooh, yeah, he loves that second floor passageway, we always try to avoid that area." said Fred.

"He's caught us there about sixty-four times out of a hundred there." said George.

There was a thick tartan scarf bound around his head, and his nose was unusually purple.

"Wow, that don't sound like the flu, sounds more like a cold." said a first year quietly.

"Filth!" he shouted, his jowls aquiver,

"It's mud, it's not like he dumped a bunch of rubbish in the corridors." said Bill angrily.

his eyes popping alarmingly as he pointed at the muddy puddle that had dripped from Harry's Quidditch robes.

"I wonder how big the puddle really was." asked Neville.

"It was only the size of a saucer." said a somber voice overhead. Everyone looked up and saw Nearly Headless Nick, in the flesh. Well…the ghostly flesh anyway.

"Good afternoon, Sir Nicholas, what can we do for you? Or would you like to sit in on the readings? I am surprised that the rest of the school's ghosts aren't here." said Dumbledore cordially.

"Thank you, Headmaster but, no I will not be staying. I only wish to convey on our guest, my fellow ghost's and I our deepest apologies." said Nick with a low bow.

"For what?" asked Dr. Clark with a smile as he held onto Harry's hand.

"For the inconceivable conduct of Peeves, we've heard that he has stolen your eye patch and made a mockery of you several times." said Nick solemnly.

"Oh, don't worry about that, I think he's really funny." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

"You…you do?" said Nick slightly stunned.

"Oh, yeah!" said Dr. Clark "He's hilarious."

"Oh, well…I guess…everything's alright then." said Nick, slightly taken aback. "In answer to your last question sir, we, the other ghosts and I, are taking this opportunity to have a few dearly departed friends over."

"Oh! Well, I hope you all have a pleasant time." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

"Is Harry alright?" asked Nick curiously. "He seems to be paler than ususal."

"We hope he's alright." said most of the adults in the room.

"Well, I do hope he gets well." said Nick seriously. He bowed deeply again and slowly drifted towards the door.

"You sure you don't want to stay, Nick? This chapter has your Deathday Party!" said an excited first year Gryffindor girl.

Nick looked down at the small girl and gave her a slight smile. "If it is the year that I think it is, I would rather not. It was not one of my best years." With that, he took his leave.

"Is he always that serious?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Not all the time, but he is most of the time." said Remus with a smile.

"Mess and muck everywhere!

"How can it be all over the place?" asked Romilda. "Has he even seen Harry walk? He walks a straight line, he never deters from that."

Several people stared at her.

"You've watched him walk?" said Fred slowly.

Romilda shrugged. "So?"

"It's creepy." said George leaning away from her.

I've had enough of it, I tell you! Follow me, Potter!"

So Harry waved a gloomy good-bye to Nearly Headless Nick

"Why would he do that?" asked Seamus.

"Politeness? That seems to be the constant setting for him." said Emmeline Vance fondly.

and followed Filch back downstairs, doubling the number of muddy footprints on the floor.

"He just doubled his work load, didn't he?" said Bill with a smirk.

Harry had never been inside Filch's office before;

Sirius blinked heavily. "I've never been more disappointed, his dad and I were in trouble the second we got off the Hogwarts Express." he pouted.

"Well I've never been more proud." said Remus smugly.

"You would be." said Sirius still pouting.

"What did you guys do?" asked Fred eagerly.

"We'll tell you all about it later." said Sirius with a smirk.

it was a place most students avoided.

"And with good reason." said Sirius plainly.

"Oh, we try and sneak in once a year." said George with a large grin. "Just to nick something, out of our file and see if he notices or not, nothing so far."

"George!" shouted Mrs. Weasley angrily.

The room was dingy and windowless,

"He picked it, I offered him a big office, with large windows and a giant personal room, but, he chose the most disheveled room the school had to offer." said Dumbledore his frown turning quickly into a scowl at the mere mention of the caretaker.

lit by a single oil lamp dangling from the low ceiling.

"No wonder he has such poor eyesight." said Madam Pomfrey, who was now placing slight pressure on Harry's stomach, feeling for something not even she was aware of. Harry, while still asleep, he swatted her hands away. Madam Pomfrey smiled warmly.

A faint smell of fried fish lingered about the place.

"Big surprise, Mrs. Norris is a cat." said Zacharias rolling his eyes.

Wooden filing cabinets stood around the walls; from their labels, Harry could see that they contained details of every pupil Filch had ever punished.

"No wonder there were so many of them." said Sirius.

Fred and George Weasley had an entire drawer to themselves.

"Top that!" shouted Fred and George together.

"We had two filing cabinets dedicated in our honor." said Remus with a smirk.

"Top that." mimicked Sirius with a wicked smile.

A highly polished collection of chains and manacles hung on the wall behind Filch's desk.

"There aren't anything like that in his office, not anymore" said Dumbledore grimly. "I saw to that personally."

It was common knowledge that he was always begging Dumbledore to let him suspend students by their ankles from the ceiling.

"And every single time, I told him that he couldn't. The last time he asked me that, it was this year, I told him that if did that, I would suspend him from the top of the Great Hall and blast the chains hanging above him." said Dumbledore viciously.

Filch grabbed a quill from a pot on his desk and began shuffling around looking for parchment.

"Dung," he muttered furiously,

"He's lost his mind, hasn't he?" asked a seventh year Slytherin .

"great sizzling dragon bogies… frog brains… rat intestines… I've had enough of it…

"So, he's sick and tired of his job?" said Tonks slowly. "Find another job, moron."

make an example… where's the form… yes…"

"He'd better not make an example of my cub, I'll make an example of him first." growled Sirius.

He retrieved a large roll of parchment from his desk drawer and stretched it out in front of him, dipping his long black quill

Fred and George rubbed the back of their hands absent-mindedly.

"What's up with you two?" asked Charlie.

"Nothing." they both said quickly.

"What's that on the back of your hand?" asked Bill quickly seizing Fred's hand. Bill looked at the marks on the back of his brother's hand. "What the hell is this?"

"Her work." said George sending a look up to Umbridge quickly.

"Harry has one too." said Fred quickly.

Madam Pomfrey, Sirius and Remus lifted Harry's hand and inspected it thoroughly, they noticed a thin piece of pseudo-skin attached to his hand, like a glove, when they removed it Sirius and Remus gasped loudly. Dr. Clark read the words out loud, the words etched into Harry's skin, which was a light red.

"I must not tell lies?" said Dr. Clark staring at the words in horror. "Who makes a child right that into their own hand?" Tears began to fall down his face.

"That is where the torture charge came from." said Lionus calmly.

"Is there any way to remove this? Is this why he's sleeping at the drop of a hat?" said Remus quickly.

"That is not the reason, we believe it is something else." said Dr. Nicodemus. "And there is nothing we can do to remove it. We must allow it to heal on its own."

Dumbledore sent a fierce glare up to the chair in which Umbridge was restrained. Tempest and Nightstrike took several steps back and flinched visibly.

"You need to patent that look, sir." said Nightstrike with a small smile. "We could use that look."

into the ink pot.

"Name… Harry Potter. Crime…"

"It was only a small bit of mud!" said Sirius incredulously as he noticed that Tonks was continuing on with the readings.

"To him, a dot of ink on the floor is like flooding the room with paint." said Fred rolling his eyes, and trying to wrench his hand away from his oldest brother.

"It was only a bit of mud!" said Harry.

"It's only a bit of mud to you, boy, but to me it's an extra hour scrubbing!" shouted Filch,

"Oh, please, you get mop and drag it about! How hard is that?" said Dr. Clark exasperatedly. "And if he had the flu, he could have gotten help!"

"Some house-elves were assigned to help him, but he seems to neglect to utilize them." said McGonagall.

a drip shivering unpleasantly at the end of his bulbous nose.

"One of the times, it must really suck, being so observant." cringed Neville.

"Crime… befouling the castle…

"I would have laughed him right out of my office if I had asked what Harry 'befouled'." said Dumbledore and McGonagall.

suggested sentence…"

"It would have been nothing. But knowing him, it would have been something terrible." said McGonagall.

Dabbing at his streaming nose, Filch squinted unpleasantly at Harry who waited with bated breath for his sentence to fall.

"I think we cured him of his torture-happy tendencies." said Tempest smugly.

"If you were the one in charge of him, I think you did take away that little hobby." said Lionus with a laugh.

But as Filch lowered his quill, there was a great BANG! on the ceiling of the office, which made the oil lamp rattle.

"PEEVES!" Filch roared, flinging down his quill in a transport of rage. "I'll have you this time, I'll have you!"

"Hey! We could have done it!" said George indignantly.

"But we were still trudging up to the castle." said Fred calmly.

"Yeah, but still…" said George.

And without a backward glance at Harry, Filch ran flat-footed from the office, Mrs. Norris streaking alongside him.

"Oh, they left! Get out of there!" said Sirius eagerly.

"I think he's going to stay." said Dr. Clark with a smirk.

"Potter wouldn't stick around to get a punishment." sneered Snape.

"Yeah, no kid does that." said Remus rolling his eyes.

Peeves was the school poltergeist, a grinning, airborne menace who lived to cause havoc and distress.

"Distress? Nah, he's a load of laughs." said Dr. Clark with a bright smile.

Harry didn't much like Peeves, but couldn't help feeling grateful for his timing.

"See! He's going to bolt!" said Sirius.

"I'll bet you ten pounds he doesn't." said Dr. Clark wickedly.

"I don't have ten pounds on me, but I've got some wizard money. I'll bet you ten galleons that he runs for it. He James' son after all, we've run away from his office time after time." said Sirius taking out ten pieces of gold.

Hopefully, whatever Peeves had done (and it sounded as though he'd wrecked something very big this time) would distract Filch from Harry.

"I told you he's going to run!" said Remus with a small smile.

"Don't count your chick…dragon's before they're hatched." said Dr. Clark. Dumbledore smiled broadly.

"Nice blend, I think you'll fit right in." said Dumbledore happily.

Thinking that he should probably wait for Filch to come back,

"What?" said Remus slowly.

Harry sank into a moth-eaten chair next to the desk.

Sirius and Remus stared, Snape blinked.

"Ha! I told you he'd stick around!" said Dr. Clark. "I'll take my wizard money now." said Dr. Clark holding out his hand.

"I want to know what made Harry still sit in that room." said Remus thoughtfully.

"I learned a long time ago, that if I ran away from a punishment, that it would only get worse for me." said a groggy voice from the men's laps.

All eyes turned towards Harry who was trying to sit up. "You have a nice nap?" asked Sirius jovially.

"I didn't know that I did." said Harry honestly. "Till I woke up."

"You okay, cub?" asked Remus concernedly.

"A little sleepy, and feeling a bit worn, but nothing more than that." said Harry sitting up fully and stretching his arms.

"So though you slept for at least," Dumbledore checked his watch quickly. "forty-five minutes and yet, you didn't gain any rest from it?"

"Guess not." said Harry leaning heavily against Remus again. "So what did I miss?"

Remus looked down at Harry with a worried expression, but put on a brave face. "We've got you in Filch's office."

"Oh, for the mud?" said Harry thinking hard.

"Yeah, why didn't you leave?" said Sirius crossing his arms after he gave ten pieces of gold to Dr. Clark.

"I just told you, running away only makes the punishment worse, best to just lay there and take it." said Harry covering himself up again with the blanket. He didn't notice the pained and pitiful looks he received. Or the growls that came from the four men in and around the bowl.

Tonks cleared her throat and did her best to continue on.

There was only one thing on it apart from his half-completed form: a large, glossy, purple envelope with silver lettering on the front.

"If it was a black glossy envelope, don't open it." said Sirius warningly.

"Why?" asked Neville.

"Harry isn't old enough for those. Those are some explicit letters." said Sirius with a broad grin.

"I've read one before, every time I think about it, my blood pressure goes up." said Remus breathing deep. "I could have killed you for leaving that damned thing out." he finished smacking Sirius with a pillow.

"Hey! You chose to read it!" said Sirius defending himself. "Besides, James got a kick out of it!"

"Yeah, and he got slapped by Lily when he told her all about it." said Remus still beating the scraggly haired man.

Tonks had to stop laughing before she could start reading again.

With a quick glance at the door to check that Filch wasn't on his way back, Harry picked up the envelope and read:

"You read someone else's mail?" said Dumbledore looking over to Harry with wide, twinkling eyes.

Harry smiled guiltily. "Sorry. I was…curious."

"That seems to be another one of your default settings." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

Kwikspell

A Correspondence Course in Beginners' Magic.

"I had a great-uncle use that thing, he didn't learn a darn thing." said Neville shaking his head.

"It doesn't work?" asked Harry.

"Not at all, just one big scam." said Neville.

Intrigued,

"Seriously? Why?" asked a fourth year Hufflepuff.

"I don't know really." said Harry shrugging. "I had just never heard of this sort of thing in the wizarding world. Magical learning is very important and can be very dangerous. I didn't think someone could just learn this stuff in the mail."

"Very true and very wise thinking, there is no possible way to learn magic in that fashion." said Dumbledore with a large grin.

Harry flicked the envelope open and pulled out the sheaf of parchment inside. More curly silver writing on the front page said:

Feel out of step in the world of modern magic?

"Try these new dance steps!" said Fred jokingly, as George tried to do a flamenco step.

Find yourself making excuses not to perform simple spells? Ever been taunted for your woeful wandwork?

"Woeful wandwork?" said Bathilda slowly. "Who came up with that?"

"Someone who has doesn't have any writing skills I should think." said McGonagall.

"They should get some tips from Harry's mind." said Dennis brightly.

There is an answer!

"I'll just bet." said Rivers with slight distaste.

Kwikspell is an all-new, fail-safe, quick-result, easy-learn course.

"My Great-Uncle would disagree with that." said Neville.

"Is it your Great-Uncle Algie?" asked Luna dreamily.

"Nah, this was my Great-Uncle Addelton, he's worse than I am." said Neville with a smile.

"Was, Mr. Longbottom, was." said Professor McGonagall with a small smile.

Hundreds of witches and wizards have benefited from the Kwikspell method!

"I haven't heard of anyone learning from anything remotely like Kwikspell." said Rivers growling even louder.

"What's got him so upset?" whispered Ron.

"Well, he one of the heads of Magical Education. He takes learning seriously." said Hermione whispered back.

Madam Z. Nettles of Topsham writes:

"I had no memory for incantations and my potions were a family joke! Now, after a Kwikspell course, I am the center of attention at parties and friends beg for the recipe of my Scintillation Solution!"

"I have an Auntie Zelda that lives in Topsham. But, she's always been really good at magic and potions."

"If it's the Zelda Nettles I think it is, you're right, she was an excellent student." said Dumbledore.

Warlock D. J. Prod of Didsbury says:

"My wife used to sneer at my feeble charms, but one month into your fabulous Kwikspell course and I succeeded in turning her into a yak! Thank you, Kwikspell!"

"I did know Donovan Prod." said Professor Flitwick, "and he did turn his wife into a yak once. But, this was over seventy years ago, and that happened on accident."

Fascinated, Harry thumbed through the rest of the envelope's contents. Why on earth did Filch want a Kwikspell course? Did this mean he wasn't a proper wizard?

The entire student body, and including several different teachers turned and stared at Harry.

"Really? You didn't know that little fact?" said Fred slowly.

"I…I just thought you guys were just being mean." said Harry embarrassedly.

Harry was just reading Lesson One: Holding Your Wand (Some Useful Tips)

"Was there any helpful hints?" asked Hermione, remembering what Harry had said about the levitation spell.

"I experimented with the ones I had time to read, they weren't worth cra…the paper they were written on." said Harry looking quickly over to Remus.

when shuffling footsteps outside told him Filch was coming back.

"Put it back! Put it back!" yelled Fred and George together.

Stuffing the parchment back into the envelope, Harry threw it back onto the desk just as the door opened.

"Ooh!" groaned Remus, Sirius, Fred and George.

"You didn't put it back in the right spot, very sloppy." said Sirius shaking his head.

"I wasn't sure what he would do. I had an Uncle Vernon flashback." said Harry quietly.

"An Uncle Vernon flashback? What are those?" asked Remus quickly.

Harry turned and looked away quickly.

"Don't make me use veritiserum, I'll steal some if I have to." said Sirius shortly.

Harry was silent for a moment, until Dumbledore coughed loudly. Harry sighed uneasily.

"Sometimes, when I know I'm doing something wrong, I start hearing Uncle Vernon's footprints, his breathing and then his voice. I start freaking out. Three times I've almost gotten caught while working at night." said Harry quietly.

Remus stared at Harry and then at the other two men in the bowl with them.

"You don't need to worry cub, you won't be hearing him anymore." said Sirius soothingly.

"THIS PROVES HE'S INSANE!" shouted Fudge. "HEARING VOICES! FIRST HOMICIDAL VOICES AND NOW THIS!"

"He's not crazy!" screeched Madam Bones. "The poor thing has been abused so badly that he cannot even feel that being in a magical castle is enough to get away from his monster of an uncle!"

Dumbledore looked away, the twinkling gone from his eyes, now only held a large abundance of tears, and rapidly, they fell down his crooked nose.

Filch was looking triumphant.

"That's not a very good thing, run when he looks happy." said George wisely.

"That vanishing cabinet was extremely valuable!" he was saying gleefully to Mrs. Norris.

"Vanishing cabinet? There was a Vanishing Cabinet here?" said Kingsley shocked. "Where was the corresponding one kept?"

"That was in my house." said Dumbledore calmly. "However it was stolen from there many, many years ago."

"There was something stolen from your house?" said Anthony stunned.

"I am hardly home, I am only at my place of residence during the summer break, and even that is only for a night or two." said Dumbledore with a smile. "I didn't notice that it had been stolen until at least a month or two after the fact."

"So you put the matching one out and about, so students can wander about in it? And end up Merlin knows where?" asked Remus quickly.

"I placed an extremely powerful spell on the cabinet, no student could break it." said Dumbledore reassuringly.

"We'll have Peeves out this time, my sweet —"

"He's always had it out for Peeves, nothing anyone can do can change that." said McGonagall.

His eyes fell on Harry and then darted to the Kwikspell envelope, which, Harry realized too late, was lying two feet away from where it had started.

"I could have kicked myself." said Harry.

Filch's pasty face went brick red. Harry braced himself for a tidal wave of fury.

Harry rubbed his back without even thinking. Sirius noticed this and took ahold of his godson's hand.

"Don't think about it. Just let it go." said Sirius in Harry's ear.

Filch hobbled across to his desk, snatched up the envelope, and threw it into a drawer.

"Have you — did you read —?" he sputtered.

"No," Harry lied quickly.

"Pathetic, learn to lie to him at least." said Sirius shaking his head.

"I agree with him on this, I don't want him hurting you again." said Remus giving Harry's shoulder a small squeeze.

Filch's knobbly hands were twisting together.

"Someone's gotta go potty!" sang Lee.

"If I thought you'd read my private —not that it's mine — for a friend — be that as it may — however —"

"Wow, no wonder he wanted revenge." mumbled Fred to George.

"I'll kill him myself, if I get the chance." said George. "Stupid reason to want revenge like that."

"Sort of explains why he accused Harry of turning his cat almost to stone." said Lee.

"Yeah, he did say something like that didn't he?" said Fred.

Harry was staring at him, alarmed;

People turned and stared at Tonks and the book she was reading from.

"Harry was alarmed?" said a fourth year Slytherin.

"But…But Harry's not scared of anything!"

Filch had never looked madder. His eyes were popping, a tic was going in one of his pouchy cheeks, and the tartan scarf didn't help.

"Wow, we've never pissed him off that much." said George.

"Very well — go — and don't breathe a word — not that — however, if you didn't read — go now, I have to write up Peeves' report — go —"

"As mad as you got him, he let you go?" said Remus slowly.

"I'm mad now." pouted Sirius.

Amazed at his luck, Harry sped out of the office, up the corridor, and back upstairs.

"I didn't want to give him the opportunity to change his mind." said Harry.

To escape from Filch's office without punishment was probably some kind of school record.

"It is." said Sirius grudgingly.

"You don't have my big, green, innocent eyes. You look like a trouble maker." said Harry playfully.

"Don't push your luck." said Sirius giving Harry a small shove.

"Harry! Harry! Did it work?"

"Peeves helped you?" said Remus stunned.

Nearly Headless Nick came gliding out of a classroom. Behind him, Harry could see the wreckage of a large black-and-gold cabinet that appeared to have been dropped from a great height.

"Nick rules!" said Gryffindors, young and old in the room.

"I persuaded Peeves to crash it right over Filch's office," said Nick eagerly.

"I'll bet that didn't take much persuasion." said Ernie with a laugh.

"It never does." said Fred eagerly.

"Thought it might distract him —"

"It worked." said Harry with a bright smile.

"Was that you?" said Harry gratefully. "Yeah, it worked, I didn't even get detention. Thanks, Nick!"

They set off up the corridor together. Nearly Headless Nick, Harry noticed, was still holding Sir Patrick's rejection letter…

"Why do you look for people with problems and try and fix them." said Tonks looking over to Harry.

"He did me a very big favor." said Harry.

"I wish there was something I could do for you about the Headless Hunt," Harry said. Nearly Headless Nick stopped in his tracks and Harry walked right through him.

"That sucks." said Fred.

He wished he hadn't; it was like stepping through an icy shower.

"I've had a cold shower, they are really unpleasant, especially if it's cold outside." said Dr. Clark.

"That's what it felt like." said Harry with a smile.

"But there is something you could do for me," said Nick excitedly. "Harry — would I be asking too much — but no, you wouldn't want —"

"I wish people would just spit out what they want." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"What is it?" said Harry.

"Well, this Halloween will be my five hundredth deathday," said Nearly Headless Nick, drawing himself up and looking dignified.

"A momentous occasion." said Dumbledore brightly.

"Indeed, but what does one get for someone's deathday?" said McGonagall inquisitively.

"Oh," said Harry, not sure whether he should look sorry or happy about this. "Right."

"My opinion still stands. He's too flexible for a child." said Flitwick.

"I'm holding a party down in one of the roomier dungeons. Friends will be coming from all over the country.

"That explains why it got so cold in the castle that night." said Katie.

It would be such an honor if you would attend. Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger would be most welcome, too, of course —

"He was always so polite." said McGonagall. "Even in life he was famous for it."

but I daresay you'd rather go to the school feast?" He watched Harry on tenterhooks.

"No," said Harry quickly, "I'll come —"

"You're giving up a Halloween feast, for something that's not even going to have food or anything fun for living people to do?" asked Remus stunned.

"Yeah, sort of." said Harry with a smile.

"My dear boy! Harry Potter, at my deathday party! And —" he hesitated, looking excited "— do you think you could possibly mention to Sir Patrick how very frightening and impressive you find me?"

"Harry Potter goes right up and leaps onto the back of a troll, doesn't back down from a bucking broomstick over fifty feet in the air," said George ticking off the first year's events.

"Doesn't scream and run away from a mysterious, dark being in the forest, and rushes to fight a dark wizard, but is terrified from a ghost wearing tights and a ruffed collar?" said Fred with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah right." said Fred and George rolling their eyes.

"Of — of course," said Harry.

"Come on, Harry! No one would believe you afraid of a ghost, besides, they can't hurt anybody!" said Lee slapping a hand to his forehead.

Nearly Headless Nick beamed at him.

Several Gryffindors of the past blinked.

"Nick beamed at you? He's always so…somber." said Remus, trying hard to not instigate Sirius's favorite joke. However, Sirius noticed this, and crossed his arms.

"I don't use that joke all the time." pouted Sirius.

"Yes, you do." said a collective group of adult voices.

"Do not!" Sirius retorted. "I could have used it a bunch of times, but I didn't!"

"A deathday party?" said Hermione keenly when Harry had changed at last and joined her and Ron in the common room.

"I had to almost bury him in blankets when he came down from his dormitory." said Hermione. "He was shivering."

"I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those — it'll be fascinating!"

"Deathday party, not deathday study." said Fred with a teasing smile.

"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" said Ron, who was halfway through his Potions homework and grumpy.

"He's always grumpy when he has homework to do." said Harry and Hermione together.

"Sounds dead depressing to me…"

"Nice pun." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

Rain was still lashing the windows, which were now inky black, but inside all looked bright and cheerful. The firelight glowed over the countless squashy armchairs where people sat reading, talking, doing homework

"Wow, makes me want to go back upstairs and just relax in the common room, don't it?" said Charlie wistfully.

or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster firework to a salamander.

"You didn't!" said Charlie angrily.

"It was a Fire Salamander!" said George defensively.

"Oh, well, alright." said Charlie apologetically.

"Really? You gave up that easily?" said Bill slowly.

"Fire salamanders actually really like those things. We found that out about four years ago." said Charlie with a small smile.

Fred had "rescued" the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class

"'Rescue' my foot." said McGonagall tartly, though she had a small smile on her lips.

and it was now smoldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people.

Harry was at the point of telling Ron and Hermione about Filch and the Kwikspell course when the salamander suddenly whizzed into the air,

"I took that as a sign." said Harry with a bright smile.

"What do you mean?" asked Colin.

"I almost went back on my word not to tell about it." said Harry.

"You didn't promise, he make you." said Sirius with a grin.

emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly round the room.

"They enjoy those things?" said Hermione.

"They actually do. When ours was stupid enough to eat one, it whizzed around the place, landed outside and came crawling back in to eat another one. It did it till the box was empty." said Charlie with a bright smile. "I think it's the powder inside, it's like sugar to them."

The sight of Percy bellowing himself hoarse at Fred and George, the spectacular display of tangerine stars showering from the salamander's mouth, and its escape into the fire, with accompanying explosions,

"Didn't sound like it enjoyed it." said Tonks with a laugh.

"It came back out and ate one more after everyone else went to bed." said Harry. "I couldn't sleep that night."

"Why not?" said Sirius quickly.

"Something was worrying me. And I couldn't put my finger on why I was restless." said Harry.

drove both Filch and the Kwikspell envelope from Harry's mind.

"It was really mind-blowing." said Harry with a fond smile. "I love fireworks."

By the time Halloween arrived, Harry was regretting his rash promise to go to the deathday party.

"Why would you?" asked Percy.

The rest of the school was happily anticipating their Halloween feast; the Great Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Hagrid's vast pumpkins had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in,

Dr. Clark whistled excitedly.

and there were rumors that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment.

"Wasn't rumors, there really were skeletons there." said Fred.

"A promise is a promise," Hermione reminded Harry bossily. "You said you'd go to the Deathday party."

"I was not bossy!" said Hermione angrily.

"Yeah, but I never said I wasn't going! I said I was starting to regret promising to go to the party." said Harry.

So at seven o'clock, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked straight past the doorway to the packed Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and directed their steps instead toward the dungeons.

"Why didn't you stop in for a quick bite, and be fashionably late for the party." said Sirius quickly.

Harry and Ron looked pointedly at Hermione, who blushed and shuffled her feet.

"We were already, sort of late. Party started at five-thirty." said Harry.

"Hermione couldn't get her hair to sit right. We kept telling her she looked fine, but did she believe us? NO!" said Ron shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

The passageway leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party had been lined with candles, too, though the effect was far from cheerful: These were long, thin, jet-black tapers, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light even over their own living faces.

"That's creepy, perfect for dead people, I guess." said Justin.

The temperature dropped with every step they took. As Harry shivered and drew his robes tightly around him,

Sirius did he best to slyly tuck the blanket in around Harry. Harry watched with amusement as Sirius, (who was staring ahead), tried to tuck the blanket behind Remus, who was wondering why a blanket was getting shoved behind him.

he heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard.

"Sets my teeth on fire just thinking about it." said Remus cringing horribly and covering his ears.

"Is that supposed to be music?" Ron whispered. They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes.

"My dear friends," he said mournfully. "Welcome, welcome… so pleased you could come…"

"How can you be pleased and mournful at the same time?" asked Hannah to Susan.

He swept off his plumed hat and bowed them inside.

It was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent people, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful, quavering sound of thirty musical saws, played by an orchestra on a raised, black-draped platform.

"Did you hear any songs you could recognize?" asked Ginny with a slight smile. The school sat up quickly, eager to hear Harry sing again.

"I heard 'Danny Boy' and some other funeral dirges I didn't know. Or at least I thought they were funeral dirges." said Harry.

"Yeah, it's kinda hard to tell when it's being played on musical saws." said Hermione.

"I don't want to be forced to learn how to play those things." said Ron. "What if it were to slip the wrong way."

"I don't want to think about it." said Sirius leaning forward quickly.

A chandelier overhead blazed midnight-blue with a thousand more black candles. Their breath rose in a mist before them; it was like stepping into a freezer.

"I was freezing, and I had about four layers on." said Harry.

"Shall we have a look around?" Harry suggested, wanting to warm up his feet.

"Explains why you were hopping around." said Ron with a smile.

"Careful not to walk through anyone," said Ron nervously, and they set off around the edge of the dance floor.

"Don't have to tell me twice." said Harry and Hermione.

They passed a group of gloomy nuns,

"Oh! Those are the Halleluiah Sisters, they haunt Westminster Abbey. They love to sing for people who come into the church at midnight." said Professor Sprout. "Though, that does tend to send them away screaming when they can't see anyone there to sing."

a ragged man wearing chains,

"Hmm, I do believe that is the Prisoner of the Tower of London. I'm amazed that Sir Nicholas invited him." said Dumbledore. "He was a serial killer."

"I didn't need to hear that." said Remus and Dr. Clark together.

"How can you tell what ghost they are, it's just a one sentence description." said Colin.

"We have met quite a few ghosts in our time." said Dumbledore with a smile.

and the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost, who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead.

"Sir Langdon. A most unfortunate knight. He was granted knighthood after he was killed in his first battle. He took that arrow for his king." said Professor Flitwick.

Harry wasn't surprised to see that the Bloody Baron, a gaunt, staring Slytherin ghost covered in silver bloodstains, was being given a wide berth by the other ghosts.

"Who wouldn't." said Draco quietly.

"Oh, no," said Hermione, stopping abruptly. "Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle —"

"Who?" asked Dennis.

"She haunts a bathroom in the school." said Hermione.

"She'd like to haunt something else." said Ron with a wicked grin. But stopped his smiling when Hermione slammed an elbow into his side.

"Who?" said Harry as they backtracked quickly.

"You've got the boys trained pretty well, don't you?" said Madam Bones with a broad smile.

"Of course. JUMP!" shouted Hermione.

"How high!" said both of the boys, going along with the gag. The students and guests laughed loudly.

"She haunts one of the toilets in the girls' bathroom on the first floor," said Hermione.

"She haunts a toilet?"

"Hope that doesn't happen to me when I pass away." said a small first year Slytherin boy.

"Yes. It's been out-of-order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place.

"It was her fifty year anniversary." whispered Hermione to Ron.

I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it; it's awful trying to have a pee with her wailing at you —"

Hermione blushed heavily.

"You told boys that kind of stuff?" said Tonks nearly dropping the book.

"They're so easy to talk to. Harry even tries to get "girl talk" out of my system when I can't talk to Ginny, Luna or some other girl." said Hermione quietly.

"How does that go?" asked Sirius laughing like mad.

"It's harder than it looks." said Harry.

"Look, food!" said Ron.

"He's got a radar for food, nothing else registers." said Ginny shaking her head.

"Just like all the other Weasley men, dear." said Mrs. Weasley with a smile.

On the other side of the dungeon was a long table, also covered in black velvet. They approached it eagerly but next moment had stopped in their tracks, horrified.

"Harry was more horrified than Ron was. I was shocked." said Hermione with a laugh.

"What was wrong?" said Remus.

Tonks read ahead quickly and gave a laugh. "Oh, in Harry's case, it was mortifying."

The smell was quite disgusting.

"What is it?" asked Sirius worriedly.

"The worse thing I had ever seen." said Harry shaking his head, his eyes weren't as playful and full of light as they were earlier.

Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters;

Harry flinched horribly.

cakes, burned charcoal-black, were heaped on salvers;

Then he whimpered.

there was a great maggoty haggis,

Then he whined.

a slab of cheese covered in furry green mold

Then Harry moaned loudly.

and, in pride of place, an enormous gray cake in the shape of a tombstone, with tar-like icing forming the words,

SIR NICHOLAS DE MIMSY-PORPINGTON

DIED 31ST OCTOBER, 1492

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE, JUST SKIP OVER THE REST!" cried Harry, covering his head with the blanket.

"We can't skip over it, and you're having conniptions over food?" said Sirius wonderingly.

"Harry hates wasting food, he's never thrown anything away." said Ron and Dr. Clark.

Harry watched, amazed, as a portly ghost approached the table, crouched low, and walked through it, his mouth held wide so that it passed through one of the stinking salmon.

"Harry, quit cringing. You're almost falling out of the bowl." said Sirius pulling Harry back onto the cushions and Remus's side.

"Can you taste it if you walk though it?" Harry asked him.

"I didn't want to hear him say that he liked it." said Harry turning pale.

"Almost," said the ghost sadly, and he drifted away.

"I expect they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavor," said Hermione knowledgeably,

"I didn't want to hear that either." said Harry.

pinching her nose and leaning closer to look at the putrid haggis.

"Why would you lean forward to look at it?" said Dumbledore looking over to Hermione in shock.

"I don't even know why I did it." said Hermione.

"Can we move? I feel sick," said Ron.

"All three of us looked a little green." said Harry recovering.

They had barely turned around, however, when a little man swooped suddenly from under the table and came to a halt in midair before them.

"Hello, Peeves," said Harry cautiously.

"I'm amazed that Nicholas invited him." said Professor McGonagall.

Unlike the ghosts around them, Peeves the Poltergeist was the very reverse of pale and transparent. He was wearing a bright orange party hat, a revolving bow tie, and a broad grin on his wide, wicked face.

"Ever get the feeling he invited himself?" said Fred.

"Nibbles?" he said sweetly, offering them a bowl of peanuts covered in fungus.

"Harry rushed over to the corner and almost got sick." said Hermione.

"No thanks," said Hermione.

"Heard you talking about poor Myrtle," said Peeves, his eyes dancing. "Rude you was about poor Myrtle."

"You were actually." said Luna dreamily. "But then again, she's used to it, she likes the dramatics."

He took a deep breath and bellowed, "OY! MYRTLE!"

"Oh, he's a real lady killer." said Dr. Clark with a smirk.

"Oh, no, Peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset," Hermione whispered frantically. "I didn't mean it, I don't mind her — er, hello, Myrtle."

"Don't you hate doing that at a party?" said Lavender.

"Yeah, but at least we get along with everybody." said Parvati happily.

"Sure you do." said Harry rolling his eyes.

The squat ghost of a girl had glided over. She had the glummest face Harry had ever seen, half-hidden behind lank hair and thick, pearly spectacles.

"What?" she said sulkily.

"How are you, Myrtle?" said Hermione in a falsely bright voice. "It's nice to see you out of the toilet."

Sirius snorted. "Makes her sound like she has a problem."

"PADFOOT!" shouted Remus.

Myrtle sniffed.

"Miss Granger was just talking about you —" said Peeves slyly in Myrtle's ear. "Just saying —"

"Just saying — saying — how nice you look tonight," said Hermione, glaring at Peeves.

"Bet she didn't believe that for one minute." said Lee with a smirk.

Myrtle eyed Hermione suspiciously.

"You're making fun of me," she said, silver tears welling rapidly in her small, see-through eyes.

"You could be completely serious, and she would still think your making fun of her." said Padma.

"No — honestly — didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" said Hermione, nudging Harry and Ron painfully in the ribs.

"We didn't need the motivation, we knew where you were going with this." said Harry and Ron together.

"Oh, yeah —"

"She did —"

"Don't lie to me," Myrtle gasped, tears now flooding down her face, while Peeves chuckled happily over her shoulder. "D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!"

"She needs a self-esteem boost." said Remus with a raised brow.

"You've forgotten pimply," Peeves hissed in her ear.

Moaning Myrtle burst into anguished sobs and fled from the dungeon. Peeves shot after her, pelting her with moldy peanuts, yelling, "Pimply! Pimply!"

"Okay, now he went a bit too far." said Dr. Clark his smile fading slightly.

"Oh, dear," said Hermione sadly.

Nearly Headless Nick now drifted toward them through the crowd.

"Enjoying yourselves?"

"Oh, yes," they lied.

"Poor kids." said Moody with a smile.

"Not a bad turnout," said Nearly Headless Nick proudly. "The Wailing Widow came all the way up from Kent…

"She was 'singing' at that point." said Ron with a laugh.

It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go and warn the orchestra…"

"Warn is a good word for it, he has really boring speeches. Just like Percy." said Fred.

The orchestra, however, stopped playing at that very moment. They, and everyone else in the dungeon, fell silent, looking around in excitement,

"Wow, someone was excited to hear Nick talk?" said Charlie.

as a hunting horn sounded.

"Oh, alright, now it makes a little bit more sense." said Bill

"Oh, here we go," said Nearly Headless Nick bitterly.

"Well, whatever it is, Nick didn't plan it." said Kingsley.

Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horseman. The assembly clapped wildly; Harry started to clap, too, but stopped quickly at the sight of Nick's face.

"I didn't know what was going on, but the moment I saw Nick's scowl, I stopped pretty quick." said Harry.

The horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor and halted, rearing and plunging. At the front of the pack was a large ghost who held his bearded head under his arm, from which position he was blowing the horn.

"That was actually quite disturbing to watch." said Hermione.

The ghost leapt down, lifted his head high in the air so he could see over the crowd (everyone laughed), and strode over to Nearly Headless Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck.

"Gross!" said several students.

"Nick!" he roared. "How are you? Head still hanging in there?"

He gave a hearty guffaw and clapped Nearly Headless Nick on the shoulder.

"What a jerk." said Tonks angrily.

"Welcome, Patrick," said Nick stiffly.

"Live 'uns!" said Sir Patrick, spotting Harry, Ron, and Hermione and giving a huge, fake jump of astonishment, so that his head fell off again (the crowd howled with laughter).

"Hermione just about jumped into both of our arms." said Ron.

"Very amusing," said Nearly Headless Nick darkly.

"Don't mind Nick!" shouted Sir Patrick's head from the floor. "Still upset we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say — look at the fellow —"

"Oh, he's a real charmer." said a third year Gryffindor girl a frown on her face.

"I think," said Harry hurriedly, at a meaningful look from Nick, "Nick's very — frightening and — er —"

Some people giggled at that.

"No one would buy that." said Lionus with a laugh.

"Ha!" yelled Sir Patrick's head.

"Bet he asked you to say that!"

"Well, he's not a complete idiot." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" said Nearly Headless Nick loudly, striding toward the podium and climbing into an icy blue spotlight.

"My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow…"

"What a happy party." said Hannah.

But nobody heard much more. Sir Patrick and the rest of the Headless Hunt had just started a game of Head Hockey and the crowd were turning to watch.

"I'd've chucked him out." said Susan.

Nearly Headless Nick tried vainly to recapture his audience, but gave up as Sir Patrick's head went sailing past him to loud cheers.

"He was pissed off." said Harry with a small smile. "Couldn't help but feel sorry for him."

Harry was very cold by now, not to mention hungry.

"I can't stand much more of this," Ron muttered, his teeth chattering, as the orchestra ground back into action and the ghosts swept back onto the dance floor.

"It was getting to be a bit much, anymore and Harry would catch his death of cold." said Hermione.

"Why focus on me? Both you and Ron were there too." said Harry.

"We weren't shaking nearly as bad." said Ron.

"Let's go," Harry agreed.

They backed toward the door, nodding and beaming at anyone who looked at them, and a minute later were hurrying back up the passageway full of black candles.

"Pudding might not be finished yet," said Ron hopefully, leading the way toward the steps to the entrance hall.

"That's right, keep a happy thought." said Sirius with a smile.

And then Harry heard it.

"… rip… tear… kill…"

The smile was ripped off of Sirius' face and was replaced with a gasp of horror.

"Oh, no." muttered several people in hushed whispers.

"Wherever it is, keep away from it!" shouted Remus fearfully.

It was the same voice, the same cold, murderous voice he had heard in Lockhart's office.

Harry was dragged from his laying position and was pulled onto Sirius' lap and the men scooted a little closer.

"What the…?" said Harry.

"You aren't moving." said all three of them in unison.

He stumbled to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, listening with all his might, looking around, squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway.

"We thought you were having a heart attack." said Ron. "You had your hand almost clutching your chest."

"You didn't hear it?" asked Dr. Clark wildly.

"No, we didn't hear anything?" said Hermione shakily.

"The voice was creepier than what you told us." said Ron.

"Harry, what're you —?"

"It's that voice again — shut up a minute —"

"… soo hungry… for so long…"

"Why would you wish to hear that?" said a small first year Gryffindor.

"Listen!" said Harry urgently, and Ron and Hermione froze, watching him.

"We thought you were going nuts on us." said Ron

"… kill… time to kill…"

Sirius went pale.

"You go near that voice or follow that voice, and I'm going say you can't go to Hogsmede on your date." said Remus.

"How in the hell is that fair? This already happened, I can't make choices now!" said Harry shortly.

"He has a point, Remus." said Dumbledore, his eyes fixed on the book.

The voice was growing fainter. Harry was sure it was moving away —

"Good, keep away from it." said Kingsley, "go tell a teacher."

moving upward.

"And being in the dungeons doesn't help much." said Mrs. Weasley fearfully.

A mixture of fear and excitement gripped him as he stared at the dark ceiling;

Slowly, Remus looked over to Harry, who was still in his lap.

"Adrenaline, that's all I'm saying." said Harry, crossing his arms.

how could it be moving upward? Was it a phantom, to whom stone ceilings didn't matter?

"Sound reasoning." said Professor Flitwick. "Where ghosts can't hurt people, but can become invisible. Phantoms can hurt people and they also can become invisible."

"But we would have heard it, if it was a ghost or phantom." said Hermione.

"I didn't know that you guys couldn't hear it." said Harry.

"Oh, right." said Hermione quickly.

"This way," he shouted, and he began to run, up the stairs, into the entrance hall. It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall.

"It was heartbreaking going past the feast." said Ron sorrowfully.

Harry sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Ron and Hermione clattering behind him.

"Far behind him." said Ron. "We were barely going up half-way, when he was off and running towards the next floor.

"Harry, what're we —"

"SHH!"

Harry strained his ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, he heard the voice: "… I smell blood… I SMELL BLOOD!"

"It's killed someone already, hasn't it?" said Tonks faintly.

"No, it didn't." said Dumbledore, who knew what was going to happen next.

His stomach lurched —

Harry noticed Remus getting paler by the second and grasped his hand. "Relax, I'm just fine."

"It's going to kill someone!" he shouted, and ignoring Ron's and Hermione's bewildered faces,

"We were both ready to ship you to Madam Pomfrey, I think the rotten food had gotten to you real bad." said Ron.

he ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over his own pounding footsteps —

"Why do you think you have to save everyone." asked Sirius clutching Harry's free hand.

Harry hurtled around the whole of the second floor, Ron and Hermione panting behind him,

"What made us angry, was that he wasn't even breathing hard." said Ron shaking his head.

not stopping until they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage.

"Harry, what was that all about?" said Ron, wiping sweat off his face. "I couldn't hear anything…"

"Thanks for waiting for us at the end." said Ron.

But Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.

"Look!"

Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly,

"Harry hears a psycho voice, then something shiny appears and you walk towards it?" said Nightstrike stunned. "Kids are way too trusting these days."

squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

Those who were fourth year and up and knew the story clamped their hands together and hugged one another. Those younger or who weren't there gave a loud gasp.

"That thing…is real…?" said Sirius stunned.

"But…it's only a legend…" said Remus.

"Um…it's the title of the book." reminded Harry.

"No one told us the title of the book!" said Remus shortly.

"Nice try, Skippy." said Harry tapping Remus' forehead. "Professor Flitwick said it, you all just ignored it."

"I'm going to call you 'Skippy' from now on." said Sirius trying hard to sound cheerful.

"Don't make me bite you." said Remus angrily. "This isn't funny!"

"Of course not, but you everyone gets out all right, well mostly all right." said Harry sending a fleeting glimpse over to Ginny who nodded.

"What's that thing — hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice.

As they edged nearer, Harry almost slipped —

there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Ron and Hermione grabbed him,

"Imagine my shock when I learned how light he really was." said Hermione.

"Explains why you kept piling food on my plate after that." said Harry.

and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All three of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.

"What? What is it?" asked Remus quickly, hugging Harry tightly.

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

"If she's dead, how come she stalked me when I came back from the bathroom?" asked Sirius.

"She isn't dead." said Harry.

For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here."

"Good idea, move it, go get a teacher." said Remus.

"Shouldn't we try and help —" Harry began awkwardly.

"Screw the self-help, go get a teacher." said Sirius. "That thing might still be around."

"I didn't need to hear that." said Dr. Clark.

"Trust me," said Ron. "We don't want to be found here."

"Listen to Ron." said Bill.

But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended.

"So much for getting away without being seen."

"We didn't do anything wrong." said Harry.

"Won't stop Filch from accusing you of something." said Sirius.

From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people;

"Well don't you sound a bit bitter." said Fred teasingly.

next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.

"It was a bit too much to see you three and Mrs. Norris hanging like that." said George.

Then someone shouted through the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

Draco looked quickly up to Snape who was grinding his teeth.

"Sorry." said Draco quietly.

It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.

"Just as sadistic as his father." muttered Moody.

"Harry, where are you going?" said Remus as Harry got off of his lap and walked over to door slowly.

Sirius stood up and followed Harry. "You okay, cub? Cub?" he moved in front of Harry and gasped loudly.

"It's like he's in a trance! He's…oof" Sirius crashed into….the open door. There was nothing in his way, the door coming into the Great Hall was wide open, but for some reason, he couldn't leave.

"Stop, Harry!" said Sirius loudly, but he stared in wonder as Harry passed through the barrier that stopped him. Sirius extended a hand to catch hold of Harry's shoulder, but his hand was being pushed back by an invisible force. Suddenly the doors slammed shut behind Harry and the same force that kept Sirius from leaving sent him sprawling back to the bowl.

"What's going on?" asked Tonks loudly.

Suddenly, the same scroll that had appeared all those times before appeared once again, just like their very first experience, the room went black.

Chapter 35

The darkness departed them in the middle of the Dursley's living room, and they saw as they looked around that it was the middle of the afternoon. They heard the door open and in came a younger, though older than they had seen him yet in these scrolls, Harry come into the living room. He threw his tattered and frayed backpack into the cupboard and walked into the kitchen. He looked as if nothing in his life gave him any joy, any more.

They followed and saw him take bowls and other assorted cooking utensils out of the cupboards and drawers. He reached up and took an old battered notebook and flipped through the pages, Hermione walked behind him and saw that the notebook was full of different recipes for all sorts of different ingredients. As Harry began to take ingredients out of the fridge, Aunt Petunia came stomping in.

"What do you think you're doing?" she shrieked. She wore a flowered apron and had gloves and a spray bottle of cleaner in one hand and a white cloth in the other.

"Fixing dinner, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon said he wanted steaks tonight." said Harry not looking at her, but staring fixedly at the recipe book.

"I've invited the new neighbors over to eat dinner. I can't serve them steaks!" Petunia screeched. She stamped her foot and slammed a hand down on the page Harry was reading from.

"Why wouldn't you serve your best food?" said Mrs. Weasley in a whisper. "Especially when making a first impression?"

"I want to have a fruit appetizer, wine, salad, lobster, and dessert!" said Aunt Petunia ticking off the different meal courses. Harry stared at her in shock.

"You realize I'm going to be cooking all afternoon, right?" he muttered.

"Well then you best get going about doing it!" she snapped. "Here's some money go and get the things I want!"

"You didn't give him any ideas what to do!" said Ron angrily.

"You didn't tell me what you really wanted!" said Harry shortly.

"Don't argue, get going! Oh and by the way, Aunt Marge is coming as well, she's staying for a while." said Aunt Petunia as she left the room. "So everything must be absolutely perfect."

Harry groaned slammed the money down on the counter. He picked up the notebook again and flipped through it quickly.

The room shifted forward and they saw Harry staggering under the large and heavy bags that easily outweighed him.

As he laid them down on the counters, a loud booming voice came from lounge. Harry flinched.

"BOY! What are you doing?" shouted Uncle Vernon, stomping into the kitchen.

"Making dinner, Uncle Vernon." said Harry as he placed the different foods on the counter.

"That doesn't look like steak and mushrooms." growled Uncle Vernon.

"Aunt Petunia invited the new neighbors over for dinner and she wanted to serve something special." said Harry tiredly. "And isn't Aunt Marge coming, too?"

Uncle Vernon growled and stomped out of the room. "Make sure you do things right."

The scene shifted again and they found themselves still in the kitchen, all around themselves they saw the product of Harry's hard work. There was giant bouquet of wild looking flowers, but when they looked closer, they saw that it was made entirely of fruit.

They saw the lobsters laying on silver platters, a large bowl of multicolored salad, and a bottle of chilled wine in a tub of ice. Then in the corner, they saw a giant chocolate torte, with chocolate rosettes.

"This stuff looks really good." said Ron, his mouth watering.

"Knock it off!" said Hermione. "This is a black scroll remember? Something awful is going to happen!"

They watched as Harry, who was wearing a faded black button up shirt, carried several plates and sets of silverware wrapped neatly in napkins, Despite the fadedness of his shirt, he looked quite charming and gentle. He looked quickly over his different masterpieces and smiled warmly.

"How is this a bad memory, it looks pretty good to me." said Tonks quietly

A doorbell chimed all the way into the kitchen and they all heard Aunt Petunia's false happy voice coming from the hall.

"So happy you could come!" said Aunt Petunia. "Oh and here's Marge!"

The younger Harry groaned softly and finished placing the garnishes on the lobsters before putting it in the warmed oven. They watched as Harry continued to prepare the meals for their debut appearance, and observed as Harry whisked the food out to the table, unseen by the guests who sat in the lounge.

After Harry had lit the candles on the table, the doorbell rang once more. Harry' s head snapped up quickly.

"I'll get it Petunia, dear." said Uncle Vernon cheerfully and walked to the door. As he passed the entrance to the dining room, he sent a warning look to Harry. Harry was frozen in place, his eyes as wide as saucers.

The Watchers could hear the door open and a young man's voice coming from the door.

"Evening sir, I'm Higgens from the Police Station, is Harry Potter here?"

The scene shifted once more, and they found themselves at the very end of the dinner party. But something was wrong. The lobster's shell was left in pieces, as per normal, the flower bouquet was stripped of it's fruit blossoms, the salad was reduced to stray strips of green and purple lettuce, and the chocolate torte was reduced to only a few smears of chocolate cream. But that wasn't what was wrong; it was the fact that they saw Aunt Petunia cleaning her kitchen with a large scowl on her face.

They heard a crashing coming from in the lounge and they headed in there. They saw Harry lying against the wall, apparently knocked out and sporting a blackened eye, bleeding temple and a bruised cheek.

"WHAT THE HELL? What caused this?" shouted Sirius.

"It must have had something to do with that cop!" said Hermione fearfully, clutching at her face, horrified at what she was seeing.

They saw a large woman, with a slight mustache, sitting in one of the large, plush chairs. Gripping a cane and patting the head of a large bulldog. In the bulldog's teeth they saw shreds of cloth dangling from the dog's mouth. When Sirius looked at Harry closer, he saw that the shreds from the dog's mouth were from the pants Harry was wearing, and several trickles of blood flowed from his leg.

"Good Ripper, good boy. Seems his training is working out just fine." said the large woman happily.

"Let's see if the little beast learned his lesson." said Uncle Vernon nastily. He pulled Harry roughly to his feet by the poor boy's collar. "I'm waiting."

Dumbledore lunged forward, but flew right through Vernon and landed hard on the ground the other side.

"Albus! We can't do anything!" reminded McGonagall as she rushed to his side.

"I can't stand it, please, make it end." gasped Dumbledore as he clutched his now sprained wrist.

"It will be over soon." assured McGonagall wrapping his wrist in her handkerchief.

Harry hung limply in his Uncle's grip, he groaned softly and his eyes fluttered open.

"What do you say?" said Uncle Vernon putting his large face very close to Harry's small, thin one.

"I'm sorry." said Harry in a hoarse whisper.

"For what?" cried Remus.

"For what?" said Uncle Vernon nastily. Remus cringed.

"I…I don't know…" said Harry quietly.

"The police came asking for you. You've been to station, haven't you? I've warned you, I didn't want to catch you going there…ever…again…" said Uncle Vernon angrily.

"Nasty brutes, police officers, meddlers every one of them." said the woman smugly. "Not a decent one in the lot."

"YOUR WRONG! ABOUT ALL OF THEM! THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE!" shouted Harry angrily. He tried to wrench his body away from his uncle and slapped his Uncle square in the face with all the strength he had. But against the large man, it did very little.

Uncle Vernon and the woman blinked, the large woman sneered wickedly as Uncle Vernon's fist rose and fell, the room went dark once more.

They found themselves in Harry's cupboard; to their surprise they found themselves shrunken down this time so they could fit in the small and enclosed space. The wall and ceiling were draped in cobwebs and the smell of dried blood lingered in the air.

"How can someone sleep in here?" said Rivers looking around in shock.

The door to the cupboard flew open and they watched as Harry was flung inside so forcefully that he slammed against the back wall and landed on the dirty, lumpy mattress, he was bleeding now profusely from the small wound on his head, and from a bloodied nose. They stood what felt like hours waiting for Harry to stir and wake up. Sirius, Remus, Dr. Clark and Dumbledore rushed over and tried to nudge Harry and wake him up. But just as Dumbledore was forced to remember, their hands fell on dead air. He wouldn't stir, not until the door to the cupboard opened once more, only it was someone they didn't expect to see at all.

It was Aunt Petunia, and she had a small first aid box in her hands, and a small bottle of water. She dabbed a small gauze patch laced with ointment on the cut on his head. Harry gave a low groan and his eyes fluttered open again. She helped him drink from the bottle of water.

"You'd best tell your police friends not to come around here anymore. The next time, I'm not helping you." she snapped quietly.

"Thank you, Aunt Petunia." he said weakly, sitting up and gently taking the box from her. She snatched it back and finished patching him up. Once again the room went black and they found themselves back in the Great Hall.

Hermione's mind was racing. "So, she helped him? But why?"

"That is what we all would like to know. " said Madam Bones looking at the now fading scroll, as if seeing it for the first time.

"She could have pitied him 'cause he didn't do anything to cause the police to show up." said Dennis.

"That could very well be." said Dumbledore, drying the tears that were falling down his nose and settling into his snow-white beard still nursing his now bruising wrist. "We may never know for sure." Madam Pomfrey hurried over and healed his wrist.

Without warning, dinner arrived on the table, but what they saw, none of them had really seen before in the castle. It was the same fruit bouquets that they had seen at the Dursleys.

The door had opened and Harry walked in.

"So what do you guys think of the flower fruit." said Harry with a broad smile.

"Are you alright?" said Sirius quickly, the three men and Dumbledore rushed over to him.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" said Harry looking at each of the men with concern.

"You left sort of…funny." said Sirius.

"How did I leave funny? I told you I was going down to the kitchens, to make those things." said Harry pointing over to the table.

Umbridge strained against the bonds but ceased when she saw Tempest scowl at her.

"No, Harry, you didn't, you just walked out of here, not a single word to anybody." said Remus anxiously.

Harry stared at the men with a bewildered look. Dumbledore looked at Harrys and saw…

"He truly believes that we spoke to him when he left." said Dumbledore with a gasp.

"How is that possible?" asked Remus quickly.

"That trance, it made him think or believe that something else transpired. When we saw what really had happened." said Dumbledore.

"The books do have that effect on the subject." said Speckerton from the back of the room. He walked slowly up to the front of the room. "In some cases, they become very protective of the subject of the books, and they tend to have the person pass out during the scrolls or shots and have the person leave for the black Recollection Scrolls. If you remember Mr. Black, the room wouldn't let you leave, but it did let him. The books wanted you to know, but it gave him a chance to bow out."

"These books can think?" said Hermione shocked.

"In a way, yes." said Speckerton simply.

"Could they be the reason that he's sleeping at the drop of a hat?" said Madam Pomfrey.

"No. I don't think that is the reason." said Speckerton thoughtfully. "Passing out is one thing, but if it was the reason, he would have been enveloped in light, and that hasn't happened yet."

Harry watched the adults consult with each other about his apparent narcolepsy, when he coughed loudly. All the adult's eyes turned to him.

"If you let all this fruit go to waste, I'm not cooking again here, you want to talk, do it with a plate." he said waving his wand and conjuring all the plates to come flying into each person's hand.

An hour later, after everyone had their fill of food, and after Mrs. Weasley pestered Harry to teach her how to make the fruit look the way it did, they all began to talk about what had transpired in the scroll.

"What did the police officer want that day?" asked Dr. Clark quietly.

"It was a rookie, his wife wanted the recipe for the pecan pie he took home that afternoon." said Harry taking a bite out of a watermelon tulip.. "He didn't realize that it wasn't a very good idea to do that. He didn't get the recipe until a week later anyway."

"Why didn't you get him the recipe?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"Uncle Vernon wouldn't let me go to the door, and I couldn't go to the station with the bruises and the cuts. The last thing the police need is an incentive to try and help me again and get them in trouble again." said Harry.

Once nine o'clock rolled around, the students drifted off to bed. Sirius threw an arm around Harry's shoulders and led him to the room made up for the three men and Harry specially. When they entered their room, Sirius flung himself on the giant sofa and stretched.

"Merlin, when you come home, I'm going to gain forty pounds on your cooking." said Sirius patting his still flat, but full stomach.

"So are we." said Remus with a large smile with Dr. Clark following him.

Harry smiled brightly and yawned; he muttered about taking a shower and left the room.

All three men sat in the chairs beside the fire, each one as somber as the next, with the scroll weighing heavily in their minds.

"Enough of this depressing crap, where are those drawings? We need to finish planning Harry's wing." said Sirius digging around the couch.

"How can you think about planning? After seeing Harry get struck and hurt like that?" said Remus stunned.

"All we can really do is promise this won't happen to him from now on." said Sirius wisely as he pulled several pieces of parchment and laying them out on the table. "So did we decide on what color his bedroom is going to be?"

"I think we decided on red, with gold trim, did you say wing?" said Dr. Clark. "Just how big is your house?"

"It's the biggest wizarding house in Cheshire." said Sirius without looking up, and then he heard a knocking on the door. "Come in."

Dumbledore came in carrying Harry's small little black book and had a frown on his face. "Where is Harry?" he asked when he saw that the youth was not there.

"He's taking a shower, we thought we would pick up the pace on planning his wing." said Sirius.

"A wing, now? It was a room, now it's a wing?" said Dumbledore with a smile forming on his face.

"Yeah, he's getting older and well, I thought he could use the privacy." said Sirius with a smile.

"Does your mind revolve around sex or what?" said Remus groaning.

"Hey, it's been almost fourteen years, give me some slack here. What can we do for you?" asked Sirius.

"I came to return the book, such a marvelous, I managed to break the code, and I found the lyrics to that song he wrote…he was right, I didn't want to hear it." said Dumbledore, losing the twinkling in his eyes.

"Why?" asked the three men.

"It is a very depression influenced song." said Dumbledore.

"Well, let's hope he doesn't write another one like it." said Remus carefully.

"Mind helping us decorate Harry's rooms? This is taking more thought then I thought it would be." said Sirius with a bright smile.

"I would be happy to help. What have you already gotten down in stone." said Dumbledore regaining the light in his eyes.

"Well, we got the color of his room done, but what to decorate it with, we've got all these magazines on interior decorating, but we just can't pick on we like." said Dr. Clark.

"Have you asked Harry what he would like?" asked Dumbledore.

"It's supposed to be a surprise." said the three men together.

"What's supposed to be a surprise?" said a voice coming from the bathroom.

They all turned and saw Harry, drying his hair with a towel and wrapped warmly in a bathrobe.

"Nothing." said the four men quickly.

"Uh, huh. Mind if I go to bed then? I'm tired as hell." said Harry folding his arms.

"Go for it." said Sirius brightly. "Want me to tuck you in?"

"Nah. I think I can manage on my own. Goodnight." said Harry waving to the men.

They waited till Harry had slipped into the bedroom he shared with Sirius and closed the door.

"Alright, let's get back to work." said Dr. Clark flipping through a bathroom magazine.

"I can turn this old study into a music room for him. I never used it, and he seems to really like music." said Sirius pointing to blueprints of a large estate.

"Kids nowadays like that skiphop music." said Remus thinking out loud.

"Hiphop." corrected Dr. Clark marking different pages.

"Whatever, it isn't the music you and I grew up on." said Remus.

"When does music ever stay constant." said Sirius with a smirk. "Though you've got to admit, the music nowadays has a lot more screaming."

"Harry, seems to favor old fashioned songs, and show tunes." said Dumbledore picking up a magazine on kitchen cabinets.

"How do you know?" said Sirius quickly.

"It was the style that his song was. I went down to the choir room and played the song on one of the pianos." said Dumbledore. "The melody was quite beautiful."

"Oh, well, then I guess keeping it simple would do it best." said Sirius.

"I think Harry would like quick access to the kitchens." said Dumbledore absently looking at a cherry wood spice rack.

Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark looked up and then at each other.

"I forgot that." said Remus.

"I think the last calming draught you took destroyed your mind." said Sirius shaking his head, "Funny thing is, when I left, there wasn't a kitchen in the house, I always ate out. If 'Psycho Bitch' made a kitchen in that house, I don't think Harry would want to cook in it."

"I wouldn't either." growled Remus. "So let's take this big room on the first floor and make it into the kitchen, give him plenty of space, is that room used for anything?"

"No, it was one of the old living rooms that I never used." said Sirius.

"Why have such a big place when you don't use all the rooms?" asked Dr. Clark.

"I planned on housing all my mates, and their families. That idea didn't pan out, but the house was always there for a bit of a vacation resort." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Before you got sent away, I always crashed at your place. I think Harry will have the time of his life there." said Remus happily.

"Should we get him a pet, you know a dog or something?" asked Sirius absently.

"He has a an owl already. Let's see if he wants another responsibility." said Remus, "besides, after that damned dog bit him, how do we know he even wants a dog, besides you." he looked up at Sirius quickly.

"Does this picture mean that he's got a balcony?" said Dr. Clark pointing to a small square picture.

"Yeah, it looks out to the front gardens and when the sun comes up in the morning, the sun hits you right in the face." said Sirius with a smile.

"Harry will love it." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

"I hope so." said Sirius worriedly. "Now where's that blasted furniture catalogue?"

Chapter 36

The next morning, just like all the reading days before, everyone slowly made their way down to the Great Hall and took their seats with their plates and bowls of different breakfast meals.

"So what happened yesterday, in the last chapter?" said Sirius yawning and running a hand through his scraggy hair and stabbing his scrambled eggs with the other.

"The Chamber of Secrets was opened." said Hermione.

Sirius blinked hard and the tiredness was removed forcibly from his body. "Crap, that's right."

"So, who wants to get the ball rolling this morning?" said Madam Bones loudly.

Everyone looked around at each other, not many people wanted to volunteer to read that morning, not with a starting chapter like that.

"I will." said Hermione speaking clearly.

"Very well, Miss Granger." said Professor McGonagall, levitating the book over to her.

"The Writing on the Wall," said Hermione loudly.

"You mean the words that say 'Chamber of Secrets?'" asked Fudge.

"No, the house passwords on the bathroom walls ." said Sirius rolling his eyes. Some of the boys laughed, but they were all silenced by the glare that McGonagall and the other female teachers and adult women sent them.

"What's going on here? What's going on?" Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch

"Oh, damn. That's his cat." said Tonks.

"He won't take kindly to his cat being like that." said Charlie.

came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.

"Seeing your pet like that, I don't think I could stand it." said Dr. Clark sadly. "I lost my dog like that, had him for nine years. The day after I asked the prettiest girl in the school to the Sunset Dance, I got home and my dog was…" he shivered.

"All because you asked a girl out?" said Ron in shock.

"It turns out that that girl was being admired from afar, by one of the football team's lead forwards. He didn't take kindly to me asking her out and getting a 'yes' in return." said Dr. Clark bitterly.

"Were you a nerd?" asked Sirius, trying to cheer him up, though the death of a dog shook him. Dr. Clark smiled and laughed.

"Yeah, but I was a good-looking nerd." said Dr. Clark. "The other ones in secondary school didn't look all that great."

"Do you miss your dog?" asked Harry quietly, making a quiet mental note.

"I do, not a day goes by that I don't miss Max." said Dr. Clark.

"Your dog was named Max?" asked Charlie with a sympathetic smile.

"Maxine, actually. I thought she was a boy for the longest time, scared the daylights out of me when she had her first litter, right under my bed too." said Dr. Clark with a fond smile. "Guess that's why I became a doctor, I liked helping people and it being her first litter, she needed help too."

"Dogs aren't people." said Ron pointing out the obvious.

"I'm also a Vet. I care for people's animals in my free time, for charity, or at least I used to." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"You'll be able to do that again. You can bet on that." said Remus supportively.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?"

"Good question, and not one of them knows, I'll bet. Seeing as how they're children!" screeched Mrs. Weasley.

"It'll be alright honey." said Mr. Weasley soothingly.

he shrieked. And his popping eyes fell on Harry.

"Every time something bad happens, I swear people look at me first. " said Harry.

"Kinda hard to sound bitter, you asked for trouble the moment you came." said Zacharias.

Zacharias had to duck down and cover his ears from all the shouting that was sent his way. Not to mention all the hexes and curses, mostly sent by Sirius, and Ginny, also Remus and Dr. Clark shouted furiously over to the boy.

"You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat!

"What proof did he have?" screeched Mrs. Weasley. She didn't want Harry to get hurt, not like what had happened all those weeks ago.

"No proof but psychotic anguish." said Kingsley calmly. "And that can get people killed."

"I think I would have snapped if someone had hurt Crookshanks." said Hermione honestly.

"Nothing would be left of whoever would hurt Hedwig." said Harry bitterly, stroking his precious owl's feathers as she came fluttering down.

"I swear, she knows right when we're going to talk about her." said Dr. Clark with large smile.

You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll -"

The little balls of light, that represented the Scattered Shots, emerged rapidly from the book and spun quickly around and buried themselves in each person.

They found themselves in a darkened corridor with a large gathering of students. Each student had a look of intense confusion mixed with a heavy load of fear. Some students were standing on tiptoe and others were whispering hurriedly to the others.

The adults could easily see over the heads of all the children and see the horrible words written on the wall. They saw Filch and heard his terrible screech

"You! You murdered my cat!"

The Harry of the past stammered. "I-I didn't…I wouldn't…."

Ginny hurried over to Harry and engulfed him in a hug. Harry held onto her tightly and made quiet 'shhh.' sounds to calm her.

The adults watched in horror as Filch lifted Harry off the ground by the collar of his shirt and raised a first to strike him, just like from the scroll the night before. And before the strike fell, the lights left their bodies. Ginny and Harry found themselves holding onto nothing but air.

"That's a deal breaker." said Harry good-naturedly. Ginny gave a nervous giggle.

"Argus!"

"Thank Merlin, a teacher." said Lionus heaving a sigh.

"You're worried?" said Dr. Nicodemus.

"I'm human, though I may not act like one, all the time." said Lionus shortly.

"You act like a baby when you come to me for healing." said Dr. Nicodemus with a smirk.

Dumbledore had arrived on the scene,

"What took you so long to get there?" asked Remus angrily.

"Being the Headmaster, does not mean you get to shove students out of the way just to make way for yourself. Manners apply to us as well." said Dumbledore calmly. "It was hard time trying to get through the throng of students."

followed by a number of other teachers.

"Number? Weren't all of them there?" asked Bill.

"No, some had papers to grade and they stayed in the Teacher's Lounge, after dinner to finish." said McGonagall.

In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron and Hermione

"He ripped Filch off me first." said Harry patting Remus' arm, who stared angrily at the old man. "You promised you'd settle down."

"That was before all the dangerous stuff happened." said Remus in a hoarse whisper.

"I can sit elsewhere." warned Harry.

Remus looked at Harry quickly, swiped a Calming draught off of Dumbledore's table and drank it down in one gulp.

"That's better." said Harry with a smile.

and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.

"Poor kitty." said Luna sadly.

"You were the only one who felt sorry for her." said Neville seriously.

"She didn't ask to be petrified and hung from a torch bracket." said Luna as serious as she could.

"Come with me Argus," he said to Filch. "You too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."

"Why ask them?" said Charlie.

"For several reasons: I noticed everyone was looking over to the three of them every other second, they were soaking wet from the water on the floor. They weren't at dinner, and they didn't look quite as shocked as the rest of the students." said Dumbledore.

"Oh." said Charlie quietly.

Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.

"Who could be eager, in that corridor?" asked Fred.

"Someone who doesn't have a clue." said Sirius.

"My office is nearest, Headmaster - just upstairs - please feel free -"

"There had to be a better office to use. A spare room or something!" said Remus anxiously.

"Plenty of empty classrooms and unused rooms, but I didn't want to risk taking the three students into a room that might hold whatever attacked Mrs. Norris." said Dumbledore. "And I needed to find out what had happened immediately."

"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.

"Why? Take them up to your office! It's the safest place in the whole castle for them to be!" cried Remus.

As I just said, I needed somewhere quickly, and I heard no other options voiced from my staff." said Dumbledore calmly. Professor McGonagall shifted uneasily.

The silent crowd parted to let them pass.

"So who escorted the students back to their dormitories?" asked Mr. Weasley curiously.

"Well, in the case of Severus and myself, other teachers houses both house to the opening of their Common Rooms." said McGonagall. "Pamona, and Filius took care of their own houses."

"I was shocked when they didn't allow the Prefects to do it." said Percy indignantly.

"You were still children, and if we didn't know what it was, we weren't about to let you go on your own." scolded McGonagall.

Lockhart, looking excited and important,

"Stupid ass. How can you feel excited when the Chamber of Secrets is opened? The same chamber that's supposed to hold a monster in it?" said Sirius.

"What?" squeaked Dr. Clark and Remus.

"You don't know about it?" said Sirius to Remus.

"I don't remember reading about it." said Remus quietly. "So there's a monster in there?"

"Yeah." said Sirius slowly.

Remus and Dr. Clark gulped loudly.

hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.

"Why is Snape going with you?" asked Bill.

"I am the potion master of the school. If there is a potion that is needed to restore Mrs. Norris, than I am the one to brew it." drawled Snape.

As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls;

Several people looked about nervously. What was happening now?

Harry saw several of the Lockhart's in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers.

Despite the fear flooding from book, a flurry of laughter danced about the Great Hall, until everyone was clutching their sides.

"And the twit always said that his curls and waves were all natural." gasped Remus holding his stomach.

The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back.

"Good. Let the people who know what they're doing to take charge." said Moody gruffly.

Dumbledore laid Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her.

"Tell me you found a cure for her." said Emmeline Vance earnestly. "Tell me she isn't dead!"

"She loves cats, she can't get enough of them." said Remus.

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching.

"We didn't know what they were going to ask, or if they thought we did it." said Ron quietly.

"And of course, don't reassure the children that they have nothing to worry about." grumbled Bathilda bitterly.

"I don't think that worrying about three nervous second years was at the top of anyone's priority list. I'm pretty sure that worrying about the welfare of the entire school is more important." said Harry sternly.

"He's got a point." said Sirius with a smirk.

The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur.

"Why were you so close?" asked Bill.

"I could smell singed fur." said Dumbledore. "And her eyes were looking quite odd."

He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking.

Zacharias was about to open his mouth, but the looks he received from every member of his house and all the adults silenced him instantly.

"I think we'll leave the questions on what Dumbledore is doing for another time." said Professor McGonagall sternly, knowing what Zacharias was going to ask.

Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed.

"Could either of you two figure out what had happened to her?" asked Luna dreamily.

"No dear, we couldn't." said McGonagall gently.

"Sure, she can ask, but not anyone else." muttered Zacharias.

"You are on very thin ice, Mr. Smith." said Professor Flitwick.

"I will find something else for you to do, while the readings take place if you are not careful." said Professor Sprout.

Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: it was as though he was trying hard not to smile.

Sirius snorted and covered his mouth to hide the fact he was grinning.

"Hey! I had never seen him look like that." said Harry, sending a small smile over to Snape quickly. "It was frightening."

As other people laughed loudly, Snape covered his mouth to hide a smirk.

And Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions.

"Dear lord, just what we don't need." said Remus putting a hand to his face.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her –

"He's not even close enough to see if she's dead or not!" said Bathilda sharply.

probably the Transmogrifian Torture –

"Oh he's got to be kidding me." said Lionus rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"What is that?" said Draco.

"It's a curse that changes your body, constantly, bones grow, lung shrinks, blood constricts, and it doesn't happen gently either. If that cat doesn't have an injured eye, than it wasn't the Transmogrifian Torture." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Injured eye?" said Harry slowly, sending a quick look to Dr. Clark in his eye patch.

"Very good, lad." said Dr. Nicodemus approvingly. "Your Dr. Clark did have that particular curse placed on him."

Unexpectantly, Harry leapt over Sirius' lap and embraced Dr. Clark tightly. Dr. Clark blinked and looked over at the Rangers.

"I don't remember that happening." he said weakly, patting the back of the young man, who was silently crying into his chest.

"We removed that memory from you. It was for the best." said Lionus kindly. "That memory would only have sent you to the mental ward and kept you there."

"Then I can definitely live without it." said Dr. Clark hugging Harry back. Sirius looked at the two of them, despite his hard work to get along and be happy for Harry; he couldn't help but feel slightly jealous from time to time.

"He won't ever remember it, will he?" asked Dumbledore quickly.

"No, we removed it completely." said Dr. Nicodemus.

I've seen it used many times,

"If that was true, we'd have arrested him before he even saw his third one." said Lionus angrily.

"That particular spell only lasts for as long as the caster is standing there, and no one else can be in the room." explained Nighstrike to the confused students. "It infects everyone in the room, exceptthe caster."

so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter-curse that would have saved her ..."

The Rangers blinked hard. "What?" said Tempest in confusion.

"I wasn't aware that there was a counter-curse for that." said Nightstrike.

"Isn't there?" asked Remus questioningly.

"No, the only cure is multiple, powerful potions." said Dr. Nicodemus. "The constant changing ceases when the caster stops, but the pain remains."

"What could a wizard want with Dr. Clark?" whispered Tonks to Dumbledore.

"I not sure." said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "But I think we should try and find out."

"Could it have something to do with how close Harry is to him?" asked Moody quietly, walking over and looking at the man and the teen, still holding onto each other.

"That is entirely possible." said Dumbledore. "But I wasn't even aware that Dr. Clark even existed. I suppose that goes to show just how observant I was about Harry's life." Dumbledore buried his face in his hands. Tonks patted his back consolingly.

"You're making it up to him now, that's all you can do." said Tonks.

Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, raking sobs.

"Much as I dislike him, gotta feel sorry for him just a bit. Not too much, just a little bit." said Sirius.

He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris,

The school stayed respectively silent. Even Dumbledore, who was utterly furious with the man and still wished to rip him limb from limb, stayed quiet, but he did drum his fingers on his purple, plush armchair.

his face in his hands. Much as he detested Filch, Harry couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him,

Remus smiled at Harry who had crawled back to sit between Sirius and himself and patted his head fondly.

though not nearly as sorry as he felt for himself.

Remus stopped patting Harry's head and looked down at him with weak smile. "Nice."

Sirius couldn't help but laugh.

If Dumbledore believed Filch, he would be expelled for sure.

"There aren't many times that I listen to him in the ways of discipline." said Dumbledore grimly.

"Which is a very good thing." said Mrs. Weasley.

Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand,

"Alright!" shouted a small first year Hufflepuff. "Dumbledore will fix her up!"

but nothing happened:

"Or not." he said sadly.

she continued to look as though she had recently been stuffed.

"I love my rabbits, but I wouldn't want my pets stuffed." said Lavender with a pale face.

"... I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadougou," said Lockhart,

"Couldn't someone put a silence charm on him?" said Dr. Clark covering his ears.

"Someone's been reading magical books!" said Fred in a singsong voice.

"I making myself hoarse asking all the questions I have." said Dr. Clark with a smile. "So I thought I'd just read up on some things."

"a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography,

"More of a reason not to pay attention to him." said Sirius.

I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets which cleared the matter up at once ..."

"Amulets don't do crap, not against the Transmogrifian Torture. Or is he changing the diagnosis?" said Nightstrike.

"He changed his mind." said Snape with a sneer. "He couldn't elaborate on that story, not with the Headmaster there, to possibly correct him."

The photographs of Lockhart of the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked.

"Go figure, they would agree with him, no one else would." said Remus shaking his head.

One of them had forgotten to remove his hairnet.

More snorts of laughter sprang up from all over the Great Hall.

"You're right, he is as good as a witch." said Ron to Fred.

At last Dumbledore straightened up. "She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.

"Nice of you to reassure him." said Professor Sprout.

Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.

"I'll count them for you." said Remus nastily, people waited for him to speak, but he said nothing.

"Aww! After all these years, James and my bad influence finally broke through." said Sirius laughing loudly.

"Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. "But why's she all - all stiff and frozen?"

"Freezer burn." said Fred in a whisper to George.

"She had been Petrified," said Dumbledore

"Petrified?" said most of the adults in the room.

"How?" asked Sirius stunned

"At the time, we didn't know." said Dumbledore.

"And you aren't going to tell us what caused it, are you? I didn't think so." said Remus miserably.

("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart).

"Bullshit." said Sirius bitterly.

"But how, I cannot say ..."

"Ask him!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tear-stained face to Harry.

"He still thought you did it?" said Remus.

"He still thinks I did it." said Harry rubbing his back absently.

Remus and Sirius both caught his hand and said, "Don't try."

"No second-year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced -"

"Even more so, if Dumbledore can't cure her." said Dennis.

"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling.

"Hermione shot out of her chair, she was so scared." said Ron with a laugh.

"I did not jump!" she said angrily.

"Hermione I had a bruise on my legs from where you landed." said Harry with a smile.

" You saw what he wrote on the wall!

"He didn't write that on the wall!" said Dean.

He found - in my office - he knows I'm a - I'm a -" Filch's face worked horribly. "He knows I'm a squib!" he finished.

"Dear lord, the entire school knew what he was!" said Kingsley.

"Except for maybe Harry." said Seamus with a grin.

Several people laughed good-naturedly, even Harry joined in.

"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him, including all the Lockharts on the walls.

"Made me think that you all thought I was guilty." said Harry quietly.

"Only an idiot would think you did it." said Sirius soothingly.

The fourth years and older Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor students all shuffled their feet.

Remus looked around noticed their discomforts. But he noticed that Slytherin students were unmoved by it.

"And I don't even know what a Squib is."

"Ron never told you?" asked Bill.

"We never got around to cultural enrichment lessons." said Ron with a broad smile. "We were working on fundamentals of magic."

"Rubbish!" snarled Filch. "He saw my Kwikspell letter!"

"And he didn't tell anyone! Which means, he don't really give a damn what you are." said Sirius.

"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows,

"Oh this won't be good." said George.

and Harry's sense of foreboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good.

"Right on." said George.

"Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said,

"Wow, he's actually on your side." said Sirius brightly.

a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it,

"Well, that was shot all to hell." said Sirius shaking his head.

"but we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they in the upstairs corridor at all?

"Why not just freaking ask them?" said Charlie loudly. "Honestly! Even children can see things too!"

Why weren't they at the Halloween feast?"

"How about saying 'Why weren't you at the feast?'" said Bill.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all launched into an explanation about the Deathday Party, "... there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there -"

"Knowing Snape, he won't check the facts." said George quietly.

"I did, actually." said Snape sharply, hearing Georges words. "The Bloody Baron told me."

"But why not join the feast afterwards?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?"

"Good luck answering that question without incriminating yourself." said Tonks with a small smile.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry. "Because - because -" Harry said, his heart thumping very fast; something told him it would sound very far-fetched if he told them he had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but he could hear,

"Yeah, I can see that." said Sirius smileing.

"because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," he said.

"Half right, we were tired, but we were hungry too." said Ron.

"Without any supper?" said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across his gaunt face.

"He knew Ron's weakness." said Hermione with a beaming grin.

"I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties."

"They don't" said the three young fifth years together.

"We weren't hungry," said Ron loudly, as his stomach gave a huge rumble.

"If your surname is Weasley and you're a male, you're always hungry." said Mr. Weasley with a broad smile.

Snape's nasty smile widened.

"Crap, he heard it." said Ron with a mock groan.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful,"

"Well, to be honest, you weren't being honest." said Remus carefully.

Harry held in a laugh.

"Still doesn't mean he can pick on my cub. Dumbledore even said that a kid couldn't do that sort of damage." said Sirius angrily.

"That is true." Dr. Clark.

he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story.

"You jerk!" shouted Sirius.

"Now, I can sort of see where he's coming from." said Remus quietly.

"WHAT?" said Sirius and Dr. Clark loudly.

"If a student was withholding information that might be pertinent of to an incident, they should be restricted with their privileges." said Remus carefully.

"BUT HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!" yelled Sirius

I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."

"Okay, that's pushing it too far. Don't tell me he succeeded in that." said Remus.

"He didn't, I would not allow that." said McGonagall sternly.

"And neither would I." said Dumbledore twice as stern as she was.

"Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick.

"Good reasoning." said Tonks.

"The punishment should fit the crime, and in this case, there was no crime committed by the boy." said Moody.

There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong."

"Good thing Minerva is on the ball." said Moody with a smirk.

Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made Harry feel as though he was being X-rayed.

"Oh, come on, Dumbledore! You need to use legimency to see if he's lying to you?" said Sirius clapping a hand to his forehead. "Harry would never lie to you, especially if something bad had just happened."

Harry squirmed slightly.

"He did last year." said Fudge loudly.

"Can we get a gag for him too?" asked Remus tiredly.

"It has crossed our minds to use one." threatened Lionus looking up to the Minister.

"What is legi…man…see?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It's where you can force your way into a person's mind and see if they are lying to you or not." said Sirius.

"It has other uses as well…" said Dumbledore, looking over to Harry briefly.

"That sounds very…invasive." said Dr. Clark.

"But necessary against a castle full of mischievous students." said Snape quietly.

"That is not what it was created for." said McGonagall with a snarl.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly.

"I swear, he forgets that the second after he hears it." said McGonagall sharply looking over at Snape.

Snape looked furious. So did Filch.

"They both wanted bloodshed." said Ernie. When the school looked over to him and stared. Ernie quickly began to stammer.

"I-I-I meant tha-that that they w-wanted t-to see H-H-Harry given de-detention for someth-something he didn't do!" stuttered Ernie.

"Thank you for clarifying that." growled Snape.

"My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"

"No, he wants to see Harry get the snot beaten out of him." said Ron angrily.

"While he watches." said Hermione gritting her teeth.

"We'll be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Madam Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes.

"Really Albus, you call last year, recently?" said Professor Sprout with a smile.

"When you are one hundred and fourteen years old, a year is as good as a week." said Dumbledore with a broad smile.

Dr. Clark spat out his tea that he had been drinking. Sirius thumped him hard on his back as Dr. Clark began to cough., while Dumbledore happily waved his wand and magicked away the tea that had been sprayed on the floor.

"You are how old?" asked Dr. Clark weakly.

"One hundred and fourteen." said Dumbledore brightly. "at the time anyway."

"How old did you think he was?" asked Remus.

"No more than seventy." said Dr. Clark faintly.

"Hagrid's sixty-three this year." said Harry.

Dr. Clark looked over to the half giant so quickly that it seemed that his neck would have most surely would have snapped if Hagrid was any further to the right.

"I was thinking….you were…nevermind." said Dr. Clark throwing his hands into the air.

As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made which will revive Mrs. Norris."

"If the Mandrakes are still babies…you have a long time to go." said Kingsley.

"We did, it was a very long wait, but nonetheless, all the victims were restored." said Madam Pomfrey, she squeaked and covered her mouth.

"Victims! There were more than one?" said most of the guests in shock.

"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in.

"Why do that, when you've got the youngest Potion Master the school's ever had." said Sirius.

Snape and Remus both stared at the man, as well as every Gryffindor in the room.

"What? He is." said Sirius shrugging.

"I must have done it a hundred times,

"He couldn't even make a first year potion when he was in school." said Remus rolling his eyes.

I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep -"

"Yeah, in your dreams." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Excuse me," said Snape icily, "but I believe I am the potions master at this school." There was a very awkward pause.

"It was very awkward. Lockhart couldn't' come up with a single thing to say, I almost said 'Thank goodness.'" said Harry with a smile.

"You may go," Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Finally, time for them to get to bed, they had one rough day." said Sirius.

They went, as quickly as they could without actually running.

"I had never seen a student vault over a chair before." said Dumbledore with a smile.

When they were a floor up from Lockhart's office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them.

"Why aren't you going to the dorms, where it's safe?" said Bathilda worriedly. "Even Albus wasn't secure enough to take you to an empty classroom, don't you be going inside."

Harry squinted at his friends' darkened faces. "D'you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?"

"Yes!" said the teachers.

"Would you really have believed me?" asked Harry seriously.

They all exchanged pained expressions and each shook their head slowly.

"Didn't think so." said Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."

"Sure tell sign you've gone off your chump." said Fred with a snicker.

Something in Ron's voice made Harry ask, "You do believe me, don't you?"

Ron blushed slightly.

"I knew you didn't believe me." said Harry with a sad smile.

"Well, I wasn't too sure what to make of it." said Ron.

"It's alright." said Harry smiled.

"Course I do," said Ron quickly.

"Liar." said Harry, Fred and George.

"But - you must admit it's weird ..."

"Can't argue with that, especially if Ron didn't know you were a Parselmouth." said Remus.

"I know it's weird," said Harry. "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber has been opened ... what's that supposed to mean?"

"Were you just withholding your intellect again?" asked Hermione.

"I read about the Chamber the year before. But I thought it was just a legend and just skimmed over it. When we got to bed that night, I read it again and this time I paid a little bit more attention." said Harry sheepishly.

"You had a copy of Hogwarts A History? Why didn't you let me borrow it!" said Hermione angrily.

"You didn't ask." said Harry. "I thought you brought your copy to school." sad Harry. "And when you said that you didn't have it, we were already heading to class."

"You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once ... might've been Bill ..."

"I didn't tell you any story about the Chamber of Secrets." said Bill looking confused.

"That was me." said Charlie.

"And what on earth's a Squib?" said Harry.

"All that knowledge and you don't know what it is?" said Zacharias.

"Squib is a slang term, it's not written down in any book. That comes from an old childhood taunt many, many decades ago." said Dumbledore. "Squibbly, Squibby, can't do diddly. Can't work magic, ain't life tragic."

"Children under ten aren't known to have much sense in the ways of poetry." said Bathilda with a smirk.

"I can't even say it was catchy." said Dumbledore, "then again, I might have forgotten a line or two."

To his surprise, Ron stifled a snigger.

"Ronald." said Mrs. Weasley warningly.

"Sorry." said Ron quickly.

"Well - it's not funny really - but as it's Filch ..." he said.

"Nothings all that funny, unless it happens to Filch, or Umbridge." said Sirius.

"A squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual.

Umbridge strained against her bonds even more fiercely than before, finally the gag slipped away from her mouth and she sneered.

"Squibs come from Muggleborns who steal their wands from Purebloods and use it for themselves." she said to the entire group that was there.

Everyone stared at her, even Fudge.

"Stuff and nonsense." growled Dr. Nicodemus, Tempest replaced the gag while the Muggleborns screamed out in indignation and fury over her implications.

"You stupid woman!" shouted McGonagall furiously. "How dare you?"

"That notion died about hundred years ago and, was squashed two minutes after someone brought that idea to light." said Bathilda angrily.

"Does she have to stay here?" asked a third year Ravenclaw.

"He's got a point, I'm getting tired of watching her, Sir, and she's a strain on the eyes. Especially when I could be keeping an eye on someone else." said Nightstrike sending a wink over to Emmeline Vance who looked at Nightstrike and blushed heavily and gave a girlish giggle.

Sirius gave a loud wolf-whistle and laughed loudly. "Finally, I didn't think anyone would break through that tough exterior!"

Emmeline glared at him, though joined in Nightstrike as he laughed.

"Normally, I would agree, she should be taken to Devil's Garden, days ago, but if I take her now, I don't have a viable reason to come back here." said Tempest looking at Firenze longingly.

"Hmm…we'll have to come up with something." said Lionus.

"Can't she just come back, for like a vacation?" said George.

"I'm not due for my seven year furlough." said Tempest.

"Seven years?" said the students stunned.

"We work tirelessly for seven years and after that comes around, we take the next seven off." said Lionus. "It's an old system."

"But wait, what about, you know, days off during the week?" asked Hermione.

"We do have shifts, when you are in training, and when you aren't in a squad. But when you are in a squad, you only get time off when there is no cases that need investigating." said Nightstrike.

If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib.

"Have you heard of Kwikspell?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"I heard of it, but nothing much." said Ron. "Uncle Martin talked about it once."

It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much." Ron gave a satisfied smile. "He's bitter."

"Why were you happy about that?" said Dr. Clark.

"Cause I won the Foul Filch pool." said Ron excitedly. "Hermione and Harry had to be witnesses, I ended up winning about fifty galleons!"

"Who started this pool?" asked McGonagall angrily. "And what do you mean by 'The Foul Filch?'"

"It's a challenge to find out why he hates the students and to get proof." said Bill excitedly

"It's been around for a long time actually." said Charlie with a bright smile. "Even before Bill and my's time."

"We had the same pool as well." said Sirius, Remus nodded.

"But, shouldn't the amount be much higher if that was the case?" said McGongall confusedly.

"Not when the bet is a knut a person." said Bill with a smile.

"So that means, that it has been a long time, a very long time." said Dumbledore beaming.

"Yeah, almost every Gryffindor puts money in the pot." Fred smiled. "Harry was the only one not to."

"And when someone finally comes up with the proof of why he hates students, they win!" said George.

"For so long, there was no proof, his word doesn't count." said Sirius. "Or I'd of won a long time ago."

"So did anyone come up with a new pool?" asked Remus with a small smile.

"Yeah, the challenge was to find out how old Dumbledore is." said Fred. "We update that every year."

"Who won it?" asked Dumbledore his eyes twinkling madly.

"We're still trying to find that part out." said George. "Whoever wins, they get about thirty sickles." said George.

"I had a hundred even." said Harry. "But I think I remember someone putting down on hundred and thirteen."

"That was me!" said Dennis eagerly.

"We'll get you your money later." said Fred quietly to Dennis.

"You mean you guys were the chosen Keepers of the Challenge?" said Charlie impressed. "I didn't get to be that."

"That's right!" said George importantly. "We were something you weren't."

"And I won the challenge, something no one else in our family did." said Ron importantly.

A clock chimed somewhere. "Midnight," said Harry. "We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."

"Nice choice of words." said Sirius with a smirk.

"I don't frame anyone." said Snape angrily.

"Never stopped you during our school days." said Sirius. "There wasn't a week you didn't try and pin the blame on us for something we didn't do."

For a few days, the school could talk of little but the attack on Mrs. Norris.

"There was nothing else to talk about." said Harry. "Nothing else happened at all that month."

Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked,

"That couldn't have helped his mental state." said Mrs. Weasley.

as though he thought the attacker might come back. Harry had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with "Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover",

"Mum loves that stuff." said Charlie with a smile.

but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone.

"What can't be taken off with that stuff." said Bill questioningly.

"Blood or paint." said Harry matter-of-factly.

"Blood?" said Sirius turning pale.

When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors,

"Poor Filch." said Luna sorrowfully.

"You're the only one to feel sorry for him." growled George.

"While he doesn't treat others right, it doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve some sympathy for losing his most precious treasure." said Luna dreamily

"Treasure? A cat isn't treasure!" sneered Pansy.

"Treasure can be whatever you hold dear to you. My brother, Aberforth, treasures a beautiful portrait of our dear sister, Ariana." said Dumbledore with a small smile. "It is quite a beautiful painting."

"Your sister?" asked Ron quickly. Hermione nudged him hard in the ribs.

"We lost her many years ago." said Dumbledore sadly. "I go to down to visit him when I'm feeling particularly, out of normal character, I gaze at her picture and I feel myself reverting back into the brother she always knew and admired."

People looked at Dumbledore sadly, not even Remus could look at him skeptically.

"Wow, treasure, that's not treasure huh?" said Dr. Clark.

"My bunnies are my treasure." said Lavender happily.

"My broom." said Draco.

"I'd have to say, my treasure would have to be, my family." said Mr. Weasley with a smile. The Weasleys all beamed.

"What's yours, Sir?" asked Dennis eagerly looking up to Dumbledore.

"Mr. Creevey!" scolded McGonagall.

"Quite alright, Minerva. I am here to answer any student's questions. My treasure would have to be my students." said Dumbledore brightly, but sending a swift, pointed look over to Harry.

"I don't think I have one, now that I think about it." said Sirius pretending to think hard. He slowly moved his hand over to Harry's neck, brought him into a choke hold and pulled him in close. "I don't think I like anything in particular. What about you, Harry? Notice anything I'm particularly fond of?"

"Nope, not a clue." gasped Harry, who smiled largely. Remus and Dr. Clark laughed loudly.

unging at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathing loudly" and "looking happy".

"Did he succeed in giving someone detention for that." asked Remus with a snarl.

"He tried, and if they were sent to detention for that, they were just sent to their dorms." said McGonagall. "I had to send a dozen or so to their houses."

Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat-lover.

"She always tried bringing stray cats into the house." said Ron with a smile towards his little sister.

"Stray cats don't do well in houses with a pet rat and an ancient owl." said Mr. Weasley, giving his daughter a hug, knowing full well why she wasn't happy, in the book.

"But you hadn't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her."

"Didn't make her feel any better." said Harry shaking his head.

Ginny's lip trembled. "Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Ron assured her.

"That didn't help either." said Ginny sadly.

"They'll catch the nutter who did it and have him out of here in no time.

"Hey, I didn't know!" whispered Ron after Hermione sent him a glowering look.

I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled. I'm only joking -" Ron added hastily, as Ginny blanched.

"You always knew what to say to brighten a person's mood." said Bill with a smile.

"Gee thanks." said Ron sourly.

"Don't worry about it, Ron. I was just like that, I got better when I turned seventeen." said Bill. "I was book smart, but when it came to talking to girls, I was lousy. I had no sensitivity towards women."

Ron brightened slightly.

The attack had also had an effect on Hermione.

"Were you nervous too?" asked Sirius quickly.

"When she gets nervous, she reads even more than normal." said Harry.

"How can you tell? She's always reading." said Ernie.

"Not two books at once." said Harry fond smile.

It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else.

"She wasn't talking, or eating, it was getting scary." said Ron.

"She was getting as small as I was." said Harry.

Nor could Harry and Ron get much response from her when they asked what she was up to,

"Oh, we're you asking?" said Hermione stunned.

"Umm…YEAH!" said Harry and Ron.

"We tried everything we could think of that wouldn't blow Harry's cover to try and get you to look and talk to us." said Ron.

"We even tried one of Ron's ideas." said Harry with smile.

"What was that?" asked George.

"Fall down and pretend to have a broken leg." said Harry with a laugh. "Dead depressing when she wouldn't even look up from the book."

and not until the following Wednesday did they find out.

"If it was the year before, silence would have been a good thing, now it distresses you guys?" said Tonks with a smirk.

"Before, we weren't used to her, now it's a bit much to swallow." said Ron.

Harry had been held back in Potions,

"Go figure, he couldn't get you off the team, so he has to do what he can." said Sirius with a low growl.

where Snape had made him stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks.

"Oh come on! That is supposed to be a designated detention chore!" said Sirius angrily. "You can't do all the tubeworms that a class uses in one free period."

"He has a point, Severus." said Professor Flitwick, "You shouldn't have had him do that on his lunch period."

"He was messing around." said Professor Snape defensively.

"What did you do?" said Remus sternly.

"Someone made a jar of tubeworms explode, and it wasn't me." said Harry.

"I told you I accidentally did it!" squeaked Neville to Snape.

The staff looked at Neville and turned and stared at Snape slowly.

"Stupid, petty…" mumbled McGonagall. Snape looked uncomfortable he fingered the locket in his pocket.

After a hurried lunch, he went upstairs to meet Ron in the library,

"Gah!" said Fred grabbing his hair.

"You don't even have a good enough excuse to go!" said George.

"Homework is a good excuse!" said Hermione shortly

"But it's not like they're looking for Nicolas Flamel or something!" said Fred.

and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff boy from Herbology coming towards him. Harry had just opened his mouth to say hello when Justin caught sight of him, turned abruptly and sped off in the opposite direction.

"Fine, be that way." said Tonks turning her nose up. "Why did you just up and run like that?"

Justin looked down and scratched the back of his head.

Harry found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework.

"What is the point of having a certain length for essay questions, people can write as big as they can get away with?" said Emmeline Vance, she was still trying not to meet Nightstrike's eyes for fear of blushing nonstop.

"Despite how big people write Emmeline, it is still the challenge of making sure you stay on topic and to explain what you learned." said Dumbledore brightly.

Professor Binns had asked for a three-foot long composition on "The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards".

"It really must've sucked to be Harry." said Ron with a smile.

"What do you mean?" asked Zacharias. "It sucked for everybody, not just him."

"Yeah, but Harry went through several drafts. He went all out on the first one, and then dumbed down the second one, had me read it, changed it again; read it again, then dragged out the sentences."

"So how many feet did you write?" asked Anthony with shock in his voice.

"About twelve." said Harry. "It's hard to get it right so Ron could understand it."

The teachers stared at Harry. "Mr. Potter, the next assignment you have, write to the fullest capacity you have." said Professor McGonagall.

"Yes ma'am." said Harry shrinking slightly.

"It will be good practice for the W.A.N.D.S test." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short ..." said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll,

"Wow, how did you get self-rolling parchment? That's quality stuff." said George jealously.

"I borrowed some from Harry." said Ron.

"If you read Harry's so many times, how the hell can you be short?" said Fred.

"I already covered what he wrote. I didn't copy!" said Ron quickly looking over to the teachers. "Just wrote in my own words the common sense stuff he wrote down. But I was wishing I took a better look at his second revision."

"If it's for Binns. just turn in what you have, he's not going to notice any difference." said Sirius nonchalantly.

"and Hermione's done four feet seven inches and her writing's tiny."

"How else am I going to write down all I want to." said Hermione.

"Dumb it down." said Harry and Ron together.

"Where is she?" asked Harry, grabbing the tape measure and unrolling his own homework.

"Harry wanted it exactly two feet and eleven and a half inches." said Ron rolling his eyes.

"So sue me for being a perfectionist with my less than perfect scoring homework." said Harry with a smirk

"Somewhere over there," said Ron, pointing along the shelves, "looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas."

"That would be an impressive feat." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Harry told Ron about Justin Finch-Fletchley running away from him. "Dunno why you care,

"Why did you care?" asked Ron.

"I hate seeing people run away from me. It's a mite depressing." said Harry.

I thought he was a bit of an idiot," said Ron, scribbling away, making his writing as large as possible.

"Those two things shouldn't be put together. You calling someone an idiot and trying to scrape a passing grade." said Seamus with a laugh.

"All that rubbish about Lockhart being so great -"

"'Rubbish' is an understatement." said Sirius.

Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them.

"Um, normal girls, when they're pissed, they don't wanna talk. Not unless you did something wrong." said Charlie.

"Don't we know it, but Hermione isn't all that normal." said Harry with a smile. "When we do something wrong, she lets us know all about it."

"All the copies of Hogwarts: A History have been taken out," she said, sitting down next to Harry and Ron.

"And you didn't bother to tell me you had a copy!" said Hermione pouting.

"Like I said before, you didn't ask." said Harry. "If you had asked, you could have had it. And I thought you were going to buy another copy."

"Why buy a second copy of a book I already have?" said Hermione.

"I have several copies of different books." said Harry.

"As do I." said Dumbledore.

"And there's a two-week waiting list.

"Must have been the first time she ever had to put a waiting list on any book ." said Tonks with a laugh.

"Just goes to show how often you visited the library." said Charlie with smirk. "She's always got a book list on something or other."

"Stuff it." said Tonks irritably.

I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books."

"You were better off just not packing those damn books." said Remus.

"Why do you want it?" said Harry.

"The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."

"What's that?" said Harry quickly.

"I'm amazed she didn't catch on then. I just about slapped my forehead when you answered too fast." said Ron with a smile.

"That's just it. I can't remember," said Hermione, biting her lip. "And I can't find the story anywhere else -"

"That is true, Hogwarts, A History is the only book that holds the entire legend. Other books merely mention it in passing." said Dumbledore thoughtfully.

"Hermione, let me read your composition," said Ron desperately, checking his watch.

"That Mr. Weasley, would be considered cheating." said Professor McGonagall angrily.

"I wasn't going to cheat, I just wanted to look and see if I missed something." said Ron quickly.

"You were in the library, there are tons of books." said Professor Sprout. Ron stammered.

"No, I won't," said Hermione, suddenly severe. "You've had ten days to finish it - "

"Just like any normal boy, saves it for the last minute." said Sirius with a bright smile. He looked over to Harry. "Doing it ahead of the deadline s good too!" he added rapidly, not wishing to hurt is feelings.

"It's alright." said Harry. "I know I'm far from normal."

"I only need another two inches, come on -"

"She won't do it. Just leave it with the two inches not on." said Neville with a smile.

"Yeah, Binns won't notice." said Seamus.

The bell rang. Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering.

"Nothing new." said Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor house, Ron and Hermione blushed heavily.

History of Magic was the dullest subject on their timetable.

"On any timetable." said Charlie.

Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that ever happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard.

"Yeah, he's about as exciting as watching a puddle of the floor dry up." said Remus.

Ancient and shriveled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead.

"I think he has noticed, it's either that he cannot remember, or that he simply does not care." said Dumbledore with a small smile.

He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of the staff-room fire;

"That is close to what had actually happened." said Dumbledore. "Only it wasn't from his armchair, it was from his bed in his office. He passed away during the night. Imagine our shock when he came down to breakfast like that."

his routine had not varied in the slightest since.

"A true creature of habit." said Professor Sprout fondly.

Today was as boring as ever. Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until nearly everyone in the class was in a deep stupor,

"Same damn routine." said Sirius with a laugh.

occasionally coming round long enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again.

"A class cannot be taught like that, it is no wonder we haven't had an N.E.W.T.S. History of Magic Class, let alone an O.W.L.S. class." said Professor McGonagall.

"You are right, of course, it is time for a change." said Dumbledore nodding towards his Deputy and looking with a smile towards Remus.

He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that had never happened before. Hermione put up her hand.

"Really, she's never done that?" said Bill amusedly.

"Not in that class." said Ron and Harry together.

Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed.

"If I was him, I would be amazed that someone was interested enough to wake up and ask a question." said Bill.

"Miss -er -?"

"Granger, professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," said Hermione in a clear voice.

Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Lavender Brown's head came up off her arms and Neville's elbow slipped off his desk.

"There wasn't a person in there, except for Hermione, that wasn't drooling on their hands." said Harry with a laugh.

Professor Binns blinked. "My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry, wheezy voice.

"We know that, just tell us the stupid legend." said Fred rolling his eye.

"I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends." He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk snapping and continued, "In September of that year, a sub-committee of Sardinian sorcerers -"

He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again.

"Miss Grant?"

"Worse memory, ever." said George shaking his head.

"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"

"She's got him there." Professor Sprout whispered to Madam Hooch.

Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, Harry was sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead.

"That is true, I don't know of anyone interrupting his monologue." said Sirius.

"Well," said Professor Binns slowly, "yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Hermione as though he had never seen a student properly before.

"Probably hasn't." muttered George.

"However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale -"

"Which makes it more appealing to kids." said Lionus with a smirk.

But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns's every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. Harry could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.

"The look on his face was priceless." said Ron laughing.

"Oh, very well," he said slowly. "Let me see ... the Chamber of Secrets ..."

"You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain - by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Huffelpuff, Rowena Ravenclawand Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."

He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued.

"He was hoping we were bored." said Dean.

"I hope he doesn't stop!" said Dr. Clark, leaning forward eagerly. He was excited to learn more, he was the polar opposite of Mr. Weasley, whereas Mr. Weasley was excited over Muggle things and history. Dr. Clark was overeager towards everything magical.

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be moreselective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school.

"What was the argument about?" asked Dr. Clark looking over to Dumbledore quickly. "Was it about student selection?"

"It was about Godric wooing and courting a woman with non-magical parents." said Dumbledore. "Some people say that Slytherin didn't think the woman was good enough for Gryffindor."

"Other people say that Slytherin wanted to marry the Muggleborn woman too." said Harry flipping through his black notebook.

"THAT'S A LIE!" shrieked Pansy.

"Actually, it is becoming more and more plausible, to Magical Historians, that Salazar Slytherin did have affections towards a Muggleborn woman." said Dumbledore with a kind smile.

Pansy paled and growled towards the venerable old man.

Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.

"Reliable historical sources tell us this much," he said, "but these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing.

"Why would he build a chamber and not tell anyone about it?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You're like a kid a museum, asking all sorts of questions and not waiting for the guide to tell you." said Harry with a smile.

"A kid, huh?" said Dr. Clark with a sneer. "Get over here!" He took Harry by the arm and pulled him over to himself. He reached down behind Harry's knee and tickled the bend behind Harry's knees. "You gonna take it back?"

"YES! YES! I'M SORRY! PLEASE!" Harry laughed and screamed all at the same time.

"Slytherin, according to legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets,

"I'm taking a hint from the name that there is something inside that Chamber." said Dr. Clark with a worried smile, he was still holding onto Harry.

"Yeah, there is something down there." said Harry quietly. Dr. Clark gave a small whimper.

unleash the horror within,

Sirius and Remus coughed out the air they sucked in and looked over to Harry worriedly.

"You better not have gone after it." said Remus anxiously.

Ginny fidgeted, and Harry bit his lip slightly.

"That doesn't reassure me one bit I'll have you know." said Sirius groaning.

and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."

"Wait a minute! If he had a crush on a Muggleborn, why would he create something like that!" yelled a first year Slytherin.

"You don't need to shout, dear, we can hear you." said Professor Sprout over to the young girl.

"Salazar created the Chamber yes, but it was his son who placed the monster in there and set up the defenses. The Chamber was originally just supposed to be a place where he could meditate. However, his son decided to, how do you youngsters say? Amp up his father's story." said Dumbledore.

"Why would he do that?" asked Draco.

"Who knows, perhaps he wanted his father to have a horror story attached to him." said Hermione thoughtfully.

There was a silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn't the usual sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns's classes. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed.

"He was annoyed that students were actually interested in what he had to say? That's a little backwards." said Dr. Clark with a smirk.

"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," he said. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist.

"And yet it was found by three young, meager learned students." said Ron in a giggly whisper.

A tale told to frighten the gullible."

Hermione's hand was back in the air.

"She never gives up." said Remus with a smile. "Not till she learns everything she can."

"Sir - what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?"

"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the heir of Slytherin alone can control," said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.

"So when they are talking about heir of Slytherin…they're talking about the heir of Salazar's son?" said a third year Ravenclaw.

"It is. Salazar did have some grudges against Muggleborns, but I think once he met Godric's wife to be, Elinia, he lost his prejudices and left broken hearted."

"So if he decided to like Muggleborns, why was his son so anti-Muggle?" asked Fred.

Dumbledore shook his head. "He didn't approve of his father leaving his mother pregnant and going to parts unknown." said Dumbledore. "Though Salazar did leave the mother of his child with all of his possessions and his money as he left on a soul-searching quest."

"Wow, poor psychotic guy." said George shaking his head.

The class exchanged nervous looks. "I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."

"Tell that to the person who wrote the message on the wall." said Ernie.

Ginny whimpered quietly.

"But, sir," said Seamus Finnegan, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"

"Not really." said Dumbledore with a smile. "Someone with a particular talent could find it."

"Nonsense, O'Flaherty,"

"Not even close." said Seamus with a laugh.

said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing -"

"But, Professor," piped up Pavarti Patil, "you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it -"

Harry flinched slightly.

Remus saw this, but was confused as to the reason why.

"Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic, doesn't mean he can't, Miss Pennyfeather," snapped Professor Binns. "I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore -"

"So you couldn't find it?" asked Dr. Clark.

"No, I was unable to find it. However, it was found in the end." said Dumbledore.

"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't -" began Dean Thomas, but Professor Binns had had enough.

"I've never pushed him so far to have him ticked." said Sirius.

"That's because you always fell asleep five minutes into the class." said Remus snidely.

"That will do," he said sharply. "It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard!

"So you looked for something only based on legend, Sir?" asked Anthony in shock.

"I have investigated many different things that were merely mentioned in tales and legends." said Dumbledore with a bright smile. "Four out of ten tales were proven to be true and vast treasures and magical knowledge were gained. So it is best to not disregard a chance to learn something new."

I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"

And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usual torpor.

"Every head had just fallen and hit the desks." said Hermione with a smirk. "Ron had a slight dent in his head from falling so hard."

"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told Harry and Hermione, as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner.

"Salazar wasn't crazy, his son was though." said Harry with a smile.

"But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid , if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home ..."

"To be honest so would I." said Fred and George together.

"My mother wasn't happy when I told her something close to what Ron said." said Sirius.

Hermione nodded fervently,

"We wouldn't have taken you anyway Granger." sneered Pansy. "It would be a disgrace to our house to have a filthy Muggleborn sleeping there."

As people shouted and defended Hermione, Harry slipped his foot underneath the bowl. He nudged his foot towards the knapsack tucked away and pulled it slowly forward.

The moment that a third year sat down and the path was clear from Harry to Pansy, he kicked the bag into the air, reached into the open knapsack and pulled out a small balloon. He threw it at Pansy and before she could raise her wand to stop it, it exploded a centimeter away from her nose. When the smoke cleared, her friends and fellow housemates noticed that Pansy's pink face, was now covered in black slime.

"What did you DO, Potter!" screeched Pansy.

"It's sort of obvious what I did, but what will be more amusing, is you trying to get that stuff off." said Harry with a wicked grin and leaning back in the bowl satisfied.

Pansy pulled and tugged at the slime coating her face but all it did was snap back onto her skin and caused her to let out a shriek.

"Get this off me!" screamed Pansy and glaring as best she could over to Harry, but had a hard time, due to the slime dangling from her eyelashes.

"There is nothing I can do about taking that stuff off, you're stuck like that. Least for the next fifty-seven hours." said Harry grinning happily. "Though it will get worse before it gets better."

"How? Tell me!" demanded Pansy.

"And ruin the surprise? That wouldn't be nearly as fun." sneered Harry.

"PROFESSOR!" shrieked Pansy.

"I didn't see a thing, best go to the bathroom, Miss Parkinson, you have something on your face." said Snape coldly. Pansy looked between Harry and Snape than ran as fast as she could out of the room.

"Shall we continue?" drawled Snape. Sirius stared at Snape with shock and surprise.

"Did he just go along with what you did to Pansy." said Sirius in disbelief.

"He did." said Harry with a smile towards the Potions teacher, who ignored him completely.

but Harry didn't say anything. His stomach had just dropped unpleasantly.

"Were you sick, Mr. Potter?" asked Madam Pomfrey quickly.

"Sort of." said Harry stuffing the knapsack back under the bowl.

Harry had never told Ron and Hermione that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered puttinghim in Slytherin. He could remember it as though it was yesterday, the small voice that had spoken in his ear when he'd placed the Hat on his head a year before. "You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that ..."

But Harry, who had already heard of Slytherin house's reputation for turning out dark wizards, had thought desperately, "Not Slytherin!" and the Hat had said, "Oh well, if you're sure ... better be Gryffindor ..."

"Harry, you really shouldn't have been worrying about that. It's pretty often that some students fit into just one house." said Dumbledore kindly. "I was placed in Gryffindor and yet I could have been easily placed into three separate houses."

"What houses, sir? Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff?" asked Cormac loudly.

"No, Mr. McClaggan. Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin." said Dumbledore with a smile.

No one moved from shock.

"You have got to be kidding me." said Sirius in a whisper, his eyes wide.

"It is true, I am what is considered a Pureblood and in my younger days, I wouldn't be considered an approachable person. I was more into my learning and improving my skills and connections and spreading my name to the far corners of the world. I, in what seems to be in every sense, the complete opposite of you, dear boy." said Dumbledore with a fond smile over to Harry.

"What?" asked Harry stunned.

"You relish your friends and the time you spend with them. I was only interested in accelerating my learning and forsaking all those around me. I would maintain a decent relationship with my fellow students. But no more than what would have been deemed mildly polite.

"But since then, I have developed friendships with my old schoolmates, to make up for lost time." said Dumbledore, his warm smile turning to a sorrowful one.

Hermione stared at Dumbledore, but shook her head and bravely went on with the reading.

As they were shunted along the throng, Colin Creevey went past. "Hiya, Harry!"

"Hullo, Colin," said Harry automatically.

"Harry - Harry - a boy in my class has been saying you're -"

"You mean to tell me that people were starting to say that Harry was the heir?" said Remus his mouth agape.

"His family tree isn't a direct line from Slytherin! At the most he's like a one hundred and twenty-fifth cousin, four times removed!" said Sirius irritably.

"Actually, I'm a little closer related to him than that." said Harry.

"Hey, I'm trying to defend you here." said Sirius clapping a hand to Harry's mouth.

But Colin was so small he couldn't fight against the tide of people bearing him towards the Great Hall; they heard him squeak, "See you, Harry!" and he was gone.

"What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione wondered.

"Were you going to go and defend Harry's honor?" asked Dr. Clark with a smile.

"I still want to smack who ever started that rumor." said Hermione angrily.

"What can a girl do?" sneered Zacharias.

"She can hit real hard." said Draco rubbing his cheek.

"That I'm Slytherin's heir, I expect, "said Harry, his stomach dropping another inch or so,

Remus gave Harry a reassuring hug. "Anyone with some sense knows you aren't the heir."

as he suddenly remembered the way Justin Finch-Fletchley had run away from him at lunchtime.

"People here'll believe anything," said Ron in disgust.

"That's true. Just look at what happened this year. All the lives you saved, and they believe the person who didn't even witness what had happened." said Hermione bitterly.

The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty. "D'youreally think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked Hermione.

"I don't know," she said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be - well - human."

"Did you and Harry have any ideas at that time?" asked Hermione sternly.

"Nope." said Harry and Ron. "Not a clue. And if we had any idea, we would have told you."

"You were border lining, freaking out." said Ron.

As she spoke, they turned a corner and found themselves at the end of the very corridor where the attack had happened. They stopped and looked.

"You kids don't need to be there. You were traumatized enough for one year." said Emmeline.

The scene was just as it had been that night, except that there was no stiff cat hanging from the torch bracket, and an empty chair stood against the wall bearing the message "The Chamber has been opened."

"Get out of there. You don't really want to be seen in there." said Bill anxiously.

"That's where Filch has been keeping guard," Ron muttered.

They looked at each other. The corridor was deserted.

"Can't hurt to have a poke around," said Harry, dropping his bag and getting to his hands and knees so that he could crawl along, searching for clues.

"On your hands and knees?" said Tonks in shock.

"James taught him to examine every little piece of information." said Dr. Clark.

"Never leave a clue unfound." said Harry with a fond smile.

"Scorch marks!" he said. "Here - and here -"

"You can find scorch marks on a wall? And a brick wall to boot?" said Kingsley highly impressed.

Both Lionus and Moody grinned excitedly.

"Come and look at this!" said Hermione. "This is funny ..."

Harry got up and crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Hermione was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack in the glass. A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside.

Ron twitched nervously.

"It's okay." said Hermione soothingly to Ron.

"Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" said Hermione wonderingly.

"No," said Harry, "have you, Ron? Ron?" He looked over his shoulder. Ron was standing well back, and seemed to be fighting the impulse to run. "What's up?" said Harry.

"I - don't - like - spiders," said Ron tensely.

Fred started to smile, but was soundly slapped on the back of his head. He looked up and saw both his brother Charlie and his mother.

"You owe him a large apology." said Mrs. Weasley.

"Yes, Mum. Sorry Ron." said Fred.

"I never knew that," said Hermione, looking at Ron in surprise. "You've used spiders in potions loads of times ..."

"I don't mind them dead," said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but at the window. "I just don't like the way they move ..."

Hermione giggled.

"That's not funny Miss Granger." said McGonagall sternly.

"I'm sorry, Ron." said Hermione quietly.

"It's not funny," said Ron fiercely. "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my - my teddy bear into a dirty great spider because I broke his toy broomstick...

"And he had to stay home instead of going to London that day." said Mr. Weasley, sending a rare scowl to his third youngest son.

You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and ..."

Dr. Clark shivered, "You're making me arachnophobic."

He broke off, shuddering. Hermione was obviously still trying not to laugh.

Ron glared at Hermione, who stared intently at the floor.

Feeling they had better get off the subject, Harry said, "Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up."

"You don't miss a thing don't you?" said Nightstrike with a smile.

"How could I miss it? I ruined my favorite pair of hand knitted socks." said Harry miserably. "Now they can only fit a small baby doll."

"It was about here," said Ron, recovering himself to walk a few paces past Filch's chair and pointing. "Level with this door."

"Good eyes, you remember that, despite the shocking scene that laid before you." said Moody nodding approvingly.

Ron smiled brightly.

He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned.

"What's the matter?" asked Remus.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"Aw! Isn't that cute?" cooed Sirius. Remus cuffed him sharply.

"Can't go in there," said Ron gruffly, "that's a girls' toilet."

"That would keep me out of there." said Sirius.

"Sure it would." said Remus rolling his eyes.

"Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there," said Hermione, standing up and coming over. "That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look."

"Mrs. Granger!" said Professor Sprout in shock.

Hermione blushed and shuffled her feet.

And ignoring the large "OUT OF ORDER" sign, she opened the door. It was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom Harry had ever set foot in. Under a large, cracked and spotted mirror were a row of chipped, stone sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by stubs of a few candles burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the cubicles were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges.

"So why doesn't anyone clean that bathroom?" asked Remus.

"Every time we try, the bathroom is destroyed within two hours." said Dumbledore. "Not even protective charms can prevent the damage.

Hermione put her fingers to her lips and set off towards the end cubicle. When she reached it she said, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?" Harry and Ron went to look. Moaning Myrtle was floating on the cistern of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin.

"This is a girl's bathroom," she said, eyeing Ron and Harry suspiciously. "They're not girls."

"Thank god." said Harry and Ron.

"I beg your pardon." said Hermione indignantly.

"Us? As girls? We like our attempt at a simple life, thank you." said Harry.

"Can you imagine going through that once a month thing?" whispered Ron smiling wickedly.

"I'm afraid I'd have to shoot you." said Harry with faked seriousness.

"No," Hermione agreed. "I just wanted to show them how - er - nice it is in here."

"No one in their right mind would believe you." said Remus shaking his head.

She waved vaguely at the dirty old mirror and the damp floor.

"And that's just a part of the reason." said Sirius with a laugh.

"Ask her if she saw anything," Harry mouthed at Hermione.

"What are you whispering?" said Myrtle, staring at him.

"Nothing," said Harry quickly. "We wanted to ask -"

"I wasn't lying technically, I mouthed it, I didn't whisper it." said Harry with a small smile.

"I wish people would stop talking behind my back!" said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. "Ido have feelings, you know, even if I am dead."

"No one ever said she didn't have feelings." said Ginny.

"She tends to hear things that go unsaid." said Luna softly.

"Myrtle, no one wants to upset you," said Hermione. "Harry only -"

"No one wants to upset me! That's a good one!" howled Myrtle. "My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!"

"She really likes drama, doesn't she?" said Fred quietly.

"We wanted to ask you if you'd seen anything funny lately," said Hermione quickly, "because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween."

"Did you see anyone near here that night?" said Harry.

"I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle dramatically.

"Wow, Harry, you must be the first person to get a straight answer out of her." said Luna with a dreamlike smile. "She must really like you."

Ron snorted.

"Peeves upset me so much I came in here that night and tried to kill myself. Then, of course, I remembered that I'm - that I'm -"

"Already dead," said Ron helpfully.

"That's not helpful." said a majority of the school.

"Hit the deck." said Sirius holding onto Harry with a small smile.

Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned over and dived head first into the toilet, splashing water all over them and vanishing from sight; from the direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the U-bend.

"She splashed you with toilet water? That's nasty." said Sirius pushing Harry away slightly.

"Beats drinking out of it." said Harry nastily.

"Ooh! Burn!" said Fred and George excitedly.

"I'm going to get you for that!" said Sirius laughingly.

Harry and Ron stood there with their mouths open, but Hermione shrugged wearily and said, "Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle ... come on, let's go." Harry barely closed the door on Myrtle's gurgling sobs when a loud voice made all three of them jump.

"What happened now?" said Remus worriedly.

"RON!"

Percy Weasley had stopped dead at the head of the stairs, prefect badge agleam, an expression of complete shock on his face.

"Worse than I thought." said Sirius with a smile.

"That's a girls' bathroom!" he gasped. "What were you -?"

"Brother dear, I've got a secret to tell you." said Charlie in a high pitched voice.

Fred and George snorted loudly. "When did you get to be so funny?"

"I've always been funny, I just don't show it." said Charlie with a mischievous smile.

"Just having a look around," Ron shrugged. "Clues, you know ..." Percy swelled in a manner that reminded Harry forcefully of Mrs. Weasley.

Percy looked over to his mother the back of his neck turned a faint pink.

"Get - away - from - there -" he said, striding towards them and starting to chivvy them along, flapping his arms.

"You looked like a giant red haired bird." said Harry with a smirk.

"Don't you care what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner ..."

"Nice to know that you believe us." said Ron bitterly.

"Why shouldn't we be here?" said Ron hotly, stopping short and glaring at Percy. "Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!"

"That's what I told Ginny," said Percy fiercely,

"Did he?" asked Bill.

"He overheard me talking to Fred and George and tried to be the voice of reason." said Ginny.

"but she still seems to think you're going to be expelled; I've never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out. You might think of her, all the first-years are thoroughly over-excited by this business -"

"Excited? You picked the word excited?" said Ginny angrily. "I was freaking and so was all the other Gryffindor first years and you describe it as excited?"

"Well…I…" stuttered Percy, but fell silent.

"You don't care about Ginny," said Ron, whose ears were reddening now. "You're just worried I'm going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy!"

Mrs. Weasley looked between her two children, who stared at each other.

"Boys…knock it off." said Mr. Weasley sternly. Both boys looked down and away.

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge. "And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work or I'll write to Mum!"

"That hurts." said Fred.

"No fair, dragging her into this, least not this early in the fight." said George.

And he strode off, the back of his neck as red as Ron's ears.

Both young men smirked.

Harry, Ron and Hermione chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the common room that night.

Percy looked down hurtfully.

"You brought it on yourself." said Charlie shortly.

Ron was still in a very bad temper and kept blotting his Charms homework. When he reached absently for his wand to remove smudges, it ignited the parchment.

"Bad day for Ron." said George.

"You have no idea, I was almost done with it." said Ron.

Fuming almost as much as his homework,

Several students laughed loudly.

"Wow, Harry, you're funnier than hell." said Fred.

Ron slammed The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 shut. To Harry's surprise, Hermione followed suit.

"It scared me." said Harry with a fond smile.

"Who can it be, though?" she said in a quiet voice, as though continuing a conversation they had just been having.

"I thought she lost her mind." said Ron.

"Who'd want all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"

"Let's think," said Ron in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"

"We know where he's going with it." said George with a nod to his brother.

He looked at Hermione. Hermione looked back, unconvinced.

"If you're talking about Malfoy -"

"Who else? At the time anyway." said Lee, looking over at the paled face of Draco.

"Of course I am!" said Ron. "You heard him: 'You'll be next, Mudbloods!' Come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him -"

Draco looked over to Ron, with the beginnings of a scowl on his face.

"Malfoy, the heir of Slytherin?" said Hermione skeptically.

"You don't believe he could be it?" said Moody thoughtfully.

"He doesn't have the brains to be behind it." said Hermione, not looking at Draco.

"Look at his family," said Harry, closing his books, too. "The whole lot of them has been in Slytherin, he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."

"We aren't his descendants." said Draco seriously. "But I can't argue with the part about my father." he finished silently.

Professor Snape heard his whispers and patted Draco on the back.

"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son ..."

"You're grasping at straws." said Lionus with a smile.

"Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible ..."

"But how do we prove it?" said Harry darkly.

"You didn't buy it did you?" said Sirius with a smirk.

"I was out of options, I was willing to eliminate people." said Harry quietly.

"There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice still further with a quick glance across the room at Percy. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect."

"Sounds like she's already got a plan." said Remus thoughtfully.

"If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?" said Ron irritably.

"Funny, you should have mention a month." said Hermione with a smirk

"What are you driving at?" asked Dr. Clark.

"All right," said Hermione coldly. "What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."

"What?" asked Draco dumbfounded.

"Good luck with that." said Neville with a smile.

"But that's impossible," Harry said, as Ron laughed.

"Oh, really?" asked Hermione with a smug look.

"Impossible for two twelve year olds, with only two years of magical learning under their belts." said Harry.

"No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."

The adults gasped and Snape stared fixedly at Hermione, Ron and Harry.

"Where do you kids think you are going to get it?" asked Remus.

"We were going to make it!" said Hermione happily.

"I wouldn't be happy if I were you." growled Snape. Hermione shrunk back and looked down.

"What's that?" said Ron and Harry together.

"You both knew about it, after all didn't you!" said Hermione angrily.

"Well…" said Ron tenderly.

"Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago -"

"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" muttered Ron.

"I would hope that listening to me in Potions class would be the most important thing." said Snape with an irritated voice.

"It transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins.

Several Gryffindors gagged horribly.

No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him."

"You kids really plan on taking Polyjuice and sneaking into the Slytherin common room?" said Tonks impressed.

"This Polyjuice Potion stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Ron, frowning. "What if we were stuck looking like three of the Slytherins for ever?"

"That would be a nightmare." said Sirius shuddering.

"It wears off after a while," said Hermione, waving her hand impatiently, "but getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult...

"It is very hard. You must have a teacher's permission to get that particular book out of the Restricted Section." said Dumbledore.

Snape said it was in a book called Moste Potente Potions and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."

"Correct." said Dumbledore with a smile.

There was only one way to get out a book from the Restricted Section: you needed a signed note of permission from a teacher. "Hard to see why we'd want the book, really," said Ron, "if we weren't going to try and make one of the potions."

"Another sage thought. Very good Mr. Weasley." said Dumbledore happily.

"I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance ..."

"Not likely." said McGonagall tapping her foot.

"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that," said Ron. "They'd have to be really thick ..."

"Go to Lockhart." said Sirius and Remus together.

Chapter 37

As they ate lunch, Professor Snape continued to scowl at the three fifth years. Hermione and Ron cringed slightly under his gaze, but Harry calmly sipped his tea and ate large spoonfuls of treacle tart.

"Severus, if the wind changes, your face is going to stay that way." said Dumbledore with a smile as he bit into a corned-beef sandwich.

"You don't seem to understand, Headmaster, that in order to make that potion…" said Snape angrily.

"To make that potion, you need ingredients that can only be found in you private storeroom, and not even an apothecary would stock them normally." said Dumbledore with a smile. "Yes, I am well aware of it."

"How can you smile? They could seriously hurt themselves with that potion!" asked Mrs. Weasley worriedly.

"I know that nothing truly awful happens. I would have been notified, despite Madam Pomfrey's 'No questions' policy. In the case of potion experiments, and disastrous results, she tells me, so I may acquire the necessary potions that aren't readily available to her." said Dumbledore with a slight smile, taking a quick look over to Hermione.

"Why not ask Professor Snape to make the potions?" asked Draco.

"He's detention happy." said all the other teachers together in unison.

"Who'd like to read it now?" asked Professor McGonagall levitating the book and quickly changing the subject.

"I will." said Bill with a smile. He took the book and read the title to himself. His face paled, "What…?"

The Rouge Bludger

"The what? How can a Bludger go rouge?" said Sirius in a stunned whisper. "They're protected my massive charms, especially school ones."

Since the episode of the pixies,

"I would rather forget that happened." said Remus covering his eyes.

Professor Lockhart had not brought live creatures to class.

"Thank bloody goodness." said Dr. Clark shaking his head.

Instead, he read passages from his books to them, and sometimes re-enacted some of the more dramatic bits.

"I think the live creatures were better." said Remus.

He usually picked Harry to help him with these reconstructions;

"Say what?" said Remus stunned.

"Yeah, I wasn't very happy." said Harry.

"That was an understatement." said Dean. "The first time he called you up to screech like a banshee, I thought you were going to throw him through the window."

"It crossed my mind." said Harry bitterly.

"So he brought you to the front of the class to screech?" asked Sirius in disbelief.

"I pretended to be sick and left the room." said Harry. "I couldn't get out of the other times, not without trying at least."

"That's my boy." said Sirius throwing an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Normally, I don't like student skivvying off classes but in this case. Dodge all the lessons you can." said Remus sternly.

Sirius stared in amazement at his old friend. "Who are you and what did you to the responsible one of the group?"

So far, Harry had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse,

"What did he make you do?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"Babble like an idiot and then later fall down dead in his arms." said Harry.

"WHAT?" said Sirius and Remus in alarm.

"What were you thinking?" shouted Dr. Clark.

"It's in his storybook." said Harry with a grim look. "He 'cured' the villager but the young man died, from another illness."

"No!" said Remus quickly holding his hands up in defense. Balls of light erupted from the book. "I don't want to see it!"

Seconds later, they found themselves in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Lockart was crouching about the room and while doing so, was telling the students what he was doing and what he had experienced in the past. They looked over to the teacher's desk and saw Harry leaning against it, with a bored look on his face.

"And once I found the Calypso leaf, I turned to go back to the village, to cure that poor unfortunate young man. But when I turned, I came face to face with a gigantic troll!" said Lockhart dramatically.

The girls, in the desks were hanging onto his every word, as for most of the boys, and the Watchers, they groaned quietly and shook their heads slightly.

"It took me a whole twenty minutes to defeat that monstrosity. I continued on running towards the village. I managed to make it to the village, when I thought I had just made it. The clock…struck…" said Lockhart pausing for dramatic flair.

"What's so important about a clock?" said Sirius.

"In the book, he had exactly one hour to find the Calypso leaf. Once the clock struck, the young man died." said Hermione.

"Alright Harry now come staggering out of your house." said Lockhart, a smile on his face.

The younger Harry slightly rolled his eyes, and began to stagger slightly to the left. "No, towards me." said Lockhart encouragingly. Harry staggered towards the man. "Then, he fell down to the ground, but I caught him before he could hit." said Lockhart falling down on one knee. "Come on Harry, you won't hit the ground I'll catch you."

Harry fell to his knees and laid rigid in Lockhart's arms. "Relax Harry, he wasn't that stiff. He gave a great shuddering breath (little more than that, there you go.) and died." said Lockhart, still holding Harry. "And that is what I consider my greatest failure, and the most tragic loss of life."

Younger Harry stood up quickly and sat in his chair. The balls of light left their bodies and they found themselves in the Great Hall once again.

"I'm going to kill him, seven different ways if I can." muttered Remus under his breath as he sat back down in the bowl.

a yeti with a head-cold,

"What did he do to you this time?" asked Remus tapping his fingers irritably.

"I had to act all stuffed up. Then try and be upset when he left." said Harry with a smirk.

"Yeah, Harry couldn't grasp the sad part. He cheered when Lockhart turned and left the room."

"Had to pretend that I misheard him, when he came back in and told me off." said Harry the smirk on his face deepening.

and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had dealt with him.

"I take it you didn't have to die for this one either?" asked Kingsley, getting as irritable as the men in the bowl.

"No, but he did pick me up and throw me." said Harry.

"HE WHAT?" shouted the adults.

"First time he tried, Harry kicked him in the groin. Never heard a guy scream that loud before." said Ron with a laugh. "Class was canceled till the next day. Harry had to say that it was instinct and he was sorry."

"I was, sorry that I didn't do it sooner." said Harry, his smirk turning into a devilish grin.

"Don't smile like that, you're scaring me." said Sirius with a chuckle.

Harry was hauled to the front of the class during their very next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson,

"Hauled?" asked Tonks.

"Yeah, he took me by the wrist and told me he wanted to reenact another part." said Harry.

"Why didn't you tell him to buzz off?" asked Nightstrike.

"I needed to keep him in a good mood." said Harry.

this time acting a werewolf.

"And what was supposed to be wrong with this werewolf?" asked Remus, still tapping his fingers, but strangely had a slight smile on his face.

"Harry had to pretend to go nuts." said Ron with a smile. "Worst decision Lockhart made in class."

"What makes you say that?" asked Sirius.

"He overturned Lockhart's desk with a kick and slammed a chair into the window. It was hilarious."

"It backfired, Lockhart loved it." said Hermione. "He loved the 'raw energy'."

"Raw energy? I could have gone without hearing that." said Dr. Clark turning pale.

"I'll kill him. I swear, I'll kill him." muttered Remus.

If he hadn't had a very good reason for keeping Lockhart in a good mood, he would have refused to do it.

"Refuse anyway, don't get near him!" said Remus.

"Nice to know Harry's a user." said Lee.

Harry paled, his mouth agape.

"I was kidding." said Lee quickly.

"Nice loud howl, Harry –

"Care to repeat that performance?" asked Nightstrike.

Harry looked at Remus quickly, who smiled and nodded. He rolled his eyes and sighed, but he howled loudly, several people laughed including, Nightstrike and Remus.

"He's got promise!" said Nightstrike laughing hard. "He'd make a good werewolf."

exactly - and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced - like this –

The laughter died away instantly.

"He didn't!" shouted McGonagall.

"Yeah, Harry didn't expect him to actually jump him like that. It sort of took him by surprise." said Lavender.

"It was sort of scary, We thought that Professor Lockhart killed him." said Hermione.

"Till he groaned and told Lockhart to get off, Lockhart didn't hear him telling him to get off." said Ron angrily. "Harry walked sort of stiff afterwards."

"Did he hurt you?" asked Dumbledore. "Did you go to Madam Pomfrey?"

"No he did some weird thing with his back." said Hermione. "He took a hold of a pillar and twisted his torso. It was really gross hearing his back crack like that."

"Sorry, but I told you to walk ahead and talk loudly." said Harry.

slammed him to the floor – thus- with one hand, I managed to hold him down –

"How did he hold you down?" asked Dr. Clark angrily.

"His hand was on Harry's throat." said Hermione with a squeak.

"I'm going to kill him before any of you have a chance." said Dumbledore viciously.

"Can we at least watch?" asked Sirius.

with my other,

"Where was that hand?" asked Remus quickly.

"Getting his wand." said Harry.

"By wand…"

"Don't go there." said Harry to Remus sternly. "He didn't touch me."

I put my wand to his throat –

"Oh, I'll put my wand to his throat, if he wants to do that to a student." said McGonagall. angrily.

Fred and George leaned away. "I forgot how scary she can be." said Fred.

I then screwed up my remaining strength

"His full strength isn't enough to even snap a twig." said Sirius.

and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm –

"The what?" asked Kingsley.

"Is there such a thing?" asked Tonks.

"This is starting to concern me." said Lionus thoughtfully.

"Why?" asked a third year Slytherin.

"So far he's mentioned the Transmogrifian Torture and now this, another spell that normal people shouldn't know about. I might have little chat with this Lockhart, soon." said Lionus.

"Good luck with that." muttered Harry.

he let out a piteous moan - go on, Harry –

"It didn't sound like it was piteous, more like 'fine I'll do it just get off me' moan." said Ron with a laugh.

"Now that we've heard you moan piteously." said Hermione tearfully. "I don't want to hear you do it again."

higher than that – good –

"Well isn't he picky." said George.

the fur vanished - the fangs shrank - and he turned back into a man.

"That is not is not all that the spell does." said Nightstrike darkly. "It doesn't just turn the person back into human, it kills them when the next full moon come."

Remus paled and Sirius gasped.

"At least it's hard to do right?' said Ron with a nervous laugh.

"It is, even the most powerful wizards are sometimes incapable of performing it." said Tempest.

Simple, yet effective - and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks."

"Ever notice that the books never say the name of the village." said Harry with a smirk, though leaning heavily against Remus, in response to what the Rangers had said. Remus noticing Harry's weight on his arm, brought him into a tight one armed hug.

The bell rang and Lockhart got to his feet.

"Homework: compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!"

"A poem? For Defense Against the Dark Arts class?" said Remus in disbelief.

"Who won that?" said Mrs. Weasley.

"Believe it or not, Harry won it." said Hermione with a smile.

"You…did…what?" said the adults in the Great Hall.

"Tell me she is lying." said Sirius begging Harry.

"Sorry." said Harry embarrassed.

"Tell me you didn't praise him." said Remus leaning away from Harry.

"He didn't even mention him once. It wasn't even a poem, it was more like…like a song." said Hermione wistfully.

"How did it go?" asked Dr. Clark slowly.

"You think I remember the entire thing?" asked Harry.

"I wrote it down somewhere…" said Hermione digging through her bag.

"Hermione…" said Ron, trying to tell her Harry didn't want it read.

"Got it!" said Hermione holding it up. She handed it over to the bowl, Dr. Clark handed it to Sirius who held it out for all three of them to read.

"Wow, this is pretty good." said Remus looking down at Harry.

"I'm amazed it won, it doesn't mention Dazzle Gums anywhere, just the fear and the pleads of the people." said Sirius.

The class began to leave. Harry returned to the back of the room, where Ron and Hermione were waiting.

"Ready?" Harry muttered.

"Wait till everyone's gone," said Hermione nervously. "All right ..."

"What do you kids have planned?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"They're going to ask Lockhart for his signature." said Sirius with a broad smile.

"How can they justify getting that book for a Defense class?" asked Kingsley.

"Any normal teacher you would be sunk." said Moody with a gnarled grin. "But with this idiot, any lie will do."

She approached Lockhart's desk, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand, Harry and Ron right behind her.

"Good thing you two were, I don't think I ever would have asked him." said Hermione.

"Hell, just leave a piece of blank parchment on his desk, he'll sign it." said Ron sourly.

"Er - Professor Lockhart?" Hermione stammered.

"Not a good thing to stammer when you want to get one over on someone." said Kingsley.

"Oh, hell, he probably thought she was another nervous fan." said Fred.

"I was." said Hermione quietly.

"I wanted to - to get this book out from the library. Just for background reading." She held out the piece of paper, her hand shaking slightly.

"You noticed that?" said Hermione anxiously.

"I didn't see it." said Ron.

"But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the library, so I need a teacher to sign for it - I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in Gadding with Ghouls about slow acting venoms ..."

"Well, that is a plausible lie." said Kingsley approvingly.

"If the slow acting poisons were in that book." said Harry with a smirk.

"Oh no, that wasn't the right book! The venom is talked about in Holidays with Hags!" screeched Hermione "Oh, no!"

"Trust me, I don't think he noticed." said Bill with a laugh, reading on.

"Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!" said Lockhart, taking the note from Hermione and smiling widely at her. "Possibly my very favorite book.

"His favorite book and yet he doesn't know what is in it?" said George with a laugh.

You enjoyed it?"

"Yeah, it made a lovely fire." said Fred.

"Made great tissues too." said Lee.

"Oh, yes," said Hermione eagerly. "So clever, the way you trapped that last one with the tea-strainer ..."

"Huh?" asked Dr. Nicodemus. "What is that girl going on about?"

"Apparently he can trap a ghoul in a tea strainer." said Lionus.

"I know someone who had done that actually. But it most definitely was not him." said Tempest.

"I would dearly love to hear more about what you do." said Firenze quietly.

"Well…it's Nightstrike's turn to stand guard, we could go out to that lake and have a talk." said Tempest with a smile.

"I'd love that." said Firenze, blushing slightly.

"We can kiss our little foal goodbye." said Lionus quietly with a smirk.

"Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student in the year a little extra help," said Lockhart warmly,

"Hermione turned bright red." said Ron with a smile; he dodged a hard smack by Hermione.

and he pulled out an enormous peacock quill. "Yes, nice, isn't it?" he said, misreading the revolted look on Ron's face."I usually save it for book signings."

"I almost had to leave the room to get sick." said Ron.

He scrawled an enormous loopy signature on the note and handed it back to Hermione.

"So, Harry," said Lockhart, while Hermione folded the note with fumbling fingers and slipped it into her bag, "tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season, I believe?

"You believe? Do you remember another Quidditch match happening that year?" asked Charlie.

Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear you're a useful player.

"Useful? Is he nuts?" asked a third year Ravenclaw.

I was a Seeker, too.

"Oh, he was not." said Sirius. "He couldn't even get a job as a towel boy for the team."

"Not that he didn't try out for the Seeker position, he couldn't even fly straight on a broom." said Remus. "And as for seeing a Snitch, the Hufflepuff captain didn't even want to waste his time."

"The only reason he wanted to be a Seeker, was so he could go up against James." said Sirius. "I swear, he was a borderline stalker."

I was asked to try for the National Squad,

"The National Squads only take the best fliers, they don't bother with amateurs." said Charlie. "I'll bet that you get recruited." he added looking over at Harry.

"They'd be stupid not to." said Sirius proudly.

Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players ..."

"Are you kidding?" said Fred in disgust.

"Less able? He's the best!" shouted George.

Harry made an indistinct noise in his throat and then hurried off after Ron and Hermione.

"Good, don't egg him onto a conversation, get out of there, you don't need any help from him." said Remus.

"I don't believe it," he said, as the three of them examined the signature on the note, "He didn't even look at the book we wanted."

"That's because he's an idiot." said Dr. Clark.

"And who cares, you got what you needed, ditch the twerp and get the book." said Charlie.

"That's because he's a brainless git," said Ron. "But who cares, we've got what we needed - "

"Amen!" said Dr. Clark and Charlie

"He is not a brainless git," said Hermione shrilly, as they half-ran towards the library.

"Yes he is." said Remus and Sirius.

"Just because he said you were the best student in the year -" The dropped their voices as they entered the muffled stillness of the library. Madam Pince, the librarian, was a thin, irritable woman who looked like an underfed vulture.

Professor Flitwick held a laugh, while Professor Snape snorted quietly.

"Now, now! She was a beautiful woman years ago." said Professor Vector.

"A century is a long time ago." mumbled Sirius.

"Moste Potente Potions?" she repeated suspiciously, trying to take the note from Hermione; but Hermione wouldn't let go.

"Why the hell not?" asked Bill looking up from the book.

"It was his autograph." said George in a cutesy voice.

"I was wondering if I could keep it," she said breathlessly.

"Oh, come on," said Ron, wrenching it from her grasp and thrusting it at Madam Pince. "We'll get you another autograph. Lockhart'll sign anything if it stands still long enough."

"Bet Madam Pince loved having something thrusted at her." said Remus with a chuckle.

"I'll bet she doesn't believe you got it straight from Lockhart. She might think you forged it." said Sirius.

"Why would she think that?" asked Colin.

"Cause we did it." said Sirius. "Forging Professor Slughorn's wasn't as easy as it looked."

Madam Pince held the note up to the light, as though determined to detect a forgery,

"Sort of hard to say it's a forgery when it has his purple sparkly ink?" asked Ron.

"That is true." said McGonagall thoughtfully.

but it passed the test.

"Seriously, no one uses that ink but him." said Ron.

She stalked away between the lofty shelves and returned several minutes later carrying a large moldy-looking book.

"You'd think that with all the psychotic love she has for her books, they wouldn't get moldy." said Fred.

"They were moldy before she got here." said McGonagall defending her longtime colleague.

"Were books invented before she got here?" asked George in a whisper.

Hermione put it carefully into her bag and they left, trying not to walk too quickly or look too guilty.

"Would have been fine, if she hadn't been sprinting almost on and off." said Ron with a smirk.

"You kept looking back and biting your lip." said Harry to Ron. "And jumping whenever someone came too close."

"Oh…" said Ron sheepishly, while Hermione giggled. "And I don't figure you'd teach us how to get away with stuff like this huh?"

"No. I won't even pass on what I do to my kids. Let alone friends." said Harry with a smile.

"Might come in handy Potter." said Moody absently. "Teaching them those skills might not be a bad idea."

"ALASTOR!" shouted McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley.

Five minutes later, they were barricaded in Moaning Myrtle's out-of-order bathroom once again.

"Really?" said Sirius. "You're going to stay in the girl's bathroom, with an overly sensitive ghost?"

"You guys are nuts." said Fred shaking his head at Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"Her idea." said Harry and Ron, pointing at Hermione.

Hermione had overridden Ron's objections by pointing out that it was the last place anyone in their right minds would go,

"So you guys go right in there and to hold a meeting? What is wrong with an old unused classroom, or a broom cupboard?" said Remus.

"What would you think happened in a broom cupboard if a boy and a girl came out of a broom cupboard." whispered Dr. Clark.

"Forget the broom cupboard idea." said Sirius and Remus loudly. Ron, Hermione and Harry looked at them in confusion, but then it hit them. Three faces burned fiercely.

so they were guaranteed some privacy. Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she them.

"Nice mutual relationship." said Anthony with a smirk.

Hermione opened Moste Potente Potions carefully and the three of them bent over the damp-spotted pages. It was clear from a glance why it belonged in the Restricted Section. Some of the potions had effects almost too gruesome to think about,

"And that is why it isn't for twelve year old's eyes." scolded Mrs. Weasley.

and there were some very unpleasant illustrations, which included a man who seemed to have been turned inside out

"That would be the Vivsectio potion, it has several unpleasant uses." said Professor Snape calmly. "For wizards who wish to find out how the body works, or to torture a person mercilessly."

Several people gulped loudly.

and a witch sprouting several extra pairs of arms out of her head.

"That one is the Apendius potion. It's a cursed potion, the arms reach down and strangle the victim." said Snape thoughtfully. More people were starting to become frightened.

"Here it is," said Hermione excitedly, as she found the page headed The Polyjuice Potion. It was decorated with drawings of people halfway through transforming into other people. Harry sincerely hoped the artist had imagined the looks of intense pain on their faces.

"It isn't just imagination." said Kingsley, Moody, Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen," said Hermione, as they scanned the recipe.

"Of course it is. Being able to turn into different people is a powerful and dangerous ability. Not to mention, sometimes unlawful." said Lionus with a small smile. "And I would hope that a Polyjuice Potion looks complicated to a second year."

"Lacewing flies, leeches, flux weed and knotgrass," she murmured, running her finger down the list of ingredients."Well. They're easy enough, they're in the student store-cupboard, we can help ourselves...

"That sort of explains where all your healing potions came from, you just used the student store-cupboard." said Ron.

Harry smiled and nodded. "It's a good thing I always replenish my stock when I come to school."

Remus looked at Harry quickly, "You make it sound like you get hurt a lot."

"Ugh, I still can't seem to get my mouth shut." groaned Harry.

Oooh, look, powdered horn of a Bicorn - don't know where we're going to get that ... Shredded skin of a Boomslang - that'll be tricky, too –

"Oh, that stuff's not too hard to get, it's just in Slughorn's storeroom." said Sirius shrugging. "We've nicked stuff from in there all the time."

"That's Snape's storeroom now." said Neville.

"Now you have a problem." said Sirius.

and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into."

"GROSS!" shouted the students loudly as they gagged.

"Excuse me?" said Ron sharply. "What d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it -"

More people gagged and cringed in their chairs. Crabbe sat in his usual stupor, not even following what is going on.

Hermione continued as though she hadn't heard him.

"We don't have to worry about that yet, though, because we add those bits last ..."

Ron turned, speechless, to Harry, who had another worry.

"You're more worried about something else? What the hell could that be?" asked Sirius holding his stomach.

"D'you realize how much we're going to have to steal, Hermione? Shredded skin of Boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Snape's private stores? I don't know if that's a good idea ..."

"Why the heck not? You steal…." said Colin excitedly, but his voice dropped off when Harry glared fiercely at him. Behind him, a window cracked.

"I take what people, who own the stuff, want me to take. Then I take it right back in the morning, with a detailed reconnaissance report." said Harry, his voice rippling with anger. "I…do…not…steal!"

"We know you don't cub." said Sirius pulling Harry closer to him. "We know, he just chose his words wrong."

"So did you go and get the stuff, Harry?" asked Fred carefully.

"No, someone else volunteered, I don't know if I could have gotten away with it." said Harry calming down.

"So that is where those ingredients went to." said Snape gritting his teeth.

"This is a good time to remind the teachers that whatever the students do, they cannot be punished for." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Doesn't stop it from happening to me." said Draco feeling his backside.

"That is different. I wasn't punishing you as a teacher, but as a Godfather." said Snape sternly.

"You're his what?" asked Ron in shock.

"He's my Godfather." said Draco. Ron stared.

"So why do you stop me from punishing you for almost dying and other things?" asked Remus, looking at Harry, deciding to take the ball and running with it.

Harry sighed. "Let's put it this way, I'm beginning to think of you guys as parental figures, and well, I haven't had much experience with…endearing parental guidance. When you say that I'm in trouble, I tend to think immediately of getting the crap beaten out of me." said Harry.

"I would never hurt you Harry! None of us would! You have to believe us!" cried Remus anxiously.

"Me becoming trusting doesn't happen overnight." said Harry shaking his head. "I'll lean on you guys, and play around, but when it comes to discipline, I'm a little wary." said Harry.

Remus, Sirius, and Dr. Clark looked down shamefully, so did most of the adults.

"Enough of this discipline talk." said Harry quickly. "How about if I give something to look forward to tonight? I'll make an all Knickerbocker Glories for dessert, I'll even make you an all chocolate one?" asked Harry with a sly smile looking at Remus.

Remus's head snapped back quickly. "Sounds good to me!"

"Us too!" asked Sirius laughing. "Can you make an all cherry one? I'm a cherry freak." he said in a whisper.

"I can make them any way you want." said Harry with a grin.

Hermione shut the book with a snap.

"Well, if you two are going to chicken out, fine," she said.

"Does Harry even know how to act chicken?" asked Fred.

"Harry isn't afraid of anything!" said Dennis excitedly.

"Oh, trust me, he's got his fears." said Remus ruffling the teen's hair.

"First you bring up the subject of grounding, now your acting all kind and loving? Way to send mixed messages mate." said Sirius with a laugh.

There were bright pink patches on her cheeks and her eyes were brighter than usual.

"Brings to mind the look on your face from the last pleasant Recollection Scroll." said Dumbledore brightly. "Like a bird, ready to take flight."

"I thought he looked like a horse ready to race." said Sirius.

"I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy,

"You make it sound like the boys don't even give a damn." said Angelina.

I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in -"

"Aw, come on, that's hitting below the belt." said George.

"And I would have been pissed off. All that work, tolerating Lockhart's play acting, if she took that book back…" Harry released a breath of air. "I would tell her just how I wasn't exactly happy with her."

"Have you ever seen Hermione pale like that?" said Lavender, whispering to Parvati.

"You haven't been yelled at by him yet." said Fred shaking slightly.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be persuading us to break rules," said Ron. "All right, we'll do it. But not toenails, OK?"

"I don't think anyone could deny you that request." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"How long will it take to make, anyway?" said Harry, as Hermione, looking happier, opened the book again.

"Well, as the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days ... I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients."

"A month?" said Colin in disbelief.

"Wow, the heir could wipe out half the Muggleborns in the school by that time!" said Charlie.

"A month?" said Ron. "Malfoy could have attacked half the Muggle-borns in the school by then!"

"Yeah, Ron agrees with me!" said Charlie.

But Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously again, and he added swiftly, "But it's the best plan we've got, so full steam ahead, I say."

"You two dating yet?" asked Sirius nastily.

Ron and Hermione blushed heavily.

However, while Hermione was checking the coast was clear for them to leave the bathroom,

"Didn't want Percy to catch us again." said Ron.

Ron muttered to Harry, "It'll be a lot less hassle if you can just knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow."

"That is true." said Sirius. "Save a whole month's time, but then again, according to you and Malfoy, he isn't behind it."

Harry woke early on Saturday morning and lay for a while thinking about the coming Quidditch match. He was nervous,

A few third years looked around in shock. Harry Potter was nervous? Before a game?

mainly at the thought of what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also at the idea of facing a team mounted on the fastest racing brooms gold could buy.

"Yeah, but you've got much better people on those brooms." said Bill.

He had never wanted to beat Slytherin so badly. After half an hour of lying there with his insides churning, he got up, dressed, and went down to breakfast early, where he found the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team huddled at the long, empty table, all looking uptight and not speaking much.

"Wow, all you guys were getting nervous." said Dr. Clark with a kind smile.

"Good thing we didn't eat much." said Fred.

"Wouldn't have lasted past the Greenhouses." said George.

As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air.

"Not good flying conditions." said Charlie.

"Not with the thunder at least." said Remus. "Where there's thunder…"

"There is lightning." said Sirius patting Harry's head and running a finger over the scar.

"Get off." said Harry shoving the arm away.

"His scolding voice does sound like thunder if you think about it." said George quietly to Fred

Ron and Hermione came hurrying over to wish Harry good luck as he entered the locker rooms. The team pulled on their scarlet Gryffindor robes, and then sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre-match pep talk.

"Too much talk, not enough pep." said the veteran players of Gryffindor.

"Slytherin have better brooms than us," he began," no point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers -"

"Every kind of weather but a tornado and hurricane." said Fred.

("Too true," muttered George Weasley. "I haven't been properly dry since August") "- and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team."

"They can't, that's the best choice they've got for a Seeker, everyone else sucks." said Fred.

Chest heaving with emotion, Wood turned to Harry.

"What? Does he have a thing for you?" asked Neville with a smile.

"No, he just gets overdramatic when it comes to first Quidditch games." said Fred.

"It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry,

"He did not just say that to the most selfless person in the world." said Sirius clapping a hand to eyes.

"He did, After the game, he got to say hello to a black eye." said George.

because we've got to win today, we've got to."

"So no pressure, Harry," said Fred, winking at him.

"You know, I wanted you to take Wood's words as a joke." said Fred his ever present smile changing to a scowl.

"Something tells me this game doesn't go well." said Sirius worriedly.

"Gee you think?" said George.

As they walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greet them; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten,

"Heck, they'll cheer for anyone who isn't in Slytherin, and if they aren't playing." said Tonks and Emmeline Vance.

but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard too.

"It's easy to hear, because they cast a Sonorous Charm." said Lee.

Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary.

"I think we'll have to switch to bows." said Madam Hooch.

"But then they'd try and head butt each other." said Professor Sprout.

"On my whistle," said Madam Hooch, "three ... two ... one ..."

With a roar from the crowd to speed them upwards, the fourteen players rose towards the leaden sky. Harry flew higher than any of them,

"And he's on last year's broom and beats the rest of you up into the air." said Sirius smugly.

squinting around for the Snitch.

"All right there, Scarhead?" yelled Malfoy, shooting underneath him as though to show off the speed of his broom.

"Stupid show-off." said one of the Slytherin first year girls.

Draco cringed slightly.

Harry had no time to reply. At that very moment, a heavy black Bludger came pelting towards him;

"Say what?" said Charlie in shock. "Bludgers are supposed to start flying around after the games been playing for at least a minute."

"Seriously?" asked Dean.

"Yeah, it's supposed let you get into position before you start having to dodge them." said Charlie.

he avoided it so narrowly that he felt it ruffle his hair as it passed.

"That's a close one." said Remus, gripping Harry's shoulder.

"Close one, Harry!" said George, streaking past him with his club in his hand, ready to knock the Bludger back towards a Slytherin.

"Well, at least George is there to keep them away from you." said Mrs. Weasley sighing with relief.

Harry saw George give the Bludger a powerful whack in the direction of Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in mid-air and shot straight for Harry again.

"SOMEONE TAMPERED WITH THAT THING!" shouted Remus and Sirius together.

"Tell me someone stopped the game!" shouted Charlie.

Madame Hooch shuffled nervously.

"I'm going to take that as a 'no'." said Remus weakly

Harry dropped quickly to avoid it and George managed to hit it hard towards Malfoy. Once again, the Bludger swerved like a boomerang and shot at Harry's head.

The men in the bowl cringed and held onto Harry tightly. Mrs. Weasley held onto her husband tightly and whimpered into his shoulder.

Harry put on a burst of speed and zoomed towards the other end of the pitch. He could hear the bludger whistling along behind him.

"There's no escaping that thing!" shouted Sirius.

What was going on? Bludgers never concentrated on one player like this, it was their job to try and unseat as many as possible ...

"Why did you pause?" asked Sirius.

"Don't tell me…it hit him?" said Remus weakly.

"No, he didn't get hit." said Bill reading on quickly.

Fred Weasley was waiting for the Bludger at the other end. Harry ducked as Fred swung at the Bludger with all his might; the Bludger was knocked off course.

"Thank goodness!" said Remus.

"Alright!" shouted Sirius.

"Gotcha!" Fred yelled happily, but he was wrong;

"Oh crap." said Sirius worriedly.

as though it was magnetically attracted towards Harry, the Bludger pelted after him once more and Harry was forced to fly off at full speed.

"So you really were holding back your speed." said Fred in an awed whisper.

It had started to rain; Harry felt heavy drops fall onto his face, splattering onto his glasses. He didn't have a clue what was going on in the rest of the game until he heard Lee Jordan, who was commentating, say, "Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero."

"Ouch, that sucks." said Charlie.

"Wait! It's not a fair game! That Bludger's nuts!" said Sirius.

"And no one stopped the game." said Remus looking over to Madam Hooch. "Why didn't you stop the game at least?" he yelled at Dumbledore.

"I was not there." said Dumbledore. "I was in the library trying to research what could have happened to Mrs. Norris. I hadn't left the library except for meals and some sleep."

The Slytherins' superior brooms were clearly doing their jobs, and meanwhile the mad Bludger was doing all it could to knock Harry out of the air.

"I could have gone without that little revelation." said Sirius.

Fred and George were now flying so close to him on either side that Harry could see nothing at all except their flailing arms and had no chance to look for the Snitch, let alone catch it.

"Man, the game could have gone on forever." said Angelina. "But still, you shouldn't have done what you did.."

"What did you do?" asked Remus to Harry.

"Something stupid." said Alicia, Katie, Angelina, Fred and George.

"Someone's - tampered - with - this - Bludger -" Fred grunted, swinging his bat with all his might at it as it launched a new attack on Harry.

"Took you a while to figure that out?" said Remus faintly.

"We were more concerned about making sure that Harry didn't lose his head as opposed to actually thinking." said Fred.

"We need time out," said George, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger breaking Harry's nose at the same time.

"What did that look like?" said Sirius chuckling nervously.

"I don't even know how I did it." said George.

Wood had obviously got the message.

Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and Harry, Fred and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger.

"What the hell? Those things are supposed to fall to the ground the moment Madam Hooch blows her whistled, until the games starts up again!" said Sirius becoming frightened.

"What's going on?" said Wood, as the Gryffindor team huddled together, while Slytherins in the crowd jeered.

"What did they do to that Bludger?" asked Sirius angrily.

"Believe it or not, nothing." said Harry holding Sirius' hand.

"Then who's behind it?" asked Remus.

"It'll tell you soon." said Harry.

"We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when the Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?"

"Stopping an out of control Bludger." said Remus shortly. "Tell me that the game is called off, at least long enough to get a new Bludger for the game."

"Would have been a better alternative." said Alicia bitterly.

"I'm starting to freak out." said Dr. Clark.

"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver,"

"You could have put that a little better." said Dumbledore his face pale.

said George angrily. "Someone's fixed it - it won't leave Harry alone, it hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it."

"I would hope that no one in my house would stoop to trying to severely harm someone, just for a Quidditch game." said Snape looking intently at his charges.

"We didn't do anything! We didn't know why the Bludger was going after him!" said Draco.

"Where the hell were the two of you to stop it!" shouted Remus to the two heads of houses.

McGonagall cringed guiltily, and Snape averted his eyes.

"But the bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then ..." said Wood anxiously.

"Doesn't mean that someone couldn't have gone in and switched one out, or cursed one." said Sirius.

Madam Hooch was walking towards them. Over her shoulder, Harry could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in his direction.

"Jackals." said Sirius growling.

"Listen," said Harry, as she came nearer and nearer, "with you two flying round me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the snitch is if it flies up my sleeve," said Harry. "Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."

"YOU SAID WHAT?" shouted the men in the bowl.

"Yeah, we're still pissed at him." said the Gryffindor team. Harry looked down shamefully.

"Don't be thick," said Fred. "It'll take your head off."

"Never thought I would say this, but: Listen to Fred." said Mr. Weasley.

Wood was looking from Harry to the Weasleys "Oliver, this is insane," said Alicia Spinnet angrily. "You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry -"

"Exactly, don't send Harry up into the air again!" said Tonks.

"If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" said Harry.

"And what is wrong with that?" said Remus. "If it saves your neck?"

"And I'm not losing to Slytherin just because of a crazy Bludger! Come on, Oliver; tell them to leave me alone!"

"No! You did not just ask them to do that!" said Sirius. "Harry the fate of the world doesn't revolve around a freaking Quidditch game!"

Harry hung his head.

"How could you be so stupid?" shouted Remus. Suddenly the book shook and glowed in Bill's hand. Suddenly, a red light came shooting out of the binder and slammed itself into Remus's chest.

"MOONY! REMUS! PROFESSOR LUPIN!" shouted the people in the Great Hall. He flew in the air and landed hard on the ground. Harry stood up and flung himself to where Remus fell. Another shot of light came out of the book, heading straight to where Remus and Harry was.. Dumbledore sent a spell at the beam of light, but was shocked to see that it was unaffected.

The beam of light continued on its path until it had almost reached Remus, and Harry, who was shielding him.

"Harry! Get out of the way!" said Dumbledore loudly.

The beam of light closed in until finally it was an inch away from Harry's chest, but suddenly, it stopped. It hung in midair; slowly it retreated back to the book.

"How?..." said Hermione.

"That book really can think! It didn't want to hurt Harry!" said Ron.

Remus still laid on the ground, unconscious but at least he was breathing. Harry knelt to the ground and placed his hands on his chest. A jolt of electricity came shooting out of Remus' body, Harry reared his head back and screamed loudly.

"HARRY!" shouted Sirius, but Harry wouldn't remove his hands, somewhere deep within him, he knew he had to hang on. It was the only way to wake Remus up. His vision went dark.

Suddenly, two pale white hands came from the book, which had fallen to the floor, and traveled serenely over to where Harry was kneeling and screaming. The hands wrapped their arms around him and gently pulled him back, Harry hung limply in the ghostly arms' embrace. As they pulled him back to the bowl, one of the hands released their hold and it laid itself on top of Remus' body, the same jolts of electricity that slammed through Harry's body, went through the hands, but it seemed to not fell anything.

When the hand released its hold, Remus finally groaned. Sirius hurried over and threw Remus over his shoulder and carried him to the bowl. Hagrid picked Harry up gingerly from where he laid, and Sirius sat Remus down in the bowl. Hagrid laid Harry down in it as well, resting Harry's head in Remus' lap.

"Looks like we're sitting on the floor." said Dr. Clark, helping Sirius cover the two unconscious figures.

"I don't want to read anymore, not if the book's going to explode like that again." said Bill apprehensively.

"I think, as long as no one insults Harry like that again, we have nothing to fear." said Dumbledore, draping the phoenix quilt over top the two men.

"All that, because Remus called Harry stupid?" said Fred.

"It appears so." said Speckerton. "I have never heard of this occurring before."

"Let's hope it doesn't happen again, c'mon Bill. Nothing's going to happen now." said Charlie reassuringly.

"Hope not, too bad Remus will miss out on how Harry gets out of this." said Bill picking the book up gingerly.

"I think it might be a good thing." said McGonagall.

"This is all your fault," George said angrily to Wood. "'Get the Snitch or die trying' - what a stupid thing to tell him -"

"You have no idea." said Sirius. "I wonder what made Harry keep holding onto Remus like that?"

"Who knows?" said Dr. Clark. "I don't think we'll know till Harry wakes up."

Madam Hooch had joined them.

"Ready to resume play?" she asked Wood.

"Why didn't you stop the game, didn't you notice one of the Bludgers assault only Harry?" asked Mrs. Weasley angrily.

"It was not one of my better jobs at refereeing." said Madam Hooch.

"You can say that again." said Charlie under his breath.

Wood looked at the determined look on Harry's face.

"All right," he said. "Fred, George, you heard Harry - leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own."

"He did not just say that. Tell me that I heard him wrong." said Dr. Clark covering his eye.

"You didn't." said Sirius.

The rain was falling more heavily now. On Madam Hooch's whistle, Harry kicked hard into the air and heard the tell-tale whoosh of the Bludger behind him.

"Why didn't the Bludger attack him, while he was on the ground?" asked Bill.

"Something held it back." said Fred. "We couldn't figure it out."

"Umm…" said Ron.

"Spill it." said George. "Do you know what happened?"

"Harry…has an ability…but he has to be calm, and not moving." said Ron.

"What ability is that?" asked Dr. Clark.

"He can…well…control things, but he says it's not as strong as it could be. He could only hold things in place, but the moment he would move, it would too." said Ron.

"Impressive." said Dumbledore in a whisper. "His Grandfather Matthew had the same ability. I feared that it was lost forever."

Higher and higher Harry climbed. He looped and swooped, spiraled, zig-zagged and rolled.

"I will admit, he looked really cool." said Neville, "But it was really scary watching."

Slightly dizzy, he nevertheless kept his eyes wide open. Rain was speckling his glasses and ran up his nostrils as he hung upside down,

"Took him while to get the rain out of his nose." said Hermione with a weak smile. But she stopped smiling when she saw Harry still unconscious

avoiding another fierce dive from the Bludger. He could hear laughter from the crowd;

"The only ones laughing were the Slytherin. Everyone else was screaming their heads off." said Dean.

he knew he must look very stupid, but the rogue Bludger was heavy and couldn't change direction as quickly as he could.

"With his speed and how light he is, no one can change direction like him." said Alicia.

He began a kind of roller-coaster ride around the edges of the stadium, squinting through the silver sheets of rain to the Gryffindor goalposts, where Adrian Pucey was trying to get past Wood -

A whistling in Harry's ear told him the Bludger had just missed him again; he turned right over and sped in the opposite direction.

"This is getting scary." said a small first year Hufflepuff.

"Be thankful you weren't there." said Hannah.

"Training for the ballet, Potter?" yelled Malfoy,

Dr. Clark started to laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Sirius.

"Holly tried signing up for ballet classes once. She wanted him to try out, and he ran for the hills." said Dr. Clark still laughing.

"Don't blame him." said the boys in the Great Hall.

as he was forced to do a stupid kind of twirl in mid-air to dodge the Bludger.

"If it was the twirl I think it is. It wasn't stupid, looked sort of cool." whispered Dean to Seamus.

Off Harry fled, the Bludger trailing a few feet behind him: and then, glaring back at Malfoy in hatred,

"I remember that look. Made me shake all over, and he wasn't even looking at me." said Ron quietly.

he saw it - the Golden Snitch.

"Alright! Get it and end this suicidal game!" said Sirius excitedly.

It was hovering inches above Malfoy's left ear - and Malfoy, busy laughing at Harry, hadn't seen it.

Draco mumbled bitterly, while the Seekers in the Great Hall laughed.

"Don't feel too bad, Draco." said Snape seriously. "Even the best Seekers can't see behind their heads."

"Yeah, looked what happened to Harry." said Seamus.

"What happened to Harry?" asked Dr. Clark quickly.

"Um…" said Ron.

"Just read on." said Dr. Clark to Bill. "I can't stand this anymore."

For an agonizing moment, Harry hung in mid-air, not daring to speed towards Malfoy in case he looked up and saw the Snitch.

"Why did it say agonizing?" asked Firenze wonderingly.

"Well, all Malfoy would have to do is reach out and grab by his ear. Game would be over and Slytherin would win." said Sirius.

"Hmm…" said Firenze. "Somehow I don't think that is all that was agonizing."

WHAM!

"What happened now?" asked Sirius and Dr. Clark looking up from sponging the foreheads of their charges.

"Bludger caught up with him." said Fred sadly.

"We never should have left him alone." said George gritting his teeth.

He had stayed a second too long. The Bludger had hit him at last,

"Oh no." said Mrs. Weasley whimpering. Her husband held her tightly.

"Tell me he doesn't get hurt too bad." said Dr. Clark clasping his hands tightly.

smashed into his elbow,

Everyone took a sharp intake of breath and gripped their elbows quickly.

"That had to hurt." said Sirius turning pale and looking down at the face he was cooling with a cold washcloth. Since being shocked and carried over by the mysterious force, he had been running a temperature; the same could be said for Remus.

and Harry felt his arm break.

Several people cringed and grabbed their arms.

Dimly, dazed by the searing pain in his arm, he slid sideways on his rain-drenched broom,

"Anyone remember if he screamed or not?" asked Alicia weakly.

"I don't think he did." said Fred turning pale.

"Kids shouldn't have that high tolerance for pain." said Lionus sternly.

one knee still crooked over it, his right arm dangling useless at his side - the Bludger came pelting back for a second attack, this time aiming at his face - Harry swerved out of the way,

"He can still think? After all that?" asked Madam Pomfrey in shock.

one idea firmly lodged into his numb brain:

"Not so numb that he can't think straight enough to get out of harm's way." said Firenze with an impressed smile.

get to Malfoy.

"An odd motivational thought." said Professor Flitwick with a small smile.

Through a haze of rain and pain

Sirius clasped the hand of his beloved godson.

he dived for the shimmering, sneering face below him and saw its eyes widen with fear: Malfoy thought Harry was attacking him.

"Hang on, how did he know what I was thinking?" asked Malfoy quickly.

"What else could you have been thinking?" asked Ron. "He was heading straight for you."

"What the -" he gasped, careering out of Harry's way.

"He didn't even need to move. Harry would never have hit him." said Hermione smugly.

Harry took his remaining hand off his broom and made a wild snatch; he felt his fingers close on the cold Snitch

"Thank god, I think it's a good thing that Remus missed out on it. He would have been freaking out." said Dr. Clark wiping the sweat off his own brow with another cloth.

but was now only gripping the broom with his legs and there was a yell from the crowd below as he headed straight for the ground, trying hard not to pass out.

"OH, SHIT!" shouted Mr. Weasley and Sirius together, while Dr. Clark turned pale. Harry groaned softly, and was about to awaken, but despite his eyes starting to flutter, he fell back to sleep. Sirius dumped the cloth in the cold water conjured by Dumbledore and dabbed at the boy's forehead.

With a splattering thud he hit the mud and rolled off his broom. His arm was hanging at a very strange angle.

"It was hard to look at." said Neville.

Riddled with pain,

Mrs. Weasley and Hermione both sniffed loudly and wiped the tears from their eyes. Ginny was holding onto her knees, which were brought up to her chest.

he heard, as though from a distance, a good deal of whistling and shouting.

"We were happy! One: they beat the Slytherins with their state of the art brooms, and two: watching Harry almost get murdered every other minute was over." said Anthony.

He focused on the Snitch clutched in his good hand.

"Aha," he said vaguely, "we've won."

And he fainted.

"If Harry isn't careful, I'm going to take his broom away." said Sirius with a nervous laugh.

He came round, rain falling on his face, still lying on the pitch,

"Why didn't anyone take him to the castle by then?" asked Charlie.

"He was only out for a minute or two." said Fred.

with someone leaning over him. He saw a glitter of teeth.

"Yay!" said Dr. Clark plainly. "Dazzle Gums to the rescue."

"Remus would be going ballistic right now." said Sirius with a dry laugh. "But I'm starting to feel a bit nervous with him around Harry too."

"Oh no, not you," he moaned.

Sirius laughed loudly and kissed the top of Harry's fevered head.

"Doesn't know what he's saying," said Lockhart loudly,

"The hell he don't." said Ron.

"He didn't want everyone else to think that Harry doesn't idolize him." said Moody roughly.

to the anxious crowd of Gryffindor pressing around them. "Not to worry, Harry, I'm about to fix your arm."

"This won't end well." said Bill.

"No!" said Harry. "I'll keep it like this, thanks ..."

"That must've hurt. He'd rather have a broken arm, than let you heal him." said Luna dreamily.

He tried to sit up, but the pain was terrible.

"He kept turning paler and paler." said Ron.

He heard a familiar clicking noise nearby.

"I don't want a photo of this, Colin," he said loudly.

Colin shifted uneasily.

"You're a jerk, I wouldn't let you take a picture of me ever again." said Dr. Clark angrily.

"Mr. Creevey, you should be very thankful that Mr. Potter didn't tell me about you taking his picture when he was injured. I would have taken that camera away from you permanently." said McGonagall furiously.

"Lie back, Harry," said Lockhart soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times -"

Sirius blinked.

"What's up with you?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Nothing, just something I remembered from school. One of the girls I…dated…said something about that phrase. Gilderoy said it to her and few of her girlfriends." said Sirius shaking his head quickly.

"Harry would start telling you to shut up too." said Dr. Clark shaking his head.

"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" said Harry through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, take him to the hospital wing." said Sirius trying to get the memories out of his head.

"He should really, Professor," said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help grinning even though his Seeker was injured.

"Yeah, we sort of gave him another black eye when we saw him smiling like that." said Angelina clenching a fist, " He learned real quick when NOT to smile."

"Great capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say."

"I thought his best one would have been his school record holding catch." said. Sirius.

"Not enough drama." said George bitterly.

Through the thicket of legs around him, Harry spotted Fred and George Weasley, wrestling the rogue Bludger into a box. It was still putting up a terrific fight.

"It was a near thing, Professor McGonagall sent it crashing into ground about thirty yards away, when it tried to clobber Harry while he was on the ground." said Ron. "Before you ask, she didn't want to do it while the game was playing, she might have hit Harry."

"Then when it got back up, we smacked it with the bats and tackled it back to the Quidditch box." said Fred.

"I'm amazed we didn't get busted ribs from that." said George, feeling his chest.

"Stand back," said Lockhart, who was rolling up his jade-green sleeves.

"He actually wore Slytherin colors?" said Blaise. "I've never felt so insulted."

"No - don't -" said Harry weakly,

"If there were several people there, why didn't anyone save Harry from Lockhart?" asked Sirius angrily.

"Well…we didn't know what he was doing." said a seventh year Hufflepuff.

but Lockhart was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry's arm.

A strange and unpleasant sensation started at Harry's shoulder and spread all the way down to his fingertips. It felt as though his arm was being deflated.

"That is not what magical bone healing is supposed to feel like." said Dr. Nicodemus.

He didn't dare look at what was happening. He had shut his eyes, his face turned away from his arm, but his worst fears were realized as the people above him gasped and Colin Creevey began clicking madly.

"Doesn't sound good." said Dr. Clark worriedly.

His arm didn't hurt anymore - but nor did it feel remotely like an arm.

"What happened?" asked Sirius carefully.

"Ah," said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken.

Hagrid began to growl.

That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the Hospital Wing - ah, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? - and Madam Pomfrey will be able to - er - tidy you up a bit."

"He called what I had to do, tidying?" screeched Madam Pomfrey.

As Harry got to his feet, he felt strangely lopsided.

Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Charlie, Sirius and Dr. Clark didn't know what Harry was talking about. What had happened to his arm?

Taking a deep breath he looked down at his right side. What he saw nearly made him pass out again.

"He did, actually, on the way up to the castle. We had to run back and get Hagrid." said Ron.

Poking out of the end of his robes was what looked like thick, flesh-colored rubber glove. He tried to move his fingers. Nothing happened.

Dr. Clark looked worried and confused.

Lockhart hadn't mended Harry's bones. He had removed them.

"SAM!" shouted Dumbledore quickly. Dr. Clark had passed out cold on the floor.

Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore hurried over to him and revived him.

"Wha…what happened? Harry's arm…?" stuttered Dr. Clark.

"It gets fixed in the end." said Dumbledore reassuringly. "Do you want me to conjure you up a chair?"

Dr. Clark recoiled slightly, but then shook his head quickly. "Sorry, yeah, a chair would be great."

"It's not a crime to start fearing what you are just learning about." said Dumbledore kindly.

"I forgot you can see into people's minds." said Dr. Clark smiling slightly. "I'll get used to this stuff eventually. Everything else I can understand and go with it, just the magical healing throws me."

"Understandable." said Madam Pomfrey comfortingly. "Now let's get you into a chair."

Madam Pomfrey wasn't at all pleased.

"I can understand that." said Dr. Clark weakly as he was put into a chair and covered with a blanket.

"You should have come straight to me!" she raged, holding up the sad, limp remainder of what, half an hour before, had been a working arm.

"Remind me to apologize to him. I thought he wanted Lockhart to do it." said Madam Pomfrey sadly.

"I can mend bones in a second - but growing them back -"

"You will be able to, won't you?" said Harry desperately.

"He was really worried about that. Before we got to the hospital wing, where he woke up, he was mumbling about it not working ever again." said Hermione.

"I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful," said Madam Pomfrey grimly,

"Nothing I'm not used to." said a groggy voice. Harry was trying to sit up, but was failing.

"Just rest Cub, you've had a hell of a day." said Sirius.

"Those are becoming very common." said Harry. "What's up with Remus? And why is Dr. Clark sitting over there? Did you have a fight or something? Why do I feel so cold?" he said shivering slightly.

"He's sleeping, he fainted, no and you've got a fever. Does that sum things up?" said Sirius pushing Harry back down and continued sponging the boy's forehead.

"I don't remember what I asked." said Harry leaning back and falling back to sleep.

"This sleeping thing's starting to worry me." said Dr. Clark. "And so is the fever."

"You're telling me. Did you get the owl that tells you what the hell's going on?" asked Sirius.

"Not yet." said Lionus looking over to Dr. Nicodemus quickly.

throwing Harry a pair of pajamas. "You'll have to stay the night ..."

"You threw clothes to a one armed person, real nice." said Tonks.

"I was…distracted." said Madam Pomfrey quietly.

Hermione waited outside the curtain drawn around Harry's bed while Ron helped him into his pajamas. It took a while to stuff the rubbery, boneless arm into a sleeve.

"It was really gross. I didn't want to touch him really." said Ron.

"How can you stick up for Lockhart now, Hermione, eh?" Ron called through the curtain as he pulled Harry's limp fingers through the cuff. "If Harry wanted de-boning he would have asked."

"Anyone can make a mistake," said Hermione,

"You can't afford to make mistakes like that." said the adults in the room.

"And it doesn't hurt anymore, does it, Harry."

"Really? You're trying to find the silver lining in this?" said Charlie shaking his head.

"No," said Harry, "but it doesn't do anything else, either." As he swung himself onto the bed, his arm flapped pointlessly.

Hermione and Madam Pomfrey came around the curtain. Madam Pomfrey was holding a large bottle of something labeled Skele-Gro.

"Oh that stuff's nasty." said Charlie.

"Tell me about it." said Moody.

"Can't you take it to get your leg back, sir?" asked a nervous third year Ravenclaw.

"Can't fix what happened to my leg, you can't fix what happens to some dark magic wounds." said Moody. "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he shouted, making several people jump.

"Well, now we know why he always says that." said Tonks.

"You're in for a rough night," she said, pouring out a steaming beaker full and handing it to him. "Re-growing bones is a nasty business."

"Sounds like it." said Dr. Clark weakly.

"Taking the potion is worse." said Sirius.

So was taking the Skele-Gro. It burned Harry's mouth and throat as it went down, making him cough and splutter.

"It's one thing to get punished for something you did and have to take that stupid potion cause you hurt yourself in the process. But when you didn't do anything wrong, it sucks." said Chalie.

"He didn't let us stop the game and save his butt." said Fred shortly.

"I would think that was doing something wrong." said George.

Still tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Harry gulp down some water.

"How much help did he need, that he needed the both of you?" asked Zacharias snidely.

"He threw up the first glass." said Ron.

"You can't throw up liquid." said Zacharias.

"Yeah you can, and Harry proved it." said Hermione sharply.

"We won, though," said Ron, a grin breaking across his face. "That was some catch you made. Malfoy's face ... he looked ready to kill..."

"Oh he was pissed off. There was no denying that." said Fred.

"First game of the year and he gets owned like that." said Lee. "Pathetic really."

"Especially when our little eleven year old got the Snitch while riding a bucking broomstick." said George with a laugh.

"I want to know how he fixed that Bludger," said Hermione darkly.

"I didn't." said Draco quickly.

"We know that, but not at the time." said Hermione.

"We can add that to the list of questions we'll ask him when we've taken the Polyjuice Potion," said Harry, sinking back onto his pillows. "I hope it tastes better than this stuff ..."

"Not a snowball's chance in hell." said Moody.

"If it's got bits of Slytherins in it? You've got to be joking," said Ron.

Several Gryffindors gagged horribly.

The door of the hospital wing burst open at that moment. Filthy and soaking wet, the rest of the Gryffindor team had arrived to see Harry.

"Unbelievable flying, Harry," said George. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at Malfoy. Something about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing. Malfoy didn't seem too happy."

"That was an understatement." said Fred.

"But it was funny to watch Marcus screaming at a teammate of his." said George.

"That it was." said Fred with a smile.

They had brought cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice; they gathered around Harry's bed and were just getting started on what promised to be a good party

"Good, the party will take the boy's mind off the stabbing pain in his arm. Distraction is the best of pain relievers." said Dr. Nicodemus.

Madam Pomfrey looked at the Ranger doctor and looked down sheepishly.

when Madam Pomfrey came storming over, shouting, "This boy needs rest, he's got thirty-three bones to re-grow! Out! OUT!"

And Harry was left alone, with nothing to distract him from the stabbing pains in his limp arm.

"He would have been better off with the party to distract him." said Dr. Nicodemus shaking his head.

Hours and hours later, Harry woke quite suddenly in the pitch blackness and gave a small yelp of pain;

Sirius looked down at his young charge and wiped a small tear away from his eye.

'No more pain' he thought to himself. 'Please, don't let him get hurt again."

his arm now felt full of large splinters. For a second, he thought it was that which had woken him. Then, with a thrill of horror,

Sirius snapped his neck upwards, as did most of the people in the hall.

"IT'S THE MONSTER!" shrieked a small first year girl.

"No it wasn't!" said Ginny hurrying over and holding the small girl.

"Believe us, it wasn't the monster." said Ron.

he realized that someone was sponging his forehead in the dark.

"Oh, it was just Madam Pomfrey." said Sirius heaving a sigh of relief.

"It wasn't me." said Madam Pomfrey confusedly.

"Then it was Dumbledore." said Dr. Clark. "He's fond of Harry."

Dumbledore shook his head slowly.

"Better not be who I think it is. If it's Dazzle Gums…." said Sirius clenching his jaw.

"Get off!" he said loudly, and then, "Dobby!"

"Oh, well…than that's not that bad." said Sirius. "But he could've picked a better time."

The house-elf's goggling tennis-ball eyes were peering at Harry through the darkness. A single tear was running down his long, pointed nose.

"What's got him so upset?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You'll find out, I wanted to smack the stuffing out of him when we found out." said Ron.

"Harry Potter came back to school," he whispered miserably. "Dobby warned and warned Harry Potter. Ah sir, why didn't you heed Dobby? Why didn't Harry Potter go back home when he missed the train?"

"How does that house-elf know he missed the train?" asked Kingsley leaning forward quickly.

Harry heaved himself up on his pillows and pushed Dobby's sponge away. "What're you doing here?" he said. "And how did you know I missed the train?"

"Potter didn't miss the little slip either." said Moody with a smirk.

Dobby's lip trembled and Harry was seized by a sudden suspicion.

"It was you!" he said slowly. "You stopped the barrier letting us through!"

"Not bad for a twelve year old." said Nightstrike smiling down at the smaller person in the bowl.

"Indeed yes, sir," said Dobby, nodding his head vigorously, ears flapping. "Dobby hid and watched for Harry Potter and sealed the gateway and Dobby had to iron his hands afterwards -" he showed Harry ten, long, bandaged fingers,

"I'd say 'Poor Dobby,' but he almost got Harry killed by a tree." said Dr. Clark trying to stand up.

"Take a seat partner, you, Remus, and Harry have been through the wringer today." said Sirius.

"All I did was faint." said Dr. Clark defensively.

"Still…take a seat." said Sirius pushing Dr. Clark back down.

"- but Dobby didn't care, sir, for he thought Harry Potter was safe, and never did Dobby dream that Harry Potter would get to school another way!"

"Dobby didn't bet on Ron using a flying car." said Fred smugly.

"Or that fact WE would have gone and fetched the BOTH of them." said McGonagall.

"That too." said George.

He was rocking backwards and forwards, shaking his ugly head.

"Dobby was so shocked when he heard Harry Potter was back at Hogwarts, he let his master's dinner burn! Such a flogging Dobby never had, sir ..."

Draco cringed horribly.

"Is he your house-elf?" asked Mr. Weasley angrily, noticing how uncomfortable Draco looked.

"Yes." said Draco quietly.

"At the most, you have a lot of making up to that house-elf for your past treatment of him." said Mrs. Weasley.

"Yes ma'am." said Draco quickly.

"Wow, he called someone other than a teacher or Ministry worker, ma'am." said Daphne Greengrass.

"Where is Pansy to hear this?" said her sister with a smirk.

"Still trying to get that black stuff off her face I'll bet." said Daphne with a laugh.

Harry slumped back onto his pillows.

"You nearly got Ron and I expelled," he said fiercely. "You'd better clear off before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you."

"That's a threat?" asked Fred.

"Who gives a warning before issuing a threat?" said George.

"Someone who really doesn't want to hurt someone, who knows what pain really is." said Dr. Clark sadly.

Everyone fell silent. Dumbledore covered his face with both hands.

Bill had to clear his throat to continue.

Dobby smiled weakly. "Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home."

"I'll bet Harry got twice that in an hour." spat Professor Flitwick angrily.

He blew his nose on a corner of the filthy pillowcase he wore, looking so pathetic that Harry felt his anger ebb away in spite of himself.

"So when he shouts at you, all you have to do is cry?" said Fred.

"We'll have to try that." said George.

"Why d'you wear that thing, Dobby?" he asked curiously.

"This, sir?" said Dobby, plucking at the pillowcase. "'Tis a mark of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. Dobby can only be freed if his masters present him with clothes, sir. The family is careful not to pass Dobby even a sock, sir, for then he would be free to leave their house forever."

"Too bad Harry ain't up, we could question him about what else he knows about house-elves." said Neville eagerly.

"Let's not wake him though, let him wake up on his own." said Ginny.

Dobby mopped his bulging eyes and said suddenly, "Harry Potter must go home!

"Harry isn't safe there!" said a first year Gryffindor.

Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make -"

"Wait…did he say his Bludger?" said slowly.

"Should've throttled him when I had a chance." said Sirius.

"Harry wouldn't forgive you." said Hermione.

"Yeah, he stopped me once already." said Sirius. "Him and Dumbledore."

"Your Bludger?" said Harry, anger rising once more. "What d'you mean, your Bludger? You made that Bludger try and kill me?"

"Not kill you, sir, never kill you!" said Dobby, shocked.

"Tell that to your Bludger." said Fred bitterly.

"Dobby wants to save Harry Potter's life!

"He's got a funny way of showing it." said George.

Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here, sir!

"Yet he's sent away from home grievously injured." said Dr. Clark angrily.

Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!"

"I wouldn't trust the Dursleys taking care of Harry's wounds; they wouldn't even take him to the hospital when he really needed. James had to bring him. Especially when Harry was really sick." said Dr. Clark.

"What was he sick with?" asked Sirius quickly.

"He had pneumonia." said Dr. Clark. "Took him a while to get better. It was the only time the Dursleys let him spend the night at James'. They didn't want their precious Dinky Duddykins to get sick." he finished in a cutesy voice.

"Where's he at? I'll go cough on him." said Lionus with a smirk.

"Oh, is that all?" said Harry angrily. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you wanted me sent home in pieces?"

"Ah, if Harry Potter only knew!" Dobby groaned, more tears dripping onto his ragged pillowcase.

"Then tell the stupid kid! No offense." said Sirius to the sleeping teen.

"If he knew what he means to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, us dregs of the magical world! Dobby remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his powers, sir! We house-elves were treated like vermin, sir! Of course, Dobby is still treated like that, sir," he admitted, drying his face on the pillowcase.

"Aww. The poor little guy." said Parvati.

"I hope everything turns out alright for him." said Lavender.

"It does." said Ron.

"But mostly, sir, life has improved for my kind since you triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Harry Potter survived, and the Dark Lord's power was broken, and it was a new dawn, sir, and Harry Potter shone like a beacon of hope for those of us who thought the dark days would never end, sir ...

"Ain't he the dramatic one?" whispered Ernie.

"You have no room to talk." said Ron angrily.

And now, at Hogwarts, terrible things are to happen, are perhaps happening already, and Dobby cannot let Harry Potter stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more -"

"Once more? Has it happened before?" asked Dr. Clark.

"I don't remember if it ever did or not." said Sirius.

Dobby froze, horror-struck, then grabbed Harry's water jug from his bedside table and cracked it over his own head, toppling out of sight, muttering, "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby ..."

"We should fix a pillow to Dobby's head. So he can't hurt himself." said Ron.

"I don't think he will now." said Dumbledore.

"So there is a Chamber of secrets?" Harry whispered. "And - did you say it's been opened before?Tell me, Dobby!"

He seized the elf's bony wrist as Dobby's hand inched towards the water jug. "But I'm not Muggle-born - how can I be in danger from the Chamber?"

"He's got a point, he's in no danger." said Sirius sighing with relief.

"Ah, sir, ask no more, ask no more of poor Dobby," stammered the elf, his eyes huge in the dark. "Dark deeds are planned in this place, but Harry Potter must not be here when they happen. Go home, Harry Potter. Go home. Harry Potter must not meddle in this, sir, 'tis too dangerous -"

"Yeah, like last year was as safe as castle full of teddy bears." said Ron rolling his eyes.

"Who is it, Dobby?" Harry said, keeping a firm hold on Dobby's wrist to stop him hitting himself with the water jug again. "Who's opened it? Who opened it last time?"

"Dobby can't, sir, Dobby can't, Dobby mustn't tell!" squealed the elf. "Go home, Harry Potter, go home!"

"It's like Dobby's a stuck record." said Charlie.

"I'm not going anywhere!" said Harry fiercely. "One of my best friends is Muggle-born, she'll be first in line if the Chamber really has been opened -"

The people in the Great Hall stared.

"So that's why he's working so hard to solve this thing? So he can protect Hermione?" said Tonks.

Hermione looked down and blushed.

"He has to stop self-sacrificing himself like that." said McGonagall in a whisper.

"Didn't anyone want to leave for home when they saw the writing on the wall?" said Mrs. Weasley.

"There were some people who left, but they mostly had confidence that the Headmaster would find out what had happened. And when news got around that Mrs. Norris would be restored, they felt a bit more at ease, that if something were to happen, it could be set right." said McGonagall.

"Harry Potter risks his own life for his friends!" moaned Dobby, in a kind of miserable ecstasy.

"That's going to stop soon; he's going to learn to ask older people for help." said Sirius.

"So noble! So valiant!

"So true!" said Fred rapturously.

But he must save himself, he must, Harry Potter must not -"

Dobby suddenly froze, his bat ears quivering. Harry heard it, too. There were footsteps coming down the passageway outside.

"Not surprising, it being the middle of the night." said Seamus.

"Still, Harry being able to hear something at the same time a house-elf can? That's not bad." said Kingsley.

"Dobby must go!" breathed the elf, terrified; there was a loud crack, and Harry's fist was suddenly clenched on thin air. He slipped back into bed, his eyes on the dark doorway to the hospital wing as the footsteps drew nearer.

Next moment, Dumbledore was backing into the dormitory,

"Why back into a room? What's wrong with walking forward?" asked Sirius.

wearing a long wooly dressing gown and a nightcap.

"Always the pinnacle of fashion." said Fred whispering to Lee.

He was carrying one end of what looked like a statue. Professor McGonagall appeared a second later, carrying its feet. Together, they heaved it onto a bed.

"Why would you put a statue on a bed?" asked Firenze.

"Get Madam Pomfrey," whispered Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall hurried past the end of Harry's bed out of sight.

"We didn't even sense that he was awake." said Dumbledore, "If he was, I would have placed a sleeping spell on him."

Harry lay quite still, pretending to be asleep.

"He's a good faker." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

He heard urgent voices, and then Professor McGonagall swept back into view, closely followed by Madam Pomfrey, who was pulling a cardigan on over her nightdress. He heard a sharp intake of breath.

" What happened?" Madam Pomfrey whispered to Dumbledore, bending over the statue on the bed.

"Hold on. Did someone else get petrified?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Who was it?" asked Bill quickly.

"Another attack," said Dumbledore. "Minerva found him on the stairs."

"There was a bunch of grapes next to him," said Professor McGonagall. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter."

"RON!" shouted Bill and Charlie.

"It wasn't me." said Ron quickly.

"Then who the hell is it?" asked Charlie.

Harry's stomach gave a horrible lurch.

"He must've thought it was you too." said Hermione.

Slowly and carefully, he raised himself a few inches so he could look at the statue on the bed. A ray of moonlight lay across its staring face.

"Sounds like something out of a horror story." said Justin.

It was Colin Creevey. His eyes were wide and his hands were stuck up in front of him, holding his camera.

"When Harry left the hospital wing, he was horrified, and he felt so guilty that he yelled at you." said Hermione.

Colin looked down, his face a pale pink.

"Petrified?" whispered Madam Pomfrey.

"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "But I shudder to think ... If Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate, who knows what might have -"

"What did you mean by that? Do you mean that if Dumbledore had gone another way, HE would have been petrified, or what would have happened to Colin if Dumbledore had gone the way he did?" asked Tempest.

McGonagall paled, "I suppose, both would have worked, I didn't think of Dumbledore becoming petrified."

The three of them stared down at Colin. Then Dumbledore leaned forward and pried the camera out of Colin's rigid grip.

"Oh yeah! I took a picture of what it was that attacked me!" said Colin excitedly.

"Excellent!" said Sirius excitedly.

"You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" said Professor McGonagall eagerly.

Dumbledore didn't answer. He pried open the back of the camera.

Several students leaned forward apprehensively, the same with a few adults.

"Good gracious!" said Madam Pomfrey.

A jet of steam had hissed out of the camera. Harry, three beds away, caught the acrid smell of burnt plastic.

"So much for a photo of the attacker." said Dr. Clark glumly.

"Melted," said Madam Pomfrey wonderingly, "all melted ..."

"What does this mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently.

"It means," said Dumbledore, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."

Madam Pomfrey clapped a hand to her mouth. Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore.

"But Albus ... surely ... who?"

"We would all love to know." said Tonks.

"The question is not who," said Dumbledore, his eyes on Colin.

"Weren't you concerned about who was behind it?" asked Charlie.

"I was more concerned with how it was done, so it can be stopped. The person behind it can wait a few moments more." said Dumbledore.

"The question is, how ..."

And from what Harry could see of Professor McGonagall's shadowy face, she didn't understand this any better than he did.

"Bet that set his mind at ease." said Fred.

"Hope Professor Lupin gets better soon." said a fourth year Hufflepuff. "Him and Harry."

"Looks like Remus is waking up." said Dr. Clark.

"Hmm, hope he's up for the bad news about Harry's arm." said Sirius with a sad smile.

Chapter 38

Remus felt his himself falling down a long cavernous hole for what seemed like forever, he couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, the sensation ended and he opened his eyes. He was standing in a house he couldn't recognize. There was pictures hanging precariously off the hooks, the curtains were ripped and torn, with red stains on them, the entire room was almost destroyed, then he noticed, that it was the Dursleys. Suddenly he saw a door open, he reached for his wand, but it was gone. The door opened and he saw Harry slowly walking in.

"Harry! Where are we? What happened?" said Remus quickly But stared in horror as he got a closer look at Harry. The sight of the boy almost made Remus scream out loud.

"Why didn't you save me? Why did you let them keep me? Don't you know what happened to me when I got home? Look what he did to me, after what happened to Aunt Muriel." said Harry holding out his arms. Remus gazed transfixed in horror at the wounds on the poor boy's body.

"Harry…I…I didn't know…" said Remus weakly.

"I told you, I sent you dozens of letters to come and save me!" cried Harry tears and a trickle of blood falling down his face. "I told you everything!" he covered his face and cried, blood flowing from the crevices of his fingers. Remus staggered and rushed to Harry, but with every step he took, he gained no ground, but lost it.

Suddenly, a spectral figure that resembled Vernon appeared and in a whirl of gray, and red, Harry was dragged away screaming into the darkness.

"REMUS! PLEASE! DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME!" screamed Harry, his hands trying to claw at Remus frantically.

"HARRY!" yelled Remus, he tried running faster after the boy, but found his way blocked by a large wolf like form. It was the form he took every full moon.

"What makes you think we want to take care of some little brat? You can barely see to my needs. Of course, if you really want to take care of the little morsel, I wouldn't mind a snack for the next full moon." said the wolf eagerly.

"NO!" shouted Remus. The wolf grinned maliciously.

"No? But what is to stop me from getting him?" said the wolf pacing back and forth, the same evil grin on his face.

"I…Harry…" Remus fell to his knees. "You're right, it's too dangerous for me to take him…"

"That's right, now, let's get out of this dump. There's a full moon in two days and I'm dying to get out and shake the dust out of my fur." he said pushing another door open with his paw. Remus slowly stood up, as if in a trance.

"That's right, come on…you belong to me…" said the wolf licking his chops.

Suddenly a lightning bolt came crashing down right between werewolf and the distraught man. The bolt of lightning left behind a young man, the same young man that was dragged away into the darkness, the only difference was, was that he was a little older and the wounds were gone.

"Harry…?" said Remus weakly the fog in his brain quickly dissipating.

Harry was on all fours and gasping for breath. "Gotta hang on….gotta hang on…" gasped Harry. The werewolf pounced on the boy, but was sent flying back; a strange aura was connecting the two of them. Remus watched as the werewolf began to drain away slowly; the skin grew tight against his skin and the hair slowly fell from the werewolf's body. The werewolf tried once more to attack, this time, he lunged at Remus, but Harry took a hold of the aura and slammed him into the wall, but then, Harry collapsed from exhaustion.

Then, just miraculous as Harry arrived, someone else had arrived and Harry was taken away by a man that Remus had seen before, but he couldn't believe that it was actually him. Harry disappeared with the man, but then the man reappeared. The man then walked over and pulled Remus upward.

"He forgave you, so I guess, I must too." said the man with a smile. The light enveloped him, leaving the remains of the werewolf behind. "Watch yourself, for I will not be kind next time."

Remus sat up quickly and found himself back in the Great Hall.

"Easy mate." said a familiar voice. Remus looked up and saw Sirius smiling down at him. "You're still feeling warm, best let yourself rest a bit more. "

"Harry…where is Harry…" said Remus weakly.

"He's in your lap, so don't move about too much, he's still feeling a bit under the weather." said Sirius.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Remus quickly.

"He has a slight fever, and so do you so you take a rest. We're starting on the next chapter." said Dr. Clark.

"How did the game go?" asked Remus sinking back into the cushions and running fingers through Harry's hair.

"He won, but he broke his arm." said Fred with a frown on his face.

"Then Dazzle Gums magicked the bones out of Harry's arm." said George.

"When I feel better, I'm going to kill him." said Remus.

"Get in line, there's a long line." said Dr. Clark.

"Can we make Justin read?" asked Hermione with an innocent smile..

"Do you feel up to it?" asked Professor Sprout.

"Sure." said Justin taking the book, but then his face paled.

"The Dueling Club"

Ernie and several Hufflepuffs looked guiltily around.

"You get the feeling it's another bad one?" said Tonks helping Remus drink a cup of hot chocolate.

Harry woke up on Sunday morning to find the dormitory blazing with winter sunlight and his arm re-boned but very stiff.

"That sort of sounds familiar." said Dr. Clark.

"It should, you had to take that particular potion at Headquarters." said Dr. Nicodemus, "Your hands were almost completely nonexistent."

Dr. Clark looked at his hands, his face twisted with horror.

"It's okay, you've got them back." said Sirius reassuringly.

He sat up quickly and looked over at Colin's bed, but it had been blocked from view by the high curtains Harry had changed behind yesterday.

"Well of course, I didn't need him upsetting himself, especially seeing how delicate he is." said Madam Pomfrey.

"He won't like you calling him delicate again." said Sirius with a laugh.

"I have to agree with her, the boy is very brittle. All the abuse he's been through saw to that." said Dr. Nicodemus.

Seeing that he was awake, Madam Pomfrey came bustling over with a breakfast tray and then began bending and stretching his arm and fingers.

"You sound about as cruel as a chiropractor." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

"What is that?" asked Draco.

"A person you pay to hurt you and twist you into knots." said Dr. Clark.

Draco stared.

"All in order," she said, as he clumsily fed himself porridge left-handed.

"It was quite adorable." whispered Madam Pomfrey to Professor Sprout.

"When you've finished eating, you may leave."

Harry dressed as quickly as he could and hurried off to Gryffindor Tower, desperate to tell Ron and Hermione about Colin and Dobby, but they weren't there.

"Where the heck were you kids? Why weren't you guys at Harry's side?" said Bill with disappointment etched in his voice.

"We were doing something." said Hermione.

"Nice, real nice." said Fred.

"This something couldn't wait until after Harry got out of the hospital wing?" asked George.

"The guy gets up before seven o'clock every blessed morning! You guys would have had plenty of daylight left in the day." said Lee.

Ron and Hermione looked down shamefully.

Harry left to look for them, wondering where they could have got to and feeling slightly hurt that they weren't interested in whether he had his bones back or not.

"But we did!" said Hermione shrilly.

"You guys have a funny way of showing it." said Charlie.

As Harry passed the library, Percy Weasley strolled out of it, looking in far better spirits than last time they'd met.

"What could make you happy?" asked Fred.

"None of your business." said Percy quickly, turning red.

"Girlfriend." said the twins together.

Percy turned an even brighter red.

"Oh, hello, Harry," he said. "Excellent flying yesterday, really excellent.

"He received bodily harm, and people are telling him that it was excellent flying? Idiots." said Charlie. "It would only have been excellent flying if he didn't get clobbered by the Bludger."

Gryffindor have just taken the lead for the House Cup - you earned fifty points!"

"You haven't seen Ron or Hermione, have you?" said Harry.

"No, I haven't," said Percy, his smile fading. "I hope Ron's not in another girls' toilet ..."

"You catch him there once and now you label him for life?" said Bill angrily.

Percy bit his lip.

"Moron." said Bill shaking his head.

Harry forced a laugh, watched Percy out of sight and then headed straight for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"So I guess he didn't get our note after all." said Hermione,

"What note?" asked Ron.

"The note you were supposed to write!" said Hermione crossly.

"I thought you were going to write it!" said Ron defensively.

He couldn't see why Ron and Hermione would be in there again, but after making sure that neither Filch nor any Prefects were around, he opened the door and heard their voices coming from a locked stall.

"You guys couldn't cast a charm so no one heard you?" asked Tonks.

"We didn't know one at the time." said Ron.

"It's me," he said, closing the door behind him. There was a clunk, a splash and a gasp from within the cubicle and he saw Hermione's eyes peering through the keyhole.

"What the hell are you two doing in there?" asked Tonks looking over at the two with wide eyes.

"We were just working on the potion." said Ron turning as bright red as Hermione was.

Harry!" she said.

"You don't know the sound of his voice and footsteps by now?" asked Sirius. "I could tell if Remus was walking around by the first half of the first year."

"You gave us such a fright - come in - how's your arm?"

"Now you care." muttered George bitterly.

"Fine," said Harry, squeezing into the cubicle. An old cauldron was perched on the toilet, and a crackling from under the rim told Harry they had lit a fire beneath it. Conjuring up portable, waterproof fires was a specialty of Hermione's.

Hermione blushed.

"We'd've come to meet you, but we decided to get started on the Polyjuice Potion," Ron explained,

"Who came up with that priority list?" asked Alicia. Ron pointed to Hermione.

"Figures, she always was one for logic as opposed to other's feelings." said a seventh year Gryffindor.

Hermione buried her face in her hands, and then a hoarse whisper came from the bowl.

"Leaver her be!"

They looked over to the bowl and saw Harry trying vainly to sit up. "We needed to find out what was going on. It didn't bother me." said Harry clutching the blanket to his chest, his face deathly pale and his hands shaking.

"You should have gone to the adults." said Sirius soothingly, "now lay back."

"They're picking on Hermione." said Harry faintly, his whole body shivering.

"We'll protect Hermione," said Remus, standing up carefully. "You need to rest."

"You're sick too!" said Hermione.

"I know, but Harry might sleep better without someone else in there. I'll make myself a chair." said Remus conjuring up a large recliner.

Sirius helped him sit in the large chair and covered up his old friend. He went back to Harry and lightly pushed him back down into the cushions, then turned to Dr. Clark and handed him a cup of tea. "I'm getting worn out." he said with a laugh.

"I'll help." said Dumbledore standing up and standing beside Harry, Madam Pomfrey joined them and tended to Remus, Sirius frowned slightly at Dumbledore, who was making Harry comfortable.

"You two just relax." said Madam Pomfrey said to the other two men.

as Harry, with difficulty, locked the stall again.

"Why did he have difficulty locking it?" asked Bill, trying to leave Hermione alone. He didn't want to cause Harry any more stress, and he sensed that Hermione had learned her lesson.

"There were three of us in a bathroom stall. Little hard to do." said Ron.

"We've decided this is the safest place to hide it."

"Good idea, no one would go into a haunted bathroom." said Kingsley.

Harry started to tell them about Colin, but Hermione interrupted, "We already know - we heard Professor McGonagall telling Professor Flitwick this morning.

"Where were you when you heard us talking about it?" asked McGonagall stunned.

"Library. We were in the Muggle Histroy section. Hermione was telling me all about the War of 1913." said Ron.

"The War of 1812." corrected Hermione,.

That's why we decided we'd better get going -"

"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarled Ron. "D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin."

"That is plausible, but obviously not the case." said Lionus looking at the still enrolled Draco.

"There's something else," said Harry, watching Hermione tearing bundles of knotgrass and throwing them into the potion. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night."

Ron and Hermione looked up, amazed. Harry told them everything Dobby had told him - or hadn't told him. Ron and Hermione listened with their mouths open.

"And here I thought he held something back." said Hermione looking down guiltily.

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" said Hermione.

"That settles it," said Ron in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened the Chamber when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it.

"My father's old but not that old." said Draco with a smile.

"When was the Chamber last opened?" asked Dr. Clark.

"About fifty-three years ago." said Hermione adding the years up quickly.

"No, Lucius isn't that old." said Severus. "He's only about four years older than myself."

It's obvious. Wish Dobby'd told you what kind of monster's in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking round the school."

"Can it make itself invisible? Or perhaps change it's appearance to look like something else?" said Kingsley.

"Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione, prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself - pretend to be a suit of armor or something - I've read about Chameleon Ghouls -"

"Wow, Hermione thinks like you!" said Tonks excitedly.

"At least she doesn't sound like you." said Kingsley with a smile.

"You read too much, Hermione," said Ron, pouring dead lacewings on top of the leeches.

"You do!" said Ron holding up his hands. "When was that last thing you did that was fun, WITHOUT a book?"

Hermione had to stop and think.

"That's okay, take your time." said Fred with a smile.

He crumpled up the empty lacewing bag and looked round at Harry.

"So Dobby stopped us getting on the train and broke your arm ..." He shook his head. "You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you."

"Does he stop trying to save him?" asked Sirius hopefully.

"He actually does save me in the end, not from the heir though." said Harry thickly,

"Sorry, Cub, didn't mean to wake you. You go back to sleep." said Sirius tucking Harry in. Harry yawned and buried his face in the pillows. Dumbledore lifted one of the covers and placed a very old, and much worn stuffed dragon, under Harry's arm.

"Isn't that…?" asked Sirius.

"You had him?" said Remus with a whisper.

"James forgot it the last time I babysat Harry." said Dumbledore smiling down at Harry. "I kept it safe."

"Would you look at that? Look how tight he's gripping Scorchie." said Sirius with a laugh.

"Still has some insecurities doesn't he?" said Zacharias with a sneer.

"Want to talk about your bedwetting?" said a fifth year Hufflepuff. Zacharias looked down and quickly blushed.

The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread round the entire school by Monday morning.

"Not that the teachers didn't try and quash those. Professor McGonagall even tried telling the first years that he had to go home, sick relative or something." said a fourth year Gryffindor.

The air was suddenly thick with rumor and suspicion.

"There was no telling the difference." said Percy.

"People avoided the Slytherins like the plague though." said George.

"And Harry." reminded Fred.

The first-years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured fourth alone.

"That only makes it easier to wipe out a larger amount of children." said Moody.

"We didn't need to hear that." said Bathilda crossly.

Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin in Charms, was distraught,

Colin smiled brightly over to her, but Fred tugged at the boy's collar.

"She's taken." said Fred. Ginny hadn't noticed, she was too busy looking over to Harry and wishing to move, but was being restrained by her father.

"Let him rest." he whispered in his small daughter's ear.

but Harry felt that Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up.

"What did you two do now?" said Charlie tiredly.

"We only did what we normally did." said George cautiously.

They were taking it in turns to cover themselves with fur or boils and jump out at her from behind statues.

"That works when she's upset about not going somewhere, not when there's a monster somewhere lurking about." said Bill.

They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her that Ginny was having nightmares.

"It also didn't hurt to have Harry shout us out either." said Fred.

Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets and other protective devices was sweeping the school.

"Who started that trade?" said McGonagall angrily.

"Seventh years." said Hermione with disgust. "They bought stupid little trinkets, and foul smelling things and tried passing them off as protective stuff."

"Probably the same people I have to deal with nowadays," said Tonks. "They love frauding people, to get a few galleons."

Neville Longbottom bought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal and a rotting newt-tail

"I hope you don't still have those things." said Professor Sinistra.

"I woke up and all the stuff was gone and the money I paid for it was in my trunk." said Neville thoughtfully.

"How much do want to bet that Harry gave the seventh years back their stuff and he took Neville's money?" asked Lee quietly.

"Without them even knowing they were giving a refund." said Fred with a smirk.

before the other Gryffindor boys pointed out that he was in no danger: He was a pure-blood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.

"That is a good point. Slytherin's heir would never attack a pureblood." said Sirius.

"They went for Filch first," Neville said, his round face fearful, "and everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."

"No you're not, you just have no confidence." said Professor McGonagall.

Neville smiled.

In the second week of December Professor McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas.

"Wonder how many people would leave and come back?" said Bill.

"Plenty of people left, but only a handful of them stayed home." said Professor McGonagall.

Harry, Ron and Hermione signed her list;

"You both could have gone home and left it to others to take care of." said Sirius.

"But Harry didn't have anywhere to go. I didn't know if he could come and visit us for Christmas." said Ron.

they had heard that Malfoy was staying, which struck them as very suspicious.

"You gotta admit, it didn't put you into a good light." said Sirius.

The holidays would be the perfect time to use the Polyjuice Potion and try to worm a confession out of him.

"Nice choice of words. Malfoy's always were siding with the more powerful and profitable side. They almost always flip-flopped sides." said Bill.

Unfortunately, the potion was only half-finished. They still needed the Bicorn horn and the Boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get them was from Snape's private stores.

"It was nice knowing you." said Sirius trying to keep a straight face.

Harry privately felt he'd rather face Slytherin's legendary monster than have Snape catch him robbing his office.

"Really?" asked Snape amused.

"Out of all the people I've worked for, you were one of the ones that I would rather not mess with on that level." said Harry, his eyes still closed, and still holding the stuffed dragon.

"Shh…" said Dumbledore soothingly, rubbing the top of Harry's hair and placing a silencing spell around him.

"Best to let him rest." said Dumbledore. "Having him wake up constantly will not give him the chance to get any better."

"What we need," said Hermione briskly, as Thursday afternoon's double Potions lesson loomed nearer, "is a diversion. Then one of us can sneak into Snape's office and take what we need."

Snape stared at Hermione hard, who shrunk and held onto Ron.

Harry and Ron looked at each other nervously.

"We didn't want to get expelled." said Ron.

"I think I'd better do the actual stealing," Hermione continued, in a matter-of-fact tone.

The teachers stared in shock.

"You two will be expelled if you get in any more trouble, and I've got a clean record.

"Wouldn't stop me from expelling you." said Snape nastily.

So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so."

"Causing mayhem in Snape's class can get you killed." said George.

Harry smiled feebly. Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.

Snape smiled to himself; that was perhaps the nicest thing any student had ever said about him.

.

Potions lessons took place in one of the large dungeons. Thursday afternoon's lesson proceeded in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients.

"Aww…such a cheerful yuletide scene." said Fred clasping his hands together.

Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindors' work while the Slytherins sniggered appreciatively.

"That was one good thing about Slughorn, he didn't give a damn what house you were in, if you did good work or were related to someone famous he praised your work." said Sirius.

Draco Malfoy, who was Snape's favorite student, kept flicking puffer-fish eyes at Ron and Harry, who knew that if they retaliated they would get detention faster than you could say 'unfair'.

Draco couldn't help but smile, but the smile was washed away by the glare sent by his godfather.

Harry's Swelling Solution was far too runny,

"I thought he wanted to mess up on purpose." said a seventh year Ravenclaw.

"Yeah, but he was aiming for it to be a little runny and purple, it turned really runny, but it was the right color." said Ron. "He wasn't paying close enough attention, for a pretty good reason."

but he had his mind on more important things. He was waiting for Hermione's signal, and he hardly listened as Snape paused to sneer at his watery potion.

"He never cares when you tell him his potions are bad." said Ron.

When Snape turned and walked off to bully Neville,

"Perfect choice of words." said Remus remembering the year in which he taught Harry's year about Boggarts.

Hermione caught Harry's eye and nodded.

Harry ducked swiftly down behind his cauldron, pulled one of Fred's Filibuster Fireworks out of his pocket, and gave it a quick prod with his wand.

Fred and George stared, shocked to the core.

"When he said he wanted one, we were happy to give it to him, thinking he'd prank someone good." said George faintly.

"I never thought he'd use it in Snape's classroom." said Fred turning white.

"I'm amazed he's still breathing." said Lee.

The firework began to fizz and sputter. Knowing he had only seconds, Harry straightened up, took aim, and lobbed it into the air; it landed right on target in Goyle's cauldron.

Snape stared in amazement. "He actually aimed for Goyle's potion?"

"Is there something significant about that particular one?" asked Firenze.

"Only that it was not completed fully, and it only had a tenth of the strength the other potions had." said Snape quietly. "I had thought that it was quite lucky that the potion landed in that one."

Ron and Hermione stared at each other, as well as several other people.

Goyle's potion exploded, showering the whole class.

Sirius could hardly contain his laughter.

"I'm so proud." said Sirius beaming brightly and wiping a tear from his eye.

People shrieked as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Malfoy got a face full and his nose began to swell like a balloon; Goyle blundered around, his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of dinner plates –

"He got everyone but Crabbe, which might explain why he looked a little upset during all that ruckus." said Ron thoughtfully.

while Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what had happened. Through the confusion, Harry saw Hermione slip quietly out of the door.

"That was a pretty good plan." said Moody. "Not bad for a bookworm."

Hermione smiled.

"Silence! SILENCE!" Snape roared. "Anyone who has been splashed come here for a Deflating Draft - When I find out who did this - "

"And you're going to get caught." said Fred covering his eyes.

Harry tried not to laugh as he watched Malfoy hurry forward, his head drooping with the weight of his nose like a small melon. As half the class lumbered up to Snape's desk, some weighed down with arms like clubs, others unable to talk through gigantic puffed-up lips,

"Pansy had gotten some of it on her…fanny." said Parvati giggling like mad.

"I have that burned in my memory." said Lavender holding her sides.

Harry saw Hermione slide back into the dungeon, the front of her robes bulging.

When everyone had taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings had subsided,

"That had to of been one of the funniest classes, EVER!" shouted Sirius laughing hard.

Snape swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework. There was a sudden hush.

"Here it comes, he's going to find out it's Harry's." said George. "His fingerprints or something." said

"If I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispered, "I shall make sure that person is expelled."

"You didn't see anything? You always see something when we pull something." said Fred, slightly hurt.

"I tried finding something, something more concrete than just the evidence I would need to issue a detention." said Snape sourly.

Harry arranged his face into what he hoped was a puzzled expression.

"He succeeded in that endeavor, but I knew he did it, I just didn't have the means to prove it." said Snape angrily.

Snape was looking right at him and the bell which rang ten minutes later could not have been more welcome.

"He knew it was me," Harry told Ron and Hermione, as they hurried back to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. "I could tell."

"Wow, and I know that I didn't believe that he knew, that Snape knew that he did it." said Hermione.

"What?" asked Ron, completely lost.

Hermione threw the new ingredients into the cauldron and began to stir feverishly.

"It'll be ready in two weeks," she said happily.

"Snape can't prove it was you," said Ron reassuringly to Harry. "What can he do?"

"Make his life hell." said almost everyone in the Great Hall.

"Knowing Snape, something foul," said Harry, as the potion frothed and bubbled.

"And Harry was right." said Hermione in a whisper.

A week later, Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking across the Entrance Hall when they saw a small knot of people gathered around the notice-board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited.

"Oh, did someone start up the Trick Flying Club, again? That was always popular with the guys and the girls loved to go and watch." said Sirius.

"No, but we would have been a little safer with that." said Fred.

"They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Seamus. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind dueling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days ..."

"I don't think they're going to let in third years and under." said Mr. Weasley. "Dueling is too advanced for smaller students."

"Harry seemed to do pretty well." said Fred with a smirk.

"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" said Ron, but he too read the sign with interest.

"Wow, Ron can even be sarcastic!" said Charlie laughing loudly.

"Could be useful," he said to Harry and Hermione as they went into dinner. "Shall we go?"

"You wouldn't shut up about it, till we agreed to go with you." said Hermione.

Harry and Hermione were all for it,

"After a whole meal of badgering, yeah, we were all for it." said Hermione.

so at eight o'clock that evening, they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit but thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands looking excited.

"Most of the school? Who didn't show up?" said Bill.

"The ones who said that it would promote violence and further discord amongst the students." said Ron.

The Weasleys stared.

"Never heard you put anything quite like that before." said Mrs. Weasley.

"I didn't come up with it, they were handing out fliers for protesting against it." said Ron. "I kept one, makes me laugh every time."

"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione, as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young - maybe it'll be him."

"I wasn't told about it, I would have taught, if I had known." said Professor Flitwick.

"As long as it's not -" Harry began, but he ended on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage,

"Too late." said several people together.

resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.

"I'm rooting for Severua." said Sirius excitedly.

"So are we." said Dr. Clark and Remus eagerly. Snape stared at both of the men baffled.

Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me?

"Nope." said the twins.

Excellent!

"We thought so too." said the twins with large smiles.

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club,

"He asked to start it up, but he assured that someone who was a qualified Duelist would be teaching them." said Dumbledore quickly in response to all the glares sent his way. "I had assumed that Professor Flitwick was the one who would be training the students."

"Why would you assume that, with him?" asked Professor Sprout.

"Because that is what Gilderoy had told me." said Dumbledore.

to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions -for full details, see my published works.

"Well, thank goodness that we don't have to sit here and hear him preen his own feathers." said Sirius sighing with relief.

"Let me introduce my assistant Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile.

"Trust us, we know who he is." said Charlie.

"He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself

"A tiny little bit, huh?" said Remus over to Professor Snape with a smile.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" said Dr. Clark trying to sit up, but Sirius pushed him back down.

"I'm feeling quite a bit better now." said Remus with a smile.

"We'll see about that." said Madam Pomfrey placing the tip of her wand to Remus' forehead. A thin piece of parchment came out and she read it. "Your temperature is back to normal!" she said shocked.

"Told you. Now we just need to worry about Harry and Sam." said Remus with a sad smile.

"I just fainted nothing major." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry - you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

"Dazzle Gums couldn't duel his way out of a chicken coop." said Sirius.

"Remember in our third year when he boasted that he could beat anyone in a duel? He got his butt handed to him by Lily. She didn't even look at him, just waved her wand once and it was all over." said Remus with a bright smile. "The Disarming Spell is all it took."

Professor Snape fingered the locket and smiled.

"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in Harry's ear.

"RONALD!" shouted Mrs. Weasley.

"Sorry, Professor." said Ron quickly. "But I wished you had finished him off."

"As do I." said Professor Snape, sneering.

Snape's upper lip was curling.

Harry wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at him like that he'd have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

"And Harry's not afraid of anything." said Fred.

"If Harry's scared, everyone else has already run far, far away." said George.

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably.

"You've got to admit, Lockhart tries to have style." said Kingsley with a smirk.

Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd.

"Well, they're starting out right." said Professor Flitwick, eagerly waiting for the fur to fly in the book. He remembered teaching dueling many years ago, and Lockhart would have never stood a chance against Severus Snape, and he doubt anything had changed since.

"On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"Too bad." said Tonks.

"I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth.

"Doesn't miss a tick, does he?" said Fred with an eager smile.

"One - two - three -"

Both of them swung their wands up and over their shoulders. Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!"

"You used Lily's spell? Nice touch." said Remus.

There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: he flew backwards off the stage, smashed into the wall and slid down to sprawl on the floor.

The students all cheered, even Gryffindor House.

"You're awesome!" said a first year Gryffindor. Snape stared at the youth.

"Now if only you would chill out with kids, you'd be one of the more popular teachers here." said Sirius with a laugh. Snape sat dumbfounded.

Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheered. Hermione was dancing on tiptoes. "Do you think he's all right?" she squealed through her fingers.

"Who cares?" asked Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark together.

"Who cares?" said Harry and Ron together.

"Right on." said Remus smiling hugely.

Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.

"Beautiful, absolutely beautiful." said Sirius tears coming down from laughing so hard.

"Well there you have it!" he said, tottering back on to the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm - as you see, I've lost my wand –

"He began feeling around the ground, like he lost his glasses." said Ron with a snort.

ah, thank you, Miss Brown.

"Should have thrown it away." said Fred looking disappointed at Lavender.

Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do.

"Liar." said the students and most of the adults.

If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy - however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see ..."

"There were practice dummies in the corner, they could have used them, if he was aiming for showing what happens with what spell." said Ernie.

Snape was looking murderous.

"Run Dazzle Gums, run away fast." said Sirius.

Possibly Lockhart had noticed, because he said, "Enough demonstrating!

"Good call." said Remus.

I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me - "

"I hope Professor Lockhart doesn't pair Harry with himself." said Remus warningly.

"Nope, he picks someone worse." said Ron.

They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley,

"I couldn't believe it, I was the better dueler." said Neville with a small smile. "Not by much though."

but Snape reached Harry and Ron first.

"Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered.

"It is a good idea for two reasons. One, it is good to know what other people have learned." said Remus. "Two, Ron's wand is still on the fritz."

"Weasley, you can partner Finnegan. Potter -"

Harry moved automatically towards Hermione.

"I don't think so," said Snape, smiling coldly.

"Jeez, there is no getting your way, is there?" said Dr. Clark looking over at the sleeping young man fondly.

Harry was still sleeping soundly, but was still running a temperature. Dumbledore continued wiping the boy's brow with a cool cloth. Harry gave a quiet moan.

"Poor thing." said Madam Pomfrey gently fluffing the pillow the boy's head rested on.

"Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter. And you, Miss Granger - you can partner Miss Bulstrode."

"It's a double header folks! We've got the Pampered Prince, and the Noble Knight going head to head in one ring." said Fred.

"And Beauty facing the Beast in the other!" said George. "Who will be victorious?" both pretending to hold invisible microphones.

Malfoy strutted over, smirking. Behind him walked a Slytherin girl who reminded Harry of a picture he'd seen in Holidays with Hags. She was large and square and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively. Hermione gave her a weak smile which she did not return.

"Take a guess who the 'Beast' is." said George.

"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform, "and bow!"

Harry and Malfoy barely inclined their heads, not taking their eyes off each other.

"Nice to know that Potter isn't too trusting." said Moody.

"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent - only to disarm them –

"Now, let's see how many people actually follow that little rule." said Tonks with a smile.

we don't want any accidents - one ... two ... three - "

"BANG! People lay injured all across the hall." said Fred dramtically.

"And the source of the blast came from the clash of power between the two rival's houses." said George in a hushed tone. Both talking into their microphones.

"Very funny, I thought there really was an explosion." said Mr. Weasley severely crossed and holding his chest.

Harry swung his wand over his shoulder, but Malfoy had already started on "two":

"What a dirty cheat!" said a Hufflepuff third year.

"Of course he'd start early, the only way to beat Potter's reflexes." said Moody.

His spell hit Harry so hard he felt as though he'd been hit over the head with a saucepan.

Harry coughed loudly, moaned a little and buried himself deeper into the soft pillows.

"His fever isn't breaking, is it?" asked Hermione in a whisper.

"No, not yet." said Madam Pomfrey worriedly. "And I've placed several fever reducing spells on him."

He stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working, and wasting no more time, Harry pointed his wand straight at Malfoy and shouted, "Rictusempra!"

Moody and Lionus smiled, both couldn't wait to train him up even farther and see what he could become.

A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing.

"He said 'Disarm'!" shouted the Minister.

"Well the Malfoy boy didn't exactly follow the rules to start with." snapped Lionus. "Be silent!"

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd,

"If there were two different houses going at each other, there was no such thing as only disarming." said Angelina.

as Malfoy sank to his knees; Harry had hit him with a Tickling Charm, and he could barely move for laughing. Harry hung back, with a vague feeling that it would be unsporting to bewitch Malfoy while he was on the floor,

"Not the time to be a gentleman, boy." growled Moody.

But this was a mistake.

Gasping for breath, Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry's knees, choked; "Tarantallegra!" and next second Harry's legs had begun to jerk around out of his control in a kind of quickstep.

"It was sort of funny." said Ron. "I caught a bit of it, he said that, that was the only time he could actually dance."

"Bad is he?" said Sirius.

"In his own words, he's got the dance coordination of a fawn on ice. Climbing and leaping are one thing, The Foxtrot and all those other dances throw him completely."

"Shame, his father was a beautiful dancer." said Professor McGonagall.

"Lily was the best girl dancer in the school. Every guy wanted to do a few steps with her." said Remus fondly.

"Guess what Harry lacks in dance-floor coordination, he makes up with his vocal chords." said Sirius.

"Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Snape took charge.

"Finite Incantatem!" he shouted; Harry's feet stopped dancing, Malfoy stopped laughing and they were able to look up.

"Lockhart is utterly useless." said McGonagall massage her temples.

A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; Ron was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done;

"What did his wand do?" asked Charlie.

"My eyebrows were singed off, for the second time in two years." said Seamus.

but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving;

"Go Hermione!" shouted Fred and George.

Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain;

"Oh…dear…." said the twins in small voices.

both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. Harry leapt forward and pulled Millicent off. It was difficult; she was a lot bigger than he was.

"But he managed to do it." said Ron. "He tripped her with his feet and for added measure, he pulled her hair."

"Never touch a woman's hair. Voice of experience, right here." said Sirius pointing to himself.

"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you get, Macmillan ...

"I got hit with a stray spell took me by surprise." said Cormac tragically.

"He didn't say McClaggan, he said Macmillian." said Blaise.

"He didn't talk to me, he was actually talking to McClaggan, he got the names wrong."

"But he did realize that I was it, he promised that he would find out who shot that stray spell and have a good talking to, to them." said Cormac, trying to appear dramatic again.

"You didn't get hit with a stray spell, I jinxed you." said a Hufflepuff girl. "You were just trying to show off flaunting your wand about."

careful there, Miss Fawcett ... pinch it hard, and it'll stop bleeding in a second,

"Aww…were you okay?" said her best friend.

"I was fine, I just got hit with someone's shoe." the Hufflepuff girl.

Boot -

"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall.

"Gee, you think?" said Lee rolling his eyes.

He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away.

"He didn't want to be the one to try and block spells. OR the one to cast them, just in case they rebounded." said a seventh year Ravenclaw sniggering.

"Let's have a volunteer pair - Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you -"

"Would have been fun to be up on that stage." said Justin grudgingly.

"You weren't up there." said Malfoy with a snarl.

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat.

"Sirius, stop laughing." said Remus with a disappointed look.

"Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells.

"Only because you're nervous." said Ron.

We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a match-box."

"That doesn't do Neville's confidence any favors." said Remus looking over to Snape sharply.

"I'm here to teach, not boost their morale." drawled. Snape.

"I'm amazed none of the Slytherins have inferiority complexes." said Professor Sprout.

Neville's round pink face went pinker. "How about Malfoy and Potter?" said Snape with a twisted smile.

"Oh, come on." said Dr. Clark. "You don't think Lockhart is that stupid to put the two students, who hate each other, free reign of a stage and go at each other do you?"

Professor Snape only sneered.

"I wouldn't be smiling, that just means you're stupid too, for suggesting it." said Nightstrike with a smirk.

"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the Hall as the crowd backed away to give them room.

"You…have got…to be kidding me…" said Dr. Clark shaking his head.

"Now, Harry," said Lockhart, "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this."

He raised his wand, attempting a complicated sort of wiggling action and dropped it.

"Moron." said voices all over the Great Hall.

Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops - my wand is a little over-excited - "

"Over excited at what?" said Remus looking repulsed.

"I don't want to know." said Sirius covering his ears.

Snape moved closer to Malfoy bent down and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked, too.

"Never a good sign to see a smirking snake." said Sirius wisely.

Harry looked nervously up at Lockhart and said, "Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?"

"I don't blame him, if I was seeing Snape whispering, than one of his house smiling, I'd be a little nervous too." said Remus.

"Scared?" muttered Malfoy, so that Lockhart couldn't hear him.

"You wish," said Harry out of the corner of his mouth.

"So cool." sighed a few younger girls.

Lockhart cuffed Harry merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry!"

"What, drop my wand?"

"Not a good idea. Don't listen to Dazzle Gums." said Sirius quickly.

But Lockhart wasn't listening.

"Three - two - one - go!" he shouted.

Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"

"OI! THAT'S NOT A DISARMING SPELL EITHER!" shouted Sirius.

"We never said we would be blocking the Disarming Spell." sneered Snape.

The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it,

"He was shocked? How come? Surely he had heard of this spell." said Sirius.

Hermione turned and looked interested over to Ron.

"Harry didn't expect to have an animal sicced on him." said Ron.

fell heavily onto the floor between them and raised itself, ready to strike.

"Just back up slowly, keep looking at it, but back up real slow." said Dr. Clark.

There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.

"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it ..."

Dumbledore turned and sent a glare over to the Potions Master. Professor Snape released a breath of air and awaited the screaming match that would immediately commence.

Mrs. Weasley glowered fiercely at him, she was quickly becoming hoarse from all the shouting she had done the past weeks, and McGonagall shouted angry threats at him for endangering students and not being there to protect them. Sirius was promising him that he would be torn limb from limb while Dr. Clark stared in disbelief that a teacher would do such a thing.

"You owe, Mr. Potter a very large apology Severus." said Dumbledore, his voice so cold that the windows were becoming covered in frost.

Snape flinched from the coldness of the Headmaster's voice, and fingered the locket in his hand. He breathed deeply and stood up. When Sirius noticed he was heading straight for his Godson, Sirius stood up quickly and shielded him.

"Think again." said Sirius viciously.

Snape said nothing but held out the locket.

"He can have this back." said Snape quietly. "As an apology."

Sirius was taken aback, but took the small golden locket. He gave a curt nod, and placed the locket around the sleeping figure's neck.

"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack.

"Big help this guy is." said Nightstrike rolling his eyes.

Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight towards Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.

Justin threw the book down.

"What's up with you?" asked Zacharias.

"This…this…" said Justin, turning pale.

"Oh for the love of…I'll read." said Lee hurrying over and taking the book off the floor.

Harry wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on castors and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, "Leave him alone!"

"Of what use was that?" asked a third year Slytherin.

"You're forgetting what he is." said Blaise. "He's a Parseltmouth."

"So he did say that." said Ernie.

"Of course he did, you idiot." said Ron.

And miraculously - unexplainably - the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry.

"Go Harry!" said Dr. Clark excitedly.

Harry felt the fear drain out of him. He knew that snake wouldn't attack now, though how he knew, he couldn't have explained.

"Cause you ordered it." said Lionus with a bright and excited smile.

He looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful - but certainly not angry and scared.

Justin looked down shamefully. "How was I supposed to know that was what he was saying?"

"Let's think about this carefully." said Fred mockingly.

"Harry is a selfless, noble, kind, trustworthy, generous, gentle, brilliant, gentlemanly, and gallant." said George ticking off each one.

"If he saw someone about to be attacked by an angry snake, and he could only shout one thing at it. What would he say?" asked Fred pointedly.

"What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted, and before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the Hall.

"You're…an…idiot…" said the twins together.

Snape stepped forward, waved his wand and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way; It was a shrewd and calculating look, and Harry didn't like it.

"His being a Parselmouth was unexpected." said Snape solemnly.

He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all round the walls.

"He must have felt so devastated." said Luna calmly.

"What makes you say that, Luna?" said Ginny quickly.

"People were already saying he was the heir of Slytherin, now it seemed to have cemented itself." said Luna.

Then he felt a tugging on the back of his robes.

"Come on," said Ron's voice in his ear. "Move - come on - "

"Good Ron, get him out of there." said Charlie.

Ron steered him out of the Hall, Hermione hurrying alongside them. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something.

"Harry was starting to freak out a little bit. He didn't know what was going on." said Hermione.

Harry didn't have a clue what was going on, and neither Ron nor Hermione explained anything until they had dragged him all the way up to the empty Gryffindor common room.

"Way to reassure him guys." said Sirius shaking his head.

Then Ron pushed Harry into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm a what?" said Harry.

"Really? He didn't know? He never looked up his talent?" asked Parvati.

"He thought every wizard could do it." said Ron.

"A Parselmouth!" said Ron. "You can talk to snakes!"

"I know," said Harry. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once - long story - but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to - that was before I knew I was a wizard - "

"Boy, he said that all matter-of-factly didn't he?" said Rivers blinking.

"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly.

"So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it."

"Nope, not at all." said Blaise, "it would be cool to have though."

"Oh no they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad."

"What's bad?" said Harry, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin -"

"At the time, no one heard that." said a sixth year Hufflepuff.

"Oh, that's what you said to it?"

"What d'you mean? You were there - you heard me - "

"He became really worried when I told him that." said Ron.

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Ron, "snake language. You could have been saying anything - no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something - it was creepy, you know."

"Even you thought he was egging on the snake?" said Bill shaking his head.

"That's what I heard from other people in the Hall." said Ron quickly.

Harry gaped at him.

"I spoke another language? But - I didn't realize - how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?"

"That is a very good question." said Dumbledore with a slight smile.

Ron shook his head. Both he and Hermione were looking as though someone had died. Harry couldn't see what was so terrible.

"Are you kidding? At that point he couldn't put two and two together?" said Zacharias.

"Being accused of the heir didn't outweighed the bonus of being able to speak to snakes." said Ron. "And thank goodness he had the ability." he finished quietly.

"D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a dirty great snake biting Justin's head off?" he said.

Justin looked down shamefully as Sirius glared at him. "Yeah, what is wrong with that?" asked Sirius angrily.

"What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"

"Good blend." said George with a chortle.

"It matters," said Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent."

Harry's mouth fell open.

"That was when he found the downside to being a Parselmouth." said Ron.

"Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something - "

"Which he is not." said Dumbledore still cooling Harry's forehead.

"But I'm not," said Harry, with a panic he couldn't quite explain.

"Poor Harry." said Tonks.

"But he doesn't have to worry, he's not descended from Slytherin." said Sirius.

"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione.

"Are you kidding me? There are hundreds of books on family ancestry, for each Pureblood wizarding family. The Potter's book is in the Ancestry section, fourth unit in, sixth shelf, tenth book from the left." said Remus.

Hermione looked over to Remus quickly and ran from the room.

"Well, she won't be back till she can get her hands on that book." said Ron with a smile.

"That may be harder to get than she thinks." said McGonagall with a small smile.

"What do you mean?" asked Dean.

"Not just anyone can look at those books. You need to be related to people in the book to just look inside the book." said Sirius.

"Madam Pince will let her, she could just say…" said Ron.

"It's not Madam Pince who will stop her. It's the book, the cover is enchanted to let no one but a blood relative open it." said Remus.

"Yeah, James showed us, we couldn't open it for the life of us." said Sirius.

They waited for Hermione to appear, aimlessly speaking of different things, some people even came up with a great idea for a party.

"A sort of joined up Birthday Parties that he missed out on." said Fred.

"Yeah…should be a blast. Hermione's back, she's got the book, but nope, not opened." said George.

"Sorry we didn't warn you." said Sirius apologetically. "You're going to have to wait till Harry wakes up to read that book." he pointed to the book in Hermione's hands.

"He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."

Harry lay awake for hours that night.

"That boy does not need to be worrying so much that he cannot sleep." said McGonagall worriedly.

Through a gap in the hangings round his four-poster he watched the snow starting to drift past the tower window, and wondered...

Could he be a descendant of Salazar Slytherin?

"No." said Sirius and Remus.

He didn't know anything about his father's family, after all.

Remus and Sirius paled, and looked down in shame. They should have been there, to tell him all of this stuff? Would he still want to know?

The Dursleys had always forbidden questions about his wizarding relatives.

"Hell, they ban questions on anything." said Charlie.

Quietly, Harry tried to say something in Parseltongue. The words wouldn't come. It seemed he had to be face to face with a snake to do it.

"Well reasoned." said Dumbledore with a broad smile.

But I'm in Gryffindor, Harry thought. The Sorting Hat wouldn't have put me here if I had Slytherin blood ...

"That, I can't guarantee." said Sirius thinking of his biological family.

Ah, said a nasty little voice in his brain, But the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin, don't you remember?

"Hearing voices eh?" said Fudge nastily.

"Shut up. You're already in hot enough water." said Tempest.

Harry turned over. He'd see Justin next day in Herbology and he'd explain that he'd been calling the snake off, not egging it on, which (he thought angrily, pummeling his pillow) any fool should have realized.

"Yeah, now that I think about it, what else could he have said." said a sixth year Hufflepuff.

By next morning, however, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of term was cancelled:

"Lucky!" said Sirius with a smile.

"Not so lucky, Harry wanted to talk to Justin in that class." said Remus.

"Oh, right." said Sirius.

Professor Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves onto the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.

"We couldn't afford screw ups." said Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey.

Harry fretted about this next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, while Ron and Hermione used their lesson off to play a game of wizard chess.

"For heaven's sake, Harry," said Hermione, exasperated, as one of Ron's bishops wrestled her knight off his horse and dragged him off the board. "Go and find Justin if it's so important to you."

"You did not just snap at him for worrying." said Fred.

Hermione looked down.

"And girls say boys don't have tact." said Lee shaking his head.

So Harry got up and left through the portrait hole, wondering where Justin might be.

"Should have went with him, Hermione could have been with him and that would have been proof enough for anyone that he isn't a Muggleborn hater." said Ron.

The castle was darker than it usually was in daytime, because of the thick, swirling grey snow at every window. Shivering,

"We need to get him a nice triple thick cloak for winter or something." said Sirius.

Harry walked past classrooms where lessons were taking place, catching snatches of what was happening within. Professor McGonagall was shouting at someone who, by the sound of it, had turned their friend into a badger.

"That would be me." said a seventh year Hufflepuff.

"I have to keep apologizing for that." said another Hufflepuff student.

Resisting the urge to take a look, Harry walked on, thinking that Justin might be using his free lesson to catch up on some work, and deciding to check the library first.

Ernie gulped loudly, what was everyone going to say about what he says? And what happens if a Scattered Shot shows what else had happened?

A group of Hufflepuffs who should have been in Herbology were indeed sitting at the back of the library, but they didn't seem to be working.

"Madam Pince won't like that. The library is not a social place." said Anthony.

Between the long lines of bookshelves, Harry could see that their heads were close together and they were having what looked like an absorbing conversation. He couldn't see whether Justin was among them. He was walking towards them when something of what they were saying met his ears, and he paused to listen, hidden in the Invisibility section.

"Wow, we didn't even see him." said Hannah.

"Or hear him. The Invisibility section was right next to us. You'd think we'd of heard his breathing." said Ernie.

Kingsley looked at Harry, deeply impressed.

"So anyway," a stout boy was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim,

"WHAT?" shouted several adults as well as a few students younger than the fourth years.

"Harry wouldn't attack anyone you nit!" said a second year Gryffindor.

it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born.

"You're a bigger idiot than what I thought." said Ron.

Ernie looked at him.

"Harry didn't tell us this part." said Hermione.

"Nothing happened when Justin told us that he was a Muggleborn. Stupid idiot." said Ron glaring.

Justin actually told him he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"

"Can we beat him up now?" asked Fred scowling at Ernie.

"The Chamber wasn't opened at the time!" said George.

"You definitely think it is Potter, then, Ernie?" said a girl with blonde pigtails anxiously.

"Panic will turn children into mindless idiots." said Snape shaking his head.

"Hannah," said the boy solemnly, "he's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a dark wizard.

"What a prat! I thought Percy was bad." said Charlie.

Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes?

"HARRY POTTER!" shouted the majority of the school at the fifth year Hufflepuff, who cringed in his seat with each passing word.

They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue."

There was some heavy murmuring at this, and Ernie went on, "Remember what was written on the wall? Enemies of the Heir Beware. Potter had some sort of run-in with Filch.

"And what student hasn't had a run in with him." said McGonagall sternly.

Next thing we know, Filch's cat's attacked.

"The culprit could be anybody!" said Fred.

"Hell! We could have done it!" said George.

That first-year, Creevey, was annoying Potter at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of him while he was lying in the mud.

"Wouldn't you be annoyed?" asked Mr. Weasley to the young man. Ernie swallowed and nodded.

Next thing we know, Creevey's been attacked."

"Harry was regrowing his bones in the Infirmary! Ask Pomfrey!" shouted Tonks. "I've never been so ashamed of my own house."

"He always seemed so nice, though," said Hannah uncertainly, "and, well, he's the one who made You-Know-Who disappear. He can't be all bad, can he?"

"The only one there with a brain." said Blaise.

Ernie lowered his voice mysteriously, the Hufflepuffs bend closer, and Harry edged nearer so that he could catch Ernie's words. "No one knows how he survived that attack by You-Know-Who.

"So far the only true thing you've said so far." said Sirius crossly.

I mean to say, he was only a baby when it happened. He should have been blasted into smithereens.

"I didn't want him to be blasted!" said Ernie quickly when he saw the look on the adult's faces.

Only a really powerful Dark Wizard could have survived a curse like that."

Dumbledore massaged his temple, while Professor Sprout told off the loud mouthed Hufflepuff.

He dropped his voice until it was barely more than a whisper, and said, "That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competingwith him.

"When you eventually grow up." said Tonks. "Don't become an Auror, we don't' want you."

Kingsley smirked. "No comment."

"I'm not like him!" said Tonks irritably.

"I'm referring to the 'grow up' part." said Kingsley.

"Shut up." she said throwing a cushion at the man.

I wonder what other powers Potter's been hiding?"

"None that he's going to share with you now." said Ron.

Harry couldn't take any more. Clearing his throat loudly, he stepped out from behind the bookshelves.

"Dun, dun, duunnn." said Lee jokingly.

If he hadn't been feeling so angry, he would have found the sight that greeted him funny:

"I can imagine." said Sirius forgetting to be angry for a moment.

every one of the Hufflepuffs looked as though they had been petrified by the sight of him, and the color was draining out of Ernie's face.

"And look, he doesn't attack you right off the bat, gee, what could be the reason?" said Ron.

"Because he didn't do anything to Colin or Mrs. Norris." said Hermione.

"Hello," said Harry. "I'm looking for Justin Finch-Fletchley."

"That was absolutely the wrong thing to say." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Harry wanted to tell them that he meant Justin no harm. He just wanted to talk." said Ron.

The Hufflepuffs' worst fears had clearly been confirmed. They all looked fearfully at Ernie.

"What do you want with him?" said Ernie, in a quavering voice.

"To tell him the truth and not have you lot over exaggerate it." said Lee.

"I wanted to tell him what really happened with that snake at the Dueling Club," said Harry.

Ernie bit his white lips and then, taking a deep breath, said, "We were all there. We saw what happened."

"Then you saw him make the snake back off." said Sirius.

"Then you noticed that, after I spoke to it, the snake backed off?" said Harry.

Sirius smiled and gave his godson's shoulder a small squeeze.

"All I saw," said Ernie stubbornly, though he was trembling as he spoke, "was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake towards Justin."

"You need thicker glasses than Harry has." said Dean.

"I didn't chase it at him!" Harry said, his voice shaking with anger. "It didn't even touch him!"

"It was a very near miss," said Ernie.

"Silly fool." said Professor Sprout.

Ernie didn't want the rest of the school knowing just how worse it gets later.

"And in case you're getting ideas," he added hastily, "I might tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so -"

"If he really was the heir of Slytherin, you annoying him like that won't help you in the slightest and he would have made a great exception in your favor." said Moody.

Ernie paled.

"That'll teach you to treat people better, you never know what they can do." said Kingsley.

"I don't care what sort of blood you've got!" said Harry fiercely. "Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns?"

"I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly.

"It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," said Harry. "I'd like to see you try it."

"Should we let you live with the Dursleys for about a week, see if you like them or not?" said Dr. Clark.

Ernie shook his head quickly.

He turned on his heel and stormed out of the library, earning himself a reproving glare from Madam Pince, who was polishing the gilded cover of a large spell book.

Harry blundered up the corridor, barely noticing where he was going, he was in such a fury. The result was that he walked straight into something very large and solid, which knocked him backwards onto the floor.

Remus, Dr. Clark and Sirius looked up quickly.

"T'wasn't the monster." said Hagrid reassuringly.

"Oh, hello, Hagrid," Harry said, looking up.

Sirius smiled in relief.

Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a wooly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn't possibly be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat.

"It's so easy to pick you out of a crowd Hagrid." said Dr. Clark with a broad smile.

A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.

"What are you doing with a dead chicken in the castle?" asked Remus wonderingly.

"I needed Dumbledore's permission fer somethin'." said Hagrid.

"All righ', Harry?" he said, pulling up his balaclava so he could speak. "Why aren't yeh in class?"

"Cancelled," said Harry, getting up. "What're you doing in here?"

Hagrid held up the limp rooster.

"Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin' Bugbear, an' I need the Headmaster's permission ter put a charm round the hen coop."

"What the heck is a Blood-Sucking Bugbear?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Sort of like a leech, only about five times bigger." said Remus. "Nasty little bastards."

"He gets a few of them almost every time he transforms." said Sirius.

"I still can't believe that you're a werewolf." said Dr. Clark shaking his head.

He peered more closely at Harry from under his thick, snow-flecked eyebrows.

"Yeh sure yeh're all righ'? Yeh look all hot an' bothered - "

"Shouldn'ta put it that way." said Hagrid, the face under his beard turning a bright red.

Harry couldn't bring himself to repeat what Ernie and the rest of the Hufflepuffs had been saying about him.

"He shoulda told me, I'd a sort them kids out." said Hagrid.

"It's nothing," he said. "I'd better get going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and I've got to pick up my books." He walked off, his mind still full of what Ernie had said about him.

"Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born ..."

"So Harry's not as thick-skinned as he would like everyone to think." said Luna dreamily.

That statement shook several people.

Harry stamped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draught which was blowing through a loose window pane. He was halfway down the passage when he tripped head-long over something lying on the floor.

"Was Peeves making a nuisance of himself again?" asked Sirius.

"No, much worse." said McGonagall.

He turned to squint at what he'd fallen over, and felt as though his stomach had dissolved.

"Oh, no! Another attack!" said Remus.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor,

"Damn…..the timing could have been so much better." said Sirius shaking his head.

"What the hell made you leave the dormitory?" asked Hannah.

"I wanted to ask Ernie if it was safe enough for me to come out." said Justin.

"Well, you got your answer didn't you?" said Nightstrike.

rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Harry had ever seen.

"The monster?" asked Dr. Clark weakly.

"No, it wasn't that." said Hermione.

It was Nearly-Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's.

"So…whatever it is, it can attack dead people?" said Tonks faintly.

"We're doomed." said a third year Gryffindor.

Harry got to his feet, his breathing fast and shallow, his heart doing a kind of drum-roll against his ribs. He looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies.

"Spiders, again?" said Sirius rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side.

He could run, and no one would ever know he had been there. But he couldn't just leave him lying here ... he had to get help...Would anyone believe he hadn't had anything to do with this?

"Harry really needs to learn to just run away." said Alicia.

As he stood there, panicking, a door right next to him opened with a bang. Peeves the poltergeist came shooting out.

"Not the ideal person to find Harry there." said Remus.

"Why, it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves, knocking Harry's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What's Potter up to? Why's Potter lurking -"

"Peeves actually really likes Harry." said Dr. Clark.

"What?" said Sirius.

"He just tries to make Harry laugh. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't." said Dr. Clark with a bright smile.

Peeves stopped, halfway through a mid-air somersault. Upside-down, he spotted Justin and Nearly-Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Harry could stop him, screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!"

"That is the only time he took his job as 'School ghost' seriously." said McGonagall.

Crash - crash - crash - door after door flew open along the corridor and people flooded out. For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was in danger of being squashed

"Can't say I'm very sorry to hear it." said Sirius. "After the headache you gave my cub."

and people kept standing in Nearly-Headless Nick.

"Bet they regretted that." said Fred with a smirk.

Harry found himself pinned against the wall as the teachers shouted for quiet.

"Who pinned him there?" asked Sirius.

"I did." said Professor Vector, "the students were about to pounce on him. I had to send a few students flying backwards."

The men that were once in the bowl paled.

Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black and white striped hair. She used her wand to set off a loud bang, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene.

"Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry.

"I hope you did something about him." said Sirius.

"Not enough." said Ron quietly.

"That will do, Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply.

Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly-Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song:

"Peeves' singing voice is awful. I sort of envy Justin." said Sirius shaking his head.

"Oh Potter, you rotter, oh what have you done?You're killing off students, you think it's good fun -"

"I'm going to shove him in vacuum cleaner." said Sirius.

"That's enough Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backwards, with his tongue out at Harry.

Justin was carried up to the hospital wing by Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department,

"They made you carry him?" said Sirius to Professor Flitwick. "Sinistra is pretty tall."

"It did take some doing to get to the Hospital Wing." said Professor Flitwick.

but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly-Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Ernie with instructions to waft Nearly-Headless Nick up the stairs.

This Ernie did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft.

"I'll bet he didn't like that job one bit." said Remus.

"I, at the time, didn't care one bit what he did or did not like." said Professor McGonagall.

This left Harry and Professor McGonagall along together.

"At least it isn't Professor Snape." said a seventh year Gryffindor.

"Or Lockhart." said Remus, Sirius, and Dr. Clark.

"This way, Potter," she said.

"Professor," said Harry at once, "I swear I didn't -"

"This is out of my hands, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly.

"I should have told him that I don't believe it was him." said McGonagall distraughtly.

"I reassured him for you." said Dumbledore patting her arm.

They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle.

"Wow, that was really close to the Headmaster's office." said Remus carefully.

"You don't think that the monster is after him? Do you?" asked Sirius quickly.

"Sounds like it. The Headmaster had two attacks near him so far." said Remus.

"Lemon Drop!" she said. This was evidently a password, because the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life, and hopped aside as the wall behind him split in two. Even full of dread for what was coming, Harry couldn't fail to be amazed.

"That is what Albus hopes for when all come into his office. They forget their fears, calm down and tell him what they need to tell him." said McGonagall.

Behind the wall was a spiral staircase which was moving smoothly upwards, like an escalator. As he and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, Harry heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upwards in circled, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy,

"That's what it was like for our first twenty times too." said Sirius.

Harry could see a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.

He knew where he was being taken.

"He didn't know where he was going?" said Fred.

"I didn't tell him, and he did seem a bit dazed." said McGonagall.

This must be where Dumbledore lived.

"Dumbledore will believe him." said Sirius with a smile.

Suddenly, the book began to shake and smoke poured out of it. "What's going on with it now?" asked Lee, holding the book out at arm's length.

"I'm…not…sure…" said Speckerton faintly.

The smoke etched it's way across the floor, and the moment it touched one person they couldn't move.

"What's going on?" said Fred trying to move his legs, but were cemented to the ground.

"Don't worry, the books wouldn't hurt anyone." said Speckerton.

"Tell that to Remus." said Sirius, trying to move, but was unsuccessful. The only person who went untouched by the smoke was Harry. It swirled around him and before the smoke captured the last person, it began to twist and turned into a smoky cyclone, protecting him.

Once the last person was captured, the smoke rose and they felt themselves falling into space.

Chapter 39

The smoke dropped them off in what appeared to be a deserted corridor. At first glance, the students of the past and students of the present recognized their location as the corridor near the library.

"What are you doing?" asked Sirius to Speckerton, who was writing furiously on a roll of parchment.

"This is a new development, I want to make sure I learn everything I can." he said excitedly, but the parchment suddenly caught fire and was reduced to ashes. He stared at the ashes in shock.

"Apparently the book doesn't want you to spend your time writing instead of watching." said Lionus with a smirk. "Just try to remember what you see."

Then, a large group of Hufflepuffs, mostly seventh years but a scattering of the younger years, came by muttering to amongst themselves and hurried into an unused classroom, leaving the door open a crack.

"Hey Ernie, what were you guys going in there for?" asked Hannah, who pointed out the Prefect. They looked at Ernie, but were stunned to see him looking so pale.

"Um…we won't get expelled during these things, right?" said Ernie and few older Hufflepuffs worriedly.

"I said no earlier, but should we be contemplating it?" asked Dumbledore seriously.

"Well…I…we…" said Ernie helplessly.

"Hey, look! It's Harry." said Colin excitedly.

Harry came walking from the direction of the library and was deeply immersed in a book. He didn't even notice the Hufflepuffs looking out of the classroom quickly and duck back in. Hermione hurried over and read the cover,

"Fangs and Talons: Magical Beasts and their Weapons." read Hermione.

"What is he reading that book for?" asked Justin.

"Harry figured that he would try and find out what the monster is, while we try and discover who the heir is." said Ron. "He never did find out, and for somewhat of a good reason."

As Harry continued down the corridor, the door opened a little more. When Harry passed the door, still reading his book, hands shot out and grabbed Harry roughly and dragged him into the empty room, the book flew out of his hands, but was magicked into the spare classroom.

"What the hell are you kids playing at?" asked Sirius furiously.

Ernie cringed and looked around nervously.

The scene seemed to have shifted into fast forward mode. They watched, in high speed, people from the empty leave, some with satisfied sneers on their face and others with nervous glances towards the darkened room. They all waited, but Harry never came to the door. Then, they saw something that looked like glittery powder come from under the crack of the door and waft down the hall.

"What was that?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Who cares? I want to find out what happened to Harry." said Sirius walking towards the door.

They all went into the dark room, but they couldn't see anything. They could hear shallow breathing but nothing more than that. Minutes passed like hours, till the door behind them opened and in came Ron, a large bag slung over his shoulder.

"Harry?" he whispered, peering into the darkness. "You in here?"

"Over here." said a raspy voice.

"That powder told you to come and find him?" said Hermione in wonder.

"It was something Harry came up with." said Ron. "He used it only that one time."

Ron lit the tip of his wand, he and the Watchers both gasped in horror down at the young man laying against the wall. Harry was now sporting two black eyes; his nose was bloodied, and was covered with bruises all over his body.

"What happened to you, mate?" said Ron kneeling beside him quickly.

"Hufflepuffs…jumped…me." said Harry weakly. "They're….scared, they don't know…..what to believe anymore." he gasped loudly and arched his back when Ron touched a spot on his chest.

"Sorry Harry." said Ron hastily. "Should I try and get Madam Pomfrey?"

"No, for this, she'd ask questions." said Harry.

"And why the hell not." said Ron opening the large bag. "You like getting the magic smacked out of you?"

"No more than the next person." said Harry reaching into the bag and taking a phial.

They watched as Ron helped Harry drink a clear potion and helped Harry to his feet. "Well that takes care of any broken bones, and most of the cuts and scrapes. But what about those two black eyes, they aren't going to swell now, but kinda hard to hide the bruises."

"Simple, where's my bag?" he reached down and pulled out a small compact.

"That's makeup." said Ron taking a step back.

"That's right." said Harry. "Glamour charms don't last long and they disappear without warning. At least this stuff doesn't disappear on me." he finished putting the fair colored powder on his face.

"You know how to do that a little too well." said Ron with a smirk. "Now what do we do?" said Ron.

"Those potions were only a temporary fix. I've got more powerful ones upstairs in my trunk." said Harry.

"Why didn't you tell me to bring those ones down?" asked Ron.

"I've got some other things in there you don't want to mess with." said Harry magicking the classroom back to the way it was before the attack began.

"Like what?" said Ron. as they walked towards the direction of the Gryffindor dormitories.

"Dirty socks." said Harry with a laugh.

They followed the two Gryffindors back to their Common Room and up into their dormitory. Harry opened the trunk and dug down to the bottom of the trunk and pulled out three small vials. He downed one right after the other and went to go lay in the bed.

"You gonna okay mate?" asked Ron worriedly.

"I'll be fine. Just need to sleep for the rest of the day." said Harry. "Don't tell Hermione, she's panicky enough, she doesn't need to worry about me."

The smoke came back to claim them and returned each person safely back to the Great Hall. Harry was still asleep when they got there. Hermione glared at Ron, but it wasn't as hard or threatening as it could have been.

"I think that's more than enough reading for today. Let's get some food in our stomachs and then off to bed." said Dumbledore with a strained smile, trying not to shout, being so close to Harry. He stayed beside the bed, along with the three men; none of them were feeling very hungry at the moment.

Before the Hufflepuffs could even walk over and get their plates, Tonks, Madam Bones, Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall gave each of the assaulters (that were present at the time) a severe tongue lashing and promised each of them a long and very strong letter to each of their parents.

Ron even received a slight one from both Mrs. Weasley and Hermione.

"You should have told us!" said the both of them angrily.

"Harry didn't…" said Ron.

"Harry has to learn to trust us, Ron." said Remus.

"You're sounding calmer." said Sirius looking stunned.

"I don't want to get shot in the chest again." said Remus quietly.

"That was scary." said Tonks giving him a hug. "Don't do that again."

"I won't, I learned my lesson." said Remus.

As they ate their dinner, the members of Hufflepuff distinctly quiet, they discussed what had happened over the course of so many days.

"It's going to be odd, going back to lessons." said a fourth year Gryffindor.

"Yeah, but these books are starting to scare me a bit, can they really think?" said Hannah quietly.

"If it can, I want to give it a piece of my mind." said Ernie bitterly.

"You deserved it." said Hannah shortly. "I can't believe you actually went out and attacked him!" Ernie shuffled his feet.

After Harry was put to bed in the suite prepared for them, Sirius placed an everlasting ice bag on his forehead. He ruffled his hair gently and blew out the candles. He walked out of the room, but not before turning around and looking worriedly at the young boy, who moaned slightly.

"I wish we could find out what is going on with Harry." said Dr. Clark looking up from his book,Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He found reading helped ease his mind slightly.

"So do I." said Remus looking up from his own book, "But I've gone through all the Magical Ailments reference books, but I can't find a bloody thing on what it might be."

"Could be that you skipped over it." said a voice coming from the door. The men turned and saw Lionus and Dr. Nicodemus standing in the door way.

"Did you finally find out what is causing Harry to sleep?" said Dr. Clark

"And why he's sick?" asked Sirius hopefully.

"We just got the message now." said Dr. Nicodemus, walking swiftly over to the door and going inside.

"Best let him to do his work." said Lionus, stopping them from going in the room.

"What is wrong with him then?" asked Dr. Clark quickly.

Lionus looked over to the two wizards. "Ever heard of Wizard's Flu?"

"Wizard's Flu?" said the two of them, they shook their heads.

"I didn't think so, it's not a secret like all the other things we have, but it is an old ailment. Nowadays, wizarding babies have a potion given to them in a bottle after they've turned six months. Turns out, Harry was never given it."

"But we took him to the Hospital for his baby boosters." said Sirius. "I held him myself….but…there was one potion that he couldn't take." he finished slowly.

"That's right, he was allergic to the wormroot in it. But the Healer said he wouldn't need it." said Remus.

"Obviously, he needed it desperately. Or perhaps he was destined to procure this disease?" said Lionus cryptically.

"Say what?" said Sirius with a raised brow. Lionus ignored him.

"For this disease, it makes you weak, and causes you to sleep uncontrollably. That's the first stage. The second stage is the fever." said Lionus. "It was ill luck that it struck when it did."

"What's the next stage? When will that hit?" asked Remus.

"It's hitting him right now." said Lionus.

"What's happening?" said Sirius frantically.

"You don't want to know." said Lionus. "Let's just say, it's a bit traumatizing, and you'd best stay out here for the night." he addressed Sirius.

"But," said Sirius.

"No buts, let the Doc do what he needs to do." said Lionus. "And in the morning, he'll be right as rain."

"You guys said that last time." said Remus skeptically.

"Yeah, doesn't do much for Doc's pride, or mine for that matter." said Lionus scratching the back of his head. "But I think you'll be surprised at the change."

Suddenly, a scream emitted from the room behind him again. Sirius leapt into the air and accidentally landed in Dr. Clark's arms.

"What the hell…that was HARRY!" shouted Sirius.

Lionus quickly casted a silencing charm behind him and smiled towards the men. "Like I said, going in there would be a very bad idea."

"What is he doing to Harry in there?" asked Remus accusingly.

"Trying to ease the suffering, that scream came from the pain caused by the disease." said Lionus. "You might want to sleep elsewhere if it bothers you; it's going to be a long night."

He motioned them away from the door and ushered them into chairs.

"Going completely off track, remember when I was out cold?" said Remus trying to get his mind off his poor cub's suffering.

"Yeah, what about it?" asked Sirius looking nervously back to the door to his room.

"Well, you won't believe what I saw when I was out." said Remus. He quickly told them all that he saw.

"You saw him? How is that possible? He's been dead for so long!" said Sirius.

"Do you think he's controlling the book?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It would make sense." said Lionus thoughtfully. "The books sometimes do channel a loved one's spirit. Someone who sacrificed their bodies for the subject."

"But he…why isn't…" said Sirius.

Dr. Clark looked uncomfortable.

"We probably won't know for sure, but at least we know the book means no harm to Harry, we just have to watch what we say and do." said Lionus.

Chapter 40

The next morning, Harry, nor Dr. Nicodemus had left the bedroom. Lionus led the three men down to the Entrance Hall for an early start to the day. However, his early start was six in the morning.

"What the hell did you get us up for?" asked Sirius walking down to the front doors.

"To keep me company, and to make sure you don't sneak into the room and disturb the Doc." Lionus said with a smile. "Come on, you can keep me company while I work out today, I feel my strength just ebbing away just sitting in there."

Sirius and Remus shook their heads and walked with Dr. Clark and Lionus. "I don't mind going outside. I haven't been outside much since I've been here." said Dr. Clark.

Well the idea of just a few simple push ups and jogging around done by Lionus was anything but simple, and the idea was just mere fantasy.

They stared in complete shock as he ran up the castle and leaped and bounded from tower to torrent and then back down to the ground. Before he touched down, they saw that his nails had extended themselves into what looked like long claws.

And just as soon as one foot touched the grass, he sped off again, but this time, he dove into the lake. Remus looked around for him to start swimming laps or something, but he never came up. Suddenly, after a frantic seven minutes, he came shooting out of the lake like a rocket taking off.

He finally came to a halt and sat on a large boulder beside the lake. He shook the excess water from his hair while the men ran over to him.

"Are you out of your mind?" shouted Sirius.

"How did you do all that?" asked Remus in a shocked whisper. He noticed that the claws were gone.

"Years of training." said Lionus with a smile. He then looked to the left and saw a dead tree, crowding a young sapling. He brought his arm quickly back behind him and walked away, suddenly the tree slid off the now severed trunk and landed heavily on the shore of the lake.

"Who do you think you are? Chuck Norris?" said Dr. Clark staring in amazement.

"No, but I love watching his movies." said Lionus with a smile. "Being a Ranger means you have got to be able to handle any situation at any given time. Which means, you have to be strong," he said flexing his arm, what appeared to be just lean arm under his cloak, was in reality, pure muscle. "Smart, resourceful and not afraid of danger. The real qualifications of a Ranger go on and on. But those are the main ones.".

"And you want Harry to be one of you guys?" said Sirius in an awed whisper.

"That's right, all we would need to do is build up his actual muscle tone and he's all set. He's lieutenant material already." said Lionus with a smile. "He'd make a fine Ranger."

Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark looked at each other quickly. "You going to make up his mind for him? Or you going to let him choose?" asked Remus.

"He'd have to decide for himself of course. You have to give a reason for wanting to be a Ranger before you even get to try out for them." said Lionus.

"…So you won't try and force Harry to become a Ranger?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Absolutely not, but as a Ranger Captain, I would love to have him on my squad. Hell, I'd follow him into battle if he were put in charge of me. But as an adult who'd love to have a kid of his own, I cannot possibly allow him to get into anymore danger than he already has." said Lionus with a smile.

"Right on." said the men happily.

After Lionus had finished toning his body back in shape, and talking the three of them to join in, they walked into the Great Hall for breakfast.

More like Lionus walked, they staggered and panted from exhaustion.

"Never…never…again…" said Sirius collapsing in the bowl.

"I'm hurting in places I didn't know I had." said Remus leaning against a chair.

"I've worked out before, not enough to kill me in less than two hours though." said Dr. Clark collapsing to the ground.

"What happened to you guys?" said Fred in wonder.

"All I did was run them about the grounds." said Lionus with a smile.

"You guys should be thankful that it isn't Monday, those days are the worst." said Nightstrike with a smile. "You guys had it really easy."

"That..was…easy…?" gasped Sirius gulping down glasses of water right after the other.

"Yeah, and if we were back at headquarters, it would be even tougher." said Nightstrike.. Sirius groaned and fell back into the cushions.

"Good Morning, Dr. Nicodemus. Oh, you too, Mr. Potter." said Tempest from the door, where she stood with Firenze. Everyone turned and quickly looked at the door. Dr. Nicodemus walked into the Great Hall and was followed by Harry, who looked different.

He was taller, yet still skinny. His eyes were still a brilliant shade of emerald green, but…his hair….

"Harry…why is your hair white?" asked Remus staring at the youth.

"Well…Dr. Nicodemus here says that it'll turn back to black sometime. It's just I've been really drained of magic last night." said Harry tugging at the locks of hair. His voice was a little deeper, but Professor Flitwick could tell that his singing voice did not change one bit over night. Of which he was very thankful for.

"Draining your magic makes your hair turn white?" said Sirius examining a gray strand off of Remus's head.

"Look at your own." Remus said shrugging Sirius off.

"That hurts." said Sirius pouting. Harry laughed loudly and walked over to Ron and Hermione.

"It's great seeing you look so much better." said Hermione hugging him tightly.

"This is odd." said Ron, looking eye to eye with Harry.

"Awesome! No more short jokes." said Harry beaming. "I was about to kick you if I heard another one."

"So no more illnesses, no more sleeping, no more injuries?" said Sirius hopefully.

"I can't fix the one thing that is afflicting him, but with Dumbledore's help we discussed it with him." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"When did you talk to him?" asked Remus.

"When I took you guys outside, it was a conversation best left to the two of them." said Lionus.

"But he was with him too!" said Sirius pointing to the Doctor.

"I went in later." said Dr. Nicodemus.

Sirius and Remus looked between each other and rubbed the back of their heads, "Now we really don't have any grounds to treat you like a kid, you're almost as big as us." said Sirius

Harry smiled at his two friends, "I don't mind if you guys treat me like a kid. For…the…readings…" said Harry to the two men. They high fived each other.

"Mad as a March Hare, the both of them." said Harry shaking his head.

The Doctor cleared his throat loudly. "Unfortunately, the ailment that afflicted him took away one magical ability that he had."

"What do you mean?" asked Sirius.

"Everyone is born with different abilities, every witch or wizard, doesn't matter if you are a Muggleborn or not. It takes a lot of tragedy and hardships to discover your powers. Everyone here has a different ability that sets them apart from the rest. Harry might be the only one to know about his at such a young age. The abuse helped bring that about." he added bitterly.

"What ability did Harry lose?" asked Sirius.

"We are not sure; he has all the abilities he knew he was gifted with. It might have been one that he was not aware of yet." said Doctor Clark.

"How many does each person have?" asked Colin excitedly.

"Seven. Everyone has seven." said Harry. "I know of…" he looked up, counting something invisible flying around him. "at least five that I have."

Ginny walked into the Great Hall, stifling a yawn and as she walked, she nearly walked into Harry.

"Sorry…" she said sleepily. She looked up slowly and her eyes widened when she saw him. Without warning, she leapt into his arms and kissed him fiercely on the lips. Mrs. Weasley blinked at her youngest daughter moved to say something, but withdrew.

When they pulled apart, she tapped his nose. "You'd better be feeling better."

"Right now, I could carry this entire castle into London." said Harry with a mischievous grin. Percy walked up and began to drag her back towards where her family was sitting. Harry waved playfully over to her and sat in between the men in the bowl.

It was decided that George was going to read the next chapter. So when everyone settled down and waited for him to clear his throat dramatically and start reading

The Polyjuice Potion.

"Awesome!" said Fred excitedly.

They stepped off the stone staircase at the top of and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door.

"Oh that's right, you were heading to my office." said Dumbledore happily.

"Oh, I forgot, think you can keep something safe for me?" said Harry reaching behind himself.

"What is that?" asked Dumbledore with a bright smile and twinkle in his eye.

Harry held out the stuffed dragon.

"Think you can keep this safe? Till I have kids?" said Harry with a smile.

Dumbledore stared at the dragon, and smiled. "Of course I will." he said, with tears pricking his eyes.

It opened silently and they entered. Professor McGonagall told Harry to wait, and left him there, alone.

"Did you at least reassure him that you thought he was innocent?" asked Mrs. Weasley shortly.

"She did, as I walked in. She told me that she knew that I didn't do it, and told me not to worry, the whole not worrying part didn't work out too well." said Harry with a smile.

Harry looked around. One thing was certain: of all the teachers' offices Harry had visited so far this year, Dumbledore's was by far the most interesting.

"Yeah, we loved to just go in there and spend the weekends just talking and asking him all about the stuff he had." said Sirius thinking back fondly.

"I think 'interrogating' would be a better choice of words." said Dumbledore chuckling warmly.

If he hasn't been scared out of his wits that he was about to be thrown out of school, he would have been very pleased to have a chance to look around it.

"I'm sorry, Harry." said McGonagall worriedly.

"No real harm done." said Harry smiling warmly.

"Least his smile hasn't changed." said Hermione in a whisper.

"Yeah, his smile was always more pleasing to look at then Lockhart's." said Ginny with glee.

It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tabled, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke.

"Yeah, he'd never tell us what those things would do." said Remus. "Only would say how he got them."

The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames.

"They're very good actors, every one of them." said Dumbledore with a smile.

There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk,

"That desk that had served countless Headmasters and Headmistresses before me." said Dumbledore.

and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat - the Sorting Hat.

"And here I thought they just chuck it into an old broom cupboard when they don't need it." said Fred quietly laughing.

Harry hesitated. He cast a wary eye around the sleeping witches and wizards on the walls. Surely it couldn't hurt if he took the Hat down and tried it on again?

"There is no rule against it, but even if the hat says a different house, you would still stay with the house you were sorted into." said McGonagall.

Just to see ... just to make sure it had put him in the right House—

"It did, trust us." said the entire Gryffindor house.

He walked quietly around the desk, lifted the Hat from its shelf, and lowered it slowly onto his head. It was much too large and slipped down over his eyes, just as it had done the last time he'd put it on.

"Godric must have had a large head." said Zacharias.

"Larger than a twelve year old's at least." said Fred in retort.

Harry stared at the black inside of the Hat, waiting. Then a small voice said in his ear, "Bee in your bonnet, Harry Potter?"

"That's creepy how it knows your name." said Dr. Clark.

"Once it touches your head, it can recognize your core instantly, even your kid's core." said Harry flipping through his little book. "Families have similar cores."

Umbridge stared hungrily at the book, if only she could get her hands on it.

"Er, yes," Harry muttered.

"So what's it like to have a bee in your bonnet?" asked Sirius ruffling the teen's hair.

"Reminds me of you, a pain in my…" said Harry teasingly.

"Harry." warned Mrs. Weasley gently.

"Sure, we get yelled at, and she only tells you off quietly." said George pouting slightly.

"Mom always liked me best." said Harry with a playful smile.

The Weasely children all laughed when Mrs. Weasley got flustered, trying to say that she loved all her children equally.

"Er - sorry to bother you - I wanted to ask -"

"You've been wondering whether I put you in the right house," said the Hat smartly.

"Yeah, a talking hat would be pretty smart." said George with a smirk.

"Yes... you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before -"

Harry's heart leapt

"Why would your heart leap?" asked Colin.

"I focused more on the 'GRYFFINDOR' part." said Harry shrugging.

"-- you would have done well in Slytherin."

Harry's stomach plummeted.

"Harry, you really need to stop having your hopes crushed like that." said Hermione with a laugh.

"My hopes are sort of fragile." said Harry shrugging. Hermione stopped laughing immediately.

"With height and white hair, comes absolutely no wisdom." groaned Harry clapping a hand to his eyes.

He grabbed the point of the Hat and pulled it off. It hung limply in his hand, grubby and faded. Harry pushed it back onto the shelf, feeling sick.

"Remember when James got sick in Dumbledore's office?" asked Sirius, trying to boost the morale.

"Yeah." said Remus catching on quickly. "Right on Dumbledore's shoes. They both were facing each other, then Dumbledore was watching James's lunch try and decorate the nice new shoes he had gotten."

"You didn't even blink!" said Sirius laughing, Dumbledore smiling. "You just handed him a potion told him it was alright and cleaned your shoes!"

"Nasty bout of flu was going around the school; I learned many years ago, that being ill is not something one can control. Though some try." said Dumbledore, sneaking a twinkle over to the twins.

"Think he knows about the Snackboxes?" said Fred quietly.

"I think we can bet on that." said George.

"You're wrong," he said aloud to the still and silent Hat. It didn't move. Harry backed away, watching it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind him made him wheel around.

"Was it your turn to be sick?" asked Sirius.

"No, with Madam Pomfrey around, she never allows me to be sick." said Dumbledore cheerfully.

"Of course not. Being as old as yourself, a cold could do you irreparable harm." said Madam Pomfrey hotly.

"Thank goodness she won't be around when I'm elderly." said Sirius in a whisper, but Madam Pomfrey heard it.

"You will be lucky to see Middle-Aged if I could have my way. After all the dangerous pranks you pulled on the other students when you were younger." said Madam Pomfrey, still angry.

He wasn't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird,

"What the…?" asked a first year Slytherin. "What's a bird like that doing in the Headmaster's office?"

which resembled a half-plucked turkey.

"Note to self: Make a large batch of Pepper cookies for Fawkes, to apologize." said Harry with a smile.

"Pepper cookies?" said Sirius.

"Hot chili peppers, habanero peppers, jalapeño peppers, hot sauce, all in a in a biscuit." said Harry. "Fawkes absolutely loves them."

"Since Harry has started making them, his feathers have certain gleam to them. Not to mention he's put on about five pounds." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise.

"That poor bird." said Dr. Clark sadly. "Couldn't you take the poor thing to a Vet, Albus?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You'll find out in a small while why it is not necessary to take him to Vet." said Sirius.

Harry thought it looked very ill.

"He was ill. The poor thing had pneumonia." said Dumbledore shaking his head sympathetically.

Its eyes were dull and, even as Harry watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail.

"That sounds so sad." said Lavender.

Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it,

"Don't jinx yourself, Harry." said Fred with a loud laugh.

when the bird burst into flames.

"B-b-but I was….I was kidding." said Fred in shock.

"What the hell…?" said Dr. Clark stunned.

Harry yelled in shock and backed away into the desk.

"So that was the noise I heard." said Dumbledore with a smile over to Harry.

"And you came running right?" asked Sirius.

"Alas, I was thinking too excessively to investigate. I only heard the noise and continued to ponder what was attacking my students." said Dumbledore, regret etched in his face. "It did not sound like a scream to me, or a shout."

"I was fine." said Harry smiling reassuringly.

He looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere, but couldn't see one.

"Poor you." said Dr. Clark looking over to Harry.

"Man, Harry wants to save everyone, doesn't he?" said George with a smile.

"That sometimes is the curse of being abused at such a young age. You are taught that there is no worth for your life, but other's life, must be treasured." said Doctor Nicodemus. "The abused will go to any lengths to spare others the pain they themselves have been subjected to."

George's smile disappeared immediately and everyone turned to look at Harry intently.

Harry looked at everyone staring at him. "Could you lot blink? You're creeping me out." he said with a smile.

"No more saving people." said Fred.

"You start saving yourself." said George.

"I don't think I can." said Harry honestly. "It's not like changing the curtains from season to season. If what he says is right, it may take years to get me to stop. And I don't think I would want to stop." he finished faintly, looking down and rubbing his elbow.

Sirius, Remus, and Dr. Clark looked at each other, then smiled and group hugged Harry.

"We'll help you with that." said Sirius giving Harry a tight squeeze.

The bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smoldering pile of ash on the floor.

The students stared at Harry, he had to be the unluckiest kid in the school.

The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber.

"I had just been to see Nicholas and -Fletchley." said Dumbledore seriously. "But seeing the look on Harry's face was just too amusing." his frown turned to a smile. "I almost began to laugh."

"Professor," Harry gasped, "your bird - I couldn't do anything - he just caught fire -"

To Harry's astonishment, Dumbledore smiled.

"I never thought I would see someone smile when they learn their pet just died." said Harry.

"About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days, I've been telling him to get a move on."

"Wait, what?" asked Dr. Clark cofused.

He chuckled at the stunned look on Harry's face. "Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry.

"Speak of the devil." said Dumbledore laughing warmly. Suddenly the red and golden bird flew down to the students and fluttered to land on a golden perch conjured by Dumbledore. Dr. Clark stared in wonder at the bird.

"He's stunning." said Dr. Clark in an awed whisper.

"He sure is. But he's not beautiful like you." said Harry quickly when he saw Hedwig flying down to the Great Hall. She inflated her feathered chest proudly.

Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes.

"That is why it one reason to not have to take Phoenixes to the doctor in case of emergencies. Regular checkups are something completely different though." said Dumbledore, stroking Fawkes' feathers.

Watch him..."

Harry looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, new-born bird poke its head out of the ashes. It was quite as ugly as the old one.

"Sorry." said Harry quickly, Fawkes turned, flapped over and landed on Harry's knee and nuzzled against Harry's chest. Hedwig screeched loudly.

"Hedwig, he was forgiving me. It's okay, you're the only bird for me." said Harry scratching behind her head.

Hedwig hooted indignantly, but buried her head into his palm. Fawkes continued to nuzzle into his chest and then dug his beak into the folds of Harry's cloak. He came out with a fire red cookie in his beak.

"He seems to have found one of his Pepper cookies." said Dumbledore with a laugh.

"It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk.

"Phoenixes hardly ever let others watch it. They are a very proud species of bird." said Dumbledore. "Fawkes has only allowed myself, Harry and Lily to watch him pass on. Lily dearly loved Fawkes." he wiped a tear from his eye.

"He's really very handsome most of the time: wonderful red and gold plumage.

"That description does not do you justice." said Dr. Clark, slowly reaching his hand out to Fawkes. Fawkes looked at the hand and laid his head down upon. it. "He feels so warm." said Dr. Clark in fascination.

"He was the perfect playmate for little Harry." said Dumbledore fondly.

Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads,

"I remember one time, Fawkes carried you all around the school on his talons. I thought your mother would have been frightened out of her wits or at least murder me in a furious rage, but she trusted him enough with you." said Dumbledore beaming. "How you loved going on rides with him."

"I'd love to remember that." said Harry dreamily.

their tears have healing powers

"Wow, really?" asked Colin eagerly.

"Oh, my god." said Dr. Clark, touching his patched eye. Fawkes was now sitting on his shoulder. Dr. Clark removed his eye patch and slowly opened his eye, there were pearly drops of what appeared to be water on his cheek, and the slit in his eye…was gone.

"I can see out this eye again." said Dr. Clark with amazement. "Thanks." he looked up to Fawkes appreciatively. He let out a beautiful tune that made Harry's heart soar and he flew back to his perch.

"That…was beautiful." said Dr. Clark happily. Other people in the Hall nodded, but Umbridge was the only one that was emitting a muffled scream.

and they make highly faithful pets."

Hedwig turned and stared fixedly at Harry. "You're twice as loyal as he is." said Harry quickly.

Hedwig seemed satisfied with that statement.

In the shock of Fawkes catching fire, Harry had forgotten what he was there for, but it all came back to him as Dumbledore settled himself in the high-backed chair behind the desk and fixed Harry with his penetrating, light-blue stare.

"So you didn't even need to ask him what had happened?" said Remus.

"I prefer when they tell me. I don't start using Legilimency unless they cannot find the courage to tell me what is wrong." said Dumbledore kindly.

Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in,

"You forget to knock, Hagrid?" asked Sirius playfully.

"I just…was worried he was gonna expel Harry." said Hagrid sheepishly.

"Of course he wouldn't expel his favorite student." said Fudge rolling his eyes.

"You like steak?" asked Nightstrike innocently.

"What?" asked Fudge quickly. "Well…yes."

"If you would like to chew that at any time in the future, I suggest you shut your mouth, before I knock all your teeth out." said Nightstrike threateningly.

a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.

"I would have fell down laughing." said Remus.

"I think I would have pissed my pants from laughing so hard." said Sirius with a bright smile.

"It wasn' Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently. "I was talkin' ter him seconds before that kid was found, he never had time, sir -"

"Woah, Nellie." said Fred.

"Easy Hagrid, if Harry was going to be expelled, he would have been chucked out of the school before you even got there." said George.

Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere.

Hagrid looked sheepishly down at the floor.

"...It can't've bin him, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to..."

"Not like that nitwit of a Minister would recognize the truth." said Sirius scowling at the cringing man.

"Hagrid, I -"

" -Yeh've got the wrong boy, sir, I know Harry never -"

"He knows Hagrid!" said Sirius shaking his head and smiling.

"Hagrid!" said Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Harry attacked those people."

"What was your proof?" asked Fudge, trying hard to build his courage back up.

"Just shut up." said Tempest gritting her teeth.

"Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster." And he stomped out looking embarrassed.

"I love you Hagrid." said Harry with a broad smile.

"You don't think it was me, Professor?" Harry repeated hopefully, as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.

"Sometimes, I wonder if you even give a damn about when people get all flustered around you." said Remus with a smirk.

"Sometimes I wonder why you don't just burst out laughing." said Sirius grinning.

"I laugh later." said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eyes.

"No, Harry, I don't," said Dumbledore, though his face was somber again. "But I still want to talk to you."

"Bout what?" asked Sirius.

Harry waited nervously while Dumbledore considered him, the tips of his long fingers together.

"Not a good sign." said Sirius, once again, the voice of experience.

"I must ask you, Harry, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he said gently. "Anything at all."

"Tell him everything." said almost every adult in the Great Hall.

"I do, sort of." said Harry.

Harry didn't know what to say.

"Yeah, you really told him." said Zacharias rolling his eyes.

"Wait for it." said Harry with a smirk.

He thought of Malfoy shouting, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" and of the Polyjuice Potion, simmering away in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Then he thought of the disembodied voice he had heard twice and remembered what Ron had said: "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world." He thought, too, about what everyone was saying about him, and his growing dread that he was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin...

"No," said Harry, "there isn't anything, Professor."

Harry smiled as people turned and stared at him.

"You did tell him everything." said Sirius. "Through Legilimency!"

"I didn't say a word." said Harry.

"Harry! It was supposed to be a secret!" said Hermione worriedly.

"It's a good thing that he allowed Dumbledore to know that. Without it, I wouldn't have had the necessary potions to fix whatever would have happened." said Madam Pomfrey.

"It was very fortunate that Harry took me into his confidence." said Dumbledore thoughtfully.

"You make it sound like something really bad happened." said Sirius worriedly.

Harry gave him a 'you'll find out look'.

"Whoopie." said Sirius.

"So if you knew, you could have stopped it!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"I thought it best to have them stretch their wings, besides, stopping the brewing process of a Polyjuice Potion, could have some very disastrous effects. Am I correct." said Dumbledore looking over to Snape.

"Indeed, the fumes, even if you make the potion disappear, over the next few days can cause everyone within a five mile radius seriously ill." said Snape.

The double attack on Justin and Nearly-Headless Nick turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic.

"And is that when the assault happened?" asked Remus angrily.

"Yep, right before the holidays." said Harry plainly. "Wait…what?"

"It showed you getting the snot beaten out of you by the Hufflepuffs." said Ron.

"Geez louise." said Harry rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Harry, we want to know about this kind of stuff." said Dr. Clark.

"I realize that. But really…this happened so many years ago, and I paid them back in full for it." said Harry.

"How?" said Dr. Clark.

"Once everyone was revitalized and the threat gone, I asked them each to another abandoned room and whupped each of their asses." said Harry. "One at a time. With the seventh years though, Ron helped me out on."

"Helped me alleviate some stress." shrugged Ron.

"How could two twelve year olds go against a seventh year?" asked Sirius.

Harry and Ron grinned wickedly. "We'll never tell." said Ron and Harry.

Curiously, it was Nearly-Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost, people asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead?

"Good question." said Remus, still thinking hard.

"He's a lot calmer now." whispered Harry.

"Having the light smack into his chest did wonders for his disposition." said Sirius whispering back.

There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.

"And to get away from Harry, so as to not incur his demonic wrath." said Fred dramatically.

The students laughed, knowing full well that the threat was gone, and that Harry wasn't the heir.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Harry and Hermione. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."

"Hey, he forgot us." said Fred pouting.

"Yeah, we can make the holidays all the more wonderful for him." said George.

"Having all the cushions fly over and start bashing us in the head and sides isn't what I call festive." said Hermione.

"Haven't you ever heard of a pillow fight? They're great fun!" said Fred innocently.

"Only if you can fight back." said Ron. "And you already took control of all the cushions."

Crabbe and Goyle, who always did whatever Malfoy did, had signed up to stay over the holidays too.

"I doubt they can even think for themselves." said Ron in a whisper. Draco suppressed a laugh; he doubted Crabbe and Goyle could think too.

But Harry was glad that most people were leaving.

"Oh really?" asked Rivers looking slightly confused.

He was tired of people skirting around him in the corridors, as though he was about to sprout fangs or spit poison; tired of all the muttering, pointing and hissing as he passed.

"Oh, yes, I would be happy with less students too." said Rivers quickly.

"What were they hissing?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"Some were just trying to sound like snakes, and others were telling him to go home and never come back." said Ron.

"I got something, something macaroni when they hissed like that." said Harry shrugging. "Parseltongue doesn't translate well when you don't know what you're doing."

"Really? What am I saying now?" asked Fred, he hissed softly.

Harry blinked. "Tell him to take bicarbonate and stay off his feet." said Harry.

"What? What did I say?" asked Fred.

"You told me that your uncle has gas." said Harry. Several people snorted and others just busted out in laughter.

"How about now?" asked Fred and he hissed again.

"I'm not too sure how to respond to that one." said Harry.

"What did he say that time?" asked Sirius trying not to laugh.

"His uncle with the gas is now pregnant." said Harry. The kids fell out of their seats and clutched their stomachs, trying to stop from laughing so hard. The adults could hardly contain themselves.

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny.

"It isn't!" said Mrs. Weasley angrily switching from a jovial mood to an agitated one.

"I appreciated that they did." said Harry, but sending a quick look over to Ginny and giving her a smile, who smiled back.

They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through..."

"It was so awesome. One of our funnier moments." said Fred polishing his nails on his cloak.

Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior.

"It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly.

"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Harry's in a hurry."

"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant," said George, chortling.

"Not one of your better lines though." said Sirius shaking his head.

Ginny didn't find it amusing either.

"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Harry loudly who he was planning to attack next,

"Remember when he said 'you' once?" asked Fred to Lee.

"Yeah, I choked loudly and fell down 'dead'." said Lee with a laugh.

or George pretended to ward Harry off with a large clove of garlic when they met.

"Smile for me quick." said Sirius.

"What?" said Harry looking at him.

"Do it." said Sirius with a smirk.

Harry smiled then stopped.

"Come on. Wider than that. That's it, little wider…nope no fangs." said Sirius with a teasing grin.

"Jackass." said Harry bopping Sirius with a cushion.

Harry didn't mind; it made him feel better that Fred and George, at least, thought the idea of his being Slytherin's heir was quite ludicrous.

"Sorry boys." said Mrs. Weasley.

"It's okay, Mum, we wouldn't do it if you approved, really." said Fred with an evil grin.

But their antics seemed to be aggravating Draco Malfoy, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it.

"Why did it upset you?" asked Snape.

"He was getting all the attention." said Draco quietly.

"He got all the attention before all this stuff happened. What would have made it any different." asked Bill.

"He made a pretty good catch in the last game of the term, against Ravenclaw, caught it right in front of their Beater taking aim on a Bludger." said Harry.

"It's because he's bursting to say it's really him," said Ron knowingly.

"He didn't go to the game, it wasn't his day off." said Hermione.

"Day off?" asked Charlie.

"Someone has to stir the potion on the weekends. We can't have Hermione doing it all." said Harry.

"You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you're getting all the credit for his dirty work."

"Close, but this isn't horseshoes." said Rivers with a smile.

"Huh?" asked Draco and Blaise.

"Muggle game." said Rivers.

"Not for long," said Hermione in a satisfied tone. "The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now."

At last the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle.

"You really need to write poetry or something mate." said George looking up from the book.

"He does a wonderful job writing songs." said Dumbledore smiling over at Harry.

Harry found it peaceful, rather than gloomy,

"Explains why you kept sitting on the window sills and looking outside." said Ron.

and enjoyed the fact that he, Hermione and the Weasleys had the run of Gryffindor Tower, which meant they could play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone,

"It's embarrassing when Hermione beats you every single time." said Harry shaking his head.

"Everyone one is good at somethings." said Hermione wickedly.

"It was her idea to play for stuff." said Ron. "I still owe her three quills and a pot of blue ink." said Ron.

"You're lucky, I'm out two books. I need to give up games that don't involve flying." said Harry.

"Don't do that Harry, who else are we going to take for all the candy he's got." said Neville with a smirk.

"Or writing material." said Hermione with a giggle.

and practice dueling in private.

"Man all those wasted nights, WE were the ones showing them how to block them and everything. Could've had Harry teaching us." said George pouting.

Fred, George and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"You guys would rather be in danger at school then visit me? That makes me feel REAL popular." said Bill crossing his arms.

Percy, who disapproved of what he termed their childish behavior,

"So a twelve year old kid, and a pair of fourteen year olds have to act like adults? That's wishful thinking." said Sirius.

"Seeing as how Sirius still doesn't act like an adult." said Remus with a smirk.

didn't spend much time in the Gryffindor common room. He had already told them pompously that hewas only staying over Christmas because it was his duty as a Prefect to support the teachers during this troubled time.

"We didn't need the support Mr. Weasley," said McGonagall sternly.

Christmas morning dawned, cold and white. Harry and Ron, the only ones left in their dormitory,

"Two less snorers in the dorms." said Harry with a smirk. Seamus, Dean and Neville looked between themselves and wondered who the snorers were.

were woken very early be Hermione, who burst in, fully dressed and carrying presents for them both.

"Christmas presents could have waited a half hour more." said Ron.

"Wake up," she said loudly, pulling back the curtains at the window.

"Hermione - you're not supposed to be in here," said Ron, shielding his eyes against the light.

"Well aren't you two just full of the Christmas spirit." said Tonks.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," said Hermione, throwing him his present. "I've been up for nearly an hour, adding more lacewings to the Potion. It's ready."

Harry sat up, suddenly wide awake.

"Are you sure?"

"Hey, it's a dangerous potion, I didn't want to be stuck with half of Goyle's face." said Harry defensively.

"Positive," said Hermione, shifting Scabbers the rat so she could sit down on the end of Ron's four-poster.

"Not many girls will touch a rat on purpose." said Dr. Clark looking at her highly impressed.

"If we're going to do it, I say it should be tonight."

"Well that's a pathetic Christmas present. Looking like those gits." said Lee.

At that moment, Hedwig swooped into the room, carrying a very small package in her beak.

"Hello," said Harry happily, as she landed on his bed, "are you speaking to me again?"

"Wow, it took her a long time to forgive you." said a seventh year Ravenclaw.

"I didn't blame her though." said Harry.

She nibbled his ear in an affectionate sort of way,

Hedwig repeated the show of affection.

"That is too cute!" squealed Lavender and Parvati.

Hedwig clicked her beak irritably at Fawkes and then continued nibbling Harry's ear.

Sirius mouthed to Remus, 'Someone's a little jealous'.

which was a far better present than the one which she had brought him,

"Well that's a kind thing to say." said Dr. Clark caressing Hedwig's feathers.

which turned out to be from the Dursleys.

"Nope, wasn't kindness, it was a fact." said Fred.

They had sent Harry a toothpick

Growls scattered the Hall and glares were fired at the book from almost every angle.

"Would rather have the toothpick then have Goyle's face." said Harry.

"You are definitely getting something better than that for Christmas." said Remus angrily.

"I'd sort of hope so." said Harry with a small smile.

and a note telling him to find out whether he'd be able to stay at Hogwarts for the summer holidays, too.

"Did you at least ask?" said Remus.

"I knew the answer was going to be 'no'." said Harry. "There was no point in asking."

"Though I should've known, you could've told me." said Dumbledore sadly. "I never would have sent you back."

"But I couldn't stay here; you and the rest of the staff have lives of your own to live. Where would I go? No, I could endure a few months with the Dursleys." said Harry.

"No more enduring for you now." said Sirius bringing Harry into a tight, one-armed hug.

The rest of Harry's Christmas presents were far more satisfactory.

"Getting absolutely nothing would be a step up." said Remus angrily.

Hagrid had sent him a large tin of treacle fudge, which Harry decided to soften by the fire before eating;

"It made it taste even better." said Harry fondly. "I ate that right away after it softened."

"Harry, eating sweets for breakfast is not good for you." said Madam Pomfrey and Mrs. Weasley.

"Didn't care." said Harry with a cheeky grin. "It was treacle."

Ron had given him a book called Flying with the Cannons, a book of interesting facts about his favorite Quidditch team;

"Why give him a book on your favorite team?" asked Dr. Clark.

Ron shrugged.

"It was fine. I like that book." said Harry.

and Hermione had bought him a luxury eagle-feather quill.

"I haven't seen you use it lately." said Hermione thoughtfully.

"It broke." said Harry. "Someone accidentally sat on it."

Goyle and Crabbe laughed dully.

Harry opened the last present to find a new, hand-knitted jumper from Mrs. Weasley, and a large plum cake.

"It was really good, took me a long time to eat it all." said Harry gratefully.

He read her card with a fresh surge of guilt,

"What were you feeling guilty about, dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

thinking about Mr. Weasley's car, (which hadn't been seen since its crash with the Whomping Willow),

"Oh…sorry dear…" said Mrs. Weasley sheepishly.

and the bout of rule-breaking he and Ron were planning next.

"Well that probably ruined Christmas for you." said Tonks sadly.

No one, not even someone dreading taking Polyjuice Potion later, could fail to enjoy Christmas dinner at Hogwarts.

"That's true, those are always excellent." said Remus happily. "And at least your Christmas wasn't completely ruined."

The Great Hall looked magnificent. Not only were there a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe criss-crossing the ceiling, but enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling.

The first years and Dr. Clark looked excitedly around the Great Hall, trying to picture the festive sights and wishing that Christmas was going to come tomorrow.

Dumbledore led them in a few of his favorite carols,

"Those were fun actually." said Harry.

"Did you do any solos?" asked Sirius quickly.

"No and I'm not singing." said Harry sternly.

"Come on! You haven't sang in so long!" whined Hermione. "Just one little carol?"

"It's not Christmas yet." said Harry. "Kinda stupid to sing Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow, when the leaves haven't even completely fallen out of the trees yet."

Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed.

"The staff's eggnog was made with wine." said Harry.

"How do you know?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Where else was I going to bake Dumbledore's Raspberry Chocolate Chip cookies?" said Harry plainly. "And I took a glass off a tray. Spat it out right away. I like eggnog, but you don't add anything else to it."

Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred and George had bewitched his Prefect badge so that it now read "Pinhead", kept asking them all what they were sniggering at.

"Oh, I found out later." said Percy scowling at his younger brothers.

Harry didn't even care that Draco Malfoy was making loud, snide remarks about his new jumper from the Slytherin table.

"Never did care what he said about my sweaters." said Harry shrugging.

With a bit of luck, Malfoy would be getting his come-uppance in a few hours' time.

"Didn't happen." said Draco.

"Oh, yes it did." said Harry and Ron.

Harry and Ron had barely finished their third helpings of Christmas pudding when Hermione ushered them out of the Hall to finalize their plans for the evening.

"They had three of everything!" said Hermione in response to the glares sent by both Madam Pomfrey and Mrs. Weasley. .

"But we were going for five of everything!" whined Ron and Harry.

"We still need a bit of the people you're changing into," said Hermione matter-of-factly, as though she was sending them to the supermarket for laundry detergent.

"Sorry about that." said Hermione.

"And obviously, it'll be best if you can get something of Crabbe and Goyle's; they're Malfoy's best friends,

"'Best friends' is not what I would call them." said Harry quietly. Draco heard and looked down shamefully.

he'll tell them anything. And we also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating him."

"I don't see how this plan goes horribly wrong." said Kingsley thoughtfully. He remembered back when Harry had said Hermione's plans all went to hell.

"You have to wait for it." said Hermione quietly.

"I've got it all worked out," she went on smoothly, ignoring Harry and Ron's stupefied faces. held up two plump chocolate cakes. "I've filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught.

"I'd still eat them." said Ron and Remus.

"That's sad." said Sirius shaking his head. "To be that desperate for chocolate."

All you have to do is make sure Crabbe and Goyle find them.

"That won't be too hard. They'd eat anything and they always want to have their hands on food." said Fred.

You know how greedy they are, they're bound to eat them. Once they're asleep, pull out a few of their hairs and hide them in a broom closet."

"Beats the idea of just wrenching them out in the hallway." said Moody.

"We thought of that idea. Till it dawned on Harry and me that they would turn around and proceed to kill us both." said Ron.

Harry and Ron looked incredulously at each other.

"Hermione, I don't think -"

"That could go seriously wrong -"

"I wished I had listened to you." said Hermione.

"WE wish we had listened to us too." said Harry and Ron.

But Hermione had a steely glint in her eye not unlike the one Professor McGonagall sometimes had.

"We knew that she wasn't going to let it go." said Ron.

"The potion will be useless without Crabbe and Goyle's hair," she said sternly. "You do want to investigate Malfoy, don't you?"

"She kept pulling that card." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"Oh, all right, all right," said Harry. "But what about you? Whose hair are you ripping out?"

"I've already got mine!" said Hermione brightly,

"How the hell did you manage that?" said Sirius. "The Slytherins aren't exactly 'buddy buddy' with you."

pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. "Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Duelling Club? She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me!

"That, right there, is a bad idea." said Sirius quickly.

"Why didn't you stop her?" asked Remus looking at Harry.

"It was the same shade as Millicent's hair. It looked like hers."

"By the way you just phrased that, it wasn't." said Dr. Clark.

And she's gone home for Christmas - so I'll just have to tell the Slytherins I've decided to come back."

Millicent snorted loudly. "They won't buy that."

"She didn't even have to try it out." said Harry.

When Hermione bustled off to check on the Polyjuice Potion again, Ron turned to Harry with a doom-laden expression.

"Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?"

"And yet, we blindly followed like sheep." said Ron.

But to Harry and Ron's utter amazement, stage one of the operation went just as smoothly as Hermione had said.

"We were pretty relived. If it hadn't of gone well, we would have been in for a serious pounding." said Harry.

"I thought you took care of the Hufflepuffs on your own." said Zacharias with a sneer.

"Well…you were one of them, go have a rough and tumble with Goyle and Crabbe. See how you fair." said Harry. "Take a seventh year with you, while you're at it."

Zacharias looked quickly over to the two Slytherins who were only passively responding to their names, turned to Harry and quickly shook his head.

"Thought not." said Harry.

They lurked in the deserted Entrance Hall after Christmas tea, waiting for Crabbe and Goyle, who had remained alone at the Slytherin table, shoveling down fourth helpings of trifle.

"Hell, they were alone in the entire Great Hall." said Ron.

Harry had perched the chocolate cakes on the end of the banisters.

"They aren't that stupid." said Malfoy. He knew they didn't succeed in their endeavor s, Crabbe and Goyle didn't act out of character at all that year.

When they spotted Crabbe and Goyle coming out of the Great Hall, Harry and Ron hid quickly behind a suit of armor next to the front door.

"We were hoping nobody bigger and tougher than them came by to eat those cakes." said Ron.

"How thick can you get?" Ron whispered ecstatically, as Crabbe gleefully pointed out the cakes to Goyle and grabbed them.

Sirius laughed quietly, "They are that stupid."

Grinning stupidly, they stuffed the cakes whole into their large mouths.

"That is too funny." said Fred rolling on the floor laughing.

For a moment, both of them chewed greedily, looks of triumph on their faces. Then, without the smallest change of expression, they both keeled over backwards onto the floor.

The entire school erupted with laughter.

"Took us ten minutes to stop laughing!" said Harry gasping for air.

By far the hardest part was hiding them in the closet across the Hall.

"We used the Levitation spell to start with, but the problem with that was we just couldn't stop them from hitting their heads on the doorway." said Harry looking innocent.

"Tragic really, we had to drag them into the cupboard, problem was, when he we did that, we had to lay all the stuff on top of them. It was the only way to fit them in there." said Ron just as innocently.

Once they were safely stowed among the buckets and mops, Harry yanked out a couple of the bristles that covered Goyle's forehead and Ron pulled out several of Crabbe's hairs.

"Ron had to put his foot on Crabbe's stomach and pull." said Harry.

They also stole their shoes, because their own shoes were far too small for Crabbe and Goyle-sized feet.

"Good thinking." said Kingsley.

"We came up with that idea together." said Harry.

Then, still stunned at what they had just done, they sprinted up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"You still run way too damn fast." said Ron.

They could hardly see for the thick black smoke issuing from the cubicle in which Hermione was stirring the cauldron.

"Ummm…..the potion is supposed to smoke like that, right Professor?" asked Hermione quietly.

Snape looked at her, his expression unreadable. "Yes, it's supposed to be like that. I suppose you did a good job brewing it."

Pulling their robes up over their faces, Harry and Ron knocked softly on the door.

"Hermione?"

They heard the scrape of the lock and Hermione emerged, shiny-faced and looking anxious. Behind her they heard the gloop gloop of the bubbling, glutinous Potion.

"It sort of looked like a gray lumpy treacle." said Ron.

"That right there almost put me off treacle." said Harry. "I almost ran got sick."

Three glass tumblers stood ready on the toilet seat.

"Did you get them?" Hermione asked breathlessly.

"No, we failed miserably." said Fred.

"It's all up to you Hermione." said George.

Harry showed her Goyle's hair.

"Good. I sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry," Hermione said, holding up a small sack. "You'll need bigger sizes once you're Crabbe and Goyle."

"How the hell do you know where the laundry is?" asked Dean.

"I like to do my own." said Hermione.

The three of them stared into the cauldron. Close up, the Potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly.

"I'm sure I've done everything right," said Hermione nervously, re-reading the splotched page ofMoste Potente Potions.

"Madam Pince won't like that one bit." said a sixth year Ravenclaw.

"It looks like the book says it should ... once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves."

"Now what?" Ron whispered.

"Why were you whispering?" asked Seamus.

"Cause Hermione was whispering." said Ron.

"We separate it into three glasses and add the hairs."

Hermione ladled large dollops of the Potion into each of the glasses.

"I'd of gotten sick right then and there." said Remus holding his stomach.

Then, her hand trembling, she shook Milicent Bulstrode's hair out of its bottle into the first glass.

The Potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow.

"Out of all the colors to represent your character, yellow is not what I would have guessed for Millicent." said Professor Snape thoughtfully.

"Urgh - essence of Milicent Bulstrode," said Ron, eying it with loathing. "Bet it tastes disgusting."

"Add yours, then," said Hermione.

Harry dropped Goyle's hair into the middle glass and Ron put Crabbe's into the last one. Both glasses hissed and frothed: Goyle's turned the khaki colour of a booger,

Snape looked at the larger of the two Slytherin thugs. Sounds about right, he thought to himself.

Crabbe's a dark, murky brown.

Him too, Snape smirked to himself.

"Hang on," said Harry, as Ron and Hermione reached for their glasses. "We'd better not drink them all in here: once we turn into Crabbe and Goyle we won't fit. And Millicent Bulstrode is no pixie."

Millicent glared at the scarred youth, while other people laughed.

"Good thinking." thought Firenze calmly.

"Good thinking," said Ron, unlocking the door. "We'll take separate cubicles."

Careful not to spill a drop of his Polyjuice Potion,

"I'd drop it, nasty stuff." said Kingsley shaking his head.

"I'm glad I don't need it." said Tonks.

Harry slipped into the middle cubicle.

"Ready?" he called.

"Ready," came Ron and Hermione's voices.

"One - two - three -"

Pinching his nose, Harry drank the Potion down in two large gulps. It tasted like overcooked cabbage.

"I didn't make anything out of cabbage for the longest time." said Harry.

Immediately, his insides started writhing as though he'd just swallowed live snakes –

Harry absently placed a hand on his stomach and held it there.

doubled up, he wondered whether he was going to be sick -then a burning sensation spread rapidly from his stomach to the very ends of his fingers and toes.

"Well this will discourage students to try and make this potion, if anything." said Professor McGonagall.

Next, bringing him gasping to all fours, came a horrible melting feeling, as the skin all over his body bubbled like hot wax,

People began to cringe horribly in their seats.

and before his eyes, his hands began to grow, the fingers thickened, the nails broadened and the knuckles were bulging like bolts –

Sirius rubbed the top of his hands without thinking.

His shoulders stretched painfully and a prickling on his forehead told him that hair was creeping down towards his eyebrows; his robes ripped as his chest expanded like a barrel bursting its hoops - his feet were agony in shoes four sizes too small.

"Who was the one screaming?" asked Hermione trying not to have a squeak in her voice.

"It was me." said Ron blushing. "Hey, it hurt."

"I think I screamed too." said Harry.

As suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. Harry lay face down on the stone cold floor,

"Did you pass out, Harry?" asked Dumbledore worriedly.

"I think I did." said Harry thoughtfully. "But only for a moment."

"I can think of several better places to pass out then a bathroom floor." said Charlie.

listening to Myrtle gurgling morosely in the end toilet. With difficulty, he kicked off his shoes and stood up.

"I almost had to cut the shoes off my feet." said Harry.

So this was what it felt like, being Goyle.

"Hated it, I felt…grounded." said Harry.

"What do you mean 'grounded'?" asked Remus.

"I couldn't leap up like I'm used to doing." said Harry.

His large hands trembling, he pulled off his old robes, which were hanging a foot above his ankles, pulled on the spare ones and laced up Goyle's boat-like shoes.

"If I had seen that, I would have known you weren't Goyle." said Draco quietly. "He doesn't know how to tie his shoes."

He reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes and met only the short growth of wiry bristles,

"Shampoo and Conditioner works wonders by the way." said Harry over to Goyle.

low on his forehead. Then he realized that his glasses were clouding his eyes, because Goyle obviously didn't need them. He took them off and called, "Are you two OK?" Goyle's low rasp of a voice issued from his mouth.

"That…was frightening." said Harry.

"You're telling me, I thought they woke up. But then again, he wouldn't have asked how we were." said Ron.

"Yeah," came the deep grunt of Crabbe from his right.

Harry unlocked his door and stepped in front of the cracked mirror. Goyle stared back at him out of dull, deep-set eyes. Harry scratched his ear. So did Goyle.

Harry gave a full body shiver, "I'm not the best thing to look at by far, but looking like Goyle was horrible." said Harry.

"You've got to be kidding!" said Ginny staring at Harry in shock. "You're handsome!"

"She's right, you're a little cutie!" said the three Chasers.

"You could light something on fire with how hot his face is getting right now." said Sirius gleefully. His godson was trying to hide his burning face in the man's robes.

Ron's door opened. They stared at each other. Except that he looked pale and shocked, Ron was indistinguishable from Crabbe, from the pudding-basin haircut to the long, gorilla arms.

"Well, you aren't kind for their descriptions." said Dr. Clark.

"Never am with bullies." said Harry plainly.

"This is unbelievable," said Ron, approaching the mirror and prodding Crabbe's flat nose. "Unbelievable."

"We'd better get going," said Harry, loosening the watch that was cutting into Goyle' thick wrist.

"Wow, did the Dursley's actually give you a watch?" asked Sirius shocked.

"It was one of Uncle Vernon's Rolexes, He got porridge all over it and tossed it. I dug it out of the garbage and fixed it up." said Harry shrugging.

"Where is that watch now?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Watches and lakes does NOT mix." said Harry. "I had to pitch it."

"We've still got to find out where the Slytherin common room is, I only hope we can find someone to follow..."

"You didn't even bother to try and find the Common Room beforehand?" said Bill.

"We tried, it didn't go too well." said Harry.

"We got detention for lurking." said Ron. "Courtesy of Filch."

Ron, who had been gazing at Harry, said, "You don't know how bizarre it is to see Goylethinking."

"It was startling." said Ron.

He banged on Hermione's door. "C'mon, we need to go -"

A high-pitched voice answered him. "I - I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me."

"All that work and you're not going?" asked Tonks.

"Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly, no one's going to know it's you -"

Millicent's scowl grew and grew.

"No - really - I don't think I'll come. You two hurry up, you're wasting time- - "

Harry looked at Ron, bewildered.

"That looks more like Goyle," said Ron. "That's how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question."

"No time for jokes, get moving." said Moody.

"Hermione, are you OK?" said Harry through the door.

"Don't worry about her, she'll be fine, just get going." said Fred.

"Fine - I'm fine - go on -"

Harry looked at his watch. Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed.

"MOVE IT!" shouted the people in the Great Hall

"We'll meet you back here, all right?" he said.

Harry and Ron opened the door of the bathroom carefully, checked that the coast was clear and set off.

"Don't swing your arms like that," Harry muttered to Ron.

"Eh?"

"Crabbe holds them sort of stiff..."

"How's this?"

"Yeah, that's better."

"You stalking Crabbe and Goyle now?" asked Sirius with a smirk.

"I watched them to make sure we acted the right way." said Harry.

"Good thinking." said Lionus with a smile.

They went down the marble staircase. All they needed now was a Slytherin whom they could follow to the Slytherin common room, but there was nobody around.

"Just your luck." said Seamus.

"Any ideas?" muttered Harry.

"The Slytherins always come up to breakfast from over there," said Ron, nodding at the entrance to the dungeons. The words had barely left his mouth when a girl with long curly hair emerged from the entrance.

"Excuse me," said Ron, hurrying up to her, "We've forgotten the way to our common room."

"I beg your pardon?" said the girl stiffly. "Our common room? I'm a Ravenclaw."

"Well, I was." said one of the seventh year Ravenclaw girls, who realized it was Harry and Ron she was talking to all those years ago.

"I didn't say you were in Slytherin, I was just hoping you knew where it was." said Ron

She walked away, looking suspiciously back at them.

The girl scowled, she didn't realize that they were imposters, just overly stupid.

Harry and Ron hurried down the stone steps into the darkness, their footsteps echoing particularly loudly as Crabbe and Goyle's feet hit the floor, feeling this wasn't going to be as easy as they had hoped.

"Not when you don't know where to go." said Blaise.

The labyrinthine passages were deserted. They walked deeper and deeper under the school, constantly checking their watches to see how much time they had left. After a quarter of an hour,

"Twenty minutes gone." said Fred. "Or is it only fifteen."

"Twenty minutes were gone." said Harry.

just when they were getting desperate, they heard a sudden movement ahead.

"Ha!" said Ron excitedly. "There's one of them now!"

The figure was emerging from a side room. As they hurried nearer, however, their hearts sank. It wasn't a Slytherin, it was Percy.

"What the hell were you doing down there? That's not a Gryffindor Prefect route." said Charlie.

"How would you know?" said Percy smugly.

"I dated a Gryffindor Prefect, I knew all of her routes, and her male counterpart. Had to make sure he didn't see me drag her off to an empty classroom." said Charlie.

"I think we'd better LOCK all the empty classrooms." said McGonagall.

"What are you doing down here?" said Ron in surprise.

Percy looked affronted.

"Honest question, did I get an honest answer? NO!" said Ron rolling his eyes.

"That," he said stiffly, "is none of your business. Its Crabbe, isn't it?"

"Wh- oh, yeah," said Ron.

"Nearly blew it there." said Moody.

"Well, get off to your dormitories," said Percy sternly. "It's not safe to go wandering around dark corridors these days."

"You are," Ron pointed out.

"I," said Percy, drawing himself up, "am a Prefect. Nothing's about to attack me."

"That badge isn't an impenetrable shield, Mr. Weasley. You were in just as much danger as everyone else." said McGonagall sternly

A voice suddenly echoed behind Harry and Ron. Draco Malfoy was strolling towards them, and for the first time in his life, Harry was pleased to see him.

Draco clapped a hand to his eyes, he let them in.

"There you are," he drawled, looking at them. "Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time?

"He wasn't too far off." said Sirius with a laugh.

I've been looking for you, I want to show you something really funny."

"Whatever he thinks is funny, you can bet that it isn't." said Lee.

Malfoy glanced witheringly at Percy.

"And what're you doing down here, Weasley?" he sneered.

Percy looked outraged.

"You want to show a bit more respect to a school Prefect!" he said. "I don't like your attitude!"

"He doesn't have to show you respect, you can't take points away from him." said Hermione.

Malfoy sneered and motioned Harry and Ron to follow him. Harry almost said something apologetic to Percy but caught himself just in time.

"Your kindness just about ruined everything. You need to learn to act tough." said Moody.

"One word…Pansy…"said Harry with a smirk.

"He's got you there Alastor." said Kingsley.

He and Ron hurried after Malfoy, who said as they turned into the next passage, "That Peter Weasley -"

"Percy." said the Weasley family together.

"Percy," Ron corrected him automatically.

"Not the time to do it, but, good for you Ron, stand up for your brother." said Mr. Weasley proudly.

"Whatever," said Malfoy. "I've noticed him sneaking around a lot lately. And I bet I know what he's up to. He thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's heir single-handed."

"No, I was not." said Percy defiantly.

"He went to meet his girlfriend." said Fred with a smirk.

Percy surprisingly turned and glared at Ginny.

"I didn't say a word to him." said Ginny defensively.

He gave a short, derisive laugh. Harry and Ron exchanged excited looks.

"So close." said a first year Gryffindor.

Malfoy paused by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall.

"What's the new password again?" he said to Harry.

"Er -" said Harry.

"Oh yeah - pure-blood!" said Malfoy,

"Who came up with that password?" asked McGonagall.

"The Prefects chose the password not me." said Snape quickly.

not listening, and a stone door concealed in the wall slid open.

Malfoy marched through it and Harry and Ron followed him.

The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains.

"Sounds gloomy." said Ernie.

A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in carved chairs.

"We have more elegantly carved furniture in our house than any other house has to offer." said Snape.

"Wait here," said Malfoy to Harry and Ron, motioning them to a pair of empty chairs set back from the fire. "I'll go and get it - my father's just sent it to me -"

Wondering what Malfoy was going to show them, Harry and Ron sat down, doing their best to look at home.

"They didn't too bad a job." said a sixth year Slytherin, he could vaguely remember that Christmas and he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

Malfoy came back a minute later, holding what looked like a newspaper cutting.

He thrust it under Ron's nose. "That'll give you a laugh" he said.

Harry saw Ron's eyes widen in shock. He read the cutting quickly, gave a very forced laugh and handed it to Harry.

"Why, what was wrong with it?" asked Sirius.

It had been clipped out of the Daily Prophet, and it said:

INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car.

"Oh…" said Sirius sheepishly.

"It was the smallest amount I could fine you, Arthur." said Madam Bones apologetically.

"HAH! FAVORTISM!" shouted Fudge.

"But she still fined him! Whereas you take money under the table and look the other way." said Harry irritably. "A politician such as yourself should maintain dignity, honor and integrity. Each of those things you lack."

"Amen." said Madam Bones.

Mr Lucius Malfoy,a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called for Mr. Weasley's resignation.

"That didn't get too far." said Kingsley.

"Thanks for defending me by the way, Dumbledore." said Mr. Weasley gratefully.

"Think nothing of it. It was our tree that tried to destroy the car you worked so hard on." said Dumbledore smiling.

"I don't know how you managed to get the authorization to put the money directly into our family vault for the fine. I was afraid the goblins were going to come and seize our family treasures." said Mrs. Weasley.

"Alas, I couldn't donate the money, I was not a blood relative." said Dumbledore shaking his head.

Harry and Ron looked at each other quickly. "After we read that, Harry gave me the fifty galleons to have it deposited in the vault." said Ron.

"Oh, Harry dear." said Mrs. Weasley, "You didn't need to."

"I wanted to. Besides, you just said that the goblins could have taken your stuff, I would say that it was a necessity." said Harry with a smirk.

"Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute," Mr Malfoy told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately."

"That didn't get too far either." said Tonks.

"Mr Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told our reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them.

"And I would have too." said Mrs. Weasley angrily.

"Well?" said Malfoy impatiently, as Harry handed the cutting back to him. "Don't you think it's funny?"

"Ha, ha," said Harry bleakly.

"Not too far off on how Goyle normally laughs." said Draco.

"Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go and join them," said Malfoy scornfully.

"I'm not too sure I wouldn't mind it half the time." said Mr. Weasley.

"I'd love to go to school here. You and I can switch anytime." said Dr. Clark.

"You'd never know the Weasley's were pure-bloods, the way they behave."

Ron's - or rather, Crabbe's - face was contorted with fury.

"What's up with you, Crabbe?" snapped Malfoy.

"Stomach ache," Ron grunted.

"That's a good lie to use, with all the crap he eats." said Fred.

"Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me," said Malfoy, snickering.

"Sorry!" said Draco swiftly.

"You know, I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet," he went on thoughtfully. "I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up.

"Of course." said Dumbledore.

"Why would you?" asked Dr. Clark. "Shouldn't parents know what is going on?"

"There are wizards and witches that try and make a good thing out of a monster. They come in throngs and jostle the students about. Some may even try and kidnap some of our students that come from wealthier families." said Dumbledore. "Or for more devious reasons."

He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father's always said Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place.

"He would." said Remus bitterly.

He loves Muggle-borns. A decent Headmaster would never've let slime like that Creevey in."

Colin and Dennis glared fiercely.

"I wouldn't do that; that snake bites back." said Harry with a smirk.

"Why are you defending him!" said Hermione.

"I'm not, just warning Colin and Dennis not to bite off more than they can chew. Take it from someone who does every year." said Harry.

Malfoy started taking pictures with an imaginary camera and did a cruel but accurate impression of Colin:

"Sorry." he said to Colin quietly.

"Potter, can I have your picture, Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?"

"And to think, you saved this for Crabbe and Goyle. I'm hurt." said Harry with a laugh.

Draco, he was looking intently down at the floor, smiled in spite of himself.

He dropped his hands and looked at Harry and Ron.

"What's the matter with you two?"

"We were sort of growling." said Harry.

Far too late, Harry and Ron forced themselves to laugh, but Malfoy seemed satisfied; perhaps Crabbe and Goyle were always slow on the uptake.

"They are." said Draco and Blaise.

"Saint Potter, the Mudbloods' friend,"

George growled when he said the word aloud.

"Sorry." said Draco still cringing.

"You'd better be." said Snape with a look of disgust.

said Malfoy slowly. "He's another one with no proper wizard feeling, or he wouldn't go around with that jumped-up Granger Mudblood.

"Sorry Hermione." said Draco.

"Well, he said your first name, so he really means it." said Harry.

And people think he's Slytherin's heir!"

"Is he going to tell you who it is?" asked Dennis.

Harry and Ron waited with bated breath: Malfoy was surely seconds away from telling them it was him. But then -

"I wish I knew who it is," said Malfoy prudently. "I could help them."

"Dang nabbit." said Dennis pouting.

Ron's jaw dropped so that Crabbe's face looked even more clueless than usual. Fortunately, Malfoy didn't notice, and Harry, thinking fast, said, "You must have some idea who's behind it all ..."

"It's a good question. If anyone should know who the heir of Slytherin is, it would be a Malfoy." said Moody.

"You know I haven't Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you?" snapped Malfoy. "And Father won't tell me anything about what happened the last time the Chamber was opened, either.

"Wow, is Lucius trying to protect his son?" asked Kingsley.

"Or is he trying keep his son from screwing things up?" said Moody.

Of course, it was about fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says that it was all kept quiet and it'll look suspicious if I know too much about it.

"Could still be both." said the two Aurors.

But I know one thing: last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died.

Several younger students gasped and a few of the adults gulped loudly.

So I bet it's only a matter of time before one of them's killed this time...I hope it's Granger," he said with relish.

"SORRY!" yelled Draco.

Hermione turned her nose up. Harry looked over to Draco and shook his head. "It's going to be a while to get forgiven for that one. Though I'm sure that everyone here is appreciative that your attitude has changed." said Harry, though his tone was quite cold.

Ron was clenching Crabbe's gigantic fist. Feeling that it would be a bit of a give-away if Ron punched Malfoy,

"You would have stopped him right?" asked Tonks. She noticed the glares that she received. "For the good of the mission!"

"I sent him a facial warning, but after that, no, I wouldn't have stopped him." said Harry sitting back in the chair.

Harry shot him a warning look and said, "D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?"

"No, they didn't get the person. Not then anyway." said Harry angrily.

"Oh, yeah... whoever it was expelled," said Malfoy. "They're probably still in Azkaban."

"The person that was framed was expelled, yes, but he didn't go to Azakaban." said Hermione angrily.

"Azkaban?" asked Dr. Clark in a whisper that no one heard.

"Azkaban?" said Harry, puzzled.

"Azkaban - the wizard prison, Goyle," said Malfoy, looking at him in disbelief. "Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backwards."

"Oh, I gotcha." said Dr. Clark with a satisfied smile.

He shifted restlessly in his chair and said, "Father says to keep my head down and let the heir of Slytherin get on with it.

"Yup, he only wanted to keep his son from screwing it all up." said Moody.

He says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth,

"Oh, just wait till I get my hands on that slimy bastard!"

"Molly!" said Mr. Weasley in shock.

but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he's got a lot on his plate at the moment.

"First time in his life that twit's gotta work." said Fred with a snarl.

You know the Ministry of Magic raided our Manor last week?"

"Good for the Ministry of Magic!" said Lee. "You can't say that much for them lately though."

"We wanted to do it months ago, when he still had the more dangerous lying about, But someone," said Mr. Weasley looking up to the Minister. "wanted us to wait, to give Lucius more time to get rid of the stuff. Give him a thirty-fourth chance."

"Tell me, you can't justify doing that." said Lionus looking disgusted.

"He is a major financial backer to St. Mungos." said Fudge defiantly, trying his best to now ignore what the book says.

"You're an idiot. Consider yourself formally under arrest, I'll get Whizzerd to go through your bank accounts and we will see if you have been taking from the people instead of giving." said Lionus angrily.

Fudge stared pale faced and obviously frightened.

Suddenly, two cloaked figures flittered down and landed on either side of the now ex-Minister of Magic.

"Say hello to your new guards. Lieutenant Wildfire" the one on the left removed their hood and revealed a beautiful woman, with half her head shaved, but the other half had flowing red hair.

"and Lieutenant Viper." the other person took of their hood and revealed a gaunt, pale faced man, he smiled maliciously down to the Minister to reveal…

"A vampire?" asked Fred in wonder.

"Very true." said Viper.

"He won't bite anyone, don't worry about that." said Lionus.

"Of course not." said Viper sticking his nose in the air. "Cheeldren's blood ees deesgusting. I preefur adults. Purfectly aged."

Harry tried to force Goyle's face into a look of concern.

"Wasn't easy." said Harry.

"Yeah ..." said Malfoy. "Luckily, they didn't find much. Father's got some very valuable Dark Arts stuff. But luckily, we've got our own secret chamber under the drawing-room floor—

Draco paled, his father had accused him of divulging that information, and he had even punished him severely for it. But Draco kept telling him that he didn't, but now it turns out he did. Oh well, he didn't rightly care anymore.

"Ho!" said Ron.

Malfoy looked at him. So did Harry. Ron blushed. Even his hair was turning red. His nose was also slowly lengthening - their hour was up.

"Time to go, get out of there!" said Sirius.

Ron was turning back into himself, and from the look of horror he was suddenly giving Harry, he must be, too.

They both jumped to their feet.

"Medicine for my stomach," Ron grunted, and without further ado they sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room,

"Yeah, that wasn't suspicious at all." said Neville with a laugh.

hurled themselves at the stone wall and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn't noticed anything.

"I actually didn't, I just ignored you." said Draco

"Didn't you notice anything when you had to retell them about the newspaper clipping?" asked Hannah.

"No, I have to retell them stuff all the time." said Draco shrugging.

Harry could feel his feet slipping around in Goyle's huge shoes and had to hoist up his robes as he shrank;

Harry laughed along with the rest of the school. "This is embarrassing." said Harry covering his eyes.

they crashed up the steps into the dark entrance hall, which was full of a muffled pounding coming from the closet they locked Crabbe and Goyle.

The people in Great Hall laughed again.

Leaving their shoes outside the closet door,

"Well that was kind, but who came to unlock the door?" said Lionus.

"We didn't lock it, all they would have had to do is try the knob." said Harry and Ron with a smirk.

The laughter grew louder and louder. "THAT IS PRICELESS!" screamed Lee holding his sides.

they sprinted in their socks up the marble staircase toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"Harry actually slipped once." said Ron. "Nearly banged his face on the floor."

"Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time," Ron panted, closing the bathroom door behind them.

"That's right, look on the bright side." said Charlie.

"I know we still haven't found out who's doing the attacks, but I'm going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Malfoy's drawing room."

"And we did too, we decided to go a different route, we went straight to Madam Bones." said Mr. Weasley.

Harry checked his face in the cracked mirror. He was back to normal.

"Explains why you kissed the broken mirror." said Ron with a smirk.

"Not before you kissed your own arms." said Harry with a similar smirk.

He put his glasses on as Ron hammered on the door of Hermione's stall.

"Hermione, come out, we've got loads to tell you -"

"Go away!" Hermione squeaked.

"Well that's nice." said Sirius.

"What happened?" said Remus "The hour is up. She should have turned back by now."

Harry and Ron looked at each other.

"What's the matter?" said Ron. "You must be back to normal by now, we are -"

"Ron thinks like you, too bad he don't keep the group out of trouble too." said Sirius.

"Nah, I help it along." said Ron proudly.

But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the cubicle door. Harry had never seen her looking so happy.

"Something didn't go quite well." said Tonks. "It's the only reason why she would be happy."

"Ooooooh, wait till you see," she said. "It's awful!"

"Oh dear." said Mrs. Weasley worriedly.

They heard the lock slide and Hermione emerged, sobbing, her robed pulled up over her head.

"What's up?" said Ron uncertainly. "Have you still got Millicent's nose or something?"

"If only it was that." said Hermione, Ron and Harry.

Hermione let her robes fall and Ron backed into the sink.

"Another bad sign." said Sirius.

"Sorry Hermione, I just, didn't expect it." said Ron.

Her face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had gone yellow and there were long pointed ears poking through her hair.

"The hair was…a cat's…" said Snape his hand over his mouth. "That is not good. Polyjuice is not for animal transformations. I hope you went and saw Madam Pomfrey, you didn't come to me, but you had better have gone to her."

"I don't think they would want to go to you; that would be like giving a murderer the bullets to kill you with." said Dr. Clark.

"It was a c-cat hair!" she howled. "M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat!

"No I don't." said Millicent, "but Pansy's cat, Twinklefluff, loves to lay all over my robes." said Millicent thoughtfully.

And the P-Potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!"

"That's what Professor Snape just said." said a first year Hufflepuff.

"You'll be teased something dreadful," said Myrtle happily.

"She's evil." said Remus angrily.

"It's OK, Hermione," said Harry quickly. "We'll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions ..."

"I didn't' need to, I gathered all the information I needed from Dumbledore." said Madam Pomfrey.

It took a long time to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw.

"Wait till everyone finds out you've got a tail!"

"That took some shielding to hide, but thankfully we didn't have anyone else walking the corridors that day." said Harry.

"At least you got better Hermione, umm…you didn't…" said Sirius.

"No, no hairballs." said Hermione with a grin.

"Thank goodness, nasty things." said Sirius.

"He stepped on one once, it was hilarious." said Remus. "He wasn't even wearing shoes."

"Took me three days to get the gunk out from between my toes." said Sirius.

Chapter 41

"Who's going to read now?" asked George holding the book up high.

"Let me take a crack at it, brother dear." said Fred with a posh like voice.

The Very Secret Diary.

"We picked another doozy I think." said Fred.

"Is this all about your notebook Harry?" asked Colin.

"Nope." said Harry plainly.

Hermione remained in the hospital wing for several weeks.

"Better to stay in the Hospital wing then walking around looking like a giant cat." said Sirius helpfully.

"You have got to get over this cat hating thing." muttered Remus.

There was a flurry of rumor about her disappearance when the rest of the school arrived back from their Christmas holidays,

"We thought you were attacked." said Seamus.

"But then all of you guys wouldn't have still accused Harry of being the heir…" said Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Did anyone attack you that time?" said Remus to Harry warningly.

"Some people almost did, but Ron came up and said she was just in there because she was sick."

"Who tried?" asked Dumbledore, his voice growling.

"….not saying." said Harry folding his arms. "They freaked, they weren't aware of what they were doing."

"It was the Gryffindor seventh years." said Ron angrily. "They had him slammed against a wall by the collar."

Dumbledore scowled, as well as several other adults.

"This is getting to be a bit much." said Harry rubbing his eyes.

because of course everyone thought that she had been attacked.

"We almost lost our voices, all the times we had to say you weren't." said Ron.

So many students filed past the hospital wing trying to catch a glimpse of her that Madam Pomfrey took out her curtains again and placed them around Hermione's bed, to spare her the shame of being seen with a furry face.

"Thanks again, Madam Pomfrey." said Hermione.

"You're welcome, dear." smiled Madam Pomfrey. She could finally relax; she was assured (most sincerely) that Harry was in no further danger.

Harry and Ron went to visit her every evening.

"That really made me feel a lot better." said Hermione.

"We did what we could." said Harry and Ron shrugging.

When the new term started, they brought her each day's homework.

"Oh come on! Take a break for once!" said Sirius looking at Hermione in disbelief.

"I couldn't! It's not my nature." said Hermione.

"Very good Miss. Granger." said McGonagall smiling down at the fifth year.

"If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work," said Ron, tipping a stack of books onto Hermione's bedside table one evening.

"You could get a hangnail and you'd still want to shirk work." said Percy with kind smile.

"Hey, those hurt." said Charlie with a fake pout.

"Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up," said Hermione briskly.

"You were ahead of everyone else, you don't need to keep up." said Neville.

Her spirits were greatly improved by the fact that all the hair had gone from her face and her eyes were turning slowly back to brown.

"POTTER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!" came a shrieking voice from the door.

Everyone turned and saw Pansy, the sticky, black slime was still clinging to most of her face, but the other part that she had managed to peel off, had turned her skin to a sick sort of green.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" she said, scratching at the green parts of her face.

"I said you'd need to wait fifty-two hours or so, now your skin's all itchy, isn't it?" said Harry with a broad smile, not bothering to turn around and look at Pansy. "Here," He flung a small jar of what looked like ointment back towards her. "that'll clear it all off, but…" said Harry. But before he could finish, the large door slammed shut.

Harry sighed. "I guess she didn't want to hear about the last part."

"What last part?" asked Hermione.

"She's supposed to put that on, and then clean it off…" said Harry.

"Girls normally do that with their cosmetic stuff, Harry." said Angelina.

"When was the last time you cleaned your face off with milk and honey?" asked Harry.

"Oh, never mind." said Angelina with a small smile hidden behind her hands.

Millicent hurried as fast as she could out of the Great Hall after her friend, to tell her the important information. But before she could even reach the door, a scream emerged from what seemed to be the first floor girl's lavatory.

"Too late." said Harry with an evil smile on his face, the tips of his fingers pressed against each other.

"I told you not to look like that, you're scaring me." said Sirius with a laugh.

"Try as I may, I can't really be angry with you." said Remus thoughtfully.

"I don't suppose you've got any new leads?" she added in a whisper, so that Madam Pomfrey couldn't hear her.

"Wow, you guys just don't want to drop it do you?" asked Bill.

"It was actually a very good thing that they didn't." said Dumbledore, McGonagall nodded.

"Nothing," said Harry gloomily.

"I was so sure it was Malfoy," said Ron, for the hundredth time.

"Now you have no suspects that must really suck." said Charlie.

"It did, now we didn't feel even confident that this was going to be solved." said Harry.

"Yeah, especially when Dobby said that it had happened before." said Ron.

"What's that?" asked Harry, pointing to something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow.

"Does she have money under there? Did the tooth goblin come and visit you?" asked Sirius with a playful smile.

"Tooth goblin? Don't you mean Tooth fairy?" asked Hermione.

"Fairy's don't have money, where else would you get money from if not a Goblin?" asked Ron. "They come in the middle of the night, yank out your loose teeth and leave a sickle under your pillow."

"In the Muggleworld, they have something called a Tooth Fairy." said Hermione. "She at least waits for the tooth to come out."

"You put a tooth under a pillow and she leaves you money." said Harry. "Dudley used to knock my teeth out and stuff them under his pillow." said Harry. "Strangely enough, my teeth grew back in less than a week."

"Instead of 'Dinky Duddykins' as a nickname, his new one will be 'Gummy' when I get my hands on him." said Sirius growling.

"That's a hereditary thing. Your Great-Great-Great Uncle Broderick had that ability too, he was always getting into scraps." said Remus thoughtfully. "But then once he hit twenty-four, that ability was gone."

"Just a Get Well card," said Hermione hastily, trying to poke it out of sight, but Ron was too quick for her. He pulled it out,

"Ron! That card belonged to Hermione." admonished Mrs. Weasley.

"I gave it right back." said Ron. "She should have pitched it right after she got it though."

flicked it open and read aloud:

"To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming Smile Award."

"Okay, now I'm concerned about you." said Remus. "He didn't catch you alone without the boys, did he?"

"No! No he didn't" said Hermione quickly.

"He's seems to be branching out his affections from Harry to other students." said Moody thoughtfully. "When he can't have him, he'll try someone else."

"I think Hermione and I were happier without that little notion." said Harry sternly.

"Nice to know you play hard to get though." said Ginny with a sly smile.

Harry looked over to her, and smiled brightly.

Ron looked up at Hermione, disgusted.

"You sleep with this under your pillow?"

"Why would you?" asked Remus with similar disgust.

Hermione blushed. "He was nice to look at."

"So is a Golden Firetail, but you don't go right up to one." said Remus.

"A what?" asked Dr. Clark,

"It's the rarest breed of dragon, from the tip of it's snout, to it's tail, it looks like solid gold, with a bejeweled underbelly. We don't know a single thing about it's habits or anything. Some people only get to see a flitting glimpse of one." said Charlie excitedly. He sighed, "Everyone at the Dragon Reserve would just love to have five seconds just to stare at one."

Then he snapped out of his daydream. "Despite how beautiful it is, it's still very dangerous to go up to one, Dragons are a crunch first and ask questions later sort of animal."

But Hermione was spared answering by Madam Pomfrey sweeping over with her evening dose of medicine.

"She was turning beet red." said Harry with a kind smile.

"Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron said to Harry as they left the dormitory and started up the stairs towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Dumbest, and most egotistical is what I would say." said Sirius.

"And that's being kind." said Remus grinding his teeth.

Snape had given them so much homework, Harry thought he was likely to be in the sixth year before he finished it.

"With all the revisions I was going to have to do, I was amazed I got it all done." said Harry dragging his hand down his face.

"It wasn't that much." said Snape smugly.

"Eight feet of essay on the Hair-Raising Potion, and then another two on what happens when you do it wrong, isn't a lot?" asked Ron and Harry together. "And then Harry doing at least three different versions?"

"You're right, that was a lot." said Sirius.

Ron was just saying he wished he had asked Hermione how many rat tails you were supposed to add to a Hair-Raising Potion,

"Twelve." said Hermione.

"Little late for that now." said Ron with a smirk. "Besides, Harry answered it for me."

when an angry outburst from the floor above reached their ears.

"That's Filch," Harry muttered, as they hurried up the stairs and paused, out of sight, listening hard.

Snape massaged the bridge of his nose. "Meddlesome nuisances."

"You don't think someone else's been attacked?" said Ron tensely.

"If there was someone attacked, don't you think keeping Harry away and keeping yourselves safe should be a priority?" asked Sirius.

"You don't want another house beating the magic out of him." said Remus.

The people who were in on the assault blanched, that's what the Dursley's had threatened to do….

They stood still, their heads inclined towards Filch's voice, which sounded quite hysterical.

"-even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw, I'm going to Dumbledore-"

His footsteps receded and they heard a distant door slam.

"What the hell was he complaining about?" said Tonks.

"Something that I do not have the heart to change." said Professor Dumbledore, guilt and regret radiating off his body.

They poked their heads around the corner. Filch had clearly been manning his usual lookout post; they were once again on the spot where Mrs. Norris had been attacked.

"We offered him a nice vacation, to get his mind off things, he refused." said Professor McGonagall.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen hide nor hair of Filch." said Remus turning around in the bowl. "Not that I want to look at that bastard."

"I told him that if I saw him anytime soon, I would be the last thing he ever saw." said Dumbledore growing angry.

They saw at a glance what Filch had been shouting about. A great flood of water stretched over half the corridor, and it looked as though it was still seeping from under the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"Sounds like something we've been trying to work on. A portable swamp." said Fred whispering to Charlie.

"Sounds great, let me know when you perfect it, it would be awesome at the reserve, especially with that new guy. He's still a bit jumpy." said Charlie with a wide smile.

Now Filch had stopped shouting, they could hear Myrtle's wails echoing off the bathroom walls.

"He was complaining about Myrtle? And you can't bear to see her go? Why?" said Dr. Clark curiously.

Dumbledore wiped a stray tear that had slid down his crooked nose, but smiled over to the good Doctor.

"You are as inquisitive as Harry is." said Dumbledore brightly.

Dr. Clark beamed brightly, reached over and ruffled Harry's hair. He did not notice that his question went unanswered.

"Now what's up with her?" said Ron.

"Anything would do to upset her enough to flood the bathroom." said Ron.

"Let's go and see," said Harry, and holding their robes over their ankles they stepped through the great wash of water

"Never pictured you to be dainty, Harry maybe, but not you Ron." said Fred.

"Shut up, I didn't want my robes to end up soaking my socks." said Harry defensively.

to the door bearing its 'OUT OF ORDER' sign, ignored it as always, and entered.

"Sometimes you have to listen to those signs you know." said Bill.

"Yeah, but we've been in there so many times that nothing in there could hurt us." said Ron with a smug grin.

Harry sent him a pointed look, "Ah…yeah…forget I said anything." said Ron meekly.

Moaning Myrtle was crying, if possible, louder and harder than ever before.

"Thank goodness I wasn't there." whispered a Slytherin fifth year girl.

She seemed to be hiding down her usual toilet. It was dark in the bathroom, because the candles had been extinguished in the great rush of water that had left both walls and floor soaking wet.

"Well, I can sort of understand why Filch would be a mite pissed off." said Sirius.

"What's up Myrtle?" said Harry.

"Who's that?" glugged Myrtle miserably. "Come to throw something else at me?"

"She flooded the entire bathroom, because someone threw something at her?" asked Remus.

"She was very much the same in life." said Dumbledore.

Harry waded across to her cubicle and said, "Why would I throw something at you?"

"You're so kind." sighed Romilda.

What's her damage? Harry thought to himself.

"Don't ask me," Myrtle shouted, emerging with a wave of yet more water, which splashed onto the already sopping floor. "Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me ..."

"Who could be that cruel?" asked Charlie. Ginny cringed.

It did not go unnoticed by Harry, he held out his arms, beckoning her to come and sit with him. She stood up and walked over, Harry magicked the bowl to stretch itself out and motioned her to sit beside him. She sat beside him and laid her head on his shoulder, He draped his arm behind her and held her close.

"What was up with that?" asked Charlie.

"But it can't hurt you if someone throws something at you," said Harry, reasonably. "I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?"

"That was right there that I learned logic doesn't work for a bunch of people under twenty." said Harry.

"I haven't quite figured that one out yet." said Hermione almost silently.

"You try." said Harry and Ron together.

He had said the wrong thing.

"The very wrong thing." said most of the girls in the Great Hall.

Myrtle puffed herself up and shrieked, "Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! Well, ha ha ha! What a lovely game, I don't think!"

"I think she took it wrong." said Fred.

"Not even we would throw something through a ghost for fun.." said George.

"Someone could have just pitched the book and not realize she was in there." said Fred.

"Or that she flew through it on accident." said George.

"Who threw it at you, anyway?" asked Harry.

"I don't know ... I was just sitting on the U-bend, thinking about death,

"Wow…." said Fred and George together. "…gloomy…"

and it fell right through the top of my head," said Myrtle, glaring at them.

"I was right!" said Fred proudly.

"It's over there, it got washed out..."

Harry and Ron looked under the sink, where Myrtle was pointing. A small, thin book lay there.

"Okay, a dictionary, or an encyclopedia I could understand being upset. Alive or dead. But a small thin book?" said Sirius. "Someone needs to take a chill pill."

It had a shabby black cover and was as wet as everything else in the bathroom. Harry stepped forward to pick it up, but Ron suddenly flung out an arm to hold him back.

"Good thinking, Ron." said Mr. Weasley.

"It's just a book." said Dr. Clark.

"Sometimes, the most innocent thing can be the most harmful of weapons." said Dumbledore wisely.

"Should we keep an eye on you?" asked Sirius, grinning at Harry.

"Stuff it." said Harry. "I'm far from innocent."

"Guess we should keep an eye on you for another reason." said Remus with a smirk.

"What?" said Harry.

"Are you crazy?" said Ron. "It could be dangerous."

"Dangerous?" said Harry, laughing. "Come off it, how could it be dangerous?"

"Ask Dad, he'll tell you about ninety different ways an unknown book can be bad." said Fred.

"You'd be surprised," said Ron, who was looking apprehensively at the book. "Some of the books the Ministry's confiscated –

"Hmph, the Minister wouldn't have confiscated them, without Arthur's pressuring." said Madam Bones. "I wish you would take the diplomatic training, Arthur, I think you would make a fine Minister."

Umbridge struggled against her restraints.

"Don't make me come over there." growled Lionus. She immediately ceased.

Dad's told me - there was one that burned your eyes out.

"Ah, yes, 'Phoenix's Firelight Fancy' I was given that book once, by some unscrupulous person. I had no notion of what it would do, until a house elf was cleaning my office and the book fell opened and he had happened to look at one of the pages." said Dumbledore sadly.

"What happened to the house elf?" asked Hermione worriedly.

"I placed the house elf with a family member who could take better care of him then I could. After a while, his sight healed itself. Wondrous creatures, house elves." said Dumbledore.

And everyone who read Sonnets of a Sorcerer spoke in limericks for the rest of their lives.

"Your Great-Great-Great Grandmother read that on accident. According to your dad, she would never shut up." said Sirius to Harry.

"Though you had to admit, she did write some pretty amazing poetry. I wonder if it's hereditary." said Remus looking inquisitively at Harry.

And some old witch in Bath had a book that you could never stop reading! You just had to wander around with your nose in it, trying to do everything one-handed.

"That was my Great-Aunt Matilda." said Neville. "She tells everyone what happens in the book, so no one else will read it."

"Good plan." said Kingsley. "If she reads it to others, they won't want to read it."

And -"

"All right, I've got the point," said Harry.

"I was getting tired of the horror stories." said Harry.

The little book lay on the floor, nondescript and soggy.

"Well, we won't find out unless we look at it," he said, and he ducked round Ron and picked it off the floor.

"You really don't listen to warnings do you?" asked Remus.

"I'm starting to listen now, how's that?" said Harry with innocent eyes.

Remus sighed but smiled. "Better late than never, I guess."

Harry saw at once that it was a diary, and the faded year on the cover told him it was fifty years old.

"Fifty? Did it say fifty?" asked Sirius.

"That cannot be a coincidence." said Remus thoughtfully.

He opened it eagerly. On the first page he could just make out the name "T. M. Riddle" in smudged ink.

Ginny whimpered slightly, Harry held onto her tighter.

"What's wrong hon?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You'll find out later." said Harry quietly.

"Hang on," said Ron, who had approached cautiously and was looking over Harry's shoulder. "I know that name ... T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago."

The school went silent.

"How do you know something like that? Even I don't know that right off the bat." said Percy.

"Well, you just have to have a great memory like mine." said Ron proudly.

Fred read on quickly. "Sure Ron, keep telling yourself that." he said with a smirk.

"Hey, I did remember, can't dock me points." said Ron slyly.

"…Well, you got me there." said Fred.

"How on earth d'you know that?" said Harry in amazement.

"Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in detention," said Ron resentfully. "That was the one I burped slugs all over. If you'd wiped slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it, too."

"Like I said, I've got a great memory." said Ron.

"Continuously polishing and looking at it doesn't hurt either." said George.

Harry peeled the wet pages apart. They were completely blank. There wasn't the faintest trace of writing on any of them, not even "Auntie Mabel's birthday", or " dentist, half past three".

"That would be a really boring diary." said Sirius. "You'd need to spice up your life a bit."

"He never wrote in it," said Harry, disappointed.

"I wonder why someone wanted to flush it away?" said Ron curiously.

"Yeah, why throw away a blank book?" asked Fred.

Harry turned to the back cover of the book and saw the printed name of a news agent's in Vauxhall Road, London.

"He must've been Muggle-born," said Harry thoughtfully, "to have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road... "

The Hall went silent again.

"What is it this time?" asked Harry looking around.

"For someone who had only been to London twice in his life, you sure knew that Vauxhall Road was in the Muggle part of London." said Fred.

"There is only one magical street in London, and it isn't Vauxhall Road. If he was a Pureblood or Halfblood, he would have most likely gotten the book at Diagon Alley." said Harry. "And I had been to London a few times before I got locked up in my room that year."

"Well, it's not much use to you," said Ron. He dropped his voice. "Fifty points if you can get it through Myrtle's nose."

"RONALD!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"I was kidding!" said Ron quickly.

Harry, however, pocketed it.

"I cannot say for certain if that was a good thing or bad thing." said Remus.

"It was a good thing, for the long run." said Harry and Dumbledore together.

Hermione left the hospital wing, de-whiskered, tail-less, and fur-free, at the beginning of February.

"Well, you only missed the time that they review the first term, so you really didn't miss much." said Bill.

On her first evening back in Gryffindor Tower, Harry showed her T. M. Riddle's diary and told her the story of how they found it.

"I couldn't figure out why someone wanted to pitch a blank book either." said Hermione.

"Oooh, it might have hidden powers," said Hermione enthusiastically, taking the diary and looking at it closely.

"Good luck finding them." said Nightstrike. "I'd be impressed if a twelve year old can find out what that book is all about."

"If it has, it's hiding them very well," said Ron. "Maybe it's shy.

"Normally, I wouldn't say a book has feelings, but after all this, I'm not too sure." said Remus touching his chest absently.

"Does it hurt there?" asked Harry looking concerned.

"No, no." said Remus quickly. "It's nothing, it doesn't hurt."

I don't know why you don't chuck it, Harry."

"I wish I knew why someone did try to chuck it," said Harry.

Moody and Lionus smiled. He'd make a fine Auror.

"I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts, either."

"Do you know Professor?" asked Colin.

"The books will tell us very soon I believe." said Dumbledore his eyes lacking their normal twinkle.

"Could've been anything," said Ron. "Maybe he got thirty O.W.L's

"Yeah I know, you don't get special services to the school for excelling in class." said Ron.

or saved a teacher from the giant squid.

"But Octavius is friendly." said Fred.

Maybe he murdered Myrtle, that would've done everyone a favor ..."

Hermione, Ginny, Dumbledore, Mr. and Mrs. Wesley, McGonagall, Ron and Harry cringed slightly.

"Yeah, I didn't really mean that." said Ron.

"Ever get the feeling they're hiding something." said Sirius to Dr. Clark.

"Every time we read another sentence." said Dr. Clark.

But Harry could tell from the arrested look on Hermione's face that she was thinking what he was thinking.

"It wasn't enough to think you were holding back." said Hermione sadly. "I just thought you had a brainstorm."

"What?" said Ron, looking from one to the other.

"Well, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it?" he said. "That's what Malfoy said."

"That's what I remembered." said Sirius.

"Yeah..." said Ron slowly.

"And this diary is fifty years old," said Hermione, tapping it excitedly.

"So?"

"Hey, I was tired." said Ron in his own defense.

"Oh, Ron, wake up," snapped Hermione. "We know the person who opened the Chamber last time was expelled fifty years ago. We know T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago. Well, what if Riddle got his special award for catching the heir of Slytherin?

Fred looked up from the book. "That would warrant a plaque in the trophy room I guess."

His diary would probably tell us everything - where the Chamber is, and how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it –

"If they really did catch the heir of Slytherin, they would have found out where the Chamber is. So, whoever they put in Azkaban isn't the one." said Luna.

"She's got a point." said Sirius.

the person who's behind the attacks this time wouldn't want that thing lying around, would they?"

"That's another point." said Sirius smiling.

"You won't be smiling for long, not when you see what the book has in it." muttered Harry.

"That's a brilliant theory, Hermione," said Ron, "with just one tiny little flaw. There's nothing written in his diary."

"From what Harry just said, yes there is." said Tonks.

But Hermione was pulling her wand out of her bag.

"It might be invisible ink!" she whispered.

She tapped the diary three times and said, " Aparecium !"

Nothing happened.

"Well…you get an 'O' for effort." said Remus kindly.

Undaunted, Hermione shoved her hand into her bag and pulled out what appeared to be a bright red eraser.

"It's a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley," she said.

"Why would you need a Revealer?" asked Charlie.

"Sometimes, someone changes my notes or removes the words on my homework." said Hermione.

"Who is it?" said McGonagall quickly.

"Harry and Ron already taught them better manners." said Hermione giving a quick look over to Parvati and Lavender.

She rubbed hard on January first. Nothing happened.

"I'm telling you, there's nothing to find in there," said Ron. "Riddle just got a diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered filling it in."

"I had a cousin who did that, she has hundreds of journals, not a word in any of them." said Dr. Clark.

"How would you know?" asked Remus.

"I looked in each and every one of them." said Dr. Clark with a smirk.

"We are going to be the best of friends, mate!" said Sirius throwing an arm around Dr. Clark.

Harry couldn't explain, even to himself, why he didn't just throw Riddle's diary away.

Harry looked over to Dumbledore and then Lionus, they both nodded.

The fact was that even though he knew the diary was blank, he kept absent-mindedly picking it up and turning the pages, as though it was a story he wanted to finish.

"You looked really different when you flipped through that book." said Ron. "You looked a lot more intent."

And while Harry was sure he had never heard the name T. M. Riddle before, it still seemed to mean something to him, almost as though Riddle was a friend he'd had when he was very small, and half-forgotten.

Not many people noticed the snarl on Harry's face. Ginny held onto his hand tighter.

"Its okay." said Ginny soothingly.

But this was absurd. He'd never had friends before Hogwarts, Dudley had made sure of that.

"Lousy ass, jerk." said Neville, not to Harry, but an invisible Dudley.

Nevertheless, Harry was determined to find out more about Riddle,

"You've got some determination there kid." said Wildfire with a smile, her eyes were an almost blinding blue.

so, next day at break, he headed for the trophy room to examine Riddle's special award, accompanied by an interested Hermione and a thoroughly unconvinced Ron, who told them he'd seen enough of the trophy room to last him a lifetime.

"If I had to polish everything in it for four hours, I wouldn't exactly go back in there either." said George.

Riddle's burnished gold shield was tucked away in a corner cabinet.

"If he saved the castle from a monster, you'd think that it would right out in front, at least a little further towards the middle than the Prefect and Head Boy/Girl list." said Remus thoughtfully.

"I chose to put it over there, out of the way of casual glances, and perhaps today or tomorrow you will find out why." said Dumbledore, a twinge of bitterness in his voice.

It didn't carry details of why it had been given to him ("Good thing, too, or it'd be even bigger and I'd still be polishing it," said Ron).

"Poor Ron." snickered Ernie.

However, they did find Riddle's name on an old Medal for Magical Merit,

"How did he earn that one?" asked Moody, who knew full well who the boy was.

"Getting high marks in his N.E.W.T's" said Dumbledore. "He actually received one 'Star Exceeds Expectations.'"

"Wow, and Harry got a 'Star Outstanding'." said Sirius whistling.

and on a list of old Head Boys.

"He sounds like Percy," said Ron, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"I am SO sorry." said Ron to Percy. Percy was unsure why.

"Prefect, Head Boy...probably top of every class-"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Hermione, in a slightly hurt voice.

"You still say it like it's a bad thing." said Hermione. "And here you are a Prefect."

Ron looked away, his ears turning red.

The sun had now begun to shine weakly on Hogwarts again. Inside the castle, the mood had grown more hopeful.

"Well…that's a really good thing, all the panic was starting to get annoying." said Lionus.

There had been no more attacks since those on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and Madam Pomfrey was pleased to report that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and sensitive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood.

Remus looked quickly over at the young man who sat beside him.

"Tell me you aren't going to be like that." said Remus.

"I might be going through it now, you never know." said Harry with a broad smile.

"Merlin, give me strength." said Sirius groaning loudly.

"The moment their acne clears up,

"At least you don't need to worry about acne." said Eloise

"What makes you think I didn't have acne?" asked Harry inquisitively.

"Your face is still blemish free." said Ginny, tapping Harry's nose.

"I'm pretty sure I looked like I had the chicken pox sometime last night." said Harry.

they'll be ready for re-potting again," Harry heard her telling Filch kindly one afternoon.

"Well, he was whimpering just a bit outside the Hospital Wing." said Professor Sprout.

"And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them.

"Those things that were crying, then getting moody, and then having acne…you are going to cut them up and stew them?" said Dr. Clark faintly, he was turning a little green.

"Yes." said Professor Sprout. "That is what you do with them."

"Pardon me." he said and ran out of the room.

"What's up with him?" asked Draco.

"He went to go and get sick." said Harry his head still facing the door.

You'll have Mrs. Norris back in no time."

Perhaps the heir of Slytherin had lost his nerve, thought Harry.

"That was foolish and stupid thinking." said Harry shaking his head.

It must be getting riskier and riskier to open the Chamber of Secrets, with the school so alert and suspicious.

"I don't know, seems like pretty wise thinking." said Kingsley.

"Wait till someone else sort of thinks along the same lines." said Harry bitterly.

Perhaps the monster, whatever it was, was even now settling itself down to hibernate for another fifty years...

"I don't think the monster hibernates." said Ron. He looked at Harry and Hermione quickly. "Does it?" he asked.

"I'm not all that sure." said Hermione.

"They do." said Harry. "They can sleep for forty years at a time."

"Can you put us out of our misery and tell us what it is?" pleaded Sirius.

"And ruin the excitement? Never." said Ginny with a laugh.

"Don't make me sic your mother on you." said Sirius teasingly

"Come on, play fair." pouted Ginny.

Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff didn't take this cheerful view.

"What?" asked Remus.

He was still convinced that Harry was the guilty one,

"Dumbledore, tell me that you told the students that you don't think that Harry wasn't the heir." said Charlie tiredly.

"I told the students that the heir was no student going to school here." said Dumbledore. "Unfortunately, I do not think they believed me at the time." he added sadly.

that he had "given himself away" at the Dueling Club.

"You're still an idiot." said Fred. Ernie shuffled shamefully, his mother's howler from very early this morning burning in his ears.

Peeves wasn't helping matters; he kept popping up in crowded corridors singing "Oh, Potter, you rotter..." now with a dance-routine to match.

"He was really happy that I didn't need the eye patches anymore, he took all I had." said Dr. Clark with a laugh. He still looked a little pale, but was quickly getting his spirits back up.

Gilderoy Lockhart seemed to think he himself had made the attacks stop.

"That man needs a reality check." said McGonagall. "No one made the attacks stop."

Harry overheard him telling Professor McGonagall so while the Gryffindors were lining up for Transfiguration.

"Lockhart must have seen you and wished to impress you." said McGonagall. "He talked quite a bit louder when you came to stand behind Miss Granger."

"I don't think there'll be any more trouble, Minerva," he said, tapping his nose knowingly and winking.

"Good Lord." said Remus closing his eyes.

"I think that Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught him.

"I think Lockhart was the least of the monster and heir's worries." said Bill with a snicker.

Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on him.

Remus snorted and covered his mouth to stop from laughing too loud.

"Don't sugarcoat it, tell us how you really feel." said Harry with a smirk.

"You know, what the school needs now is a morale-booster.

"Oh, did he finally leave?" asked Tempest hopefully.

Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say any more just now, but I think I know just the thing..."

He tapped his nose again and strode off.

"Great! He really did leave!" said Charlie.

Lockhart's idea of a morale-booster became clear at breakfast time on February the fourteenth.

"Wait…what?" said Sirius.

"Valentine's Day." said Remus with a loud groan.

"This isn't going to end well." said Sirius.

Harry hadn't had much sleep because of a late-running Quidditch practice the night before,

"What was stopping you from you just leaving and going to bed?" asked Tonks.

"Wood would have woken me up early the next day to practice again." said Harry with a slight smile.

and he hurried down to the Great Hall slightly late.

"I couldn't wake you up for the life of me." said Ron. "I even put on of Fred's firecrackers under you, you didn't even make a sound."

He thought, for a moment, that he'd walked through the wrong doors.

The teachers and the fourth years and up laughed loudly. Even Snape smirked.

"Something tells me it was good." said Sirius.

"It was awful." said Ron and Harry shaking their heads.

The walls were covered with large, lurid pink flowers.

Sirius began to gag.

Worse still, heart-shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling.

"Boys have no sense of cuteness." said Angelina to Katie and Alicia.

"Thank goodness." muttered Fred, George, Ron and Harry.

Harry went over to the Gryffindor table, where Ron was sitting looking sickened, and Hermione seemed to have come over with giggles.

"It was horrible." said Ron.

"It thought it looked lovely." said Hermione indignantly.

"I have to side with Weasley on this one." said Snape with his face twisted in disgust.

"What's going on?" Harry asked them, sitting down, and wiping confetti off his bacon.

"That's the great part about when the other teachers decorate, the stuff floating down from the ceiling doesn't get on the food." said Harry. "I coughed up a little pink heart about ten minutes after breakfast."

Ron pointed to the teachers' table, apparently too disgusted to speak.

"Don't blame you Ron." said Sirius holding his stomach.

Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations,

This time, Remus and Sirius gagged.

"There is nothing wrong with pink." said Tonks, her hair turning to a bright bubble gum shade of pink.

"Your pink is one thing, his is something completely different." said Remus giving a weak smile to his tentative girlfriend.

She smiled and planted a kiss on his lips, which took him completely off guard.

"Get a room." said Sirius with a laugh.

Without missing a beat, Tonks flipped him off.

"Oooh! I see how it is." said Sirius teasingly.

was waving for silence. The teachers on either side of him were looking stony-faced. From where he sat, Harry could see a muscle going in Professor McGonagall's cheek. Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of Skele-Gro.

Several students smiled weakly and others laughed quickly, but were silenced by the look both McGonagall and Snape gave them.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards!

"Only forty-six? I would have thought he'd have more." said Remus with a smirk.

"It was only morning, he received about two hundred more by lunch time." said Hermione.

Remus, Sirius and Dr. Clark groaned.

"Tell me he didn't give you anything." said Remus with a groan, looking at Harry.

"I got something in the afternoon," Harry looked pointedly at Ginny. "and then I got sort of frilly valentine towards dinner time, didn't know who sent it."

"How come?" asked Remus.

"It started singing something, then I burnt it." said Harry shrugging.

Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"

"Dear lord." said Bill covering his eyes.

"Oh trust me, they get even worse." said Fred with a frown on his face.

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the Entrance Hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs.

"What are the dwarfs for?" asked Dennis.

"You have dwarfs too?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Not like the ones in our story books." said Hermione.

Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

Most of the adults in the room stared.

"That…is demeaning…" said Dr. Nicodemus angrily.

"Hope Mighty doesn't find out about this one." said Nightstrike whistling quietly.

"Mighty?" asked Remus.

"He's a dwarf lieutenant to Old Glory, the American Captain. He's one of the strongest Rangers we have." said Lionus. "And I hope he doesn't find out, either. I'm looking for something definite to arrest this twit on."

"I thought you guys could arrest people just for the hell of it." said George.

"Yeah, but it makes the paperwork go a little easier when you have a reason. That way it's just check the box that fits the scenario." said Lionus. "Otherwise, you need to fill out another piece of paper to explain why you incarcerated them."

"Then it goes to your superior for approval right?" asked Percy, slightly hoping that there was an escape for his two bosses.

"He only reviews cases every twenty years or so, all the while, you're in Devil's Garden. Most people don't last longer than four years in there." said Lionus wickedly.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart.

"Those aren't cupids." said Fred.

"Those are dwarfs." said George.

"And they don't like the pink tutus you made them wear." said both of the twins.

"How did he get them to do it?" asked Tempest. "Like us, they are a proud race."

"He paid them handsomely." said Harry. "I saw him give the leader a large bag of gold."

"Whereas, actual Cherubs don't cost a thing to have them come, they love spreading love and cheer everywhere." said Emmeline.

"I think he wanted something that wasn't as good looking as him." whispered Rivers to Kingsley, who snorted loudly.

"They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines!

"Whatever happened to the good old days when boys would almost die from embarrassment from handing a girl a Valentine?" asked Sirius.

"Or vice versa." said McGonagall with a smirk.

And the fun doesn't stop here!

"Crud, I was hoping that it would." sniggered Dr. Clark.

I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion!

"No we don't!" said the staff loudly.

Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion!

"I don't think that Professor Snape would be all that festive and show anybody how to do that." said Sirius.

"Also, they are against school rules." said Snape menacingly.

Cho looked disappointed, but Romilda had a sneaky smile on her face.

And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

"You poor man." said Emmeline and Tonks together.

"I had never been so embarrassed in my entire life." said Flitwick covering his face.

"No one laughed, and I'll bet no one asked you." said Harry.

"No, everyone else respected me enough to not ask." said Flitwick gratefully.

Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.

"Everyone else was just as observant. I received no request to teach how to make Love Potions." said Snape with a sneer.

"Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six," said Ron, as they left the Great Hall for their first lesson. Hermione suddenly became very interested in searching her bag for her timetable and didn't answer.

"She was." said Ron, Harry and Sirius kindly.

"You can do better, honey." said Dr. Clark with a small laugh.

"Why do you call girls honey?" asked Sirius.

"In my line of work, well what was my line of work, I'd get some pretty terrified little kids and when I would talk to the girls and call them 'honey', or something along those lines, they would settle down a little bit." said Dr. Clark. "They don't quite take to being called Miss blankety blank."

All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver Valentines,

"Bet you guys didn't like that." said Remus to the rest of the staff.

"We most certainly did not." said McGonagall.

to the annoyance of the teachers,

"That was an understatement." said the staff in unison.

and late that afternoon, as the Gryffindors were walking upstairs for charms, one of them caught up with Harry.

"Aww…little Harrykins got a Valentine!" said Sirius giving Harry a slight shove.

"First one from a girl that was actually near my age." said Harry with a smile, Ginny smiled.

"Who wasn't near your age?" asked Hermione.

"Mrs. McFinn, she got me a big chocolate heart." said Harry. "I had the worst stomachache ever."

"You weren't supposed to eat it in less than three minutes like that." said Dr. Clark shaking his head and laughing. "That thing was bigger than your head!"

"Oy, you! 'Arry Potter!" shouted a particularly grim-looking dwarf, elbowing people out of the way to get to Harry.

"'Friendly' my ass." muttered Remus.

Hot all over at the thought of being given a Valentine

"Your face was as red as a beet, mate, it was insanely funny." said Ron.

in front of a queue of first-years, which happened to include Ginny Weasley,

"Why did you care if she was in line or not?" asked Cho.

"Well…" said Harry scratching the back of his head absently.

"He knew that Ginny had a crush on him, and he didn't want to hurt her feelings." said Bill.

"Sure, we'll go with that." said Harry blushingly.

Harry tried to escape.

The slowly began to laugh.

"Wait, you'll run up to a troll and all that other stuff, but a dwarf wearing golden wings and a Valentine, you hightail it out of there?" said Sirius trying not to laugh.

"Shut up." said Harry.

The dwarf, however, cut his way through the crowd by kicking people's shins, and reached him before he'd gone two paces.

"He never stood a chance." sniffed Fred.

"Poor Harry, it was so tragic." said George, his hand over his heart.

"I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person,"

"A Valentine, and it's MUSICAL!" said Sirius excitedly. "I'm so proud."

he said, twanging his harp in a threatening sort of way.

"Oh, he' s going to sing it. I'm glad I wasn't there in the flesh." said Sirius quickly.

"Not here," Harry hissed, trying to escape.

"Don't blame you, dwarves aren't known for their singing voice." said Lionus trying to hide his smirk.

"Stay still!" grunted the dwarf, grabbing hold of Harry's bag and pulling him back.

Sirius stopped laughing, as did Remus and Dr. Clark.

"Let me go!" Harry snarled, tugging.

With a loud ripping noise, his bag split in two. His books, wand, parchment and quill spilled onto the floor and his ink bottles smashed over everything.

"Madam Pince was royally pissed, there was a library book in there." said Harry. "I paid for a new one, but she still wasn't happy."

Harry scrambled around trying to pick it all up before the dwarf started singing, causing something of a hold-up in the corridor.

"We weren't sure what the horrible noise was." said Parvati.

"What's going on here?" came the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

"What's it to you what's going on?" asked Sirius.

Draco looked down. "The corridor was being blocked by something."

"That's plausible, I guess." said Sirius crossing his arms.

Harry started stuffing everything feverishly into his ripped bag, desperate to get away before Malfoy could hear his musical Valentine.

"How'd that work for you?" asked Remus with a smile.

"Waste of time." said Harry shaking his head.

"What's all this commotion?" said another familiar voice, as Percy Weasley arrived.

"You were no help, whatsoever." said Ron.

Percy looked down at the floor.

Losing his head, Harry tried to make a run for it, but the dwarf seized him around the knees and brought him crashing to the floor.

Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark looked at him quickly.

"I was fine, no bruise, no nothing." said Harry quickly.

"Right," he said, sitting on Harry's ankles. "Here is your singing Valentine:

"Please." said Harry with a broad smile. "Allow me." He sang aloud the Valentine he had received so many years ago. Strangely, he used the same tempo.

His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,

His hair is as dark as a blackboard.

I wish he was mine, he's really divine,

The hero who conquered the Dark Lord

"I can't believe you remembered it." said Ginny giggling.

"It wasn't hard to forget really." said Harry smiling at her.

"Will you two quit getting all lovey dovey?" asked Fred holding his stomach. Both twins rushed over and picked their sister up and plopped her down next to their parents.

"Oi!" said Harry, he couldn't help but smile.

"Be romantic on your own time." said George.

"Wait till I get my hands on you two." said Ginny, blushing madly and unable to hide her smile..

"Gotta catch us first." said Fred teasingly.

Harry would have given all the gold in Gringotts to evaporate on the spot.

"I was twelve." said Harry defensively, when he noticed Ginny putting her hands on her hips. "And you were there."

"Still, I can take it out on you now." said Ginny with a smirk.

"Don't please," he said playing along, "I'm already getting the mickey taken out of me." said Harry gesturing to the room.

Trying valiantly to laugh along with everyone else,

"Didn't work mate, you were still blushing." said Ron.

he got up, his feet numb from the weight of the dwarf, as Percy Weasley did his best to disperse the crowd, some of whom were crying with mirth.

"Like I said, you were no freaking help." said Ron.

"Off you go, off you go, the bell rang five minutes ago, off to class, now," he said, shooing some of the younger students away. "And you, Malfoy-"

"Doesn't sound like he wasn't much help." said Mr. Weasley wonderingly. "He's trying to have Malfoy move along."

"Wait for it dad." said Ginny.

Harry, glancing over, saw Malfoy stoop and snatch up something. Leering, he showed it to Crabbe and Goyle, and Harry realized that he'd got Riddle's diary.

"I thought it was yours." said Draco.

Harry reached behind himself and tossed the black notebook over to Draco.

"Here, knock yourself out." he said, not caring.

Draco opened it slowly. "What the…what the hell language is this?" asked Draco.

"I guess you could say my own. Give up yet?" asked Harry.

Draco tossed the book back.

"Give that back," he said quietly.

"I just did." said Draco with a smile.

"Dear lord, he made a joke." said Fred.

"And it was sort of funny!" said George in shock. Both pretended to swoon on the spot.

"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" said Malfoy, who obviously hadn't noticed the year on the cover,

"No I didn't." said Draco.

and thought he had Harry's own diary. A hush fell over the onlookers. Ginny was staring from the diary to Harry, looking terrified.

"Why were you freaking about Harry's diary?" asked Charlie.

"I…" said Ginny quietly.

"You'll find out later." said Harry quickly.

"Hand it over, Malfoy," said Percy sternly.

"Yeah, like that worked for your younger brothers." said Bill rolling his eyes.

"When I've had a look," said Malfoy, waving the diary tauntingly at Harry.

Snape looked round at Draco, his face and eyes doing more scolding then his voice ever could.

Percy said, "As a school Prefect -", but Harry had lost his temper.

"And that never goes well for the person on the other end of that." said Fred shivering slightly.

He pulled out his wand and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" and just as Snape had disarmed Lockhart, so Malfoy found the diary shooting out of his hand into the air.

"Awesome!" said a few first years.

Snape stared at the young man.

"And you thought I don't learn anything from you." said Harry with a snide smile.

Ron, grinning broadly, caught it.

"That was beyond cool!" said Ron thinking back to that day.

"Harry!" said Percy loudly. "No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report this, you know!"

"Blow it out your ear." said Fred and George.

But Harry didn't care, he'd got one over Malfoy, and that was worth five points from Gryffindor any day.

"Oh, is it Mr. Potter?" asked McGonagall crossing her arms.

"Well…you see…I…" said Harry trying to explain. "…never mind."

Malfoy was looking furious, and as Ginny passed him to enter her classroom, he yelled spitefully after her, "I don't think Potter liked your Valentine much!"

"That was a low blow!" said Bill angrily.

Draco looked down.

"I did start it though." said Harry cautiously.

"He can go after you then, but not our sister." said Charlie snarling at Draco.

Ginny covered her face with her hands and ran into class. Snarling, Ron pulled out his wand, too, but Harry pulled him away. Ron didn't need to spend the whole of Charms belching slugs.

"Thanks mate." said Ron.

It wasn't until they had reached Professor Flitwick's class that Harry noticed something rather odd about Riddle's diary.

"What? Did it disappear?" asked Ernie.

"No, something else." said Harry.

All his other books were drenched in scarlet ink. The diary, however, was as clean as it had been before the ink bottle had smashed all over it.

"Okay, that's just plain freaky." said Sirius.

He tried to point this out to Ron, but Ron was having trouble with his wand again; large purple bubbles were blossoming out of the end, and he wasn't much interested in anything else.

"Worst year ever." said Ron.

"You're telling me." said Ginny.

Harry went to bed before anyone else in his dormitory that night.

"Oh, come on! Stay up late!" said Sirius. Remus smacked him behind the head sharply.

"He already doesn't get enough sleep, he doesn't need to lose any more." said Remus.

This was partly because he didn't think he could stand Fred and George singing, "His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad", one more time,

"Oh, I see how you are." said Ginny teasingly.

"Hey, they didn't sing it as good as I did." said Harry, mockingly preening his own feathers.

"Yeah, yeah, stuff it." said Fred teasingly.

and partly because he wanted to examine Riddle's diary again, and knew that Ron thought he was wasting his time.

"Harry, you have to get rid of that book, you're becoming infatuated with that thing, just like that blasted mirror." said Remus.

"I'm siding with Moony on this one." said Sirius worriedly.

Harry sat on his four-poster and flicked through the blank pages, not one of which had a trace of scarlet on it.

"Be wary lad." said Moody.

Then he pulled a new bottle out of his bedside cabinet, dipped his quill into it, and dropped a blot onto the first page of the diary.

Hermione stared. "Is that you going all out? What the heck made you do that?"

Harry only smiled. "I'll never tell."

The ink shone brightly on the page for a second and then, as though it was being sucked into the page, vanished.

"That…is not normal." said Kingsley thoughtfully.

Excited, Harry loaded up his quill a second time and wrote, "My name is Harry Potter."

"What made you write your name?" asked Tonks.

"Call it a gut feeling." said Harry.

The words shone momentarily on the page and they too sank without trace. Then, at last, something happened.

Oozing back out of the page, in his very own ink, came words Harry had never written.

"Hello, Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come by my Diary?"

"PITCH THAT BOOK!" shouted Mr. Weasley, Moody, Tonks, Kingsley, Remus and Sirius.

"Throw that book away, don't write in it anymore." said Mr. Weasley, desperately hoping that shouting at the book would change his daughter's past.

These words too, faded away, but not before Harry had stared to scribble back.

"Someone tried to flush it down a toilet."

"Should have went all the way down." said Mrs. Weasley growling.

"What's up with Molly?" asked Remus.

He waited eagerly for Riddle's reply.

"Lucky that I recorded my memories in some more lasting way than ink. But I always knew that there would be those who would not want this diary read."

"God, he was a slick one." thought Harry viciously.

"What do you mean?" Harry scrawled, blotting the page in his excitement.

"Harry's the second neatest writer in the dormitory." said Neville.

"But when I'm in a rush, my handwriting looks as bad as Seamus'." said Harry with a sneer.

"Yeah, yeah." said Seamus folding his arms and smiling despite himself.

"I mean that this diary holds memories of terrible things. Things which were covered up. Things which happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Formal ain't he?" whispered George, but they took quick notice of their little sister.

"You okay, shortcake?" asked Fred.

"Fine, just fine." said Ginny trying to stop her hands from shaking.

Bill stood up, walked over and put her on his lap. "Feel better?" asked Bill soothingly.

"Little." said Ginny, sending a worried look over to Harry, who smiled warmly over to her.

"That's where I am now," Harry wrote quickly. "I'm at Hogwarts, and horrible stuff's been happening. Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

His heart was hammering. Riddle's reply came quickly, his writing becoming untidier, as though he was hurrying to tell all he knew.

"Boy…" said Moody.

"Don't call him that!" said Sirius. "That's what that walrus called him."

Moody spat disgustedly, then continued, "Don't get too involved in that thing, seems like a trap to me."

"I can't even disagree with that. In a sense, it was a trap." said Harry sagely.

"You have a wonderful way of making me feel better, you know that?" asked Remus worriedly.

"Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets.

"How convenient." said Dr. Clark tensely.

Harry looked up quickly out of his ravine, he hadn't thought of it like that before. It was convenient, that a diary of someone fifty years ago would miraculously turn up when the same plight began to affect the school. How could he possibly miss that?

In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled.

"No he didn't." snarled Ron, Harry and Hermione.

But the Headmaster, Professor Dippet, ashamed that such a thing had happened at Hogwarts, forbade me to tell the truth. A story was given that the girl had died in a freak accident. They gave me a nice, shiny, engraved trophy for my trouble and warned me to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who had the power to release it was not imprisoned."

"Can't argue with him on that." said Hermione. "The person behind it all was never imprisoned."

Harry nearly upset his ink bottle in his hurry to write back.

"It's the damned mirror all over again." groaned Tonks.

"It's happening again now. There have been three attacks and no one seems to know who's behind them. Who was it last time?"

"Well you might get a clue, to whoever it is by the person they accused." said Moody.

"Years ago, I thought this guy was right." said Harry sheepishly. He sent an apologetic look up to Hagrid, who smiled and waved away Harry's unspoken apology.

"I can show you if you like," came Riddle's reply. "You don't have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him."

"Don't do it." said Sirius swiftly.

Harry hesitated, his quill suspended over the diary. What did Riddle mean? How could he be taken into someone else's memory? He glanced nervously at the door to the dormitory,

"Not one word." said Remus warningly.

"I wasn't going to say a single word." said Sirius innocently.

which was growing dark. When he looked back at the diary, he saw fresh words forming.

"Let me show you."

Harry paused for a fraction of a second and then wrote two letters.

"OK."

"Alright, you are really close to getting grounded this weekend." said Sirius.

"Hey, now. This happened years ago!" said Harry. "You channeling Remus or something?" asked Harry.

The pages of the diary began to blow as though caught in a high wind, stopping halfway through the month of June.

"What the hell?" asked Dr. Clark.

Mouth hanging open, Harry saw that the little square for June the thirteenth seemed to have turned into a minuscule television screen.

"Wow, kinda reminds you of a Scattered Shot doesn't it?" asked Ron.

His hands trembling slightly, he raised the book to press his eye against the little window, and before he knew what was happening, he was tilting forwards; the window was widening, he felt his body leave his bed and he was pitched headfirst through the opening in the page, into a whirl of color and shadow.

"It does, but then again, it doesn't" said Kingsley.

Speckerton looked interestedly at the book. It's not possible for a diary to be a Memorial Book, but it could be something completely different.

He felt his feet hit solid ground, and stood, shaking, as the blurred shapes around him came suddenly into focus.

"It was like being in a blender." said Harry shaking his head.

He knew immediately where he was. This circular room with the sleeping portraits was Dumbledore's office –

"So you went from the Gryffindor Dormitory to Dumbledore's office? I guess that's not too bad." said Dr. Clark carefully.

but it wasn't Dumbledore who was sitting behind the desk. A wizened, frail-looking wizard, bald except for a few wisps of white hair, was reading a letter be candlelight. Harry had never seen this man before.

"I'm amazed that you didn't see his picture in the Headmaster's office." said McGonagall, recognizing who the old man was immediately.

"I think his portrait was out for cleaning." said Dumbledore thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry," he said shakily, "I didn't mean to butt in ..."

But the wizard didn't look up. He continued to read, frowning slightly. Harry drew nearer to his desk and stammered, "Er - I'll just go, shall I?"

"You are way too polite." said Fred.

"We need to teach him to be a bit ruder, don't you think?" said George.

Still the wizard ignored him. He didn't seem to have heard him. Thinking that the wizard might be deaf, Harry raised his voice.

"Sorry I disturbed you, I'll go now," he half-shouted.

"If he doesn't hear you, you didn't disturb him!" shouted Fred.

The wizard folded up the letter with a sigh, stood up, walked past Harry without glancing at him and went to draw the curtains at his window.

"Well aint he rude?" said George.

The sky outside the window was ruby red; it seemed to be sunset. The wizard went back to the desk, sat down and twiddled his thumbs, watching the door.

"What the heck is he waiting for?" asked Sirius.

"At least you always occupy your time with something constructive." said McGonagall.

"Now Minerva, he had arthritis, he didn't have the dexterity I do." said Dumbledore.

Harry looked round the office. No Fawkes the phoenix- no whirring silver contraptions. This was Hogwarts as Riddle had known it, meaning that this unknown wizard was the Headmaster, not Dumbledore, and he, Harry, was little more than a phantom, completely invisible to the people of fifty years ago.

"Woah….you got that all in a quick look round?" asked Colin excitedly.

"Wasn't that hard to figure out, actually." said Harry shrugging his shoulders.

There was a knock on the office door.

"Enter," said the old wizard in a feeble voice.

"Right then and there, I was happy you were Headmaster sir." said Harry looking over to the man.

"Why is that?" asked Dumbledore, a twinkle in his eye.

"One can tell just how strong you are by your voice. You sound more able to protect the people around then he ever gave the impression of." said Harry, sounding more confident with his words than anyone else had heard before.

Dumbledore smiled warmly and looked down, humbled.

A boy of about sixteen entered, taking off his pointed hat. A silver prefect's badge was glinting on his chest. He was much taller than Harry, but he, too, had jet-black hair.

Harry made a sound like a cobra preparing to strike.

"Hate being compared to him." said Harry grimly. "Even though I'm the one who did the comparing."

"What's so bad about this Riddle guy?" whispered Dr. Clark.

"Nothing that I know of yet." said Sirius.

"Ah, Riddle," said the Headmaster.

"You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet?" said Riddle. He looked nervous.

"That always bugged me. Why did he look nervous I wonder." said Harry thoughtfully.

"One can only guess." said Dumbledore.

"Sit down," said Dippet. "I've just been reading the letter you sent me."

"Why would you send a letter? Just go up and talk to the Headmaster." said Fred.

"Well, years ago, that was the way things were done. You needed to send a letter of request to speak to the Headmaster, and give the reason you wish to speak to him." said McGonagall.

"Well that's depressing." said George.

"Oh," said Riddle. He sat down, gripping his hands together very tightly.

"My dear boy," said Dippet kindly, "I cannot possibly let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"

Harry groaned louder.

"You aren't him, Harry." said Dumbledore comfortingly.

Harry smiled genuinely.

"No," said Riddle at once, "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that - to that-"

"He didn't have an abusive family did he?" asked Colin uneasily.

"No, I actually envied him. He had a much easier lot in life than I did." said Harry.

"Beef cattle have it better than you did." said Dr. Clark angrily.

"You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?" said Dippet curiously.

"Sounds good to me. At least there would have been a chance to get adopted out." said Harry.

"I wonder why he didn't get adopted." said Ginny quietly.

"Strange occurrences happened around him, and he refused to allow anyone to adopt him. Though there were plenty of families who asked for him." said Dumbledore.

"Yes, sir," said Riddle, reddening slightly.

"He always had an intense dislike for that place." said Dumbledore thoughtfully.

"More of a reason to want to get adopted out." said George.

"This guy makes no sense." said Fred, shaking his head.

"You are Muggle-born?"

"Half-blood, sir," said Riddle. "Muggle father, witch mother."

"So what is he doing in a muggle orphanage?" asked Draco wonderingly.

"And are both your parents -?"

"My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me - Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather."

"That's sad. Poor Tom." said a first year Gryffindor.

"'Poor Tom' is not what I would say actually." said Harry bitterly.

Dippet clicked his tongue sympathetically.

"I really hate that sound." said Charlie. "Every time I hear it, I want to just smack the daylights out of the person doing it."

"The thing is, Tom," he sighed, "special arrangements might have been made for you,

"Could that have happened with Harry?" asked Dennis.

"Yes, he would have come and stayed with a member of the staff, most likely myself." said Dumbledore. "Tom would have most likely stayed with the Head of his house."

but in the current circumstances..."

"You mean all these attacks, sir?" said Riddle, and Harry's heart leapt, and he moved closer, scared of missing anything.

"Maybe we'll find out something to show us what the heck is going on!" said Remus excitedly.

"Precisely." said the Headmaster. "My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends.

"But if he was going to stay with a his Head of house..." said Seamus.

"The Head of house would have had the option of staying in the castle, and it was no secret that Slughorn wished to stay all year round." said Dumbledore.

Particularly in light of the recent tragedy... the death of that poor little girl ... You will be safer by far at your orphanage."

"Hate to say it, but he sort of sounds like you, sir." said Harry.

"Indeed." said Dumbledore choking slightly.

"But not completely." said Harry earnestly.

As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school.

"They wouldn't dare!" shouted Mrs. Weasley.

"Times were desperate then, and three years ago, it was again." said Dumbledore.

We are no nearer locating the - er - source of all this unpleasantness ..."

"A child died!" said Mrs. Weasley angrily, "And he calls it unpleasantness?"

Riddle's eyes widened.

"Sir - if the person was caught... If it all stopped..."

"Sounds like he knows exactly who it is. I wonder how long has he known?" asked Moody suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" said Dippet, with a squeak in his voice, sitting up in his chair. "Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"

"No, sir," said Riddle quickly.

"Liar." said many of the students in the hall.

But Harry was sure it was the same kind of 'no' that he himself had given Dumbledore.

"Not entirely the same, dear boy." said Dumbledore soothingly.

Dippet sank back, looking faintly disappointed.

"You may go, Tom..."

Riddle slid off his chair and slouched out of the room. Harry followed him.

That is one of the many things that you and him differ." whispered Dumbledore, coming to stand behind Harry to whisper in his ear. "He had horrible posture."

Harry snorted.

Down the moving spiral staircase they went, emerging next to the gargoyle in the darkening corridor. Riddle stopped dead, and so did Harry, watching him. Harry could tell that Riddle was doing some serious thinking. He was biting his lip, his forehead furrowed.

"Was he trying to figure out who the heir was?" asked Ernie.

"Not even close." said Harry angrily.

Then, as though he had suddenly reached a decision, he hurried off, Harry gliding noiselessly behind him.

"Gliding?" asked Sirius.

"Turns out, in the memory, that I didn't need to walk, if I willed hard enough, I could float behind him." said Harry.

They didn't see another person until they reached the Entrance Hall, when a tall wizard with long, sweeping auburn hair and beard called to Riddle from the marble staircase.

"Three guesses who that is!" chanted Fred and George.

"What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?"

Harry gaped at the wizard. He was none other than a fifty-year-younger Dumbledore.

"Fifty years ago?" said Dr. Clark weakly.

"He was still plenty old back then too." said Sirius in a whisper.

"I had to see the Headmaster, sir," said Riddle.

"Well, hurry off to bed," said Dumbledore, giving Riddle exactly the kind of penetrating stare Harry knew so well.

"The one you give me is kinder." said Harry with a smile.

"Best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since..."

He sighed heavily,

"At least you showed that poor child respect." said Madam Bones.

bade Riddle goodnight and strode off. Riddle watched him walk out of sight and then, moving quickly, headed straight down the stone steps to the dungeons, with Harry in hot pursuit.

"Harry's a stalker!" shouted George.

"Don't give me any more bad press. She did enough damage." said Harry nodding towards Rita Skeeter who was sitting secludedly in the corner.

"Why hasn't she wrote or said anything?" asked Hermione.

"We stunned her. We prefer to go about without the press knowing anything about us." said Lionus. "She's been knocked out since I and Doc arrived."

But to Harry's disappointment, Riddle led him not into a hidden passageway or a secret tunnel but the very dudgeon in which Harry had Potions with Snape.

"Why is he going to the Potions classroom?" asked Neville.

"That wasn't always a Potions classroom." said Snape, without his normal sneer towards the teen.

"Tha's true." said Hagrid.

The torches hadn't been lit, and when Riddle pushed the door almost closed, Harry could only just see Riddle, standing stock-still by the door, watching the passage outside.

"He's acting a bit odd, isn't' he?" said Colin.

It felt to Harry that they were there for at least an hour. All he could see was the figure of Riddle at the door, staring through the crack, waiting like a statue.

"What the hell is he waiting for?" asked Bill.

"The right moment." said Harry, his face twisted in anger.

And just when Harry had stopped feeling expectant and tense, and started wishing he could return to the present,

"I was amazed that my patience lasted that long." said Harry with a smile.

he heard something move beyond the door.

Someone was creeping along the passage. He heard whoever it was pass the dungeon where he and Riddle were hidden.

"Who is it?" asked a worried fourth year Ravenclaw.

Riddle, quiet as a shadow, edged through the door and followed, Harry tiptoeing behind him, forgetting that he couldn't be heard.

"Felt like a real idiot, didn't you?" said Zacharias snidely.

"You're really pushing your luck, you know that right?" said Fred threateningly.

For perhaps five minutes they followed the footsteps, until Riddle stopped suddenly, his head inclined in the direction of new noises.

Harry heard a door creak open, and then someone speaking in a hoarse whisper.

"C'mon... gotta get yeh outta here... c'mon now... in the box..."

There was something familiar about that voice...

"Hagrid, is that you?" asked Luna.

"Yup." said Hagrid, his face darkened.

Riddle suddenly jumped around the corner. Harry stepped out behind him. He could see the dark outline of a huge boy who was crouching in front of an open door, a very large box next to it.

"What's with the box?" asked Lee.

"Evening, Rubeus," said Riddle sharply.

"This won't end well." said Ernie worriedly.

"It IS Hagrid." said Dennis.

The boy slammed the box shut and stood up.

"What yer doin' down here, Tom?"

"Ever get the feeling he won't tell you?" said Anthony.

Riddle stepped closer.

"It's all over," he said. "I'm going to have to turn you in, Rubeus. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop."

"What is he talking about?" asked Dr. Clark.

"He's saying that Hagrid was the one that attacked those people!" said Ernie.

"It can't have been him! I may not have known him nearly as long as the rest of you lot, but I know he wouldn't have done it!" said Dr. Clark angrily.

"RIGHT ON!" said Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"What d'yeh-"

"I don't think you meant to kill anyone. But monsters don't make good pets. I suppose you just let it out for exercise and-"

"TWAS'NT HIM!" shouted Hagrid.

"It never killed no one!" said the large boy, backing against the closed door. From behind him, Harry could hear a funny rustling and clicking.

"Huh?" said the people in the Great Hall.

"Come on, Rubeus," said Riddle, moving yet closer. "The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the think that killed their daughter is slaughtered..."

"If he knew where to find it so fast, he could have saved that girl!" said Remus angrily.

"It wasn' him!" roared the boy, his voice echoing in the dark passage. "He wouldn'! He never!"

"Stand aside," said Riddle, drawing out his wand.

His spell lit the corridor with a sudden flaming light.

"Thank goodness you couldn't be hurt." said Sirius.

The door behind the large boy flew open with such a force it knocked him into the wall opposite.

"That must have been one lulu of a spell to knock Hagrid into a wall." said Rivers.

And out of it came something that made Harry let out a long, piercing scream unheard by anyone-

The students and adults turned and stared at him. Even Hagrid looked concerned.

"What could make you scream like that?" asked Sirius.

A vast, low-slung, hairy body and a tangle of black legs; a gleam of many eyes and a pair of razor-sharp pincers -

"That sounds like..." said Dr. Clark.

"ACROMANTULA!" shouted Charlie.

"Not where I was going." said Dr. Clark.

"An acromantula is a giant spider." said Charlie worriedly.

"Jesus! You have those?" said Dr. Clark lifting both legs into the bowl.

"Yeah, but aren't you reading 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'?" said Sirius.

"It's the unabridged version." said Remus. "It's about four times longer than the school version."

Riddle raised his wand again, but he was too late. The thing bowled him over as it scuttled away, tearing up the corridor and out of sight. Riddle scrambled to his feet, looking after it; he raised his wand, but the huge boy leapt on him, seized his wand and threw him back down, yelling, "NOOOOOOO!"

"I don't know who to really root for." said Michael Corner.

The scene whirled, the darkness became complete, Harry felt himself falling and, with a crash, he landed spread-eagled on his four-poster in the Gryffindor dormitory, Riddle's diary lying open on his stomach.

"Destroy...that...book..." said Sirius slowly.

"I agree." said Dr. Clark anxiously.

Before he had time to regain his breath, the dormitory door opened and Ron came in.

"There you are," he said.

"I couldn't seem to find you anywhere, I did everything but look outside the tower window." said Ron.

Harry sat up. He was sweating and shaking.

"What's up?" said Ron, looking at him with concern.

"You looked really ill. I was about to get Madam Pomfrey, or at the most send a letter to Mum." said Ron.

"It was Hagrid, Ron. Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."

"I am really sorry Hagrid, I believed him." said Harry.

"Well...yeh believed me in the end, so it was alrigh'." said Hagrid kindly.

Harry's stomach growled loudly. Much to Harry's surprise.

"Lunch time." said Sirius quickly.

"Good idea, best keep your stomach full, boy. You're still undergoing some changes, slight as they may be." said Dr. Nicodemus.

Chapter 42

They were deposited by the light in a giant museum. There were people, some with their children and some wandering about on their own, exploring the room that The Watchers found themselves in. The Watchers gazed about, Umbridge, whose gag and chains were removed by the power of the scroll, sniffed indignantly.

"Too bad these aren't as good as the first one." she whispered to herself.

Madame Bones, hearing this and remembering the absence of their wands, walked behind her and smacked the back of her head. Tempest, Wildfire, Viper and Nightstrike smiled at the Law Enforcement Head.

Tonks looked to the left of herself and noticed a giant marble statue of a man, a naked man.

"Nice statue." she said with a smile.

Remus looked over to her, saw the statue and looked at her quickly, his eyes wide.

She noticed his look and gripped his hand tightly. "You're better."

"I appreciate that, nice to know I'm better than some non-living statue." said Remus with a smirk.

Harry looked around quickly and groaned, he knew what was going to happen, and he remembered this place. People were walking slowly out as the security guard wandered amongst them and saying quietly:

"Museum is closing." said the security guard.

"Sorry." said Fred and George. "We aren't leaving."

"We like it here, let's put the sofa in that corner, Fred." said George, pointing over to a distant corner.

As the people were leaving, a skinny elderly man with a long mustache and bushy eyebrows came striding out of one of the further rooms, being followed by a very heavy-set man.

"Honestly Mr. Claydonin, you needn't worry, the jewel will be protected with the utmost caution." said the fat man trying to keep up. "My security system and guards are all top of the line designed and chosen by myself." he huffed.

"True, Brildir, I know that the security system is your pride and joy. But the 'Dragon's Eye' diamond is mine. And I want my diamond protected, and I am more than willing than to prove, if it is just to myself, that my diamond is not in any danger of being stolen." He said gesturing towards a pedestal. The Watchers, excluding Harry, moved forward and saw what was being displayed. They all gasped, even Dumbledore and the Rangers.

It was a brilliant and shimmering yellow diamond, spinning slowly on a revolving dais, and light refracting off it. It was almond shaped and six inches wide, but only three inches thick in diameter. Charlie stared at it in amazement. The color and size of it explained the name. "It does look like a dragon's eye." he whispered.

"And that is why I asked Shadow to come and see what he makes of the security measures." said Mr. Claydonin gazing at the stone along with The Watchers. Harry strolled behind the rest of them and stood behind Sirius.

"That scoundrel, 'Professional Security-Tester' they call him. 'Professional Thief' is more like it." growled Mr. Brildir.

"Thieves do not return the spoils to their original owners the next day." said Mr. Claydonin calmly. "Please, let your men know what will transpire, have them be at their best. If we catch Shadow, then I will give you and your men a significant bonus. If we don't, Shadow will let us know where to improve our skills. Fair enough?"

Mr. Brildir growled even more, but nodded.

"Also, Mr. Brildir, you do not hurt Shadow, no shooting." said Mr. Claydonin sternly.

After Mr. Claydonin left for the night, Mr. Brildir summoned his entire security team. He stood in front of the 'Dragon's Eye' jewel.

"Alright boys, we've got Shadow comingtonight. Be on your guard. If we catch this miscreant, we all get bonuses. Let's catch this so-called 'Professional Tester'."

"What is so important about this diamond?" asked Bill, he looked at Charlie, but he was still fixated on the diamond.

The scene shifted forward rapidly, Neville looked queasy again.

"Hate when that happens." he said, getting paler by the second.

"And Vernon's chair ain't here either." said Sirius, patting Neville on the back softly.

"I've got some gingerbread here. Made it this morning." said Harry taking out a sheet of something brown.

"Why do you make them so often? Didn't you say earlier that it makes your stomach feel better? Do you get sick often?" said Remus looking worried.

"No, just really like it." said Harry taking a bite and handing some to Neville.

Neville took some, he took a small nibble and was amazed at how good it tasted. Harry had to break more chunks and hand them out when they noticed some color coming back to Neville's face.

A security guard came to the doorway, leaned in and glanced around closely. He pulled himself back and gazed at the dark room. A crash was heard someone further away in the museum, the lights outside, which were visible from inside, were gone. The guard turned and hurried away from the room. A few students made to go with him, but Dumbledore stopped them.

"We were placed here for a reason, it must have something to do with this jewel." said Dumbledore quickly. The students stopped.

"Look up," said Harry quietly.

They all looked up quickly, to see a tile in the ceiling being removed. No noise was being made, how could Harry possibly know that something was happening up there?

A pale hand dropped down and dropped some sparkling powder. When the light powder drifted down far enough, the room was a blazed with thin red lines.

"What the hell is all this?" said Sirius looking crossed-eyed at the one going through his head.

"They're lasers, if someone trips them, an alarm will go off." said Dr. Clark as he stared around, there were lasers everywhere.

Suddenly a wide, transparent fabric fluttered down, miraculously missing the beams of light, they looked up and they saw a small, thin, darkly dressed person started sliding down the fabric, head first, he only stopped to check the doorway. When he was halfway, the figure reached into his bag, dangling from clip on his shirt, and dropped a single black box. When it hit the ground, it emitted a low hum and flashed dully. The camera's normal red light turned to a pale yellow and the lasers that intertwined about the room, disappeared, but the floor lasers were still activated.

The person continued down slowly and landed nimbly on the ground, he crept cautiously towards the pedestal, avoiding the lasers zigzagging across the floor, and gazed at the diamond in the case. He looked at the doorway, then the cameras. He pulled the black mask off his face.

It was Harry Potter.

The Watchers stared at the younger version of Harry and then to the present day one. Was this another job? They wanted to ask Harry himself, but they were all too interested in watching and remained silent.

Shadow (Younger Harry) pulled out another black box and placed it on the side of the pedestal. The lasers that were reflecting about the box and the jewel disappeared. Shadow reached into his bag and pulled a fat tube of something, he squirted it all around the base of the glass, being careful to not touch one of the lasers that ran along the ground.

Once the gel was in place, he blew on it, the glass instantly cracked towards the bottom and continued all the way up. He watched as the glass collapsed under its own fragile weight. The glass fell like powdered snow in a thin square around the diamond, Shadow caught the top of the glass box before it had disintegrated onto of the diamond and set off an alarm. Shadow placed the glass on the side of the pedestal, and took ahold of the diamond. He pulled another Dragon's Eye from his knapsack. There was a definite difference between the two of them. In a quick motion he exchanged the two of them.

Shadow put the real Dragon's Eye in a silk bag and took out a folded piece of what looked like plastic. He flipped it open to show it was a cube and threw it over the fake diamond. He then took a thick syringe and sucked up all the gel that was left over, He placed the glass lid onto of the plastic cube, and removed the small black box. They watched as a laser bounced off the lid of the cube and then the fake diamond and then landed back on the sensors.

Shadow jumped up onto the fabric and began to climb. Little over halfway up, the fabric, began following him up for he had tucked the end into his bag, and then he flicked his wrist and the black box, which was attached to a very long, thin wire, flew up to Shadow and the lasers and the camera's resumed functioning.

They watched as Shadow pulled up the remaining fabric and covered the hole with the tile once again. The Watchers turned to Harry, who looked around the dark room. When he turned to face the rest of them, he saw a mixture of shock, anger, and excitement.

"You're stealing from the museum?" said Mrs. Weasely weakly.

"If you had heard Mr. Claydonin, Mrs. Weasely, I'm considered a Professional Security Tester, anything I take, I return the next day. I only work during the summer, when I'm at the Dursleys, I don't do this during the school year." he said simply and shrugged.

"And this is how we know so much about Kage." said Lionus with a smile. "His methods are beyond normal."

"I thought the Museum dude called you 'Shadow'?" asked Seamus quickly.

"'Kage' is Japanese for shadow." said Nightstrike, with a sneer.

The scene shifted forward once again but it was considerably shorter. They were now floating above the roof and they watched as Shadow slinked out of a hole in the roof, the mask back on his face. He closed the hole in the roof behind him.

He then took a tight hold on his knapsack and turned towards the side of the roof. He looked down the side of the building and saw that the lights had kicked back on.

"I had the bulbs blow." said Harry, when The Watchers were looking over the side of the building curiously.

They watched as Shadow stepped back, and then turned to the left and ran headlong across the roof and leaped off the roof.

The Watchers floated right beside him, and fell with him.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!" bellowed Sirius. Several girls screamed and Professor Trelawny almost fainted.

Shadow reached into his bag, brought out a long, thin, cord-like object and aimed to towards the flagpole several feet below him.

CRA-CRACK!

They watched as Shadow swung on the whip and landed on a fourth floor landing, continued running and jumped off this roof as well.

"Are you freaking out of your mind mate! What the hell?" shouted Ron as they glided along with the younger version of his friend. Harry however didn't pay attention, he was feeling his back absently.

This time he landed in a tall tree and sat there, perched like a hawk waiting to strike. He was watching the passing traffic and when a large freight truck went underneath; he fell forward and landed on the roof of the freight. The truck was going about ninety-five kilometers an hour so Shadow whipped two circular objects from his bag as he quickly slid backwards off the truck. He slammed the both of them down on the roof of the truck and he stopped sliding.

"Magnets." said Harry simply at the shocked faces on the rest of the Watchers.

He looked back and saw that no one was trailing the truck and then he looked forward, right on time, the Veldon overpass, trucks just barely scraped underneath it, some would even cause sparks as they passed under, if they were too tall. Shadow lifted the magnets and continued to slide back until he was almost completely off the truck. He took a magnet and placed it right on the unloading doors of the truck. Sparks flew above him, but were extinguished before they came too low. When the over pass was gone, he climbed back onto of the truck, pulling the magnet off and slamming it down at a higher point, and there he laid for several kilometers.

When he reached Little Whinging, Shadow took the magnets off the truck and jumped off again. He tumbled into the grass and stood up and ran down the street, sticking to the shadows, the Watchers, except Harry, watched in amazement, they could barely see him, if at all.

"How old are you here?" asked Neville.

"I was eleven, this is a few days after learning what I really was from Hagrid, I needed something to do, something to vent out on. I don't know why I was angry, perhaps it was because I was kept in the dark, and I felt exiled somewhat" said Harry watching the younger version of himself. Dumbledore looked over to Harry sadly. "I've been doing this for at least two years before Hagrid came to me." Harry continued "It kept me active, physically, and mentally. I used this to raise the money to find Dr. Clark, not too sure what I'm going to do with that money now."

"How much did you raise?" asked Colin excitedly. Harry pretended not to hear him.

As they watched Harry's younger self running in the darkened patches of Little Whinging, they knew where the name Shadow came from. They could barely see him, they caught only fleeting glimpses of him.

His running, leaping and sneaking around didn't end till he reached Privet Drive. The Watchers gaped at Harry, Privet Drive was a long way from where he jumped from the truck. He stopped just under an opened window and threw up a fabric that he had taken from his bag and climbed. Once he was inside he took the bag off his shoulder and ripped the black mask off his face. Hedwig flew in through the opened window with dead rat in her beak.

"Did you have good hunting Hedwig?" he whispered joyfully, tickling her feathers. "Me too, look at this." he pulled out the diamond. Hedwig peered at the jewel with great interest.

"You know what this is? The Dragon's Eye, this thing is worth over a hundred million pounds, to the right people! People have been killed over this thing; more blood coats this piece of crystallized carbon then the Hope diamond! This little sparkler is more trouble than it's worth though, and it's not even guarded in the right fashion." He then yawned.

"Well, I better get some sleep, need to take this thing back to the museum in the morning and prepare my assessment for the curator." He stuck the diamond in a loose floorboard under his bed. Yawned hugely and prepared to change his clothes. He ripped his shirt off and tossed it into the corner. The girls were going to turn around and give him some privacy, but they couldn't. What attracted everyone's attention were the healing cuts and deep purple bruises. He was insanely skinny, but he still had some muscle tone to him, not a lot but a little.

"How did you come by those injuries?" asked Tempest to Harry.

Harry said nothing.

"That tells you, that his Uncle did it." growled Remus.

He then flopped down into bed, not even bothering to cover up with a blanket. He fell asleep instantly. Mrs. Weasely wanted to pull the covers over Harry, but the scene shifted again.

They were outside on a busy street, the sun was shining but something odd was happening at the entrance of the museum across the street. The Watchers could see the security man Mr. Brildir orchestrating a team of security personnel, and they were examining the possessions of everyone who came in the doors. All of a sudden, a delicate, young, red headed girl came walking up and right through Remus.

"That kinda looked like Lily..."said Remus quietly. Harry smiled mischievously, Sirius took notice of that and ran in front of the girl. His eyes widened in shock.

"BLOODY BANSHEES! HARRY, THAT'S...THAT'S...THAT'S YOU!" he bellowed. The Watchers stared at Harry and then back to the girl. "And you're wearing make-up?" he added faintly.

She, well, HE was wearing a green blouse with a red skirt and matching red flowered flip-flops, and clutching a large, fluffy, glitter laden red purse. Hiding the scar on his forehead was a red ribbon wrapped around his head.

Ron looked over at Harry with his eyebrows raised and leaning a little ways away from him, a restrained smile was about to break on his face.

"Stuff it, this was the only way in that didn't rely on me getting back on the roof." said Harry with an uncaring smile. Ron shook with laughter.

"I think I would rather see you in a dress then watch you jump off the roof again." said Remus quietly. Sirius and Dr. Clark stared at him. Remus quickly added. "Not that wearing...just that I...never mind." sighed Remus. Sirius snorted a laugh, while Dr. Clark's knees buckled he was laughing so hard.

The girl/guy walked up the steps of the museum and stood in line to get inside. She/he looked around the people in front of her, she/he looked nervous, but the Watchers could tell that that was an act, only because they knew Harry. Or at least, they thought they knew Harry. These books and Scrolls were showing sides of him that they had never realized were there.

It came to be her/his turn; the youth looked between the menacing security guards and pulled off a perfect tremble and girl's voice. "Umm...I just wanted to see the pretty paintings." Harry covered his eyes and smiled in shame as his younger self cried nervously.

"What the hell...?" asked Dean, but they were amazed when the guards patted her on the back and allowed her/him in without checking the bag. "You sneaky git!" shouted Dean gleefully. They followed her/him down the hall and watched as she/he wandered down different hallways.

"Should we call you Harriet now, Potter?" said Draco snidely.

"The name I used for this persona was actually 'Amber', Malfoy, I wasn't foolish enough to use a feminine version of my birth name."

"You've done this before?" said Professor Flitwick with his eyes wide.

"The dress or the using different names?" said Harry innocently.

"Both." said the teaching staff.

"Well, it was the first time for the dress, the different names, no. I've used several names and never the same one twice." said Harry with a smile. "I learned one thing; I'm not wearing a dress again."

"That's too bad, you have great legs." teased Ginny holding his arm.

"Gee, thanks." said Harry with a smirk. "But I really don't understand how you girls can wear those things. They give you an awful draft." he added in a teasing whisper.

Ginny was overcome with a giggling fit.

They watched as Amber smoothly entered an 'Employees Only' door.

"Harry, you aren't supposed to be down there!" admonished Mrs. Weasely.

"I had an appointment." said Harry with a smile. "And I'm pretty sure I shouldn't do what I did the night prior to this, or wear a dress."

Amber ducked into an employee restroom when she heard someone come down the hall. After the guard walked past, the door to the bathroom opened. Amber was gone, and young Harry was back. He was wearing a white shirt and white pants and one of his new, black Hogwarts robes, without the school crest, and was stuffing the skirt and blouse in the knapsack. He looked both ways at the fork in the hall and continued down the right.

He continued down and stopped at a fancy ornamental door. He knocked softly on the door and they could hear a voice on the other side.

"Come in."

Harry entered the room, and Mr. Claydonin smiled at him.

"What can I do for you, young man?" he said kindly.

"Well sir, I would like to give this back to you." Harry said, taking out the silk bag and handing it to Mr. Claydonin.

"What is this?" he said as he opened the bag, and as he tipped the content of the bag out, the grandfather clock in the corner struck nine-thirty. When he saw the Dragon's Eye his face paled, "You'reShadow?" he said in a faint whisper. Harry nodded and smiled.

Taking a gulp of air, he looked at the clock in the corner and laughed nervously. "The man that told me to get in contact with you was right. You are amazingly punctual. I should apologize for the disturbance out in front of the door."

The young man laughed and sat down in the chair. "It's alright. Your Head of Security was furious he didn't catch me. Greed is a great motivator, and unfortunately a great abductor of one's senses."

"Merlin, Harry, you sound like Dumbledore, again." said Colin with his eyes wide.

"So, Shadow, what should we improve on?" asked Mr. Claydonin, smiling down at the young man.

"Well, for your front door…" said Harry whipping out a white notebook.

"I thought you had a black notebook…why do you have a white one here?" asked Ron.

"Black is for magic, white if for summer stuff." said Harry. "That way I don't write the wrong stuff in it."

"…and that's it. Your security is basically fine but I would amp it up, especially around the Dragon's Eye. It only took me fifteen minutes to get in and out." said Harry closing his book.

"I understand. I have a question for you." said Mr. Claydonin. "What do your parents think about this?"

Younger Harry sighed heavily. "Well…my parents are gone, but the family I stay with don't have any idea what I do. And I would be most appreciative if you don't mention it to anyone. They and I…we don't get along at all…"

Mr. Claydonin looked at Harry, and smiled. "Alright then, Shadow, as you wish. If you need anything…"

"Come see you…I know…almost everyone I test security for say that, except for that odd American, he just asked for report and kicked me out with my money. What I want, no one can help me it seems, but me." said Harry with a smile. He looked outside quickly. "It's eleven twenty-four, I've gotta go." he said standing up. "Just send my fee the bank account here." he handed over a small card.

"Oh well, thank you for taking time out of your summer vacation to test the security system of my beloved diamond." said Mr. Claydonin with a smile.

Then a knock was heard coming from outside the office door. "Mr. Claydonin, may I speak with you?" said a voice.

Harry hurried over to the fireplace, that held some glowing embers, and tossed a powder down on the embers. They immediately went dark for a brief moment, as Harry crawled up the chimney.

This was good timing, for Mr. Brildir had just come in. "No sign of Shadow, sir, and no visitor had the gem on 'em. I knew he couldn't be trusted."

"I have the diamond." said Mr. Claydonin, pulling the stone out of the silk bag once again. Mr. Brildir stared in shock at the curator.

"I…don't…." stuttered Brildir. Then suddenly, the flames started up again. The watchers zoomed up to the ceiling and watched as Harry climbed out of the chimney. He stepped out of the shaft and shook his entire body to get rid of the soot, all the while laughing.

"Life just keeps getting better and better!" he said excitedly.

And the light from the scrolls claimed them once more.

Chapter 43

When the light dropped them off in the Great Hall again, many of the people began asking him several different questions about the tools he used in the museum.

"Muggle science stuff, you wouldn't understand." said Harry to everyone who came up to him.

"Try me." said Dr. Clark with a smirk, when Harry absent mindedly told him the same thing.

Harry sighed, "What bit?"

"We'll start with that powder you dropped." said Sirius.

"Just regular powder with miniature crystals inside, they keep the lasers from disappearing for five minutes. After a while, they get absorbed into the floor, by the moisture lingering in the air." said Harry.

"And that ribbon, cloth thing." asked Remus.

"Just gossamer, normal fabric would completely stop the light from coming through if it accidentally hits one." said Harry. "Gossamer at least lets laser go through, if even a little bit."

"What about that gel stuff that made the glass shatter like that?" asked Ron.

"Just a compound my old chemistry teacher and I found. He couldn't really see a use, but I sure did." said Harry with a smile. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, that little black box, and that other powder stuff." asked Sirius.

"The box is an invention of mine," he said plainly and didn't extend on that. "the powder, was just soot with some chemicals in it, they build the fire back up again." said Harry.

Harry stood up and stretched his legs arms. "Well, it's too late to go and make something I think." he looked up at the sky and located the moon.

"Yeah, the house-elves are almost done. No point now." said Ron.

Suddenly, the doors flung open and two men came running in and shouting at the top of their heads.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? WHERE'S JAMES? WHERE'S LILY? WHERE'S HARRY?"

One of the men, who had very long salt and pepper hair, which came all the way down to his calves in a long braid came up to Dumbledore, picked him up by the collar and brought him close to his own face.

"What…happened…to their house?" growled the man holding tightly to Dumbledore's collar.

"Rudolph, if you would let go of his throat, he'll tell you." said Bathilda shortly.

"Batty….what in blazes are you doing here, and what is going on? Why are the tables missing, and…" said the man with short blonde hair, looking around quickly.

"Rudolph, Leroy…" said Remus, he tried to speak, but couldn't find the words.

"Lily and James are gone." said Dumbledore sadly. "Voldemort killed them."

Rudolph and Leroy stared at Dumbledore in shock, and then they both fell to their knees and screamed out in pain.

Harry stared at the two men who were trying to pull out their hair, clench their fists and curse the sky. Sirius rushed over and pulled both men to their feet. He motioned Harry over to him.

"C'mere. Listen you two, Lily and James are gone, but someone is still here." He threw an arm around Harry's shoulders.

The blonde haired man blinked and placed a thin hand on Harry's cheek.

"I know that face. Can it be…" he whispered. "Rudy…look…"

Rudolph stopped weeping bitterly and looked over to where his partner was. He saw Harry.

"It can't be…is that you? It is...it's our little Harry." He said, his eyes brimming with tears.

Immediately, the two men enshrouded Harry with a hug and kissed the top of his head repeatedly.

"You're all grown up…" said Uncle Rudolph smiling and laughing. "I can't bounce you on me knee anymore. Oh my god, look at you." He ran his fingers through his great-nephew's hair. "How come you have white hair?"

"I've been sick." said Harry with a smile.

"With what? Rudy where is our bag?" said Leroy stammering.

"The illness already past." said Dr. Nicodemus. "Now we are merely waiting for his cores to come back online."

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

"What he means is, I can't do magic, I'm extremely vulnerable."

The school went silent.

"How long will that take, for your magic to come back." asked McGonagall in a fearful whisper.

"Could be a day, a week, a month, or a whole year, we don't know." said Harry shrugging.

"It was another reason to bring more guards; I've got my entire company stationed outside these walls. I thought another two in here would do nicely." said Lionus seriously.

Some of the students looked around out the windows into the night sky. Harry looked up into the windows that lined the top part of the wall, and saw a fleeting glimpse of someone swooping past.

"Don't worry, you all are safe." He said with a smile.

A little past midnight, all the adults, including Lionus and Doctor Nicodemus stood in Dumbledore's office.

"So Harry has no magic, what's going to happen when we continue with these readings?" asked Sirius.

"The book has it's own magical stock, it won't feed on his." said Speckerton.

"So what can we do?" asked Tonks

"We can do nothing, but I can assure you, Harry won't be in any danger." said Speckerton.

"Every time we turn around, it seems that Harry's getting the stuffing taken out of him in some sort of way." said Sirius.

Do I really want to know?" asked Rudolph worriedly.

"We'd best tell them what is going on, or they'll never understand." said Flitwick.

It took the better part of two hours to tell them what has happened to their Great-Nephew.

Hearing the horrible tales of their little Harry, they held onto each other for support.

"Our little Harry was forced through all that?" said Leroy in a frightened voice, tears streaming down his face.

"I'll kill those bastards if I ever get the chance." growled Rudolph.

"You don't need to fret about that," said Madam Bones. "They are already in Auror custody."

"They're safer there." snarled Rudolph. "I've got some venomous plants in my bags that I would love to introduce them to."

The next morning, the adults somewhat staggered downstairs, they had spent almost the entire night discussing what the books were revealing with the two men and trying to calm them down.

When they entered the Great Hall, the saw all the students waiting for them and Harry passing around several small bowls of what looked like little bits of cereal and pretzels.

"You guys all slept in, it's nine twenty-four." said Harry looking up at the sun.

Rudolph and Leroy rushed over and hugged Harry once more.

"This again?" said Harry with a smile. "You guys brought them up to speed then, I take it."

"We did, I hope you don't mind." said Remus carefully.

"It's fine." said Harry. "Should we get started then?" said Harry.

"Who wants to read, now?" asked Dumbledore settling into his armchair. Rudolph and Leroy took the opportunity to conjure up a large, blue sofa and stretched themselves out on it. They made sure they were within arm's reach of the bowl chair.

"I think I'll read this time." said Nightstrike. "If I may sir." he added looking over to Lionus.

"By all means." he said.

Aragog

"This won't go well." said Ron shaking his head.

"I don't think you guys really told me what happened." said Hermione.

"You really didn't want to know." said Harry.

"Who, or what is an Aragog?" asked Sirius.

Ron and Harry remained silent. "Just lovely." groaned Sirius.

Summer was creeping over the grounds around the castle; sky and lake alike turned periwinkle blue and flowers large as cabbages burst into bloom in the greenhouses.

"I always loved those flowers." said Mrs. Weasley.

But with no Hagrid visible from the castle windows, striding the grounds with Fang at his heels, the scene didn't look right to Harry;

"It's not Hogwarts without you." said Harry up to the half-giant, who blushed behind his bushy beard.

no better, in fact, than the inside of the castle, where things were so horribly wrong.

"Oh boy." groaned Remus. "I don't think I want to know."

Harry and Ron had tried to visit Hermione, but visitors were now barred from the hospital wing.

"Security reasons." said Madam Pomfrey plainly.

"They were already attacked, what more could happen?" asked Sirius.

"I didn't want to risk it." said Madam Pomfrey stiffly.

"We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey told them severely through a crack in the infirmary door.

"It was nice of you two to want to see me though." said Hermione with a blush.

"We kept coming back, we were sort of hoping you would just wake up." said Ron turning a bit red as well.

"No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off…"

"We never did blame you, I wouldn't let anyone in either." said Harry.

With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never before,

"The first day, I swear, I heard so many people screaming spontaneously I had to wear earplugs." said Harry.

so that the sun warming the castle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows.

"It was like someone turned off the heat in this place, and the only time you could get warm was if you stepped outside." said Harry.

There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled.

"I cannot imagine that." said Rudolph quietly. "This place is always full of laughter and cheer."

"Except for that one year, the one you told me about." said Leroy.

"I don't like talking about that year." said Rudolph quickly.

"How old are you?" asked Ron.

Rudolph stared fixedly at Ron.

"It's impolite to ask that, kid." said Leroy with a smile. "Let's just say, he's perfectly aged." he gave his partner's hand a squeeze.

"I must remember that." said Tonks with a smirk.

Harry constantly repeated Dumbledore's final words to himself, "I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me… Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." But what good were these words?

"That is my big downfall, I never consider the obvious." said Harry with a smirk.

Who exactly were they supposed to ask for help, when everyone was just as confused and scared as they were?

"Even the teachers?" said Remus with an incredulous look.

"They were a bit jumpy, yeah." said Ron.

Hagrid's hint about the spiders was far easier to understand.

"Well, yeah, it wasn't encrypted or anything." said Fred.

The trouble was, there didn't seem to be a single spider left in the castle to follow.

"That's the famous Harry Potter luck for you." said Dean.

"I take it that you aren't all that lucky." said Leroy with a small smile.

"Not on a bit." said Harry with a smile.

Harry looked everywhere he went, helped (rather reluctantly) by Ron.

"Don't like spiders." said Ron shortly.

They were hampered, of course, by the fact that they weren't allowed to wander off on their own

"Sorry to inconvenience you with safety precautions." sneered Snape.

but had to move around the castle in a pack with the other Gryffindors.

"Who the hell came up with that idea?" said Sirius. "Now it's easier to pick off the students."

"The Governors actually." said McGonagall. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Hate to say it, but that means that Lucius had a hand in that idea." said Remus.

Most of their fellow students seemed glad that they were being shepherded from class to class by teachers, but Harry found it very irksome.

"As did I." muttered Snape. "Classes weren't as prepared as they were before the last attack happened."

One person, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere of terror and suspicion.

"My money's on Lucius's son." said Sirius.

"Yeah, I can see that." said Leroy. "My cousin Lucius never was the most sympathetic man."

The room turned and stared, even Draco stared.

"Wait a minute…you're a…" said Ron.

"On my mother's side." said Leroy with a smile. "She was actually really happy that I didn't marry into the Black family. Bellatrix was my betrothed, then I found this twit," he nodded his head over to Rudolph. "And my mother told me to run away with him. Screw my dad." said Leroy with a smile. "My dad however found out, and came to Rudolph's house. It didn't go well."

"What happened?" asked Hermione eagerly.

"I'll tell that story at another time. There's a few kids in here, and…well…the beginning's a bit graphic." said Rudolph with a smirk. "And you're a bit young still."

Draco Malfoy was strutting around the school as though he had just been appointed Head Boy.

"If you would just get your grades up you could be a candidate for that." said Snape in a whisper.

"But I'm a prefect." Draco whispered back.

"You were the only choice. Nott and Zabini were also eligible, but due to your father, I had no choice but to nominate you." muttered Snape. "Though, I might have chosen you anyway." he gave his godson the rarest of smiles.

Harry didn't realize what he was so pleased about until the Potions lesson about two weeks after Dumbledore and Hagrid had left,

"I could smack myself for not knowing right away." muttered Harry massaging his temples.

when, sitting right behind Malfoy, Harry heard him gloating to Crabbe and Goyle.

"I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," he said, not troubling to keep his voice down.

"I wanted to smack the daylights out of him." said Dean.

"I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed.

Lionus stared at the youth, Draco cringed under his gaze.

McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in…"

"How dare…" said Bathilda irritably.

"I'd let it go, he's changing for the better." said Lionus.

Snape swept past Harry, making no comment about Hermione's empty seat and cauldron.

"Thank you Severus." said McGonagall.

"I'm not heartless." said Snape.

"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"

"Can you imagine Snape being Headmaster?" asked Fred in a whisper.

"It would be all dark and gloomy here." said George.

"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a thin-lipped smile.

"I cannot explain that action." said Snape rubbing his eyelids.

"Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."

"Thank you Severus." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job— I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir —"

"You mean that you don't do it all the time?" asked George.

"He just wanted to say that in front of everyone." said Dean.

Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon, fortunately not spotting Seamus Finnigan, who was pretending to vomit into his cauldron.

Seamus made sure to look elsewhere, besides the chair where the Potions Master was sitting.

"I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," Malfoy went on.

"And you allowed that?" said McGonagall with a snarl.

"I had left the room, by that time." said Snape, sending a stern look to the young man sitting beside him.

"Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger —"

"You are lucky that we cannot take points away, Mr. Malfoy." said Dumbledore sternly, his eyes missing their shimmering light. "You owe Miss Granger a very sincere apology."

"I'm sorry." said Draco quietly, but sincerely.

The bell rang at that moment, which was lucky; at Malfoy's last words, Ron had leapt off his stool, and in the scramble to collect bags and books, his attempts to reach Malfoy went unnoticed.

"Can you really be that oblivious?" asked Moody with a stunned look, Malfoy looked down.

"He could use some of your teachings." said Tonks with a scowl.

"Let me at him," Ron growled as Harry and Dean hung onto his arms. "I don't care, I don't need my wand, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands —"

"I don't think I can scold you for that." said Mrs. Weasley quietly.

"Hurry up, I've got to take you all to Herbology," barked Snape over the class's heads, and off they marched, with Harry, Ron, and Dean bringing up the rear,

"Why were you guys in the back?" asked Fred.

Ron still trying to get loose.

"Ah, that will do it." said George.

It was only safe to let go of him when Snape had seen them out of the castle and they were making their way across the vegetable patch toward the greenhouses.

"Yeah, couldn't really come up with a plausible excuse to go back inside the castle." said Ron bitterly.

The Herbology class was very subdued; there were now two missing from their number, Justin and Hermione.

"Both Houses were missing someone." said Harry.

Professor Sprout set them all to work pruning the Abyssinian Shrivelfigs.

"I hated that chore, out of all of the classes, that particular one I hated the most." said Sirius with a frown.

"What's so wrong with them." asked Neville curiously.

"My mother had a bunch of them, and she always had me doing that." said Sirius with a scowl.

Harry went to tip an armful of withered stalks onto the compost heap and found himself face-to-face with Ernie Macmillan.

Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark sent a scowl over to Ernie, the staff however didn't go to that extreme, they only glared.

"It wasn't bad." said Harry with a groan.

"I haven't exactly forgiven him for beating the snot out of you." growled Sirius.

Ernie took a deep breath and said, very formally, "I just want to say, Harry, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you.

"Have you even apologize to him?" asked Remus angrily.

"Not then, no." said Harry rubbing the back of his white-haired head. "This is where he apologizes."

I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger, and I apologize for all the stuff I said.

"And did." said Ernie in a whisper.

We're all in the same boat now, and, well —"

He held out a pudgy hand,

Several people snorted. "I guess this sort of counts as payback, huh?" said Harry with a chuckle.

and Harry shook it.

"I wouldn't." said Bill with disgust.

"Only thing I can say is that at least you apologized." said Tonks in disgust.

Ernie and his friend Hannah came to work at the same Shrivelfig as Harry and Ron.

"Who invited you?" asked Fred.

"Hannah's fine, Ernie can shunt off." said George.

"That Draco Malfoy character," said Ernie, breaking off dead twigs, "he seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be Slytherin's heir."

"Oh, my bloody god." said Charlie clapping an hand to his forehead.

"It took you that many months to figure that out?" said Bill incredulously.

"And you made him a prefect?" said Sirius in shock. Professor Sprout cringed slightly.

"That's clever of you," said Ron, who didn't seem to have forgiven Ernie as readily as Harry.

"Well you saw what he looked like after Ernie and his mates got ahold of him, I don't think any one of you lot would jump at forgiving him." said Ron stubbornly.

"Do you think it's Malfoy, Harry?" Ernie asked.

"Now you're trying to be all "buddy-buddy" now, huh?" said Charlie.

"No," said Harry, so firmly that Ernie and Hannah stared.

"So...is that..." said Draco quietly.

"That's why no one came to rearrange your face, yeah." said Lee. "Harry stood up for you."

A second later, Harry spotted something.

Dr. Clark's knuckles paled on the textbook in his hands.

Several large spiders were scuttling over the ground on the other side of the glass,

Dr. Clark released a sigh of relief; it wasn't what he thought it was.

moving in an unnaturally straight line as though taking the shortest route to a prearranged meeting. Harry hit Ron over the hand with his pruning shears.

"Ooh! That hurts." said Fred.

"Don't do that." said George.

"Ouch! What're you —"

Harry pointed out the spiders, following their progress with his eyes screwed up against the sun.

"Oh, yeah," said Ron, trying, and failing, to look pleased. "But we can't follow them now —"

"Can't hide anything from you, can I." said Ron pouting.

"That's not exactly true, you and everyone else seems to completely rip me off on Poker Night." said Harry smirking.

Ernie and Hannah were listening curiously.

"As nosey as us, but not quite." said Harry with a smile.

"We couldn't even figure out what you were talking about." said Hannah.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he focused on the spiders. If they pursued their fixed course, there could be no doubt about where they would end up.

"Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest…"

"Don't go in there." said Remus, almost pleading. "If you do, I'm going to take you over my knee and smack the daylights out of you."

"I'm as big as you now. That would look really...awkward." said Harry leaning away from him with a wary.

"Don't even try and twist it like that." said Remus getting more and tenser by the minute.

"Listen, I'm right here, nothing truly bad happens. I'm all right." said Harry soothingly.

And Ron looked even unhappier about that.

"Go figure, due to someone," said Charlie looking over at the twins. "him and spiders don't get along."

At the end of the lesson Professor Sprout escorted the class to their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Harry and Ron lagged behind the others so they could talk out of earshot.

"You kids shouldn't be keeping back like that, especially with something dangerous walking about." said Professor Sprout scolding slightly.

"We'll have to use the Invisibility Cloak again," Harry told Ron. "We can take Fang with us. He's used to going into the forest with Hagrid, he might be some help."

"Except tha' he's a ruddy coward." said Hagrid. "But no one in the forest will 'urt him, or you if yer with him."

"Right," said Ron, who was twirling his wand nervously in his fingers. "Er — aren't there — aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the forest?" he added as they took their usual places at the back of Lockhart's classroom.

"Not really." said Remus tiredly.

Preferring not to answer that question,

"He was already nervous, didn't want to add to it." said Harry.

Harry said, "There are good things in there, too. The centaurs are all right, and the unicorns…"

"Don't just focus on the good things, notice the evil too." growled Moody.

Ron had never been into the Forbidden Forest before. Harry had entered it only once and had hoped never to do so again.

"See? It's not like I wanted to go back in there." said Harry defensively.

Lockhart bounded into the room and the class stared at him.

"Never saw a man leap like that." said Ron.

Every other teacher in the place was looking grimmer than usual, but Lockhart appeared nothing short of buoyant.

"Jackass." muttered Sirius.

"Come now," he cried, beaming around him. "Why all these long faces?"

"Seriously?" said Dr. Clark. "Oh, my bloody God."

People swapped exasperated looks, but nobody answered.

"We thought he had lost his blinking mind." said Neville.

"Don't you people realize," said Lockhart, speaking slowly, as though they were all a bit dim,

"The only dim one is him." said Remus with a growl. "And Harry's got more intelligence in his little finger than he's got in his wildest dreams."

"the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away —"

"Says who?" said Dean Thomas loudly.

"Atta boy, Dean!" said Fred clapping loudly.

"My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred percent sure that he was guilty," said Lockhart, in the tone of someone explaining that one and one made two.

"Took Dazzle Gums three years to figure out that a wand can't cure split ends." said Remus.

"Oh, yes he would," said Ron, even more loudly than Dean.

"Careful, you aren't supposed to know about it." said Kingsley.

"I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you do, Mr. Weasley," said Lockhart in a self-satisfied tone.

"Bull, he makes it sound like he was the one who arrested Hagrid single-handedly." said Bill.

"He never really liked Hagrid." said Sirius. "Hagrid wouldn't let him take one of the hippogriffs out for his date with a Slytherin girl. Also, not reading any of his books didn't help matters either." he grinned cheekily up to Hagrid.

Ron started to say that he didn't think so, somehow, but stopped in midsentence when Harry kicked him hard under the desk.

"Wow, Harry looks so gentle." said Fred.

"And yet, he keeps smacking Ron about." said George.

"We weren't there, remember?" Harry muttered.

"At least someone's watching what you both say." said Moody.

But Lockhart's disgusting cheeriness,

"Accurate way of putting it." said McGonagall with hint of a growl in her voice.

his hints that he had always thought Hagrid was no good,

"I could have killed him." said Harry rubbing his scarred temple with two fingers.

his confidence that the whole business was now at an end, irritated Harry so much that he yearned to throw Gadding with Ghouls right in Lockhart's stupid face.

"Oh, come on! We would have been so proud of you!" said Siruis and Remus together.

"Didn't need to add onto McGonagall's troubles." said Harry.

"I would have given you seventy points to Gryffindor for that." said McGonagall with smirk.

"As would we." said Snape and the rest of the staff.

"Dang, wish I had done that then." said Harry with a smile.

Instead he contented himself with scrawling a note to Ron: Let's do ittonight.

"Quit giving me gray hair." said Remus groaning and throwing an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"But it's so much fun." whined Harry playfully.

"I'm betting your dad would have hair like yours right now, by the time you would turn seven." said Sirius fondly.

Ron read the message, swallowed hard, and looked sideways at the empty seat usually filled by Hermione. The sight seemed to stiffen his resolve, and he nodded.

"You're so brave!" cooed Lavender.

"Oh...thanks..." said Ron uncertainly.

The Gryffindor common room was always very crowded these days, because fromsix o'clock onward the Gryffindors had nowhere else to go.

"We couldn't go anywhere." said Ron.

They also had plenty to talk about, with the result that the common room often didn't empty until past midnight.

"No one was sleeping much." said Ron.

Harry went to get the Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk right after dinner, and spent the evening sitting on it,

"Nice thing to do with the family heirloom." said Sirius snickering.

waiting for the room to clear. Fred and George challenged Harry and Ron to a few games of Exploding Snap,

"Cripes, sorry about that. Didn't know you were out to save the school." said Fred with a shrug.

and Ginny sat watching them, very subdued in Hermione's usual chair.

"Wasn't too sure if it was right for me to sit there." said Ginny.

"She didn't have her name on the chair." said Harry shrugging.

Harry and Ron kept losing on purpose, trying to finish the games quickly,

"Knew we couldn't beat Ron that easily." said George pouting slightly.

but even so, it was well past midnight when Fred, George, and Ginny finally went to bed.

"So, you two went out, to the forest, with nobody knowing where you are heading?" asked Sirius in a stunned voice.

"Uh...yeah...not our best move by a long shot." said Harry.

Harry and Ron waited for the distant sounds of two dormitory doors closing before seizing the cloak, throwing it over themselves, and climbing through the portrait hole.

It was another difficult journey through the castle, dodging all the teachers.

"Well, at least they were keeping watch." said Remus tiredly.

At last they reached the entrance hall, slid back the lock on the oak front doors, squeezed between them,

"Harry didn't have to do much squeezing." said Ron.

trying to stop any creaking, and stepped out into the moonlit grounds.

"'Course," said Ron abruptly as they strode across the black grass, "we might get to the forest and find there's nothing to follow.

"That's right, keep a happy thought." said Charlie with a smirk.

Those spiders might not've been going there at all. I know it looked like they were moving in that sort of general direction, but…" His voice trailed away hopefully.

"Not likely." said Harry with a smile.

They reached Hagrid's house, sad and sorry-looking with its blank windows.

"Dead depressing that was." said Ron.

When Harry pushed the door open, Fang went mad with joy at the sight of them.

"He must've thought Hagrid was coming back with you." said Tonks

"Actually, we've been taking him for walks, and with classes, we haven't been able to do that much, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher is supposed to take care of him during the normal class week." said Harry. "But apparently, with the escorting, he wasn't able to."

Worried he might wake everyone at the castle with his deep, booming barks, they hastily fed him treacle fudge from a tin on the mantelpiece, which glued his teeth together.

"No offense, Hagrid, but knowing your cooking, that's cruelty to animals." said Charlie with a smile.

Harry left the Invisibility Cloak on Hagrid's table. There would be no need for it in the pitch-dark forest.

"Bad move, dear boy. Very bad move." said Dumbledore.

"C'mon, Fang, we're going for a walk," said Harry, patting his leg,

"Not bad for someone who is somewhat afraid of dogs." said Harry with a laugh.

"You're what?" said Sirius in shock.

"Since Aunt Marge and Ripper, I've been sort of afraid of handling dogs without their owners being around." said Harry.

"Wow, I didnt' really know that." said Ron.

and Fang bounded happily out of the house behind them,

"Oh, so cute!" said Emmeline Vance.

dashed to the edge of the forest, and lifted his leg against a large sycamore tree.

"Cute part gone." said Sirius snorting loudly.

"Did you have to notice that, Harry?" asked Seamus laughing loudly.

Harry took out his wand, murmured, "Lumos!" and a tiny light appeared at the end of it, just enough to let them watch the path for signs of spiders.

"Good thinking," said Ron. "I'd light mine, too, but you know — it'd probably blow up or something…"

"Good idea for a weapon, though." said Moody with an appreciative smirk.

Harry tapped Ron on the shoulder, pointing at the grass. Two solitary spiders were hurrying away from the wandlight into the shade of the trees.

"You are going to follow two tiny little spiders in a deep dark forest? You both are mad." said Rudolph.

"Okay," Ron sighed as though resigned to the worst, "I'm ready. Let's go."

"You are one of the bravest men in the world." said Hermione giving Ron's hand a squeeze.

So, with Fang scampering around them, sniffing tree roots and leaves, they entered the forest.

"Hope he doesn't try and go to the bathroom again." said Remus with a snicker.

By the glow of Harry's wand, they followed the steady trickle of spiders moving along the path. They walked behind them for about twenty minutes, not speaking, listening hard for noises other than breaking twigs and rustling leaves.

"Good lads." said Dr. Nicodemus with smile.

Then, when the trees had become thicker than ever, so that the stars overhead were no longer visible, and Harry's wand shone alone in the sea of dark, they saw their spider guides leaving the path.

"You have an uncanny way of making things sound just as scary as if we were there beside you." said Cho shaking slightly.

Harry paused, trying to see where the spiders were going, but everything outside his little sphere of light was pitch-black. He had never been this deep into the forest before.

"I don't think I could even begin to reassure you three." said Harry guiltily.

"Good idea." said Remus darkly.

He could vividly remember Hagrid advising him not to leave the forest path last time he'd been in here.

"Good idea." said Charlie.

"Bad idea," said Moody. "others travel the pathways too."

"Let's just focus on them not getting lost, how about that." said Kingsley.

But Hagrid was miles away now, probably sitting in a cell in Azkaban,

"Which should never have happened." said Lionus with a snarl.

and he had also said to follow the spiders.

Something wet touched Harry's hand and he jumped backward,

"Oh crap!" said Sirius worriedly.

crushing Ron's foot,

"Light as you are, wasn't much crushing, I'll warrant." said Madam Pomfrey.

but it was only Fang's nose.

"Cripes all mighty, don't do that." said Sirius shortly over to Nightstrike.

"Take it out on the book, not me." said Nightstrike defensively.

"What d'you reckon?" Harry said to Ron, whose eyes he could just make out, reflecting the light from his wand.

"You looked creepy." said Harry and Ron to each other.

"We've come this far," said Ron.

So they followed the darting shadows of the spiders into the trees. They couldn't move very quickly now; there were tree roots and stumps in their way, barely visible in the near blackness. Harry could feel Fang's hot breath on his hand. More than once, they had to stop, so that Harry could crouch down and find the spiders in the wandlight.

"Jeez, just get out of there." said Tonks worriedly.

They walked for what seemed like at least half an hour, their robes snagging on low-slung branches and brambles. After a while, they noticed that the ground seemed to be sloping downward, though the trees were as thick as ever.

Then Fang suddenly let loose a great, echoing bark, making both Harry and Ron jump out of their skins.

"Didn't have any more treacle fudge." said Harry shrugging.

"What?" said Ron loudly, looking around into the pitch-dark, and gripping Harry's elbow very hard.

"There's something moving over there," Harry breathed. "Listen… sounds like something big…"

"Dammit Harry! Do something else at school besides get into dangerous stuff, do something like collect butterflies or something!" said Siruis covering his ears.

"Too exciting, my poor nerves wouldn't be able to take it." said Harry teasingly.

They listened. Some distance to their right, the something big was snapping branches as it carved a path through the trees.

"Oh, no," said Ron. "Oh, no, oh, no, oh —"

"Shut up," said Harry frantically. "It'll hear you."

"Hear me?" said Ron in an unnaturally high voice. "It's already heard Fang!"

"It's like a horror story." squeaked a little first year girl.

The darkness seemed to be pressing on their eyeballs as they stood, terrified, waiting. There was a strange rumbling noise and then silence.

"What d'you think it's doing?" said Harry.

"Probably getting ready to pounce," said Ron.

"Right little ray of sunshine, aint you?" said Fred as he and George walked over to where Ron was sitting.

They waited, shivering, hardly daring to move.

"D'you think it's gone?" Harry whispered.

"Dunno —"

Then, to their right, came a sudden blaze of light, so bright in the darkness that both of them flung up their hands to shield their eyes.

"Okay, I've got nothing." said Sirius worriedly. "What the bloody hell is it?"

"If you hadn't stopped me, I would have told you." said Nightstrike with a smirk. "And it's not all that bad."

Fang yelped and tried to run, but got lodged in a tangle of thorns and yelped even louder.

"Judging by Fang, it sounds bad." said Remus.

"It's not." said Lionus with a smirk.

"How do you know? You aren't reading the book!" said Parvati.

"If my lieutenant says it's not dangerous, it's not." said Lionus.

"Harry!" Ron shouted, his voice breaking with relief "Harry, it's our car!"

"What?" said the congregation of the school.

"What?"

"Come on!"

Harry blundered after Ron toward the light, stumbling and tripping, and a moment later they had emerged into a clearing.

"I can't really tell if that's a good thing or not." said Lionus thoughtfully.

Mr. Weasley's car was standing, empty, in the middle of a circle of thick trees under a roof of dense branches, its headlights ablaze.

"Did it just say...empty?" said Rudolph.

"Yeah, the car is somewhat possessed." said Ron with a smile.

"It's a...car...though..." said Leroy.

As Ron walked, open-mouthed, toward it, it moved slowly toward him, exactly like a large, turquoise dog greeting its owner.

"Interestin' thought." said Hagrid with a thoughtful look.

"It's been here all the time!" said Ron delightedly, walking around the car. "Look at it. The forest's turned it wild…"

The sides of the car were scratched and smeared with mud. Apparently it had taken to trundling around the forest on its own. Fang didn't seem at all keen on it; he kept close to Harry, who could feel him quivering.

"Poor Fang, he's always been a ruddy coward." said Hagrid with a sympathetic smile.

His breathing slowing down again, Harry stuffed his wand back into his robes.

All eyes turned to face Harry, who took this opportunity to hide under the pheonix blanket.

"Oh no you don't." said Sirius tugging the blanket off him.

"What were you thinking?" asked McGonagall, almost screeching.

"You could have been attacked! At any moment!" said Mrs. Weasley fearfully.

"I can't even...explain what made me do that." said Harry.

"Try." said Moody sternly.

"Stupidity." said Harry simply.

"You did a good job explaining it, if you ask me." said Snape with a raised brow.

"And we thought it was going to attack us!" said Ron, leaning against the car and patting it. "I wondered where it had gone!"

Harry squinted around on the floodlit ground for signs of more spiders, but they had all scuttled away from the glare of the headlights.

"Good, if the car can be driven, get the hell out of there." said Charlie.

"We've lost the trail," he said. "C'mon, let's go and find them."

"Two words." said Remus. "Learn them: Get...out..."

Ron didn't speak. He didn't move. His eyes were fixed on a point some ten feet above the forest floor, right behind Harry. His face was livid with terror.

"Ron, if you..." said Harry.

"I'm fine." said Ron.

Harry didn't even have time to turn around. There was a loud clicking noise and suddenly he felt something long and hairy seize him around the middle and lift him off the ground, so that he was hanging facedown.

Nightstrike looked at the book in horror. It couldn't be acromantulas, could it? He looked up and saw his Captain staring at Nightstrike in shock and noticed the men in and beside the bowl reach and try and grab any piece of Harry they could.

"You aren't to move from this spot, understand." said Leroy in a whisper to Harry, his hand tight on the boy's sleeve.

"Got it sir." said Harry with a small smile.

"Good lad." said Dumbledore, clutching Harry's collar as he stood behind the young man.

Struggling, terrified,

"Well, then, Ron's as good as doomed." said Fred.

"If Harry is scared." said George. Both of them were standing behind Ron and keeping an eye on him, just in case he disappeared right in front of them.

he heard more clicking, and saw Ron's legs leave the ground, too, heard Fang whimpering and howling — next moment, he was being swept away into the dark trees.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Remus, Sirius, Dr. Clark, Rudolph, Leroy and Dumbledore all gave the boys a quick squeeze, (on whatever they were holding at the time) to make sure they were still there.

Head hanging, Harry saw that what had hold of him was marching on six immensely long, hairy legs, the front two clutching him tightly below a pair of shining black pincers.

"They're spiders!" shrieked Tonks loudly.

"What...?" said Dr. Clark quickly.

"Acromantulas." said Dr. Nicodemus. "Large spiders, very rare, very deadly."

"Now here..." said Hagrid quickly.

"I think, Hagrid, that we will see just how these two second years handle them, and we shall see if they are dangerous." said Lionus quickly.

Behind him, he could hear another of the creatures, no doubt carrying Ron. They were moving into the very heart of the forest.

"That doesn't make it sound any better." said Charlie worriedly.

Harry could hear Fang fighting to free himself from a third monster, whining loudly, but Harry couldn't have yelled even if he had wanted to; he seemed to have left his voice back with the car in the clearing.

Sirius threw both arms around Harry and enclosed him tightly.

He never knew how long he was in the creature's clutches;

Harry could feel the hands holding onto him trembling.

he only knew that the darkness suddenly lifted enough for him to see that the leaf-strewn ground was now swarming with spiders. Craning his neck sideways, he realized that they had reached the ridge of a vast hollow, a hollow that had been cleared of trees, so that the stars shone brightly onto the worst scene he had ever laid eyes on.

Girls in the Great Hall began to whimper and cry. A few teachers had to step over to them and console a few of the hysterical ones.

Spiders. Not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below. Spiders the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy, gigantic.

Both Ron and Tonks began to shiver uncontrollably.

The massive specimen that was carrying Harry made its way down the steep slope toward a misty, domed web in the very center of the hollow, while its fellows closed in all around it, clicking their pincers excitedly at the sight of its load.

"Makes me sound like five pounds of beef from the butchers." said Harry with a laugh, but then he stopped abruptly when he saw the looks on people's faces. "Nevermind."

"Thank you." said Remus, his face pale.

Harry fell to the ground on all fours as the spider released him. Ron and Fang thudded down next to him.

"Get the hell out of there!" shouted most of the adults and the staff.

Fang wasn't howling anymore, but cowering silently on the spot. Ron looked exactly like Harry felt. His mouth was stretched wide in a kind of silent scream and his eyes were popping.

"What did Harry look like?" asked Zacharias with a smirk.

"I wasn't exactly looking at him at the time." said Ron with a growl.

Harry suddenly realized that the spider that had dropped him was saying something. It had been hard to tell, because he clicked his pincers with every word he spoke.

"You mean that you can speak spider as well?" asked Dr. Clark in a stunned voice.

"No, it was speaking English." said Harry and Ron together.

"Best send a letter to Scamander then, huh?" said Charlie with a half-hearted laugh.

"Aragog!" it called. "Aragog!"

Sirius gave a slight whimper, like a whipped puppy and held onto Harry even tighter.

And from the middle of the misty, domed web, a spider the size of a small elephant emerged, very slowly.

Tonks began to shake almost violently, until Dumbledore threw an arm around his graduated student and offered her some comfort. Remus was otherwise busy whispering feverishly a prayer that Harry and Ron get out of there unharmed.

There was gray in the black of his body and legs, and each of the eyes on his ugly, pincered head was milky white. He was blind.

"I'm impressed boy, despite the danger and being frightened, you can still take in your surroundings and deduce." said Moody.

"Start using that energy for running away." said Dr. Clark fearfully.

"What is it?" he said, clicking his pincers rapidly.

"Men," clicked the spider who had caught Harry.

"Children." said Sirius almost drowning in worry. "Tiny, defenseless babies."

Harry and Ron looked at each other, letting it slide. Now was not the time or the place to defend themselves.

"Is it Hagrid?" said Aragog, moving closer, his eight milky eyes wandering vaguely.

"Strangers," clicked the spider who had brought Ron.

"Kill them," clicked Aragog fretfully. "I was sleeping…"

The school went as quiet as a tomb. Hagrid was as white as a sheet, and kept muttering "No." over and over again.

"We're friends of Hagrid's," Harry shouted. His heart seemed to have left his chest to pound in his throat.

"Hope that works and keeps you safe." said Bill, standing behind the loveseat where Ron and Hermione both sat, enshrouded in people who wanted to make sure that Ron and Hermione were still there by hanging onto them.

Ron and Harry exchanged nervous looks.

Click, click, click went the pincers of the spiders all around the hollow.

Aragog paused.

"Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before," he said slowly.

"Hagrid's in trouble," said Harry, breathing very fast. "That's why we've come."

"Still couldn't believe that you were able to talk, the most I could do is whine." said Ron with a nervous smile.

"In trouble?" said the aged spider, and Harry thought he heard concern beneath the clicking pincers.

"Well, then it sounds like he won't hurt you then, if he wants to help you save Hagrid." said Charlie.

"But why has he sent you?"

Harry thought of getting to his feet but decided against it; he didn't think his legs would support him. So he spoke from the ground, as calmly as he could.

"I guess that Aragog could interpet that as a form of respect, kneeling in front of him." said Dr. Nicodemus hopefully.

"They think, up at the school, that Hagrid's been setting a — a —

"Didn't want to say monster, not there." said Harry.

"Smart move." said Michael Corner.

something on students. They've taken him to Azkaban."

"Where he should never have gone." said Lionus with a growl.

Aragog clicked his pincers furiously, and all around the hollow the sound was echoed by the crowd of spiders; it was like applause,

"Why would they applaud that?" asked Ginny weakly.

"That's what it sounded like, they weren't exactly clapping." said Harry. "I guess that's their way of being angry."

except applause didn't usually make Harry feel sick with fear.

"Tell me that this is almost the end of this chapter." pleaded Tonks.

"Just about." said Nightstrike.

"But that was years ago," said Aragog fretfully.

"Can a spider sound fretful?" asked Colin wonderingly.

"Years and years ago. I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid had opened the Chamber and set me free."

"And you… you didn't come from the Chamber of Secrets?" said Harry, who could feel cold sweat on his forehead.

"What made you so nervous?" asked Fred.

"I was starting to think we weren't going to get out of there." said Harry. "I could see more and more spiders coming to join the party. Trying to plan a means of escape, while talking to a giant spider, and keeping Ron from fainting wasn't a very easy task."

"I!" said Aragog, clicking angrily. "I was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land.

"Where the hell do you get spiders that grow that size?" asked Dr. Clark worriedly.

"They mostly live in the Middle East." said Hagrid.

A traveler gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in a cupboard in the castle, feeding me on scraps from the table.

"So you had an adult give you something so dangerous?" said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "You were only a child!"

"I was tall for me age, he thought I was older." said Hagrid with a shrug, he told himself that Aragog wouldn't hurt the two boys.

Hagrid is my good friend, and a good man. When I was discovered, and blamed for the death of a girl, he protected me.

"He most surely did. This is the first time that I learned that this was the creature that Hagrid had. He wouldn't even tell me about it." said Dumbledore with a kind smile up to the half giant.

I have lived here in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness…"

"Wow, that was kind of you, Hagrid." said Charlie. "Though, I would be regretting the whole mate thing right now."

"They wouldn' do nuthin' to the boys." said Hagrid, though in his voice, he was starting to show some doubt.

Harry summoned what remained of his courage.

"Which wasn't much, anymore." said Harry with a small smile.

"So you never — never attacked anyone?"

"Not yet." said Remus, voice full of worry.

"Never," croaked the old spider. "It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human. The body of the girl who was killed was discovered in a bathroom.

"That would be horrible to die in a bathroom. If given a choice, I'd like to die of old age and in my sleep. Thank you very much." said Fred crossing his arms.

I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up. Our kind like the dark and the quiet…"

"But then… Do you know what did kill that girl?" said Harry. "Because whatever it is, it's back and attacking people again —"

"I'm not too sure why I asked him that, he just said that he never left the cupboard. Then again, it's a really good idea that I did ask." said Harry with a smile.

His words were drowned by a loud outbreak of clicking and the rustling of many long legs shifting angrily; large black shapes shifted all around him.

"Dont' piss them off!" cried Lee.

"The thing that lives in the castle," said Aragog, "is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others.

Dr. Clark whimpered slightly, still clutching the textbook.

Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beast moving about the school."

"What is it?" said Harry urgently.

"I sort of don't want to know." said Remus looking over at Dr. Clark's pale face.

More loud clicking, more rustling; the spiders seemed to be closing in.

"We do not speak of it!" said Aragog fiercely. "We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid the name of that dread creature, though he asked me, many times."

"See? I was tryin' to figure out what was goin' on. Only I never did." said Hagrid rubbing the back of his head.

Harry didn't want to press the subject, not with the spiders pressing closer on all sides.

Ron began to start shaking even more so than before.

Aragog seemed to be tired of talking. He was backing slowly into his domed web, but his fellow spiders continued to inch slowly toward Harry and Ron.

Mrs. Weasley as well as the rest of her family gave a small whimper. Harry's extended family remained silent, but Harry could hear their breathing becoming faster.

"We'll just go, then," Harry called desperately to Aragog, hearing leaves rustling behind him.

"Go?" said Aragog slowly. "I think not…"

"What?" said Hagrid in shock.

"But — but —"

"My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat, when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friend of Hagrid."

"HAGRID!" screamed most of the people in the Hall.

"I DIDN' KNOW HE WOULD HURT 'EM! ARAGOG NEVER..." said Hagrid loudly, but he couldn't finish it, due to the glare that Dumbledore sent his way.

"Hagrid, I will create a barrier so that no one walks into that part of the forest. But you tell Aragog that if he or any of his children attempt to cause harm to any students here, I personally will see to them myself." said Dumbledore darkly.

Harry spun around. Feet away, towering above him, was a solid wall of spiders, clicking, their many eyes gleaming in their ugly black heads.

"You okay, kid?" asked Nightstrike looking over to Ron, who was deathly pale and trembling.

"F-F-Fine, n-n-never bet-better." said Ron who was being held tighter in his mother's arms.

"Here lad." said Dr. Nicodemus walking over to Ron and handing him a small capsule. "It's a Ranger tranquilizer, a bit stronger than a calming draught and lasts almost the rest of your life."

"Hold up." said Bill, as Ron reached for the small pill. "You mean to say that, that thing will keep him calm his whole life?"

"Yes, and no." said Dr. Nicodemus. "This little pill will keep him nice and calm for an hour or two, but for the rest of his life, when he meets up with another acromantula, he will stay nice and calm and keep his wits about him." he finished with a smile.

"How can you pinpoint it to acromantulas?" said Fred.

"I just programmed it for that." said Dr. Nicodemus waving a thin black wand.

"And the side effects, downsides?" asked Charlie with scrutiny.

"Well...there is one." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"And that would be?" said Bill.

"Since he is a child now, on the night he turns seventeen..." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"What would happen?" said Mr. Weasley quickly.

"Let's just say, his brothers should come and fetch him. He's going to desire a long night of drinking, of an alcoholic nature." said Dr. Nicodemus with a smirk.

"That's it?" said Fred.

"That's it." said Dr. Nicodemus with a smile. "To steady past nerves."

"Hell...we could take him out tonight." whispered Charlie. Bill shoved his shoulder hard.

"He's too young." he snarled.

"Like that stopped you." said Charlie with a sneer.

Even as he reached for his wand, Harry knew it was no good, there were too many of them,

Every eye turned towards the two boys, every eye bursting with horror and fear.

but as he tried to stand, ready to die fighting,

Harry turned to look upwards into the sky, not desiring to meet any of his uncle's eyes.

a loud, long note sounded, and a blaze of light flamed through the hollow.

Mr. Weasley's car was thundering down the slope,

"Thank God, hop in and get the bloody hell out of there!" shouted Dr. Clark.

headlights glaring, its horn screeching, knocking spiders aside; several were thrown onto their backs, their endless legs waving in the air.

"Where's a giant flyswatter when you need it?" asked Fred.

"Or at least some bug spray." said George.

The car screeched to a halt in front of Harry and Ron and the doors flew open.

"Get Fang!" Harry yelled, diving into the front seat; Ron seized the boarhound around the middle and threw him, yelping, into the back of the car —

"Found out he gets car sick." said Ron with a laugh, the capsule was doing it's job beautifully.

the doors slammed shut — Ron didn't touch the accelerator but the car didn't need him;

"Oh, that's nice." said Fred.

the engine roared and they were off, hitting more spiders.

The school began to cheer, yet Hagrid was still sitting dumbfounded. He almost got Harry and Ron killed, he never thought that Aragog would let them get hurt, perhaps it was time for Hagrid to draw the line in the sand. Didn't matter if he was ill, Aragog had no right to do that.

They sped up the slope, out of the hollow, and they were soon crashing through the forest, branches whipping the windows as the car wound its way cleverly through the widest gaps, following a path it obviously knew.

"You'd think that it would run out of gas." said Dr. Clark calming down at last.

"I...um...upped it's gas mileage." said Mr. Weasley with a blush. "It won't need refilling for a real long time."

"That's...amazing..." said Dr. Clark with awed look.

Harry looked sideways at Ron. His mouth was still open in the silent scream, but his eyes weren't popping anymore.

"At least he won't suffer a heart-attack then." said George.

"Can't say the same thing for us though." said Fred wiping the sweat off his brow.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, just fine, just got down having a nice sit down tea with Aragog and his family." said Ron with a smirk.

"Nice to know you're feeling better." said Harry with a laugh.

Ron stared straight ahead, unable to speak.

They smashed their way through the undergrowth, Fang howling loudly in the back seat, and Harry saw the side mirror snap off as they squeezed past a large oak. After ten noisy, rocky minutes, the trees thinned, and Harry could again see patches of sky.

"You're safe, you get out ok." said Sirius sighing with relief.

The car stopped so suddenly that they were nearly thrown into the windshield.

"Well that shoots the safe part down." said Sirius with a nervous chuckle.

They had reached the edge of the forest. Fang flung himself at the window in his anxiety to get out, and when Harry opened the door, he shot off through the trees to Hagrid's house, tail between his legs.

"Poor thing." said Hagrid sadly.

"Yeah, it took a lot of Harry's homemade biscuits to get back on his good side." said Ron with a smile.

"Dog biscuits?" asked Sirius.

"Buttermilk." said Harry.

Harry got out too, and after a minute or so, Ron seemed to regain the feeling in his limbs and followed, still stiff-necked and staring. Harry gave the car a grateful pat as it reversed back into the forest and disappeared from view.

"Arthur, I think the school and Hagrid owes you a great debt of gratitude, for enchanting that car." said Dumbledore tidying up the empty phials of Calming Draught.

"The school, sir?" asked Mr. Weasley confused.

"Well, it saved two students, and helped them come back with the truth." said Dumbledore.

Harry went back into Hagrid's cabin to get the Invisibility Cloak. Fang was trembling under a blanket in his basket. When Harry got outside again, he found Ron being violent sick in the pumpkin patch.

"You alright now, Ron?" asked Luna dreamily.

"I've fine, thanks Luna." said Ron with a smile.

"Follow the spiders," said Ron weakly, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I'll never forgive Hagrid. We're lucky to be alive."

"I forgave you Hagrid, I was still scared out of my mind." said Ron quickly.

"I bet he thought Aragog wouldn't hurt friends of his," said Harry.

"That I did, I'm really sorry." said Hagrid sadly.

"It wasn't your fault, really. You should really trust people you call friends." said Harry.

"Not always boy." said Moody disapprovingly.

"That's exactly Hagrid's problem!" said Ron, thumping the wall of the cabin. "He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as they're made out, and look where it's got him! A cell in Azkaban!" He was shivering uncontrollably now.

Ron looked apologetically up to Hagrid and tried to offer an apology, but no words came past his throat.

"What was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out, I'd like to know?"

"You found out that Hagrid was not the one behind the Chamber of Secrets the last time." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"That Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets," said Harry, throwing the cloak over Ron and prodding him in the arm to make him walk. "He was innocent."

"Still can't believe you managed to bounce back that fast." said Ron.

"I'm not arachnophobic," said Harry. "Though, if you put in me in a glade full of dementors, I think I would be in way worse shape than you."

Ron gave a loud snort. Evidently, hatching Aragog in a cupboard wasn't his idea of being innocent.

As the castle loomed nearer Harry twitched the cloak to make sure their feet were hidden, then pushed the creaking front doors ajar.

"So...who left the door unlocked?" asked Charlie.

"Filch wasn't exactly all that focused that year." said Fred.

They walked carefully back across the entrance hall and up the marble staircase, holding their breath as they passed corridors where watchful sentries were walking. At last they reached the safety of the Gryffindor common room, where the fire had burned itself into glowing ash. They took off the cloak and climbed the winding stair to their dormitory.

"You alright, Remus?" asked Sirius and Dr. Clark, noticing how tense the man look.

"This was a bad chapter to read so early in the morning." said Remus running a cold hand over his sweaty face.

"Better to read it in the morning, as opposed to last night." said Harry.

"You got a point." said Remus with a sigh.

Ron fell onto his bed without bothering to get undressed. Harry, however, didn't feel very sleepy. He sat on the edge of his four poster, thinking hard about everything Aragog had said.

"Harry, you need rest too." said Mrs. Weasley.

"After that night, I don't think sleeping would have been all that restful." said Harry.

The creature that was lurking somewhere in the castle, he thought, sounded like a sort of monster Voldemort — even other monsters didn't want to name it.

"That's a scary thought." said a first year.

But he and Ron were no closer to finding out what it was, or how it petrified its victims. Even Hagrid had never known what was in the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry swung his legs up onto his bed and leaned back against his pillows, watching the moon glinting at him through the tower window. He couldn't see what else they could do. They had hit dead ends everywhere. Riddle had caught the wrong person, the Heir of Slytherin had got off, and no one could tell whether it was the same person, or a different one, who had opened the Chamber this time. There was nobody else to ask. Harry lay down, still thinking about what Aragog had said.

"Just leave it for tomorrow." said Ernie, "We were still safe for a little while."

"You've got a really bad memory." said Fred.

He was becoming drowsy when what seemed like their very last hope occurred to him, and he suddenly sat bolt upright.

"You and your inspiring thoughts are going to drive me nuts. I still don't figure how you managed to remember everything that Aragog said. I still can't remember a tenth of it." said Ron shaking his head.

"Ron," he hissed through the dark, "Ron —"

Ron woke with a yelp like Fang's, stared wildly around, and saw Harry.

"I thought a spider had snuck in." said Ron sheepishly.

"Ron — that girl who died. Aragog said "she was found in a bathroom," said Harry, ignoring Neville's snuffling snores from the corner. "What if she never left the bathroom? What if she's still there?"

Ron rubbed his eyes, frowning through the moonlight. And then he understood, too.

"You don't think — not Moaning Myrtle?"

"Oh crap!" said George.

"Is that what you meant by; you didn't have the heart to remove her?" asked Dr. Clark.

"That it is." said Dumbledore with a sad look.

Chapter 44

"I'll read this chapter, I think." said Dr. Nicodemus. "It may be best, if you let us read the ending parts. That way, the story keeps going on."

"Thank you." said Dumbledore kindly.

The Chamber of Secrets

"Thank heavens that you're reading." said Bill nervously.

"I don't think I really want to know." said Remus putting his hands to his ears.

"Me either." said Sirius doing the same.

"All those times we were in that bathroom, and she was just three toilets away," said Ron bitterly at breakfast next day, "and we could've asked her, and now…"

"It's not all that abnormal to walk up to a ghost and ask how they died. When you do, they tend to embellish it just a bit." said Bill. "Nick's story keeps changing almost every time you ask."

It had been hard enough trying to look for spiders.

"You looking for spiders again?" asked Charlie.

"No, spider searching was done." said Harry.

Escaping their teachers long enough to sneak into a girls' bathroom, the girls' bathroom, moreover, right next to the scene of the first attack, was going to be almost impossible.

"Gee, you make it sound like a bad thing." said Remus. "Protecting students."

"The teachers leading us about, is one thing, but Lockhart is something completely different."

"Understandable." said Sirius, Dr. Clark and Remus quickly.

But something happened in their first lesson, Transfiguration, that drove the Chamber of Secrets out of their minds for the first time in weeks.

"In Transfiguration? What the hell could be so important in there that…um…er…" said Sirius quickly but his voice faded into slight whimpers under McGonagall's furious stare.

Ten minutes into the class, Professor McGonagall told them that their exams would start on the first of June, one week from today.

The visiting adults in the room went silent.

"Exams? After all that terror and the attacks, you're going to have them take the exams? They won't be thinking clearly. Especially the first years, fifth years and the seventh years. The first years will be too traumatized to think about their first tests, and the other two will ruin their chances for future careers." said Remus incredulously.

"The school had to continue on as normal." said McGonagall, "Dumbledore's orders."

"Doesn't put you in a good light." said Sirius shortly.

"I had a plan." said Dumbledore with a kind smile.

"Exams?" howled Seamus Finnigan. "We're still getting exams?"

"Go figure, a boy would be the first one to shout out." said Emmeline Vance with a smirk.

There was a loud bang behind Harry as Neville Longbottom's wand slipped, vanishing one of the legs on his desk.

"I got nervous." said Neville meekly.

"You'd be foolish not to be nervous about those exams." said Remus with a comforting smile.

Professor McGonagall restored it with a wave of her own wand,

"It's always been commonplace to replace the legs of desks in my class." said McGonagall.

and turned, frowning, to Seamus.

"The whole point of keeping the school open at this time is for you to receive your education," she said sternly. "The exams will therefore take place as usual, and I trust you are all studying hard"

"We couldn't even sleep without having nightmares, what makes you think we're studying." said Fred.

Studying hard! It had never occurred to Harry that there would be exams with the castle in this state.

"I couldn't even open a textbook and focus on a subject for the past few weeks." said Harry.

There was a great deal of mutinous muttering around the room, which made Professor McGonagall scowl even more darkly.

"That silenced everyone quite quick." said Ron.

"Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible, she said. "And that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much you have learned this year."

"Well, one thing we learned was that terrified kids will become savages and beat the crap out of the first thing that sneezes." said Sirius sending an angry look over to the Hufflepuffs.

"And that there is a Chamber in the school that holds a terrifying monster that can petrify people without much trouble." said Dr. Clark weakly.

"And Hagrid was framed for a crime he didn't commit." said Remus.

"And that Harry is in deep trouble for going in the forest." said Rudolph and Leroy.

"That too." said the three men in the bowl.

"And to think, once upon a time, I wished for people that cared about me." said Harry with a teasing smile. "What was I thinking?"

"You're asking for it." said Sirius, though the sternness in his voice didn't reach his eyes.

Harry looked down at the pair of white rabbits he was supposed to be turning into slippers.

"All I could manage to do to them was make the bunnies themselves tap-dance." said Ron shaking his head.

What had he learned so far this year? He couldn't seem to think of anything that would be useful in an exam.

"Yeah, we didn't exactly cover Polyjuice Potions in Potions class, and running away from spiders won't exactly help in Charms." said Harry with a smirk.

Ron looked as though he'd just been told he had to go and live in the Forbidden Forest.

"I think I actually would have rather go in there as opposed to facing the exams that year. One wrong move with my wand, I would've blown up the entire class, and everyone in it." said Ron.

"Can you imagine me taking exams with this?" he asked Harry, holding up his wand, which had just started whistling loudly.

"You're doomed." said Charlie shaking his head.

Three days before their first exam, Professor McGonagall made another announcement at breakfast.

"Goody, more good news." said Tonks rolling her eyes.

"Don't knock it, it was good news." said Harry.

"I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted.

"Never happens when Dumbledore talks." said Rudolph with a smile.

"We were freaking out, thank you very much." said Dean.

"Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully.

"That would set the kid's minds at ease." said Kingsley.

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" squealed a girl at the Ravenclaw table.

"Now that would be good news. Hell, good enough reason to throw a party." said Tonks.

"Or cancel the exams." said Remus.

"Quidditch matches are back on!" roared Wood excitedly.

"She's a Quidditch nut, but not that much of a Quidditch nut." said Charlie.

When the hubbub had subsided, Professor McGonagall said, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last.Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified.

"That IS good news!" said Sirius happily. "Though, catching the heir would have been better."

I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them.

"Not really, I don't remember much." said Justin rubbing the back of his head.

"Strange, Nick remembers, kept talking about it for months as a matter of fact." said Fred.

"How do you cure a ghost?" asked Dr. Clark. "You can't exactly pour a potion down his throat."

"We had to waft him through the potion." said Madam Pomfrey with a smile.

I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

"Sort of…" said Ron and Harry.

"What do you mean?" asked Remus.

"It sort of happened, the heir getting caught." said Ron.

"Fabulous." groaned Leroy, burying his face in Rudolph's chest. "'Sort of happened' when applied to catching a criminal means, you don't get him."

There was an explosion of cheering.

Seeing an opening in the fear and the terror, the school did an encore of the cheers and yells, to the amusement of the adults.

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and wasn't at all surprised to see that Draco Malfoy hadn't joined in.

Malfoy shuffled his feet nervously.

"Didn't know it was that bad." said Leroy looking over at the small boy sadly.

Ron, however, was looking happier than he'd looked in days.

"Finally had something to look forward to, after the whole spider incident." said Ron with a slight smile.

"It won't matter that we never asked Myrtle, then!" he said to Harry. "Hermione'll probably have all the answers when they wake her up!

"Hey! There you go! Then for about the millionth time," said Sirius smiling widely, then he bellowed "GO GET A TEACHER AND TELL THEM!"

Mind you, she'll go crazy when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time. She hasn't studied. It might be kinder to leave her where she is till they're over."

"With anyone else, yes, but not Hermione." said Remus fondly.

Just then, Ginny Weasley came over and sat down next to Ron. She looked tense and nervous, and Harry noticed that her hands were twisting in her lap.

"Were you okay short-stuff?" asked Bill coming over to sit beside her.

Ginny shrugged and looked away.

"Scoot, we're sitting here, now." said Charlie as both elder Weasley children sat on either side of her. "You look like you could use some big brother time."

"What's up?" said Ron, helping himself to more porridge.

Ginny didn't say anything, but glanced up and down the Gryffindor table with a scared look on her face that reminded Harry of someone, though he couldn't think who.

"Yourself?" asked Zacharias snidely.

"She's braver and stronger than me, it wasn't me that she reminded me of." said Harry with a smirk. "Someone just as equally brave and strong as her though."

"Spit it out," said Ron, watching her.

Harry suddenly realized who Ginny looked like. She was rocking backward and forward slightly in her chair, exactly like Dobby

Ginny looked over to him in confusion, but slowly her confused frown turned to a smile. She knew what he was talking about.

did when he was teetering on the edge of revealing forbidden information.

"I still don't get what you mean." said Sirius confused.

"She knows something, and she's not telling." said Ron.

"I've got to tell you something," Ginny mumbled, carefully not looking at Harry.

"So who's she talking to?" asked a first year.

"Harry, but she was still suffering from her crush." said Hermione with a kind smile.

"What is it?" said Harry.

Ginny looked as though she couldn't find the right words.

"What?" said Ron.

"Nice Ron." said Angelina rolling her eyes.

Ginny opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Harry leaned forward and spoke quietly, so that only Ginny and Ron could hear him.

"Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen something? Someone acting oddly?"

"Way to reassure her, mate." said Fred. "Pressuring her to talk to you is a great way to calm her down."

"You could have come to us, sweet-stuff." said George looking at Ginny.

"Didn't know who to go to. I though you two would have laughed at me." said Ginny quietly.

"When do we ever laugh at you, we laugh with you, not at you." said George.

"Unless you really deserve it." said Fred.

"Well…yeah." said George. "Like that time that you put hot sauce in our jell-o?"

"We're still trying to find a way to get you back for that one." said Fred.

Ginny began to giggle.

"Haven't eaten the stuff since." said the twins together. "And we used to love that slimy stuff!"

Ginny drew a deep breath and, at that precise moment, Percy Weasley appeared, looking tired and wan.

"Oh, what was wrong, Percykins?" said George in a baby voice.

"Did you go patrolling again?" said Fred.

"What's wrong with trying to protect the students?" said Percy indignantly.

"It's a problem when you don't even remember to sleep or eat, Perce." said Fred.

"That's why we snuck that sleeping potion in your tea that one time." said George.

"And left you in the laundry room." said Fred. "On a nice bed of pillows and linen, slept like a baby."

Percy snarled at his brothers, but it was short-lived.

"Thank you boys, no need for Percy to get himself sick." said Mrs. Weasely praising her sons..

Percy, Fred and George stared. "Who are you and what have you done with our mother?" said Fred and George together.

"If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving, I've only just come off patrol duty."

"PERCY! Leave your sister alone!" said Mr. Weasley. "Couldn't you see what she was like?"

Percy shuffled his feet nervously.

Ginny jumped up as though her chair had just been electrified, gave Percy a fleeting, frightened look, and scampered away.

"Huh?" said Charlie.

"You know, I've sort of wondered what that was about." said Percy absently.

"You were always going on about how you were willing to turn Fred and George in if they broke the rules." snapped Ginny. "I didn't want to be your first sacrifice down the path you chose."

Percy stared at his little sister. "Ginny, I never…not you…"

"Really? How was I to know that you were going to spare me?" she spat. "You threatened to take Ron to McGonagall when you saw him come out of the bathroom! You even ratted out Charlie when he snuck into the dorms late one night when he was still here."

"You did that? What the hell…?" said Charlie looking at his younger brother.

"Then you sided with that monster! Both of them!" shrieked Ginny pointing up to Umbridge and Fudge's empty seat. "Against Harry! What has he ever done to you? All he's ever done was protect this family! Better than you ever could, or ever will." she finished, her voice as cold as ice.

Percy sat in shock, his parted lips trembling.

Nightstrike cleared his throat and pressed on.

Percy sat down and grabbed a mug from the center of the table.

"Percy!" said Ron angrily. "She was just about to tell us something important!"

Halfway through a gulp of tea, Percy choked.

"What the heck for?" asked Mr. Weasley curiously, trying to breeze past the rant his daughter had just released.

"What sort of thing?" he said, coughing.

"I just asked her if she'd seen anything odd, and she started to say…"

"Oh — that — that's nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets," said Percy at once.

"How would you know?" asked Rudolph curiously.

"How do you know?" said Ron, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, what he said." said Rudolph with a laugh.

"Well, er, if you must know, Ginny, er, walked in on me the other day when I was — well, never mind — the point is, she spotted me doing something and I, um, I asked her not to mention it to anybody. I must say, I did think she'd keep her word. It's nothing, really, I'd just rather —"

"What the…just spit it out already!" said Sirius.

"I think his little sister walked in on him snogging someone." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

"Oh that would be precious." said Remus with a laugh.

Harry had never seen Percy look so uncomfortable.

A few of the people in the Hall began to laugh, Percy looked just about as uncomfortable as the book described.

"What were you doing, Percy?" said Ron, grinning. "Go on, tell us, we won't laugh."

"Nobody would buy that if you're smiling like that." said Tonks with a smirk.

Percy didn't smile back.

"Pass me those rolls, Harry, I'm starving."

"Compared to Harry, you don't know the meaning of the word." said a seventh year Hufflepuff.

Harry knew the whole mystery might be solved tomorrow without their help, but he wasn't about to pass up a chance to speak to Myrtle if it turned up —

The adults in the room stared at the boy.

"And why is that?" asked McGonagall sternly.

"I just had a bad feeling." said Harry shrugging. "That it was really important to talk to Myrtle."

and to his delight it did, midmorning, when they were being led to History of Magic by Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Damn, I thought we were done with that imbecile." said Remus groaning.

Lockhart, who had so often assured them that all danger had passed, only to be proved wrong right away,

"Which was never very hard." said Harry with a smirk.

was now wholeheartedly convinced that it was hardly worth the trouble to see them safely down the corridors.

"Oh…if he had said that in the teacher's lounge..." growled McGonagall angrily.

"There wouldn't much left of him to send him to the Hospital Wing after we would get done with him." said Professor Flitwick angrily.

His hair wasn't as sleek as usual; it seemed he had been up most of the night, patrolling the fourth floor.\

"Aww…poor baby." said Dr. Clark with a smirk.

"Hey now, I can remember freaking out about my hair." said Rudolph.

"Yeah, but you mostly just braid it and have done with it." said Leroy.

"Sure, now. Before, I was a nervous wreck trying to get it to do things God never intended hair to do." said Rudolph with a smile.

"Mark my words," he said, ushering them around a corner.

"That never goes well, that's about as bad as saying 'Thing's couldn't possibly get any worse.'" said Michael with a laugh.

"The first words out of those poor Petrified people's mouths will be 'It was Hagrid.'

"I'm hoping that the next attack happens to him." said Sirius.

"If he was the only one attacked, I'd forget completely how to make the Mandrake draught." said Poppy with an evil grin.

Frankly, I'm astounded Professor McGonagall thinks all these security measures are necessary."

"Stupid fool." muttered Moody grimly.

"I agree, sir," said Harry,

The school went completely silent.

Sirius stared at Harry in confusion. "What?"

"You'll see." said Harry.

making Ron drop his books in surprise.

"Forget dropping the books, I'd faint if I had been there in person hearing that." said Bill.

"Thank you, Harry," said Lockhart graciously while they waited for a long line of Hufflepuffs to pass.

"His fondest wish, Harry agreeing with him." snarled Remus.

"I mean, we teachers have quite enough to be getting on with, without walking students to classes and standing guard all night…"

"Why that loathsome cockroach! It is our duty to protect the students from any and all danger!" said Professor Sprout shortly.

"That's right," said Ron, catching on. "Why don't you leave us here, sir, we've only got one more corridor to go —"

"You two are pretty good about going about and acting on the spur of the moment." said Moody impressively.

"You should hear Harry soon after this." said Ron.

"You know, Weasley, I think I will," said Lockhart. "I really should go and prepare my next class —" And he hurried off.

"Preping a class?" snorted Sirius. "More like to style his hair up."

"Prepare his class," Ron sneered after him. "Gone to curl his hair, more like."

"Awesome!" said Sirius with a laugh.

They let the rest of the Gryffindors draw ahead of them, then darted down a side passage and hurried off toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. But just as they were congratulating each other on their brilliant scheme –

"Note to self, never do that." said Harry. "Things only get worse when you do that."

"Potter! Weasley! What are you doing?" It was Professor McGonagall, and her mouth was the thinnest of thin lines.

"Unaccompanied students in these troubled times was only asking for another attack to happen." said McGonagall, she remembered this day, and they had lied to her!

"We were — we were —" Ron stammered. "We were going to — to go and see —"

"Never stutter. That won't help with convincing anyone." said Kingsley.

"Hermione," said Harry. Ron and Professor McGonagall both looked at him.

"What?" said the school.

"We haven't seen her for ages, Professor," Harry went on hurriedly, treading on Ron's foot, "and we thought we'd sneak into the hospital wing, you know, and tell her the Mandrakes are nearly ready and, er, not to worry —"

Moody laughed. "Now there's an insight to his real way of thinking. I wouldn't have come up with that one!"

Professor McGonagall was still staring at him, and for a moment, Harry thought she was going to explode, but when she spoke, it was in a strangely croaky voice.

"I wasn't too sure if that card was going to win me the game, or send me home." said Harry absently.

"Of course," she said, and Harry, amazed, saw a tear glistening in her beady eye.

"I've never seen you like that before, I wasn't too sure if you could act like that anymore." said Harry helplessly.

"Of course, I realize this has all been hardest on the friends of those who have been… I quite understand. Yes, Potter, of course you may visit Miss Granger. I will inform Professor Binns where you've gone. Tell Madam Pomfrey I have given my permission."

"I can't see anything wrong or make fun of that." said Sirius, "all it shows is that you have a heart."

"Who the hell are you?" asked Harry and Remus together.

"Hey…I'm…." said Sirius but stopping himself quickly.

"Say it." said the three people in the bowl eagerly.

"I'm…human…" growled Sirius.

"HA!" said Remus with a laugh.

Harry and Ron walked away, hardly daring to believe that they'd avoided detention.

"Screw detention, we were lucky she didn't lop off and kill us." said Ron.

As they turned the corner, they distinctly heard Professor McGonagall blow her nose.

"I'm sorry." said Harry guiltily.

McGonagall sent him a fierce look over his way, but her anger wavered when she saw him flinch.

"That," said Ron fervently, "was the best story you've ever come up with."

"It was!" said Ron defensively when his mother glared at him.

They had no choice now but to go to the hospital wing and tell Madam Pomfrey that they had Professor McGonagall's permission to visit Hermione.

"Good idea, she might check up on the story." said Tonks appreciatively.

Madam Pomfrey let them in, but reluctantly.

"There's just no point talking to a Petrified person," she said,

"Well, there isn't." said Madam Pomfrey.

"You're about as good at sympathy as Hermione." said Ron absently. Hermione replied by shoving in elbow into his side.

and they had to admit she had a point when they'd taken their seats next to Hermione. It was plain that Hermione didn't have the faintest inkling that she had visitors, and that they might just as well tell her bedside cabinet not to worry for all the good it would do.

Hermione glared at both of the boys, who then looked at each other.

"It was nice knowing you." said Harry and Ron to each other.

"Wonder if she did see the attacker, though?" said Ron, looking sadly at Hermione's rigid face. "Because if he sneaked up on them all, no one'll ever know…"

"Hadn't thought of that." said Kingsley, "Then we'd still be in the dark."

But Harry wasn't looking at Hermione's face.

"Oh that's nice." said Katie.

He was more interested in her right hand.

"What?" said Katie and Alicia. "Her hand?"

It lay clenched on top of her blankets, and bending closer, he saw that a piece of paper was scrunched inside her fist.

"James would be so proud." said Dr. Clark with a loving smile. Harry looked down and smiled to himself.

"Both of them." said Sirius.

Making sure that Madam Pomfrey was nowhere near, he pointed this out to Ron.

"Go on and get it out," Ron whispered, shifting his chair so that he blocked Harry from Madam Pomfrey's view.

Dr. Nicodemus lowered the book, then he and the rest of the Rangers, including the Aurors turned and stared at the two boys.

"You two are good." said Lionus with a smirk. "I'm going to have to keep an eye on you two, along with Miss Granger."

It was no easy task. Hermione's hand was clamped so tightly around the paper that Harry was sure he was going to tear it.

"Or snap her fingers off." said Harry.

While Ron kept watch he tugged and twisted, and at last, after several tense minutes, the paper came free.

It was a page torn from a very old library book.

"We replaced the book!" said Harry quickly.

Harry smoothed it out eagerly and Ron leaned close to read it, too.

"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death.

Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."

"IT'S A BASILISK? EVACUATE THE F*&^%*&^% SCHOOL!" yelled Remus.

Several adults and students then began to panic, no amount of sparks from Dumbledore's wand could bring them back to their senses.

Lionus stood up and shouted. "TEN SHUN!" the school went quiet. "Now, that's better, the threat is long gone, relax." he said sitting back down.

Everyone else sat slowly back down and settled into their chairs nervously.

"How did you do that?" asked Dean.

"A great leader can command anyone." said Viper proudly.

And beneath this, a single word had been written, in a hand Harry recognized as Hermione's. Pipes.

"Is that how the monster was getting about?" said Remus calming down.

"Glad I didn' find it." said Hagrid. "I woulda been killed."

It was as though somebody had just flicked a light on in his brain.

"Ron," he breathed. "This is it. This is the answer. The monster in the Chamber's a basilisk — a giant serpent! That's why I've been hearing that voice all over the place, and nobody else has heard it. It's because I understand Parseltongue…"

"Crap, that makes everything come into focus doesn't it." said Charlie.

"You both a had better of gone to a teacher." said Bill warningly.

"We did." said Harry honestly, but the sides of his mouth twitched.

"Can't wait to hear this one." said Madam Bones with a groan

Harry looked up at the beds around him.

"The basilisk kills people by looking at them. But no one's died — because no one looked it straight in the eye. Colin saw it through his camera. The basilisk burned up all the film inside it, but Colin just got Petrified.

"I loved that camera, and I had some really good pictures on that roll." said Colin sadly.

Justin… Justin must've seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick! Nick got the full blast of it, but he couldn't die again… and Hermione and that Ravenclaw prefect were found with a mirror next to them. Hermione had just realized the monster was a basilisk. I bet you anything she warned the first person she met to look around corners with a mirror first! And that girl pulled out her mirror — and —"

"That's exactly what happened." said Hermione looking at Harry in shock.

Ron's jaw had dropped.

"And Mrs. Norris?" he whispered eagerly.

Harry thought hard, picturing the scene on the night of Halloween.

"The water…" he said slowly. "The flood from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I bet you Mrs. Norris only saw the reflection…"

"That's von hell of a memory you've got there." said Viper with an impressed look.

He scanned the page in his hand eagerly. The more he looked at it, the more it made sense.

"… The crowing of the rooster… is fatal to it!" he read aloud. "Hagrid's roosters were killed!

"He even remembered that, you're way too much." said Tonks shaking her head.

The Heir of Slytherin didn't want one anywhere near the castle once the Chamber was opened! Spiders flee before it! It all fits!"

"But how's the basilisk been getting around the place?" said Ron. "A giant snake… Someone would've seen…"

Harry, however, pointed at the word Hermione had scribbled at the foot of the page.

"Pipes," he said. "Pipes… Ron, it's been using the plumbing. I've been hearing that voice inside the walls…"

Ron suddenly grabbed Harry's arm.

"I had a brainstorm of my own right there." said Ron proudly.

"The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets!" he said hoarsely. "What if it's a bathroom? What if it's in —"

"Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," said Harry.

The people in the school took a sharp intake of breath.

"And you've been in there several times." said Sirius weakly. "You kids are the luckiest people on the planet."

"I'm taking a Calming Draught, Albus." said Remus reaching over.

"Pass 'em on." said Dr. Clark.

They sat there, excitement coursing through them, hardly able to believe it.

"This means," said Harry, "I can't be the only Parselmouth in the school. The Heir of Slytherin's one, too. That's how he's been controlling the basilisk."

"Dear me." said Bathilda worriedly.

"What're we going to do?" said Ron, whose eyes were flashing. "Should we go straight to McGonagall?"

"Finally! They're showing some sense." said Madam Pomfrey.

"Let's go to the staff room," said Harry, jumping up. "She'll be there in ten minutes. It's nearly break."

"Good, tell a whole bunch of teachers, one of them is bound to believe you." said George. But the teachers looked worried, when they went to the teacher's lounge that day…dear lord.

They ran downstairs. Not wanting to be discovered hanging around in another corridor, they went straight into the deserted staff room. It was a large, paneled room full of dark, wooden chairs. Harry and Ron paced around it, too excited to sit down.

"But, then, where did you go?" said Professor Sprout, hoping they weren't in there for much longer.

But the bell to signal break never came.

"Huh? But then what told everyone that class was over?" said Sirius.

Instead, echoing through the corridors came Professor McGonagall's voice, magically magnified.

"All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please."

"Oh, no, another attack." said Remus faintly.

Harry wheeled around to stare at Ron. "Not another attack? Not now?"

"What'll we do?" said Ron, aghast. "Go back to the dormitory?"

"Oh, please yes." said Professor Flitwick worriedly.

"No," said Harry, glancing around. There was an ugly sort of wardrobe to his left, full of the teachers' cloaks. "In here. Let's hear what it's all about. Then we can tell them what we've found out."

"You know, I was sort of skeptical about how clever you were and if you were really holding back. Now I'm seeing, you do hold back quite a bit." said one of the Unspeakables.

They hid themselves inside it, listening to the rumbling of hundreds of people moving overhead, and the staff room door banging open. From between the musty folds of the cloaks, they watched the teachers filtering into the room. Some of them were looking puzzled, others downright scared.

"Those were the smart ones." said Mr. Weasley.

Then Professor McGonagall arrived.

"It has happened," she told the silent staff room. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."

All around the room, where every guest and ever student third years and under sat, a collective nervous gulp went around the room.

Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?"

"The Heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who was very white, "left another message. Right underneath the first one. 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.' "

"Ginny began to start shaking.

"It's alright short-stuff, was she a friend of hers." asked Bill. But Ginny wouldn't reply.

Professor Flitwick burst into tears.

"Who is it?" said Madam Hooch, who had sunk, weak-kneed, into a chair. "Which student?"

"Ginny Weasley," said Professor McGonagall.

Both Charlie and Bill jumped about a foot in the air and enclosed their little sister in their arms.

"B-bu-but she's right here! She's not down there!" said Charlie nervously.

"She was saved from the Chamber of Secrets." said Dumbledore kindly.

"Who saved her?" asked Bill.

"She was saved by her brother Ronald, and Harry." said Dumbledore with a smile over to the two boys.

Charlie and Bill stared at their little brother; they didn't look at Harry, who was having a staring contest of his own to deal with.

"You went down there…?" said Remus grimly.

"Um…" said Harry slowly.

Harry felt Ron slide silently down onto the wardrobe floor beside him.

"I couldn't believe it, I thought she was gone." said Ron sheepishly.

"We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow," said Professor McGonagall. "This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said…"

"Always said what?" asked Sirius.

"That if another student had died from this, I personally would shut the school down myself." said Dumbledore sadly.

The staffroom door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was sure it would be Dumbledore.

"Hope mixed with desperation." said Harry.

"You aren't allowed to talk for the rest of the book. Or I'll tape your mouth." said Remus sternly.

But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming.

"What right does he have to be happy?" said Remus angrily. Harry opened his mouth, but swiftly a magical piece of tape went across his mouth, and then it faded. Harry tried, but he couldn't speak or remove it.

"I told you…" said Remus warningly.

"Remus..." said Dumbledore in a warning like tone.

"It'll only stay till this chapter's over." said Remus shortly. Harry glared at Remus.

"So sorry — dozed off — what have I missed?"

"I'll kill him with my own hands if I can manage it." said Bill angrily.

He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred.

"It wasn't 'like it' it was 'it.'" said Snape with a scowl.

Snape stepped forward.

"For god's sake hex the man." said Sirius, positively begging Snape.

"Just the man," he said.

"Wait, what?" asked Sirius, unclasping his hands.

"The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last."

Lockhart blanched.

"That's his mind screaming 'MOMMY!'" said George with a laugh.

"That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

"I — well, I —"sputtered Lockhart.

"He's backfiring on himself, this is priceless." said Dr. Clark with a laugh. "Do you really have to tape Harry's mouth, I'm not too happy about that." he added with a frown. He looked at Harry, but he only shrugged.

"He always dances around me punishing him with his talking, I'm not letting him get away with it this time." said Remus angrily.

"Just like his grandpa." said Rudolph with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?" asked Sirius.

"When we were little, his grandpa would always manage to get out of trouble, talked his way out of anything. Drove me just about mad." said Rudolph. "I'd get punished some of the time, not his though."

"Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Professor Flitwick.

"D-did I? I don't recall —"

"Didn't recall? He told me the day before." said Flitwick with a laugh.

"I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Snape. "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?"

"Students would have been petrified left and right." said Dr. Clark shaking his head.

Lockhart stared around at his stony-faced colleagues.

"I — I really never — you may have misunderstood —"

"Bull, you make sure that no one misunderstands you." said Professor Hooch.

"We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last."

"Free reign to choke yourself." said Remus.

Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue.

"Who'd want to rescue him?" asked Dean.

"Rudolph asked me that once. Lockhart's not my type, I like older men." said Leroy with a sly smile.

He didn't look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak-chinned and feeble.

"Wuss." said Charlie, still hugging his small sister.

"V-very well," he said. "I'll — I'll be in my office, getting — getting ready."

And he left the room.

"Right," said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared, "that's got him out from under our feet.

"You sneaky…" said Remus with a laugh.

"I have my moments." said Professor McGonagall smugly.

The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories."

"You're about to find out that two of yours are out." said Sirius. Harry shook his head.

"We made it back in time." said Ron who was looking at Harry.

The teachers rose and left, one by one.

It was probably the worst day of Harry's entire life. He, Ron, Fred, and George sat together in a corner of the Gryffindor common room, unable to say anything to each other. Percy wasn't there. He had gone to send an owl to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, then shut himself up in his dormitory.

The Weasley family went silent.

No afternoon ever lasted as long as that one, nor had Gryffindor Tower ever been so crowded, yet so quiet. Near sunset, Fred and George went up to bed, unable to sit there any longer.

"She knew something, Harry," said Ron, speaking for the first time since they had entered the wardrobe in the staff room. "That's why she was taken. It wasn't some stupid thing about Percy at all. She'd found out something about the Chamber of Secrets. That must be why she was —" Ron rubbed his eyes frantically. "I mean, she was a pure-blood. There can't be any other reason."

"Good reasoning lad." said Dr. Nicodemus kindly.

Harry could see the sun sinking, blood-red, below the skyline. This was the worst he had ever felt. If only there was something they could do. Anything.

"Harry," said Ron. "D'you think there's any chance at all she's not — you know —"

Harry didn't know what to say. He couldn't see how Ginny could still be alive.

"Thanks for not saying that." said Ron.

"D'you know what?" said Ron. "I think we should go and see Lockhart. Tell him what we know. He's going to try and get into the Chamber. We can tell him where we think it is, and tell him it's a basilisk in there."

"You really thought that he was going in there." said Remus staring at Harry and Ron.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Well?" asked Remus.

"Uh..Moony? Are you hysterical right now?" asked Sirius.

"Little, why?" asked Remus quickly.

"Cause you're asking him a question that he can't answer, his mouth is all taped up." said Sirius.

"Oh, right, what is he doing?" said Remus looking at Harry.

Harry began to quickly move his arms and hands spastically.

"Is he okay?" asked Neville worriedly.

"Hang on." said Dr. Clark watching Harry closely. "He said that Lockhart was the only one they knew going down into the Chamber, it was Ginny's only hope."

"How the hell do you know that?" asked Remus.

"Sign language, I taught him that years ago, can't believe he remembered." said Dr. Clark he looked at Sirius "That's enough silent treatment."

Sirius nodded and waved his wand over Harry's mouth.

"Ow." said Harry as the final piece of the tape was taken off, it fluttered down onto his lap. "Let's put tape onto your mouth, and see how you like it." he sent a scowl up to Remus, then he slammed the piece of tape on his mouth.

"What the hell?" said Remus as he pulled the tape off.

"You hurt me one more time as a form of punishment, I'll kick your ass." said Harry sourly.

He stood up and sat between Leroy and Rudolph, Remus stared at Harry as he lounged on the sofa, then he was smacked twice in the back of the head.

"You better find a way to get him back over here." snarled Dr. Clark and Sirius.

Because Harry couldn't think of anything else to do, and because he wanted to be doing something, he agreed.

"So it was Ron's idea, huh?" said Fred proudly.

"Damn, we would have gone with you to save Ginny." said George.

"You guys were stressed enough." said Ron.

The Gryffindors around them were so miserable, and felt so sorry for the Weasleys, that nobody tried to stop them as they got up, crossed the room, and left through the portrait hole.

Darkness was falling as they walked down to Lockhart's office. There seemed to be a lot of activity going on inside it. They could hear scraping, thumps, and hurried footsteps.

"You mean he was actually preparing to go down?...Nah…" said Sirius shaking his head.

Harry knocked and there was a sudden silence from inside. Then the door opened the tiniest crack and they saw one of Lockhart's eyes peering through it.

"He was freaking out like you wouldn't believe." said Ron with a smirk.

"Oh — Mr. Potter — Mr. Weasley —" he said, opening the door a bit wider. "I'm rather busy at the moment —if you would be quick —"

"Professor, we've got some information for you," said Harry. "We think it'll help you."

"Er — well — it's not terribly —" The side of Lockhart's face that they could see looked very uncomfortable. "I mean — well — all right —"

He opened the door and they entered.

Remus bit his bottom lip. Don't go in there! He couldn't think of a way of convincing the boy to come back and sit, but he would have to think of something very quickly.

His office had been almost completely stripped. Two large trunks stood open on the floor. Robes, jade-green, lilac, midnight blue, had been hastily folded into one of them; books were jumbled untidily into the other. The photographs that had covered the walls were now crammed into boxes on the desk.

"Are you going somewhere?" said Harry.

"Bloody coward." snarled Sirius.

"Er, well, yes," said Lockhart, ripping a life-size poster of himself from the back of the door as he spoke and starting to roll it up. "Urgent call — unavoidable — got to go —"

"The only unavoidable thing you have to worry about is Ginny in the chamber!" said Kingsley angrily.

"What about my sister?" said Ron jerkily.

"Well, as to that — most unfortunate —" said Lockhart, avoiding their eyes as he wrenched open a drawer and started emptying the contents into a bag. "No one regrets more than I —"

"Bullshit." said Remus through gritted teeth.

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" said Harry. "You can't go now! Not with all the Dark stuff going on here!"

A small ripple of laughter fluttered about the school.

"Well — I must say — when I took the job —" Lockhart muttered, now piling socks on top of his robes. "nothing in the job description — didn't expect —"

"Well that 's your own stupid fault, isn't it?" said Fred.

"You mean you're running away?" said Harry disbelievingly. "After all that stuff you did in your books-"

"Books can be misleading," said Lockhart delicately.

"You wrote them!" Harry shouted.

"Good luck getting past that one, Dazzle Gums." said Sirius with a smirk.

"My dear boy," said Lockhart, straightening up and frowning at Harry. "Do use your common sense.

"I did, all we had to go one was your word that you did it. If it was common sense that you didn't do all those things, you never would have sold any of your blasted books." said Harry with a smirk.

"Umm...Harry...I..." said Remus quietly.

"I don't want to hear it." said Harry stubbornly.

Remus looked down hurtfully.

Rudolph leaned over to Remus and whispered. "I suggest you find some sort of peace offering. Worked for us in the jungle. Does he have a favorite snack or something?"

"I dont' know of..." he looked up quickly and hurried out of the room. Harry took no notice.

My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things.

"Well...we can charge him with fraud at least." said Moody with a large grim like smile.

No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves.

"Would rather hear about true events, despite what the hero looks like." said Tonks sourly.

He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a harelip. I mean, come on —"

"He always put looks before actual talent." said Sirius with a snort of disgust.

"So you've just been taking credit for what a load of other people have done?" said Harry incredulously.

"I've seen it done it the Muggle world. But with people here going about how they're better than they are, it was shock that this world and the Muggle world was nothing different. Both places are similar." said Harry with a smirk.

Umbridge thrashed about in her seat, gag still on her mouth. Tempest gave her a sharp slap across her face.

"Behave." she spat.

"Harry, Harry," said Lockhart, shaking his head impatiently, "it's not nearly as simple as that.

"The hell it isn't." said Harry.

"He's as feisty as Lily was." said Rudolph patting Harry's head.

"No, I think she could give him a run for his money. She was a terror when you got her all wound up." said Leroy with a laugh. "Remember when I ate her plate of cookies she was making for McGonagall that one time? I had to hide in our closet for two weeks, just to escape her wrath."

"I've still got the footprints on my shorts from all the time you stood in there." said Rudolph with a smirk.

There was work involved. I had to track these people down. Ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did. Then I had to put a Memory Charm on them so they wouldn't remember doing it.

"Horrible...absolutely criminal...going to get him." muttered Madam Bones angrily.

If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms.

"That's a shock, he couldn't do it in school, what made him think he could do it then." said Sirius.

No, it's been a lot of work, Harry. It's not all book signings and publicity photos, you know. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long hard slog."

"He still thinks that he's more famous than Harry?" said Kingsley with a laugh.

"He's always been a delusional moron." said Sprout angrily.

He banged the lids of his trunks shut and locked them.

"Let's see," he said. "I think that's everything. Yes. Only one thing left."

He pulled out his wand and turned to them.

Sirius, Dr. Clark, Rudolph, and Leroy went deathly quiet.

"Good thing Remus isn't here, he go off and bite Lockhart if he ever gets the chance." said Sirius in a cold whisper.

"I have half a mind to tell him just where he is." said Dumbledore coldly.

"Awfully sorry, boys, but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" screeched Mrs. Weasley.

"Do not worry, he doesn't hurt either of the boys." said Dumbledore with a malicious smile.

"With that smile, how can we believe you?" said Lionus with smirk.

Can't have you blabbing my secrets all over the place. I'd never sell another book —"

"That's a plus." growled Fred.

"We didn't know about this part of the story." said George angrily.

"Didn't want you two sent up for murder." said Ron shrugging.

Harry reached his wand just in time. Lockhart had barely raised his, when Harry bellowed, "Expelliarmus!"

Cheers erupted in the school, then Remus entered. He was carrying a large plate of what looked like small pie pieces.

"What did I miss?" asked Remus looking around the room somewhat confused.

"Harry disarmed Dazzle Gums when he tried to oblivate him and Ron." said Sirius excitedly.

Remus almost dropped the plate in shock. "He...he did what?"

"Yeah, but Harry was faster than Lockhart was, it was cool." said a squeaky first year boy.

Harry didn't look back at Remus when he came back. He was still cross at him for taping his mouth shut, his Uncle Vernon had done that years and years ago, and he thought he and Sirius were different than his Uncle had been.

"Harry, I um...I went down to..uh...I got something for you. To say, I'm sorry for putting tape on your mouth." said Remus quietly.

Harry still did not look at him. Leroy smiled sadly and cupped his hands under the boy's chin.

"Come on, Harry. He's new at raising kids, he doesn't know what is a good thing or not." said Leroy kindly.

"Common sense helps." muttered Harry darkly.

"Give him another chance, Harry, after the life you've had, you know what is a good thing and what's a bad thing. He's not too sure." said Rudolph.

"He had a childhood, he could tell." said Harry still angry.

"Once he got bitten, Harry, his whole life changed, he didn't have as happy a childhood as you think. His own family began to shun him, it doesn't rate on the scale of abuse you have, but still..." said Leroy.

Harry sighed, turned on the sofa and faced Remus. "Alright, I'm listening."

Remus gulped and sighed. "I...I'm sorry that I did what I did. I said I was going to settle down and I didn't. I'm really sorry and well, I got you these..." he handed the plate to Harry. He took it slowly and stared at it in shock. It was piled high, not with pie slices, but treacle tart.

Harry reached for one immediately, but withdrew his hand quickly. Remus's face fell, but was confused when Harry went back to the bowl and ducked underneath it. He pulled his knapsack out from under the bowl and withdrew what looked like several wrapped treats.

"I guess we both sort of forgot to take things a little easier, let's bury the hatchet. I won't hurt your feelings, as long you don't hurt me." he handed the treats to Remus.

"What are these?" asked Remus.

"Well, I tried my hand at making Mars Bars, and I found out that I could improve the recipe with some simple ingredients. Try them out." said Harry with a smile.

"You have got to be kidding me. Treacle Tart? That's your attitude changer?" said Rudolph with a laugh.

"Salt water taffy had the same effect on James, don't you remember?" said Leroy with a smile. "He could be pissed off about not getting the dark wizard he was after, give him a piece and he's all smiles."

"How's the chocolate?" asked Sirius.

"I will never piss off Harry again." said Remus thickly, the entire candy bar crammed in his mouth.

"Just, don't try and punish me for stuff that's happened years ago. When we get to year five, then by all means, let me have it." said Harry fairly.

Lockhart was blasted backward, falling over his trunk; his wand flew high into the air; Ron caught it, and flung it out of the open window.

"You could have used that wand." said Moody. "Seeing as how Ron's wand is unpredictable."

"Lockhart's wand would have been the same way, besides it worked out for the best." said Harry.

"Shouldn't have let Professor Snape teach us that one," said Harry furiously,

"The first spell Snape teaches you becomes your pretty much favorite. I don't think I'll ever get over that." said Tonks.

Snape stared hard at the boy, who had taken his old seat back in the bowl.

kicking Lockhart's trunk aside. Lockhart was looking up at him, feeble once more. Harry was still pointing his wand at him.

"Twelve years old and he knows Ranger protocol about not taking your eyes off a criminal." said Nightstrike in awe.

"That's Auror protocol too." said Moody defensively.

"And you guys got your first trainings from whom?" said Nightstrike with a sneer.

"What d'you want me to do?" said Lockhart weakly. "I don't know where the Chamber of Secrets is. There's nothing I can do."

"First time that whole year he was right." said Remus with a smirk.

"You're in luck," said Harry, forcing Lockhart to his feet at wandpoint. "We think we know where it is. And what's inside it. Let's go."

"God, this is precious! When he was younger, he wanted to be the leader of the pack, the dominating male, and here you are. A shrimpy, underfed scruffy little toddler telling him where to go and what to do." said Sirius laughing hysterically. "I love you!" he engulfed Harry in a tight hug.

They marched Lockhart out of his office and down the nearest stairs, along the dark corridor where the messages shone on the wall, to the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

They sent Lockhart in first.

"Good plan, he can be replaced with another ludicrous idiot." said Professor Sprout shortly.

Harry was pleased to see that he was shaking.

"That made my day." said Harry with smirk. "Ron and I weren't shaking, but he was."

Moaning Myrtle was sitting on the tank of the end toilet. "Oh, it's you," she said when she saw Harry. "What do you want this time?"

"Wow, normally she ignores people when she doesn't want to be overly-dramatic." said Lavender.

"She must like you." said Parvati.

"How do you have a relationship with a ghost?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You can't, you just go nuts after a while." said Sirius in a whisper.

"To ask you how you died," said Harry.

Myrtle's whole aspect changed at once. She looked as though she had never been asked such a flattering question.

"I haven't met a ghost yet that doesn't love telling their death story." said Dumbledore with a small smile.

"Ooooh, it was dreadful," she said with relish.

"That's how all their stories start." said Fred rolling his eyes.

"It happened right in here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses.

"I swear, children can be just as cruel, if not more so, than the most hardened criminals." said Dr. Nicodemus sourly.

The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then —" Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining. "I died."

"Poof? Just like that?" said George.

"How?" said Harry.

"No idea," said Myrtle in hushed tones. "I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes.

"Well there's a discovery, you can't really look into a Basilisks eyes without getting killed, and really after you kill one, the color disappears. Have to write that one down." said Charlie.

My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away…"She looked dreamily at Harry. "And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she'd ever laughed at my glasses."

"Oh, she haunted Miss Hornby for many years." said Dumbledore, "After a while, I had to step in and tell Myrtle to come back to the castle."

"Where exactly did you see the eyes?" said Harry.

"Somewhere there," said Myrtle, pointing vaguely toward the sink in front of her toilet.

"Nice to know she cares about what killed her." said Hannah.

Harry and Ron hurried over to it. Lockhart was standing well back, a look of utter terror on his face.

"He's never had to face any sort of dark creature." said McGonagall with a scowl.

It looked like an ordinary sink. They examined every inch of it, inside and out, including the pipes below.

"Harry took over when I squirted him and Lockhart with water." said Ron.

"You can fix sinks too?" said Sirius.

"The Dursley's never wanted to pay for a handyman. They can't wait for the day that I finally learn how to fix cars." said Harry

"That day will never come for them, you aren't ever going back to them." said Remus

"But you still learn how to do that if you really want to." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"Good, cause there is a really nice car down at the Little Whinging Junk yard." said Harry.

And then Harry saw it: Scratched on the side of one of the copper taps was a tiny snake.

"The past Headmasters and staff of the school have searched for the Chamber of Secrets for over two hundred years. And it takes three second years a little under a year to find it." said Flitwick shamefully.

"You lacked what they had an abundance of." said Lionus wisely.

"What was that? Luck?" asked Snape with slight disdain.

"Imagination." said Lionus.

"That tap's never worked," said Myrtle brightly as he tried to turn it.

"Harry," said Ron. "Say something. Something in Parseltongue."

"But —" Harry thought hard. The only times he'd ever managed to speak Parseltongue were when he'd been faced with a real snake. He stared hard at the tiny engraving, trying to imagine it was real.

"Open up," he said.

He looked at Ron, who shook his head.

"English," he said.

"Well that sucks." said Fred.

"Yeah, how are you going to get down there now?" asked George.

Harry looked back at the snake, willing himself to believe it was alive. If he moved his head, the candlelight made it look as though it were moving.

"Open up," he said.

Except that the words weren't what he heard; a strange hissing had escaped him,

and at once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for a man to slide into.

"And of course you and Ron are going to slide down into." said Remus sighing.

"Hey, we toss something down there to make sure it was safe." said Ron defensively.

"A stone won't tell you it's safe." said Sirius.

"It was something a little more worthless than a rock." said Harry with a smirk.

Harry heard Ron gasp and looked up again. He had made up his mind what he was going to do.

"I'm going down there," he said.

"We've got to do something about your 'saving the world' fetish you've got going on." said Sirius.

"Huh?" said Harry in shock.

"Not that definition of 'fetish'." said Sirius with a laugh. "There's another one that works with this."

"I hope so, I was just about ready to smack you." said Harry with a smile.

"You're so violent." said Fred with mock surprise.

He couldn't not go, not now they had found the entrance to the Chamber, not if there was even the faintest, slimmest, wildest chance that Ginny might be alive.

"Okay, that is a slightly good reason, but you really should have gotten a teacher to go down instead." said Remus.

"We…" said Ron.

"A real teacher, not a pathetic faker." said Remus stopping Ron quickly from finishing.

There was a pause.

"Well, you hardly seem to need me," said Lockhart, with a shadow of his old smile. "I'll just —"

"Isn't that nice." said George wickedly. "He's volunteering to go first."

"Such a brave and senseless soul." said Fred rapturously.

"Give the Basilisk indigestion for us!" said the twins together.

He put his hand on the door knob, but Ron and Harry both pointed their wands at him.

"You can go first," Ron snarled.

"GO RON!" said the Weasley's together in unison.

White-faced and wandless, Lockhart approached the opening.

"Boys," he said, his voice feeble. "Boys, what good will it do?"

"Better you than them." said Dr. Clark.

Harry jabbed him in the back with his wand. Lockhart slid his legs into the pipe.

"I really don't think —" he started to say, but Ron gave him a push, and he slid out of sight. Harry followed quickly.

"Harry noticed the looks of shock on the other people's faces. "I waited till he hit bottom." he reassured them. "That's the first rule of a slide." he added with a smirk.

He lowered himself slowly into the pipe, then let go.

It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide. He could see more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as large as theirs, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and he knew that he was falling deeper below the school than even the dungeons. Behind him he could hear Ron, thudding slightly at the curves.

"Kept forgetting to keep my feet together." said Ron.

"That's okay, I just about dislocated my shoulder trying to grab onto a passing tunnel." said Harry.

And then, just as he had begun to worry about what would happen when he hit the ground, the pipe leveled out, and he shot out of the end with a wet thud, landing on the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in.

"Well, at least the Basilisk wasn't waiting for you at the end of the tunnel." said Sirius worriedly. "With it's mouth open."

"I would have liked to have not realized that little tidbit of information." said Dr. Clark.

Lockhart was getting to his feet a little ways away, covered in slime and white as a ghost.

Several people laughed maliciously at the old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's misfortune.

Harry stood aside as Ron came whizzing out of the pipe, too.

"We must be miles under the school," said Harry, his voice echoing in the black tunnel.

"Keep your voice down!" hissed Rivers.

"Aw…I was hoping the hysterics bypassed you." said Harry. "You hadn't spoken in a while."

"Terror silenced my tongue." said Rivers meekly. "You have a very terrifying life."

"Under the lake, probably," said Ron, squinting around at the dark, slimy walls.

All three of them turned to stare into the darkness ahead.

"Lumos!" Harry muttered to his wand and it lit again. "C'mon," he said to Ron and Lockhart, and off they went, their footsteps slapping loudly on the wet floor.

"It's not easy to be quiet when your sloshing through a sewer." said Harry.

The tunnel was so dark that they could only see a little distance ahead. Their shadows on the wet walls looked monstrous in the wandlight.

"Lockhart screamed twice." said Ron with a smirk.

"Remember," Harry said quietly as they walked cautiously forward, "any sign of movement, close your eyes right away…"

"Getting around the fangs however, not a clue." said Harry.

"One problem at a time." said Lionus.

But the tunnel was quiet as the grave,

"Not the best time to use that analogy." said Remus.

and the first unexpected sound they heard was a loud crunch as Ron stepped on what turned out to be a rat's skull.

"Such a happy sound." said Sirius.

"That's nasty." said Harry. "I understand where you're coming from, but it's still nasty."

Harry lowered his wand to look at the floor and saw that it was littered with small animal bones. Trying very hard not to imagine what Ginny might look like if they found her,

The Weasley family shuddered, and all converged around Ginny.

Harry led the way forward, around a dark bend in the tunnel.

"Harry — there's something up there —" said Ron hoarsely, grabbing Harry's shoulder.

They froze, watching. Harry could just see the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. It wasn't moving.

"Maybe it's asleep," he breathed, glancing back at the other two. Lockhart's hands were pressed over his eyes. Harry turned back to look at the thing, his heart beating so fast it hurt.

Dr. Clark looked quickly over.

"I'm fine." said Harry quickly.

"You are now lad. You had a weak heart." said Dr. Nicodemus. Harry looked quickly over in shock. "The malnutrition, your cores working in overdrive just to keep that heart pumping, despite the fact you should have died by the age of seven, and the fact that I've told you about before."

"Then what solved it? Or does he still have it?" asked Dr. Clark. "Why didn't I see that in hospital when he came the time I met James?"

"The pod cured and strengthened his heart." said Dr. Nicodemus. "And we look quite a bit deeper than what normal means do."

Very slowly, his eyes as narrow as he could make them and still see, Harry edged forward, his wand held high.

The light slid over a gigantic snake skin, of a vivid, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The creature that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at least.

Several people whimpered in fear.

"Blimey," said Ron weakly.

There was a sudden movement behind them. Gilderoy Lockhart's knees had given way.

"Foolish coward." said Moody with a snarl.

"Get up," said Ron sharply, pointing his wand at Lockhart.

Lockhart got to his feet — then he dived at Ron, knocking him to the ground.

"I'm going to kill him!" shouted Mr. Weasley, "First for wanting to abandon Ginny, then for tackling Ron!"

"I'll help!" said Mrs. Weasley.

Harry jumped forward, but too late — Lockhart was straightening up, panting, Ron's wand in his hand and a gleaming smile back on his face.

"Oh, no…" said Tonks.

"He didn't oblivate the boys. If he did, they wouldn't have the faintest idea what is going on." said Kingsley.

"The adventure ends here, boys!" he said. "I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, and that you two tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body —

"And Albus would have killed him for taking the boys down there." said McGonagall.

"If I didn't kill him, I'm sure the entire staff would have." said Albus.

say good-bye to your memories!"

"He's a dead man, after I get ahold of him." growled Remus angrily.

He raised Ron's Spellotaped wand high over his head

"Oh, that's right! He's got Ron's wand! I wonder how that went?" said Charlie eagerly.

and yelled, "Obliviate!"

The wand exploded with the force of a small bomb. Harry flung his arms over his head and ran, slipping over the coils of snake skin, out of the way of great chunks of tunnel ceiling that were thundering to the floor.

"Not a good thing." said Charlie worriedly.

Next moment, he was standing alone, gazing at a solid wall of broken rock.

"Ron! Where did you get to?" asked Mr. Weasley as his wife sobbed.

"I was alright." said Ron trying to reasurre his family, which was difficult, as both of the twins had him in an unintended choke hold.

"Ron!" he shouted. "Are you okay? Ron!"

"I'm here!" came Ron's muffled voice from behind the rock fall. "I'm okay — this git's not, though — he got blasted by the wand —"

"Sort of says that Lockhart's unconcious." said Moody with a smirk.

There was a dull thud and a loud "ow!" It sounded as though Ron had just kicked Lockhart in the shins.

"Good boy." said almost all of the adults in the room.

"What now?"

"Kick him again, this time in the face." said Remus.

Ron's voice said, sounding desperate. "We can't get through — it'll take ages…"

Harry looked up at the tunnel ceiling. Huge cracks had appeared in it. He had never tried to break apart anything as large as these rocks by magic,

"So that means that you've tried with smaller stuff, huh?" said Seamus.

"Rocks shaped like Dudley, yeah." said Harry with a smile.

and now didn't seem a good moment to try — what if the whole tunnel caved in?

"It was my only way out, that wouldn't have been the best idea. And anything could have happened to Ron over there." said Harry.

There was another thud and another "ow!" from behind the rocks.

"Kicked him again." said Ron proudly.

They were wasting time. Ginny had already been in the Chamber of Secrets for hours… Harry knew there was only one thing to do.

"Wait there," he called to Ron.

"You had better have had a meek and mild year this year." growled Remus.

Harry looked from side to side, then looked back at Remus.

"Right, never mind." said Remus sheepishly.

"Wait with Lockhart. I'll go on… If I'm not back in an hour…"

There was a very pregnant pause,

"I didn't want to say it." said Harry looking down.

"And I didn't want to hear it." said Ron.

"I'll try and shift some of this rock," said Ron, who seemed to be trying to keep his voice steady.

"I didn't want to think about losing my sister and best mate all in the same twelve hours." said Ron quietly.

"So you can — can get back through. And, Harry —"

"See you in a bit," said Harry, trying to inject some confidence into his shaking voice.

"So you didn't want to die either, that's good." said Sirius wiping the sweat off his brow.

"I'm fond of living thanks." said Harry.

And he set off alone past the giant snake skin.

Soon the distant noise of Ron straining to shift the rocks was gone.

"What about your wand?" asked worriedly.

"Buried under the rocks." said Ron.

The tunnel turned and turned again. Every nerve in Harry's body was tingling unpleasantly. He wanted the tunnel to end, yet dreaded what he'd find when it did. And then, at last, as he crept around yet another bend, he saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

"The Real Chamber of Secrets." said Severus in a hushed voice. Malfoy gulped, as well as the rest of the school.

Harry approached, his throat very dry. There was no need to pretend these stone snakes were real; their eyes looked strangely alive. He could guess what he had to do. He cleared his throat, and the emerald eyes seemed to flicker.

"Open," said Harry, in a low, faint hiss.

The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and Harry, shaking from head to foot, walked inside.

"Just run in and grab Ginny and get the hell out of there, no sticking around." said Remus frantically.

"That was the game plan yeah." said Harry slowly. Harry then swung his legs up onto Sirius' lap.

"What's wrong? You're legs hurt again?" asked Sirius quickly.

"No, just, giving you something to hold onto, this won't be an easy chapter." said Harry.

"They never are." said Dr. Clark turning pale.

"I'll read the next one." said Lionus. "I won't faint from shock."

Chapter 45

Harry looked between the six people that Harry was sitting closest to and cleared his throat.

"Um…we need to talk." said Harry carefully.

"Bout what, cub?" asked Sirius ruffling his hair. He was so relieved that Harry had come back to the bowl, nothing could bother him.

"This chapter, can we go somewhere private?" said Harry.

"Sure, just us three?" said Remus kindly, doing his best to keep in Harry's good books.

"No, you guys, Dumbledore and um…" he pointed to Rudolph and Leroy.

"The names you are looking for is Uncle Rudy and Uncle Lee." said Leroy with a broad smile.

"Yeah." said Harry rubbing the back of his white haired head, embarrassingly. "Can we go to the teacher's lounge or something?"

"Of course, we won't be a moment." said Dumbledore standing up and smiling to the others in the room.

All seven of them made their way into the Teacher's Lounge and took seats at the table. Everyone except for Harry, who stood beside the wardrobe and ran a hand down the paneling that had hidden himself and Ron from the teachers all those years ago.

"You wanted to talk to us about something Harry?" said Leroy, trying to gently prompt the boy to speak.

"This chapter…down in the chamber…things don't go well." said Harry quietly.

"Things never go well towards the end of any book." said Dumbledore wisely, "Not even these sorts of books."

Harry muttered quietly, his words unheard by the men in the room.

"What was that, Harry?" asked Dr. Clark.

"I…I almost die." said Harry quietly.

The room went silent.

"What did you say?" asked Dumbledore weakly. He hoped that the boy had misspoke.

"I almost died." he repeated, "But I got help just in time." he added reassuringly.

"Harry…" said Remus in an almost inaudible whisper, his face pale. Guilt ripping through his chest at his actions earlier.

"Was it the Basilisk?" said Dr. Clark weakly. Knuckles began to whiten as Harry nodded.

Dumbledore buried his face in his hands. "Harry.."

"I just wanted to…pre-warn you, before it…was read to you." said Harry

"We can understand that, Harry." said Rudolph, who was a sickly sort of green. "And we appreciate it, but do your friends know?"

"Well…I don't remember if I ever told them that…" said Harry thoughtfully. "I didn't want them to worry."

"Well, they're worrying now." said Leroy his whole body shaking. "Should we get back to the readings? End this blasted book, like taking a Band-Aid off a wound, fast and painless."

"Excellent idea, let's get this over with." said Rudolph, "Best stretch that bowl out, so we all can sit in it." He handed a large box of tissues around the room and each adult took one, blew their nose and wiped the tears forming in their eyes.

They made their way back into the Great Hall, and were met by Ron and Hermione, standing right in front of the Great Hall's door.

"What did you guys talk about?" asked Hermione quickly.

"Harry, you'd best tell them." said Leroy softly.

Harry took them outside of the Great Hall, leaving everyone else sitting and wondering what was so terrible that Harry had to talk to people in private.

"Let's stretch this bowl out, shall we?" said Rudolph, rolling up his sleeves. The men, except for Dr. Clark who just watched and was preparing to run to the nearest bathroom to throw up, lengthened and stretched out the bowl.

"Okay, now we're just missing the green eyed terror and we'll be all set." said Remus with a shaky smile.

They watched as the door to the Great Hall open and in came Ron and Hermione both being supported by Harry. Hermione was weeping bitterly and Ron was deathly pale.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" hiccupped Hermione.

"Didn't want to freak you guys out." said Harry quietly.

"Come here, cub." said Sirius holding out his arms. "We aren't letting you get away today."

Harry gave his friends one last hug and went to go and sit in the bowl.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road." said Lionus. "I'm amazed the kids didn't want lunch."

"We were too nauseated to even think about eating." said Ron who was pale and shaking.

"The Heir of Slytherin" said Lionus loudly.

"Well…at least the nightmares will end." said Charlie with a weak smile.

He was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place.

"Harry, this is the one time that having a very good descriptive mind is not a good thing." said Bill holding Ginny tightly.

His heart beating very fast, Harry stood listening to the chill silence. Could the basilisk be lurking in a shadowy corner, behind a pillar?

People in the Great Hall took a collective gulp.

And where was Ginny?

"Damn good question." said Charlie.

He pulled out his wand and moved forward between the serpentine columns. Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls. He kept his eyes narrowed, ready to clamp them shut at the smallest sign of movement.

"Good boy, very good boy." said Rudolph as he hugged Harry's elbow.

"I didn't expect to be draped across you guys again." said Harry. He was laid across the men's lap and unable to really move.

"Again? We've never held you." said Leroy, trying his hand at being funny during the current chapter. "You've leaned against us, yeah, but we never held you while the reading was going on."

"I'm amazed that Dumbledore isn't sitting over here." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"Best let you bond with him, I've had five years, the rest of you haven't had the time." said Dumbledore with a smile. "When the opportunity arises, I will make every effort to let my fear get the best of me and latch onto Harry's shirt."

"Good luck finding a piece that isn't otherwise occupied by us." said Sirius.

The hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following him. More than once, with a jolt of the stomach, he thought he saw one stir.

"Did it?" said Neville with a squeak.

"Yeah." said Fred with a low voice. "They say that the statues down there are haunted."

"With the poor unfortunate souls of the victims of the monster." said George.

"They stand guard over the entrance to the chamber, trying to deter people from awakening the monster that laid dormant in the chamber." said Fred finishing on a soft voice.

"But if they fail, and the unfortunate individual continues down the gloomy path, they have no choice, but…to…" said George.

"EAT YOU!" shouted the twins in Neville's ear. He squeaked loudly and jumped about a foot in the air.

"You guys sure aren't helping to ease people." said Dean.

Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.

Harry had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above:

"You are in the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny's been captured, Ron's stuck back there with an idiot who tried oblivate the both of you. AND YOU TAKE IN THE SITES?" said Tonks in shock.

Harry mouthed an apology to Ginny, who was too busy giggling to take offense.

It was ancient and monkeyish,

"He wasn't the handsomest man around." said Dumbledore honestly.

"If he posed for that, then that's an understatement." muttered Ginny with a small smile.

with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor.

"I've got a question, why did he not pose with shoes on?" said Harry.

"He walked barefoot almost everywhere he went, he believed that shoes inhibited him from using the powers of the earth. There are some people still in this world that believe that their skin should always be in contact with the earth." said Rudolph.

"We met two tribes of them down in Africa. One of them were pretty pleasant people, their sister tribe however, not so much." said Leroy.

"Sad thing is, they behave the same way, same clothing style, same homes, only difference is that they'll kill you when given half a chance." said Rudolph.

And between the feet, facedown, lay a small, black-robed figure with flaming-red hair.

"Ginny!" Harry muttered, sprinting to her and dropping to his knees.

"Wow, just like in the movies." said Dennis in a whisper.

"Ginny — don't be dead — please don't be dead—" He flung his wand aside,

"You didn't tell us about this part." said Dumbledore in shock, "Never throw your wand away." he scolded Harry gently.

"Yeah, I learned my lesson pretty quickly." said Harry sheepishly.

"I can permanently fix your wand to hand if you ever have the desire to throw your wand again." said Sirius.

grabbed Ginny's shoulders, and turned her over. Her face was white as marble, and as cold,

"You touched my face?" said Ginny blushing.

"Well...I wasn't sure if you were okay, and I sort of...slapped your face."

"Does this mean I get a free hit?" said Ginny with a teasing smile.

"Whether it hits or not is completely up for debate." said Harry wickedly.

yet her eyes were closed, so she wasn't Petrified. But then she must be…"

"I couldn't think of it, I didn't want to think of it." said Harry clapping his hands to his ears.

"She's okay, Cub. She's fine." said Sirius.

"Ginny, please wake up," Harry muttered desperately, shaking her. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side.

"I just about went mad." said Harry quietly. "It was all my fault."

"How do you figure?" asked Ron quickly.

"I should have figured it out sooner, I should have woken up and fixed everything right away." said Harry.

"Do you think you could have managed it?" said Remus.

"I could have tried!" shouted Harry. "I could have given up the idea of making people think that I was nothing more than a mediocre twelve year old! I could have put all my resources into finding out what the hell it was! No, I was too busy…too busy…"

"Acting like a twelve year old, and enjoying what you had at the time. It's not your burden to solve the world's problems, dear boy." said Dumbledore kindly but his eyes were saddened. "I should have had half of the mental prowess you, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger used that year. It should have been my weight to bear."

Harry looked unconvinced.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice.

Harry jumped and spun around on his knees.

"Wow, have you ever tried breakdancing?" asked Lee.

"What part of, 'can't dance to save my life' didn't you catch?" said Harry with a smirk.

"You could learn…" said Fred.

"I've tried dancing, didn't go well for my dance partner, or teacher." said Harry with a slight blush. "They couldn't walk for weeks."

"That's when we decided to sign him up for electronic's classes." said Dr. Clark. "He did pretty good in that class. He managed to make a remote controlled airplane out of a pop bottle." he said proudly.

A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching.

"Who the hell would be down there?" asked a fourth year Hufflepuff.

"How long was he down there? Did the monster grab him too?" asked a second year Slytherin.

"No, he planned on being down there." said Ron with a snarl.

He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Harry were looking at him through a misted window. But there was no mistaking him.

"Tom — Tom Riddle?"

"Wait? What the hell is he doing there?" asked Bill.

"He's just a memory! What is going on?" asked Charlie.

Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off Harry's face.

"That's disturbing, it's like he fancies you." said Sirius.

"Sometimes, I'm not too sure he doesn't." said Harry matter-of-factly.

People turned and looked at him quickly.

"What makes you say that, Mon?" asked Rudolph quickly.

"Mon?" said Harry confused.

"It was short for 'Little Monster'." said Leroy. "You were the absolute definition of a monster when you were a baby, running amuck here and there, well I should say crawling amuck. You would crawl right to where your favorite cookies were, reach in and grab one. And when we would catch you, you would point to us and motion that you were getting one for us, and then when we'd say that we didn't want it, you'd point to yourself as if you were asking if you could have it."

"Like we said, Little Monster." said Rudolph said with a smile, "And like I said, what makes you say that?"

"Just the way he looks at me, makes me uneasy." said Harry clutching his shoulder.

"Why does it sound like you've seen him a few times since?" asked Ernie.

"I've sort of met him one more time after this." said Harry quietly.

"What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately. "She's not — she's not —?"

"You weren't this frantic in the last book." said Sirius.

"Nobody was what looked like dead lying in front of me." said Harry quietly.

"She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just."

Harry stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen.

"Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.

"Wishful thinking." snarled Remus.

"Tell me about it." said Harry.

"A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years."

He pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. Lying open there was the little black diary Harry had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. For a second, Harry wondered how it had got there—

"Harry, wonder about that some other time!" said Bathilda Bagshot worriedly.

but there were more pressing matters to deal with.

"Well, you got your good sense from your mother, your father would just start wandering about." said Professor McGonagall fondly.

"You've got to help me, Tom," Harry said, raising Ginny's head again.

"I was gentle this time." said Harry holding his hands up quickly.

"We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk…I don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment… Please, help me."

"You're asking for help? The world is doomed." sneered Zacharias. Suddenly he was blasted back by six curses, miraculously dodging four of them and a trio of shouting adults.

"NOT THE TIME FOR THAT SORT OF HUMOR!" screeched the Weasleys and Dr. Clark.

Riddle didn't move. Harry, sweating, managed to hoist Ginny half off the floor,

"I thought Ron said you were tough." said Zacharias cursing as he climbed back into his seat.

"Didn't mean I was used to picking up unconscious people." shot back Harry.

and bent to pick up his wand again.

But his wand had gone.

"That's what happens when you throw your wand like that. Better hope that Ollivander doesn't hear about this." said Sirius trying to tease his gloomy godson.

"Did you see —?"

He looked up. Riddle was still watching him — twirling Harry's wand between his long fingers.

"Dear lord." said Dumbledore faintly. "Him wielding your wand could prove disastrous."

"How do you figure?" asked Charlie. "Besides sort of the obvious mistrust of him."

"He doesn't have a real body, if he were to cast, even the simplest of spells, he could have drained Harry's wand of all it's magical energy." said Dumbledore.

"That is something to worry about." said Dr. Clark weakly.

"Thanks," said Harry, stretching out his hand for it.

"While you're holding Ginny? That's impressive." said Sirius.

"I wasn't heavy!" said Ginny indignantly.

"You were to someone who weighed even less than you." said Poppy gently.

A smile curled the corners of Riddle's mouth. He continued to stare at Harry, twirling the wand idly.

"Listen," said Harry urgently, his knees sagging with Ginny's dead weight.

Ginny pouted and crossed her arms.

"Ginny…I…" said Harry hopelessly. "I didn't…you weren't…you aren't…"

"You are on your own kid." said Sirius with a smirk.

"We've got to go! If the basilisk comes —"

"It won't come until it is called," said Riddle calmly.

"Wait, what?" said Charlie.

"That's becoming the slogan for these books." said George.

Harry lowered Ginny back onto the floor, unable to hold her up any longer.

"What d'you mean?" he said. "Look, give me my wand, I might need it —"

"Might? We can go well beyond 'might'!" said Moody sharply.

Riddle's smile broadened.

"You won't be needing it," he said.

"What do you mean; he won't be needing it?" said Remus faintly.

"Bad feeling." said Sirius worriedly.

Harry stared at him.

"What d'you mean, I won't be —?"

"I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter," said Riddle. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you."

"Yeah, he's gone from Prefect and Head Boy, to stalker and pedophile." said Charlie.

"Sounds as creepy as Lockhart." said Dr. Clark.

"Look," said Harry, losing patience, "I don't think you get it.

"Oh, he got it, alrighty." said Harry sourly.

We're in the Chamber of Secrets. We can talk later —"

"We're going to talk now," said Riddle, still smiling broadly, and he pocketed Harry's wand.

Harry stared at him. There was something very funny going on here…

"I'm going to attribute the slowness of the mind to seeing Ginny on the floor." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Works for me." said Harry.

"How did Ginny get like this?" he asked slowly.

"Well, that's an interesting question," said Riddle pleasantly. "And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger."

"You did what?" said Bill.

Ginny looked down shamefully.

"Why…shorty…?" said Charlie. Ginny still refused to answer.

"What are you talking about?" said Harry.

"The diary," said Riddle. "My diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes —

Both Bill and Charlie grew pale.

how her brothers tease her,

"Who teased you?" asked Fred and George. "We didn't tease you!"

"We certainly didn't do it either!" said Bill and Charlie. Both Ron and Percy shuffled their feet.

"Mom, sit this one out, we'll handle them." said Charlie snarling.

"Ron made up for it, for coming to find me." said Ginny quietly.

"Then Percy is going to have a lot of explaining to do." said Bill angrily.

how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books,

Mr. Weasley looked at his daughter, with a sorrowful look on his face.

"I didn't mean it Daddy." said Ginny quickly.

how —" Riddle's eyes glinted "— how she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her…"

"What would have gotten you to like me, Harry?" asked Ginny quietly.

"I already did like you." said Harry with a smile. "I was a twelve year old boy, I wasn't interested in relationship making."

All the time he spoke, Riddle's eyes never left Harry's face. There was an almost hungry look in them.

"Okay, now that's really creepy." said Ron.

"It's very boring,

Ginny looked at the book in shock, and looked at Harry. He smiled slightly at her and mouthed, 'You're far from boring.'

having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl," he went on.

"Would rather listen to a little girl than an insane maniac." muttered Harry.

"But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind.

"Harry, you're sounding like Sirius when he's in his animagus form." said Remus as he heard Harry growling fiercely.

Ginny simply loved me.

Ginny blushed a deep shade of red.

No one's ever understood me like you, Tom… I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in… It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket…"

Ginny blushed even deeper, but no one laughed, this was too serious a moment to make fun of her.

Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn't suit him. It made the hairs stand up on the back of Harry's neck.

"If I say it myself, Harry, I've always been able to charm the people I needed.

"Not everyone he needed." said Harry with a smirk.

So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted… I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her…"

"Oh, Ginny." said Charlie worriedly.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were too busy sobbing into each other's shoulders and whispering prayers to even move or take in the fact that their daughter was just fine and safe in her brother's arms.

"What d'you mean?" said Harry, whose mouth had gone very dry.

"Haven't you guessed yet, Harry Potter?" said Riddle softly. "Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets.

The school went silent. Even the fourth years and up hadn't heard who was the one who opened the terrible chamber, they had only heard that the nightmare was over. They couldn't believe that Ginny had been the one.

She strangled the school roosters and daubed threatening messages on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods, and the Squib's cat."

"No," Harry whispered.

"Yes." said Ginny weakly.

"No you didn't." said Harry strongly, making Ginny jump slightly. "He controlled you, you had no idea, no choice in the matter. You didn't do it, he only used your physical body to do it, not your soul, or your heart."

"…Harry…" said Ginny, eye brimming with tears. Romilda scowled.

"What the hell is up with the sappy talk?" said Sirius sticking his tongue out. "You're sounding like a love sick nut."

"Yes," said Riddle, calmly. "Of course, she didn't know what she was doing at first. It was very amusing. I wish you could have seen her new diary entries… far more interesting, they became… Dear Tom," he recited, watching Harry's horrified face,

Harry began to growl even louder, this time his teeth baring fiercely. Strangely, his white hair began to swirl around in an unknown wind.

"Cub…?" said Sirius quietly.

"Fine, just getting a mite pissed." said Harry angrily.

"'I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there. Dear Tom, I can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front.

"At least I thought it was paint." said Ginny quietly.

Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I'm pale and I'm not myself. I think he suspects me…

Mrs. Weasley glared at her ambitious son. "You did what?" shrieked Mrs. Weasley.

"No! I didn't, I swear!" said Percy quickly.

There was another attack today and I don't know where I was. Tom, what am I going to do? I think I'm going mad… I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom!'"

Harry's fists were clenched, the nails digging deep into his palms.

"They weren't all that long." said Harry with a smirk.

"Had a manicure recently?" said a sixth years Slytherin with smirk.

"No, I was nail biter, well…should say am a nail biter. Haven't kicked the habit yet." said Harry.

"It took a very long time for stupid little Ginny to stop trusting her diary," said Riddle.

"She was wise and strong enough for her to almost break your hold on her." said Dumbledore sternly.

"But she finally became suspicious and tried to dispose of it. And that's where you came in, Harry. You found it, and I couldn't have been more delighted.

"You're right, there is some other feelings in that…thing…besides hate and bloodlust." said Lionus with a careful voice.

Of all the people who could have picked it up, it was you, the very person I was most anxious to meet…"

"And why did you want to meet me?" said Harry. Anger was coursing through him, and it was an effort to keep his voice steady.

"Wow, Harry's getting pissed, time to run for it Tommykins." George.

"Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you, Harry," said Riddle. "Your wholefascinating history." His eyes roved over the lightning scar on Harry's forehead, and their expression grew hungrier. "I knew I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet you if I could.

"He sounds like a demented fan." said Dean.

So I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust —"

"Back fired on him. Didn't trust him and went to prove him wrong." said Harry with a smirk.

"Hagrid's my friend," said Harry, his voice now shaking. "And you framed him, didn't you? I thought you made a mistake, but —"

"Jerk." said Seamus. "Framed the first available person."

Riddle laughed his high laugh again.

"It was my word against Hagrid's, Harry.

"If the current Headmaster had a brain, he never would have chosen Hagrid to be the scapegoat." said Tempest shortly.

Well, you can imagine how it looked to old Armando Dippet. On the one hand, Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but sobrave,

"Brave…sure…whatever you say." said Lee rolling his eyes.

school prefect, model student…

"Model for what? Psychos Illustrated?" said Ron.

on the other hand, big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week, trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed,

"Huh?" asked Remus confused.

"I never did that!" said Hagrid quickly.

"I didn't think you could, werewolf cubs are humans during the day, and during the nights without a full moon." said Nightstrike.

"He was just inflating Hagrid's mischief making." said McGonagall.

sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls…

"That is actually an instinct for a young half-giant, wrestling. The school should have been eternally grateful that Hagrid choose to go into the forest and play with the trolls. Imagine if he tried to tumble with the students. Madam Pomfrey would still be working on them." said Lionus with a smirk.

"How do you know?" asked Hermione.

"One of our past Captains, called Mountain's King, was a half giant. He told us everything about giants and half giants." said Lionus.

"And we've got Atlas." said Nightstrike, "he's full giant, but he never talks about them."

but I admit, even I was surprised how well the plan worked. I thought someone must realize that Hagrid couldn't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin.

"Dumbledore knew it right away!" squeaked Dennis quickly.

It had taken me five whole years to find out everything I could about the Chamber of Secrets and discover the secret entrance…

"And it took three second years, one year to find it and what the monster was." said Sirius proudly.

"Only because someone was attacked by it." said Harry. "There were clues all over the place."

"Quit that, we're trying to boost your confidence here." said Sirius playfully.

as though Hagrid had the brains, or the power!

"He could still squish you with one hand." said Harry proudly.

"Only the Transfiguration teacher, Dumbledore, seemed to think Hagrid was innocent. He persuaded Dippet to keep Hagrid and train him as gamekeeper. Yes, I think Dumbledore might have guessed… Dumbledore never seemed to like me as much as the other teachers did…"

"I'm not so easily beguiled by a child's charm." said Dumbledore with a smile.

The staff and a few of the adults looked between him and Harry quickly.

"That's different." said Dumbledore quickly.

"Whatever you say, Albus." said Flitwick with a smile.

"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," said Harry, his teeth gritted.

"Well, he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled," said Riddle carelessly.

"Good for you." said Kingsley to Dumbledore.

"I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school.

"Yeah, then your credibility would have been shot." said Seamus.

But I wasn't going to waste those long years I'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work."

"Noble work? Who's sick and twisted mind would think that that's noble work?" asked Lee in shock.

"Well, you haven't finished it," said Harry triumphantly.

"You tell him Harry." said Fred.

"No one's died this time, not even the cat. In a few hours the Mandrake Draught will be ready and everyone who was Petrified will be all right again —"

"Haven't I already told you," said Riddle quietly, "that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore?

"No you didn't say anything about that." said George.

For many months now, my new target has been — you."

"What? Dear God." said Dr. Clark.

Harry stared at him.

"Imagine how angry I was when the next time my diary was opened, it was Ginny who was writing to me, not you. She saw you with the diary, you see, and panicked. What if you found out how to work it, and I repeated all her secrets to you?

"If it was your diary Ginny, without Mr. Personality in it, I wouldn't have opened it." said Harry kindly.

What if, even worse, I told you who'd been strangling roosters? So the foolish little brat waited until your dormitory was deserted and stole it back.

"The only thing she destroyed were the Lockhart books, for that I'm very thankful." said Harry with a smirk.

But I knew what I must do. It was clear to me that you were on the trail of Slytherin's heir. From everything Ginny had told me about you, I knew you would go to any lengths to solve the mystery — particularly if one of your best friends was attacked.

"So…" said Hermione weakly.

"You were the fire that ignited both of the boy's desire to find the Chamber." said Dr. Nicodemus.

And Ginny had told me the whole school was buzzing because you could speak Parseltongue…

"More like hissing at me, and saying some pretty weird stuff." said Harry.

"Like what?" asked Seamus.

"One person said something about putting turnips and pudding in their socks to divert the weather." said Harry.

"We must try that Fred." said George with a solemn face.

"So I made Ginny write her own farewell on the wall and come down here to wait. She struggled and cried and became very boring.

The Weasley family began to growl so much that it sounded like a pack of angry wolves had made their way into the castle.

But there isn't much life left in her… She put too much into the diary, into me. Enough to let me leave its pages at last… I have been waiting for you to appear since we arrived here. I knew you'd come. I have many questions for you, Harry Potter."

"Like what?" Harry spat, fists still clenched.

"Why are you still talking? Get her and get out!" said Leroy worriedly.

"That git still has his wand." said Rudolph. "It's alright Lee, he gets out of it just fine."

"Well," said Riddle, smiling pleasantly, "how is it that you — a skinny boy with no extraordinary magical talent —

"You clever boy, hiding your power away from him." said Wildfire with a large smile. Her smile was large and bright, which didn't fit her occupation, nor her eyes, which looked as if she had seen many dangers.

managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

"The mystery of the century." said Lionus thoughtfully.

There was an odd red gleam in his hungry eyes now.

"Quit mentioning the hungry eyes bit." said Fred moaning slightly.

"Why do you care how I escaped?" said Harry slowly. "Voldemort was after your time…"

"What made you say that?" asked Sirius.

"If it was a memory, and he wasn't there in person, I assumed he was dead." said Harry.

"Sound reasoning." said Flitwick.

"Voldemort," said Riddle softly, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter…"

He pulled Harry's wand from his pocket and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words:

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"Gee, and here I thought his mommy came up with that name." said George.

"I thought he really was a Lord." said Fred "Apparently, he's only a wanna-be royal."

"You see?" he whispered. "It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course.

"He had friends like I had a happy home life." scoffed Harry.

You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch?

"Alas, that fate has happened to several poor witches, wizards and their children. Some cannot bring themselves to believe that their husbands, wives and children could possess such wondrous abilities. Though, Tom's mother brought that upon herself with her actions." said Dumbledore.

"How can you say that?" said Hermione.

"Quite easily, for I just had." said Dumbledore. "Though I didn't mean for it to come across as though I approved of such abandonment, but she did have what had come to pass, occur."

"What happened?" said Hermione pressed on.

"A tale for another time Miss Granger." said Dumbledore.

No, Harry — I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

"He's not! Dumbledore's the greatest sorcerer in the world!" said several students indignantly.

Harry's brain seemed to have jammed. He stared numbly at Riddle, at the orphaned boy who had grown up to murder Harry's own parents, and so many others…

"It didn't make any sense, psychologically speaking." said Harry. "He must have smacked his head really hard when he was really young. If he lost his parents, why take someone elses? He knows what the pain is like. Unless he wants to everyone else to feel the same way."

At last he forced himself to speak.

"You're not," he said, his quiet voice full of hatred.

"Not what?" snapped Riddle.

"Oh, that'll piss him off." said George.

"Harry, didn't anyone ever tell you not to antagonize a poisonous snake?" said Fred.

Slowly a small evil smile crept across Harry's face and he pressed his fingers together. "But where is the fun in not doing so? Though, you are right, debating with him isn't a great idea. But I had nothing else to do, until I could come up with a way to get Ginny out of there."

"Oh." said Fred.

"And his past statement, was not going to go unchallenged." said Harry darkly.

"He can be really really scary sometimes." said George in a whisper.

"Not the greatest sorcerer in the world," said Harry, breathing fast. "Sorry to disappoint you and all that,

"Harry's got attitude." said a seventh year excitedly.

"And hutzpah." said Rudolph. "Just like what um…George?" said Rudolph.

"Fred." corrected Leroy.

"Oh, yeah, Fred. Just like Fred said, don't antagonize a poisonous snake." said Rudolph.

"He started it." said Harry in a whiny voice.

"I'll end it." said Rudolph with a smirk.

but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so.

"That's actually true, even Africa you're famous, and some of those wizard tribes haven't even left their villages." said Leroy.

Dumbledore looked down humbly.

Even when you were strong, you didn't dare try and take over at Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now,

Dumbledore looked over to Harry, his eyes twice as shiny as normal. "You didn't mention this part."

"Didn't seem like the time…" said Harry sheepishly.

wherever you're hiding these days —"

The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a very ugly look.

"After what he looked like in the last book, I would know if it was an improvement or a hindrance." said Ron.

"An ugly Voldemort would be an improvement." said Harry with a laugh.

"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed.

"No, he was forced out by the cowardice of the school governors." said Kingsley shortly.

"He's not as gone as you might think!" Harry retorted.

"Hey that's what Dumbledore said!" said Colin.

He was speaking at random, wanting to scare Riddle, wishing rather than believing it to be true.

"It worked, Riddle turned a bit paler." said Harry.

Riddle opened his mouth, but froze. Music was coming from somewhere.

"Alright, who brought the accordion?" said Fred putting his hands on his hips.

"What is music doing down there?" asked Charlie.

Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly; it lifted the hair on Harry's scalp and made his heart feel as though it was swelling to twice its normal size.

"Is that a good thing?" asked Sirius.

"Oh, yeah. It's a really good thing!" said Harry.

Then, as the music reached such a pitch that Harry felt it vibrating inside his own ribs,

"Sounds painful." said Luna.

flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar.

A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared, piping its weird music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons,

That same bird reappeared in the Great Hall.

"So, Fawkes went down to be with Harry?" asked Dennis.

"That he did, I couldn't find the way down to the Chamber of Secrets, and it turns out, even if I could, I wouldn't have been able to get inside. I gave Fawkes something that I had a feeling would come handy." said Dumbledore.

"Good thing you had the feeling." said Harry gratefully.

which were gripping a ragged bundle.

"That's the thing you sent with Fawkes? A bundle?" said Sirius in an uneasy voice.

"Don't knock it, it's important." said Harry.

A second later, the bird was flying straight at Harry. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at his feet, then landed heavily on his shoulder. As it folded its great wings, Harry looked up and saw it had a long, sharp golden beak and a beady black eye.

The bird stopped singing. It sat still and warm next to Harry's cheek, gazing steadily at Riddle.

"I remember him meeting Riddle once before, but he didn't get along with him very well." said Dumbledore with a fond smile as he stroked Fawkes' feathers.

"What happened?" said Neville. "Why didn't Fawkes like him?"

"Well, he tried to take a feather without asking. Fawkes didn't like that one bit." said Dumbledore with a smile. "I wonder if he still has that cut on his finger?"

"What cut?" asked a first year Slytherin.

"Fawkes bit him." said Dumbledore.

"Good birdie." said Remus with a smirk.

"That's a phoenix." said Riddle, staring shrewdly back at it.

"You're a genius." said Fred.

"Fawkes?" Harry breathed, and he felt the bird's golden claws squeeze his shoulder gently.

"I'll admit, it was like you were standing right there." said Harry looking up at Dumbledore, who was standing behind him.

Dumbledore smiled fondly at Harry and patted Harry on the shoulder.

"And that —" said Riddle, now eyeing the ragged thing that Fawkes had dropped, "that's the old school Sorting Hat —"

"Why did you send him the school Sorting Hat?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It's said that when a student is in danger, the Sorting Hat will give aid to the student. What aid they receive depends on the house they belong to." said Dumbledore.

So it was. Patched, frayed, and dirty, the hat lay motionless at Harry's feet.

"Yeah, it's a great big help." said Tonks skeptically.

Riddle began to laugh again. He laughed so hard that the dark chamber rang with it, as though ten Riddles were laughing at once.

"That's a terrible idea." said Professor Sprout.

"This is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird and an old hat!

"That songbird whupped your ass." said Harry with a beaming smile.

"He always did hold some resentment towards Fawkes since he wouldn't let him take a feather." said Dumbledore.

"Why did he want a feather anyway?" asked Hermione.

"Phoenix feathers are a very sought after feather for quill use." said Dumbledore. "One feather quill could go for at least a hundred galleons."

"A hundred galleons?" said Hermione weakly.

"Phoenixes are rare, and they don't drop feathers all that often. Phoenix feathers have a sort of oil on the base of the feather that can either allow or forbid it to be used as a quill. If the feather was given willingly it can be used as a quill. If not, then the feather will disappear once the phoenix reaches it's next burning day." said Dumbledore.

"So, Riddle wouldn't have been able to use it as a quill anyway." said a small first year Hufflepuff.

"Correct Mr. Jacobs. He would not have." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"

"Matter of fact…yeah." said Harry.

Harry didn't answer. He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.

"See?" said Harry with a smirk.

"To business, Harry," said Riddle, still smiling broadly. "Twice — in your past, in my future — we have met. And twice I failed to kill you. How did you survive? Tell me everything.

"Piss off." said Bill.

"William!" scolded Mrs. Weasley.

The longer you talk," he added softly, "the longer you stay alive."

"Well it seems he was informed in torture." said Moody.

Harry was thinking fast, weighing his chances. Riddle had the wand. He, Harry, had Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, neither of which would be much good in a duel.

"Boy I was wrong, on both parts." said Harry.

It looked bad, all right… but the longer Riddle stood there, the more life was dwindling out of Ginny… and in the meantime, Harry noticed suddenly, Riddle's outline was becoming clearer, more solid… If it had to be a fight between him and Riddle, better sooner than later.

"Wow, Harry was going to fight dirty!" said Fred excitedly.

George wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "We've taught him so much."

"No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me," said Harry abruptly. "I don't know myself. But I know why you couldn't kill me.

"Um…should you really tell him that?" asked Tonks.

Because my mother died to save me. My common Muggle-born mother," he added, shaking with suppressed rage.

"I didn't want to say common." said Harry regretfully.

"That's alright. You were just trying to piss him off." said Remus.

"You're a mommy's boy, even if she isn't around anymore." said Leroy. "You always were."

"She stopped you killing me. And I've seen the real you, I saw you last year. You're a wreck.

"Bet he loved that." said Percy with a smirk.

You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you.

"Quit arguing with him, he'll only kill you faster." said Remus worriedly.

You're in hiding. You're ugly, you're foul —"

"Tom at a young age was quite the narcissist. He wouldn't have liked that." said Dumbledore gravely.

Riddle's face contorted.

"You love flirting with danger don't you?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Then he forced it into an awful smile. "So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful countercharm. I can see now… there is nothing special about you,

"Wow, so you pulled a fast one!" said a second year Gryffindor. "You made him think that you weren't smart!"

Hermione looked over and sent Harry a shy smile. I thought so." she said.

after all. I wondered, you see. There are strange likenesses between us, after all. Even you must have noticed.

"Didn't want to notice." said Harry grumbling.

Both half-bloods, orphans,

"You made him that way!' said Sirius angrily.

raised by Muggles. Probably the only two Parselmouths to come to Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself.

"That might not be true. Not many people admit to being a Parselmouth." said Snape.

We even look something alike,

"Oh he does not!" said Ginny angrily.

"Thank goodness." said Harry.

but after all, it was merely a lucky chance that saved you from me. That's all I wanted to know."

Harry stood, tense, waiting for Riddle to raise his wand.

"What were you going to do?" asked Dennis.

"Well, I had an idea, if he was able to use the wand, then he was solid enough for me to attack." said Harry.

But Riddle's twisted smile was widening again.

"Now, Harry, I'm going to teach you a little lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him…"

He cast an amused eye over Fawkes and the Sorting Hat,

"Stupid jerk." snarled Parvati.

then walked away. Harry, fear spreading up his numb legs, watched Riddle stop between the high pillars and look up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half-darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed — but Harry understood what he was saying…

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

"He was no better than the other Founders." said Madam Bones shortly.

Harry wheeled around to look up at the statue, Fawkes swaying on his shoulder.

"At least he didn't leave you." said Madam Hooch.

Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. Horror struck, Harry saw his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole.

And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths.

"Oh, no. It's…the…basilisk!" shouted the students fearfully.

Harry backed away until he hit the dark Chamber wall, and as he shut his eyes tight he felt Fawkes' wing sweep his cheek as he took flight.

"Oh, no. he did leave you." said Madam Hooch worriedly.

"Fawkes was still there." said Dumbledore.

Harry wanted to shout, "Don't leave me!" but what chance did a phoenix have against the king of serpents?

"He can hold his own pretty easily." said Dumbledore. "He's quite the fighter."

"Then why isn't he staying?" said Sirius hotly.

Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Harry felt it shudder — he knew what was happening, he could sense it,

"My eyes were shut." said Harry.

"Good, keep them shut and get the hell out of there." said Remus.

"And take Ginny with you." said Dr. Clark.

could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth. Then he heard Riddle's hissing voice:

"Kill him."

The basilisk was moving toward Harry; he could hear its heavy body slithering heavily across the dusty floor. Eyes still tightly shut,

"Wow, you're good." said Viper impressed.

Harry began to run blindly sideways, his hands outstretched, feeling his way —

"Dear lord, Harry's fighting blind." said Charlie.

Voldemort was laughing –

"Sadistic bastard." said Kingsley furiously.

Harry tripped. He fell hard onto the stone and tasted blood.

"Harry! What happened?" asked Remus quickly.

"I cut my lip and knocked out a tooth." said Harry. "Madam Pomfrey fixed me up."

The serpent was barely feet from him, he could hear it coming.

There was a loud, explosive spitting sound right above him, and then something heavy hit Harry so hard that he was smashed into the wall.

The men in the bowl paled horribly.

"Harry?..." whimpered Sirius.

"Tell me when it's over!" said Dr. Clark covering his head.

"Oh no you don't!" said Rudolph moving his hands. "If we have to sit through it, you do too."

"Were you okay?" asked Leroy weakly.

"I was sore for a bit." said Harry honestly.

Waiting for fangs to sink through his body

Several girls screamed loudly.

Sirius then leaned over and shielded Harry's body with his own.

"I'm okay, I'm right here." said Harry reassuringly.

he heard more mad hissing, something thrashing wildly off the pillars.

"What is that damn thing doing?" asked Remus frantically.

He couldn't help it — he opened his eyes wide enough to squint at what was going on.

"ARE YOU NUTS?" shouted the adults in the room.

The enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk, had raised itself high in the air and its great blunt head was weaving drunkenly between the pillars. As Harry trembled, ready to close his eyes if it turned, he saw what had distracted the snake.

Fawkes was soaring around its head, and the basilisk was snapping furiously at him with fangs long and thin as sabers –

Sirius whimpered even louder.

Charlie was staring fixedly at his sister and refused to remove his gaze.

Fawkes dived. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden shower of dark blood spattered the floor.

Dumbledore smiled at the shocked looks on the people's faces turned towards him.

"I told you that he could hold his own." said Dumbledore happily.

The snake's tail thrashed, narrowly missing Harry, and before Harry could shut his eyes, it turned — Harry looked straight into its face and saw that its eyes,

"HARRY!" shouted the people in the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Hermione nearly scared out of her mind.

both its great, bulbous yellow eyes, had been punctured by the phoenix; blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony.

"GO FAWKES!" shouted the students.

Fawkes looked around the room confusedly.

"NO!" Harry heard Riddle screaming. "LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM. KILL HIM!"

The blinded serpent swayed, confused, still deadly. Fawkes was circling its head, piping his eerie song, jabbing here and there at its scaly nose as the blood poured from its ruined eyes.

"Thank goodness we didn't eat anything." said Ron holding his stomach.

"Never thought I'd hear that come out of your mouth." said Mr. Weasley with a small, weak smile.

"Help me, help me," Harry muttered wildly, "someone — anyone…"

"Come Harry! The eyes are gone!" said Colin.

"But the fangs were still there." said Harry.

The snake's tail whipped across the floor again. Harry ducked. Something soft hit his face.

The basilisk had swept the Sorting Hat into Harry's arms. Harry seized it. It was all he had left, his only chance — he rammed it onto his head and threw himself flat onto the floor as the basilisk's tail swung over him again.

"That was too close!" said Hannah.

Help me — help me — Harry thought, his eyes screwed tight under the hat. Please help me.

There was no answering voice. Instead, the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly.

"What? What's happening to the hat?" asked Tonks.

Something very hard and heavy thudded onto the top of Harry's head, almost knocking him out. Stars winking in front of his eyes,

"Now is not the time to pass out Harry." said Sirius worriedly.

he grabbed the top of the hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it.

A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs.

"Well…whaddaya know?" said Nightstrike with a smile. The hat is useful."

"KILL THE BOY! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. SNIFF — SMELL HIM."

"He actually said the word, sniff?" said Fred with a nervous chuckle.

Harry was on his feet, ready. The basilisk's head was falling, its body coiling around, hitting pillars as it twisted to face him. He could see the vast, bloody eye sockets, see the mouth stretching wide, wide enough to swallow him whole,

"Harry, don't say stuff like that!" said Leroy fretfully.

lined with fangs long as his sword, thin, glittering, venomous —

"Quit it." squeaked Neville worriedly.

It lunged blindly — Harry dodged and it hit the Chamber wall. It lunged again, and its forked tongue lashed Harry's side.

"That explains the burn you had on your side." said Madam Pomfrey.

He raised the sword in both his hands —

The basilisk lunged again, and this time its aim was true —

"Calming Draught time." said Harry reaching over and grabbing a large handful of them.

"Is this the bad part?" asked Sirius turning very white.

"Yeah, chug this." said Harry passing out the phials to everyone he could reach. He even got up and passed phials over to the Weasley family, Ron and Hermione included.

"I'm fine." said Mrs. Weasley, despite her hands shaking.

"I'm not reading till you drink that potion." said Lionus sternly.

Obediently, they drank the potions.

Harry threw his whole weight behind the sword and drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth —

"GO HARRY!" shouted the students.

"I thought you said this was bad." said Sirius with a deeply calmed face.

But as warm blood drenched Harry's arms, he felt a searing pain just above his elbow.

"Harry…" whimpered Remus softly.

One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm and it splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor.

The Hall went silent. Suddenly the bowl exploded with a horrific bang and the bowl and it's contents were slammed into the wall.

"This again?" said Harry throwing the bowl off of himself and the rest of the men.

"Sorry, but you know…that's a little hard to listen to." said Dr. Clark weakly, holding his side again.

"Little?" said Remus incredulously. "He got poisoned by the most venomous snake in the history of the world! It's…he's…." tears began to form in his eyes.

Harry sighed, and tried squirming out of the surrounding hug that was being given to him by Sirius, Rudolph and Leroy. "I'm fine"

"Liar." said Rudolph.

"Maybe not then, but I am now." said Harry with a smile. "Put the bowl back upright and lets get on with the story. You guys broke through the Calming Draught quickly."

"You nearly dying has that effect." said Sirius still gripping Harry.

"Okay, well, let's sit down then." said Harry patting Sirius on the back.

"No, let's just stand and fret." said Leroy trying to hold Harry tightly.

Harry slid down the wall. He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body and wrenched it out of his arm.

The men holding him let a sharp hiss of pain.

But he knew it was too late.

"T-too…too late?" said Mrs. Weasley weakly.

White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound.

The Hall went almost completely silent, minus the whimpers and sobs coming from random parts of the Great Hall.

Even as he dropped the fang and watched his own blood soaking his robes,

"Basilisk venom can stop the body's ability to form clots and stop the bleeding after a while the body bleeds out. That way the basilisk can have the taste of blood in its mouth when they eat their prey." said Snape quietly.

"SHUT UP!" bellowed Sirius.

"But the place where Potter was bitten, the poison would have eaten away a great hole until it went straight through his arm." said Snape, his voice getting quieter and quieter.

"I told you to SHUT UP!" said Sirius angrily.

his vision went foggy. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull color.

A patch of scarlet swam past, and Harry heard a soft clatter of claws beside him."Fawkes," said Harry thickly. "You were fantastic, Fawkes…"

"Oh, no...Harry..." said Mr. Weasley as he tried to console his wife.

"Wait, if Fawkes is there, he should be fine!" said Leroy excitedly.

He felt the bird lay its beautiful head on the spot where the serpent's fang had pierced him. He could hear echoing footsteps and then a dark shadow moved in front of him.

"You're dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's voice above him. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying."

"Damn you, you son of a bitch." muttered Leroy. But he knew that Harry got out of it okay, but that would never stop him from worrying about his little monster.

Harry blinked. Fawkes' head slid in and out of focus. Thick, pearly tears were trickling down the glossy feathers.

"I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I'm in no hurry."

"I'd love to watch him die." snarled Sirius. "I'm talking about Voldemort." he added quickly.

Harry felt drowsy.

"Don't fall asleep, Harry!" yelled Hermione fearfully.

Everything around him seemed to be spinning.

"So ends the famous Harry Potter," said Riddle's distant voice. "Alone in the Chamber of Secrets, forsaken by his friends,

"No we didn't!" said Harry's closest friends.

defeated at last by the Dark Lord

"No, that snake thing did it, you just stood back and watched it try and do the job you never could." said Fred.

he so unwisely challenged.

"You'd think the stupid twat would learn not to come after me." said Harry with a sly smile.

You'll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry… She bought you twelve years of borrowed time… but Lord Voldemort got you in the end, as you knew he must…"

If this is dying, thought Harry, it's not so bad.

"WHAT?" shouted the people in the Hall. Harry noticed Ginny looking intently down at the floor. He tried to make his way down to her, thought it was a wee bit difficult, as the men were trying hard to cling to him as tightly as they dared.

He took Ginny by the hand and embraced her tightly as she jumped up and hugged him.

"What's wrong, Ginny? You still a bit nervous?" said Harry in a gentle voice. He smiled as she nodded. "I'm right here, see?" He placed a hand softly to the back of her head and held her head to his chest. "Hear that? That means I'm just fine."

Ginny smiled as she heard and felt the constant thumping of Harry's heart. Suddenly the warmth of Harry's body and beat of Harry's heart was gone. She looked up and laughed, Harry's uncles were dragging him back to where the bowl laid forgotten on the floor.

"Enough with the sappy stuff" said Sirius.

Even the pain was leaving him…

But was this dying? Instead of going black,

"How would you know?" said Professor McGonagall said in a frightened voice.

"One of the first times in the hospital...I...um...never mind." said Harry but not finishing his sentence.

Several people whimpered.

the Chamber seemed to be coming back into focus. Harry gave his head a little shake and there was Fawkes, still resting his head on Harry's arm. A pearly patch of tears was shining all around the wound — except that there was no wound.

"Thank bloody god." said Rudolph heaving a sigh of relief.

"Get away, bird," said Riddle's voice suddenly. "Get away from him — I said, get away —"

Harry raised his head. Riddle was pointing Harry's wand at Fawkes; there was a bang like a gun, and Fawkes took flight again in a whirl of gold and scarlet.

"Phoenix tears…" said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry's arm. "Of course… healing powers… I forgot…"

"He wasn't the only one who forgot." said Harry sheepishly.

He looked into Harry's face. "But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter… you and me…"

"If he had done that to start with, he'd still have his monster." said Moody.

"ALASTOR!" scolded McGonagall.

He raised the wand…

Then, in a rush of wings, Fawkes had soared back overhead and something fell into Harry's lap — the diary.

"Huh? I forgot all about it." said George.

For a split second, both Harry and Riddle, wand still raised, stared at it.

"So did they apparently." said Fred.

"Just like in the cartoons!" said Dennis with a giggle.

Then, without thinking, without considering, as though he had meant to do it all along, Harry seized the basilisk fang on the floor next to him and plunged it straight into the heart of the book.

"Bout time!" said Dr. Clark happily.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream.

"Tell me that wasn't you." pleaded Leroy.

"No, it wasn't me." said Harry with a smile.

Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then —

He had gone.

"Goodbye and good riddance." said Kingsley smirking.

Harry's wand fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady drip drip of ink still oozing from the diary. The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it.

"Oh, my god! That would have happened to your arm!" shrieked Hermione.

Suddenly, the familiar little balls of light came shooting out of the book.

"NO! NOT NOW! NOT THIS! WHAT ABOUT THE BASILISK?" shouted Remus.

"We can't be affected." said Speckerton faintly.

"What the…" asked Leroy.

"Are these those Scattered Shots you talked about?" said Rudolph.

"Yeah, but we haven't seen them around for a while." said Ron.

The balls of light entered the bodies of everyone there, even Rudolph and Leroy. They all landed in a large, dank and stone walled chamber, pillars lining each side, and a large pool of water towards the end of it. But the décor didn't attract their attention, it was the giant snake towering high above them.

"Oh…my…GOD!" screamed Tonks. They looked behind them and saw Harry running with his hands stretched out, as if he were blind.

The snake lifted it's head and sent it crashing into Harry's side, slamming him into the wall.

"You didn't say anything about you screaming!" said Sirius accusingly.

"I didn't expect you to watch it firsthand." said Harrys quickly. The basilisk pulled it's head back slowly and opened it's jaws and prepared to swallow the stunned boy whole.

Sirius rushed over and did his best to shield Harry from the giant beast, he wasn't the only one, every adult and Weasley rushed over and did the same thing.

Suddenly, they saw Fawkes come swooping out of nowhere and use it's talons and beak to gouge out the eyes of the giant basilisk.

They watched in horror as the phoenix continued it's calculating attack, so much so that they didn't even notice that younger Harry had already crammed the tossed Sorting Hat on his head.

"Hurts more than it looks." said Harry smiling at the younger version of himself as it staggered.

They watched as Harry slowly made his way towards the Basilisk and raised the sword almost parallel to the ground.

"I can't watch this." said Leroy covering his eyes, but he allowed himself to look through the cracks in his fingers.

Younger Harry swung the sword swiftly and managed to slash at the nose of the basilisk, which sadly, only made it angrier.

"Harry! Your side!" said Hermione. "It's tongue cut your shirt!"

"We covered this in the book." said Harry shaking his head.

The Watchers ignored Tom's psychotic cheering on the monster, which was getting harder by the minute. The basilisk lunged again and Harry met it's fangs with the blade in his hand. But as the basilisk's fang sank deeper into his arm…

"AHHHHHRRRGGGG!" screamed Harry, his head reared back and his eyes clenched in pain.

"HARRY!" screamed the Watchers. They paid the dying basilisk no heed and rushed to Harry as he fell slowly to the fall along the wall.

"Harry…oh my god…Harry." said Dumbledore, tears falling from his eyes.

"Um…I'm right here." said Harry with a raised brow.

"We know Harry, but…" said Sirius weakly.

"You've got to understand it from our point of view." said Rudolph.

"YOU'RE DYING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US AND WE CAN'T DO A THING TO HELP YOU!" screeched Hermione.

Harry stared at her, "Fawkes doing a great job if you ask me." said Harry pointing. They looked back at the younger Harry and saw Fawkes, his healing tears falling slowly off his beak and landing on the wound. Suddenly the balls of light left their bodies, and they found themselves back in the Great Hall.

"That…that was horrible." said Neville weakly.

"Captain?" asked Tempest from her post. Strangely, Umbridge wasn't thrashing about, all she was doing was sitting there and staring at the floor.

"Doctor?" said Lionus looking at Dr. Nicodemus.

"I've got a phial of his blood already here." said Doctor Nicodemus pulling out a small crystal phial of a red liquid. "Should be excellent for what I need."

"What do you want his blood for?" asked Remus quickly.

"Phoenix tears heal the wounds and are an antidote for basilisk venom and other poisons. But the tears do not take the basilisk poison out of your system. The venom stays in your body for the rest of your life. Turning it into your advantage." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"What are you trying to say?" asked Fred.

"If Harry ever gets poisoned by another basilisk, he has nothing to worry about, he's forever immune to it." said Lionus with a smirk. "And the reason we want the blood, is so we can make our officers immune to it as well. That will take a large load off of Icarus."

"Who's Icarus?" asked George.

"He's our phoenix." said Nightstrike. "And he gets overworked at times. So this will help him out immensely."

"So if Harry's immune to it…" said Sirius thoughtfully.

"Voldemort is immune to it as well." said Harry.

"Well so much for going down there, grabbing a fang and stabbing him in the face with it and watching him die." said Remus.

"Let's get this over with, my poor nerves can't take much more." said Leroy, reaching for a phial of calming draught.

"Good thing I had St. Mungos send some more over." said Snape with a smirk.

Shaking all over, Harry pulled himself up. His head was spinning as though he'd just traveled miles by Floo powder.

"Oh, lord, you hate that stuff too? I cannot stand that damn stuff." said Leroy.

"The plant part is fine, but not the traveling aspect." said Rudolph.

Slowly, he gathered together his wand and the Sorting Hat, and, with a huge tug, retrieved the glittering sword from the roof of the basilisk's mouth.

"Don't hurt yourself again!" said Tonks.

Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny was stirring.

"Thank goodness!" said Charlie.

As Harry hurried toward her, she sat up. Her bemused eyes traveled from the huge form of the dead basilisk,

"I didn't have the faintest idea what the heck that monster was." said Ginny quietly.

over Harry, in his blood-soaked robes,

"I thought you were dying there for a moment." said Ginny.

then to the diary in his hand.

"I could tell that you were freaking out about that one." said Harry.

She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face.

"Poor Ginny." said Sirius with a sort of compassion that he hadn't shown anyone else besides Harry.

"Harry — oh, Harry — I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy — it was me, Harry — but I — I s-swear I d-didn't mean to — R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over — and — how did you kill that — that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary —"

"You weren't to blame dear, little one. You had no control over what you did." said Dumbledore kindly.

" It's all right," said Harry, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole, "Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here —"

"I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny wept as Harry helped her awkwardly to her feet.

"I was still a little weak from the loss of blood and Ginny was still a woozy." said Harry.

"I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and — w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"

"If they had blamed you for anything, they would have another thing coming." said Harry.

"My sentiments exactly." said Dumbledore.

Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber entrance. Harry urged Ginny forward;

"Why did you make her go ahead of you?" asked Remus.

"She wouldn't stop staring at the blood on my robes." said Harry.

they stepped over the motionless coils of the dead basilisk, through the echoing gloom, and back into the tunnel.

"Thank goodness all that excitement is over." said Kingsley wiping the sweat off his brow.

Harry heard the stone doors close behind them with a soft hiss.

"What did it say?" asked Ginny.

"For some strange reason, it said Thank you." said Harry.

"I believe that that might have been Salazar, thanking you for saving what little honor was left to him." said Dumbledore.

After a few minutes' progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached Harry's ears.

"Ron's still hard at work." said Mr. Weasley proudly.

"Well, yeah, it was the only thing that kept me going." said Ron sheepishly. "And other than kicking the daylights out of Lockhart, I had nothing better to do with my time."

"How about getting a competent teacher?" asked Bathilda.

"Couldn't get up the tunnel." said Ron shrugging.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Ginny's okay! I've got her!"

He heard Ron give a strangled cheer,

"I was busy trying a lug a boulder out of the way." said Ron.

and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rock fall.

"I was impressed, I wouldn't have been able to do that much in that short amount of time." said Harry.

"How long was Harry down there?" asked Remus.

"Only about forty minutes or so." said Ron.

"Ginny!" Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it!

"I never hugged her so tight in my life." said Ron with a smile.

"I could hardly breathe." said Ginny.

What happened? How — what — where did that bird come from?"

"How could he miss a giant flaming bird?" asked George.

"He can erupt into flames and appear anywhere in the world he chooses." said Dumbledore slightly proud. "He would not have had to pass Ron to get to where Harry was."

Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny.

"He's Dumbledore's," said Harry, squeezing through himself.

"Squeezing?" asked Sirius with a smirk. "You could stroll through a keyhole."

"I had to carry a hat, book and sword, squeezing was required." said Harry.

"How come you've got a sword?" said Ron, gaping at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand.

"Every hero has a sword." said George.

"Hang on, you focused on the sword, but the blood didn't catch your eye?" said Fred.

"I thought it was from whatever he fought back there." said Ron.

"I'll explain when we get out of here," said Harry with a sideways glance at Ginny, who was crying harder than ever.

"But —"

"I didn't notice her crying, I just wanted to know what the hell happened." said Ron.

"Later," Harry said shortly. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell Ron yet who'd been opening the Chamber, not in front of Ginny, anyway. "Where's Lockhart?"

"Why do you care?" asked Sirius in a confused voice.

"Didn't want to make a second trip down there." said Harry.

"Back there," said Ron, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the tunnel toward the pipe. "He's in a bad way. Come and see."

Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself.

"Dear God shoot me." said Remus.

"Dazzle Gums can't sing." said Sirius.

"His memory's gone," said Ron. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us.

"When justice happens, it's wonderful." said Charlie.

"He deserves more than that." said Remus with a growl.

Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself."

"You rule Ron!" said a third year Gryffindor, laughing so hard that he fell out of his chair.

Ron perked up and puffed out his chest proudly.

Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all.

"You make it sound like he didn't always." said Remus.

"Do we have to cover this again?" asked Harry with a groan.

"Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"

"No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry.

"You should have said, 'Yeah, you do.'" said Sirius.

"That's why I looked at Harry, I wanted to, but Harry looked a bit tense and didn't want to push it." said Ron.

Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he said to Ron.

"I couldn't believe you were asking me that." said Ron.

"I was devoting my time trying to think of a way to stay alive." said Harry with a smirk. "Wasn't thinking how we were going to climb the miles back to the castle."

Ron shook his head, but Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past Harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.

"I didn't think he could lift everyone. He was really light when he landed on my shoulder, and us three weighed a little bit more than the idiot decorating the floor with rocks, was." said Harry.

"He looks like he wants you to grab hold…" said Ron, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there —"

"Wow, you guys do think alike don't you?" said Bill with a laugh.

"Fawkes," said Harry, "isn't an ordinary bird."

"I decided to trust him, which wasn't very hard to do." said Harry.

He turned quickly to the others. "We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand.

"Aww! Does that mean that you get to hold his hand?" said Tonks cooing.

Professor Lockhart —"

"He means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart.

"This is wonderful!" said Dr. Clark laughing hard.

"You hold Ginny's other hand —"

"Well, damn." said Tonks.

"I didn't want her to lose her grip on me. Ron would hold onto her, he was stronger than I was." said Harry.

Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt,

"I would not have put a sharp, pointy object near…there." said Sirius.

"Us either." said the twins.

Ron took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers.

"Did you burn yourself dear?" asked Bathilda, Mrs. Weasely would have said it, but she was too busy hugging her two youngest tightly.

"I had light burns, but Fawkes helped me out again." said Harry.

An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe. Harry could hear Lockhart dangling below him, saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!"

"Oh, sweet Merlin…" groaned Moody.

The chill air was whipping through Harry's hair, and before he'd stopped enjoying the ride, it was over —

"It was a lot of fun, actually. Despite the slow burning." said Harry.

all four of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat,

"Must be an unconscious thing." said Dean with a snicker.

the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place.

Myrtle goggled at them.

"You're alive," she said blankly to Harry.

"Thanks for caring." said George.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," he said grimly, wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.

"She was disappointed?" said Remus in shock.

"She's got a crush on Harry." said Ron with a smirk.

"She sort of pulled a Ginny though." said Hermione .

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny quickly.

"She still wants to be with him, but she's settling down a bit." said Hermione.

"How would a living person date a dead one?" asked Sirius.

"Oh, well… I'd just been thinking… if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver.

"Do you get a choice to come back as a ghost?" asked a third year Slytherin.

"Well...in a way." said Dumbledore. "It all depends if you are ready to pass on. If not, you may come back as a ghost."

"I don't think I'd want to hang around as a ghost." said Harry thoughtfully. The men surrounding him looked at him quickly.

"You'd leave us?" said Sirius in a whimper.

"Would you stick around, or would you go to wherever dad and mom are?" questioned Harry.

"Good point, but…don't be in too big of a rush to see them." said Remus with a constricted voice.

"Urgh!" said Ron as they left the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside. "Harry! I think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!"

"I was trying to be funny!" said Ron defensively.

But tears were still flooding silently down Ginny's face.

"And there I learned it didn't work." said Ron.

"Where now?" said Ron, with an anxious look at Ginny.

"See, and I thought she needed some attention." said Ron.

Harry pointed.

Fawkes was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor. They strode after him, and moments later, found themselves outside Professor McGonagall's office.

"How did he know to go there?" asked Michael.

"He can find me, wherever I go." said Dumbledore.

Harry knocked and pushed the door open.

"Forget knocking, just walk in. You deserve a little leniency from good manners." said Fred.

"Only one chapter left, should we press on?" asked Seamus looking the thinness of the book in the Ranger Captain's hands.

Suddenly, a scroll blossomed once more from the book.

"My guess would be, no." said Lionus as the bright light enclosed around them.

Chapter 46


The Watchers were deposited just outside of a neat house, which mirrored all the other houses next to it. The only difference was that the lawn and garden was absolutely pristine.

"Hang on…we're at Privet Drive." said Dean aloud. "What's a good memory doing here?"

"I've had some…not a lot…but some." said Harry kindly.

"Yeah, and I'm Chinese Fireball." said Charlie rolling his eyes.

"The garden looks beautiful." said Professor Sprout.

"No doubt Potter did it, I cannot see Petunia getting her hands dirty for anything." sneered Snape.

They saw a younger Harry walk out of the door of Privet Drive and call into the house.

"I'm done with the chores and made your lunch, I'll be back soon." said Harry.

"Wow, they let you do that?" asked Ron in shock. "How did you manage to get away with that?"

"If this is when I think it is, it was a few days since I went to get the Dragon's Eyes. They were still reeling from Hagrid's visit at the hut on the rock." said Harry with a bright smile up to Hagrid.

"Glad I could help." said Hagrid beaming back down to the white haired lad.

The scene shifted and they found themselves in a small pub, there were only a small handful of people in there, sitting at a booth towards the back of the pub, talking amongst themselves. The Watchers noticed that the sign on the door said 'Closed'.

"Hang on, how are these people in here, if the place is closed?" asked Lee.

"They work here. They're prepping the food." said Harry. "Though it doesn't look like it now."

"Then why are we here, do you work here?" asked Hermione.

"Not always, just a few times a month or so." said Harry. "Only during the summer and whenever I can manage to get away from the Dursley's, Which wasn't much time the next two years after this."

"So, you gave up with the whole Mission Impossible thing?" said Dean with a disappointed tone to his voice.

"No, I'm still doing that. Like I said before, if this is the day I think it is, it has something to do with it." said Harry with a smile.

Then the door to the kitchen opened up and Harry came out with a large serving tray, with a silver cover.

"What are you doing here?" asked Sirius.

"I'm trying out a new recipe." said Harry.

"What have you come up for us this time?" asked one of the men in the booth.

"Something I came up with last night, I call it "Sunken Treasure." said Harry with a smile as he lifted the silver cover. Inside was what looked like eight giant clams.

"What are they?" asked Remus.

"What are they?" asked one of the women in the booth. Remus slammed his elbow into Sirius' side, after he sniggered.

"They're cakes!" said Harry. "Lift the top of the clam, and see what's inside." said Harry excitedly.

The people in the booth lifted the top of the clam and saw that it was indeed a sort of soft cake. Inside was a creamy pink custard and a white pearl sitting carefully on top.

"See, it can either be strawberry or cherry custard, and each will have a sugar pearl in the middle." said Harry opening his own.

"That's pretty ingenious." said Leroy, a slight frown on his face.

"Uh, oh." said Rudolph, "Someone might have finally met a challenger…" he smiled wickedly.

"What do you mean?" asked Blaise.

"Leroy is a culinary master. There isn't a person we know that knows more about food than Lee." said Rudolph with a smile. "He gets sort of jealous sometimes, if someone else comes along."

"I do not!" said Leroy angrily.

"You do too, don't deny it." said Sirius with a laugh, he laughed even harder when Leroy crossed his arms and pouted. "Azkaban couldn't take away that memory of you trying to sabotage Lily's pecan pie."

The people in the pub finished off the clams and sat back completely filled with the delicious cakes and custard.

"That was delicious. It's definitely something that has to go on the children's menu." said one of the men that happened to be wearing an apron.

"He's one of the cooks." said Harry with a smile. "He taught me how to make a really awesome shepherd's pie, haven't mastered it completely yet, though."

"Forget that, it's going on the regular one." said one of the waitresses.

"She's one of my cooking fans." said Harry with a slight blush.

"Now, you better tell us all about how that last job went." said one of the waiters excitedly.

"But I've already told you." whined Harry.

"Tell us again, Harry, they're always so exciting!" said one of the waitresses.

So Harry sat down and told them what had happened, and it turned out, he described what had happened in the last scroll.

"Aww, come on! You could have told a different story." said Fred pouting slightly.

Suddenly, a loud banging knock came at the door.

"Who the heck is that?" asked said one of the waiters standing up and walking towards the door.

He came back and was followed closely by a young woman, who was obviously distraught.

"Emily? What's wrong?" said one of the waitresses worriedly.

"I…It's…" said Emily frantically.

"What is it?" one of the waiters.

"It's my Aunt's necklace! It was stolen!" said Emily.

"Have you called the police? Haven't they been able to figure out who took it?" said Harry quickly.

"Who's he?" said Emily calming down enough to look about and seeing Harry for the first time.

"He's…he's uh…" said one of the waiters.

"So, this Emily person doesn't know who you are?" asked Hermione.

"No, just the people who work here." said Harry. "She's friends with one of the waiters."

"I did call the police, and they did find the person that has it, but the man said that my mother sold it to him, he has a bill of sale and everything! But she would never sell that! Especially for the price he said she got." said Emily finally answering Harry's question

What was it?" asked one of the cooks.

"A thousand pounds!" said Emily.

"That's a heck of a lot, are you sure she didn't sell it?" said one of the waitresses.

"No! That necklace has been passed down in my family for over two hundred years! It's priceless!" said Emily. "A thousand pounds isn't even enough to take care of the solid gold chain! The strange thing is, when Mother checked the bank balance, there was the thousand pounds!"

"So what's the name of the guy who stole your necklace?" said Harry from the back.

Suddenly, a telephone rang from behind the counter. The barkeep went behind the counter and answered the phone.

"Hello? Yeah, he's here. Harry! It's for you?" shouted the barkeep. Harry walked up to the counter and took the phone from the older man. Suddenly, a faint buzzing entered the Watchers' ears.

"What the heck is this?" said Draco, covering his ears.

"It's…a telephone call." said Hermione in awe.

"Hello?" said younger Harry.

"Harry, I've got a job for you." said a familiar voice.

"Hey! That's the Inspector's voice!" said Colin.

"Does it have something to do with a necklace?" said younger Harry quietly with a small smile.

"Okay, how'd you figure that part out?" said the Inspector, his voice sounding amused.

"Miss Emily came in and told the people here at 'The Keep' what had happened." said Harry.

"I see, well…meet me at the pond in the park, I'll clue you in on the details." said the Inspector.

"Sure thing sir, happy to help." said Harry as he hung up the phone. The faint buzzing disappeared. "I've got to go, I hope that you get your necklace back Emily."

Soon, the scene shifted again and they found themselves at a large park, with a calm pond in the center, little ducks waddling about, the ones on the water dipped their bills into the water and coming up with little bits of water grass. There on a bench, staring out onto the water was Inspector Homes.

"Thanks for coming, Bud." said the man standing up and shaking Harry's hand. "Haven't seen you about in a while, I had something all planned for your birthday, and you never showed up." he said with a smile.

"The Dursleys…decided to go for a…road trip." said Harry.

"And they took you with them? That's a shocker." said Inspector Homes.

"Well…" said Harry looking slightly uncomfortable.

"You're not telling me something again." said Inspector Homes with a stern look.

"Well, my parents signed me up for a certain school before they died and the Dursleys didn't want me to go. It's a boarding school and they wouldn't have me to do all the cooking and gardening. So they tried outrunning the…the representative from finding me and telling me that I was to go to their school." said Harry with a smile.

"Don't the Dursley's get to decide where to send you?" asked Inspector Homes, slightly confused.

"It was my parents' wishes that I get sent to that school, and I'm sort of really excited to go." said Harry. "I'll finally be away from the Dursleys, at least for most of the year."

The Inspector looked sideways quickly, his face clouded, but then turned his head back towards the small boy with a forced smile. " Well, as long as your happy…but if you ever want to come back, just give me a call, I'll come and fetch you….where is this school of yours?"

"Scotland, I believe." said Harry sitting down on the bench.

The Inspector blinked, "Well, I'll still come and get you anyway." he said with a smile. "You just let me know if you get homesick."

"I can send you letters in a different sort of way." said Harry with a bright smile. "That way I don't homesick much."

"Well, you were doing moderately well about not telling anyone about us." drawled Snape.

"I don't think he'd believe me if I tried." said Harry.

"How's that?" asked the Inspector.

Younger Harry looked up into the tree and called Hedwig's name. From the higher branches, she came fluttering down.

"This is Hedwig, she's brilliant." said Harry proudly, "This way, I don't have to wait on the postman to come, and she can make the trip in a blink of an eye."

The Inspector stared at Hedwig and then at Harry. "Harry, where did you find her?"

"We sort of found each other. Hedwig, this is Inspector Homes."

She looked up at him and landed lightly on his shoulder, giving his ear an affectionate nip.

"I've never seen an owl behave like this." said the Inspector hesitantly stroking the top of Hedwig's head. "Well, alright then…"

"Now about this necklace…" said Harry.

"Right, well, the person that took it, you know all too well." said Inspector Homes, he watched as Hedwig flew back into the tree she had come down from.

"Not Mr. Buckthorn…" groaned Harry.

"The very same, we found out that the bill of sale was forged and bullied him into admitting that he took it. He's sitting in a jail cell, but there's a problem with getting the necklace back." said Inspector Homes.

"He keeps sending forgeries huh?" said Harry.

"Right on the nose, we sent the one his lawyer said it was to Miss Emily, the real owner and she said it wasn't it. Though a jeweler said the necklace itself was worth about a thousand pounds, she said it wasn't it. I think the necklace in question is still in Buckthorn's house. So? Do you remember how to go about the place." said Inspector Homes.

"Like those gossiping ladies down at the supermarket say, you always remember your first." said Harry with a smirk.

The scene shifted once more and they found themselves back at 'The Keep." The wait staff and the cooks were gathered about once more at one of the booths, trying to console Emily. The girls noticed that Emily was wearing something different, so they knew this was a different day.

"This was the next day." said Harry with a smirk to the boys who hadn't noticed Emily's clothes.

"Aw! Come on! I want to see you do awesome stuff again!" said George pouting.

Suddenly the police Inspector came in, with Harry lagging behind. They watched as Harry dodged behind the counter.

"Miss Emily, I have your necklace, and we took it to the jeweler, this time, he matched it perfectly to the picture you gave us." said Inspector Homes.

"Just to double check." she said with a choked voice, she took the necklace gently and turned it over. "Yes! This IS it! It has my teeth marks on the gold!"

"There's what?" said the Inspector In shock.

"I accidentally gnawed on the gold when I was little, it was the worse paddling I ever got, but here they are!" said Emily. "They weren't on any of the copies."

"What about that guy that took it?" said one of the waiters. "What are you going to do about him?"

"He's already in jail for having stolen objects in his possession." said the Inspector with a smirk.

"Thank you so much!" said Emily happily.

"Don't thank me, we had help." said the Inspector. His eyes flittered over to the counter, where Harry was crouched down, hiding behind it with a satisfied smile on his face.

Suddenly the light enveloped them once again.

They were all deposited back into the Great Hall without much trouble, much like all the times before.

"Are you serious?" said one of the first years. "We have to wait till tomorrow to finish the book?"

"Actually, if you remember last week, I said that we would not be doing any reading on the weekends." said Dumbledore smiling brightly.

"It's Friday, isn't it?" said Ernie sadly.

"That it is. No readings on the weekend, that way we have two days to stretch our legs and perhaps some of the teachers can issue some essay or something along those lines for the students to work on." he gave a sympathetic smile to the students that groaned.

"Can't we just read in the morning?" said one of the second years.

"Well, we could, but then that would cut into your Hogsmede time." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

"Our...what?" said one of the second years. "We aren't third years."

"Yes, but last night, it was discussed with the staff and some of our guests that we ask some of the adult guests here to be chaperones for Saturday. Sunday is the day, that they can have off and unfortunately the Hogwarts second years and under are required to stay within the grounds." said Dumbledore his eyes twinkling.

"How soon can we send owls, to our parents asking for some money for tomorrow?" asked the second year excitedly.

"Don't worry, we already sent the notices." said McGonagall. "Most of you will receive money in the morning and the rest of you; we have taken some money out of the funds for muggleborns, that money can be reimbursed later."

"Awesome!" shouted the younger students happily.

"Alright!" said Leroy happily. "Harry! Tomorrow when we go, I'm going to tell you all about our travels down in Africa!"

"Um..." said Harry uncomfortably.

"He's got a date, and then early Sunday, I'm going to take him to the eyeglass shop in Diagon Alley." said Lupin with a small smile.

"Oh..." said Leroy sadly.

"I've got no plans for later on Sunday." said Harry quickly.

"Great than we can drag you about the place and be a happy, happy family." said Rudolph with a bright smile.

Harry looked over at Ron and Hermione.

"Save me." he whined piteously.

"You're on your own." said Ron with a straight face.

Harry had turned in early so he and Ginny could get up and head off to Hogsmede. While Harry slept soundly, Leroy, Rudolph, Remus, Dr. Clark, Sirius and Dumbledore sat in the sitting room of Harry, Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark's suite.

"I can't believe how grown up Harry is." said Leroy sadly. "It seems like only yesterday that I was feeding him mashed peas."

"Yeah, and now he can out-cook almost anyone." said Sirius with a smile.

"He grew up way too fast. He should have had a happy childhood." said Dr. Clark bitterly.

"Damn them Dursley's." said Sirius angrily.

"I should have seen it, I should have known it." said Dumbledore, tears falling down into his beard.

"Unless you yourself struck him, I don't have any grudge against you." said Rudolph waving his hand dismissively to Dumbledore. "What's happened happened. We're as much to blame as you are, we should have stayed in the country when Voldemort was out and about before. If we had stayed, we would have gotten custody of Little Monster."

"But the blood wards..." said Dumbledore bitterly.

"Would have worked with us. James laid down his life for Harry too. He had a chance to run, and he didn't. But like I said, we should have stayed back and made sure they were safe." said Leroy.

"I didn't think of James' sacrifice..." said Dumbledore faintly.

"Can we talk about something else?" said Sirius slamming his wine glass down on the table.

Remus looked at Sirius, "How many glasses have you had?"

"Only two." he said honestly. "But, if we talk about...I'm going to have another."

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" asked Leroy.

"Well, we aren't done finishing the designs on Harry's wing." said Sirius whipping out a stack of designing books.

"Oh! Let me at them! Have you designed the kitchen yet?" said Leroy quickly taking the papers and the books.

"Well sort of, here's what we thought." said Remus handing Leroy the drawings. Leroy flipped through the drawings and the small pictures of different appliances.

"How did we do?" asked Sirius with a smile.

Leroy chewed his tongue slightly. "How about I take over this one room?"

"What's wrong with the way it is now?" asked Remus wonderingly.

"Well, you've got two different types of wood for the cabinets, and different stone for each of the countertops, and the metal doesn't match." said Leroy with a sympathetic smile.

"Oh, oops." said Sirius sheepishly.

"Did Harry decide what sort of stove he wanted? Does he want electric or gas?"

"This is a surprise." said Dr. Clark. "What's the best thing to cook with?"

"Well, it all depends on your cooking style. Gas gives you more control, but electric is a bit faster." said Leroy thoughtfully.

"So go with gas?" said Sirius.

"Yeah." said Leroy.

"What other rooms do you have for him?" asked Rudolph.

"Well, we have a music room, kitchen, huge bedroom, library, his own living room, bathroom...I don't think we came up with any other room for him." said Sirius ticking off the rooms they had already discussed and planned.

"How about a training room?" said a voice from behind them. They turned around quickly and saw Lionus and Moody.

"Hello Lionus, Alastor, a good idea to have that. Especially if Harry wishes to continue his security testing." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Well, unless that old hag has destroyed it with kittens and pink fluff, there is a large gym in the north part of the house." said Sirius.

"She'd most likely would have trashed it." said Remus with a grim look.

"Yay, oh well, it won't take much to get all that stuff back." said Sirius shrugging.

"So what brings you guys here?" asked Leroy looking back at the two champions of justice.

"Oh, right, I've got Wildfire and Viper willing to escort the children around Hogsmede from Slytherin and Gryffindor." said Lionus with a smile. "They should be able to handle them with no problem."

"Tonks and Kingsley are going to show the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs about." said Moody. "Tonks volunteered for the job pretty quickly, Kingsley took a bit of time."

"I would have thought he was going to jump at the occasion, he actually likes being a mentor to younger ones." said Remus with a furrowed brow.

"Teaching Auror skills is one thing, but minding a bunch of little kids doing some frivolous sweet shopping?"

"Oh, right." said Remus with a smile. "Poor guy."

"Glad you think that, because Tonks volunteered you to help with the Hufflepuffs." said Moody with a smirk.

"Wait, what?" stuttered Remus.

"That's a large bunch, and as...accident prone as she is...best have someone else there to keep an eye on her as well." said Moody.

"Oh...uh...Sirius and I..." said Remus quickly.

"Don't drag me into this." said Sirius throwing up his hands. "Besides, it's been a long time since you've had a date."

"Not much of a date when you're chaperoning students about town." said Remus through gritted teeth.

"Make do with what you have." said Dr. Clark with a mischievous smile. "Dumbledore and I are going to get all the stuff for the house, could the both of you come with us?" said Dr. Clark to Leroy and Rudolph.

"Sure, but...aren't you MIA?" said Rudolph.

"We fixed that right up." said Lionus with a smirk. "We made it so that he was found by neutral powers and he's in the hospital undergoing treatment, only the military have authorization to know it."

The next morning Harry made his way down to the kitchens, very, very early in the morning, he left the castle while the dawn had just began to stain the dark sky, came back and prepared a picnic basket full of different foods. He had the whole day planned out, and he hoped that it would at least go close to plan.

He was going to meet Ginny up in the Great Hall and they were going to have a quiet breakfast alone, then go to wandering about for a while, stop in at the Three Broomsticks for a pint or two of butterbeer, hit Honeydukes for a shopping spree of chocolate and sweets, and then go for their picnic. After that, the rest of the day would be up to Ginny.

As he placed the last piece of fried chicken in the basket the door to the kitchen and in walked in Bill and Charlie.

"Hey, how's it going?" said Harry happily, as he gently placed a small towel on top of the basket.

"We want to talk to you, before you leave for Hogsmede." said Bill his voice stern.

"Alright, sit down or stand up chat." said Harry with cautious smile.

"Either way." said Charlie.

Harry placed the basket down and sat on one of the stools. Bill and Charlie sat across from him and stared fixedly at him.

"We want to give you fair warning." said Bill.

"You hurt our sister or try anything funny with her, as young as she is," said Charlie.

"We'll kill you." said the both of them together.

Harry stared at them in shock. But did his absolutely best to reassure the two men that he viewed as older brothers.

"I promise, nothing will happen, and I won't hurt her. If I do, kill me all you want." said Harry honestly.

"We'll hold you to that." said Charlie, and with that, they left.

Harry released a sigh of relief. "Thank bloody god I have some morals. Or I'd be a dead man. And without magic, I'd be screwed twenty times over." He finished off preparing the basket and then headed up to the Great Hall.

After Harry and Ginny had a quick breakfast, quicker than Harry even expected, due to the glares that he received from Percy and a few small glares from Ron. Ron's glares were stopped soon afterward, after a smack from Hermione. Harry hadn't noticed that Ginny received a few glares of her own, from Romilda and a few other girls.

Harry and Ginny walked down to the small village nestled safely beneath the grandeur of the castle. They walked arm and arm and chatted candidly with each other.

"C'mon, tell me what's in the basket!" whined Ginny playfully. "What are we having for lunch?"

"Not telling." said Harry with a bright smile.

They wandered about aimlessly, pointing at the things in the shop windows. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two separate shadows that followed him, He saw Sirius's foot behind a tree and saw the glinting of Bill's earring.

"Something up?" asked Ginny.

"Nope, everything's fine." said Harry smiling genuinely down at Ginny. "What do you want to do? It'll be another half-hour till Three Broomsticks opens up. I'd kill for a butterbeer right now."

"Mmm, me too." said Ginny closing her eyes dreamily. "Let's see, mind if we head to the Gladrags? I've got a potion stain on my robes."

"House-elves couldn't get it?" said Harry in shock.

"This sort of potion burnt a hole right through the sleeve of my robes." said Ginny.

"Hiccup solution?" said Harry.

"Hiccup solution." said Ginny.

They entered Gladrags, and Harry stopped Ginny from walking over to the second hand robe section.

"Nuh uh." he said with a smile. "Call it really belated Valentine gift." he led her over to the more stylish robes.

"They don't meet the Hogwarts' dress code, Harry." said Ginny with a shy smile.

"We can wear whatever we want on the weekends, whether we read this damned books on my life or not." said Harry with a smile. "Pick out whatever you want."

Harry and Ginny took about a half hour in that shop and when they left, they left with two bags each of clothes, they both held onto the basket as they made their way to the Three Broomsticks.

"Where going to pick up a few bottles of butterbeer for our lunch and then stop at Honeydukes." said Harry with a smile. They walked towards the door but a wizard beside the entrance to the Three Broomsticks, held out his hand to stop them.

"Sorry kids, no children allowed in there today." said the man holding out his hand and stopping them a sneer on his face.

"Then why is there a Hogwarts crest on the door?" said Harry.

"What?" said the man, his sneer faltering slightly.

"The crest, that means that kids are allowed in there. That's the way it has been since this place was built and kids have been allowed in." said Ginny.

"Maybe they've forgotten to take the sign down?" said the man trying to make a comeback.

"It's a magical crest, it comes down when Madam Rosemerta wants it down." said Harry.

"LOOK!" said the man angrily, "no kids allowed!" suddenly he brought a wand up to the air and was about the swing it back down. However, he was stopped by Ginny's disarming spell and Harry's swift round-house kick to his legs.

Suddenly, Madam Rosemerta came stomping out of the pub. "What's going on?" said Madam Rosemerta, and then she looked down and saw who it was on the ground.

"You again? I've told you I don't want you in my pub! What are you doing here?" said Madam Rosemerta irritably.

"He said that Hogwarts students weren't allowed here. Yet, there is the crest." said Harry pointing to the crest on the door.

"Of course he would stop the students from coming in here. I do most of my best business on these days." said Madam Rosemerta crossly. "Get out of here! Jack, Robert!" said Madam Rosemerta calling into the pub. Two large and beefy wizards came out of the pub and looked down at the man lying on the ground.

"Yeh need something Rosie?" asked one of them.

"Get him out of here, I don't care where you take him." said Madam Rosemerta.

"Here's his wand." said Ginny handing it to the man.

"C'mon in kids, your drinks are on me." said Madam Rosemerta appreciatively.

Harry and Ginny sat in one of the booths towards the back of the pub and smiled at each other.

"Well, adds a bit of excitement to today doesn't it?" said Harry with a smile.

"With you, as magically drained as you are, I don't think excitement is a good idea. That's what I thought anyway. That was a really awesome looking kick." said Ginny.

"I thought that your Expelliarmus spell was excellent." said Harry with a beaming smile.

"Learned from the best." said Ginny with a smile.

"So did I." said Harry, giving credit where credit was due.

"Here's your butterbeer kids. Anything else I can get you?" said Madam Rosemerta.

"Can we get a few bottles for later, we're having a fall picnic after this." said Harry reaching into pocket.

"Like I said kid, on the house, you'll have six bottles when you leave here." said Madam Rosemerta giving him a wink.

"What was that guy's problem, anyway?" asked Ginny sipping her butterbeer.

"Old boyfriend, he thinks that women shouldn't be running a business. Thinks we should be in the home, cooking cleaning and serving men." said Madam Rosemerta.

"Smack him." said Harry and Ginny together.

"Oh, I have. And now Jack and Robert smack him about when he comes around." said Madam Rosemerta with a satisfied smile.

After they enjoyed their pint of butterbeer each, they expressed their thanks to Madam Rosemerta who slipped the six bottles in their picnic basket and headed out. They couldn't see hide nor hair of the man that had impeded their and the several other students, who were now in the pub, from going inside.

"Can we go to Honeydukes?" said Ginny.

"Anything you want." said Harry with a smile.

They stopped in at Honeydukes at examined all the candies.

"Since you got my outfit, I'm getting you candy." said Ginny.

Harry opened his mouth to decline, but her hand flew up to his lips.

"No arguing, my treat." said Ginny with sly smile. "By not paying for my own robes, I've got a bit of spending money."

"Saved your allowance?" said Harry, hoping that this sweet shop spending spree wouldn't break her.

"And borrowed a bit from Charlie and Bill." said Ginny looking at the different colored toffees in the case. "So pick out something, and I'll buy it."

He went and grabbed several sugar spun quills and three bars of his favorite flavor of Honeydukes' chocolate.

After she paid for all their sweets, Harry looked at the woman behind the counter and said "On another order, I'd like a pound of everything in here, have it sent up to the Hogwarts kitchen please."

The woman stared at him, with a doubtful look on her face, till he whipped out from his knapsack a jet black bag, and deposited ninety galleons on the counter.

"Does that cover it?" said Harry with a smile. The shopkeeper nodded quickly. After much figuring and counting she reached into her till and pulled out several Sickles and Knuts and pushed back a few galleons.

"A p-p-pound of each?" said the woman stuttering.

"That's right, and just send it up to the castle's kitchens, with the letters...never mind, just put "Shadow" on them." said Harry.

"All right." said the woman as she gathered up all the candy she could reach.

"Save it for when you have no one else in here, wait on them first, then you can work on my order, I don't need it today, but I'd like it bytomorrow evening." said Harry.

"Yes sir!." said the woman nervously.

As Ginny and Harry left, Ginny sent Harry a questioning look.

"What's with all the candy?" she asked. "And why not write your name...oh...wait, you didn't want her to get even more flustered right?"

"Right. Well, I like making things with candy, thought I'd come up with some interesting stuff for snacks during the readings." said Harry.

"Can I help?" asked Ginny.

"Anytime." Harry smiled then looked up at the sky. "It's about eleven fifteen; do you want to have lunch?"

"Sure! Where at?" asked Ginny.

"Somewhere I found a few years back."

Harry gently pulled the long willow strands out from Ginny's path and when she saw it, she gasped loudly.

There was a large red and gold blanket laying on the ground, with a two cushions for sitting side by side, a single rose in a crystal vase. A stream, leading away from the vastness of the Black lake traveled past their spot and gurgled softly. The sun was scattered by the willow branches and added a sort of dazzle effect on the water and the blanket.

"What do you think?" asked Harry with a smile.

"I didn't think that boys could be this romantic." she said, her eyes bright.

"We can, it's just...Ron's got a romantic side." said Harry.

"I can't see it, but maybe it's cause I'm his sister." said Ginny.

"Shall we?" said Harry with a bright smile.

Ginny and Harry enjoyed their lunch, which included a large helping of the spaghetti that Harry had made for her, fried chicken, chocolate raspberry torte, salad, and the butterbeer that he and Ginny had earned from helping Madam Rosemerta.

Ginny and Harry laid side by side to each other and watched the clouds go rolling gently by.

"It's getting colder out, we arent' going to see many days like this." said Ginny.

"With Voldemort around, we may not even have much of a future." said Harry absently.

Ginny turned on her side and faced him. "The books may have a clue to what we have to do to survive." she said quickly.

"We can only hope." said Harry looking over to Ginny. "If I have a chance at a future..." he looked unblinking at her, and took her hand gently into his own.

They laid, minutes passing them by unknowingly, they were lost in their own serene little world. Until they heard the snapping of a twig. Quickly they both stood up and looked around.

"Harry..." whispered Ginny. "Get behind me." she flung her arm out to protect him in his still weakened state. "WHOEVER YOU ARE YOU'D BETTER COME OUT BEFORE I COME IN AFTER YOU!"

"Easy Shortstuff!" came a voice behind one of the trees.

"You'd best come out too, Sirius." called Harry.

"Dammit." muttered a voice a little ways to left.

"You knew they were here?" said Ginny.

"I thought they'd give us privacy and keep quiet, apparently I overestimated their tact." said Harry.

"We just wanted to make sure you kids were alright." said Sirius.

"But you didn't step in at the Three Broomsticks." said Harry smugly.

"Why? What happened there?" said Bill quickly.

"We must of ditched them on accident." said Ginny with a smirk.

"What...happened?" pressed Sirius.

"Nothing you need to worry about." said Harry.

"Fine whatever, but it's time to head back." said Bill.

Harry looked up at the sky. "It's only two-twenty."

"But it's going to take forever to get back." said Bill, trying to convince them that the date was over.

Ginny groaned and glared at her over-protective older brother.

"C'mere and look to the east." said Harry with a smirk. Bill and Sirius walked over to them and looked to the left. And there they saw the castle, only a thirty minute walk from where they were.

"Oh..." said Bill sheepishly.

"Can you leave now?" said Ginny impatiently.

"I just want to make sure Harry's alright." said Sirius.

"I can protect him just fine." said Ginny getting more and more impatient.

"You'd best leave. We'll see you guys later." said Harry, his tone of voice meant the sincerity of his words and the hint of the severity of punishment if they had bothered them again for the rest of the day.

Sirius and Bill looked at each other quickly and strolled off, hurtfully.

Ginny groaned again. "Ugh! Sometimes, he's the coolest guy in the world, but sometimes, he's worse than Ron."

"But you still love him." said Harry, laying back down on the blanket and cushion.

"Of course I do, I love all my brothers." said Ginny.

"Even Percy?" said Harry with a playful smile.

"That's up for debate still." said Ginny with a slight scowl. Instead of lying on her cushion, she rested her head on Harry's chest. "Thank Merlin that this book is over." she said yawning slightly.

"Tell me about it." said Harry yawning as well. He knew that neither he nor Ginny were in any danger if either of them had fallen asleep. In the parting of the willow branches, they could faintly see a lone and silent sentry.

Lionus.

Chapter 47


Harry and Ginny came back into the castle just as dinner was being served, Sirius and Bill turned in their seats ad kept a close eye on the both of them as they both sat down.

"You know, I'm amazed that Charlie wasn't stalking us today." said Ginny. "I figured he'd follow us all over the place."

"He didn't need to, I don't think. He trusted me." said Harry.

"He had a talk with you didn't he?" said Ginny.

"Yeah, he had the 'hurt her, you die' talk with me." said Harry with a smile.

"Ugh." groaned Ginny embarrassingly. "Why do boys do that?"

"Cause you're their only sister? They want to protect you." said Harry still smiling.

Ginny rolled her eyes, but she had a smile on her face and tucked into the stew that was ladled into her plate.

Later on, Harry was in the kitchens finishing a chocolate mousse when Mr. Weasley came in and stood behind him.

"You too?" said Harry with a slight smile.

"I just came down, to thank you…for being a gentleman." said Mr. Weasley. "Ginny told us all about what you did."

"Even..." said Harry.

"Yeah, we had a little chat with Bill, and Remus had a nice talk with Sirius. You must have noticed that little limp Sirius had?" said Mr. Weasley with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm guessing a Stinging Hex." said Harry with a smirk.

"On the nose." said Mr. Weasley tapping his nose. "Are you going to go out with her tomorrow?"

"No, I have plans with uh...Uncle Leroy, Uncle Rudolph, Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark." said Harry.

"Oh, that's right, sorry about that. I was just wondering, because we were going to have a family outing, especially after this book." Mr. Weasley's eyes grew cold quickly, but his eyes warmed up back to his normal, kind temperature. "I think we all need to have a bit of a sit-down."

"Don't blame you, I think my family needs to have a bit of a chat too." said Harry. "Don't know where we are going to do it, though. Here, I've made a lot, take some chocolate mousse with you, it can be a sort of before bed snack for...well...whoever you want to give it to."

He handed Mr. Weasley a medium sized bowl full of the fluffy chocolate treat and put the rest of it into another, much larger bowl. "This ought to keep Remus happy." he said with a smile.

Harry woke up the next morning bright and early. Last night, Remus, scooping as much chocolate mousse as he could into his mouth, reminded him that he was going to take Harry to the eyeglass shop in Diagon Alley. Harry thought however that the store was closed on Sundays, but Remus said that he got in touch with the owner and she'd open up the shop just for them.

Harry went down into Great Hall and ate breakfast with Ron and Hermione. Once Ginny had told her family what had happened on their date, Ron seemed to have calmed down and accepted the fact that she and Harry were dating. He had to admit, she could have picked a really worse off choice than the one she made. But it did slightly irk him that Harry hadn't asked him if he could date Ginny, but he dare not voice that opinion, not with Ginny or Hermione within striking distance.

"What are you guys going to do today?" asked Hermione.

"Well, I was told that my family was going to have a little meeting." said Ron.

"I'm going to Diagon Alley to get new glasses, after that, I wouldn't have the faintest idea." said Harry. "What about you?"

"Well...I'm not all together sure. I might do some research on these Memoir books, that and everything else we've learned." she said and without further ado, she finished her breakfast and headed up to the library.

"I swear, she doesn't believe in days off." said Ron shaking his head.

"Get done with your family meeting quickly, then go join her." said Harry, his voice strangely calm.

"What's up?" said Ron quickly, that tone of voice was never good.

"She won't like what she reads. I know what she will find, if she asks you to keep a secret about the books, do it. Take one of these," said Harry, he pulled a few small phials of Calming Draught from his jacket pocket. "give her one of these just in case."

"I'm not going to like it either, am I?" said Ron.

"There's another reason why there are Rangers are all about, if something were to happen to the books, like being snatched away, and then we weren't able to read them for about a week or so..." said Harry. "Or if I'm taken..."

"You start dying, don't you?" said Ron in a weak voice.

Harry spoke no further.

Much later, at the Eyeglass shop with Remus, Tonks, Rudolph and Leroy, Harry stared straight ahead, glasses off and trying to see the large poster on the end of the room.

"Can you tell me what that picture is?" said the woman that was Remus' cousin.

Harry leaned forward in the chair and squinted, he was oblivious to the fact that the woman was casting a silent spell over Harry's line of vision.

"Umm... is it a horse?" said Harry uncertainly.

"Actually, it's a chicken. So Mr. Potter, let's get you a better set of glasses." said the woman kindly.

"How do you get a horse from that?" asked Tonks.

"I don't know." said Harry shrugging.

"Alright dear, I've got your lenses all done. Let's pick you some frames." she said with a smile.

Harry walked over and looked at all the choices he had, strangely, there were a bunch frames that looked just like his.

"Are these popular in this world?" said Harry with a raised brow.

"They are because you wear them, dear." said the woman with a smile.

"Time for a change." said Harry quickly. Suddenly he saw the glasses he wanted; they were a thin square framed pair, sort of like Professor McGonagall's glasses.

"You like those?" said the woman kindly. "Alright, then." she then took her wand out again and magicked the lenses to slip seamlessly into the frames.

"Thanks Winny." said Remus, but the look in her eyes told him, that she wanted a small chat with him.

"Um, Harry, go outside with Leroy, I'll be right there." said Remus, looking slightly worried.

Harry looked slightly confused, but left with his Uncles and Tonks.

"What can I do for you, Winny?" said Remus curiously.

"His eyes...I can tell what caused it..." she said with a growl in her voice.

Remus gave her a small smirk. "The people that caused it are already in Auror custody."

"Hope they stay there." she snarled.

"Sometimes, I swear you're more wolf than I am." he said with a smirk. He dodged a heavy blow to his shoulder.

After Remus had a nice, lengthy chat with his cousin, he went outside to find that the rest of his party was gone, nowhere to be seen. He had to travel down Diagon Alley a bit to find them, enjoying ice cream treats in front of Fortescue's.

"Aw...come on!" he said throwing his hands up. "I wanted some!"

"You mean this?" said Harry holding up a three scooped chocolate ice cream cone.

"Remus, you're going to give yourself a brain freeze." chided Tonks as she watched him almost swallow the entire cone.

"Too late." said Harry laughing. "What do we do now?" said Harry.

"Ugh..." moaned Remus holding his head. "Stupid brain freeze. Now we go to where we're meeting Sam and Sirius." Remus took ahold of Harry's shoulder and side-apparated with him.

Before Harry could look around, after the sickening spinning had ended, a blindfold was placed over his eyes.

"What the...?" said Harry.

"It's a surprise." said Lupin his voice sounded excited.

"Goody, I love surprises." said Harry sarcastically.

He allowed himself to be led quite a ways, until he was finally getting slightly annoyed. But the smell of ripened fruits quickly calmed his nerves.

"Alright cub," said Sirius' voice. "Here you go! It took all morning, with Dumbledore's help, to get rid of all the pink crap."

Suddenly the blindfold was taken off and Harry, blinking in the early afternoon sun, gazed at the surprise. The best surprise he had ever seen.

It was a house, then it dawned on them, it wastheir house.

It was a large manor, with at least three floors and countless grand windows. There were vines that intertwined about the front of the house, giving it a classic country house look. There were gardens stationed on both sides of the large path up to the house. There were fruit trees lining the walls of this large manor and Harry looked briefly behind him and saw that the entire house was blocked by woods, and Harry couldn't see an end to them.

"What do you think?" said Sirius.

"I love it." said Harry looking all around, and taking in all of the house he could see.

"We'll take a tour of the grounds later, first things first, let's go in the house, you're going to love it even more!" said Sirius grabbing Harry by the hand and dragging him into the house.

Sirius took a hold of the double oak doors and opened them both. When Harry saw the entrance hall to their house, he could only stare.

"It looks like, the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts..." said Harry with an awed whisper.

"That's what I was going for." said Sirius with a smirk. "I wanted the entrance to look just like it. Alright, then, let's give you the grand tour!"

"The entire place would take too long, let's just take him around his wing." said Remus.

"My wing?" said Harry faintly.

"Yeah, you're getting a bit older and...yeah...I thought you'd like some privacy and well...it may keep you living at home for a long while." said Sirius.

"Even after I get married? I think you're nuts." said Harry with a smirk.

"We'll see." said Sirius with a bright smile, "Let's take you to your room, I think you'll like it."

They went up two floors and took Harry to a large ornate door. Harry opened the door and saw that his room looked so much more different than what his room, Ron's or even Dudley's room looked like.

Dudley's room was littered with posters of rock bands, wrappers of different sweets, boxing gloves, video games cartridges, disks, consoles, three TV's, and weights. Ron's had an assortment of different magical games, Chudley Cannon merchandise, and then a fish tank with frogs spawn and full grown frogs.

Harry's room had an enormous fireplace straight ahead of the door, and a few large armchairs sitting beside it with ottomans. There was a large king size bed with gossamer curtains on each side, with deep red curtains on the right side of the room and directly across from the bed, there was a large balcony that overlooked the eastern part of the house and it's estate.

"So, Harry? What do you think?" said Dumbledore with a bright smile. "Dr. Clark and I went about London and picked up all the furniture and other appliances."

"It's not done yet, but it should be done by the time the summer comes." said Dr. Clark with a smile. "I wanted to pick you up a T.V. and stereo, but…these guys didn't know what I was talking about." he added in a whisper.

"I love it." said Harry faintly. "I...I actually can't wait till summer."

"This isn't the best part. We have two surprises, the rest of the house isn't done, but this one, and the two surprises are done." said Sirius.

"Um...actually the music room isn't done yet." said Dr. Clark guiltily.

"What, why not?" said Remus.

"We wanted to put wind instruments in there...um...there was only one guy in London that had any...and we didn't to touch them." said Dr. Clark.

"Don't ask." said Dumbledore trying not to laugh.

"That and I haven't found a really good wallpaper." said Dr. Clark.

"Oh, well, then for dramatic flair we won't go in there." said Sirius half-heartedly.

"That and the piano hasn't been delivered yet." said Dr. Clark in a whisper to Remus.

"Well, then let's go downstairs." said Leroy.

"I think I can guess what that room is going to be." muttered Harry with a large smile.

And just like Harry thought, it was a kitchen; it had a large refrigerator, stove, large counters, and an immensely large pantry. There were pots and pans hanging down from thin wires from the overhead cupboards.

"This kitchen is all yours." said Leroy with a smile and a one armed hug.

"Huh?" said Harry.

"There's another kitchen in this house. During the school year, we'll use that one. This one is for you coming up with your own recipes and hopefully adding some weight to you." said Sirius teasingly.

They smiled as Harry wiped tears away from his eyes.

"Come on, let's get back to the castle, I'm starving." said Sirius with a smile.

"I could make dinner here, then after dinner we can go back." said Harry.

"I haven't stocked the kitchen yet, there isn't any food." said Sirius.

"Damn, well, it was a nice idea anyway." said Harry shrugging.

"Wish we stocked the pantry now." said Sirius pouting slightly.

They left the house and after one quick tour of the fruit tree orchard, and the garden, they apparated, with Harry holding on tightly to Dumbledore's arm and a large smile on his face.

Chapter 48

The next morning, they all gathered back into the Great Hall, all excited to finish the second book. Harry grabbed himself a plate full of food and sat in the bowl beside Sirius and the others.

"Tell me that the book ends on a good note." said Remus pleadingly.

"Yeah, it turns out pretty good." said Harry shrugging.

It was decided that Madam Bones would read the final chapter, after a bit of coaxing from Harry, saying that she would find it most interesting.

"Dobby's Reward" said Madam Bones.

"Great, just what we need, another chapter where he breaks your arm with rogue sport equipment." said Dr. Clark rolling his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm safe in this chapter." said Harry.

"That'll be a refreshing change." said Sirius.

For a moment there was silence as Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Lockhart stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and (in Harry's case) blood.

"Goddamn it, you're still hurt." said Remus quickly.

"I was fine." said Harry. "Just really tired."

Then there was a scream.

"Ginny!"

It was Mrs. Weasley, who had been sitting crying in front of the fire.

Most of the adults in the room looked sympathetic over to the Weasley family.

She leapt to her feet, closely followed by Mr. Weasley, and both of them flung themselves on their daughter.

A few people in the Great Hall holding handkerchiefs and sniffed.

Harry, however, was looking past them.

"Nice of you to care." whispered Rudolph with a smirk.

"I knew she was fine!" said Harry defensively.

Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece,

"You were there? What the bloody hell stopped you from going down there?" said Bill.

"You forget, the boys didn't tell anyone about where the Chamber of Secrets was. That and he wasn't a Parselmouth." said Lionus.

"Oh, right." said Bill sheepishly. "Sorry."

"You were quite right to shout, Mr. Weasley." said Dumbledore with a sad smile. "I should have stayed."

"But you couldn't." said Madam Bones. "If you had stayed, Lucius would have come to the Ministry and with that lump." she gestured towards the seat the Minister held, "he'd of let Lucius kick you out of the castle permanently."

"Whatever happened to the Minister? Shouldn't he have been back by now?" asked Percy.

"I inquired about that." said Lionus with a smile. "It seems that his turn-key felt that he didn't learn a good enough lesson. He'll be there for a little while longer."

"Good." said McGonagall fiercely.

beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest.

"What did you expect?" said Professor McGonagall. "We had just told them that they're daughter was taken away by a monster, and you three came, covered in filth with Miss Weasley and a blood drenched sword."

"Sorry ma'am." said Ron and Harry sheepishly.

Fawkes went whooshing past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder,

"He did a fantastic job. As did all of you children." said Dumbledore with kind smile. "Though you shouldn't have had to do it." he finished with a guilt ridden look.

"It wouldn't have mattered, I would have had to of gone anyway, if we told a teacher." said Harry.

"Oh, really?" said Snape with a sneer.

"I don't rightly recollect any of you being Parselmouths." said Harry.

"He's got a point." whispered Charlie. "He shouldn't have gone, but he still has a point."

just as Harry found himself and Ron being swept into Mrs. Weasley's tight embrace.

"Harry jumped about a foot in the air when you did that. He almost raised the sword and hit you." said Ron to his mother.

The Weasley's looked over at Harry.

"I was nervous, and still pretty freaked out." said Harry.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly.

"I had to make some very strong tea, very quickly. I would have lost my Deputy Headmistress for a short while." said Dumbledore with a smile over to McGonagall.

"It was a very horrific day." said McGonagall sternly. "Not just for me, but for the Weasley family as well. I was so relieved that everything came out all right. But I wish I never knew what horrible cost it could have been." she added with a sorrowful glance towards Harry.

Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry, who hesitated for a moment,

"I was waiting for someone to yell at me, or demand for me to speak. It never came." said Harry.

"It is best that if a child had suffered from an ordeal, to let them speak, at their own pace." said Dumbledore.

"I noticed that last year." said Harry with a smile. "You didn't push it."

then walked over to the desk and laid upon it the Sorting Hat, the ruby-encrusted sword, and what remained of Riddle's diary.

Then he started telling them everything.

"A very much watered down version of what had transpired." said Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"You already looked done in, I didn't want to add to it, and I didn't want Ron and I expelled any faster than we were already going to be." said Harry.

For nearly a quarter of an hour he spoke into the rapt silence:

"I'm not much of a speaker, and with no one else talking, it made me awfully nervous." said Harry.

"I think you do just fine." said Cho, remember the D.A meetings.

He told them about hearing the disembodied voice,

"Which we admit, we wouldn't have believed you." said Professor Flitwick regrettably.

how Hermione had finally realized that he was hearing a basilisk in the pipes;

"Which was bloody brilliant." said Ron.

how he and Ron had followed the spiders into the forest,

"Which was flipping SUICIDE! I don't want to hear about you guys going in there again." said Bill.

that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died;

"That solved a great mystery, I had always, for the want of a better word, wondered how that happened." said Dumbledore.

how he had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim, and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom…

"You should have told a teacher." said Remus.

"We did, we just...didn't pick the right teacher to tell." said Ron shrugging his shoulders.

"Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted him as he paused, "so you found out where the entrance was — breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add —

"Who the bloody hell cares if they broke school rules or not? They saved Ginny and came back alive!" said Bill in shock.

but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

"Lots of luck, and lots of help." said Harry. Dumbledore smiled over to Harry and Sirius pulled him into an even tighter hug.

So Harry, his voice now growing hoarse from all this talking,

"Mr. Potter, you could have asked for some water." said McGonagall.

"I didn't want to push whatever luck I had left." said Harry.

told them about Fawkes's timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving him the sword. But then he faltered. He had so far avoided mentioning Riddle's diary — or Ginny.

"And the part about you almost dying." said Dumbledore his face pale.

She was standing with her head against Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, and tears were still coursing silently down her cheeks. What if they expelled her?

"I would never have let that happen." said Dumbledore.

Harry thought in panic. Riddle's diary didn't work anymore… How could they prove it had been he who'd made her do it all?

"Wow, thanks Harry." said Charlie.

Instinctively, Harry looked at Dumbledore,

"Only twelve years old, and he already knows to look immediately to Dumbledore for help." said Kingsley shaking his head.

who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.

"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."

"You looked into his mind again, didn't you?" said Tonks.

"I did, I had a feeling he was hiding something from me, but I didn't see that Tom had almost killed him." said Dumbledore looking down. "You were right Harry, you do know what cards to lay forward, and what cards to hide up your sleeve."

Relief — warm, sweeping, glorious relief – swept over Harry.

"I was so happy, you had no idea." said Harry.

"W-what's that?" said Mr. Weasley in a stunned voice. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not… Ginny hasn't been… has she?"

"I wouldn't have believed it either, Molly." said Rudolph.

"It was this diary," said Harry quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen…"

Dumbledore took the diary from Harry and peered keenly down his long, crooked nose at its burnt and soggy pages.

"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen."

"I wouldn't have complimented him." growled Remus.

"You got to admit it, Remus, he was a brilliant kid, completely twisted and sadistic, but hewas brilliant." said Moody.

He turned around to the Weasleys, who were looking utterly bewildered.

"Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle.

"Wonder if Malfoy knows?" whispered Ron to Hermione.

I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school… traveled far and wide… sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable.

"Yeah, remember that he said that he and Harry looked the same?" said George.

"Yeah I do," Fred looked at Harry intently. "I don't know, Harry looks pretty evil and powerful to me. I'd of recognized him."

"Don't make me come over there." said Harry. "I don't have magic right now, but that won't stop me from beating your ass."

"Watch your mouth." said Dr. Clark with a smirk.

"Sorry." said Harry.

Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."

"Still can't believe he was Head Boy." said Tonks

"Headmaster Dippet chose him, not I." said Dumbledore, his eyes cold.

"But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What's our Ginny got to do with — with — him?"

"His d-diary" Ginny sobbed. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year —"

"I learned never to do that again." said Ginny.

"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything. What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain?

"Seriously? You tell your kids that?" said Dr. Clark.

"In my line of work, I warn them about a lot of stuff." said Mr. Weasley.

Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic!'

"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it —"

"Did you get the books at Flourish and Blotts or the second hand store, Turner's, dear?" asked Madam Bones.

"Turner's" said Mrs. Weasley.

"Well, you never know what people could leave in the books. I had a cousin find an old bookmark that once belonged to Newt Scamander, she returned it to him and got a signed copy of his book, and a beautiful phoenix feather quill." said Madam Bones. "It was quite unfortunate that your daughter didn't get the same pleasant surprise."

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice.

"That's one of the qualities I admire about you, Albus," said Bathilda taking a sip of tea. "If you see a student distraught, you'll insist that they rest."

"After they tell him what had happened." said Sirius, thinking about Harry's exhausted frame from the year before.

"Well of course, how else is he supposed to correct and fix it if he doesn't know what had happened?" said Bathilda.

"I don't know, wait until they wake up after resting first?" said Sirius sarcastically.

"Then it might be too late." said Bathilda shortly.

"This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment.

"If I wasn't freaked out at that time, I would have been really happy about that." said Ginny.

Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it.

"Well, Fudge fits the older part, but not so much the wiser." sniggered Fred.

"Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her.

"Works wonders at home too." said Charlie.

"Your father actually got me, how do you youngsters put it? Hooked, on hot chocolate when I feel particularly worn." said Dumbledore with a smile. "I caught him in the kitchens when he was, let's see, a second year, making a large batch of hot chocolate."

"Mom actually went down into the kitchens and made me some hot chocolate for me." said Ginny.

"You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice — I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

"How the hell is that timed that good?" said Sirius.

The staff merely shrugged. "Fate?" offered Professor Sprout.

"Fate's got some great timing." said Sirius.

"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.

Hermione looked at Ron, with look of pleasant surprise on her face.

"Well, you know." said Ron trying to sound cool, however it didn't work too well, especially when Hermione gave him swift kiss on the cheek.

"Dear me, Fred. Look how red Ron is getting." said George.

"Positively shocking." said Fred.

"Absolutely scandalous." said George.

"Get off." said Ron to the twins.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.

"I apologize, Miss Weasley for that statement, I should have phrased it differently." said Dumbledore swiftly.

"What? What do you mean, sir?" asked Ginny.

"After hearing what I just said, I can see how it could be taken as that you were at fault somewhere along the line. I deeply apologize." said Dumbledore.

"Oh, um...it's okay." said Ginny with a small smile.

Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr. Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken.

"He passed out up in the Hospital Wing." said Ginny.

"I was worried sick." said Mr. Weasley stiffly, "It just got to be too much."

"Don't blame you, Mr. Weasley." said Lionus. "If I had children, and this happened. I'd faint...right after I kill and disembowel everyone that was involved in hurting my daughter."

"What about son?" asked Lee.

"Well, I'd let him get in a few shots, then I'd kill them and behead them." said Lionus with a vicious smile.

"Go daddy." said Lee gulped.

"You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"

"They were overjoyed. They love to cook for feasts." said McGonagall with a weak smile.

"Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. "I'll leave you to deal with Potter and Weasley, shall I?"

"Oh, come on! All that death-defying stuff and you're going to give detention and take points away?" said Nightstrike groaning.

"You've gone native." said Tempest with a smirk.

"Well, like me, you've gone for a native." said Nightstrike raising his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" asked Tempest shortly.

"There aren't any Willow trees in the rooms we were assigned." said Nightstrike plucking a thin leaf from her hair.

"I was out for a morning run." snapped Tempest.

"And Firenze happened to go about the same way, attracting the exact same ornament in his tail?" said Nightstrike.

"Permission to kill Lieutenant Nightstrike, sir?" said Tempest hotly, a fierce blush reached her face.

"Permission denied. Behave Nightstrike, or I'll mention the traces of lipstick on your cheek." said Lionus. Nighstrike took on the same shade of red as Tempest as did Emmeline Vance.

"Don't think that I didn't notice that you bothleft the prisoner, unguarded." said Lionus with a smirk. "She's not as dangerous as the others, so that may be why you thought that leaving alone for a while was fine. Don't...do...it...again..."

"Yes, sir." said Tempest and Nighstrike together.

"Go on dates in shifts from now on." said Lionus with a sneer.

"Certainly," said Dumbledore.

She left, and Harry and Ron gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore. What exactly had Professor McGonagall meant, deal with them? Surely — surely — they weren't about to be punished?

"If we were expelled you'd have carry me out of Hogwarts, cause I would be passed out on the floor in a dead faint." said Ron.

"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore.

"Now you're a stickler for rules?" said Bill in shock.

"I was in my younger days, now I can see ways of dancing around the rule book." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Thank goodness." said Harry quietly.

"Go figure." said Professor Snape rolling his eyes.

Ron opened his mouth in horror.

"Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling.

"If Dumbledore had been like any of the other Headmasters, you both would have been expelled." said McGonagall sternly.

"I don't think we'd have been around past first year." said Ron.

"I wouldn't be here past Christmas." said Harry quietly.

"You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School

"I took Tom's award for services to the school down and destroyed it." said Dumbledore. "As it was fitting."

"Ours are there now." said Ron proudly.

"I'm going to have to go and look at it tonight." said Sirius with a smile. Harry groaned.

and — let me see — yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor."

"I remember Severus coming to me and complaining about the four hundred point leap." said Dumbledore thoughtfully.

"I found it unfair." said Snape shortly.

"Especially after you took about two hundred and fifty points away from the Weasley twins for causing the fifth floor's suits of armor to jitterbug in the corridors, the day prior." said Professor Flitwick with a smile.

"So you only won by...?" said Sirius.

"We won by one hundred and fifty points." said Harry.

"So you two really only got about seventy-five points each for saving the school and defeating a giant basilisk? That's pathetic." said Sirius.

Ron went as brightly pink as Lockhart's valentine flowers

"Arrgh!" Ron cried out, and lunged at Harry, the entire bowl was knocked over backwards. The men found themselves laughing as Harry and Ron tussled around.

"Take it back!" said Ron in a muffled voice as he and Harry rolled about on the floor.

"No." said Harry with a smile. "It was the same color! Leggo my arm!"

"Take it back, quit hitting me!" said Ron.

"You hit me first!" said Harry as he flipped Ron over and held him in a light choke hold.

"Will the both of you knock it off?" said Ginny, her hands on her hips.

"You're both idiots." said Hermione standing beside Ginny.

Ron and Harry looked at each other. "But we'reyour idiots." said the both of them with broad smiles.

The school laughed as Harry and Ron continued to wrestle around frantically, finally Harry apologized after Ron grabbed his arm and pulled it behind his back.

and closed his mouth again.

"But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?"

"It was most unusual." said Dumbledore.

"I kept staring at him, waiting for him to take all the credit." said McGonagall.

"I saw you had your wand drawn." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"I had just about had it with him." said McGonagall stiffly.

Harry gave a start. He had completely forgotten about Lockhart.

"I can't wait till I can forget him again." said Remus.

He turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.

"Did he honestly think someone could stand behind him, when he's standing in a corner?" said Sirius with a laugh.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart —"

"Stole my wand, tried to oblivate us and instead he shot himself and made the ceiling of the tunnel to sort of collapse." said Fred.

"Horrible accident it was." said George.

"Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"

"Before you even went down into the tunnel." said Lupin.

"Before he even started his first day working here." said Sirius.

"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained quietly to Dumbledore.

"Oh, I wouldn't have told him that." said Fred.

"But then he would have gotten better and he would have gotten away with everything." said George.

"Oh, nevermind then." said Fred.

"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"

"Harry also devulged what Gilderoy had done to all those champions of the people." said Dumbledore with a fond smile.

"Sword?" said Lockhart dimly. "Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though." He pointed at Harry. "He'll lend you one."

"Dear lord." groaned Tonks.

"Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron. "I'd like a few more words with Harry…"

"You trusted Lockhart with Ron?" said Mrs. Weasley.

"Actually, Mom, I kept kicking him all the way there. Kept telling him it was mice biting his ankles." said Ron with a smile. "He said something about how we needed more cats around here."

Lockhart ambled out. Ron cast a curious look back at Dumbledore and Harry as he closed the door.

"Didn't know what he wanted to talk to Harry for." said Ron.

Dumbledore crossed to one of the chairs by the fire.

"Sit down, Harry," he said, and Harry sat, feeling unaccountably nervous.

"That's what supposed to happen when you talk to the Headmaster, however...the same cannot be said for the Weasley twins." said McGonagall, the faintest trace of smile on her lips.

"Yeah, when we've been sent to him lately, we just kick back." said Fred.

"Slouch in the chairs." said George.

"And tell him how our day went." said Fred.

"Then we tell what we did." George.

"Then he gives us detention, but you know what? It's nice to talk to him and ask him for his opinion on stuff." said Fred.

"Our conversations are quite entertaining." said Dumbledore with a wide smile. "Though I have yet to answer their final question that ask every time."

"How to go about getting away with everything." said the twins together.

"First of all, Harry, I want to thank you," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. "You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you."

"I thought you said you sent him." said Remus wonderingly.

"I did, but judging from what Harry had told me, I sent Fawkes, in the completely wrong direction. I thought that the Entrance was towards the eastern dungeons. I didn't know that the chamber was in a bathroom, especially Moaning Myrtle's." said Dumbledore.

"But I thought he flamed in." said Ron.

"He did, but if he is near enough, he doesn't waste his strength flaming about, when he can just fly towards the area." said Dumbledore. "But the dungeons he was heading to were about three-quarters of a mile away. I told him that he had to get to Harry, you, and Ginny as quickly as possible."

"Oh." said Ron.

He stroked the phoenix, which had fluttered down onto his knee. Harry grinned awkwardly as Dumbledore watched him.

"Why are you grinning?" asked Zacharias.

"Don't answer him." said Sirius with a snarl.

"And so you met Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I imagine he was most interested in you…"

"Albus..." hissed McGonagall.

"He was fine, exhausted, and slightly battered, but other than that he was fine. I wanted him to think carefully about what he had seen and heard." said Dumbledore.

Suddenly, something that was nagging at Harry came tumbling out of his mouth.

"Professor Dumbledore… Riddle said I'm like him. Strange likenesses, he said…"

"Did he, now?" said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully at Harry from under his thick silver eyebrows.

Dumbledore absent-mindedly touched his eyebrows slowly.

"And what do you think, Harry?"

"I don't think I'm like him!" said Harry, more loudly than he'd intended.

"Don't blame you, Cub." said Remus ruffling Harry's still snow white hair.

"I mean, I'm — I'm in Gryffindor, I'm…"

"You're better than him." said Bill.

But he fell silent, a lurking doubt resurfacing in his mind.

"Professor," he started again after a moment. "The Sorting Hat told me I'd — I'd have done well in Slytherin.

"You could have been placed in any house and done frightfully well, just like how you are as a Gryffindor." said Professor Flitwick with a broad smile.

Everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir for a while… because I can speak Parseltongue…"

"You can speak Parseltongue, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly, "because Lord Voldemort — who is the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin — can speak Parseltongue.

"What does Harry's ability have anything to do with Voldemort's?" asked Remus.

Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar.

"...oh..." said Remus. He looked over to Harry swiftly.

"So..." said Sirius.

"We're hoping that some of the powers he lost during his illness, is some of the dark lord's power." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Why?" said Dr. Clark.

"Because then maybe some of his own abilities will come to view. If not, he'll lose two abilities, instead of one." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"What...?" said Sirius.

"You'll find out, I believe. Much later." said Dr. Nicodemus.

Not something he intended to do, I'm sure…"

"Unless he's dumber than I think." said Lionus.

"Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?" Harry said, thunderstruck.

"First time I ever wanted to make myself sick." said Harry, he had brought his legs up into the bowl and wrapped his arms around his legs. "Every time I think of it, I can't eat, or sleep." he laid his head on his knees.

"Are you alright?" said Dumbledore worriedly.

"Yeah, just don't expect me to eat for a while." said Harry's muffled voice.

"It certainly seems so."

"So I should be in Slytherin," Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore's face. "The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in me, and it —"

"It put you in Gryffindor." said McGonagall proudly.

"Put you in Gryffindor," said Dumbledore calmly. "Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students.

"That didn't make me feel any better." said Harry, still talking through his knees.

His own very rare gift, Parseltongue — resourcefulness — determination — a certain disregard for rules, "

"Minus the Parseltongue part, those qualities also belonged to...your dad and his family. And that side of your family were loaded with Gryffindors." said Sirius.

he added, his mustache quivering again. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think."

"You knew?" asked Seamus.

"I would have gone with anything. I myself am very resourceful." said Dumbledore.

"It only put me in Gryffindor," said Harry in a defeated voice, "because I asked not to go in Slytherin…"

"Exactly, "said Dumbledore, beaming once more. "Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

People sat in their chairs and cushions in silence. Even the adults were bombarded with deep thoughts.

Harry sat motionless in his chair, stunned. "If you want proof, Harry, that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this."

Dumbledore reached across to Professor McGonagall's desk, picked up the blood-stained silver sword, and handed it to Harry.

"He reached for it too fast. I had to tell him to be careful." said Dumbledore, he stood up and stood behind Harry. He placed his hands on Harry's shoulders. "Harry, do you want us to take a break?"

"No. I'm going to be fine." said Harry quietly.

Dully, Harry turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then he saw the name engraved just below the hilt.

Godric Gryffindor

"Wow!" said a few first and second years.

"Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry," said Dumbledore simply.

For a minute, neither of them spoke. Then Dumbledore pulled open one of the drawers in Professor McGonagall's desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink.

"Nice of you to help yourself." said Rivers with a smile.

"I asked earlier if I may borrow some parchment and ink, much earlier." said Dumbledore.

"What you need, Harry, is some food and sleep.

"And medical attention from me." said Madam Pomfrey loudly.

"Yeah, I slept in the Hospital Wing that night." said Harry, slowly recovering from his overpowering thoughts. "Didn't wake up till dinner time the next day."

I suggest you go down to the feast, while I write to Azkaban —we need our gamekeeper back.

"I was grateful to that letter." said Hagrid, his face slowly paleing.

And I must draft an advertisement for the Daily Prophet, too," he added thoughtfully. "We'll be needing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we?"

"No thanks to Potter, he killed the first one and drove the other one insane." said Zacharias with a smirk.

"Mr. Smith!" said Professor Sprout angrily. "Do not make me send you to your dorm for the rest of the readings."

Zacharias snarled towards Harry and crossed his arms furiously.

Harry got up and crossed to the door. He had just reached for the handle, however, when the door burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall.

"Caught me right on my wrist, that was another bruise that Madam Pomfrey had to look at." said Harry.

Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury in his face. And cowering behind his legs, heavily wrapped in bandages, was Dobby.

Malfoy cringed in his seat under the furious gazes from people across the room.

"So, Dobby belongs to your family?" shrieked Lavender.

"Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

"Oh, good then I did sound pleasant, I was afraid I wasn't." said Dumbledore with a smile. "It took all I had to not berate that man."

Mr. Malfoy almost knocked Harry over as he swept into the room.

"He's another person that just signed onto my 'Gonna die' list." spat Sirius.

Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face.

"Poor Dobby." said Parvati sadly.

The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoys shoes. Apparently Mr. Malfoy had set out in a great hurry, for not only were his shoes half-polished, but his usually sleek hair was disheveled.

"Poor guy, my heart bleeds for him." said George with mock sympathy.

"We mean, Malfoy." said Fred.

Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore.

"So!" he said "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."

"And thank God he did." said Remus.

"Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, "the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth.

"Sort of sounds like what happened at the Dursley's." said Harry absently.

They'd heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once.

"They were quite relieved when they discovered that Miss Weasley was found to be alive." said Dumbledore.

They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too… Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."

"Indeed?" said Madam Bones with a raised brow.

"Have we arrested Malfoy yet?" asked Dr. Nicodemus.

"Not yet, I don't think." said Lionus, "I haven't received word of his capture yet."

Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury.

"He won't act on it. He's a coward." said Moody with sneer.

"So — have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"

"We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile.

"Well?" said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"

"Your boss." said Dean.

"The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary."

He held up the small black book with the large hole through the center, watching Mr. Malfoy closely.

"I wanted to see his reaction, and peer into his mind at the same time." said Dumbledore.

Harry, however, was watching Dobby.

"Good thing, too." said Harry.

The elf was doing something very odd. His great eyes fixed meaningfully on Harry, he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy, and then hitting himself hard on the head with his fist.

"Guess he's trying to tell Harry that the book belongs to Malfoy." said Kingsley with a deep, calm voice.

"I see…" said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.

"As you children say, he has a terrible poker face." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"A clever plan," said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye. "Because if Harry here —"

"Don't drag him into the conversation with a Death Eater." said Sirius in a whimper.

Mr. Malfoy shot Harry a swift, sharp look "and his friend Ron hadn't discovered this book, why — Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will…"

"Oh, you're rubbing it in his face, love it." said Sirius losing the whimper and taking on his bark-like laugh.

Mr. Malfoy said nothing. His face was suddenly masklike.

"There's a heads up to what was going to happen." muttered Harry thoughtful.

"And imagine," Dumbledore went on, "what might have happened then… The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pure-blood families.

"Bet Malfoy loved that one." said Charlie with a smile.

"His face did turn a bit red." said Dumbledore thinking back.

Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and — killing Muggle-borns…

"So that was what Malfoy's motive was." said Moody with a smirk.

Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it.

"Wiped? I pretty sure, due to all ink, the memories were drowned out." said Sirius.

Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise…"

"Exactly what Malfoy would have wanted." said Moody.

Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak.

"Very fortunate," he said stiffly.

"Doesn't he sound relieved?" said Fred.

And still, behind his back, Dobby was pointing, first to the diary, then to Lucius Malfoy, then punching himself in the head.

"Yes, Dobby, we know, you can stop beating yourself now." said Ron.

And Harry suddenly understood.

"Wow, you didn't figure it out right away?" said Seamus.

"I was tired, battered and slimed, I didn't want to focus on anything." said Harry defensively.

He nodded at Dobby, and Dobby backed into a corner, now twisting his ears in punishment.

People grabbed their ears and cringed slightly.

"Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" said Harry.

Lucius Malfoy rounded on him.

"You love picking fights don't you?" said Sirius with raised brows.

"What could he do?" said Harry shrugging.

"Let's make a list. How about that?" said Remus.

"But Dumbledore was sitting right there." said Harry looking up at Dumbledore with a smile.

"Oh, list gone." said Sirius with a laugh.

"How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.

"Because you gave it to her," said Harry.

Bill and Charlie had to restrain both of their parents. "Easy Mom, Dad. He'll get what's coming to him." said Charlie while trying to hold onto his mother's arm.

"In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?"

Bill had to throw his arm around his father's neck working hard to hold his father back.

He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench.

"Prove it," he hissed.

"Can you arrest him, Madam Bones?" shouted Fred angrily.

"No, I cannot use these books to apprehend him." said Madam Bones regretfully.

"Not stopping us." Lionus snapped his fingers and suddenly a figure dove out from nowhere and landed at Lionus' feet. He dropped down on a knee and kneeled before the Captain.

"You summoned me, sir?" said the man.

The students noticed that this guy had some sort of strange looking cloak wrapped around his shoulders, like leather.

"Have you got Lucius Malfoy?" said Lionus.

"Yes sir, we have him." said the strange cloaked man.

"And you didn't come and tell me?" said Lionus shortly.

"You told us to not interrupt the proceedings, under any circumstance. Do you want him now?" asked the man.

"I'd love it." said Lionus with a vicious smile.

The man looked up and suddenly the cloak stretched out and it showed what it really was.

"Wings? He's got wings?" said Ron in a awed whisper.

"Like a bat." said Hermione in shock.

"If they followed proper protocol, then it will be after lunch when they get back here." said Lionus with a smirk. "I think that I'll speak to Mr. Malfoy Senior somewhere alone. I hope that you, Mr. Weasley will join me."

"With pleasure." said Mr. Weasley with snarl.

"Um?" said Draco quietly.

"Best you not hear what I'm going to tell your father." said Lionus, trying to be kind.

"Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry.

"I was exceedingly proud of Harry for what he said." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you…"

"Better believe it." said Mr. Weasley angrily. "Why didn't you tell me he was the one behind it though?"

"What would you have done if I had told you?" asked Dumbledore curiously.

"I'd have killed him." said Mr. Weasley hotly.

"Then you would have gone to Azkaban. Best keep you around, Arthur, goodness knows what might happen to your department without you." said Dumbledore kindly.

Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and Harry distinctly saw his right hand twitch as though he was longing to reach for his wand.

"He never would have cleared his pocket without Dumbledore slamming him into the wall with a curse of his own." said a third year proudly.

Instead, he turned to his house-elf. "We're going, Dobby!"

He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it.

The people in the Great Hall groaned sympathetically.

They could hear Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor.

"Why didn't you do anything, Headmaster?" asked Hermione tearfully.

"It's his House-elf, I cannot lawfully admonish him or curse him for it." said Dumbledore. "Hopefully, some day, that law will change."

Harry stood for a moment, thinking hard. Then it came to him —

"Professor Dumbledore," he said hurriedly. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"

"What are you planning?" asked Tonks.

"Certainly, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly. "But hurry. The feast, remember…"

"You're worried about the feast?" said Madam Bones.

"He didn't need to get any thinner that what he was. Also, I was giving him a subtle hint that I would be close behind him." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"That hint I caught." said Harry.

Harry grabbed the diary and dashed out of the office. He could hear Dobby's squeals of pain receding around the corner. Quickly, wondering if this plan could possibly work, Harry took off one of his shoes, pulled off his slimy, filthy sock, and stuffed the diary into it.

"Ugh...burn that sock." gagged Dr. Clark.

"How could you get that diary to get stuffed in your sock?" asked Remus.

"It was Uncle Vernon socks." said Harry.

"Oh." said Remus.

"I had to hop on one foot just to take my sock and shoe off." said Harry with a smirk.

"I wish I could have seen that." said Sirius with a smirk.

Then he ran down the dark corridor.

He caught up with them at the top of the stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy," he gasped, skidding to a halt, "I've got something for you —"

And he forced the smelly sock into Lucius Malfoy's hand.

The students laughed loudly.

"His face was priceless." said Harry laughing along with them.

"What the —?"

"It's a sewer drenched sock." said George.

Mr. Malfoy ripped the sock off the diary, threw it aside, then looked furiously from the ruined book to Harry. "You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter," he said softly. "They were meddlesome fools, too."

"Can we join in the beat down?" asked Remus with a scowl on his face.

"No, I think that Mr. Weasley will do just fine." said Lionus.

He turned to go.

"Come, Dobby. I said, come."

But Dobby didn't move. He was holding up Harry's disgusting, slimy sock, and looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure.

"Huh?" asked Dr. Clark.

"He didn't..." said Remus with a smile.

"I think he did." said Sirius. "Oh this is priceless."

"Master has given a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby."

"That's right, take the loophole and run with it." said Moody with a smirk on his face.

"What's that?" spat Mr. Malfoy. "What did you say?"

"Got a sock," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby — Dobby is free."

Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf then he lunged at Harry.

"OI!" shouted Sirius loudly.

"You've lost me my servant, boy!"

But Dobby shouted, "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" There was a loud bang, and Mr. Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs, three at a time, landing in a crumpled heap on the landing below.

Everyone, but the people in Slytherin House cheered and shouted joyously.

"Was that you?" asked Sirius to Dumbledore.

"No, Dobby beat me to the punch." said Dumbledore honestly.

He got up, his face livid, and pulled out his wand, but Dobby raised a long, threatening finger.

"A House-elf's finger is threatening?" scoffed Lee.

"Was to Malfoy." said George.

"You shall go now," he said fiercely, pointing down at Mr. Malfoy. "You shall not touch Harry Potter. You shall go now."

"You tell him Dobby!" cheered a few third years.

The elf's ugly brown face split suddenly into a wide, toothy smile.

"I've just got one question, Dobby," said Harry as Dobby pulled on Harry's sock with shaking hands.

"Oh, that's gross. Tell me he washes it soon." said Dr. Clark.

"You told me all this had nothing to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, remember? Well —"

"So he lied." said Remus.

"Not quite." said Harry and Dumbledore.

"It was a clue, sir," said Dobby, his eyes widening, as though this was obvious. "Was giving you a clue. The Dark Lord, before he changed his name, could be freely named, you see?"

"Huh?" said several students.

"Right," said Harry weakly.

"At the time, I didn't to question any further." said Harry.

"Well, I'd better go. There's a feast, and my friend Hermione should be awake by now…"

"Thanks for thinking of me." said Hermione with a faint blush.

Dobby threw his arms around Harry's middle and hugged him.

"Took everything I had not to make him promise never to try and save my life again." said Harry with a smirk.

"Harry Potter is greater by far than Dobby knew!" he sobbed. "Farewell, Harry Potter!"

And with a final loud crack, Dobby disappeared.

"Hope he has a nice life." said Neville.

Harry had been to several Hogwarts feasts, but never one quite like this. Everybody was in their pajamas, and the celebration lasted all night.

"Did you stay up all night?" asked Kingsley.

"Madam Pomfrey came down and dragged me off to the Hospital Wing about five o'clock in the morning." said Harry.

Harry didn't know whether the best bit was Hermione running toward him, screaming "You solved it! You solved it!"

"Aww." said a few girls in the Great Hall.

or Justin hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table to wring his hand and apologize endlessly for suspecting him,

"Not even close, I wouldn't have given him the time of day." said Sirius sourly.

or Hagrid turning up at half past three, cuffing Harry and Ron so hard on the shoulders that they were knocked into their plates of trifle,

"Sorry." said Hagrid sheepishly.

"Trifle is good with or without spoons." said Harry and Ron.

or his and Ron's four hundred points for Gryffindor securing the House Cup for the second year running,

"Go Gryffindors!" said the Gryffindor table joyfully.

or Professor McGonagall standing up to tell them all that the exams had been canceled as a school treat

"Oh, well I know what you were talking about. Good thing you got rid of the tests, it wouldn't have been fair." said Sirius.

"What about the fifth and seventh years?" asked Remus.

"They were able to come back during the summer to take their tests, with plenty of studying under their belts." said Dumbledore with a smile.

("Oh, no!" said Hermione),

"Only you." said Ron shaking his head.

or Dumbledore announcing that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year,

"You could almost hear the sarcasm." whispered Madam Hooch to Professor Sinstra.

owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news.

"Thank goodness he wasn't going to come back." said McGonagall rolling her eyes.

"Shame," said Ron, helping himself to a jam doughnut. "He has starting to grow on me."

"I still miss kicking him about." said Ron.

The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine.

"We never left our favorite tree." said Harry fondly.

Hogwarts was back to normal with only a few, small differences — Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled ("but we've had plenty of practice at that anyway," Ron told a disgruntled Hermione)

"You didn't learn anything that year anyway." said Remus.

"Except not letting loose a bunch of pixies." said Sirius.

and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor.

"Not many people could really figure out why that was really important." said Ron.

Draco was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place. On the contrary, he looked resentful and sulky.

Draco continued to cringe in his seat, silently begging for the chapter to end.

On the other hand, Ginny Weasley was perfectly happy again.

"That was one of the better things to happen." said Harry with a smile.

They were almost at King's Cross when Harry remembered something.

"Wow, did nothing happen at all for the rest of the year, or the train ride?" said Sirius.

"Nope, and it was really nice." said Harry with a smile.

"Ginny – what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"

"Girlfriend." said Fred and George.

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well — Percy's got a girlfriend."

"Our Ickle Percy's growing up." said Fred wiping a tear from his eye.

"Hey! No more 'Ickle-anything' remember." said George quickly.

Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head. "What?"

"Was that intentional or accidental?" asked Sirius with a chuckle.

"It had better of been accidental." said George shortly.

"Maybe..." said Fred with a mischievious smile.

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny.

"That's who he was writing to all last summer.

"So you gave up family time, for a girl?" said Fred.

"Whom you were going to see all year round?" said George.

"What were you doing in your room while waiting for the letters, anyway?" said Fred.

"Yeah...you...uh...um...ah..." said George, his voice faltering.

"You figured it out? Spill." said Fred. George leaned over and whispered in his ear Fred's eyes bugged out slightly.

"Nevermind continue on." said Fred to Madam Bones in a slightly high pitched tone.

"What are you going on about?" said Bill.

"Nothing, but you may want to talk to Percy at some point." said George whispering to Bill.

"I'm an adult!" hissed Percy.

"Sure Perce, whatever you say. I'd still have a talk." said George in a hushed voice back.

He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day.

"I thought you said you weren't going to tell them?" said Percy hotly.

"I would have, if you hadn't of kicked me out of the Great Hall before I was taken." said Ginny.

"I didn't kick you out!" said Percy defensively.

"You kinda did." said Ron. "You took her seat and she was so freaked out that she ran out."

He was so upset when she was — you know — attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.

"See, I'm not heartless, I asked them not to." said Ginny.

"Why tell them anyway?" said Percy, his face red.

"Harry asked." said Ginny.

"Doesn't mean you tell him." said Percy.

"Harry saved her life." said Charlie.

"He's got dibs on anything he wants from us." said Bill.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early.

"Did you tease him?" asked Charlie.

"Only when he picked the fight." said Fred.

"Definitely not," said George, sniggering.

"And he picked a lot of fights, not too sure why." said George.

The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped.

Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Ron and Hermione.

"This is called a telephone number," he told Ron,

"Oh, I rue that day." said Harry with a slightly smile.

"Why?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It didnt' go well." said Harry still smiling.

scribbling it twice, tearing the parchment in two, and handing it to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer — he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to…"

"I should have told you quick how to use it." said Hermione to Ron.

"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?"

Hermione turned a faint pink color under all the shocked looks she recieved. "I don't know what I was thinking." said Hermione with a blush.

"Proud?" said Harry. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious…"

"And that didn't tell you that something was horribly, horribly wrong." said Sirius.

Hermione shuffled her feet shamefully.

And together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.

"Well that's the end of this book." said Madam Bones.

"Thank bloody God. That was horrible." said Sirius giving Harry a one armed hug.

"You'll like the next one." said Harry. "Sort of."

"Oh, yeah! I'm in that one!" said Sirius happily.

"I think I'll start off the next book." said Dumbledore walking out from behind Harry and striding over to the now shrinking pile of books.

He picked up the next book with a strangely worn leather cover.

"You'll like this title, Sirius, 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." said Dumbledore.

"Yay!" said Sirius. "Can't wait till the end."

"Goody." mumbled Snape sourly.

Chapter 49

The next morning, they all gathered back into the Great Hall, all excited to finish the second book. Harry grabbed himself a plate full of food and sat in the bowl beside Sirius and the others.

"Tell me that the book ends on a good note." said Remus pleadingly.

"Yeah, it turns out pretty good." said Harry shrugging.

It was decided that Madam Bones would read the final chapter, after a bit of coaxing from Harry, saying that she would find it most interesting.

"Dobby's Reward" said Madam Bones.

"Great, just what we need, another chapter where he breaks your arm with rogue sport equipment." said Dr. Clark rolling his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm safe in this chapter." said Harry.

"That'll be a refreshing change." said Sirius.

For a moment there was silence as Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Lockhart stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and (in Harry's case) blood.

"Goddamn it, you're still hurt." said Remus quickly.

"I was fine." said Harry. "Just really tired."

Then there was a scream.

"Ginny!"

It was Mrs. Weasley, who had been sitting crying in front of the fire.

Most of the adults in the room looked sympathetic over to the Weasley family.

She leapt to her feet, closely followed by Mr. Weasley, and both of them flung themselves on their daughter.

A few people in the Great Hall holding handkerchiefs and sniffed.

Harry, however, was looking past them.

"Nice of you to care." whispered Rudolph with a smirk.

"I knew she was fine!" said Harry defensively.

Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece,

"You were there? What the bloody hell stopped you from going down there?" said Bill.

"You forget, the boys didn't tell anyone about where the Chamber of Secrets was. That and he wasn't a Parselmouth." said Lionus.

"Oh, right." said Bill sheepishly. "Sorry."

"You were quite right to shout, Mr. Weasley." said Dumbledore with a sad smile. "I should have stayed."

"But you couldn't." said Madam Bones. "If you had stayed, Lucius would have come to the Ministry and with that lump." she gestured towards the seat the Minister held, "he'd of let Lucius kick you out of the castle permanently."

"Whatever happened to the Minister? Shouldn't he have been back by now?" asked Percy.

"I inquired about that." said Lionus with a smile. "It seems that his turn-key felt that he didn't learn a good enough lesson. He'll be there for a little while longer."

"Good." said McGonagall fiercely.

beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest.

"What did you expect?" said Professor McGonagall. "We had just told them that they're daughter was taken away by a monster, and you three came, covered in filth with Miss Weasley and a blood drenched sword."

"Sorry ma'am." said Ron and Harry sheepishly.

Fawkes went whooshing past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder,

"He did a fantastic job. As did all of you children." said Dumbledore with kind smile. "Though you shouldn't have had to do it." he finished with a guilt ridden look.

"It wouldn't have mattered, I would have had to of gone anyway, if we told a teacher." said Harry.

"Oh, really?" said Snape with a sneer.

"I don't rightly recollect any of you being Parselmouths." said Harry.

"He's got a point." whispered Charlie. "He shouldn't have gone, but he still has a point."

just as Harry found himself and Ron being swept into Mrs. Weasley's tight embrace.

"Harry jumped about a foot in the air when you did that. He almost raised the sword and hit you." said Ron to his mother.

The Weasley's looked over at Harry.

"I was nervous, and still pretty freaked out." said Harry.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly.

"I had to make some very strong tea, very quickly. I would have lost my Deputy Headmistress for a short while." said Dumbledore with a smile over to McGonagall.

"It was a very horrific day." said McGonagall sternly. "Not just for me, but for the Weasley family as well. I was so relieved that everything came out all right. But I wish I never knew what horrible cost it could have been." she added with a sorrowful glance towards Harry.

Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry, who hesitated for a moment,

"I was waiting for someone to yell at me, or demand for me to speak. It never came." said Harry.

"It is best that if a child had suffered from an ordeal, to let them speak, at their own pace." said Dumbledore.

"I noticed that last year." said Harry with a smile. "You didn't push it."

then walked over to the desk and laid upon it the Sorting Hat, the ruby-encrusted sword, and what remained of Riddle's diary.

Then he started telling them everything.

"A very much watered down version of what had transpired." said Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"You already looked done in, I didn't want to add to it, and I didn't want Ron and I expelled any faster than we were already going to be." said Harry.

For nearly a quarter of an hour he spoke into the rapt silence:

"I'm not much of a speaker, and with no one else talking, it made me awfully nervous." said Harry.

"I think you do just fine." said Cho, remember the D.A meetings.

He told them about hearing the disembodied voice,

"Which we admit, we wouldn't have believed you." said Professor Flitwick regrettably.

how Hermione had finally realized that he was hearing a basilisk in the pipes;

"Which was bloody brilliant." said Ron.

how he and Ron had followed the spiders into the forest,

"Which was flipping SUICIDE! I don't want to hear about you guys going in there again." said Bill.

that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died;

"That solved a great mystery, I had always, for the want of a better word, wondered how that happened." said Dumbledore.

how he had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim, and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom…

"You should have told a teacher." said Remus.

"We did, we just...didn't pick the right teacher to tell." said Ron shrugging his shoulders.

"Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted him as he paused, "so you found out where the entrance was — breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add —

"Who the bloody hell cares if they broke school rules or not? They saved Ginny and came back alive!" said Bill in shock.

but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

"Lots of luck, and lots of help." said Harry. Dumbledore smiled over to Harry and Sirius pulled him into an even tighter hug.

So Harry, his voice now growing hoarse from all this talking,

"Mr. Potter, you could have asked for some water." said McGonagall.

"I didn't want to push whatever luck I had left." said Harry.

told them about Fawkes's timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving him the sword. But then he faltered. He had so far avoided mentioning Riddle's diary — or Ginny.

"And the part about you almost dying." said Dumbledore his face pale.

She was standing with her head against Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, and tears were still coursing silently down her cheeks. What if they expelled her?

"I would never have let that happen." said Dumbledore.

Harry thought in panic. Riddle's diary didn't work anymore… How could they prove it had been he who'd made her do it all?

"Wow, thanks Harry." said Charlie.

Instinctively, Harry looked at Dumbledore,

"Only twelve years old, and he already knows to look immediately to Dumbledore for help." said Kingsley shaking his head.

who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.

"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."

"You looked into his mind again, didn't you?" said Tonks.

"I did, I had a feeling he was hiding something from me, but I didn't see that Tom had almost killed him." said Dumbledore looking down. "You were right Harry, you do know what cards to lay forward, and what cards to hide up your sleeve."

Relief — warm, sweeping, glorious relief – swept over Harry.

"I was so happy, you had no idea." said Harry.

"W-what's that?" said Mr. Weasley in a stunned voice. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not… Ginny hasn't been… has she?"

"I wouldn't have believed it either, Molly." said Rudolph.

"It was this diary," said Harry quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen…"

Dumbledore took the diary from Harry and peered keenly down his long, crooked nose at its burnt and soggy pages.

"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen."

"I wouldn't have complimented him." growled Remus.

"You got to admit it, Remus, he was a brilliant kid, completely twisted and sadistic, but hewas brilliant." said Moody.

He turned around to the Weasleys, who were looking utterly bewildered.

"Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle.

"Wonder if Malfoy knows?" whispered Ron to Hermione.

I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school… traveled far and wide… sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable.

"Yeah, remember that he said that he and Harry looked the same?" said George.

"Yeah I do," Fred looked at Harry intently. "I don't know, Harry looks pretty evil and powerful to me. I'd of recognized him."

"Don't make me come over there." said Harry. "I don't have magic right now, but that won't stop me from beating your ass."

"Watch your mouth." said Dr. Clark with a smirk.

"Sorry." said Harry.

Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."

"Still can't believe he was Head Boy." said Tonks

"Headmaster Dippet chose him, not I." said Dumbledore, his eyes cold.

"But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What's our Ginny got to do with — with — him?"

"His d-diary" Ginny sobbed. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year —"

"I learned never to do that again." said Ginny.

"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything. What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain?

"Seriously? You tell your kids that?" said Dr. Clark.

"In my line of work, I warn them about a lot of stuff." said Mr. Weasley.

Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic!'

"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it —"

"Did you get the books at Flourish and Blotts or the second hand store, Turner's, dear?" asked Madam Bones.

"Turner's" said Mrs. Weasley.

"Well, you never know what people could leave in the books. I had a cousin find an old bookmark that once belonged to Newt Scamander, she returned it to him and got a signed copy of his book, and a beautiful phoenix feather quill." said Madam Bones. "It was quite unfortunate that your daughter didn't get the same pleasant surprise."

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice.

"That's one of the qualities I admire about you, Albus," said Bathilda taking a sip of tea. "If you see a student distraught, you'll insist that they rest."

"After they tell him what had happened." said Sirius, thinking about Harry's exhausted frame from the year before.

"Well of course, how else is he supposed to correct and fix it if he doesn't know what had happened?" said Bathilda.

"I don't know, wait until they wake up after resting first?" said Sirius sarcastically.

"Then it might be too late." said Bathilda shortly.

"This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment.

"If I wasn't freaked out at that time, I would have been really happy about that." said Ginny.

Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it.

"Well, Fudge fits the older part, but not so much the wiser." sniggered Fred.

"Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her.

"Works wonders at home too." said Charlie.

"Your father actually got me, how do you youngsters put it? Hooked, on hot chocolate when I feel particularly worn." said Dumbledore with a smile. "I caught him in the kitchens when he was, let's see, a second year, making a large batch of hot chocolate."

"Mom actually went down into the kitchens and made me some hot chocolate for me." said Ginny.

"You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice — I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

"How the hell is that timed that good?" said Sirius.

The staff merely shrugged. "Fate?" offered Professor Sprout.

"Fate's got some great timing." said Sirius.

"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.

Hermione looked at Ron, with look of pleasant surprise on her face.

"Well, you know." said Ron trying to sound cool, however it didn't work too well, especially when Hermione gave him swift kiss on the cheek.

"Dear me, Fred. Look how red Ron is getting." said George.

"Positively shocking." said Fred.

"Absolutely scandalous." said George.

"Get off." said Ron to the twins.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.

"I apologize, Miss Weasley for that statement, I should have phrased it differently." said Dumbledore swiftly.

"What? What do you mean, sir?" asked Ginny.

"After hearing what I just said, I can see how it could be taken as that you were at fault somewhere along the line. I deeply apologize." said Dumbledore.

"Oh, um...it's okay." said Ginny with a small smile.

Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr. Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken.

"He passed out up in the Hospital Wing." said Ginny.

"I was worried sick." said Mr. Weasley stiffly, "It just got to be too much."

"Don't blame you, Mr. Weasley." said Lionus. "If I had children, and this happened. I'd faint...right after I kill and disembowel everyone that was involved in hurting my daughter."

"What about son?" asked Lee.

"Well, I'd let him get in a few shots, then I'd kill them and behead them." said Lionus with a vicious smile.

"Go daddy." said Lee gulped.

"You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"

"They were overjoyed. They love to cook for feasts." said McGonagall with a weak smile.

"Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. "I'll leave you to deal with Potter and Weasley, shall I?"

"Oh, come on! All that death-defying stuff and you're going to give detention and take points away?" said Nightstrike groaning.

"You've gone native." said Tempest with a smirk.

"Well, like me, you've gone for a native." said Nightstrike raising his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" asked Tempest shortly.

"There aren't any Willow trees in the rooms we were assigned." said Nightstrike plucking a thin leaf from her hair.

"I was out for a morning run." snapped Tempest.

"And Firenze happened to go about the same way, attracting the exact same ornament in his tail?" said Nightstrike.

"Permission to kill Lieutenant Nightstrike, sir?" said Tempest hotly, a fierce blush reached her face.

"Permission denied. Behave Nightstrike, or I'll mention the traces of lipstick on your cheek." said Lionus. Nighstrike took on the same shade of red as Tempest as did Emmeline Vance.

"Don't think that I didn't notice that you bothleft the prisoner, unguarded." said Lionus with a smirk. "She's not as dangerous as the others, so that may be why you thought that leaving alone for a while was fine. Don't...do...it...again..."

"Yes, sir." said Tempest and Nighstrike together.

"Go on dates in shifts from now on." said Lionus with a sneer.

"Certainly," said Dumbledore.

She left, and Harry and Ron gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore. What exactly had Professor McGonagall meant, deal with them? Surely — surely — they weren't about to be punished?

"If we were expelled you'd have carry me out of Hogwarts, cause I would be passed out on the floor in a dead faint." said Ron.

"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore.

"Now you're a stickler for rules?" said Bill in shock.

"I was in my younger days, now I can see ways of dancing around the rule book." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Thank goodness." said Harry quietly.

"Go figure." said Professor Snape rolling his eyes.

Ron opened his mouth in horror.

"Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling.

"If Dumbledore had been like any of the other Headmasters, you both would have been expelled." said McGonagall sternly.

"I don't think we'd have been around past first year." said Ron.

"I wouldn't be here past Christmas." said Harry quietly.

"You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School

"I took Tom's award for services to the school down and destroyed it." said Dumbledore. "As it was fitting."

"Ours are there now." said Ron proudly.

"I'm going to have to go and look at it tonight." said Sirius with a smile. Harry groaned.

and — let me see — yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor."

"I remember Severus coming to me and complaining about the four hundred point leap." said Dumbledore thoughtfully.

"I found it unfair." said Snape shortly.

"Especially after you took about two hundred and fifty points away from the Weasley twins for causing the fifth floor's suits of armor to jitterbug in the corridors, the day prior." said Professor Flitwick with a smile.

"So you only won by...?" said Sirius.

"We won by one hundred and fifty points." said Harry.

"So you two really only got about seventy-five points each for saving the school and defeating a giant basilisk? That's pathetic." said Sirius.

Ron went as brightly pink as Lockhart's valentine flowers

"Arrgh!" Ron cried out, and lunged at Harry, the entire bowl was knocked over backwards. The men found themselves laughing as Harry and Ron tussled around.

"Take it back!" said Ron in a muffled voice as he and Harry rolled about on the floor.

"No." said Harry with a smile. "It was the same color! Leggo my arm!"

"Take it back, quit hitting me!" said Ron.

"You hit me first!" said Harry as he flipped Ron over and held him in a light choke hold.

"Will the both of you knock it off?" said Ginny, her hands on her hips.

"You're both idiots." said Hermione standing beside Ginny.

Ron and Harry looked at each other. "But we'reyour idiots." said the both of them with broad smiles.

The school laughed as Harry and Ron continued to wrestle around frantically, finally Harry apologized after Ron grabbed his arm and pulled it behind his back.

and closed his mouth again.

"But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?"

"It was most unusual." said Dumbledore.

"I kept staring at him, waiting for him to take all the credit." said McGonagall.

"I saw you had your wand drawn." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"I had just about had it with him." said McGonagall stiffly.

Harry gave a start. He had completely forgotten about Lockhart.

"I can't wait till I can forget him again." said Remus.

He turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.

"Did he honestly think someone could stand behind him, when he's standing in a corner?" said Sirius with a laugh.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart —"

"Stole my wand, tried to oblivate us and instead he shot himself and made the ceiling of the tunnel to sort of collapse." said Fred.

"Horrible accident it was." said George.

"Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"

"Before you even went down into the tunnel." said Lupin.

"Before he even started his first day working here." said Sirius.

"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained quietly to Dumbledore.

"Oh, I wouldn't have told him that." said Fred.

"But then he would have gotten better and he would have gotten away with everything." said George.

"Oh, nevermind then." said Fred.

"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"

"Harry also devulged what Gilderoy had done to all those champions of the people." said Dumbledore with a fond smile.

"Sword?" said Lockhart dimly. "Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though." He pointed at Harry. "He'll lend you one."

"Dear lord." groaned Tonks.

"Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron. "I'd like a few more words with Harry…"

"You trusted Lockhart with Ron?" said Mrs. Weasley.

"Actually, Mom, I kept kicking him all the way there. Kept telling him it was mice biting his ankles." said Ron with a smile. "He said something about how we needed more cats around here."

Lockhart ambled out. Ron cast a curious look back at Dumbledore and Harry as he closed the door.

"Didn't know what he wanted to talk to Harry for." said Ron.

Dumbledore crossed to one of the chairs by the fire.

"Sit down, Harry," he said, and Harry sat, feeling unaccountably nervous.

"That's what supposed to happen when you talk to the Headmaster, however...the same cannot be said for the Weasley twins." said McGonagall, the faintest trace of smile on her lips.

"Yeah, when we've been sent to him lately, we just kick back." said Fred.

"Slouch in the chairs." said George.

"And tell him how our day went." said Fred.

"Then we tell what we did." George.

"Then he gives us detention, but you know what? It's nice to talk to him and ask him for his opinion on stuff." said Fred.

"Our conversations are quite entertaining." said Dumbledore with a wide smile. "Though I have yet to answer their final question that ask every time."

"How to go about getting away with everything." said the twins together.

"First of all, Harry, I want to thank you," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. "You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you."

"I thought you said you sent him." said Remus wonderingly.

"I did, but judging from what Harry had told me, I sent Fawkes, in the completely wrong direction. I thought that the Entrance was towards the eastern dungeons. I didn't know that the chamber was in a bathroom, especially Moaning Myrtle's." said Dumbledore.

"But I thought he flamed in." said Ron.

"He did, but if he is near enough, he doesn't waste his strength flaming about, when he can just fly towards the area." said Dumbledore. "But the dungeons he was heading to were about three-quarters of a mile away. I told him that he had to get to Harry, you, and Ginny as quickly as possible."

"Oh." said Ron.

He stroked the phoenix, which had fluttered down onto his knee. Harry grinned awkwardly as Dumbledore watched him.

"Why are you grinning?" asked Zacharias.

"Don't answer him." said Sirius with a snarl.

"And so you met Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I imagine he was most interested in you…"

"Albus..." hissed McGonagall.

"He was fine, exhausted, and slightly battered, but other than that he was fine. I wanted him to think carefully about what he had seen and heard." said Dumbledore.

Suddenly, something that was nagging at Harry came tumbling out of his mouth.

"Professor Dumbledore… Riddle said I'm like him. Strange likenesses, he said…"

"Did he, now?" said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully at Harry from under his thick silver eyebrows.

Dumbledore absent-mindedly touched his eyebrows slowly.

"And what do you think, Harry?"

"I don't think I'm like him!" said Harry, more loudly than he'd intended.

"Don't blame you, Cub." said Remus ruffling Harry's still snow white hair.

"I mean, I'm — I'm in Gryffindor, I'm…"

"You're better than him." said Bill.

But he fell silent, a lurking doubt resurfacing in his mind.

"Professor," he started again after a moment. "The Sorting Hat told me I'd — I'd have done well in Slytherin.

"You could have been placed in any house and done frightfully well, just like how you are as a Gryffindor." said Professor Flitwick with a broad smile.

Everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir for a while… because I can speak Parseltongue…"

"You can speak Parseltongue, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly, "because Lord Voldemort — who is the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin — can speak Parseltongue.

"What does Harry's ability have anything to do with Voldemort's?" asked Remus.

Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar.

"...oh..." said Remus. He looked over to Harry swiftly.

"So..." said Sirius.

"We're hoping that some of the powers he lost during his illness, is some of the dark lord's power." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Why?" said Dr. Clark.

"Because then maybe some of his own abilities will come to view. If not, he'll lose two abilities, instead of one." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"What...?" said Sirius.

"You'll find out, I believe. Much later." said Dr. Nicodemus.

Not something he intended to do, I'm sure…"

"Unless he's dumber than I think." said Lionus.

"Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?" Harry said, thunderstruck.

"First time I ever wanted to make myself sick." said Harry, he had brought his legs up into the bowl and wrapped his arms around his legs. "Every time I think of it, I can't eat, or sleep." he laid his head on his knees.

"Are you alright?" said Dumbledore worriedly.

"Yeah, just don't expect me to eat for a while." said Harry's muffled voice.

"It certainly seems so."

"So I should be in Slytherin," Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore's face. "The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in me, and it —"

"It put you in Gryffindor." said McGonagall proudly.

"Put you in Gryffindor," said Dumbledore calmly. "Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students.

"That didn't make me feel any better." said Harry, still talking through his knees.

His own very rare gift, Parseltongue — resourcefulness — determination — a certain disregard for rules, "

"Minus the Parseltongue part, those qualities also belonged to...your dad and his family. And that side of your family were loaded with Gryffindors." said Sirius.

he added, his mustache quivering again. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think."

"You knew?" asked Seamus.

"I would have gone with anything. I myself am very resourceful." said Dumbledore.

"It only put me in Gryffindor," said Harry in a defeated voice, "because I asked not to go in Slytherin…"

"Exactly, "said Dumbledore, beaming once more. "Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

People sat in their chairs and cushions in silence. Even the adults were bombarded with deep thoughts.

Harry sat motionless in his chair, stunned. "If you want proof, Harry, that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this."

Dumbledore reached across to Professor McGonagall's desk, picked up the blood-stained silver sword, and handed it to Harry.

"He reached for it too fast. I had to tell him to be careful." said Dumbledore, he stood up and stood behind Harry. He placed his hands on Harry's shoulders. "Harry, do you want us to take a break?"

"No. I'm going to be fine." said Harry quietly.

Dully, Harry turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then he saw the name engraved just below the hilt.

Godric Gryffindor

"Wow!" said a few first and second years.

"Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry," said Dumbledore simply.

For a minute, neither of them spoke. Then Dumbledore pulled open one of the drawers in Professor McGonagall's desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink.

"Nice of you to help yourself." said Rivers with a smile.

"I asked earlier if I may borrow some parchment and ink, much earlier." said Dumbledore.

"What you need, Harry, is some food and sleep.

"And medical attention from me." said Madam Pomfrey loudly.

"Yeah, I slept in the Hospital Wing that night." said Harry, slowly recovering from his overpowering thoughts. "Didn't wake up till dinner time the next day."

I suggest you go down to the feast, while I write to Azkaban —we need our gamekeeper back.

"I was grateful to that letter." said Hagrid, his face slowly paleing.

And I must draft an advertisement for the Daily Prophet, too," he added thoughtfully. "We'll be needing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we?"

"No thanks to Potter, he killed the first one and drove the other one insane." said Zacharias with a smirk.

"Mr. Smith!" said Professor Sprout angrily. "Do not make me send you to your dorm for the rest of the readings."

Zacharias snarled towards Harry and crossed his arms furiously.

Harry got up and crossed to the door. He had just reached for the handle, however, when the door burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall.

"Caught me right on my wrist, that was another bruise that Madam Pomfrey had to look at." said Harry.

Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury in his face. And cowering behind his legs, heavily wrapped in bandages, was Dobby.

Malfoy cringed in his seat under the furious gazes from people across the room.

"So, Dobby belongs to your family?" shrieked Lavender.

"Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

"Oh, good then I did sound pleasant, I was afraid I wasn't." said Dumbledore with a smile. "It took all I had to not berate that man."

Mr. Malfoy almost knocked Harry over as he swept into the room.

"He's another person that just signed onto my 'Gonna die' list." spat Sirius.

Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face.

"Poor Dobby." said Parvati sadly.

The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoys shoes. Apparently Mr. Malfoy had set out in a great hurry, for not only were his shoes half-polished, but his usually sleek hair was disheveled.

"Poor guy, my heart bleeds for him." said George with mock sympathy.

"We mean, Malfoy." said Fred.

Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore.

"So!" he said "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."

"And thank God he did." said Remus.

"Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, "the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth.

"Sort of sounds like what happened at the Dursley's." said Harry absently.

They'd heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once.

"They were quite relieved when they discovered that Miss Weasley was found to be alive." said Dumbledore.

They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too… Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."

"Indeed?" said Madam Bones with a raised brow.

"Have we arrested Malfoy yet?" asked Dr. Nicodemus.

"Not yet, I don't think." said Lionus, "I haven't received word of his capture yet."

Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury.

"He won't act on it. He's a coward." said Moody with sneer.

"So — have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"

"We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile.

"Well?" said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"

"Your boss." said Dean.

"The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary."

He held up the small black book with the large hole through the center, watching Mr. Malfoy closely.

"I wanted to see his reaction, and peer into his mind at the same time." said Dumbledore.

Harry, however, was watching Dobby.

"Good thing, too." said Harry.

The elf was doing something very odd. His great eyes fixed meaningfully on Harry, he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy, and then hitting himself hard on the head with his fist.

"Guess he's trying to tell Harry that the book belongs to Malfoy." said Kingsley with a deep, calm voice.

"I see…" said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.

"As you children say, he has a terrible poker face." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"A clever plan," said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye. "Because if Harry here —"

"Don't drag him into the conversation with a Death Eater." said Sirius in a whimper.

Mr. Malfoy shot Harry a swift, sharp look "and his friend Ron hadn't discovered this book, why — Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will…"

"Oh, you're rubbing it in his face, love it." said Sirius losing the whimper and taking on his bark-like laugh.

Mr. Malfoy said nothing. His face was suddenly masklike.

"There's a heads up to what was going to happen." muttered Harry thoughtful.

"And imagine," Dumbledore went on, "what might have happened then… The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pure-blood families.

"Bet Malfoy loved that one." said Charlie with a smile.

"His face did turn a bit red." said Dumbledore thinking back.

Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and — killing Muggle-borns…

"So that was what Malfoy's motive was." said Moody with a smirk.

Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it.

"Wiped? I pretty sure, due to all ink, the memories were drowned out." said Sirius.

Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise…"

"Exactly what Malfoy would have wanted." said Moody.

Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak.

"Very fortunate," he said stiffly.

"Doesn't he sound relieved?" said Fred.

And still, behind his back, Dobby was pointing, first to the diary, then to Lucius Malfoy, then punching himself in the head.

"Yes, Dobby, we know, you can stop beating yourself now." said Ron.

And Harry suddenly understood.

"Wow, you didn't figure it out right away?" said Seamus.

"I was tired, battered and slimed, I didn't want to focus on anything." said Harry defensively.

He nodded at Dobby, and Dobby backed into a corner, now twisting his ears in punishment.

People grabbed their ears and cringed slightly.

"Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" said Harry.

Lucius Malfoy rounded on him.

"You love picking fights don't you?" said Sirius with raised brows.

"What could he do?" said Harry shrugging.

"Let's make a list. How about that?" said Remus.

"But Dumbledore was sitting right there." said Harry looking up at Dumbledore with a smile.

"Oh, list gone." said Sirius with a laugh.

"How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.

"Because you gave it to her," said Harry.

Bill and Charlie had to restrain both of their parents. "Easy Mom, Dad. He'll get what's coming to him." said Charlie while trying to hold onto his mother's arm.

"In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?"

Bill had to throw his arm around his father's neck working hard to hold his father back.

He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench.

"Prove it," he hissed.

"Can you arrest him, Madam Bones?" shouted Fred angrily.

"No, I cannot use these books to apprehend him." said Madam Bones regretfully.

"Not stopping us." Lionus snapped his fingers and suddenly a figure dove out from nowhere and landed at Lionus' feet. He dropped down on a knee and kneeled before the Captain.

"You summoned me, sir?" said the man.

The students noticed that this guy had some sort of strange looking cloak wrapped around his shoulders, like leather.

"Have you got Lucius Malfoy?" said Lionus.

"Yes sir, we have him." said the strange cloaked man.

"And you didn't come and tell me?" said Lionus shortly.

"You told us to not interrupt the proceedings, under any circumstance. Do you want him now?" asked the man.

"I'd love it." said Lionus with a vicious smile.

The man looked up and suddenly the cloak stretched out and it showed what it really was.

"Wings? He's got wings?" said Ron in a awed whisper.

"Like a bat." said Hermione in shock.

"If they followed proper protocol, then it will be after lunch when they get back here." said Lionus with a smirk. "I think that I'll speak to Mr. Malfoy Senior somewhere alone. I hope that you, Mr. Weasley will join me."

"With pleasure." said Mr. Weasley with snarl.

"Um?" said Draco quietly.

"Best you not hear what I'm going to tell your father." said Lionus, trying to be kind.

"Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry.

"I was exceedingly proud of Harry for what he said." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you…"

"Better believe it." said Mr. Weasley angrily. "Why didn't you tell me he was the one behind it though?"

"What would you have done if I had told you?" asked Dumbledore curiously.

"I'd have killed him." said Mr. Weasley hotly.

"Then you would have gone to Azkaban. Best keep you around, Arthur, goodness knows what might happen to your department without you." said Dumbledore kindly.

Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and Harry distinctly saw his right hand twitch as though he was longing to reach for his wand.

"He never would have cleared his pocket without Dumbledore slamming him into the wall with a curse of his own." said a third year proudly.

Instead, he turned to his house-elf. "We're going, Dobby!"

He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it.

The people in the Great Hall groaned sympathetically.

They could hear Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor.

"Why didn't you do anything, Headmaster?" asked Hermione tearfully.

"It's his House-elf, I cannot lawfully admonish him or curse him for it." said Dumbledore. "Hopefully, some day, that law will change."

Harry stood for a moment, thinking hard. Then it came to him —

"Professor Dumbledore," he said hurriedly. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"

"What are you planning?" asked Tonks.

"Certainly, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly. "But hurry. The feast, remember…"

"You're worried about the feast?" said Madam Bones.

"He didn't need to get any thinner that what he was. Also, I was giving him a subtle hint that I would be close behind him." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"That hint I caught." said Harry.

Harry grabbed the diary and dashed out of the office. He could hear Dobby's squeals of pain receding around the corner. Quickly, wondering if this plan could possibly work, Harry took off one of his shoes, pulled off his slimy, filthy sock, and stuffed the diary into it.

"Ugh...burn that sock." gagged Dr. Clark.

"How could you get that diary to get stuffed in your sock?" asked Remus.

"It was Uncle Vernon socks." said Harry.

"Oh." said Remus.

"I had to hop on one foot just to take my sock and shoe off." said Harry with a smirk.

"I wish I could have seen that." said Sirius with a smirk.

Then he ran down the dark corridor.

He caught up with them at the top of the stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy," he gasped, skidding to a halt, "I've got something for you —"

And he forced the smelly sock into Lucius Malfoy's hand.

The students laughed loudly.

"His face was priceless." said Harry laughing along with them.

"What the —?"

"It's a sewer drenched sock." said George.

Mr. Malfoy ripped the sock off the diary, threw it aside, then looked furiously from the ruined book to Harry. "You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter," he said softly. "They were meddlesome fools, too."

"Can we join in the beat down?" asked Remus with a scowl on his face.

"No, I think that Mr. Weasley will do just fine." said Lionus.

He turned to go.

"Come, Dobby. I said, come."

But Dobby didn't move. He was holding up Harry's disgusting, slimy sock, and looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure.

"Huh?" asked Dr. Clark.

"He didn't..." said Remus with a smile.

"I think he did." said Sirius. "Oh this is priceless."

"Master has given a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby."

"That's right, take the loophole and run with it." said Moody with a smirk on his face.

"What's that?" spat Mr. Malfoy. "What did you say?"

"Got a sock," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby — Dobby is free."

Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf then he lunged at Harry.

"OI!" shouted Sirius loudly.

"You've lost me my servant, boy!"

But Dobby shouted, "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" There was a loud bang, and Mr. Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs, three at a time, landing in a crumpled heap on the landing below.

Everyone, but the people in Slytherin House cheered and shouted joyously.

"Was that you?" asked Sirius to Dumbledore.

"No, Dobby beat me to the punch." said Dumbledore honestly.

He got up, his face livid, and pulled out his wand, but Dobby raised a long, threatening finger.

"A House-elf's finger is threatening?" scoffed Lee.

"Was to Malfoy." said George.

"You shall go now," he said fiercely, pointing down at Mr. Malfoy. "You shall not touch Harry Potter. You shall go now."

"You tell him Dobby!" cheered a few third years.

The elf's ugly brown face split suddenly into a wide, toothy smile.

"I've just got one question, Dobby," said Harry as Dobby pulled on Harry's sock with shaking hands.

"Oh, that's gross. Tell me he washes it soon." said Dr. Clark.

"You told me all this had nothing to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, remember? Well —"

"So he lied." said Remus.

"Not quite." said Harry and Dumbledore.

"It was a clue, sir," said Dobby, his eyes widening, as though this was obvious. "Was giving you a clue. The Dark Lord, before he changed his name, could be freely named, you see?"

"Huh?" said several students.

"Right," said Harry weakly.

"At the time, I didn't to question any further." said Harry.

"Well, I'd better go. There's a feast, and my friend Hermione should be awake by now…"

"Thanks for thinking of me." said Hermione with a faint blush.

Dobby threw his arms around Harry's middle and hugged him.

"Took everything I had not to make him promise never to try and save my life again." said Harry with a smirk.

"Harry Potter is greater by far than Dobby knew!" he sobbed. "Farewell, Harry Potter!"

And with a final loud crack, Dobby disappeared.

"Hope he has a nice life." said Neville.

Harry had been to several Hogwarts feasts, but never one quite like this. Everybody was in their pajamas, and the celebration lasted all night.

"Did you stay up all night?" asked Kingsley.

"Madam Pomfrey came down and dragged me off to the Hospital Wing about five o'clock in the morning." said Harry.

Harry didn't know whether the best bit was Hermione running toward him, screaming "You solved it! You solved it!"

"Aww." said a few girls in the Great Hall.

or Justin hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table to wring his hand and apologize endlessly for suspecting him,

"Not even close, I wouldn't have given him the time of day." said Sirius sourly.

or Hagrid turning up at half past three, cuffing Harry and Ron so hard on the shoulders that they were knocked into their plates of trifle,

"Sorry." said Hagrid sheepishly.

"Trifle is good with or without spoons." said Harry and Ron.

or his and Ron's four hundred points for Gryffindor securing the House Cup for the second year running,

"Go Gryffindors!" said the Gryffindor table joyfully.

or Professor McGonagall standing up to tell them all that the exams had been canceled as a school treat

"Oh, well I know what you were talking about. Good thing you got rid of the tests, it wouldn't have been fair." said Sirius.

"What about the fifth and seventh years?" asked Remus.

"They were able to come back during the summer to take their tests, with plenty of studying under their belts." said Dumbledore with a smile.

("Oh, no!" said Hermione),

"Only you." said Ron shaking his head.

or Dumbledore announcing that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year,

"You could almost hear the sarcasm." whispered Madam Hooch to Professor Sinstra.

owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news.

"Thank goodness he wasn't going to come back." said McGonagall rolling her eyes.

"Shame," said Ron, helping himself to a jam doughnut. "He has starting to grow on me."

"I still miss kicking him about." said Ron.

The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine.

"We never left our favorite tree." said Harry fondly.

Hogwarts was back to normal with only a few, small differences — Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled ("but we've had plenty of practice at that anyway," Ron told a disgruntled Hermione)

"You didn't learn anything that year anyway." said Remus.

"Except not letting loose a bunch of pixies." said Sirius.

and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor.

"Not many people could really figure out why that was really important." said Ron.

Draco was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place. On the contrary, he looked resentful and sulky.

Draco continued to cringe in his seat, silently begging for the chapter to end.

On the other hand, Ginny Weasley was perfectly happy again.

"That was one of the better things to happen." said Harry with a smile.

They were almost at King's Cross when Harry remembered something.

"Wow, did nothing happen at all for the rest of the year, or the train ride?" said Sirius.

"Nope, and it was really nice." said Harry with a smile.

"Ginny – what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"

"Girlfriend." said Fred and George.

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well — Percy's got a girlfriend."

"Our Ickle Percy's growing up." said Fred wiping a tear from his eye.

"Hey! No more 'Ickle-anything' remember." said George quickly.

Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head. "What?"

"Was that intentional or accidental?" asked Sirius with a chuckle.

"It had better of been accidental." said George shortly.

"Maybe..." said Fred with a mischievious smile.

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny.

"That's who he was writing to all last summer.

"So you gave up family time, for a girl?" said Fred.

"Whom you were going to see all year round?" said George.

"What were you doing in your room while waiting for the letters, anyway?" said Fred.

"Yeah...you...uh...um...ah..." said George, his voice faltering.

"You figured it out? Spill." said Fred. George leaned over and whispered in his ear Fred's eyes bugged out slightly.

"Nevermind continue on." said Fred to Madam Bones in a slightly high pitched tone.

"What are you going on about?" said Bill.

"Nothing, but you may want to talk to Percy at some point." said George whispering to Bill.

"I'm an adult!" hissed Percy.

"Sure Perce, whatever you say. I'd still have a talk." said George in a hushed voice back.

He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day.

"I thought you said you weren't going to tell them?" said Percy hotly.

"I would have, if you hadn't of kicked me out of the Great Hall before I was taken." said Ginny.

"I didn't kick you out!" said Percy defensively.

"You kinda did." said Ron. "You took her seat and she was so freaked out that she ran out."

He was so upset when she was — you know — attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.

"See, I'm not heartless, I asked them not to." said Ginny.

"Why tell them anyway?" said Percy, his face red.

"Harry asked." said Ginny.

"Doesn't mean you tell him." said Percy.

"Harry saved her life." said Charlie.

"He's got dibs on anything he wants from us." said Bill.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early.

"Did you tease him?" asked Charlie.

"Only when he picked the fight." said Fred.

"Definitely not," said George, sniggering.

"And he picked a lot of fights, not too sure why." said George.

The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped.

Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Ron and Hermione.

"This is called a telephone number," he told Ron,

"Oh, I rue that day." said Harry with a slightly smile.

"Why?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It didnt' go well." said Harry still smiling.

scribbling it twice, tearing the parchment in two, and handing it to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer — he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to…"

"I should have told you quick how to use it." said Hermione to Ron.

"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?"

Hermione turned a faint pink color under all the shocked looks she recieved. "I don't know what I was thinking." said Hermione with a blush.

"Proud?" said Harry. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious…"

"And that didn't tell you that something was horribly, horribly wrong." said Sirius.

Hermione shuffled her feet shamefully.

And together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.

"Well that's the end of this book." said Madam Bones.

"Thank bloody God. That was horrible." said Sirius giving Harry a one armed hug.

"You'll like the next one." said Harry. "Sort of."

"Oh, yeah! I'm in that one!" said Sirius happily.

"I think I'll start off the next book." said Dumbledore walking out from behind Harry and striding over to the now shrinking pile of books.

He picked up the next book with a strangely worn leather cover.

"You'll like this title, Sirius, 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." said Dumbledore.

"Yay!" said Sirius. "Can't wait till the end."

"Goody." mumbled Snape sourly.

Chapter 50

"Owl Post," said Dumbledore.

"Who cares about the post?" muttered Zacharias.

Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways.

"You can say that again." muttered Nightstrike with a smirk.

For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year.

"Don't blame you." said Sirius shortly.

For another, he really wanted to do his homework

Harry looked up to the ceiling innocently and whistled.

"We should spank your fingers for wanting to do homework." said Lee.

"We don't know you anymore." said the twins with a disdainful sniff.

"Nothing wrong with wanting to do homework!" said Hermione.

"It is when it's a bloke working on it." said Ron.

but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night.

"Sounds like one of your 'jobs'." said Neville.

"Did you do any that summer?" asked Colin.

Harry reached into his back pocket and pulled out his little black book, and flipped though he thoughtfully.

"I was commissioned to check on a painting and oriental vase." said Harry reading from the book.

"You keep track?" asked Dennis staring eagerly at the book.

"Have to, if I had a bad experience, I want to remember where and who." said Harry.

"How much money did you make for one of those trips?" asked Ernie.

"Not telling." said Harry. "Don't want you lot going off thinking it's easy money."

"Spoilsport." smirked Fred.

And he also happened to be a wizard.

"Mr. Smith, one more word..." hissed Professor Sprout to the Hufflepuff that opened his mouth.

It was nearly midnight, and he was lying on his stomach in bed,

"I never could lay on my stomach." said Sirius thoughtfully, "It always made me feel ill."

"Didn't help that James hid under the mattress and punched you through it when you went to lay down." said Remus with a laugh.

the blankets drawn right over his head like a tent, a flashlight in one hand and a large leather-bound book (A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot)

Bathilda beamed happily from her rocking chair.

propped open against the pillow. Harry moved the tip of his eagle-feather quill down the page, frowning as he looked for something that would help him write his essay, 'Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless — discuss.'

"You needed help with that essay?" said Hermione.

"I needed something obvious." said Harry.

The quill paused at the top of a likely looking paragraph. Harry pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose,

"They aren't round, anymore." said Remus with a smile.

"I thought you said last week that the Eyeglass shop wasn't going to be open Sunday, how did you manage to get the glasses yesterday?" asked Hermione as she watched Harry adjusting his square framed glasses.

"I only had to send her a letter for her to open shop." said Remus with a smile.

moved his flashlight closer to the book, and read:

Non-magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognizing it.

"They never are." said Tonks "Oh! Sorry Dr. Clark." she said quickly looking over to the man.

"It's okay, I never knew this entire world existed." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever.

"Wow, wish they had told somebody over in Salem." said Dr. Clark wide eyed.

The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame-Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation.

"But how do you explain not reducing to ashes?" said Dr. Clark.

"He's got a point." said a first year muggle-born.

"They apparate, leaving only the wood's ash." said Bathilda Bagshot.

"Ah." said Dr. Clark, but then his face fell. "What about the poor Muggles that were accused?"

"Aurors stepped in and rescued them, they stunned all the Muggles that were present and whisked them away, obliviated them and gave them new identities." said Bathilda.

"Well that makes me feel better." said Dr. Clark.

Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises.

"There's a Wendelin the Weird Famous Witch or Wizard card that has a misprint, I heard it sold four thousand galleons." said Ron

"What made it a misprint?" asked Dean.

"Said she was set on fire about one hundred and seventeen times." said Ron.

"I don't think I'd enjoy it even once." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

Harry put his quill between his teeth and reached underneath his pillow for his inkbottle and a roll of parchment. Slowly and very carefully he unscrewed the ink bottle, dipped his quill into it, and began to write, pausing every now and then to listen,

"Why?" asked a first year Hufflepuff.

"Let him finish and you'd find out." said Madam Bones in a hushed voice.

because if any of the Dursleys heard the scratching of his quill on their way to the bathroom, he'd probably find himself locked in the cupboard under the stairs for the rest of the summer.

"But you're too big to fit in there!" said Hermione shrilly.

"Wouldn't have stopped him to be perfectly honest." said Harry thoughtfully.

The people in the Great Hall turned to look at him, a muscle went in and out of Lionus' cheek.

The Dursley family of Number Four, Privet Drive, was the reason that Harry never enjoyed his summer holidays. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their son, Dudley, were Harry's only living relatives.

"I wouldn't even call them relatives." said Sirius with a snarl.

They were Muggles, and they had a very medieval attitude toward magic.

"Medieval?" said Sirius and Remus quietly. "They wouldn't...burn you, would they?"

"They tried hurting Hedwig once, they found out right quick to not touch her again." said Harry with a smile.

"What happened?" asked Professor Flitwick.

"She clawed them and snapped at them so much that they didn't want to get anywhere near her." said Harry.

"Then what did they try?" asked Neville.

"Don't want to talk about it." said Harry quickly.

"Harry..." said Sirius worriedly.

"Don't want to talk about it." repeated Harry sternly.

Harry's dead parents, who had been a witch and wizard themselves, were never mentioned under the Dursleys' roof.

Sirius and Remus both growled fiercely.

For years, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had hoped that if they kept Harry as downtrodden as possible, they would be able to squash the magic out of him.

"Both definitions of downtrodden work here." said Professor Flitwick bitterly.

To their fury, they had not been successful.

More and more people in the Great Hall started snarling and growling.

These days they lived in terror of anyone finding out that Harry had spent most of the last two years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The most they could do, however, was to lock away Harry's spell books, wand, cauldron, and broomstick at the start of the summer break, and forbid him to talk to the neighbors.

"They did much worse to you the year before, what made them not go to that extreme?" asked Blaise.

"They didn't want part of the house ripped off again." said Harry with a smile.

"What did they do the moment you got home, because of that little stunt with the car?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Lots of shouting, got smacked about, nothing major." said Harry shrugging.

It completely broke Dumbledore's heart to hear Harry speak nonchalantly about his terror filled home life.

"Albus, are you alright?" asked a far off voice. He looked up and saw everyone staring at him.

"I'm fine, I apologize." said Dumbledore, slowly picking up the book he had accidentally dropped.

This separation from his spell books had been a real problem for Harry, because his teachers at Hogwarts had given him a lot of holiday work. One of the essays, a particularly nasty one about shrinking potions,

"And what about it made it nasty?" asked Dumbledore, as he sipped a small portion of Calming Draught, his heart was pounding and made continuing quite painful.

"It needed to be a six feet long." said Harry.

"That'll do it." said Sirius with a sour look towards the potion master.

was for Harry's least favorite teacher, Professor Snape,

"Sorry." Harry muttered as he rubbed the back of his head.

who would be delighted to have an excuse to give Harry detention for a month.

Snape smirked to himself.

"If you had told me how you were unable to do your work, we could have worked something out with me and the other teachers." said Professor McGonagall.

"I would have had it done, the only thing that was time-consuming was dumbing down my thoughts." said Harry.

Harry had therefore seized his chance in the first week of the holidays.

"Well the discomfort of that summer didn't last long." said Justin with a relived smile.

"It get's worse, way worse." said Harry. "Least on my stand point."

While Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley had gone out into the front garden to admire Uncle Vernon's new company car (in very loud voices, so that the rest of the street would notice it too),

"What kind of car was it?" asked Dr. Clark.

"I'm not sure, but it was white, four doors, sort of looked like Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia, only the front was a bit longer." said Harry.

"And he bragged about that car?" said Dr. Clark.

Harry had crept downstairs, picked the lock on the cupboard under the stairs,

"Sort of nicked one of the Ginny's hairpins." said Harry, "Forgot to give it back."

"When did you take it?" asked Ginny.

"The summer before." said Harry. "George went in your room with me and helped me find one, that's where he got his."

"Your hairpins are good luck." said George with a smile.

grabbed some of his books, and hidden them in his bedroom.

"It was the same place that I used to store the stuff I would go after." said Harry.

"You changed the spot?" asked Sirius.

"Uncle Vernon almost found it, had to change it." said Harry.

As long as he didn't leave spots of ink on the sheets, the Dursleys need never know that he was studying magic by night.

"Amazed you don't do the laundry." said Hermione hotly.

"Not after I shrunk one of Aunt Petunia's cocktail dresses, so it turned into a kid's dress." said Harry with a smirk. "I suck at laundry, can just barely fold clothes right."

Harry was particularly keen to avoid trouble with his aunt and uncle at the moment, as they were already in an especially bad mood with him,

"When aren't they?" said Fred rolling his eyes.

all because he'd received a telephone call from a fellow wizard one week into the school vacation.

"What's wrong with that?" asked Dr. Clark, "other than the Dursley's don't give you the rights that normal people have."

"They don't like the 'W' word, or anyone associated with it." said Harry.

"'W' word?" asked Sirius.

"Wizard, or Witch." said Harry.

Ron Weasley, who was one of Harry's best friends at Hogwarts, came from a whole family of wizards. This meant that he knew a lot of things Harry didn't, but had never used a telephone before.

"Albus, I think Muggle Studies should be one of the mandatory classes for third years and under, so they would at least have the muggle basics down." said McGonagall.

"I quite agree." said Dumbledore. "It would do us no good to be discovered by untrained generations in the ways of the Muggles."

Most unluckily, it had been Uncle Vernon who had answered the call.

"Vernon Dursley speaking."

"Wow, he actually sound mildly decent." said George.

Harry, who happened to be in the room at the time, froze as he heard Ron's voice answer.

"I knew this wasn't going to be good." said Harry.

"HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I — WANT — TO — TALK — TO — HARRY — POTTER!"

Ron was yelling so loudly that Uncle Vernon jumped and held the receiver a foot away from his ear,

Several people laughed loudly.

staring at it with an expression of mingled fury and alarm.

"His face looked really funny." said Harry.

"WHO IS THIS?" he roared in the direction of the mouthpiece. "WHO ARE YOU?"

"RON — WEASLEY!" Ron bellowed back, as though he and Uncle Vernon were speaking from opposite ends of a football field. "I'M — A — FRIEND — OF — HARRY'S — FROM — SCHOOL —"

"I thought this was how you were supposed to talk on those things." said Ron sheepishly.

Uncle Vernon's small eyes swiveled around to Harry, who was rooted to the spot.

"Running away only makes it worse." said Harry quietly.

"THERE IS NO HARRY POTTER HERE!" he roared, now holding the receiver at arm's length, as though frightened it might explode.

"That would have been fun to do." said George with an evil smirk.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHOOL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! NEVER CONTACT ME AGAIN! DON'T YOU COME NEAR MY FAMILY!"

"Wonder if he meant Harry too?" asked Colin.

"Doubtful, Mr. Creevey." said McGonagall with a frown.

And he threw the receiver back onto the telephone as if dropping a poisonous spider.

"What is with you and talking about spiders?" asked Ron.

The fight that had followed had been one of the worst ever.

People looked over to Harry fearfully.

"What happened?" asked Remus worriedly.

"Aside from a black eye, busted lip, bloody nose and lump on my head, it was only a shouting match." said Harry.

"So in short, you got the snot beat out of you." said Sirius.

"HOW DARE YOU GIVE THIS NUMBER TO PEOPLE LIKE — PEOPLE LIKE YOU!" Uncle Vernon had roared, spraying Harry with spit.

"He hasn't ever actually spit on you, on purpose, has he?" asked Remus with a growl.

"Only when he talks right in my face. He never learned to say it, not spray it." said Harry.

Ron obviously realized that he'd gotten Harry into trouble, because he hadn't called again.

"Yeah, your uncle didn't sound all that happy." said Ron.

Harry's other best friend from Hogwarts, Hermione Granger, hadn't been in touch either.

"Sorry Harry, but Ron sent word to me that calling you wouldn't have been a good idea." said Hermione.

Harry suspected that Ron had warned Hermione not to call,

"Oh, you already guessed that." said Hermione, turning pink.

which was a pity, because Hermione, the cleverest witch in Harry's year, had Muggle parents, knew perfectly well how to use a telephone, and would probably have had enough sense not to say that she went to Hogwarts.

"Don't know how you were going to get around to talking to me, though." said Harry thinking hard.

So Harry had had no word from any of his wizarding friends for five long weeks, and this summer was turning out to be almost as bad as the last one.

"Nothing was as bad as last summer." muttered Madam Pomfrey, remembering the near starvation the poor boy suffered.

There was just one very small improvement — after swearing that he wouldn't use her to send letters to any of his friends, Harry had been allowed to let his owl, Hedwig, out at night.

"Screw the promise, send her out to get you out of there!" said Sirius.

"He told me what would happen if he saw her with so much as a post-it note leaving the house on her leg or in her beak." said Harry. "Wasn't worth it."

"What was he going to do?" asked Hermione.

"Clip her wings, and he wasn't going to do it cleanly." said Harry.

Uncle Vernon had given in because of the racket Hedwig made if she was locked in her cage all the time.

"He couldn't sleep very well at night." said Harry with a smile.

"Poor baby." smirked Fred.

Harry finished writing about Wendelin the Weird and paused to listen again. The silence in the dark house was broken only by the distant, grunting snores of his enormous cousin, Dudley. It must be very late, Harry thought.

"How do you know that?" said Dennis.

"He doesn't get around to snoring till about twelve fifty-nine in the morning." said Harry.

His eyes were itching with tiredness. Perhaps he'd finish this essay tomorrow night…

"I needed just two more feet and then I would have been done." said Harry.

He replaced the top of the ink bottle; pulled an old pillowcase from under his bed; put the flashlight, A History of Magic, his essay, quill, and ink inside it; got out of bed; and hid the lot under a loose floorboard under his bed.

"Good hiding spot, in that pristine house no one would expect a hole in the floor." said Kingsley with a smile.

Then he stood up, stretched, and checked the time on the luminous alarm clock on his bedside table.

"Fished that out of the garbage, had to go to the junkyard just to find the parts I needed." said Harry.

It was one o'clock in the morning. Harry's stomach gave a funny jolt. He had been thirteen years old, without realizing it, for a whole hour.

"What's your stomach got to do with it?" asked Terry.

"Just the thought that it was my birthday and never noticed it." said Harry.

Yet another unusual thing about Harry was how little he looked forward to his birthdays.

"Haven't had a decent birthday for over five years." said Harry slouching into the bowl.

He had never received a birthday card in his life.

"I sent you one last year!" said Ron.

"So did I!" said Hermione.

"And me." said Hagrid.

"Dobby never gave me my letters, not even after he was sent free. He still can't remember where he hid them." said Harry.

The Dursleys had completely ignored his last two birthdays, and he had no reason to suppose they would remember this one.

"My faith in them died when I turned four." said Harry.

Harry walked across the dark room, past Hedwig's large, empty cage, to the open window.

"If you're tired, go to bed." said Zacharias rolling his eyes.

He leaned on the sill, the cool night air pleasant on his face after a long time under the blankets.

"Were the bars gone?" asked George.

"Yeah, he left them off, after you, Fred and George ripped them right off." said Harry.

Hedwig had been absent for two nights now.

Harry wasn't worried about her: she'd been gone this long before.

"Can't find many mice around Privet Drive, especially with Mrs. Figg's cats wandering around." said Harry.

But he hoped she'd be back soon — she was the only living creature in this house who didn't flinch at the sight of him.

"That might have a hand in why it annoys me so much when people flinch at Voldemort's name. Reminds of what the Dursleys did." said Harry sourly.

Harry, though still rather small and skinny for his age,

"That's an understatement." said Sirius.

"Hey, I got taller." said Harry defensively.

"Yeah, at a cost, but you're still as skinny as a needle." said Sirius.

had grown a few inches over the last year.

"Not that you could tell in Dudley's old clothes." said Harry. "He always was taller than me by five inches. Though I'm pretty sure I'm taller than him, now."

His jet-black hair, however, was just as it always had been — stubbornly untidy,

"It got longer though." said Hermione.

"It was longer than any of the other boys in the dorm. Remember one night when we slipped him a sleeping potion and cut his hair?" asked Ron over to the other boys in the dorm.

"Remember when I kicked your guys' ass the next morning when I work up?" said Harry with a smirk.

whatever he did to it. The eyes behind his glasses were bright green, and on his forehead, clearly visible through his hair, was a thin scar, shaped like a bolt of lightning.

"That particular shape, it always interested me." said Dr. Nicodemus rubbing his chin.

Of all the unusual things about Harry, this scar was the most extraordinary of all. It was not, as the Dursleys had pretended for ten years, a souvenir of the car crash that had killed Harry's parents,

"Which is an insult to their memory." said Sirius with a growl.

because Lily and James Potter had not died in a car crash.

They had been murdered, murdered by the most feared Dark wizard for a hundred years, Lord Voldemort.

"Grindewald is an easy close second." said Bathilda Bagshot.

Harry had escaped from the same attack with nothing more than a scar on his forehead, where Voldemort's curse, instead of killing him, had rebounded upon its originator. Barely alive, Voldemort had fled…

But Harry had come face-to-face with him at Hogwarts.

"Something I should never have allowed." said Dumbledore sadly.

Remembering their last meeting as he stood at the dark window, Harry had to admit he was lucky even to have reached his thirteenth birthday.

"You are far too young to have thoughts like that." said Tempest.

"Yeah, kids your age should only be thinking about girls, sports, and fast brooms." said Nightstrike.

He scanned the starry sky for a sign of Hedwig, perhaps soaring back to him with a dead mouse dangling from her beak, expecting praise.

"She'd always get it." said Harry with a smile.

Gazing absently over the rooftops, it was a few seconds before Harry realized what he was seeing.

Silhouetted against the golden moon, and growing larger every moment, was a large, strangely lopsided creature, and it was flapping in Harry's direction.

"What the hell?" asked Remus curiously.

He stood quite still, watching it sink lower and lower. For a split second he hesitated, his hand on the window latch, wondering whether to slam it shut.

"Good lad." said Moody appreciatively.

But then the bizarre creature soared overone of the street lamps of Privet Drive, and Harry, realizing what it was, leapt aside.

"Must have been Hedwig." said Seamus.

Through the window soared three owls, two of them holding up the third, which appeared to be unconscious.

"An unconscious owl?" asked Tonks.

"Errol." said the Weasley children together.

They landed with a soft flump on Harry's bed, and the middle owl, which was large and gray, keeled right over and lay motionless. There was a large package tied to its legs.

"Oh, Ron. That was too far a trip for Errol." chided Mrs. Weasley.

"I know, but, it was Harry's birthday." said Ron apologetically.

Harry recognized the unconscious owl at once — his name was Errol, and he belonged to the Weasley family. Harry dashed to the bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the parcel, and then carried Errol to Hedwig's cage.

"Your bed was probably more comfortable." said Hermione crossing her arms.

"There's no water on my bed." said Harry.

"Oh." said Hermione, unfolding her arms.

Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks, and began to gulp some water.

Harry turned back to the remaining owls. One of them, the large snowy female, was his own Hedwig.

"Hope she wasn't around to hear the 'large' part." said Harry looking around, hoping for the first time not to see his beautiful white owl.

She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. She gave Harry an affectionate nip with her beak as he removed her burden, then flew across the room to join Errol.

Harry didn't recognize the third owl, a handsome tawny one, but he knew at once where it had come from, because in addition to a third package, it was carrying a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest.

"I hated that piece of paper that that owl carried." said Harry.

"What's wrong with it?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You'll see." said Harry pouting slightly.

"I couldn't do anything Mr. Potter." said Professor McGonagall, no regret on her face.

"I know, but it's not often that I get to have a hissy fit for no reason." said Harry with a smile.

When Harry relieved this owl of its burden, it ruffled its feathers importantly, stretched its wings, and took off through the window into the night.

"They always were stuck up." said Fred.

Harry sat down on his bed and grabbed Errol's package,

Several boys started to snigger and laugh.

Professor McGonagall groaned and rubbed her forehead. "Adolescent boys are horrible."

ripped off the brown paper, and discovered a present wrapped in gold and his first ever birthday card. Fingers trembling slightly, he opened the envelope.

People began to snarl again, no one should be that happy to get a birthday card.

Two pieces of paper fell out — a letter and a newspaper clipping.

The clipping had clearly come out of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, because the people in the black-and-white picture were moving.

Harry picked up the clipping, smoothed it out, and read:

MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE

"I was happy to see the picture that went with that." said Harry with a smile.

"So was I." said Sirius with malicious smile.

Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw. A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."

"Couldn't' have happened to a nicer chap." said one of the Unspeakables.

The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.

Harry scanned the moving photograph, and a grin spread across his face as he saw all nine of the Weasleys waving furiously at him, standing in front of a large pyramid.

"I couldn't tell you two apart at the time." said Harry looking at Bill and Charlie.

Plump little Mrs. Weasley; tall, balding Mr. Weasley; six sons; and one daughter, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with his pet rat, Scabbers,

Sirius chuckled darkly.

on his shoulder and his arm around his little sister, Ginny.

Harry couldn't think of anyone who deserved to win a large pile of gold more than the Weasleys, who were very nice and extremely poor.

Mrs. Weasley sent a teary eyed smile over to Harry.

He picked up Ron's letter and unfolded it.

Dear Harry,

Happy birthday!

Look, I'm really sorry about that telephone call. I hope the Muggles didn't give you a hard time.

"Yeah, that was a wasted hope." said Ron sadly.

I asked Dad, and he reckons I shouldn't have shouted.

"Gee, really?" said Dean.

It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let Ginny come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff.

"Who do you think warned her about that tomb? I didn't want her having nightmares." said Bill.

I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Seven hundred galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year.

"Well, we had to. You're wand was lost down underneath the school." said Mr. Weasley with a smile.

Harry remembered only too well the occasion when Ron's old wand had snapped. It had happened when the car the two of them had been flying to Hogwarts had crashed into a tree on the school grounds.

We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there?

"At the moment, not all that great." said Harry.

Don't let the Muggles get you down!

"Too late." said Harry.

Try and come to London,

Ron

P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week.

"Why bother telling him?" asked Fred.

"Pre-warning him." said Harry.

Harry glanced back at the photograph. Percy, who was in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, was looking particularly had pinned his Head Boy badge to the fez perched jauntily on top of his neat hair, his horn-rimmed glasses flashing in the Egyptian sun.

"You did look awfully important." said Harry kindly. Percy puffed out his chest.

Harry now turned to his present and unwrapped it. Inside was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top. There was another note from Ron beneath it.

Harry — this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup.

"Thought the soup was a little crunchy." said Bill turning green. "Explains why you two were snorting over your pigeons."

"We ate pigeon?" said the twin also turning green.

Bye — Ron

Harry put the Pocket Sneakoscope on his bedside table, where it stood quite still, balanced on its point, reflecting the luminous hands of his clock. He looked at it happily for a few seconds,

"You sure are easy to please." said Leroy with a fond smile.

then picked up the parcel Hedwig had brought.

Inside this, too, there was a wrapped present, a card, and a letter, this time from Hermione.

Dear Harry,

Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right.

"What did you think happened?" asked Remus quickly.

"Maybe that he got grounded." said Hermione.

I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you — what if they'd opened it at customs? —

"Were you in Paris, Miss Granger?" asked Lionus with a smile.

"Um..yes sir..." said Hermione quietly.

"Under the Eiffle Tower, there is a small star shaped bolt, push that and then you get sent down underground. That's where the french version of Diagon Alley is." said Lionus with a smile. "There's an Owl Post office in there."

"Not to mention a wonderful bakery." said Dr. Nicodemus with a fond smile.

"He's got one heck of a sweet tooth." said Lionus with a smile.

but then Hedwig turned up! I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday for a change.

"Wish I had an owl like that." said one of third year Ravenclaws.

I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world).

"Why are you so formal in your letters?" said Hannah.

Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous — the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.

"Wow, Ron. Did you learn loads?" said Fred teasingly.

"Yeah, a bunch, like not to break into an Egyptian tomb." said Ron with a smirk.

There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out, I hope it's not too long — it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for.

"He doesn't read them anyway." said Sirius with a laugh.

"How do you?" said Hermione disdainfuly.

"We found out." said Sirius and Remus together.

"James wrote about seven feet of the filthiest jokes ever thought of by a third year." said Sirius with a laugh.

"He didn't even tell James off for it. Binns doesn't read the homework." said Remus with a smile.

"That will change, as you are now the new History teacher." said McGonagall with a proud smile.

Remus turned pink slightly and smiled.

Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come?

"No." said most of the people in the Great Hall.

I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first!

Love from Hermione

P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it.

"What made you think that?" asked Charlie with a smirk.

Harry laughed as he put Hermione's letter aside and picked up her present. It was very heavy. Knowing Hermione, he was sure it would be a large book full of very difficult spells —

"What else would she give someone?" asked Marietta.

Hermione looked smug.

but it wasn't. His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading Broomstick Servicing Kit.

"How's that for a birthday present?" said Hermione looking smug at everyone staring at her.

"That's a good one." said Sirius with a smile.

There was a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of gleaming silver Tail-Twig Clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys, and a Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare.

Sirius whistled. "Good present." he repeated slowly.

Apart from his friends, the thing that Harry missed most about Hogwarts was Quidditch, the most popular sport in the magical world — highly dangerous, very exciting,

"Crazy nuts." said Madam Pomfrey shaking her head.

and played on broomsticks. Harry happened to be a very good Quidditch player; he had been the youngest person in a century to be picked for one of the Hogwarts House teams. One of Harry's most prized possessions was his Nimbus Two Thousand racing broom.

Dumbledore and McGonagall smiled at each other.

Harry put the leather case aside and picked up his last parcel. He recognized the untidy scrawl on the brown paper at once: this was from Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper.

He tore off the top layer of paper and glimpsed something green and leathery, but before he could unwrap it properly, the parcel gave a strange quiver, and whatever was inside it snapped loudly — as though it had jaws.

"It's not what I think it is, is it?" asked Bathida.

"It is." said Professor McGonagall knowing the author very well.

Harry froze. He knew that Hagrid would never send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous.

"Sorry, Hagrid." said Harry sincerely.

"It's alright, after Aragog, I guess I'm not all that sure." said Hagrid sadly.

"They just weren't loyal to you." said Nightstrike kindly.

Hagrid had been known to befriend giant spiders, buy vicious, three-headed dogs from men in pubs, and sneak illegal dragon eggs into his cabin.

Harry poked the parcel nervously.

"Don't blame you." said Sirius in a whisper.

It snapped loudly again. Harry reached for the lamp on his bedside table, gripped it firmly in one hand, and raised it over his head, ready to strike.

They couldn't help it, the people in the Great Hall laughed, as well as Hagrid.

Then he seized the rest of the wrapping paper in his other hand and pulled.

And out fell — a book.

"Shouldn't Hermione's and Hagrid's gift be switched?" asked a seventh year Slytherin.

Harry just had time to register its handsome green cover, emblazoned with the golden title The Monster Book of Monsters, before it flipped onto its edge and scuttled sideways along the bed like some weird crab.

"Uh-oh," Harry muttered.

People laughed even harder.

The book toppled off the bed with a loud clunk and shuffled rapidly across the room.

"Hope that Uncle Vernon didn't wake up." said Colin quietly.

Harry followed it stealthily.

"It chased any noise anything in my room made." said Harry.

The book was hiding in the dark space under his desk. Praying that the Dursleys were still fast asleep, Harry got down on his hands and knees and reached toward it.

"Ouch!"

The book snapped shut on his hand and then flapped past him,

"Were you okay?" asked Sirius, not finding it funny anymore.

"Yeah, just a bite mark on the top of my hand." said Harry.

still scuttling on its covers. Harry scrambled around, threw himself forward, and managed to flatten it. Uncle Vernon gave a loud, sleepy grunt in the room next door.

"Good, he's still sleeping." said Remus heaving a relieved sigh.

Hedwig and Errol watched interestedly as Harry clamped the struggling book tightly in his arms, hurried to his chest of drawers, and pulled out a belt, which he buckled tightly around it. The Monster Book shuddered angrily, but could no longer flap and snap,

"Beats my idea for tape." said one of the other fifth years.

so Harry threw it down on the bed and reached for Hagrid's card.

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday!

Think you might find this useful for next year.

Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you.

Hope the Muggles are treating you right.

All the best,

Hagrid

It struck Harry as ominous that Hagrid thought a biting book would come in useful,

Harry gave a shamed smile up to Hagrid, but Hagrid only smiled gently back.

but he put Hagrid's card up next to Ron's and Hermione's, grinning more broadly than ever.

"I went from no cards to three in one night." said Harry.

Now there was only the letter from Hogwarts left.

Noticing that it was rather thicker than usual, Harry slit open the envelope, pulled out the first page of parchment within, and read:

Dear Mr. Potter,

Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.

Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.

A list of books for next year is enclosed.

Yours sincerely,

Professor M. McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"The Dursleys aren't going sign that." said Tonks sadly.

Harry pulled out the Hogsmeade permission form and looked at it, no longer grinning.

"I had the same thought." said Harry with a sad smile.

It would be wonderful to visit Hogsmeade on weekends; he knew it was an entirely wizarding village, and he had never set foot there. But how on earth was he going to persuade Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to sign the form?

"Too bad you can't use blackmail." said Moody.

"Alastor!" shouted McGonagall.

"Acutally..." said Harry with a smile.

Professor McGonagall groaned loudly as Moody laughed loudly.

He looked over at the alarm clock. It was now two o'clock in the morning.

Deciding that he'd worry about the Hogsmeade form when he woke up, Harry got back into bed and reached up to cross off another day on the chart he'd made for himself, counting down the days left until his return to Hogwarts.

"I stopped doing that after first year." said Zacharias with smirk.

Then he took off his glasses and lay down; eyes open, facing his three birthday cards.

Extremely unusual though he was, at that moment Harry Potter felt just like everyone else — glad, for the first time in his life, that it was his birthday.

"Wow, that chapter was sort of...not all that bad." said Remus.

"Shall we take a break for lunch?" asked Dumbledore with a smile.

Suddenly the door opened and in came the winged man from earlier that day, he shoved a long blonde haired man into the Great Hall.

"Here he is Captain." said the man standing behind the frightened looking man and shoving the man forward again.

"Hello, Lucius Malfoy, I'd like to have a word with you." said Captain Lionus standing up with a smirk on his face.

Chapter 51

Lionus motioned for Mr. Weasley to follow him, and led the three people into the spare classroom across the hall. Twice along the way, the Ranger that had brought Lucius had to restrain Mr. Weasley from pummeling every inch of Malfoy he could reach.

"Well, this is will serve our purposes just fine. " said Lionus. "Now Mr. Lucius, I believe that you have some retribution coming back to you."

"Don't know what you are talking about." said Lucius stiffly, trying to sound aloof, but failing miserably.

"Do we have his wand, Darkhunt?" asked Lionus.

"Yes, sir. I have it." said Darkhunt, twirling the wand around his fingers.

"Good, and," he snapped his fingers and suddenly another wand came shooting out of the folds of Mr. Weasley's robes and landed gently into Lionus' hands. "There now the odds are evened. Mr. Weasley, if you wish?"

"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Weasley, he was too busy snarling at Lucius to even pay attention to the fact that his wand was gone.

"Have at him; pummel him to your heart's content. I'll give you ten minutes, but no more." said Lionus with a smile. Mr. Weasley smiled viciously; he didn't need to be told twice.

"What for?" said Lucius quickly. He didn't like the way Weasley was smiling and cracking his knuckles and advancing on him slowly.

"Subjecting his daughter to unspeakable terror and pain in her first year of school, to start with." said Lionus.

"You can't do this!" said Lucius backing away from Arthur, he hated pain, he loved dealing it out, but being on the receiving end of it?

"You'll find that I can, and I'm going to, fists and kicks, Arthur. I don't want to have to cover up his murder." said Lionus leaving the room. "Darkhunter, make sure they play nice. I'm going to go back to the Great Hall, there's someone I need to talk to."

"Yes sir." said Darkhunter saluting and smiling at the first uppercut that was delivered to Lucius.

Lionus went back to the Great Hall and smiled as all the eyes of the students, teachers and guests were staring up at him. Then a whirl of yellow came up to meet him, but a quick shove sent the yellow blur back flying.

"Let me go!" said young Mr. Malfoy angrily.

"Now why would you want to go in there?" said Lionus with a smirk.

"That's my father!" said Draco angrily.

"Well aware of it. Your father is getting his due, and he should consider himself lucky that I'm not going to kill him or imprison him." said Lionus.

"Why the hell aren't you going to arrest him?" shouted Bill.

"I think life without magical abilities is punishment enough, don't you?" said Lionus to Bill with a broad smile.

"Wait..What?" said Malfoy weakly.

"Your father is no more powerful than a Squib now." said Lionus. "The Ranger that's with him now has a very peculiar ability. If he gets ahold of your wand, your magic is done for. Until he releases the magic from his body. Deal with it, unless he does something in these books or beyond, he isn't getting his powers back. Besides, if you go in there, you'll only see your dad get the shit beaten out of him."

"You're letting Arthur use magic on him?" said Kingsley with a shocked expression.

"Nope, he's using his fists and his feet." said Lionus tossing Mr. Weasley's wand into the air lightly. "I'm not so foolish as to let him use magic."

"I would have." snarled Moody.

"And that is what separates you and me." said Lionus with a smirk.

"Now, boys, don't' start fighting, you may find it not in your best interests." said Dr. Nicodemus, sending a pointed look over to Harry.

Immediately they stopped.

Then, Mr. Weasley came back into the Great Hall, sweat pouring off his forehead and had a large smile on his face.

"You finished up quickly." said Lionus with a smile.

"That felt great!" said Mr. Weasley rubbing his knuckles. "Oh, your Ranger left."

"I know, he's taking Mr. Malfoy back home. He should find out really soon that he won't be able to even use the most basic of wandless magic." said Lionus with a smirk.

"Why didn't you keep him here for the readings?" asked Tempest.

"I've got enough to keep an eye on, don't need another person to babysit." said Lionus.

"Well, let's get a move on, shall we?" said Dr. Nicodemus. "I'm quite eager to see what Harry has going on this coming year."

"Who'd like to start reading this time?" asked Dumbledore.

"I'll do it." said Tonks raising her hand.

"Bad idea." muttered Harry.

"Aunt Marge's Big Mistake" said Tonks loudly.

"Who's that?" asked Dr. Nicodemus.

"Uncle Vernon's sister. I hate her guts." said Harry.

"Harry, remember our talk on hate?" said Dr. Clark warningly.

"Yeah, I know." said Harry grumbling.

Harry went down to breakfast the next morning to find the three Dursleys already sitting around the kitchen table.

"Did you get in trouble for not making breakfast?" asked Hermione fearfully.

"No, it was Thursday, that's the day that Aunt Petunia tries out her cooking classes." said Harry. "Most she can do is toast and scrambled eggs though."

They were watching a brand-new television, a welcome-home-for-the-summer present for Dudley,

"He got a TV? All we get are kisses and hugs from Great Aunt Winifred." said Colin.

who had been complaining loudly about the long walk between the fridge and the television in the living room.

"Do I want to know how far away it is?" said Madam Pomfrey.

"It's right in the next room, not even ten feet away." said Harry with a smirk.

"Sweet Merlin." said Mrs. Weasley.

"Should have taken him to that track meet." said Dr. Clark shaking his head.

"He wouldn't have gone." said Harry. "Unless they had made an all you can eat buffet."

Dudley had spent most of the summer in the kitchen,

"I had make triple recipes of anything I wanted to make." said Harry.

"Why triple recipes?" asked Seamus.

"Cause he ate the first two batches." said Harry.

"Holy crap." said Dean.

"Crabbe and Goyle have nothing on him." said Harry with a smirk. The two bullies of the scowl looked at him stupidly, not even attempting to follow the conversation.

his piggy little eyes fixed on the screen and his five chins wobbling as he ate continually.

There wasn't a hand in the Great Hall that didn't touch the bottom part of their chins.

Harry sat down between Dudley and Uncle Vernon,

"How could you fit?" asked Sirius.

"I'm skinny, that's the only way I could fit." said Harry with a smile.

a large, beefy man with very little neck and a lot of moustache.

"Ugh, quit describing him." said Ginny squirming and gagging.

Far from wishing Harry a happy birthday, none of the Dursleys gave any sign that they had noticed Harry enter the room,

"Don't even start singing!" said Harry looking around sternly.

but Harry was far too used to this to care. He helped himself to a piece of toast

"That's all you had for breakfast?" shrieked Mrs. Weasley.

"I didn't even get that, but it was my own fault." said Harry.

and then looked up at the newsreader on the television, who was halfway through a report on an escaped convict.

"Wow, are they talking about me?" said Sirius.

"Yeah." said Harry.

"Why?" asked Sirius wonderingly.

"Extra eyes, Mr. Black." said Madam Bones. "Too bad it didn't really work."

Sirius stared at her.

"Not that...not what I meant to say." she said hastily.

"...the public is warned that Black is armed and extremely dangerous.

"You were armed?" said Dr. Nicodemus, "how did that come about?"

"Stole it from a wizard, never realized it was gone, till way later." said Sirius.

"You always did have quick fingers. He used to pick our pockets all the time for laughs." said Remus with a smirk.

"So that's what happened to Cadogans' wand." giggled Tonks.

A special hotline has been set up, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately."

"Which went straight to the Ministry of Magic didn't it?" said Bill with a smirk.

"Of course." said Kingsley with a smirk.

"Not one person that called led us anywhere, all nutters." said Tonks.

"No need to tell us he's no good," snorted Uncle Vernon, staring over the top of his newspaper at the prisoner.

"I'm going to be your worst nightmare, Vernie." said Sirius with a smirk.

"You already are. I mentioned you a few times last summer and this past summer." said Harry with a bright smile.

"Good boy." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Look at the state of him, the filthy layabout!

"Well excuse me, they don't have showers in Azkaban." said Sirius with a frown.

Look at his hair!"

"Don't remind me, I looked horrible." said Sirius shaking his head.

"Narcissist." muttered Remus smirking.

He shot a nasty sideways glance at Harry, whose untidy hair had always been a source of great annoyance to Uncle Vernon.

"Wonder what he would say about it now?" said Harry with a smirk. "Probably call me a punk receiver."

"A what?" asked Ginny.

"Never you mind." said Harry with a laugh.

Compared to the man on the television, however, whose gaunt face was surrounded by a matted, elbow-length tangle, Harry felt very well groomed indeed.

"You're picking a fight with the wrong Marauder, kid." said Sirius giving Harry a shove.

The newsreader had reappeared.

"The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will announce today –"

"Aww, come one! I warranted only about thirty seconds?" said Sirius pouting.

"At least your more news worthy than a warning about the rising price of beef and fish." said Harry with a smirk.

"Hang on!" barked Uncle Vernon, staring furiously at the newsreader. "You didn't tell us where the lunatic's escaped from!

"Who cares, he was supposed to be a dangerous man!" said Tonks.

"Supposed to be?" said Sirius crossing his arms. "I think I'm pretty dangerous to the Death Eaters."

"Don't tell me you're going to be sensitive the entire book?" said Remus.

What use it that? Lunatic could be coming up the street right now!"

"How does knowing where he's escaped from going to help you protect yourself against him?" said Kingsley.

"He hates it when people don't tell him the full story." said Harry. "He called the television station and told them off."

"What did they do about his complaint?" asked Sirius.

"Ridiculed him in front of thousands of viewers." said Harry with a smile. "It was beautiful."

Aunt Petunia, who was bony and horse-faced, whipped around and peered intently out of the kitchen window.

"What is she trying to do?" asked Hermione.

"See if she could see Sirius come strolling up the sidewalk." said Harry with a smile.

Harry knew Aunt Petunia would simply love to be the one to call the hotline number.

"She calls almost every single hotline that asks for information. Cops hate it when they see her name on their I.D." said Harry with a laugh.

She was the nosiest woman in the world and spent most of her life spying on her boring, law-abiding neighbors.

"Boring is the best way to put it. They're about as exciting as watching grass grow." said Harry.

"When will they learn," said Uncle Vernon, pounding the table with his large purple fist,

"That's the signal to agree with whatever the heck he says." said Harry.

"that hanging's the only way to deal with these people?"

"From shoplifters, to murderers." chanted Harry. "Same thing every time someone escapes from somewhere."

"If hanging is the only way, lets give him a dose of it, he's one of those kind of people." said Remus with a cruel smile.

"Very true," said Aunt Petunia, who was still squinting into next door's runner-beans.

"What's she looking for? Bad beans?" said Ron.

Uncle Vernon drained his teacup, glanced at his watch, and added, "I'd better be off in a minute, Petunia, Marge's train gets in at ten."

Harry, whose thoughts had been upstairs with his Broomstick Servicing Kit, was brought back to earth with an unpleasant bump.

"You must really not like her." said Luna dreamily. "If your mind comes crashing down like that."

"Aunt Marge?" he blurted out. "Sh-she'snot coming here, is she?"

Neville stared, "Wow, you actually stuttered."

Aunt Marge was Uncle Vernon's sister. Even though she was not a blood relative of Harry's (whose mother had been Aunt Petunia's sister), he had been forced to call her 'Aunt' all his life.

"What else would you have called her?" asked Ron.

"Well, the one name that I can actually call her, in a room full of adults, is Miss. Dursley." said Harry with a cute smile.

"No surprise she isn't married." muttered Kingsley. "If she's anything like her brother and what you've said."

Aunt Marge lived in the country,

"As ordered by a judge to manage her anger issues." said Harry. "learned that from Inspector Homes."

in a house with a large garden,

"She has a gardener." said Harry."She hates dirt."

where she bred bulldogs.

"If she has anger issues, how does she have the ability to raise dogs." said Hermione.

"They're a special kind of guard dog." said Harry.

She didn't often stay in Privet Drive, because she couldn't bear to leave her precious dogs, but each of her visits stood out horribly vividly in Harry's mind.

Sirius turned and looked at Harry in horror.

"Harry?" said Sirius worriedly.

Harry leaned against Sirius heavily. "Wish I could fall asleep right now." he muttered.

Sirius and Remus each put an arm around his shoulders.

At Dudley's fifth birthday party, Aunt Marge had whacked Harry around the shins with her walking stick to stop him beating Dudley at musical statues.

Mrs. Weasley turned and looked horrified at Harry.

"Sort of hard to stand frozen in place when someone is fracturing your ankles." muttered Harry.

A few years later, she had turned up at Christmas with a computerized robot for Dudley and a box of dog biscuits for Harry.

"Wasn't even the good kind." said Harry. "She got me the chicken liver flavor. She could have at least gotten the ham bones. They've got meat on it at least."

"That's not funny." said Dr. Clark looking at Harry in shock.

"Who's being funny, I'm dead serious." said Harry.

"You ate dog biscuits? said Ron in amazement.

"Locked in a cupboard, with no food for who knows who long? I'll eat anything that even remotely looks like food. I'm not picky. I'm picky about what I serve, but not what I eat." said Harry.

"Also explains why you hate waste." said Luna. "You know what it's like to be hungry and you appreciate the value of food."

"Unless we get a dog, we're not having any dog food in the house." said Remus.

"That's too bad, those ham bones are good." said Harry with a smirk.

On her last visit, the year before Harry had started at Hogwarts, Harry had accidentally trodden on the paw of her favourite dog.

Wasn't the first time." said Harry shaking his head.

Ripper had chased Harry out into the garden and up a tree, and Aunt Marge had refused to call him off until past midnight.

"You have got to be kidding me!" said Dean.

"What time did you get sent up the tree?" said Hermione, her eyes flashing.

"Little bit after lunch." said Harry. Growls, snarls and promises of bodily harm to the Dursley's erupted around the hall.

The memory of the incident still brought tears of laughter to Dudley's eyes.

"He's a dead duck." said Fred.

"He's a dead over-stuffed duck." said George.

"Marge'll be here for a week," Uncle Vernon snarled, "and while we're on the subject," he pointed a fat finger threateningly at Harry, "we need to get a few things straight before I go and collect her."

"Don't tell me he's going to tell you to behave! From the sounds of it, she starts it!" said Charlie.

"She does, she loves winding me up." said Harry.

Dudley smirked and withdrew his gaze from the television. Watching Harry being bullied by Uncle Vernon was Dudley's favorite form of entertainment.

"That boy needs a severe talking to." said Professor Sprout angrily.

"Firstly," growled Uncle Vernon, "you'll keep a civil tongue in your head when you're talking to Marge."

"All right," said Harry bitterly, "if she does when she's talking to me."

"You're giving the man that can smack the sense out of you, cheek?" said Sirius in amazement.

"Secondly," said Uncle Vernon, acting as though he had not heard Harry's reply,

"Thankfully." said Remus.

"as Marge doesn't know anything about your abnormality, I don't want any – anyfunny stuff while she's here. You behave yourself, got me?"

"I will if she does," said Harry through gritted teeth.

Snape rolled his eyes and rubbed his forhead. "Keep pushing your luck, Potter."

"And thirdly," said Uncle Vernon, his mean little eyes now slits in his great purple face,

"That means you are way too close to getting the snot beaten out of you." said Bill warningly.

"we've told Marge you attend St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys."

"What?" shouted the people in the Great Hall.

"I know that place." said Nightstrike. "Thank goodness you aren't in there. Those people are vicious. They steal, lie, assault and cheat, and that's just the teachers!"

"What?" Harry yelled.

"And you'll be sticking to that story, boy, or there'll be trouble," spat Uncle Vernon.

"You hurt him and I'll make trouble for you." muttered Dumbledore darkly.

Harry smiled warmly at his headmaster. "That I would love to have seen."

Harry sat there, white-faced and furious, staring at Uncle Vernon, hardly able to believe it. Aunt Marge coming for a week-long visit – it was the worst birthday present the Dursleys had ever given him, including that pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.

"You are getting spoiled on your birthday, next year." said Uncle Rudolph through gritted teeth. "Party, presents, vacation, everything."

"Horses, dogs, cats, birds, anything in the muggle world you want, you're getting." said Leroy darkly.

"Even a unicorn if we can get one." said Rudolph sternly.

"I'll settle for the small party thanks…" said Harry with a twinge of red in his cheeks.

"Well, Petunia," said Uncle Vernon, getting heavily to his feet, "I'll be off to the station, then. Want to come along for the ride, Dudders?"

"Not when the TV is on." said Harry.

"No," said Dudley, whose attention had returned to the television now that Uncle Vernon had finished threatening Harry.

"That boy will come to no good." muttered Madam Bones.

"Duddy's got to make himself smart for his auntie," said Aunt Petunia, smoothing Dudley's thick blond hair. "Mummy's bought him a lovely new bow-tie."

"I've only seen one guy who can wear ties, on anyone else they look sort of stupid." said Leroy.

"Who would that be?" asked Harry, he sent a pointed look at his Uncle Rudolph.

"Believe it or not, it's not him." said Leroy. "You don't know him."

Uncle Vernon clapped Dudley on his porky shoulder. "See you in a bit, then," he said, and he left the kitchen.

Harry, who had been sitting in a kind of horrified trance,

You don't freeze in front of trolls, dark wizards, three headed dogs, giant spiders or basilisks but you lock up at the thought of this Aunt Marge coming for a visit." laughed Seamus, some other students laughed as well, but then they slowly stopped laughing.

"Hang on, if..." said Seamus and he looked over horrified at Harry who was looking down at the floor.

had a sudden idea. Abandoning his toast,

"Dudley snatched it up the moment I turned away." said Harry.

he got quickly to his feet and followed Uncle Vernon to the front door.

"You're going to ride along?" said Hannah in shock.

"Nope, but I had a plan, and it would have worked, but with Aunt Marge..." said Harry with a snarl.

Uncle Vernon was pulling on his car coat."I'm not taking you," he snarled, as he turned to see Harry watching him.

"As if he's taken me anywhere, just the two of us." said Harry with a laugh.

"Like I wanted to come," said Harry coldly. "I want to ask you something."

"You're going to ask him about the Hogsmede visits?" said Terry, his eyes wide.

Uncle Vernon eyed him suspiciously.

"Third years at Hog – at my school are allowed to visit the village sometimes," said Harry.

"So?" snapped Uncle Vernon, taking his car keys from a hook next to the door.

"I need you to sign the permission form," said Harry in a rush.

"Wow, you've got guts asking him." said Tonks.

"And why should I do that?" sneered Uncle Vernon.

"Well," said Harry, choosing his words carefully, "it'll be hard work, pretending to Aunt Marge that I go to that St Whatsits..."

Lionus rubbed his chin and had a mysterious smile on his face. "You blackmailed him, eh?"

"With you and Madam Bones sitting here, I think I'll call it a business deal." said Harry.

All the law enforcement officers sniggered and chuckled warmly.

"St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys!" bellowed Uncle Vernon, and Harry was pleased to hear a definite note of panic in Uncle Vernon's voice.

"I'd enjoy it too." said Sirius with a laugh.

"Exactly," said Harry, looking calmly up into Uncle Vernon's large, purple face. "It's a lot to remember. I'll have to make it sound convincing, won't I? What if I accidentally let something slip?"

"You'd make a devious criminal." said Tempest shaking her long mane-like hair and smiling.

"You'll get the stuffing knocked out of you, won't you?" roared Uncle Vernon, advancing on Harry with his fist raised.

"If he so much as looks at you threateningly I'll do worse than just raise my fist to him." said Sirius.

But Harry stood his ground. "Knocking the stuffing out of me won't make Aunt Marge forget what I could tell her," he said grimly.

"No, but it would land you in the hospital." said Remus worriedly.

Uncle Vernon stopped, his fist still raised, his face an ugly puce.

"But if you sign my permission form," Harry went on quickly, "I swear I'll remember where I'm supposed to go to school, and I'll act like a Mug – like I'm normal and everything."

"He went back on his word didn't he?" asked Neville, who remembered that Harry hadn't been able to go to Hogsmede that year.

Harry could tell that Uncle Vernon was thinking it over, even if his teeth were bared and a vein was throbbing in his temple.

"Right," he snapped finally. "I shall monitor your behaviour carefully during Marge's visit. If, at the end of it, you've toed the line and kept to the story, I'll sign your ruddy form."

"Doubt he would have followed through with that promise." said Dr. Clark.

"Yeah, but it gave me a motivation to try and behave, and I would have threatened not to have cooked at all after that, that would have set him right, right away." said Harry with a smirk. "Don't come between Uncle Vernon and his Jammy Dodgers."

He wheeled around, pulled open the front door, and slammed it so hard that one of the little panes of glass at the top fell out.

"That man needs anger management really bad." said Nightstrike.

"If he ever gets out of prison." said Madam Bones with an evil smile.

Harry didn't return to the kitchen. He went back upstairs to his bedroom. If he was going to act like a real Muggle, he'd better start now.

"How the hell are you going to do that?" asked Blaise.

"Hide anything and everything magical related." said Harry.

Slowly and sadly he gathered up all his presents and his birthday cards and hid them under the loose floorboard with his homework.

"At least when you come home for the summer, you won't have to hide your homework under the floor." said Sirius with a wide smile.

"So what was your room like?" asked Hermione in a whisper.

"It's awesome, this summer you guys have got to come over and stay a while." said Harry whispering back.

"They can come and stay anytime they like. We got plenty of guest rooms." said Sirius hearing the whispered conversation.

Then he went to Hedwig's cage. Errol seemed to have recovered; he and Hedwig were both asleep, heads under their wings. Harry sighed, then poked them both awake.

"I hated to wake them up, after the long flights they both had." said Harry regretfully.

"Hedwig," he said gloomily, "you're going to have to clear off for a week. Go with Errol, Ron'll look after you.

"She never came to us. Errol was home when we got there, but she never came." said Ron.

"I think she was just hanging around, hunting and enjoying a bit of a vacation from me." said Harry with a smile.

I'll write him a note, explaining.

"I got it, but I didn't see Hedwig." said Ron. "Wonder how she managed to get the letter off?"

"She can, I don't know how either." said Harry with a laugh.

And don't look at me like that" – Hedwig's large amber eyes were reproachful, "it's not my fault. It's the only way I'll be allowed to visit Hogsmeade with Ron and Hermione."

"Aunt Marge only likes dogs, she hates any other kind of animal. Knowing her, she would have sicced Ripper on her, and I didn't want that to happen." said Harry.

Ten minutes later, Errol and Hedwig (who had a note to Ron bound to her leg) soared out of the window and out of sight. Harry, now feeling thoroughly miserable, put the empty cage away inside the wardrobe.

Too bad it didn't have a good side to it. Thought Harry miserably.

But Harry didn't have long to brood. In next to no time, Aunt Petunia was shrieking up the stairs for Harry to come down and get ready to welcome their guest.

"Welcome?" scoffed Harry. "Have me present so she can ridicule and bully me is more like it."

"Do something about your hair!" Aunt Petunia snapped as he reached the hall.

"Have you seen his hair lately? You can't do a dang thing to it." said Ernie with a laugh.

"Hey, now, yes I can." said Harry pouting slightly.

"Like what?" said Zacharias with a sneer.

Harry sighed, he didn't really want to, but just prove him wrong…he'd do anything. He sent a pointed look over to a little girl with a pair of braids.

"Alright then." said Harry.

She smiled with ecstasy and hurried behind him.

"Just one." said Harry as he lifted his hair and let it drape behind the bowl. In a few moments, his long hair that was now almost always in a long pony tail, was now in a long braid.

"How's that for you?" said Harry with a smile as he thanked the first year Slytherin girl.

"I'm amazed you trusted her." muttered Draco.

"She asked nicely, I said I'd think about it." said Harry with a shrug. He didn't want to say out loud that if she had tried anything funny, the men in the bowl would have stopped her.

Harry couldn't see the point of trying to make his hair lie flat. Aunt Marge loved criticizing him, so the untidier he looked, the happier she would be.

"Sounds like an absolutely lovely week you're going to have." said Fred.

All too soon, there was a crunch of gravel outside as Uncle Vernon's car pulled back into the driveway, then the clunk of the car doors, and footsteps on the garden path.

"Get the door!" Aunt Petunia hissed at Harry.

"And straighten you butler suit!" said George.

"I was going to say pillowcase." muttered Charlie. "He's treated more like a slave than a servant."

A feeling of great gloom in his stomach, Harry pulled the door open.

On the threshold stood Aunt Marge, she was very like Uncle Vernon; large, beefy, and purple-faced, she even had a moustache––

Several people gagged and laughed hysterically.

though not as bushy as his.

"Oh my god!" said Lavender weakly.

In one hand she held an enormous suitcase, and tucked under the other was an old and evil-tempered bulldog.

"Evil tempered? That's a huge understatement." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"Where's my Dudders?" roared Aunt Marge. "Where's my neffy poo?"

The students howled with laughter.

Dudley came waddling down the hall, his blond hair plastered to flat to his fat head, a bow-tie just visible under his many chins.

"Could just tell what color it was." said Harry with a smirk.

Aunt Marge thrust the suitcase into Harry's stomach, knocking the wind out of him,

Sirius gave his godson a little squeeze while his arm was around his godson's shoulder.

"Whoa Mom, didn't know you could be so violent." said Bill taking a step back away from his muttering mother.

seized Dudley in a tight one-armed hug, and planted a large kiss on his cheek.

"Bet Dudley loved getting all the attention." said Tonks with a growl.

Harry knew perfectly well that Dudley only put up with Aunt Marge's hugs because he was well paid for it, and sure enough, when they broke apart, Dudley had a crisp twenty-pound note clutched in his fat fist.

"Horrid child, he should love all the adoration he's getting." said Madam Hooch angrily.

"Petunia!" shouted Aunt Marge, striding past Harry as though he was a hat-stand.

"A hat-stand would have a better life than what I've got going on." said Harry.

"How about recently?" said Remus with a smile.

"Life is better." said Harry, "Now if the whole Voldemort thing would just get fixed then I'd be sitting pretty."

Aunt Marge and Aunt Petunia kissed, or rather, Aunt Marge bumped her large jaw against Aunt Petunia's bony cheekbone.

Uncle Vernon now came in, smiling jovially as he shut the door. "Tea, Marge?" he said. "And what will Ripper take?"

"Water, you moron." said Charlie shaking his head.

"Ripper can have some tea out of my saucer," said Aunt Marge,

"You don't give a dog tea." said Charlie shaking his head.

as they all trooped into the kitchen, leaving Harry alone in the hall with the suitcase. But Harry wasn't complaining; any excuse not to be with Aunt Marge was fine by him, so he began to heave the case upstairs into the spare bedroom,

"Heave?" said Rivers sitting forward in his chair.

"I swear she packs half of the stuff she owns in there." said Harry.

taking as long as he could.

By the time he got back into the kitchen, Aunt Marge had been supplied with tea and fruitcake

"Who made the fruitcake." said Neville.

"I did, Aunt Petunia tries to subtlety make me make extra food. If I had known she was coming, I would have made my food halfway decent, she's not good enough for the best cooking." said Harry.

"Have you gone all out on cooking yet?" asked Ginny.

"Well, every time I've cooked here, I've gone all out." said Harry shrugging.

and Ripper was lapping noisily in the corner.

Harry saw Aunt Petunia wince as specks of tea and drool flecked her clean floor. Aunt Petunia hated animals.

"There isn't an animal she does like." said Harry.

"What about that parrot that Dudley had?" asked Charlie.

"Uncle Vernon said he could have it, and it was in a cage so the rest of her house wouldn't have gotten destroyed." said Harry.

"Who's looking after the dogs, Marge?" Uncle Vernon asked.

"Oh, I've got Colonel Fubster managing them," boomed Aunt Marge.

"What's he like?" asked Charlie.

"He's halfway decent, but he's bullied by her all the time, she fancies him." said Harry with a dry chuckle. "He can't stand her."

"Why doesn't he just not be around her?" asked Hermione.

"He's her boarder. He pays less rent if he helps out around the place and she charges a lot per month, he could barely make ends meet before he broke down and helped her out about the place." said Harry.

"He's retired now, good for him to have something to do.

"Translation: he's got to do it and do it right by the time she gets home." said Harry.

But I couldn't leave poor Ripper. He pines if he's away from me."

"I pine when your here." said Harry to the snicker of the students.

Ripper began to growl again as Harry sat down. This directed Aunt Marge's attention to Harry for the first time.

"So!" she barked. "Still here, are you?"

"Who the hell did you think took your suitcase you stupid old..." said Mrs. Weasley.

"Molly!" said Mr. Weasley staring at his wife in shock.

"Yes," said Harry.

"Don't you say 'yes' in that ungrateful tone," Aunt Marge growled. "It's damned good of Vernon and Petunia to keep you.

"Who's opinion is that?" said Dr. Clark with a shocked look.

Wouldn't have done it myself. You'd have gone straight to an orphanage if you'd been dumped on my doorstep."

"I would have thanked my lucky stars if you had sent me to an orphanage instead of you keeping me." said Harry.

Harry was bursting to say that he'd rather live in an orphanage than with the Dursleys but the thought of the Hogsmeade form stopped him. He forced his face into a painful smile.

"Don't you smirk at me!" boomed at Aunt Marge.

"She's delusional." said Ron shaking his head.

"I can see you haven't improved since I last saw you. I hoped school would knock some manners into you."

"I always had manners, it's just you didn't deserve them." said Harry shrugging.

She took a large gulp of tea, wiped her moustache

"Did you have mention that again." said Lavender with a disgusted look.

and said, "Where is it that you send him again, Vernon?"

"Not where he was hoping." said Colin with a laugh.

"St Brutus's," said Uncle Vernon promptly. "It's a first-rate institution for hopeless cases."

"I see," said Aunt Marge. "Do they use the cane at St Brutus's, boy?" she barked across the table.

"You seem to mention the cane quite a bit." said McGonagall with a slight whimper.

"It's her favorite form of punishment." said Harry. "And boy does she love doing it every chance she gets, whether I've been good or bad around her."

The people around the Great Hall blanched.

The Rangers closed their eyes…how they wished their rules were different.

"Er –"

Uncle Vernon nodded curtly behind Aunt Marge's back.

"That..." growled Sirius as his grip on his godson's shoulders tightened.

"Yes," said Harry. Then, feeling he might as well do the thing properly, he added, "All the time."

"Excellent," said Aunt Marge.

"That sadistic bitch." snarled Ginny.

"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, he had to say it because his wife was muttering darkly to herself and not paying the least bit of attention to what her children were saying.

"I won't have this namby-pamby, wishy-washy nonsense about not hitting people who deserve it.

"What has he ever done to you?" said Sirius, then he looked at Harry. "What have you done to her, to make her hate you so much?"

"Dudley put a frog in her soup, and she blamed me." said Harry. "She really hates frogs."

"Sounds like something we should remember doesn't it Fred?" said George with a wide smile.

A good thrashing is what's needed in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred.

"What I wouldn't give to arrest that woman." said Tonks through gritted teeth.

"I know, but that damned law is standing in our way." said Kingsley his hand tightened it's grip on his wand.

"Have you been beaten often?"

"Oh, yeah," said Harry, "loads of times."

"And just by his sadistic uncle." said George.

Aunt Marge narrowed her eyes.

"I still don't like your tone, boy," she said. "If you can speak of your beatings in that casual way, they clearly aren't hitting you hard enough.

"Foul...vile...evil..." muttered Mrs. Weasley as Dumbledore drained another phial of Calming Draught.

Petunia, I'd write if I were you. Make it clear that you approve of the use of extreme force in this boy's case."

"I can't believe what I am hearing." said Rivers covering his ears and turning pale.

Perhaps Uncle Vernon was worried that Harry might forget their bargain; in any case, he changed the subject abruptly.

"Heard the news this morning, Marge? What about that escaped prisoner, eh?"

"What did she say about me?" asked Sirius.

"Lots of bad words and pretty much the same as Uncle Vernon, though she whispered to Aunt Petunia that if you had a little more weight and a haircut you looked cute." said Harry.

It took a little while for Sirius to come back to the Great Hall after he ran to the bathroom to be violently sick.

As Aunt Marge started to make herself at home, Harry caught himself thinking almost longingly of life at number four without her.

"Wow, that gotta suck." said Dean shaking his head.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia usually encouraged Harry to stay out of their way, which Harry was only too happy to do. Aunt Marge, on the other hand, wanted Harry under her eye at all time, so that she could boom out suggestions for his improvement.

"Yeah, Harry, you have so much room to improve!" said Fred.

"Yeah, you need to gain about two hundred pounds," said George.

"Beat people up for no real reason." said Fred.

"Grow a mustache." said Lee.

"And lose the good looks." said Ginny adding her two knuts in.

"Then you'd be just like her precious Dudders." said the little group together.

She delighted in comparing Harry with Dudley,

"No contest, Harry's better in every shape and form." said Lavender with a smirk.

and took huge pleasure in buying Dudley expensive presents whilst glaring at Harry, as though daring him to ask why he hadn't got a present, too.

"Gave that up after she had come to visit about three times." said Harry.

"That's emotional and mental abuse." growled Madam Pomfrey.

She also kept throwing out dark hints about what made Harry such an unsatisfactory person.

"Harry?" asked Leroy leaning forward in the sofa he and Uncle Rudolph were sitting in.

"I stopped listening to her after a while." said Harry.

"But you listened to her for a while." said Uncle Rudolph sadly.

"Only a few years." said Harry.

"You mustn't blame yourself for the way the boy's turned out, Vernon," she said over lunch on the third day. "If there's something rotten on the inside, there's nothing anyone can do about it."

Harry placed a hand on his chest and then looked over to Dumbledore. Dumbledore met his eyes and shook his head quickly.

Harry tried to concentrate on his food, but his hands shook and his face was starting to burn with anger.

"I'm starting to feel sorry for that lady, when Harry blows up at you..." said Fred.

"It aint pretty." said Lee.

"And you'll promise him whatever he wants to get him to stop." said George.

Remember the form, he told himself. Think about Hogsmeade. Don't say anything. Don't rise –

Aunt Marge reached for her glass of wine.

"Wonderful, she's getting drunk, things can only get better." said Professor Flitwick, his face getting red with restrained anger.

"It's one of the basic rules of breeding," she said. "You see it all the time with dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup –"

The entire school went deadly silent. Not even one of the coarser Slytherins said a single word.

"She didn't say that." said Hermione in shock.

"Yeah, she did." said Ron.

"That horrible...she makes Umbridge seem human!" shrieked Ginny.

Snape's face was tense and white with fury.

Remus, Sirius, Leroy and Uncle Rudolph were occupying their time by planning on how they were going to go about cursing Marge Dursley to hell.

"This is starting to be fun again." said Harry listening to a few of their plans.

Dumbledore made a mental note to request Severus to brew a few more Calming Draughts, he was quickly running out.

At that moment, the wine glass Aunt Marge was holding exploded in her hand.

"What happened?" asked Zacharias.

"Who cares?" said most of the students, "she earned it."

Shards of glass flew in every direction and Aunt Marge spluttered and blinked, her great ruddy face dripping.

"Did any glass hit her?" asked Sirius gleefully.

"She had some shrapnel in her hair." said Harry with a smirk.

"Marge!" squealed Aunt Petunia. "Marge, are you all right?"

"Hope not." said Kingsley.

"Not to worry," grunted Aunt Marge, mopping her face with her napkin. "Must have squeezed it too hard. Did the same thing at Colonel Fubster's the other day. No need to fuss, Petunia, I have a very strong grip..."

"Wow, we really do come up with stupid excuses to explain magic." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

But Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were both looking at Harry suspiciously, so he decided he'd better skip pudding and escape from the table as soon as he could.

"Harry, you really shouldn't be skipping meals." said Mrs. Weasley, calming down enough to speak normally and not speak in hisses.

"I just needed some air." said Harry.

Outside in the hall, he leaned against the wall, breathing deeply. It had been a long time since he'd lost control and made something explode.

"You've made something explode before?" asked Sirius.

"It was the Dursley's television. He knocked me for a loop big time." said Harry.

People looked at him with a horrified look.

He couldn't afford to let it happen again.

For three different reasons. thought Harry.

The Hogsmeade form wasn't the only thing at stake – if he carried on like that, he'd be in trouble with the Ministry of Magic.

"That and he'd beat the snot out of you." said Remus.

"Can you read minds?" whispered Harry.

"No, why?" asked Remus.

"Nothing." said Harry.

Harry was still an underage wizard, and he was forbidden by wizard law to do magic outside school. His record wasn't exactly clean, either.

"That wasn't your fault, Mr. Potter." said Madam Bones stiffly.

Only last summer he'd got an official warning which had stated quite clearly that if the Ministry got wind of any more magic in Privet Drive, Harry would face expulsion from Hogwarts. He heard the Dursleys leaving the table and hurried upstairs out of the way.

Harry got through the next three days by forcing himself to think about his Handbook of Do-it-Yourself Broomcare whenever Aunt Marge started on him.

"Well that's good, keep your mind off what she's saying, you don't need to hear her garbage." said Charlie.

This worked quite well, though it seemed to give him a glazed look, because Aunt Marge starting voicing the opinion that he was mentally subnormal.

"He has more mental strength than all of them put together." said Rivers with a scowl.

At last, at long last, the final evening of Marge's stay arrived.

"Thank goodness, I don't want to hear about her anymore." said Dr. Clark.

Aunt Petunia cooked a fancy dinner

"She cooked the dinner?" asked Remus.

"She reheated it, she went around to the different catering businesses and picked them all up." said Harry.

"Why not have you cook?" asked Sirius.

"Uncle Vernon figured that I was doing enough keeping my end of the deal, he gave me a week off." said Harry.

and Uncle Vernon uncorked several bottles of wine.

"Wasn't even his best stuff, he's a miser with his wine." said Harry shaking his head.

They got all the way through the soup and the salmon without a single mention of Harry's faults;

"What did she talk about?" asked Tonks.

"Her dogs and Colonel Fubster." said Harry.

during the lemon meringue pie, Uncle Vernon bored them all with a long talk about Grunnings, his drill-making company;

"Only Aunt Marge and Aunt Petunia found it mildly interesting." said Harry.

then Aunt Petunia made coffee and Uncle Vernon brought out a bottle of brandy.

"Can I tempt you, Marge?"

Aunt Marge had already had rather a lot of wine.

"She was getting really close to being smashed." said Harry.

"Lovely, as if she wasn't bad enough sober." muttered Professor McGonagall.

Her huge face was very red. "Just a small one, then," she chuckled. "A bit more than that... and a bit more... that's the boy."

"Her small one is equal to a completely full wine glass." said Harry.

Dudley was eating his fourth slice of pie.

"I actually made that, it was in the freezer." said Harry.

"Why did she use one of your pies?" asked Hermione.

"Dudley ate the three she had bought." said Harry with a smirk. "She had to break into her stash of premade food."

Aunt Petunia was sipping coffee with her little finger sticking out.

"Why do you mention that?" asked Zacharias. "Seems stupid."

"She only does that in front of guests, other than that, she doesn't act all that dainty." said Harry with a smirk.

Harry really wanted to disappear to his bedroom, but he met Uncle Vernon's angry little eyes and knew he would have to sit it out.

Aah," said Aunt Marge, smacking her lips and putting the empty brandy glass back down.

"Oh, she's a lady." said Madam Hooch.

"Excellent nosh, Petunia.

"Yeah, good job of opening your purse and taking out the money." said George rolling his eyes.

It's normally just a fry-up for me of an evening,

"She cooks worse than Aunt Petunia." said Harry.

with twelve dogs to look after..." She burped richly and patted her great tweed stomach.

"I'm never burping again." said the twins.

"Pardon me. But I do like to see a healthy-sized boy," she went on, winking at Dudley.

"Then why are you looking at Dudley?" asked Bill.

"It's strange, one is too big, and the other one is too skinny, there isn't anyone in that house that is the right weight." said Luna thoughtfully.

"You'll be a proper-sized man, Dudders, like your father.

"That isn't proper sized." said Dr. Clark.

Yes, I'll have a spot more brandy, Vernon..."

"Now, this one here –" She jerked her head at Harry, who felt his stomach clench. The Handbook, he thought quickly.

"I get the feeling this time that 'focus on something else' doesn't work." said Sirius.

"This one's got a mean, runty look about him.

"Who's fault was that!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey.

You get that with dogs. I had Colonel Fubster drown one last year.

Quite a few girls whimpered at that, Sirius too.

"But the runts of the litter are the cutest." whimpered Hannah.

Ratty little thing it was. Weak. Underbred."

"And who's the breeder?" said Remus.

Harry was trying to remember page twelve of his book: A Charm to Cure Reluctant Reversers.

"It all comes down to blood, as I was saying the other day. Bad blood will out.

Several Slytherins looked between themselves and shuffled their feet nervously.

Now, I'm saying nothing against your family, Petunia" – she patted Petunia's bony hand with her shovel-like one,

"Yes she is." said Ron.

"but your sister was a bad egg.

"She wasn't the one that was the bad egg." snarled Snape quietly.

They turn up in the best families. Then she ran off with a wastrel and here's the result right in front of us."

"Wastrel?" shouted Remus and Sirius.

"Where does she live, Harry? We'll..." said Sirius.

"Please don't, I would rather not have you arrested now." said Madam Bones.

Harry was staring at his plate, a funny ringing in his ears.

"That's called rage." said Mr. Weasley.

Grasp your broom firmly by the tail, he thought. But he couldn't remember what came next. Aunt Marge's voice seemed to be boring into him like one of Uncle Vernon's drills.

"This Potter," said Aunt Marge loudly, seizing the brandy bottle and splashing more into her glass and over the tablecloth, "you never told me what he did?"

"He was the best Auror I ever trained." said Mad-Eye Moody.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were looking extremely tense. Dudley had even looked up from his pie to gape at his parents.

"Never ask about my parents, that was a main rule at Privet Drive." said Harry.

"He – didn't work," said Uncle Vernon, with a half-glance at Harry. "Unemployed."

"He did too work! He didn't need to but he helped protect his fellow wizards and witches, especially during the war!" said Remus.

"That is until he went into hiding, but he would have gone on missions had he of been able." said Dumbledore.

"As I expected!" said Aunt Marge, taking a huge swig of brandy and wiping her chin on her sleeve.

"When she gets drunk her manners go right out the window, not that she had much manners to start with." said Harry.

"A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who –"

"HE WAS NOT!" shouted Remus, and Sirius.

"He was not," said Harry suddenly.

The table went very quiet. Harry was shaking all over. He had never felt so angry in his life.

Fred and George whistled loudly.

"MORE BRANDY!" yelled Uncle Vernon, who had gone very white. He emptied the bottle into Aunt Marge's glass. "You, boy," he snarled at Harry. "Go to bed, go on –"

"Gladly." said Sirius, "Get away from her."

"No, Vernon," hiccoughed Aunt Marge, holding up a hand, her tiny bloodshot eyes fixed on Harry's. "Go on, boy, go on. Proud of your parents, are you? They go and get themselves killed in a car crash (drunk, I expect) –"

"James only went drinking once a month with us! Sure it was all weekend but still!" shouted Sirius. "He stayed at 'Night's Rest' the entire time!"

"He never even flew drunk, except for that one time but it was a toy broomstick.." said Remus. "We've got that on muggle film if you want to see it." he whispered to Dr. Clark, but Harry heard it too.

"These sound like stories I want to hear about." said Harry with a smile.

"You sure? Might tarnish the saintly view of your dad." said Sirius with a smirk.

Harry snorted. "Saintly? Dad was far from saintly."

"Kids should think they're parents are perfect." said Remus.

"Mom was perfect, dad wasn't." said Harry. "Dad was a troublemaker and prankster." said Harry with a smile.

"Close to perfect in my book." said Sirius with a laugh.

"They didn't die in a car crash!" said Harry, who found himself on his feet.

"They died in a car crash, you nasty little liar, and left you to be a burden on their decent, hardworking relatives!" screamed Aunt Marge,

"Decent? They aren't decent!" said Ron angrily.

swelling with fury.

Suddenly Ron stopped being so angry and a wide grin stretched across his face.

"You are an insolent, ungrateful little –"

But Aunt Marge had suddenly stopped speaking. For a moment, it looked as though words had failed her.

"This is going to be good." said Tempest taking the hint from Ron.

She seemed to be swelling with inexpressible anger – but the swelling didn't stop.

"Beautiful." said Lionus laughing loudly.

Her great red face started to expand, her tiny eyes bulged, and her mouth stretched too tightly for speech.

Next second, several buttons burst from her tweed jacket and pinged off the walls – she was inflating like a monstrous balloon, her stomach bursting free of her tweed waistband, each of her fingers blowing up like salami...

The students cheered loudly as the teachers and guests began to clap. "Bout time!" shouted the twins.

"MARGE!" yelled Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia together, as Aunt Marge's whole body began to rise off her chair towards the ceiling.

"Yay! You turned her into the world's ugliest balloon!" shouted Colin.

She was entirely round, now, like a vast life buoy with piggy eyes, and her hands and feet stuck out weirdly as she drifted up into the air, making apoplectic popping noises. Ripper came skidding into the room, barking madly.

"How did he know to come in barking?" asked Ernie.

"People shouting and Aunt Petunia's screaming called him to the dining room." said Harry. "It's what Aunt Marge trains them for."

"NOOOOOOO!"

Uncle Vernon seized one of Aunt Marge's feet and tried to pull her down again, but was almost lifted from the floor himself.

"Wow, that must have been a hell of a lot of hot air." said Neville.

Next second, Ripper had leapt forward and sunk his teeth into Uncle Vernon's leg.

"Good boy!' shouted Sirius.

Harry tore from the dining room before anyone could stop him,

I had just about had it." said Harry.

heading for the cupboard under the stairs. The cupboard door burst magically open as he reached it.

"Your core was going haywire." said Dr. Nicodemus with a proud smile.

In seconds, he had heaved his trunk to the front door.

He sprinted upstairs and threw himself under the bed, wrenched up the loose floorboard and grabbed the pillowcase full of his books and birthday presents. He wriggled out, seized Hedwig's empty cage and dashed back downstairs to his trunk,

"It sounds like you're evacuating." said Sirius.

"That's exactly what I was doing." said Harry.

just as Uncle Vernon burst out of the dining room, his trouser leg in bloody tatters.

"Nothing that he didn't deserve." growled Professor Sprout.

"COME BACK IN HERE!" he bellowed. "COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!"

"She was never right to start with." said Bill.

But a reckless rage had come over Harry. He kicked his trunk open,

"I just about broke my toe pulling that stunt." said Harry.

pulled out his wand and pointed it at Uncle Vernon.

"Whoa Nellie." said Sirius. "You need to work on that temper."

"Hey, it was the first time that I blew up at him." said Harry.

"She deserved it," Harry said, breathing very fast. "She deserved what she got. You keep away from me."

He fumbled behind him for the catch on the door.

"I'm going," Harry said. "I've had enough."

"Is that when the wards broke down?" asked Sirius quietly to Remus.

"It couldn't be, Dedalus managed to find him, so it would have to have been before he turned ten or so." said Remus.

And next moment, he was out in the dark, quiet street, heaving his heavy trunk behind him, Hedwig's cage under his arm.

"So you left the safety of your house, with a mass-murderer on the loose, only because someone insulted your father?" said Snape rolling his eyes. "Ridiculous."

"As much as I hate to admit it, he does have a point." said McGonagall. "Though the woman was horrible, you shouldn't have left the house with a supposed killer on the loose."

"I know, but it was worth it, and I don't regret it." said Harry.

The adults in the room went silent and looked amongst themselves quickly. They were proud that Harry stood up for himself and that he defended his father, but not regretting using magic on a muggle was going over the line just a tad. She was a horrid woman yes, but to not regret it just a bit?

"But you wouldn't do it again, would you?" said Dumbledore slowly.

"In a heartbeat." said Harry dully.

Another thick silence happened amongst the adults.

"So when did this happen? Year before last?" said Remus asking Harry innocently.

"You know it did." said Harry looking confused.

"So it was only a year and a half ago or so." said Remus.

"Yeah?" said Harry.

"Little closer than...say...three or four years ago?" said Remus. "So you can't exactly yell and debate with me if I tell you off."

"What? Why?" said Harry in shock. "You don't like her either and you were clapping when you found out what happened."

"Yeah, but you don't regret it and you'd do it again. That can be considered magical assault on a Muggle." said Remus. "And we sort of like to discourage that kind of behavior in young wizards.

Harry began to stutter and stammer.

"This weekend, no Hogsmede, no Night's Rest, no kitchens and no dates. You stay in the castle, in our suite, all weekend." said Remus.

Harry looked at Remus in shock and looked at Sirius and Dumbledore.

"You're on your own, you did say it, maybe not the whole 'you'd do it again' but you did sort of cross the line just a bit." said Sirius guiltily. "I can't help you here, and I sort of agree with him."

"On what? You..." said Harry looking betrayed.

"I said 'sort of.'" said Sirius quickly. "The grounding is…little heavy…but as far as I know you didn't have any real plans…so…it can just be us talking about James and Lily so that's alright." he added trying to soothe Harry's ire towards them.

"The thing that bothers us, is that you say you don't regret it." said Dumbledore. "That's what the small problem is, and the need to correct that line of thinking. I know she was someone who easily deserved some retribution, but…you being so young, you shouldn't feel that way."

"If you had said, I don't regret blowing up and nothing further, then we'd be fine and wouldn't think anything more about it, but willing to do it again, at such a young age is a bit much." said Madam Bones.

"But he…he steered the conversation! He asked!" said Harry. "Isn't there some law or something?"

"One weekend, no going anywhere." repeated Remus. "I'll let you out into the castle, but not on the grounds."

Harry racked his brain to think of a way out of getting grounded this weekend, but he couldn't. This wasn't fair, this was entrapment!

"And..." said Remus.

"More?" said Harry.

"I want a three foot long essay on why what you did was wrong and what you could have done instead." said Remus.

"It was accidental magic! I couldn't stop it!" said Harry. They had to pick right now to try and ground him. He kept dancing around and avoiding the trouble, testing his boundaries, but he didn't expect them to just gang up on him like this. During the school year reading, he expected it to come, hell he wouldn't have a problem with it and he would have been disappointed if they didn't try, but this was during the summer! They were supposed to be on his side!

"Calming down, there's one thing you could have done instead." said Remus. "I want it byMonday morning." said Remus.

Essay? What is he a teacher again? thought Harry viciously.

Harry stood up and walked over to Hermione and asked her. "Can you make me a chair?" He was pissed; he didn't want them to tell him off for summer stuff, school stuff, sure. He welcomed it, but summer was off limits.

"Harry...I think it's best if you sit with your family... I mean..." said Hermione quietly.

"I'll make you a chair kid." said Lionus quickly. Suddenly a large wooden throne like chair appeared and landed in the middle of the room. "There you go."

Harry dragged his chair over to a secluded part of the Great Hall and sat down in the chair, but not before yanking his phoenix blanket off the floor and went over to his new seat.

"Harry..." said Remus tiredly. He didn't want to act this way, he supposed that it was mostly his fault, he should have spoken to him, or taken him aside, he was new at this and he couldn't help it. He had a lot to learn, and he didn't want Harry mad at him.

"Leave him be." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Trust us in that aspect, he just needs time to think and mull things over." said Lionus.

"He can do that over here." said Sirius pointing down at the empty space in the bowl and looking hurt.

"Not when the person that grounded him is sitting right next to him." said Nightstrike.

"Well, right now, he's just acting like a spoiled brat not getting his way." muttered Hermione. Ron stared at her.

"What the hell?" said Ron. What was Hermione thinking? Was she trying to ruin everything? He wasn't all that mentally on board with either of them when they went all out, but even he knew not to cross that line, especially after what he did last year!

"You sort of are Harry." said Remus.

Ron turned and stared at Remus next, were they all losing their minds?

Dr. Clark stood up and inched away from the bowl. He knew this wasn't going to go well. Right now, he wasn't agreeing with any of them, if he had a wand, he'd of done it to the bitch time and time again. And that friend of his calling him a spoiled brat? She needs a reality check.

"You people need to make up your freaking minds. Do you want me to act my age, or how I would act given my own devices?" said Harry.

"Acting your age would be nice." said Remus, getting caught up in the heat of the moment and forgetting himself.

"Remus!" hissed Sirius. "We just got him back here!"

"He's lost his mind." said Ron shaking his head.

"And yet you don't seem to like it when I do." said Harry.

"Harry..." said Hermione, but she was silenced by a glare from both Harry and Ron.

"Shut up! You're not helping!" snapped Ron angrily.

Dr. Clark walked over and whispered in Harry's ear. "I'll talk to him. Maybe he'll settle down and rethink this."

"No, don't bother, I just need some time to think, I'm being smothered over there." said Harry whispering back. "I just need some time to myself."

"Okay, if you need anything, let me know." said Dr. Clark. "Do you want me over here with you?"

"No, I'm good, just want to just sit here and think." said Harry. He slowly took out his little black notebook and took out a quill and bottle of ink.

"Let's get this blasted essay done with." said Harry writing down words furiously.

Chapter 52

It was decided that they were going to take a short break, and allow people to stretch their legs a bit, and give Harry, and his new family a bit of privacy. Harry however, didn't care one way or another, though Remus and Sirius both tried to talk to him, he ignored them and continued on with his writing.

"Harry, for crying out loud. Will you just talk to us?" said Remus tiredly.

Harry spoke not a word, but continued to write in his notebook hurriedly. Then he reached into his knapsack and pulled out a large roll of parchment and began to write on that.

"Hey Monster," said Rudolph, trying to lift the mood. "What are you writing?"

"The essay." muttered Harry.

Remus blinked. "Harry, you didn't have to do it till Saturday." he said gently.

"Get's it out of the way and I can put all my thoughts down." said Harry plainly.

"Harry can we talk?" asked Remus.

"Can it wait till later?" asked Harry. "How long did you want it again? Oh yeah, three feet."

"Harry..." said Remus.

But Harry said nothing more.

Soon the students piled back into the Hall, Dumbledore came over and whispered to Leroy.

"How did it go?" asked Dumbledore.

"He's ignoring us. Tell McGonagall thanks for me, don't want that Granger girl adding fuel to the fire." said Leroy. "She's a bit emotionally ignorant about other people, isn't she?"

"I'm starting to believe that though it surprises me greatly. Mr. Weasley confided in me something very interesting, it seems that whether Harry is mad at you or not, once he has a task that had been thrust upon him to complete, he is quite irritable and will cease to even acknowledge your existence."

"Well, that won't make Remus any happier, but he did ask for it, grounding is one thing, but in front of everyone? And writing an essay? He needs to step out of Professor mode." said Sirius sternly. "I mean, even Snivellus took Malfoy out of the room."

"Severus, Sirius." corrected Dumbledore.

"Who'd like to read the next chapter?" asked Tonks looking around the room.

"Harry? Do you want to read with me again?" said Sirius after he volunteered.

Harry ignored him and continued to write.

Sirius sighed and took the book from Tonks.I'm going to kill Remus.

"The Knight Bus,"

"Ooh!" moaned quite of the adults.

"What's up?" asked Dean.

"Yeah, I'd love to go on there." said Ron

"You'll change your tune after you've ridden it once." said Remus with a slight smirk. He kept looking at Harry with guilty eyes.

Harry was several streets away before he collapsed onto a low wall in Magnolia Crescent,

"Collapsed? What do you mean by collapsed?" asked Dr. Clark worriedly.

"The trunk was too blasted heavy." said Harry as he rolled up his parchment and stuffed it neatly into his bag. Then he picked up the blanket and wrapped himself around in it. The chilly October air gnawed at his lithe arms and legs, and made his very blood feel cold. He pulled the blanket tighter around himself. He didn't move towards the bowl, he was still way over in the empty part of the hall.

"Want to come back over here?" asked Sirius.

"Nope, I'm good." said Harry, he didn't notice the hurt in the eyes of those in the bowl and the people around it. He was still trying to rid his mind of the feeling of betrayal.

panting from the effort of dragging his trunk. He sat quite still, anger still surging through him, listening to the frantic thumping of his heart.

"Aunt Marge's words were still beating in my brain." said Harry.

But after ten minutes alone in the dark street, a new emotion overtook him: panic.

"You don't panic when there is acromantulas, basilisks, dark wizards or anything like that, but being on a dark street?" said Seamus.

"Didn't someone already say that?" asked Ron.

Whichever way he looked at it, he had never been in a worse fix. He was stranded, quite alone, in the dark Muggle world, with absolutely nowhere to go.

"Holly's?" asked Dr. Clark.

"She's living with her mother." said Harry from phoenix quilt cocoon.

"Oh, right." said Dr. Clark. "What about Inspector Homes?"

"He was on holiday. He always goes on holiday this time of year." said Harry.

And the worst of it was, he had just done serious magic,

"Accidental magic." said Remus absently.

Harry snorted with slight disgust Didn't stop you from telling me to write an essay and get grounded did it? Oh, well...adults can be so difficult to understand..

which meant that he was almost certainly expelled from Hogwarts.

"You seem to be very nervous about being expelled, more so than any other student." said Professor Sprout.

He had broken the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry so badly, he was surprised Ministry of Magic representatives weren't swooping down on him where he sat.

"They were too busy trying to get Miss. Dursley back down onto the ground. Before they could obliviate her, she gave several of them quite a few bruises and black-eyes." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Should have left her hovering overhead for a while." said Fred.

"But would you want to look up into the sky and seeing her knickers floating overhead?" said Ginny with a smirk, as she picked up the chair her father conjured for her and walked over to sit beside Harry.

"AGGHH! Why did you have to mention that?" wailed the twins as they covered their eyes.

"Whether you like it or not, I'm sitting here." said Ginny sitting beside Harry.

"I've got a better idea." said Harry, he whispered something quietly into her ear and smiled as she giggled. They both stood up and Ginny magicked the two chairs to become "an immensely large sofa, much like what Leroy and Rudolph were lounging in. Harry stretched out at one end and Ginny laid beside him. Harry covered the both of them with the blanket.

Mrs. Weasley and Percy both stood up, but Mr. Weasley grabbed the both of them. "Let them be, it's not like they can do anything with all of us in here." he said with a smile.

Rudolph and Leroy had to keep Remus and Sirius in their seats. "Park it." said Rudolph, "they can't do anything."

Harry shivered and looked up and down Magnolia Crescent.

What, was going to happen to him?

"Now you ask that question..." said Snape shaking his head. "Didn't think about that when you left your house with a mass murderer on the loose."

Would he be arrested, or would he simply be outlawed from the wizarding world?

"The most that would have happened for accidental magic would have been you being sent to St. Mungos, to find out why your core is flocculating still." said Madam Bones. "And a talking to by the Headmaster."

"Intended magic will get you expelled." said Kingsley.

He thought of Ron and Hermione, and his heart sank even lower.

"Why? What was wrong with us?" said Ron defensively.

Harry was sure that, criminal or not, Ron and Hermione would want to help him now,

"Dude, we'd help you with anything." said Ron.

but they were both abroad, and with Hedwig gone, he had no means of contacting them.

"Should have told her to just hang out in the area." said Harry with a guilty smile.

He didn't have any Muggle money, either.

"I thought you get paid for those jobs you do." said Neville.

"Doesn't mean that the bank is on Privet Drive." said Harry with a laugh.

There was a little wizard gold in the money bag at the bottom of his trunk, but the rest of the fortune his parents had left him was stored in a vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in London.

"And that's where my money was. Just so I couldn't spend it, and the Dursley's would never find it." said Harry. "Uncle Vernon would kill to have the bank balance I do."

"How much money do you have in there?" asked Neville.

But Harry ignored him.

He'd never be able to drag his trunk all the way to London. Unless…

"It was the best idea that was presenting itself to me." said Harry.

He looked down at his wand, which he was still clutching in his hand. If he was already expelled (his heart was now thumping painfully fast),

Ginny leaned her head on his shoulder. "Poor sweet baby."

"I do what I can to get sympathy." said Harry roguishly.

a bit more magic couldn't hurt. He had the Invisibility Cloak he had inherited from his father — what if he bewitched the trunk to make it feather-light, tied it to his broomstick, covered himself in the cloak, and flew to London?

"That's a pretty good plan." said Lionus with a smirk.

Then he could get the rest of his money out of his vault and… begin his life as an outcast.

"Yeah, Harry Potter, the outcast." said Fred.

"Never happen." said George.

It was a horrible prospect, but he couldn't sit on this wall forever, or he'd find himself trying to explain to Muggle police why he was out in the dead of night with a trunk full of spell books and a broomstick.

"I'd love to see you talk your way out of that, lad." said Rivers with a laugh.

Harry opened his trunk again and pushed the contents aside, looking for the Invisibility Cloak — but before he had found it, he straightened up suddenly, looking around him once more.

"Paranoid much?" asked Zacharias snidely.

"I thought I had heard something." said Harry.

A funny prickling on the back of his neck had made Harry feel he was being watched,

That feeling saved me from being caught working several times. thought Harry with a smile.

but the street appeared to be deserted, and no lights shone from any of the large square houses.

He bent over his trunk again, but almost immediately stood up once more,

"What made you stand up that time?" asked Charlie.

"I heard something again." said Harry.

his hand clenched on his wand. He had sensed rather than heard it: someone or something was standing in the narrow gap between the garage and the fence behind him.

"How the bloody hell could you tell that was where I was at?" said Sirius in shock.

"I've just got skills." said Harry with a smile, the men in the bowl and Dumbledore were happy to see him in better spirits.

Harry squinted at the black alleyway. If only it would move, then he'd know whether it was just a stray cat or — something else.

"I was afraid it was a dark wizard, or at the very least, a rabid animal." said Harry.

"Well, you were close, it was a dark rabid dog." said Dr. Clark.

"Don't make me beat you." said Sirius with a faked scowl.

"Lumos," Harry muttered, and a light appeared at the end of his wand, almost dazzling him.

"So how did you not get a nice little owl from that?" asked Zacharias.

"Lumos and nox are lesser spells, they don't register on the trace." said Harry matter of factly. "You can't hurt or cause mayhem with those two spells, and muggles only think that you have a really thin torch."

He held it high over his head, and the pebble-dashed walls of number two suddenly sparkled;

"How far is Magnolia Crescent?" asked Hermione.

"About six blocks or so." said Harry, "at least that's the way I took, takes longer the other way. I cut across some of the neighbor's yards."

the garage door gleamed, and between them Harry saw, quite distinctly, the hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes.

"Nice description of me." pouted Sirius.

Harry stepped backward. His legs hit his trunk and he tripped.

"I didn't plan on that one, I expected you to recognize me." said Sirius.

"The last time I had seen you, I was drooling on a baby blanket." said Harry with a laugh.

His wand flew out of his hand as he flung out an arm to break his fall, and he landed, hard, in the gutter.

"Were you okay?" asked Ginny.

"I was fine, just banged my head a little bit, I thought I lost my bloody mind, when I saw what came up my way." said Harry.

There was a deafening BANG, and Harry threw up his hands to shield his eyes against a sudden blinding light…

"If it's what the title says, you'd better move!" said Professor Flitwick.

"You summoned it on accident?" said Tonks. "Didn't know you could."

With a yell, he rolled back onto the pavement, just in time.

"You seem to enjoy cutting it close." said McGonagall holding a hand to her heart.

A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt exactly where Harry had just been lying.

"That didn't make feel any better." said McGonagall.

They belonged, as Harry saw when he raised his head,

"So you rolled out of the way, you didn't stand up?" asked Fred.

"I didn't have the time to stand up." said Harry.

to a triple-decker, violently purple bus,

"Only reason to have it that color, is so wizards know what to look for, so they don't accidentally climb onto a muggle bus and ask to go to Diagon Alley or whatever." said Moody gruffly. "Should have picked a better color. It's embarrassing to ride in that thing."

which had appeared out of thin air. Gold lettering over the windshield spelled The Knight Bus.

For a split second, Harry wondered if he had been knocked silly by his fall.

"Well, you did knock your head on the concrete." said Ginny rubbing the back of his head. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"Can you reach back there?" said Harry moving his head forward a bit, he earned a playful smack to the back of his head.

Then a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly to the night.

"Gotta love a man who loves his job." said Kingsley with a dry chuckle.

"If only he'd do it the moment you get on the bus." said Tonks.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve—"

The conductor stopped abruptly. He had just caught sight of Harry, who was still sitting on the ground.

"Seeing someone sprawled out on the ground would make me stare." said Leroy.

Harry snatched up his wand again and scrambled to his feet. Close up, he saw that Stan Shunpike was only a few years older than he was, eighteen or nineteen at most, with large, protruding ears and quite a few pimples.

"Sounds like that guy from the World Cup." said Hermione. "The one that said he was going to be the youngest Minister of Magic."

"He was the guy." said Harry.

"Good luck, Stan." muttered Tonks

"What were you doin' down there?" said Stan, dropping his professional manner."

"I'm checking the street for potholes." said Dean rolling his eyes.

"Fell over," said Harry.

"Oh come on, should've answered like Dean." said Ron.

"'Choo fall over for?" sniggered Stan.

"For kicks." said George.

"I didn't do it on purpose," said Harry, annoyed. One of the knees in his jeans was torn,

"Not like they weren't already torn and faded." said Harry.

and the hand he had thrown out to break his fall was bleeding. He suddenly remembered why he had fallen over and turned around quickly to stare at the alleyway between the garage and fence. The Knight Bus's headlamps were flooding it with light, and it was empty.

"I just backed up a bit, out of the way of the light." said Sirius.

"Why didn't you leave?" asked Tonks.

"Hey, I wanted to make sure he got on the bus alright." said Sirius.

"Why even go there?" asked Emmeline.

"I wanted to see Harry, and I had been waiting all twelve years to see him." said Sirius. "I wasn't missing out on this chance."

"'Choo lookin' at?" said Stan.

"There was a big black thing," said Harry, pointing uncertainly into the gap. "Like a dog… but massive…"

"Wow, you figured out what I was, that's pretty cool!" said Sirius.

"Not so hard, I heard you panting." said Harry.

"That sounds sort of creepy." said Ernie.

"Hey, it's hot under all that fur." said Sirius defensively.

He looked around at Stan, whose mouth was slightly open. With a feeling of unease, Harry saw Stan's eyes move to the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Woss that on your 'ead?" said Stan abruptly.

"Oh he's a brilliant one." said Fred.

"Nothing," said Harry quickly, flattening his hair over his scar. If the Ministry of Magic was looking for him, he didn't want to make it too easy for them.

"Hiding my scar didn't slow them down at all." said Harry with a smirk

"Woss your name?" Stan persisted.

"Neville Longbottom," said Harry, saying the first name that came into his head.

"What about my name?" asked Ron.

"I didn't want to risk anyone on the bus knowing your family." said Harry. "Also you were in the Daily Prophet, and they listed your name. It wouldn't have worked out."

"Oh, right." said Ron with a smirk.

"So — so this bus," he went on quickly, hoping to distract Stan, "did you say it goes anywhere?"

"Any where in Britain, anyway." said Remus.

"Yeah, if you want to go abroad then you have to get across to the continent on your own, then you can take the Continental Knight Bus." said Sirius.

"Does each country have their own Knight Bus?" asked Hermione.

"Well, kind of, each continent has their own, the larger the continent, the faster the bus." said Remus.

"Don't you have to follow the speed limit?" asked Colin.

Sirius and Remus looked at each other.

"Muggle police can't see the bus, so...no." said Sirius.

"How do they refuel? Do they use petrol?" asked Dennis.

"No, a simple motoring charm keeps it going." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Yep," said Stan proudly, "anywhere you like, 'long it's on land. Can't do nuffink underwater.

"Has someone actually asked to go underwater?" asked Ernie.

"Yes, when the Knight Bus service first started. Some smart alec thought he could ask them to go to a sunken treasure ship. The bus sank like a stone, and it took three wizards and the aid of a city full of merpeople to get that out of the ocean." said McGonagall.

"Ere," he said, looking suspicious again, "you did flag us down, dincha? Stuck out your wand 'and, dincha?"

"He used his wand hand to break his fall." said Tonks.

"Yes," said Harry quickly. "Listen, how much would it be to get to London?"

"Eleven Sickles," said Stan, "but for firteen you get 'ot chocolate,

"Don't get that, you'll just have it end up in your lap, and hot chocolate there can be painful." said Sirius.

"It's not even very good hot chocolate." said Remus.

and for fifteen you get an 'ot-water bottle an' a toofbrush in the color of your choice."

"I'll bring my own thanks." said Hermione.

Harry rummaged once more in his trunk, extracted his money bag, and shoved some gold into Stan's hand.

"He said sickles, not galleons." said Zacharias.

"Didn't care, I just wanted him to just leave me be." said Harry.

He and Stan then lifted his trunk, with Hedwig's cage balanced on top, up the steps of the bus.

There were no seats; instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads stood beside the curtained windows.

"It's really hard to sleep on that bus." said Tonks."Trust me, I've tried."

Candles were burning in brackets beside each bed, illuminating the wood-paneled walls.A tiny wizard in a nightcap at the rear of the bus muttered, "Not now, thanks, I'm pickling some slugs" and rolled over in his sleep.

"He must have a very boring life if that's the sort of dreams he has." said Lee with a snicker.

"You 'ave this one," Stan whispered, shoving Harry's trunk under the bed right behind the driver, who was sitting in an armchair in front of the steering wheel.

"Working all day and into the later parts of the night, you have to be comfortable." said Bill shrugging.

"This is our driver, Ernie Prang. This is Neville Longbottom, Ern."

Ernie Prang, an elderly wizard wearing very thick glasses, nodded to Harry,

"You're lucky he was the one working Harry. My Uncle Barnaby is the other Knight Bus driver." said Neville.

who nervously flattened his bangs again and sat down on his bed.

"Take'er away, Ern," said Stan, sitting down in the armchair next to Ernie's.

There was another tremendous BANG, and the next moment Harry found himself flat on his bed, thrown backward by the speed of the Knight Bus.

"Thank God I wasn't standing up, I'd still be unconscious." said Harry.

Pulling himself up, Harry stared out of the dark window and saw that they were now bowling along a completely different street.

"I didn't think it was even the same town." said Harry.

Stan was watching Harry's stunned face with great enjoyment.

"This is where we was before you flagged us down," he said. "Where are we, Ern? Somewhere in Wales?"

"That should definitely answer your question about going the speed limit." said Dumbledore with a warm smile towards the young Gryffindor.

"Ar," said Ernie.

"How come the Muggles don't hear the bus?" said Harry.

"Them!" said Stan contemptuously. "Don' listen properly, do they? Don' look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'."

Dr. Clark smiled, "I can't even pretend to look insulted. It's kind of hard to miss a giant purple bus."

"Best go wake up Madam Marsh, Stan," said Ern. "We'll be in Abergavenny in a minute."

"I still cannot believe that she continues to ride that Bus." said Professor Sprout.

Stan passed Harry's bed and disappeared up a narrow wooden staircase. Harry was still looking out of the window, feeling increasingly nervous.

"Why, it's crash proofed?" said Neville wonderingly.

Ernie didn't seem to have mastered the use of a steering wheel.

"That would make me nervous." said Dr. Clark with a nervous smile.

The Knight Bus kept mounting the pavement, but it didn't hit anything; lines of lampposts, mailboxes, and trash cans jumped out of its way as it approached and back into position once it had passed.

"See? Crashproof." said Neville.

Stan came back downstairs, followed by a faintly green witch wrapped in a traveling cloak.

"'Ere you go, Madam Marsh," said Stan happily as Ern stamped on the brake and the beds slid a foot or so toward the front of the bus. Madam Marsh clamped a handkerchief to her mouth and tottered down the steps.

"Poor old dear." said Professor Sprout.

Stan threw her bag out after her and rammed the doors shut;

"They aren't very customer friendly are they?" said George.

there was another loud BANG, and they were thundering down a narrow country lane, trees leaping out of the way.

Harry wouldn't have been able to sleep even if he had been traveling on a bus that didn't keep banging loudly and jumping a hundred miles at a time. His stomach churned as he fell back to wondering what was going to happen to him, and whether the Dursleys had managed to get Aunt Marge off the ceiling yet.

"So you did feel some remorse. Why didn't you say that?" asked Remus.

"Because I would have liked to have done it again, only on purpose." said Harry. "But that's not an option."

Remus felt slightly uncomfortable, but he couldn't figure out why. He was in the right…right?

Stan had unfurled a copy of the Daily Prophet and was now reading with his tongue between his teeth. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair blinked slowly at Harry from the front page.

"I wonder if you're picture self-recognized him." said Luna thoughtfully.

"I don't really know, never asked my picture self." said Sirius.

He looked strangely familiar.

"From the muggle news." said Sirius glumly, "not cause you remembered me from when you were a baby."

"Too bad you're only going to be happy at the end of the book." said Harry with a small smile.

"Yeah, I can't imagine that this book is going to be very good for my ego." said Sirius.

"It's going to be beaten to pulp, yeah." said Remus.

"That man!" Harry said, forgetting his troubles for a moment. "He was on the Muggle news!"

Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled.

"Sirius Black," he said, nodding. "'Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Neville. Where you been?" He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Harry's face, removed the front page, and handed it to Harry.

"In a way, incarcerated." said Harry.

"Least you got to go outside." said Sirius.

"But the guards didn't beat you." said Harry.

"I had Dementors." said Sirius.

"I had to look at Aunt Marge for a whole week." said Harry.

"You win." said Sirius holding up his hands and smiling.

"You oughta read the papers more, Neville."

"I didn't renew the subscription yet." said Harry.

Harry held the paper up to the candlelight and read:

BLACK STILL AT LARGE

Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today. "We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."

"Good luck, you tell people not to panic, and they panic." said Kingsley shaking his head. "Human nature."

Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.

"What they never seem to understand, is that the Ministers have to introduce themselves to the highest authorities of their respective country." said Dumbledore. "They don't agree with that little tradition."

"So does the Queen know about us?" asked a first year Hufflepuff.

"Yes she does." said Dumbledore. "Fudge has only met her once, when he came to office."

"How many times have you met her?" asked Hermione.

"Oh, I see her from time to time." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"I've met her a few times too, after the garden party." said Harry quietly.

"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it — who'd believe him if he did?"

While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other),

"They have other uses too." said Harry, thinking of Officer McFinn.

the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.

"Wasn't me!" said Sirius.

"We know that now." said Madam Bones apologetically.

Harry looked into the shadowed eyes of Sirius Black, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive. Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one.

Harry slowly covered his head with the blanket as Sirius looked slowly over to him.

"The list of getting you back for stuff in these books is getting longer and longer." said Sirius, working very hard to keep a straight face.

"Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan, who had been watching Harry read.

"He murdered thirteen people?" said Harry, handing the page back to Stan, "with one curse?"

"That is an insanely powerful spell." said Remus, "Sort of why I believed you did it." he added apologetically.

"Yeah, Peter would never have done it, not the Peter we thought we knew anyway." said Sirius.

"Yep," said Stan, "in front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"

"Ar," said Ern darkly.

Stan swiveled in his armchair, his hands on the back, the better to look at Harry.

"Black woz a big supporter of You-Know-'Oo," he said.

"What, Voldemort?" said Harry, without thinking.

"In my defense, it was a long and tiring day." said Harry to the looks he was receiving.

Even Stan's pimples went white; Ern jerked the steering wheel so hard that a whole farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus.

"You outta your tree?" yelped Stan. "'Choo say 'is name for?"

"Sorry," said Harry hastily. "Sorry, I — I forgot —"

"Well, you'd pose as Neville perfectly." smirked Zacharias.

"Mr. Smith...last warning." said Professor Sprout.

"Forgot!" said Stan weakly. "Blimey, my 'eart's goin' that fast…"

"So — so Black was a supporter of You-Know-Who?" Harry prompted apologetically.

"Never was, never will be." said Sirius.

"Can we just say that almost everything about is incorrect, I'd rather not hear you whine and whimper about what is said about you." said Snape with a groan.

"Almost?" said Sirius sharply.

"Leave it." said Remus.

"Yeah," said Stan, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, that's right. Very close to You-Know-'Oo, they say… anyway, when little 'Arry Potter got the better of You-Know-'Oo" — Harry nervously flattened his bangs down again — "all You-Know-'Oo's supporters was tracked down, wasn't they, Ern? Most of 'em knew it was all over, wiv You-Know-'Oo gone, and they came quiet. But not Sirius Black. I 'eard he thought 'e'd be second-in-command once You-Know-'Oo 'ad taken over.

Sirius growled softly and slightly bared his teeth.

"Anyway, they cornered Black in the middle of a street full of Muggles an' Black took out 'is wand and 'e blasted 'alf the street apart, an' a wizard got it, an' so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way.

'Orrible, eh? An' you know what Black did then?" Stan continued in a dramatic whisper.

"Don't you just love it how the facts are destroyed as they pass from mouth to mouth?" said McGonagall shaking her head. "The Aurors didn't corner the so-called culprit,"(making sure she didn't mention Sirius.) "and then the street blew up, the street was blown away before they even got there."

"What?" said Harry.

"Laughed," said Stan. "Jus' stood there an' laughed. An' when reinforcements from the Ministry of Magic got there, 'e went wiv em quiet as anyfink, still laughing 'is 'ead off. 'Cos 'e's mad, inee, Ern? Inee mad?"

"I think 'emotionally distraught' is more likely than mad." said Remus.

"Too bad you didn't think that years ago." said Sirius with a good-natured nudge.

"If he weren't when he went to Azkaban, he will be now," said Ern in his slow voice. "I'd blow meself up before I set foot in that place. Serves him right, mind you… after what he did…"

"Breathe, Padfoot." said Remus quietly. "Breathe."

"They 'ad a job coverin' it up, din' they, Ern?" Stan said. "'Ole street blown up an' all them Muggles dead. What was it they said 'ad 'appened, Ern?"

"Gas explosion," grunted Ernie.

Dr. Clark turned pale and and faced Sirius. "Where did that happen?" he asked in a faint voice.

Sirius told him the street. Dr. Clark took a deep breath. "My girlfriend got caught in that thing."

Sirius put the book down and looked sadly over to him. "I'm sorry. If I..."

"Not your fault, but I'd like to get my hands on the son of a b*tch that did it." said Dr. Clark angrily.

"We can help in that department, when the time comes." said Lionus with an evil smirk.

"An' now 'e's out," said Stan, examining the newspaper picture of Black's gaunt face again. "Never been a breakout from Azkaban before, 'as there, Ern? Beats me 'ow 'e did it. Frightenin', eh? Mind, I don't fancy 'is chances against them Azkaban guards, eh, Ern?"

Ernie suddenly shivered. "Talk about summat else, Stan, there' a good lad. Them Azkaban guards give me the collywobbles."

"You don't use Dementors in your prison, do you?" asked Charlie over to Lionus.

"Of course they do!" said Percy importantly. "How else can they keep the most hardened criminals locked away securely?"

"Don't chatter nonsense!" said Tempest. "We'd never allow such foul creatures in our prison, the moment they get too close, they get destroyed."

"What? But..." said Percy.

"We use Rangers, Dementors are highly unreliable. It's too risky to have them guard the prisoners. Every time we come across one out on an assignment, we destroy them." said Nightstrike.

"But why?" asked Percy.

"They were never supposed to exist." said Lionus. "They were created by dead bodies and dark magic, a sort of evolved form of Inferi."

"What...?" said Colin.

"Best tell you later." said Lionus.

Stan put the paper away reluctantly, and Harry leaned against the window of the Knight Bus, feeling worse than ever. He couldn't help imagining what Stan might be telling his passengers in a few nights' time.

"'Ear about that 'Arry Potter? Blew up 'is aunt! We 'ad 'im 'ere on the Knight Bus, di'n't we, Ern? 'E was tryin' to run for it…"

"If I'm not mistaken, he did sort of say something like that." said Tonks.

He, Harry, had broken wizard law just like Sirius Black.

"My dear boy, I don't think that inflating your aunt is the same as being charged with the murder of twelve people." said Dumbledore with smile.

Was inflating Aunt Marge bad enough to land him in Azkaban?

"Not even if you had whipped out your wand. Expulsion would have been the most you would have had to fear." said Madam Bones.

Harry didn't know anything about the wizard prison, though everyone he'd ever heard speak of it did so in the same fearful tone.

"I would ask, people would turn pale, mumble and then walk away." said Harry "And there weren't many books in the library about it."

"Of course not, don't want people to know too much about it, and try to make an escape when they get there." said Moody gruffly.

Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, had spent two months there only last year. Harry wouldn't soon forget the look of terror on Hagrid's face when he had been told where he was going, and Hagrid was one of the bravest people Harry knew.

Hagrid blushed heavily. "Nice o' you ter say that."

"You are Hagrid, if I was ever in any real trouble, I'd come running to you and Dumbledore first." said Harry.

"Sure where do I rate?"

"Third." said Harry.

"Who's before me?" said Sirius.

"McGonagall." said Harry. McGonagall blushed faintly.

"Gotcha." said Sirius. "I can live with being in third place now."

The Knight Bus rolled through the darkness, scattering bushes and wastebaskets, telephone booths and trees, and Harry lay, restless and miserable, on his feather bed. After a while, Stan remembered that Harry had paid for hot chocolate, but poured it all over Harry's pillow when the bus moved abruptly from Anglesea to Aberdeen. One by one, wizards and witches in dressing gowns and slippers descended from the upper floors to leave the bus. They all looked very pleased to go.

Finally, Harry was the only passenger left.

"Right then, Neville," said Stan, clapping his hands, "whereabouts in London?"

"Diagon Alley," said Harry.

"Righto," said Stan. "'Old tight, then."

BANG.

They were thundering along Charing Cross Road. Harry sat up and watched buildings and benches squeezing themselves out of the Knight Bus's way. The sky was getting a little lighter. He would lie low for a couple of hours, go to Gringotts the moment it opened, then set off — where, he didn't know.

"Now how were you going to lay low in a pub, full of people who would know you the moment they saw you?" asked Kingsley.

"The moment I got off the bus and when they left, I was going to put on the Invisibility Cloak and just hang out in the pub, then left the moment the bank was opened. Then I'd hit the Muggle bank." said Harry.

"Where were you going to go?" said Sirius.

"Well, first to see where my parents lived, then I'd go off to try and find Dr. Clark on my own." said Harry.

"Good thing you didn't go looking for him, these would really be Memorial Books." said Nicodemus.

"Bad, was it?" said Sirius worriedly.

"We had problems getting in and out." said Lionus.

"Holy crap." said Remus.

Ernie slammed on the brakes and the Knight Bus skidded to a halt in front of a small and shabby-looking pub, the Leaky Cauldron, behind which lay the magical entrance to Diagon Alley.

"Thanks," Harry said to Ernie.

He jumped down the steps and helped Stan lower his trunk and Hedwig's cage onto the pavement.

"Well at least he didn't just toss your stuff." said Tonks.

"That's the service you get when you just shove gold in his hands." said Harry with a chuckle.

"Well," said Harry. "Bye then!"

But Stan wasn't paying attention. Still standing in the doorway to the bus he was goggling at the shadowy entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.

"There you are, Harry," said a voice.

"Dumbledore?" asked Charlie.

"Not that lucky." said Harry.

Dumbledore chuckled warmly. "I was unfortunately preoccupied arguing with the Warden of Azkaban. He would not let me leave to locate you."

Before Harry could turn, he felt a hand on his shoulder. At the same time, Stan shouted, "Blimey! Ern, come 'ere! Come 'ere!"

Harry looked up at the owner of the hand on his shoulder and felt a bucketful of ice cascade into his stomach — he had walked right into Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself.

"I would have given anything to go to your aid, but Fudge said he would handle it." said Dumbledore.

"How did he know where he was?" asked Bill.

"I told him where he would most likely to find Harry." said Dumbledore with a slightly apologetic look to the white haired boy.

Stan leapt onto the pavement beside them."What didja call Neville, Minister?" he said excitedly.

Fudge, a portly little man in a long, pinstriped cloak, looked cold and exhausted.

"Exhausted form arguing with Albus." muttered McGonagall to Flitwick.

"The only time I can ever remember him winning." said Flitwick.

"Neville?" he repeated, frowning. "This is Harry Potter."

"I knew it!" Stan shouted gleefully. "Ern! Ern! Guess 'oo Neville is, Ern! 'E's 'Arry Potter! I can see 'is scar!"

"Idiot, you've already seen it." said Moody.

"Yes," said Fudge testily, "well, I'm very glad the Knight Bus picked Harry up, but he and I need to step inside the Leaky Cauldron now…" Fudge increased the pressure on Harry's shoulder,

"I was amazed that I didn't see nail marks when I took a shower the next morning." said Harry rubbing his shoulder.

and Harry found himself being steered inside the pub.

A stooping figure bearing a lantern appeared through the door behind the bar. It was Tom, the wizened, toothless landlord.

"You've got him, Minister!" said Tom. "Will you be wanting anything? Beer? Brandy?"

"He wasn't talking about you." teased Remus to Harry.

"I'm more of a fine wine, sort of guy." said Harry with a smile.

"You're going to love the wine cellar." said Sirius. "When you're older of course."

"Also known as ten months." said Harry with a smirk.

Umbridge struggled against her gag, most people had forgotten she was still there.

"What do you want now?" asked Nightstrike with a groan. He pulled the gag out of her mouth. She sneered over at Sirius.

"Your wine is gone, all gone!" said Umbridge madly with malicious laugh. With that, Nightstrike snapped the gag back on.

"I saw that you went through the Novice Cellar." said Sirius with a smirk. "You didn't find my regular cellar, had to hide that from a few people. Kept taking my wine without me knowing."

Umbridge blanched.

"You got the lesser value wine, nothing in there worth more than twenty galleons. The good cellar is full of rare wines."

"You wouldn't by chance have a Chateau de Éclat 1821, would you?" said Harry excitedly.

"You'll see this weekend." said Sirius with a smile.

"Try again." said Harry his face falling.

"Oh, right, well, week after next." said Sirius with a reassuring smile.

"Perhaps a pot of tea," said Fudge, who still hadn't let go of Harry.

There was a loud scraping and puffing from behind them, and Stan and Ern appeared, carrying Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage and looking around excitedly.

"'Ow come you di'n't tell us 'oo you are, eh, Neville?" said Stan, beaming at Harry, while Ernie's owlish face peered interestedly over Stan's shoulder.

"They've always wanted someone famous to ride the bus." said Tonks.

"How do you know so much?" asked Ron.

"My father and his father are really good friends. We sort of grew up together." said Tonks.

"But she really loved to push him around." said Sirius with a smirk.

"And a private parlor, please, Tom," said Fudge pointedly.

"Bye," Harry said miserably to Stan and Ern as Tom beckoned Fudge toward the passage that led from the bar.

"Bye, Neville!" called Stan.

"He'll never let you forget that little jaunt." said Remus. "I'll bet you could be a Minister of Magic and still call you Neville."

"Wouldn't put it past him." said Harry with a smirk.

Fudge marched Harry along the narrow passage after Tom's lantern, and then into a small parlor. Tom clicked his fingers, a fire burst into life in the grate, and he bowed himself out of the room.

"Sit down, Harry," said Fudge, indicating a chair by the fire.

Harry sat down, feeling goose bumps rising up his arms despite the glow of the fire.

"Wasn't too sure what to expect." said Harry.

"You needn't have worried, at that part, he was hoping to use you as a figurehead at that point." said Kingsley.

"It feels so nice to be used." said Harry with a growl.

Never ever again. thought Dumbledore bitterly.

Fudge took off his pinstriped cloak and tossed it aside, then hitched up the trousers of his bottle-green suit and sat down opposite Harry.

"I am Cornelius Fudge, Harry. The Minister of Magic."

"We know that already." said Bill.

"But he doesn't." said Fred.

Harry already knew this, of course; he had seen Fudge once before, but as he had been wearing his father's Invisibility Cloak at the time, Fudge wasn't to know that.

"Good thing you had the sense not to tell him that." said George.

Tom the innkeeper reappeared, wearing an apron over his nightshirt and bearing a tray of tea and crumpets. He placed the tray on a table between Fudge and Harry and left the parlor, closing the door behind him.

"Poor dear, he should have been allowed to go back to bed after letting you lot in, just bring in a teapot and have you brew your own drinks." said Madam Pomfrey.

"Well, Harry," said Fudge, pouring out tea, "you've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you.

"Walk a mile in my shoes, lets see how you managed." mumbled Harry darkly.

"He'd go insane, or wouldn't last the week." said Ginny stealing a kiss.

Running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that! I'd started to think…

"That's a switch, he's never thought before." said McGonagall with a sneer.

but you're safe, and that's what matters."

"Well he's got the right idea." said Sirius.

"It's a good thing you were actually innocent." said Luna.

"Aside from the obvious, why is that?" said Sirius.

"If you were a mass murderer, you would have come upon Harry sooner than anyone." said Luna.

Sirius and Remus gulped loudly. Dumbledore looked fearfully over to Harry, who wasn't listening at that particular moment, he was busy talking to Ginny about her favorite Quidditch team. Finally he looked up.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"Just worrying about you." said Dr. Clark with an unconvincing smile.

"Well, recently that's not something new." said Harry.

Fudge buttered himself a crumpet and pushed the plate toward Harry.

"Holly made the best crumpets, she'd add honey and cinnamon to them and oh man, they were delicious." said Dr. Clark with a fond smile.

"Eat, Harry, you look dead on your feet. Now then… You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley.

"Pleased isn't the word I would have chosen." said Professor Flitwick gleefully. "Disappointed is more appropriate."

Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago.

"Moron, it was only about forty-five minutes ago." said Harry.

Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."

"Well, damn. I was hoping she'd be scarred for life." said George.

"If it's any consolation, she's afraid of heights now." said Harry.

"Not enough." said Fred.

Fudge smiled at Harry over the rim of his teacup, rather like an uncle surveying a favorite nephew.

"Beats the hell out of what Lockhart was." said Sirius. "But I'm not too comfortable with him just using you."

Harry, who couldn't believe his ears, opened his mouth to speak, couldn't think of anything to say, and closed it again.

"Ah, you're worrying about the reaction of your aunt and uncle?" said Fudge.

"Was more worried about what trouble I was in with the Ministry. I knew that I was in for it at the Dursleys." said Harry.

"Well, I won't deny that they are extremely angry, Harry,

"That's Uncle Vernon's default setting where I'm concerned." said Harry.

but they are prepared to take you back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays."

"He stays there anyway!" said Hermione.

"What happened when you came back home?" said Remus.

"Nothing good." said Harry. "I don't want to talk about it."

Harry unstuck his throat.

"I always stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays," he said, "and I don't ever want to go back to Privet Drive."

"That should give the Minister a hint that something isn't right." said one of the Hufflepuffs, who's parents worked at the Ministry.

"Now, now, I'm sure you'll feel differently once you've calmed down," said Fudge in a worried tone.

"Wonder what he's worried about?" said George.

"Worried that Harry's going to cause problems." said Sirius with a snarl.

"Or that he didn't know how to handle the situation, he was never very good with kids." said Madam Bones.

"They are your family, after all, and I'm sure you are fond of each other — er — very deep down."

"How deep down is he expecting you to go?" asked Ron.

"Alot further down than where I can go." said Harry.

It didn't occur to Harry to put Fudge right. He was still waiting to hear what was going to happen to him now.

"So all that remains," said Fudge, now buttering himself a second crumpet, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last two weeks of your vacation. I suggest you take a room here at the Leaky Cauldron and…"

"Oh, if the Minister was here, I'd give him what for!" said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "Leaving a child in an Inn all by himself."

"Tom was more than willing to watch him." said Kingsley, "And there was always an Auror in Diagon Alley, and the Leaky Cauldron."

"Not to mention a Ranger with him at all times." said Lionus.

"How come you didn't try and find Sirius Black?" asked Zacharias.

"We weren't' confident that he was guilty. But Harry was proving to be very fascinating."

"So why didn't you notice what was happening?" said Remus.

"We only focused on him when he left the house, for his 'jobs'." Nightstrike. "So, when he ran away from home, we followed him."

"No one else came on the bus, though." said Ron.

"We rode on top." said Nightstrike. "More exciting that way."

"You're nuts." said Remus.

"Hang on," blurted Harry. "What about my punishment?"

"He wasn't going to give you a punishment!" said Sirius. "Wow, you really are different from your parents, even they wouldn't bring up punishment if it wasn't mentioned."

Fudge blinked. "Punishment?"

"I broke the law!" Harry said. "The Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry!"

"Oh, my dear boy, we're not going to punish you for a little thing like that!" cried Fudge, waving his crumpet impatiently.

"Blowing up a family member isn't what I'd call a 'little thing'" said Madam Hooch with a smile.

"It was an accident! We don't send people to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts!"

"That would be sort of funny to see that on an arrest report." said Tonks with a giggle.

But this didn't tally at all with Harry's past dealings with the Ministry of Magic.

"Smart lad." said Moody with an impressed smile.

"Last year, I got an official warning just because a house-elf smashed a pudding in my uncle's house!" he told Fudge, frowning. "The Ministry of Magic said I'd be expelled from Hogwarts if there was any more magic there!"

Unless Harry's eyes were deceiving him, Fudge was suddenly looking awkward.

"And he acted as if he had heard it the first time at your hearing!" said Madam Bones angrily. "Oh, when I get my hands on that man!"

"He still with your people?" asked Percy over to Lionus.

"Yup, he aint leaving today either. Seems the Chief wanted to have a word with him." said Lionus.

The Rangers groaned loudly.

"What's wrong?" asked Charlie.

"Doesn't mean anything good, when an elected official has to have a chat with the Chief." said Nighstrike.

"Circumstances change, Harry…

"The Law is the Law." said Moody.

We have to take into account…

"Like how much is in your bank account." said Harry darkly.

in the present climate…

"Don't want the possible chance that someone would hear Harry being expelled." said Charlie.

Surely you don't want to be expelled?"

"Of course I don't," said Harry.

"Well then, what's all the fuss about?" laughed Fudge.

"It's cause it didn't make any sense." said Harry.

"Now, have a crumpet, Harry, while I go and see if Tom's got a room for you."

Fudge strode out of the parlor and Harry stared after him. There was something extremely odd going on.

"Least you're keeping your wits about you." said Lionus with a smile.

Why had Fudge been waiting for him at the Leaky Cauldron, if not to punish him for what he'd done? And now Harry came to think of it, surely it wasn't usual for the Minister of Magic himself to get involved in matters of underage magic?

"Didn't stop him from doing it last summer." said Sirius with a snarl.

Fudge came back, accompanied by Tom the innkeeper.

"Room eleven's free, Harry," said Fudge. "I think you'll be very comfortable just one thing, and I'm sure you'll understand… I don't want you wandering off into Muggle London, all right?

"But that means you can't get your Muggle money!" said Neville.

"Not like I needed to go there anyway, I didn't have any appointments or need the money from that Bank." said Harry.

Keep to Diagon Alley. And you're to be back here before dark each night.

"Does he not know that the shops close before the darkness completely falls on Diagon Alley?" said Emmeline.

Sure you'll understand. Tom will be keeping an eye on you for me."

"Okay," said Harry slowly, "but why?"

"Don't want to lose you again, do we?" said Fudge with a hearty laugh. "No, no… best we know where you are… I mean…"

"Thank Merlin he didn't try out for an Auror position, he'd never make it." said Moody rolling one of his eyes.

Fudge cleared his throat loudly and picked up his pinstriped cloak.

"Well, I'll be off, plenty to do, you know…"

"Have you had any luck with Black yet?" Harry asked.

Sirius snorted, "Bet he was hoping you didn't ask."

Fudge's finger slipped on the silver fastenings of his cloak.

"Called it." said Sirius with a laugh.

"What's that? Oh, you've heard - well, no, not yet, but it's only a matter of time. The Azkaban guards have never yet failed… and they are angrier than I've ever seen them."

Fudge shuddered slightly.

"So, I'll say good-bye."

He held out his hand and Harry, shaking it, had a sudden idea.

"Better be careful with him, he isn't the most flexible person." said Speckerton.

"Er — Minister? Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly," said Fudge with a smile.

"Well, third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt and uncle didn't sign the permission form. D'you think you could —?"

"Didn't know you were that desperate to go." said McGonagall.

"I asked you, the most straight arrow teacher I've ever seen if she could bend that rule." said Harry. "How much more desperate do I have to be?"

Fudge was looking uncomfortable.

"Ah," he said. "No, no, I'm very sorry, Harry, but as I'm not your parent or guardian —"

"But you're the Minister of Magic," said Harry eagerly. "If you gave me permission…"

"He won't give it, especially not that year." said Kingsley.

"No, I'm sorry, Harry, but rules are rules," said Fudge flatly. "Perhaps you'll be able to visit Hogsmeade next year.

"Yeah, after what happened to Aunt Marge? He's delusional." said Harry.

In fact, I think it's best if you don't… yes… well, I'll be off. Enjoy your stay, Harry."

"After you dashed his hopes of seeing Hogsmede?" said Bill.

"Hey! Remus! Why didn't you sign his form?" asked Charlie.

"I actually would have, if he had asked me, but two things stopped me from telling him. One: I thought Sirius was out to kill him and keeping him in the castle was the safest thing to do. And two: I had a feeling he had already been there when he and I had a private chat." said Remus with a smile.

And with a last smile and shake of Harry's hand, Fudge left the room. Tom now moved forward, beaming at Harry.

"If you'll follow me, Mr. Potter," he said, "I've already taken your things up…"

Harry followed Tom up a handsome wooden staircase to a door with a brass number eleven on it, which Tom unlocked and opened for him.

Inside was a very comfortable-looking bed, some highly polished oak furniture, a cheerfully crackling fire

"Whoa, he gave you one of the better rooms in the Inn!" said Neville.

and, perched on top of the wardrobe —

"Hedwig!" Harry gasped.

"How the bloody hell did she know you were going to be there?" asked Bill.

"She's brilliant." said Harry with beaming smile.

The snowy owl clicked her beak and fluttered down onto Harry's arm.

"Very smart owl you've got there," chuckled Tom. "Arrived about five minutes after you did.

"Bet that took him by surprised." said one of seventh year Slytherins.

If there's anything you need, Mr. Potter, don't hesitate to ask."

"Please tell me you waited until morning." said Madam Pomfrey.

"I did." said Harry.

He gave another bow and left.

Harry sat on his bed for a long time, absentmindedly stroking Hedwig. The sky outside the window was changing rapidly from deep, velvety blue to cold, steely gray and then, slowly, to pink shot with gold.

"So you stayed up all night?" said Sirius.

"Not like I've never done that before." said Harry shrugging.

Harry could hardly believe that he'd left Privet Drive only a few hours ago, that he wasn't expelled, and that he was now facing two completely Dursley-free weeks.

"It's been a very weird night, Hedwig," he yawned.

And without even removing his glasses, he slumped back onto his pillows and fell asleep.

"I woke up and Hedwig had taken my glasses off my head, I thought it was pretty cool." said Harry with a smile.

"Well, we can tackle another chapter before dinner." said Speckerton.

"What about the Recollection Scrolls?" asked Sirius.

"Well, now that we have seen Harry's childhood, I don't think another one will show up for some time." said Speckerton. "I think they will become as rare as the Scattered Shots are."

"Dang, I liked the happy ones." said Sirius. "Well, who wants to read the next one?"

"I will. " said Ginny, getting off the couch and walking over to take the book.

"You two enjoying yourselves over there?" said Sirius in a whisper.

"Yeah, actually. Since we can't go on a date this weekend, we'll have our dates during the readings." said Ginny with a wink.

Remus started to speak but Ginny stopped him.

"Don't worry about it, Harry realizes what he said was wrong, but he does seem a bit put off of you for right now. He says you should have done it in private, not public."

Remus looked shamefully down.

"How about you leave the whole punishment thing to me?" asked Sirius.

"And me, you take a break from it before it puts you in real deep water." said Dr. Clark.

"Sounds good to me." he said quietly.

Chapter 53


"The Leaky Cauldron." read Ginny.

"So do we get to hear about how you raised holy hell at Diagon Alley?" asked Sirius gleefully.

"He isn't you." said Tonks teasingly.

It took Harry several days to get used to his strange new freedom.

"Wasn't used to getting up when I wanted, eating whatever, going out when I wanted and going to bed when I wanted. It was sort of strange, after Privet Drive and Aunt Marge." said Harry.

"I was told, in a letter from Tom, that you had gone into the kitchen and started making breakfast for the guests." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

"Why would he send you a letter about that?" asked Sirius.

"Tom was not very good about watching children, he asked for some advice. You utterly perplexed him, dear boy." said Dumbledore smiling over to Harry.

Never before had he been able to get up whenever he wanted or eat whatever he fancied.

"Aunt Petunia would choose the menu most of the time. I could choose the dish, but she would pick what the meat was." said Harry.

He could even go wherever he pleased, as long as it was in Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most fascinating wizarding shops in the world, Harry felt no desire to break his word to Fudge and stray back into the Muggle world.

"And I didn't have any appointments going on for the rest of the summer, had to cancel one of them, before Aunt Marge came." said Harry.

Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, where he liked watching the other guests:

"Nosey little cuss." muttered Snape.

funny little witches from the country, up for a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today;

"Getting into a debate about Transfiguration Today, can find yourself being turned into a wombat without much notice." said Dumbledore with smile.

wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woolen balaclava.

"Why do they cover their face?" asked Dr. Clark.

"They aren't the most pleasent to look at, and they are very sensitive about it." said Remus.

After breakfast Harry would go out into the backyard, take out his wand, tap the third brick from the left above the trash bin, and stand back as the archway into Diagon Alley opened in the wall.

Harry spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly colored umbrellas outside cafes,

"One of the best summers I could remember." said Harry. "Got to do what I wanted and go where I wanted."

where his fellow diners were showing one another their purchases ("It's a lunascope, old boy - no more messing around with moon charts, see?")

"My father gave me one those once. They're more useful in finding Humberpuffos." said Luna.

or else discussing the case of Sirius Black ("Personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban").

"They were looking at me while they said that." said Harry with a laugh, kept looking around for my guardians to come for me."

Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by flashlight anymore; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor,

"That may explain that drop of strawberry fudge ripple on your homework." said Professor Flitwick.

"Oops." said Harry sheepishly.

finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch burnings,

"It was his favorite subject while he was in school." said Dumbledore with a smile.

gave Harry free sundaes every half an hour.

"Oh that's not fair." said Ron. "Didn't do that for us."

Once Harry had refilled his money bag with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts from his vault at Gringotts, he had to exercise a lot of self-control not to spend the whole lot at once.

"Good boy." said Lionus with a proud smile.

"Oh come on! When was the last time he treated himself to pretty much anything?" said Sirius. "I say go for it! He wouldn't have been able to spend all his money in his or the next lifetime."

He had to keep reminding himself that he had five years to go at Hogwarts, and how it would feel to ask the Dursleys for money for spellbooks,

Rudolph smirked. "Not with our family vaults."

"So do you share a vault?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Actually, the money is evenly distributed. What Harry has in his vault is probably only a few thousand galleons more than us." said Rudolph with a smile.

to stop himself from buying a handsome set of solid gold Gobstones

"I have a solid gold set, if you really want one." said Sirius. "I got it from one of my Great Uncles."

(a wizarding game rather like marbles, in which the stones squirt a nasty-smelling liquid into the other player's face when they lose a point).

"Those aren't allowed at our house, especially after the gobstone tournament us boys held." said Charlie.

"You can still smell it in Fred and George's room." said Bill.

He was sorely tempted, too, by the perfect, moving model of the galaxy in a large glass ball, which would have meant he never had to take another Astronomy lesson.

"Not even that would excuse you from taking the class." said Professor Sinstra.

"Might give me the chance to go all out on a test and get away with it." said Harry with a smile. "And Ron's grade would go up." said Harry.

But the thing that tested Harry's resolution most appeared in his favorite shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, a week after he'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Of course, it would be a broomstick." said Lavender.

"Ain't nothing wrong with a broomstick." said Ginny and the female chasers of the Gryffindor team.

Curious to know what the crowd in the shop was staring at, Harry edged his way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until he glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom he had ever seen in his life.

"Just come out - prototype -" a square-jawed wizard was telling his companion.

"Then why have it displayed?" asked Dennis.

"Sort of like a brand new car model. They let you drool over it and in a few months you shell out the money to get it." said Dr. Clark.

"It's the fastest broom in the world, isn't it, Dad?" squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father's arm.

"Irish International Side's just put in an order for seven of these beauties!" the proprietor of the shop told the crowd. "And they're favorites for the World Cup!"

"Awesome! You even have a World Cup?" said Dr. Clark.

"We went to it last year." said Ron.

"I can't wait to hear about it!" said Dr. Clark.

A large witch in front of Harry moved, and he was able to read the sign next to the broom:

** THE FIREBOLT **

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAM-LINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST.

"Damn, that would turn any boy's head. Especially the speed." said Dr. Clark.

Price on request...Harry didn't like to think how much gold the Firebolt would cost.

"Three thousand-six hundred and fifty three galleons sixteen sickles and four knuts." said Sirius.

Harry stared hard at Sirius. "What?" asked Harry, turning pale.

"Yeah, and you were worth every single coin." said Sirius with a bright smile.

He had never wanted anything as much in his whole life - but he had never lost a Quidditch match on his Nimbus Two Thousand, and what was the point in emptying his Gringotts vault for the Firebolt, when he had a very good broom already?

"That's very mature thinking, Mr. Potter." said Professor McGonagall.

Harry didn't ask for the price, but he returned, almost every day after that, just to look at the Firebolt.

"Don't blame you, I had actually bought one a few days after you left for Hogwarts, and I just kept staring at it." said Sirius.

There were, however, things that Harry needed to buy. He went to the Apothecary to replenish his store of potions ingredients,

"Which was twice as much as any other third year had to do." said Ron with a smirk.

and as his school robes were now several inches too short in the arm and leg,

"You never would be able to tell." muttered Fred.

"Heard that." said Harry.

he visited Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and bought new ones. Most important of all, he had to buy his new schoolbooks, which would include those for his two new subjects, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.

"One one of those worth learning." said Charlie.

Professor Trelawny frowned.

Harry got a surprise as he looked in at the bookshop window. Instead of the usual display of gold-embossed spellbooks the size of paving slabs, there was a large iron cage behind the glass that held about a hundred copies of The Monster Book of Monsters.

"Just what every home needs, a book that'll attack every other book in your house." said George.

"Wouldn't say no to it having a go at our Lockhart books." said Fred.

Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively.

"Not the book to read to children before bedtime." said Lee with a snigger.

Harry pulled his booklist out of his pocket and consulted it for the first time. The Monster Book of Monsters was listed as the required book for Care of Magical Creatures. Now Harry understood why Hagrid had said it would come in useful. He felt relieved; he had been wondering whether Hagrid wanted help with some terrifying new pet.

"Sorry, Hagrid." said Harry blushing.

"S'alright." said Hagrid with a smile.

As Harry entered Flourish and Blotts, the manager came hurrying toward him.

"Why would he come out?" asked Emmeline Vance. "He never does."

"Hogwarts?" he said abruptly. "Come to get your new books?"

"Yes," said Harry, "I need -"

"Get out of the way," said the manager impatiently, brushing Harry aside. He drew on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick, and proceeded toward the door of the Monster Books' cage.

"Well, I can somewhat see why he's irritable, but that doesn't mean he can shove people about." said Bill.

"Hang on," said Harry quickly, "I've already got one of those."

"Have you?" A look of enormous relief spread over the manager's face. "Thank heavens for that. I've been bitten five times already this morning -"

"Apparently no one told him how to soothe that particular book." said Professor Flitwick with a giggle.

A loud ripping noise rent the air; two of the Monster Books had seized a third and were pulling it apart.

"Stop it! Stop it!" cried the manager, poking the walking stick through the bars and knocking the books apart. "I'm never stocking them again, never! It's been bedlam! I thought we'd seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility - cost a fortune, and we never found them...

"That guys doesn't have much common sense, does he?" said Dr. Clark. "If they're invisible, you're not going to be able to find them."

Well...is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes," said Harry, looking down his booklist, "I need Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky."

"Ah, starting Divination, are you?" said the manager, stripping off his gloves and leading Harry into the back of the shop, where there was a corner devoted to fortune-telling.

"They don't sell many of those to adults. Not many people want to know their future, it never makes anyone very happy." said Remus.

A small table was stacked with volumes such as Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks and Broken Balls:When Fortunes Turn Foul.

"Here you are," said the manager, who had climbed a set of steps to take down a thick, black-bound book. "Unfogging the Future. Very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods - palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails."

"Bird Entrails?" said Dr. Clark.

"Yeah, that bit of divination is nasty." said Sirius. "I told James once that he was going to end up getting eaten by a bird and turn into that stuff."

"That's disgusting!" said Hermione.

"Lily thought so as well." said Sirius thoughtfully. "James thought it was brilliant."

But Harry wasn't listening. His eyes had fallen on another book, which was among a display on a small table: Death Omens - What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming.

"What made you look at that?" asked Sirius in shock.

"You'll find out." said Harry quietly.

"Oh, I wouldn't read that if I were you," said the manager lightly, looking to see what Harry was staring at. "You'll start seeing death omens everywhere. It's enough to frighten anyone to death."

"Good advice, don't buy that book." said Mrs. Weasley worriedly.

But Harry continued to stare at the front cover of the book; it showed a black dog large as a bear, with gleaming eyes. It looked oddly familiar...

"You thought...that I...I was the Grim?" said Sirius frantically.

"I didn't know what to make of you that night." said Harry.

"I'm never turning back into a dog around you if that's what you think I am when I'm in animagus form." swore Sirius.

"No, I love you as dog, as much as a human, it's just, it was a bad year for that..." said Harry.

Sirius looked uneasy.

The manager pressed Unfogging the Future into Harry's hands.

"Anything else?" he said.

"Yes," said Harry, tearing his eyes away from the dog's and dazedly consulting his booklist. "Er - I need Intermediate Transfiguration and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three."

"Thought you had them already?" asked Hermione.

"Didn't we talk about this already? I donate them to a charity thing." said Harry.

"Oh, right..." said Hermione.

Harry emerged from Flourish and Blotts ten minutes later with his new books under his arms and made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron, hardly noticing where he was going and bumping into several people.

"What caused to do that? Normally your pretty smooth about walking amongst people. You hardly touch anyone." said Ron.

He tramped up the stairs to his room, went inside, and tipped his books onto his bed. Somebody had been in to tidy; the windows were open and sun was pouring inside. Harry could hear the buses rolling by in the unseen Muggle street behind him and the sound of the invisible crowd below in Diagon Alley. He caught sight of himself in the mirror over the basin.

"I looked really pale." whispered Harry.

"Well, at least you found out everything." said Ginny soothingly. "You didn't have to be distraught for too very long."

"A year isn't too long?" asked Harry in wonder.

"Compared to twenty? No." said Ginny with a small smile.

"It can't have been a death omen," he told his reflection defiantly. "I was panicking when I saw that thing in Magnolia Crescent...It was probably just a stray dog..."

He raised his hand automatically and tried to make his hair lie flat.

"Why would you do that?" asked Dean.

"I'm sick of seeing the scar." said Harry.

"You're fighting a losing battle there, dear," said his mirror in a wheezy voice.

"That frightened me." said Harry with a smile. "After that, I changed in the bathroom."

"Don't blame you." said Sirius with a laugh. "Some of those mirrors can be very cheeky."

"They're kinder to children then they are to adults." said Remus. "I remember once that one of those mirrors told James to work out a bit more."

"I remember that too, he started running about, doing push-ups, and sit-ups, that didn't last long though." said Sirius. "After one month he gave up."

As the days slipped by, Harry started looking wherever he went for a sign of Ron or Hermione. Plenty of Hogwarts students were arriving in Diagon Alley now, with the start of term so near. Harry met Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, his fellow Gryffindors, in Quality Quidditch Supplies, where they too were ogling the Firebolt;

"We didn't say much, just stared at it and drooled." said Seamus.

he also ran into the real Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, forgetful boy, outside Flourish and Blotts. Harry didn't stop to chat; Neville appeared to have mislaid his booklist and was being told off by his very formidable-looking grandmother.

"I've had enough shouting and telling off to last me a lifetime, didn't want to watch someone else getting it." said Harry.

Harry hoped she never found out that he'd pretended to be Neville while on the run from the Ministry of Magic.

"Didn't want her to shout at me next." laughed Harry.

"Don't blame you." said Neville also laughing.

Harry woke on the last day of the holidays, thinking that he would at least meet Ron and Hermione tomorrow, on the Hogwarts Express.

"That's what you think!" said Ron and Hermione.

He got up, dressed, went for a last look at the Firebolt, and was just wondering where he'd have lunch, when someone yelled his name and he turned.

"Harry! HARRY!"

They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor - Ron looking incredibly freckly,

"Nice." said Ron with a smirk.

Hermione very brown,

"Mom and I spent a few days on the French Rivierra." said Hermione. "Dad was visiting with some friends."

both waving frantically at him.

"Finally!" said Ron, grinning at Harry as he sat down. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and -"

"Come on! He's a Quidditch player! Where else would he be?" said Sirius with a smirk.

"I got all my school stuff last week," Harry explained. "And how come you knew I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Dad," said Ron simply.

Mr. Weasley, who worked at the Ministry of Magic, would of course have heard the whole story of what had happened to Aunt Marge.

"Fudge was bragging about how he had found you in the nick of time and saved you from certain peril." said Mr. Weasley. "Nice to have the record set straight."

"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione in a very serious voice.

"Nope, just ugly rumors spread around by my inflated aunt." said George.

"I didn't mean to," said Harry, while Ron roared with laughter. "I just - lost control."

"Nice of Ron to laugh at you." said Bill.

"It was funny." said Ron sheepishly.

"It's not funny, Ron," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."

"Need we go over it again?" said Rivers.

"No sir." said Hermione sheepishly.

"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested." He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?"

"You seem to like to question authority." said Madam Bones with a faint smile.

"Only when it doesn't make any sense." said Harry.

"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt.

"They'd have to wait their turn, after I've dealt with you." said Mrs. Weasley.

Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me.

Several people laughed loudly.

Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well!"

"Ron, you're so excitable." said Charlie.

"I was happy to see him." said Ron.

Hermione nodded, beaming. "Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things."

"Excellent!" said Harry happily. "So, have you got all your new books and stuff?"

"Look at this," said Ron, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books -" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."

"Poor man." said Tonks giggling.

"What's all that, Hermione?" Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.

"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I," said Hermione. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies -"

"I always wondered why you decided to take on Muggle Studies." said Professor Flitwick.

"To get a wizard's point of few." said Hermione.

"Too bad you didn't get very good marks in that class." said Ron.

"Not my fault, the books were wrong." said Hermione stiffly.

"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" said Ron, rolling his eyes at Harry. "You're Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"

"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," said Hermione earnestly.

"That backfired big time." said Ron.

"I got the last laugh though, I complained to Dumbledore on how the books were wrong." said Hermione.

"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" asked Harry, while Ron sniggered. Hermione ignored them.

"I was serious, with all those books and if every other one of them was for a class, she wouldn't have any time for herself." said Harry.

"I've still got ten Galleons," she said, checking her purse. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."

"Best thing to get a teenager. Money or a gift card to somewhere." said Dr. Clark.

"How about a nice book? said Ron innocently.

"You're asking for a nice smack." said Alicia with laugh.

"No, I don't think so," said Hermione composedly. "I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig and you've got Errol -"

"Not really, Errol's the family owl, after he delivers the letters to us at school, he heads home. After recuperating of course." said Fred.

"I haven't," said Ron. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers." He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. "And I want to get him checked over," he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him."

"It wasn't Egypt that did it." said Ron.

Scabbers was looking thinner than usual, and there was a definite droop to his whiskers.

"There's a magical creature shop just over there," said Harry, who knew Diagon Alley very well by now. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl."

"Just be careful, Owls eat rats." said Bill.

"Why didn't Hedwig try and eat him?" asked Charlie.

"Well, she kept trying, but I told her no more attacking him." said Harry. "So she stopped."

So they paid for their ice cream and crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie.

There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of wall was hidden by cages. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing.

"Such pleasent animals." said Charlie with a smirk.

The witch behind the counter was already advising a wizard on the care of double-ended newts, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited, examining the cages.

A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies.

"Trevor doesn't like those things, I don't think. He keeps jumping into the glass when Gran and I go to that shop." said Neville.

A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window.

"That's the store pet, he isn't for sale, he's been in the store owner's family for generations." said Kingsley.

Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, and a fat white rabbit kept changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise. Then there were cats of every color, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-colored furballs that were humming loudly,

"Those were puffskiens, they're pretty popular." said Fred.

"If only they were smaller." said George.

and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails.

The double-ended newt wizard left, and Ron approached the counter.

"It's my rat," he told the witch. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."

"Bang him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.

"She didn't mean that literally." said Mrs. Weasley.

"I didin't bang him on there." said Ron sourly.

Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better took.

"They were laughing." said Hermione. "Never saw a rat laugh before."

Like nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was secondhand (he had once belonged to Ron's brother Percy) and a bit battered. Next to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone.

"Poor guy." said Dennis.

"You say that now." said Ron.

"Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?"

"Dunno," said Ron. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."

"Wonder why we didn't notice that he was around quite a long time, much longer than most rats live." said Charlie.

"What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining Scabbers closely.

"Er -" The truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly.

"He's been through the mill, this one," she said.

"She didn't sound very cross, I was amazed." said Harry.

"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said Ron defensively.

"And he was like that when I released him from the trap." said Percy.

"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch.

"Well, he's outlived that easily." said Percy doing the math.

"Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these -"

She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. Ron muttered, "Show-offs."

"Good thing you kept him." said Sirius. "Or else, I'd be up a creek without a paddle."

"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.

"Okay," said Ron. "How much - OUCH!"

"Did Scabbers bite you?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"Wouldn't have hurt as much." said Ron.

Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers.

"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.

"Here's Crookshanks' big entrance." said Ginny.

"Wish it hadn't been so traumatizing." said Ron. "I still refuse to pet that thing."

"That's nice." said Hermione.

"Hey, I get along with him, I just don't pet him." said Ron.

"You do sometimes." said Harry.

"Well, on good days I guess." said Ron.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed.

"Why didn't Hermione follow?" asked Ginny.

"Well, I still wanted to find a pet." said Hermione.

"So you didn't care if Ron lost his rat forever?" said Dr. Clark.

Hermione shuffled her feet nevously.

It took them nearly ten minutes to catch Scabbers, who had taken refuge under a wastepaper bin outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. Ron stuffed the trembling rat back into his pocket and straightened up, massaging his head.

"What was that?"

"It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger," said Harry.

"Oh, he is not that big!" said Hermione.

"When he sits on my lap, I can't feel my legs after a while." said Harry.

"Where's Hermione?"

"Probably getting her owl."

"Should have been with them finding the rat." said Parvati.

They made their way back up the crowded street to the Magical Menagerie. As they reached it, Hermione came out, but she wasn't carrying an owl. Her arms were clamped tightly around the enormous ginger cat.

"You bought him? After what he tried to do to Ron's rat?" said Nightstrike with a dumbfounded expression.

"Well, he needed a good home." said Hermione.

"But you didn't care if he ate one of you're friend's pets?" said Nightstrike.

"Not the wisest decision, young lady." said Lionus. Hermione looked down. "I can understand wanting to give a pet a good home, but you really should have been more considerate about other people's pets."

"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.

"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.

"As much as I like Crookshanks, he's not all that...pretty..." said Sirius.

That was a matter of opinion, thought Harry.

"Well, at least Harry agrees with me." said Sirius with a laugh.

The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall.

"Several times." muttered Harry.

The Rangers and Dr. Clark sniggered.

Now that Scabbers was out of sight, however, the cat was purring contentedly in Hermione's arms.

"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" said Ron.

"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione.

"Maybe not to scalp, Ron. But he was after Ron's pet." said McGonagall.

"And what about Scabbers?" said Ron, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"

"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic," said Hermione, slapping the small red bottle into Ron's hand. "And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem?

"That didn't last long." said Ginny, remembering the day Ron thought he lost his rat.

Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him."

"Wonder why," said Ron sarcastically as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron.

They found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Harry!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry as he, Ron, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley with their shopping.

Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Harry saw the now familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him.

"They still haven't caught him, then?" he asked.

"No," said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely grave.

"Thank goodness." said Mr. Weasley.

"They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money -"

"I'm not to sure Sirius Black would escape from Azkaban just to be caught by a thirteen year old Gryffindor." said Lionus with a laugh.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," said Mr. Weasley, who on closer inspection looked very strained. "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, You mark my words."

"I'll unmark my words, right now." said Sirius.

At that moment Mrs. Weasley entered the bar, laden with shopping bags and followed by the twins, Fred and George, who were about to start their fifth year at Hogwarts; the newly elected Head Boy, Percy; and the Weasleys" youngest child and only girl, Ginny.

"Easily the cutest out of the lot." whispered Harry.

"I'd hope so, seeing as how the others are my brothers and mother." said Ginny with a grin.

Ginny, who had always been very taken with Harry, seemed even more heartily embarrassed than usual when she saw him, perhaps because he had saved her life during their previous year at Hogwarts.

"Spot on." she said with a smile.

She went very red and muttered "hello" without looking at him. Percy, however, held out his hand solemnly as though he and Harry had never met and said, "Harry. How nice to see you."

Percy turned red.

"Hello, Percy," said Harry, trying not to laugh.

"That's nice." said Neville with a snicker.

"I hope you're well?" said Percy pompously, shaking hands. It was rather like being introduced to the mayor.

If Percy thought he couldn't turn anymore red from embarrassment, he was sadly mistaken.

"Very well, thanks -"

"Harry!" said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy -"

"Marvelous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing."

Several laughed loudly at the twins.

Percy scowled.

"That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum!" said Fred, as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand, too. "How really corking to see you -"

"How to get grounded in less than nine syllables." said Charlie with a smirk.

"I said, that's enough," said Mrs. Weasley, depositing her shopping in an empty chair. "Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?" She pointed to the brand-new silver badge on Percy's chest. "Second Head Boy in the family!" she said, swelling with pride.

"Not the exciting news, I had in mind." muttered Harry. "The wining the lottery seemed to be more exciting."

"And last," Fred muttered under his breath.

I don't doubt that," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning suddenly. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."

"What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."

Ginny giggled.

"You want to set a better example for your sister!" snapped Mrs. Weasley.

"Well, I know what not to do, hows that for an example?" asked Ginny innocently over to her mother.

"Gunny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," said Percy loftily. "I'm going up to change for dinner..."

He disappeared and George heaved a sigh.

"We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told Harry. "But Mum spotted us."

"It told you to use me as a lookout too, Ron was making sure Bill didn't see us." said Ginny.

Dinner that night was a very enjoyable affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlor, and the seven Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses.

"He did appreciate the leaving a set of recipes behind." said Dumbledore with a smile. "That clam chowder of yours is quite the selling item."

"How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding.

"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," said Mr. Weasley.

Everyone looked up at him.

"Why?" said Percy curiously.

"It's because of you, Perce," said George seriously. "And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them-"

"- for Humongous Bighead," said Fred.

Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding.

"Didn't expect dad to laugh at that." said Fred.

"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again, in a dignified voice.

"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr. Weasley, "and as I work there, they're doing me a favor..."

His voice was casual, but Harry couldn't help noticing that Mr. Wesley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was under pressure.

"You are way too obsevant, Harry." said Mr. Weasley with a smile.

"Good thing, too," said Mrs. Weasley briskly. "Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground...You are all packed, aren't you?"

"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed."

"I didn't dump it." said Ron. "Don't know who it was, but it wasn't me."

"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table. Ron scowled at Percy.

"Well, yeah, stupid twit thought I dumped my stuff out." said Ron.

After dinner everyone felt very full and sleepy. One by one they made their way upstairs to their rooms to check their things for the next day. Ron and Percy were next door to Harry. He had just closed and locked his own trunk when he heard angry voices through the wall, and went to see what was going on.

"Still nosey." said Snape quietly.

"Why go and invade...whoever's privacy?" said Tonks.

"I learned that if I heard an argument in the Dursleys, I could mediate the damage done to me by fixing as much as I could of whatever was wrong." said Harry. "Sort of automatic."

The door of number twelve was ajar and Percy was shouting.

"It was here, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing -"

"I haven't touched it, all right?" Ron roared back.

"What's up?" asked Hannah.

"You'll find out in a few minutes." said Ginny.

"What's up?" said Harry.

"My Head Boy badge is gone," said Percy, rounding on Harry.

"Hey now, I didn't take it." said Harry.

"We want to know something." said Fred.

"With us as your brothers," said George.

"That you would even think that Ron took it." said Fred.

"So's Scabbers's Rat Tonic," said Ron, throwing things out of his trunk to look. "I think I might've left it in the bar -"

"You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" yelled Percy.

"Well he'll be there for a while, cause we had it downstairs." said Fred.

"I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed," Harry said to Ron, and he went downstairs.

Harry was halfway along the passage to the bar, which was now very dark, when he heard another pair of angry voices coming from the parlor. A second later, he recognized them as Mr. and Mrs. Weasleys". He hesitated, not wanting them to know he'd heard them arguing,

"I was going to sneak away once they would start up again." said Harry.

when the sound of his own name made him stop, then move closer to the parlor door.

"Harry! That's a private conversation!" said Emmeline

"That involved me, I'd like to know." said Harry.

"Good boy." said Lionus with a smirk.

"...makes no sense not to tell him," Mr. Weasley was saying heatedly.

"Wow, Dad never gets heated." said Bill.

"Except when you act way too stupid, and go against your own family." said Charlie, sending a dark look over to Percy.

"Harry's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. He's thirteen years old and -"

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley." said Harry with a smile.

"Arthur, the truth would terrify him!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him? For heaven's sake, he's happy not knowing!"

"I'm infinitely happier knowing what the hell is going on." said Harry.

"I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard!" retorted Mr. Weasley.

"There you go." said Harry. "Best have me being careful as opposed to me running around doing dangerous stuff."

"Not that ever stops you." said Snape with a sneer.

"You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves - they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice!

"Hey! The first time wasn't really our fault." said Ron.

But Harry mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him."

"If I was an evil son of a banshee, yeah, I guess that would have happened." said Sirius faintly.

"But he's not dead, he's fine, so what's the point -"

"It was a lucky shot?" said Sirius.

"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible.

"It takes an insane man to do the impossible." said Dr. Clark.

It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after -"

"But Harry will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts."

"About as safe as a danger magnet can be." said Harry with a kind smile.

"We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts."

"But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry -"

There was a thud on wood, and Harry was sure Mr. Weasley had banged his fist on the table.

"There's another first." muttered Bill.

"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Blacks been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: "He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts."

"He meant Peter was at Hogwarts." said Harry.

"Actually, I was talking about you." said Sirius.

Harry stared at him.

"I was dreaming about you growing up and having the time of your life, with a troop of friends following you about and raising some hell." said Sirius. "But Peter kept creepign up into my dreams and I saw him once spiriting you away from Hogwarts in the dead of night." said Sirius.

"Is that one of the reasons that you left Azkaban at that time?" asked Remus.

"That and I saw Peter in the paper. Weasley's are all in Gryffindor, meaning that he would be close to Harry, so I had to get out and nab him." said Sirius.

Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead.

"I'd rather die than see that." muttered Sirius, his eyes filled with tears.

If you ask me, he thinks murdering Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You-Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that..."

"Well we know that wasn't right, so what did you think of." said Harry.

"Getting my revenge, and wondering how you were getting on." said Sirius.

There was a silence. Harry leaned still closer to the door, desperate to hear more.

"Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right. But you're forgetting Albus Dumbledore. I don't think anything could hurt Harry at Hogwarts while Dumbledore's Headmaster. I suppose he knows about all this?"

"Not much he does know." said Mr. Weasley.

"I'm finding out I know much less than I ever dreamed." said Dumbledore faintly.

"Of course he knows. We had to ask him if he minds the Azkaban guards stationing themselves around the entrances to the school grounds. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed."

"After arguing for about four hours." said Mr. Weasley.

"How do you like that, the one reason they're there is so they can protect Harry and they end up hurting him more than anyone else the entire year." said Ron.

"Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to catch Black?"

"I'm not a fan of theirs, I believe that they should be destroyed, much like the Rangers feel." said Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore isn't fond of the Azkaban guards," said Mr. Weasley heavily. "Nor am I, if it comes to that...but when you're dealing with a wizard like Black, you sometimes have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid."

"If they save Harry -"

Harry snorted loudly.

"then I will never say another word against them," said Mr. Weasley wearily. "It's late, Molly, we'd better go up..."

Harry heard chairs move. As quietly as he could, he hurried down the passage to the bar and out of sight.

"Explains on how we didn't see anybody." said Mr. Weasley.

The parlor door opened, and a few seconds later footsteps told him that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were climbing the stairs.

The bottle of rat tonic was lying under the table they had sat at earlier.

"Fell out of my pocket." said Ron.

Harry waited until he heard Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's bedroom door close, then headed back upstairs with the bottle.

Fred and George were crouching in the shadows on the landing, heaving with laughter as they listened to Percy dismantling his and Ron's room in search of his badge.

"We've got it," Fred whispered to Harry. "We've been improving it."

The badge now read Bighead Boy.

"I didn't find it very funny." said Percy.

"But it was really funny, watching the cleaning lady come in and give you what for." said Ginny in a giggled whisper.

Harry forced a laugh, went to give Ron the rat tonic, then shut himself in his room and lay down on his bed.

"You could have told us that the Twins had my badge." said Percy.

So Sirius Black was after him. This explained everything. Fudge had been lenient with him because he was so relieved to find him alive. He'd made Harry promise to stay in Diagon Alley where there were plenty of wizards to keep an eye on him. And he was sending two Ministry cars to take them all to the station tomorrow, so that the Weasleys could look after Harry until he was on the train.

"You've been through way too much to be able to piece all those things together that quickly." said Tempest.

Harry lay listening to the muffled shouting next door and wondered why he didn't feel more scared.

Lionus and Moody looked over at the white haired lad.

Sirius Black had murdered thirteen people with one curse; Mr. and Mrs., Weasley obviously thought Harry would be panic-stricken if he knew the truth. But Harry happened to agree wholeheartedly with Mrs. Weasley that the safest place on earth was wherever Albus Dumbledore happened to be.

"Sorry to let you down." said Harry who had caught their interested gaze.

"Nonsense, you have enough sense to rely on stronger people to help you." said Moody.

Didn't people always say that Dumbledore was the only person Lord Voldemort had ever been afraid of? Surely Black, as Voldemort's right-hand man, would be just as frightened of him?

"That's logical thinking." said Lionus.

And then there were these Azkaban guards everyone kept talking about. They seemed to scare most people senseless, and if they were stationed all around the school, Black's chances of getting inside seemed very remote.

"Blew that all to hell." muttered Remus with a smirk.

No, all in all, the thing that bothered Harry most was the fact that his chances of visiting Hogsmeade now looked like zero.

"You were still worried about going to Hogsmede?" said Tonks.

"It was a freedom that I would love to have." said Harry honestly.

Nobody would want Harry to leave the safety of the castle until Black was caught; in fact, Harry suspected his every move would be carefully watched until the danger had passed.

"You make worrying about your well-being a bad thing." said McGonagall.

He scowled at the dark ceiling. Did they think he couldn't look after himself? He'd escaped Lord Voldemort three times; he wasn't completely useless...

"Such arrogance!" scoffed Snape.

"Hey!" said Sirius.

"No, he's right. I'm an arrogant prat." said Harry with a small smile. "I'm getting a bit better...at least I think I am."

"Slowly but surely." said Lionus.

"How do you know?" asked Remus.

"He gets up at the same I do, and we spar out on the grounds." said Lionus. "He gets his butt handed to him every morning."

"I still can't feel my butt since you've kicked me there." said Harry rubbing his backside and smiling.

Unbidden, the image of the beast in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent crossed his mind. What to do when you know the worst is coming...

"Explains why you looked so worn the next morning dear." said Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm not going to be murdered," Harry said out loud.

"That's the spirit, dear," said his mirror sleepily.

"So much for soundling like she cared." said Ginny. "Well, that's the end of that."

"I think dinner is more than necessary." said Dumbledore, he clapped his hands and the table full of food appeared. Ginny and Harry both stood up and walked over to where the food was and began to fill their plates.

Harry took a large helping of treacle tart when suddenly the door opened and a woman had come inside the Great Hall.

Dr. Nicodemus walked swiftly over to her and spoke to her in a hushed voice. The woman nodded and turned around. Harry was watching what was transpiring, with a highly interested look. Suddenly the woman came back but she had someone in tow. It was another woman, though she was middle aged, she was still quite a beauty. One look at her and Harry did something he hadn't done in a good while.

He fainted.

Chapter 54

Harry felt a cold cloth being placed over his forehead, and someone drapping a warm blanket over his chest. Then he heard a voice, a sweet melodious voice, from his long and almost forgotten past.

"Harry? Harry? It's time to wake up dear."

Harry's eyes fluttered open and he looked up. Above him, wearing the smile he always cherished.

Was Mrs. McFinn.

"M-Mrs.-Mrs. McFinn?" said Harry.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" said Mrs. McFinn her eyes brimming with tears.

"I'm fine now." said Harry, his voice choked. He sat up quickly and threw his arms around her neck.

"I still can't get over how big you are!" said Mrs. McFinn crying into Harry's messy locks.

"I'm sorry I didn't come and visit you." said Harry, tears falling down his face.

"It's okay honey, I understand." she whispered to him.

"Oh hey! Dr. Clark is back look!'" said Harry pulling his head back and smilng at her.

"I know dear, I was briefed before I came here by a very nice man." said Mrs. McFinn.

"That would be the chief." said Nightstrike with a smirk.

"I think Harry's had a long day, we'd better let him get some sleep." said Madam Pomfrey.

"He hasn't eaten yet though, Poppy." said Professor McGonagall.

"I'll just give him a nutritional potion, and then a sleeping potion." said Madam Pomfrey taking out two phials.

"But, I want to..." said Harry.

"We can talk in the morning sweetheart." said Mrs. McFinn. Harry stood up, finding out that they had placed him back in the bowl. "I want to talk to Dr. Clark for a bit." said Mrs. McFinn. She kissed the top of his head. "You get some sleep dear."

"Okay," said Harry witha smile. He and Ginny left with Madame Pomfrey.

"Hey...Holly." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"Sam." said Mrs. McFinn with a smile. "Where were you?"

"I don't know, I really don't know." said Dr. Clark. "But, how have you been?"

"Holding up. Trying to deal with my mother, she's still trying to get me to remarry." said Holly with small laugh. "I tried to save your apartment, and your things, but..."

"It's okay, I dont' mind. I missed you, and Harry. Harry missed you something awful though." said Sam.

"I missed him too, you as well." said Holly. She looked around. "I still can't believe all this is real, and that Harry, my Harry..."

"I know, I have a hard time almost every other second, but I'm learning." said Dr. Clark.

Sirius cleared his throat loudly, Remus groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, this is Sirius Black and..." said Sam.

Holly took a step back quickly and raised her fist, ready to slap whoever came to close.

"No! No! I was innocent! I swear!" said Sirius quickly shielding his face.

"He's right Holly! He didn't do anything!" said Sam, "They arrested the wrong guy."

It took a while to convince her to lower her hand, but she finally believed them.

"Let us change the subject, shall we?" said Dumbledore with a wide smile.

"Yeah! Uh, Sam here told us that you didn't really like living with your mother and I thought you'd like to move in with us." said Sirius excited.

"And your two's wives would be happy about this?" said Holly with a smirk.

"Uh...we...aren't married..." said Remus scratching the back of his head.

"Mmm hmmm." said Holly crossing her arms.

"Seriously, we'll behave." said Sirius crossing his heart.

"We'll see." said Holly.

"You'll have your own suite and everything!" said Sirius eagerly.

"Suite?" said Holly.

"The house is huge." said Sam. "And you'll be close to Harry."

"We'll see, but I'm finding the idea more appealing by the minute." replied Holly.

The night went on as Harry slept in the hosptial wing, whle Mrs. McFinn, like Dr. Clark, Rudolph and Leroy before her, she was brought up to speed. However they avoided Harry's death defying acts.

The next morning they all settled back into their chairs, and Harry went back to the bowl, not before giving Remus the three foot long essay early.

"Harry I'm..." said Remus.

"I know, I'm sorry too." said Harry.

"I'll leave the telling off and grounding to Sirius from now on." said Remus with a smile.

"I'd leave it to Mrs. McFinn. She was real good about dealing with me when I was bad." said Harry with a smile.

"What did she do?" said Remus.

"Sent me to my room, no dessert or cookies for snacktime, and I had to have a long talking to when I could finally come out of there."

"And that stopped you from doing something bad again?" said Seamus with a raised brow.

"You never saw her eyes when she's angry at you." said Harry, then he did a full body shiver.

"You're asking for another time out, young man." said Mrs. McFinn with a giggle.

"Who'd like to read this time?" said Madam Bones.

"I think I will." said Remus.

"Good timing." muttered Ron.

"The Dementor." read Remus aloud.

"Knew it." said Ron.

"What's that?" asked Mrs. McFinn.

"One nasty piece of work." said Harry.

Tom woke Harry the next morning with his usual toothless grin and a cup of tea.

"He brings you your tea in bed?" asked Zacharias.

"He checks to make sure I made it to bed, one morning I got up early and ran about Diagon Alley for some excercise. He sort of freaked when he didn't find me asleep. So I went about two and a half weeks without my usual excersie." said Harry.

Harry got dressed and was just persuading a disgruntled Hedwig to get back into her cage

"She was enjoying the freedom as much as I was." said Harry with a smile.

when Ron banged his way into the room, pulling a sweatshirt over his head and looking irritable.

"Good morning, Sunshine." said George.

"The sooner we get on the train, the better," he said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy..."

"Well, you did!" said Percy. "You spilled tea everywhere!"

"It was on accident! You knocked into me!" said Ron angrily.

"I've got something to tell you," Harry began, but they were interrupted by Fred and George, who had looked in to congratulate Ron on infuriating Percy again.

"It was beautiful." said Fred wiping a tear from his eye. "The shouting."

"and the phlegm flying from Percy's mouth as he talked." George

"Actually that was disgusting." said Fred.

They headed down to breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow

"That's a normal look these days." said Sirius, "You should see Remus' look in the morning."

Remus looked slowly over to him while Harry sniggered.

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!" shouted Sirius.

and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione and Ginny about a love potion she'd made as a young girl. All three of them were rather giggly.

"Girls ears only." said Hermione and Ginny, getting giggly again.

"So much for a heads up." said Harry with a smirk.

"You've had enough love potion to deal with." said Ginny.

"When was this?" asked Sirius.

"Last night, somebody had switched around a nutritional potion and a love potion." said Madam Pomfrey.

"How did that go?" asked Seamus with a smirk.

"Well, Miss Vane will not be joining us for the rest of the week, that is for sure." said McGonagall crossing her arms.

"What were you saying?" Ron asked Harry as they sat down.

"Later," Harry muttered as Percy stormed in.

"Why didn't you want to talk in front of me?" asked Percy indignantly.

His brothers and sister looked at him. "You really want us to answer that?" said Charlie.

Harry had no chance to speak to Ron or Hermione in the chaos of leaving; they were too busy heaving all their trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Hedwig and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.

"Kitty no like it in the nasty basket does it?" said George in a cutsey voice.

"It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."

"Not the best idea. Some people have rats, toads and even owls. Cats and things that are either smaller than it or with feathers don't mix." said Charlie.

"You won't," snapped Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"

He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.

"Yikes, if Crookshanks latches onto you there, he could hurt you." said Charlie.

Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.

"They're here, he said. "Harry, come on."

Mr. Weasley marched Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.

"For wanting to blend in, you guys need to work on your muggle transportation resources." said Harry shaking his head.

"In you get, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.

"Didn't want you to come running up and spiriting him away." said Mr. Weasley with an embarrased smile.

"I was on my way to Hogwarts at that point, I wasn't there."

Harry got into the back of the car and was shortly joined by Hermione, Ron, and, to Ron's disgust, Percy.

"Hate sitting next to him, he gets nausea in moving vehicles." said Ron muttering to Hermione.

The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful compared with Harry's trip on the Knight Bus.

"A rollercoaster is less eventful compared to the Knight Bus." said Dr. Clark shaking his head.

"I don't think I want to know." said Mrs. McFinn clutching Harry's arm.

The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary. though Harry noticed that they could slide through gaps that Uncle Vernon's new company car certainly couldn't have managed.

"They complained about us flying a car, when they drive right through two semi-trucks with inches to spare." said Ron shaking his head.

They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley,

"That was nice." said Mrs. McFinn with a smile.

"He's a pretty popular man around the Ministry." said Kingsley with a smile.

and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.

"Still can't believe that that bus driver never even noticed that he was skipped." said Hermione.

Mr. Weasley kept close to Harry's elbow all the way into the station.

"Good job, Arthur." said Moody.

"Right then," he said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."

"You aren't very subtle." said Tonks with a giggle.

"That's why I didn't get a job at the Auror's office." said Mr. Weasley.

"You'd be a great person to work with." said Kingsley.

Mr. Weasley strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing Harry's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity 125 that had just arrived at platform nine.

"Couldn't pull the wool over your eyes, could I?" said Mr. Weasley with a kindly smile.

With a meaningful look at Harry, he leaned casually against the barrier. Harry imitated him.

"Just going with the flow." said Harry with a smile.

In a moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three-quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train.

Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Harry. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run.

"Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Ginny caught Harry's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.

"Bet you couldn't miss something else either." muttered Charlie.

Bill elbowed his brother hard in the side.

Once the remaining Weasleys and Hermione had joined them, Harry and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig and Crookshanks in the luggage rack,

"Crookshanks didn't really like being shoved on the train." said Hermione.

then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, and finally Harry. He was embarrassed, but really quite pleased, when she gave him an extra hug.

"You always did like hugs." said Mrs. McFinn giving Harry's head a quick kiss.

"Do take care, won't you Harry?" she said as she straightened up, her eyes oddly bright.

"I was afraid I wouldn't see him again." said Mrs. Weasley as she dabbed her eyes.

Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron...no, they're not corned beef... Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are dear..."

"That year she screwed up our sandwiches." said Fred.

"It was a simple exchange of tuna and swiss with peanut butter and jelly." said George.

"Bit of a shock though," said Fred.

"When you first bite into it and you expect something sweet." said George.

"Harry," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "come over here for a moment."

He jerked his head towards a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum had to hold us back, we wanted to eavesdrop." said Fred.

"There's something I've got to tell you before you leave -" said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice.

"It's all right, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, "I already know."

"You know? How could you know?"

"I - er - I heard you and Mrs. Wesley talking last night. I couldn't help hearing," Harry added quickly. "Sorry -"

"For calling yourself arrogant, you sure like to apologize quickly." said Charlie.

Mrs. McFinn leaned away from Harry. "You call yourself, arrogant?"

"I am now." said Harry. "Ron has to sometimes tell me to get a flipping grip." said Harry with a smirk.

"That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out," said Mr. Weasley looking anxious..

"No - honestly it's OK. This way, you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on."

"He always tries to find the loophole in the rules." said Mrs. McFinn. "I told him he couldn't have a cookie before dinner. What does he do? He takes two cookies." she gave him a quick squeeze.

"And I wouldn't get paddled just once, I'd get it twice." said Harry leaning into her heavily.

"I'm getting less Harry time over here." said Sirius pouting slighly.

"Harry, you must be scared - "

Seamus scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"I'm not," said Harry sincerely. "Really," he added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving.

"Can you blame me?" said Mr. Weasley with a nevous laugh.

"Not at all." said Dumbledore. "I myself didn't want to burden him with the knowledge, I would have rather him sleep peacefully at night."

"I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, Sirius Black can't be worse than Lord Voldemort, can he?"

"He's got a point." said Remus.

"I'm aiming for better than Voldemort thank you." muttered Sirius.

"Better in what way?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You'd more likely invite me over." said Sirius.

"As long as you don't go on the carpet." said Harry with mischevious grin.

"That's it. Payback time." said Sirius, he pulled Harry out and then he and his godson could be seen wrestling about on the floor.

"Take it back!" said Sirius pulling Harry's arm back playfully.

"No!" said Harry with a laugh.

"Don't hurt him!" said Madam Pomfrey.

"Hope you aren't talking about him!" said Harry, using his leg and flipping Sirius over.

Harry quickly turned and placed both hands on Sirius' shoulders, pinning him to the floor. "I win."

Sirius grunted, " I just let you win, cause you are still weak."

"Bull." said Harry with a smirk.

"Come on Harry, quit picking on the old guy." said Remus with a smirk.

"I'll get you too." said Sirius with a scowl.

Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name, but overlooked it.

"Harry, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared, but -"

"Don't do stupid stuff." said Mr. Weasley.

"Can't promise that, I can't sleep at night without doing something stupid at least once a day." said Harry with a bright smile.

"Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, who was now shepherding the rest onto the train. "Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!"

"He's coming Molly!" said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to Harry and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice, "Listen, I want you to give me your word -"

"Here comes the promise that I'll have to keep." said Harry shaking his head.

" - that I'll be a good boy and stay in the castle?" said Harry gloomily.

"It's for your own good." said Moody.

"Not entirely," said Mr. Weasley, who looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him.

"I should have said yes to that." said Mr. Weasley looking slightly embarrassed.

"Harry, swear to me you won't go looking for Black."

Harry stared, "What!"

"I'm nuts, but not psychotic!" said Harry with a laugh.

There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut.

"Promise me, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, talking more quickly still, "that whatever happens -"

"Why would I go looking for someone I know wants to kill me?" said Harry blankly.

"Good question." said Dr. Clark.

"Swear to me that whatever you might hear -"

"Arthur, quickly!" cried Mrs. Weasley.

Steam was billowing from the train it had started to move. Harry ran to the compartment door and Ron threw it open and stood back to let him on. They leaned out of the window and waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.

"I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione as the train picked up speed.

"Talking in private on the Hogwarts Express doesn't happen all that often." said Tonks.

"Go away, Ginny," said Ron.

"Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.

"Sorry Ginny." said Ron humbly.

"It's okay, brothers are supposed to be brutes." she said with a smile.

"Not all brothers." said Percy.

"Yeah, some can be real prats." said George.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train.

"Those are the more comfortable ones anyway." said Sirius. "Your dad favored the last one in the train."

Remus smiled. And that's why I chose to sit there.

This had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window.

"What time did you get there?" whispered Harry.

"I was there at five o'clock in the morning." said Remus. "Couldn't sleep very well."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione checked on the threshold.

"Didn't want to accidentally sit in a teachers compartment." said Hermione.

The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart.

"I just wanted to take the bus, for nostalgia." said Remus with a smile.

"And the off chance you'd see Harry." said Sirius.

"That was a big part of it." said Remus.

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places.

"Couldn't afford new ones." said Remus.

"Couldn't your cousin from the eyeglass shop help you?" asked Harry.

"I had already borrowed enough from her, I didn't want to take anymore of her money." said Remus.

He looked ill and exhausted.

"Was just finishing up recuperating from the previous full moon." said Remus.

"What does that have to do with it?" asked Mrs. McFinn.

"We never told her." whispered Sirius.

"Uh, I'm a...a..." said Remus.

"He's a werewolf." said Dr. Clark with an excited voice.

"They're real?" said Mrs. McFinn gripping Harry slightly.

"They are, and don't worry, dear lady, he's absolutely harmless." said Dr. Nicodemus. "We gave him an innoculation that makes him as harmless as a baby goat."

"I think the expression is 'baby lamb'." said Nightstrike.

"Not a big fan of lambs, but my sister has a goat farm, cutest little bleaters you ever did see. My grandchildren absolutely love them." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"I still can't believe that you're a grandpa, everytime you show us your kids, I still can't believe it." said Lionus.

Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray.

Remus looked forward and stared at Harry. "I've got gray in my hair?"

Harry looked down, redfaced, "Just a little...on the top. But hey! I got you beat easily!" he said tugging his own locks.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." whispered Hermione at once.

"What the?" asked Sirius. "How do you know?"

"I used my eyes." said Hermione.

"How'd you know that?"

"It's on his case," she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string.

"Aww! You still have the case that Lily gave you." said Sirius with a smile.

"Couldn't bear to throw it away." said Remus.

The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.

"Wonder what he teaches?" said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile.

"That's obvious," whispered Hermione. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"To be perfectly honest, Miss Granger, there was two." said McGonagall with a slight smile. "Care of Magical Creatures, and Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, both of whom had lasted only one year. There were rumors that the job was jinxed.

"That rumor can be confirmed." said Dumbledore quietly.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he?

Remus smiled over to Ron.

"I'll take that back right now." said Ron with a sheepish grin.

Anyway..." he turned to Harry, "what were you going to tell us?"

Harry explained all about Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's argument and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. When he'd finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth.

"Sort of sad that they freak out more than I do." said Harry with a smirk.

She finally lowered them to say, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry...you'll have to be really, really careful. don't go looking for trouble, Harry..."

"I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds me."

"I'd love a nice quiet year." said Harry. "That'll never happen." said Harry with a smirk.

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily.

"How thick do you have to be to leave your house, at night, with a murderer on the loose?" said Snape.

"We get it Severus, it wasn't the best idea." said Flitwick shaking his head.

They were taking the news worse than Harry had expected. Both Ron and Hermione seemed to be much more frightened of Black than he was.

"No surprise there." said George.

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."

"Well, Peter Pettigrew is going to get that now." said Madam Bones.

"If we don't get him first." said Lionus with a smirk.

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too..."

"They caught me, but I wasn't there for long." said Sirius.

"I'd love to know what happened." said Snape with a low growl.

"What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly.

A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. They looked all around the compartment.

"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," said Ron, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack.

"Harry wouldn't have been able to reach it." said Ron.

"I thought you were going to knock off the short jokes." said Harry.

"Never promised that." said Ron with a smirk.

A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly.

"Someone's been naughty!" chanted Fred and George.

"Is that a Sneakoscope?" said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look.

"Yeah...mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

"That means it was working." said Mr. Weasley with smile.

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said Hermione shrewdly.

"No!

"Yes." said Charlie and Bill.

Well...I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys...but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"You could have waited till Snitch was back." said Bill. "He would have taken your stuff to him."

"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up."

He nodded toward Professor Lupin.

"Thanks for thinking of me." said Remus with a smile, he reached over and ruffled Harry's hair.

Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks, which deadened the sound, then closed the lid of the trunk on it.

Ron then screamed. "Ahhh! I touched his old socks!"

"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, sitting back down. "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."

"Way to remind him he can't go." said Sirius.

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain -"

"What about Godric Hollow?" asked Sirius. "I've never seen any Muggles there."

"There is one living on the outskirts of town." said Dumbledore. "She's been there for many years, and knows all about us. She helps the people who live there with their Muggle disguises."

"Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way. "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"

"Amen!" said Charlie happily.

"What's that?" said Hermione.

"It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything...Pepper Imps - they make you smoke at the mouth -

"What? Really?" said McFinn.

"Sirius tricked me into eating one of those. They aren't bad, but it was a bit frightening." said Dr. Clark.

and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream,

"Ooh, those sound good right now." said Ron.

Harry sent a wink over to Ginny who giggled.

and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next -"

"Now if only they could write." said Professor Sprout.

"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion,

"Which one?" asked Ron. "There's two."

"It was the Three Broomsticks, there is still some slashes in the wall left over by some of their swords." said Dumbledore.

and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain -"

Sirius snorted slightly.

"-and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.

"That's nothing new." said Hermione crossing her arms.

Hermione looked around at Harry.

"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"

"'Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."

"Didn't you want to go honey?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"Couldn't go, no one signed my permission form." said Harry.

"Where is it, I'll sign it." she said with a smile.

"I already did, he was able to go the next year." said Sirius.

"And he found a way down there that year anyway." said Remus.

"What d'you mean?" said Ron.

"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."

Ron looked horrified.

"You're not allowed to come? But - no way - McGonagall or someone will give you permission -"

"No, I will not." said McGonagall stiffly.

Harry gave a hollow laugh. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, was very strict.

"- or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle -"

"Ron!" said Hermione sharply. "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose -"

"Exactly." said Mrs. Weasley. "Not that you were going to hurt him Sirius, but..."

"I understand." said Sirius with a small smile.

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask of permission," said Harry bitterly.

"Good guess." said Professor McGonagall.

"But if we're with him," said Ron spiritedly to Hermione. "Black wouldn't dare -"

"Two thirteen year olds aren't going to stop someone from trying to kill him." said Sirius.

"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," snapped Hermione. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"

She was fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks's basket as she spoke.

"Don't you remember what happened at the pet store?" said Tonks. "Crookshanks is going to attack Ron!"

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.

"Get out of it!"

"Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.

"You really had the nerve to sound angry?" said Dr. Clark in surprise.

"It was my cat!" said Hermione.

"It was his pet! His pet he had had for over three years!" said Bill.

"He didn't have to be mean to Crookshanks." said Hermione stiffly.

"If another creature was going to eat my pet, I'd be mean to it." said Charlie.

Ron was about to answer back when Professor Lupin stirred. They watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.

"Poor baby's sleepy right after the full moon." said Sirius in a baby voice.

"You must be a younger werewolf. Pretty soon, you'll be alert and active right away." said Nightstrike.

"You look younger than I do." said Remus.

"I'm fifty-three." said Nightstrike with a smirk. "I'm older than I look."

"As am I." said Lionus. "We take a special elixer that keeps us young and active, and no, it's not Elixer of Life, being immortal would take all the fun out of life."

The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks had now settled in an empty seat, his squashed face turned towards Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket.

At one o'clock the plump witch with the food cart arrived at the compartment door.

D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly, nodding towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food."

"That was very good of you Ron." said Mrs. Weasley with a fond smile.

Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously.

"Er - Professor?" she said. "Excuse me - Professor?"

He didn't move.

"Don't worry, dear," said the witch, as she handed a large stack of cauldron cakes. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."

"I suppose he is asleep?" said Ron quietly, as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean - he hasn't died, has he?"

"That's nice." said Remus with a laugh.

"That would be freaky." said Harry, who did a full body shiver. "In a train compartment with a dead guy, who was just alive five seconds ago. Yeech!"

"No, no, he's breathing," whispered Hermione, taking the cauldron cake Harry passed her.

He might not be very good company, but Professor Lupin's presence in their compartment had its uses.

"Great, I'm being used in my sleep." said Remus with a laugh.

Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps outside in the corridor again, and their three least favorite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

"And to think, you beat out You-Know-Who." said Ron with a laugh.

Draco Malfoy and Harry had been enemies ever since they had met on their very first journey to Hogwarts. Malfoy, who had a pale, pointed, sneering face, was in Slytherin house;

Harry mouthed an apology over to Draco, who was scowling at the floor.

he played Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, the same position that Harry played on the Gryffindor team. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to exist to do Malfoy's bidding.

Draco's face changed from anger, to guilt.

They were both wide and muscly; Crabbe was taller, with a pudding-bowl haircut and a very thick neck; Goyle had short, bristly hair and long, gorilla arms.

"Well, look who it is," said Malfoy in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel."

"Well, the 'Potty' insult isn't very original." said Sirius witha snarl.

"Neither is 'Weasel'." said Charlie.

Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly.

"Fits their personalities." said Fred with laugh.

"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," said Malfoy. "Did your mother die of shock?"

"Sorry." said Draco.

"Gotta admit though." said Ginny in a whisper to her older twin brothers. "she did faint."

Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks's basket to the floor. Professor Lupin gave a snort.

"Did you wake up?" said Ron.

"Nope, went right back to sleep." said Remus.

"Who's that?" said Malfoy, taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin.

"Nice, he has a fear of grownups." said Moody with crooked smile.

"I did too, for a little while." said Harry.

"It took a while for you to warm up to us, sweetheart." said Mrs. McFinn kissing Harry's head again.

"New teacher," said Harry, who got to his feet, too, in case he needed to hold Ron back.

"He sometimes has a worse temper than I do." said Harry with a laugh.

"And that's saying something." said Ron.

"What were you saying, Malfoy?"

Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose.

"Resourceful little..." said Snape with a sneer over to Harry.

"C'mon," he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared.

Harry and Ron sat down again, Ron massaging his knuckles.

"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," he said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and -"

Ron made a violent gesture in midair.

"Ron must have been going through puberty." mumbled Dr. Clark to Remus.

"Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, "be careful..."

But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep.

"You couldn't wake him up with a million firecrackers under his pillow, a few days after the full moon." said Sirius.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.

"What?" said Charlie. "Why would the train slow down?"

"Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.

"So why're we stopping?"

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

"This wasn't the best idea that I had agreed to." said Dumbledore darkly.

Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks.

"Nearly got sent out of compartment." said Harry.

Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice from behind Harry.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

Harry felt his way back to his seat.

"D'you think we've broken down?"

"Dunno..."

"Before you ask, that was me asking if the train had broken down." said Harry.

There was a squeaking sound, and Harry saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

"Sort of hard to do on a bridge." said Hermione with a slight smile.

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Harry's legs.

"Who was in pain?" said Madam Pomfrey.

"I think the both of us." said Harry.

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry -"

"Hullo, Neville," said Harry, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak.

"There you go." said Ron with a smile. "Shows how strong he is."

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea! Sit down -"

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.

"That had to be painful." said Ernie.

"It was, I think there's still a scar." said Neville shifting in his seat.

"Be thankful no one can see it." said Harry with a laugh.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. Harry felt her pass him, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron -"

"Come in and sit down -"

"Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"

"Didn't want her to accidentally sit on me and then the lights turn on. Ron would have killed me." said Harry with a blush. "And Ginny and I would have died of embarrasment before he would have gotten the chance."

"Ouch!" said Neville.

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

"Hoarse voice, huh? Has to be Remus." said Sirius with a laugh.

Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Harry could hear movements in his corner.

None of them spoke.

"If you're frightened and an adult tells you to shut up, you shut up." said Harry with a smile.

There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames.

"One of his favorite, dramatic spells." said Sirius.

They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

"Stay where you are." he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.

But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

"Something tells me that it isn't someone selling girl scout cookies." said Lionus.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water...

Mrs. McFinn whimpered slightly. "What in the world is that?"

"That's a dementor." said Hermione, her face pale.

But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.

And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

Dumbledore's hands clenched tightly. "When I get ahold of Fudge, I'll kill him." he said.

"Why?" asked Dr. Clark.

"That thing is trying to drain that compartment of any joy that was their, and then...if it had stuck around..." said Lionus. "That is why we destroy each one we come across, there is no control of those things, they can't determine who their prey is."

"There isn't many creatures that can do that." said Percy.

"There aren't many creatures that the Ministry of Magic use." said Lionus sternly.

An intense cold swept over them all. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very heart...

Mrs. McFinn threw her arms around Harry's neck and pulled him tighter against her. Sirius tucked the blanket around him and held onto one of his hands.

Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder...

Most of the people in the Great Hall turned and looked horrified at Harry.

And then, from far away, he heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. He wanted to help whoever it was, he tried to move his arms, but couldn't...a thick white fog was swirling around him, inside him -

Suddenly, small white balls popped out of book and spun quickly about the room.

"What are those?" asked Mrs. McFinn, looking at one of the balls that floated gently infront of her.

"Scattered Shots, haven't seen those in a while." said Dr. Clark.

They entered each person's body and then light enveleoped them all.

They found themselves, shrunk to almost the size of a small child's toy and hovering over the scene that laid below them. A slightly younger Remus Lupin was pushing the Dementor back with a large blast of white light and Harry was lying on the floor, hunched in a fetal posistion.

Once Remus had slammed the door he leaned down and turned Harry over.

"Harry! Harry! Are you alright?" he said, looking anxious.

Though his voice was quiet almost like a whisper, they could hear it quite clear.

"Uncle Moony? Uncle Paddy? Grandpa? Where are you? Mum? Dad? I'm scared, where are you?"

Suddenly the balls left and they were back inside the Great Hall.

"Dang, that was a short one." said Fred.

"I don't remember saying that." said Harry.

"No, I don't think you would, dear boy." said Dumbledore with a tear running down his nose.

"So you do remember us...sort of." said Sirius with a sad smile and giving his godson's hand a small squeeze.

"Harry! Harry! Are you all right?"

Someone was slapping his face.

"Now that I remember." said Harry rubbing his cheek.

"W-what?"

Harry opened his eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking - the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have slid out of his seat onto the floor.

"That was scary, you doing that." said Ron. "Thought you were having a fit."

Ron and Hermione were kneeling next to him, and above them he could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching. Harry felt very sick; when he put up his hand to push his glasses back on, he felt cold sweat on his face.

"I'm fine now." said Harry reassuringly to the men in the bowl.

Ron and Hermione heaved him back onto his seat.

"He was sort of all floppy and limp." said Ron.

"Ron! Just say he was feeling weak!" said Hermione.

"Well, he was all floppy..." said Ron uncertainly.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.

"Yeah," said Harry, looking quickly toward the door. The hooded creature had vanished. "What happened? Where's that - that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed," said Ron, more nervously still.

"Thought you were hearing homicidal voices again." said Ron with a shrug.

Harry looked around the bright compartment. Ginny and Neville looked back at him, both very pale.

"We didn't hear what you said, we were more shaken up with that thing that came in and then you falling to the floor." said Ginny.

"But I heard screaming -"

A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.

"You think chocolate can cure anything." said Sirius shaking his head.

"Chocolate really did help in that instance." said Harry.

"Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece.

"He looked like he needed it more than anyone else." said Remus.

"Eat it. It'll help."

Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it.

"I didn't want to throw it back up." said Harry.

"What was that thing?" he asked Lupin.

"A Dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban."

"The foulest things on the planet." said Lionus.

Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."

"Not to mention send an owl to Dumbledore." said Harry with a smirk.

"It was McGonagall that I sent the owl to actually." said Remus with smirk.

He strolled past Harry and disappeared into the corridor.

"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" said Hermione, watching Harry anxiously.

"I don't get it ... what happened?" said Harry, wiping more sweat off his face.

"You saw a dementor, you fainted, simple as that." said Dean with a wary smile.

"Well - that thing - the Dementor - stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) - and you - you -"

"I thought you were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching -"

"Saw that happen to Great Uncle Gideon, after that he never woke up." said Ron shaking slightly.

"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the Dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away..."

"Well didn't you just act so cool." said Sirius with a smirk.

"It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."

"Letting a dementor on a train full of children..." snarled Dr. Nicodemus.

Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.

"But didn't any of you - fall off your seats?" said Harry awkwardly.

"No," said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though..."

Harry didn't understand. He felt weak and shivery, as though he were recovering from a bad bout of flu;

"Have you ever had the flu?" asked Remus.

"No, but Officer..." said Harry then he looked at Mrs. McFinn.

"He was a big baby." said Mrs. McFinn with a fond smile, though tears filled her eyes.

he also felt the beginnings of shame. Why had he gone to pieces like that, when no one else had?

"They didn't have the past you had, Harry." said Dumbledore sadly.

Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

"Waste of good chocolate." said Remus with sniff.

Harry took a bite and to his great surprise felt warmth spread suddenly to the tips of his fingers and toes.

"See! Chocolate has it's uses!" said Remus.

"Yeah, but he was ready to throw it back up." said Sirius.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin. "Are you all right, Harry?"

Harry didn't ask how Professor Lupin knew his name.

"I figured it was the damn scar." said Harry.

Mrs. McFinn tapped his mouth, "Watch your language dear."

"Yes, ma'am." said Harry automatically.

"Oh thank god you're here! He's been a hellion!" said Fred in a dramatic voice.

"Truly!" said George.

"Fine," he muttered, embarrassed.

They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat.

"Didn't want to lose him this year." said Neville.

It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.

"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

"Wasn't it raining?" said Dr. Clark. "Don't you postpone that for another night?"

"The boats are quite safe, and so is the lake, thanks to Octavius." said Dumbledore.

"Octavius?" asked Mrs. McFinn.

"The Giant Squid." said.

"You are never swimming in that lake." said Mrs. McFinn quickly.

"Too late." said Harry with a dry chuckle.

"All right, you three?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, Harry could only assume, by an invisible horse,

"Boy was I wrong." said Harry shaking his head.

because when they climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession.

The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. Harry felt better since the chocolate, but still weak.

"I should have given you your own chocolate bar." mused Remus.

Ron and Hermione kept looking at him sideways, as though frightened he might collapse again.

"Can you blame us?" said Hermione quietly.

As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Harry saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf him again;

Harry brought the blanket up closer to himself.

he leaned back into the lumpy seat and closed his eyes until they had passed the gates.

"That scared us, we thought you were having another fit." said Ron.

The carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle; Hermione was leaning out of the tiny window, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Hermione and Ron got out.

As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in his ear.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottorn telling the truth? You actually fainted?"

"Give me one guess." said Charlie sending a scowl over to Draco.

Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.

"I did notice something though, his pants had changed." said Harry quietly. "He didn't have that green streak up the side."

Sirius snorted.

"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, whose jaw was clenched.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly. "Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"

"Kid..." said Nightstrike. "Even one of our Captains is afraid of Dementors, don't be pushing your luck."

"Sorry." said Draco quickly.

"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.

Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare,

"I noticed that, he was quite lucky I was more worried about Harry than anything else." said Remus with a smile.

which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no - er - Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.

"I'd've taken points away from the little vermin." said Sirius.

"If the least little jab had affected me, I wouldn't have been friends with you very long." said Remus with a laugh.

Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the three of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

"I always loved how you described things, it's like looking at a painting." said Mrs. McFinn kissing the top of Harry's head again.

"Is it just me, or does he lean into her when she kisses him?" asked Sirius in a whisper.

"She was the only mother figure he had, and he was a big momma's boy." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Harry followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudytonight, when a voice called, "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!"

"That's got to be a record, not even two minutes into the castle and you're already in trouble." said Sirius. "At least James and I waited until the feast started to set off a few fireworks."

"They weren't in trouble." said McGonagall.

Harry and Hermione turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles. Harry fought his way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: Professor McGonagall had a way of making him feel he must have done something wrong.

"It's a gift." said McGonagall with slight smile.

"There's no need to look so worried - I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, Weasley."

Ron stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry and Hermione away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.

"This isn't good, if she isn't letting Ron in on it." said Fred.

Once they were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned Harry and Hermione to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train, Potter."

"Tattletale." said Sirius.

"Did you see how pale he looked? I was afraid he wasn't going to even last the train ride, much less the trip up to the castle without being carried up." said Remus.

Before Harry could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.

Harry felt himself going red in the face. It was bad enough that he'd passed out, or whatever he had done, without everyone making all this fuss.

"You're worth making a fuss over." said Sirius.

"It's embarrassing." said Harry mumbling.

"I'm fine," he said, "I don't need anything -"

"Oh, it's you, is it?" said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring this and bending down to stare closely at him. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?"

Madam Pomfrey blushed as the students and a few guests began to laugh. "Well? What am I supposed to think?"

"It was a Dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall.

They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly.

"Setting Dementors around a school," she muttered, pushing back Harry's hair and feeling his forehead. "He won't be the last one who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate -"

"I'm not delicate!" said Harry crossly.

"Of course you're not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking his pulse.

"And so it begins." said George with a laugh.

"I'll bet, that if she could get away with it, she'd keep him in the Hospital Wing." said Fred.

"He'd avoid injury that way." said Madam Pomfrey.

"What does he need?" said Professor McGonagall crisply. "Bed rest? Should he perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"

"I'm fine!" said Harry, jumping up. The thought of what Draco Malfoy would say if he had to go to the hospital wing was torture.

"And you collasping Merlin knows where is any better?" said Madam Pomfrey with her eyebrows raised.

"Well, he should have some chocolate, at the very least," said Madam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into Harry's eyes.

"I've already had some," said Harry. "Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us."

"Finally a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that has some brain cells." said Madam Pomfrey with a smirk.

"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"

"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter?" Professor McGonagall said sharply.

"Yes," said Harry.

"Not buying it." said George.

"Everytime you say you're fine, you aren't." Fred.

Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together."

Harry went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, who left for the hospital wing, muttering to herself.

"Not before taking one last look at me." said Harry.

He had to wait only a few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy about something, followed by Professor McGonagall, and the three of them made their way back down the marble staircase to the Great Hall.

"What did she want to talk to you about?" asked Lee.

It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall.

"Oh," said Hermione softly, "we've missed the Sorting!"

"Do you ever get to see a Sorting?" asked Sirius to Harry.

"Not till next year." said Harry.

New students at Hogwarts were sorted into Houses by trying on the Sorting Hat, which shouted out the House they were best suited to (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin). Professor McGonagall strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table, and Harry and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Gryffindor table. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Harry. Had the story of his collapsing in front of the Dementor traveled that fast?

"Draco helped it along." said Fred. "He shouted it when he came into the Hall."

"Got himself ten points deducted for shouting in the Hall too." said George.

He and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron, who had saved them seats.

"What was all that about?" he muttered to Harry.

Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and he broke off.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry, who only turned pink. "Well, you talk, we listen."

Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy.

"Thank you Harry." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Harry respected him.

Dumbledore looked at Harry, with a slight frown.

You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as Harry watched him beaming around at the students, he felt really calm for the first time since the Dementor had entered the train compartment.

Dumbledore reached over and patted Harry's head gently.

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious,

"That pun was intended." said Dumbledore with a chuckle.

I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

"And I was assured that there would be more than just our newest teacher on there to protect our students." said Dumbledore with frown.

He paused, and Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other.

"Gee, who could he be talking about?" asked Fred.

"It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.

Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from Harry, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively.

"I'd rather ask Snape for help." muttered Seamus.

Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

"You didn't look very happy, sir." said a third year Hufflepuff.

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause.

"Oh, come on!" said Sirius.

"Hey, in our defense, we didn't know what he was going to be like, or we would have clapping like mad." said Dean.

Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Harry among them.

"You were a hero!" said Ginny.

Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.

"I was starting to wish that I had taken your offer for a pay advance." said Remus witha smile over to Dumbledore.

"Look at Snape!" Ron hissed in Harry's ear.

Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry, who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. it was beyond anger: it was loathing. Harry knew that expression only too well; it was the look Snape wore every time he set eyes on Harry.

Sirius sent a scowl over to Snape and growled slightly.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs.

"Remember when that kelpie bit..." said Sirius.

Remus coughed and nodded towards the first years.

"Fine." said Sirius crossing his arms.

However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

"That's one full plate, Hagrid." said Tonks.

"I can handle it." said Hagrid with a large smile.

"And he does a marvelous job of it too." said Dumbledore. "I have noticed that since Hagrid has taken over the class that the average, test scores for the O.W.L's and the N.E.W.T's has gotten quite a bit higher. The examiners are quite pleased."

Hagrid blushed brightly.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular.

"We love Hagrid more than any other house, easily." said George proudly.

Harry leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.

"We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

"I'd rather have the biting book than the two years of defensive books that lie to you." said Harry.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.

"Oh, Hagrid." said Mrs. Weasley with a smile.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

"Amen!" said Ron.

"Ron! Lunch will be a while yet." said Hermione.

The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Harry, suddenly ravenous, helped himself to everything he could reach and began to eat.

"Good! You seem to have lost the weight I put on you all those years ago." said Mrs. McFinn with smile.

It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were eager for it to finish so that they could talk to Hagrid. They knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been Harry, Ron, and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid's name last year.

"And I 'ppreciate it." said Hagrid wiping a tear from his eyes.

At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and they got their chance.

"Didn't want to wait until the first class." said Harry.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as they reached the teachers' table.

"All down ter you three," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them. "Can' believe it...great man, Dumbledore...came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough...It's what I always wanted..."

"I simply thought that you were the best for the job." said Dumbledore. "I remember all the times that you gave Professor Kettleburn advice on how to deal with unicorns and thestrals. You are quite the authority." he added with a smile.

Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed them away.

"Oh come on Minerva, let them enjoy his new job with him." said Mr. Weasley with a laugh.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower, where a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress asked them, "Password?"

"Coming through, coming through!" Percy called from behind the crowd. "The new password's Fortuna Major!"

"You'd think that as Head Boy, he'd tell the Prefects and then they'd let everyone else know." said Ron shaking his head.

"Oh no," said Neville Longbottom sadly. He always had trouble remembering the passwords.

"Don't worry, I know someone else that had problem memorizing stuff, though I can't really call that a compliment or make you feel any better." said Sirius.

"Who was that?" asked Neville.

"Peter Pettigrew." said Remus.

Through the portrait hole and across the common room, the girls and boys divided toward their separate staircases. Harry climbed the spiral stair with no thought in his head except how glad he was to be back.

"Home sweet home." said Harry with a fond smile.

They reached their familiar, circular dormitory with its five four-poster beds, and Harry, looking around, felt he was home at last.

"Well that's it." said Remus putting the book down. "Who wants to read now?"

"I'll do it." said Hermione.

She walked over to where Remus was and gently took the book out of his hand. When she got back to the love seat she shared with Ron, she looked at the title and gave a slight laugh.

"Talon and Tea Leaves." said Hermione.

"If the reference to talons is what I think, we might learn the absolute truth to what happened." said Dumbledore looking at Draco sternly.

Draco took the opportunity to gaze intently down at the floor.

Chapter 55

"You comfortable, sweetie?" asked Mrs. McFinn.

"Uh huh." said Harry smiling as he laid his his on her shoulder.

"Let's see how far we can go before lunch time." said Dumbledore with a smile. "Miss Granger, if you would."

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story.

"There's a shock." said Fred.

"He's not normally funny." said George.

As they passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.

"Fainting is funny?" said Nightstrike.

"No, not really." said Ron rolling his eyes. "He was mocking Harry."

"I'd like to see him go up against a dementor." said Tempest sourly.

"It is not many people who fall victim to them so quickly, those few are the few worthy of knowing and protecting." said Firenze.

"Ignore him," said Hermione, who was right behind Harry. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it..." "Hey, Potter!" shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug.

Sirius groaned, "Too bad she isn't here to hear that. Where is she anyway?"

"Most likely trying to get rid of that stuff on her face, that's what happens when you don't follow directions with that sort of stuff. She's going to be out of commission for a little while longer." said Harry with a laugh.

"Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!"

"She looked like she was trying to catch a very slow moving moth." said Ron with a smirk.

Harry dropped into a seat at the Gryffindor table, next to George Weasley. "New third-year course schedules," said George, passing then, over. "What's up with you, Harry?"

"He looked pissed." said George.

"Walked on egg shells, we did. Till Harry finally calmed down." said Fred.

"Malfoy," said Ron, sitting down on George's other side and glaring over at the Slytherin table. George looked up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror again. "That little git," he said calmly. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?" "Nearly wet himself," said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.

Malfoy went pink.

"I wasn't too happy myself," said George. "They're horrible things, those Dementors..." "Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred. "You didn't pass out, though, did you?" said Harry in a low voice. "Forget it, Harry," said George bracingly.

"Joking didn't work, maybe explaining something will." said George.

"Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking...They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."

"Takes less than a day for some." said Sirius thoughtfully.

"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," said Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?" The only time Harry and Malfoy had faced each other in a Quidditch match, Malfoy had definitely come off worse.

"No surprise." said Sirius proudly.

Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry helped himself to sausages and fried tomatoes.

"Well, at least you were feeling better enough to eat." said McGonagall with a slight smile.

"Exactly, you always felt sick to your stomach when you were upset. The only thing we could get down your throat would be tea." said Mrs. McFinn, kissing the top of Harry's head.

Hermione was examining her new schedule. "Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," she said happily. "Hermione," said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, "they've messed up your timetable. Look - they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time."

"Well, at least Ron is becoming concerned." said Lavender.

"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall." "But look," said Ron, laughing, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And -" Ron leaned closer to the timetable, disbelieving, "look - underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"

"How on Merlin's green traveling cloak is that possible?" asked Tonks.

"I had a way." said Hermione with a smile.

"Don't be silly," said Hermione shortly. "Of course I won't be in three classes at once." "Well then -" "Pass the marmalade," said Hermione.

"Way to change the subject." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"But -" "Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my timetable's a bit full?" Hermione snapped. "I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall." Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absent-mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand.

"That cleared about a good portion of the Great Hall in a hurry." said George. "Never saw people run so fast."

"All righ'?" he said eagerly, pausing on his way to the staff table. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five getting' everthin' ready...hope it's OK...me, a teacher...hones'ly..." He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat.

"Didn' think I was still holdin' on ter it." said Hagrid sheepishly.

"Wonder what he's been getting ready?" said Ron, a note of anxiety in his voice.

"Sorry." said Ron quickly.

The Hall was starting to empty as people headed off towards their first lesson. Ron checked his schedule. "We'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there..."

"And that's with the shortcuts by the second floor to the fourth floor and us running the rest of the way." said Ron.

They finished breakfast hastily, said goodbye to Fred and George and walked back through the hall. As they passed the Slytherin table, Malfoy did yet another impression of a fainting fit. The shouts of laughter followed Harry into the Entrance Hall.

"The only people who were laughing were Slytherins." said Fred. "Not one person outside that house."

The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one. Two years at Hogwarts hadn't taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been inside North Tower before.

"Didn't really have a reason, and Filch kept the younger students out." said Harry.

"There's - got - to - be - a - short - cut," Ron panted, as they climbed the seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.

"Nothing nearby." said Fred shaking his head.

"I think it's this way," said Hermione, peering down the empty passage to the right. "Can't be," said Ron. "That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake outside the window..."

"There's a hint that Ron knew quite a bit more about the lay out of the castle then he let on about." said Neville with a smile.

Harry was watching the painting. A fat, dappled-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly. Harry was used to the subjects of Hogwarts paintings moving around and leaving their frames to visit each other, but he always enjoyed watching them.

"I shrieked when I saw that painting of the peacocks moving about this morning. I thought I had lost my mind." said Mrs. McFinn with a laugh.

"Try having a portrait of a guy chatting with you on stuff you have on the price of snake fangs." said Dr. Clark. "That threw me for a loop."

A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armour had clanked into the picture after his pony. By the look of the grass stains on his metal knees, he had just fallen off.

"He never was a very smooth rider." said Lionus with a smirk.

"And annoying to boot." said Ron. "Hang on, how do you know about him?"

"I was a student here once upon a time, a long long time ago." said Lionus. "Different name, different life."

"He's like Dumbledore, no real straight answer." said Ron shaking his head.

"Aha!" he yelled, seeing Harry, Ron and Hermione. "What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands!

"You're in a painting, we're out here. How can we be trespassing on your land?" asked Lee shaking his head

Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!"

"Few quick slices of a knife to the canvas will beat him." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Have you apologized to the Fat Lady yet?" asked Remus quietly.

"Uh...not yet, I'll do it tonight though." said Sirius looking guilty.

They watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage.

"That would have been hilarious to see." said Ernie with laugh.

But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed facedown in the grass.

Several people laughed loudly at the antics of the old knight.

"Are you all right?" said Harry, moving closer to the picture.

"He's a painting, who cares?" said Zacharias.

"Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!"

"Harry! You rogue!" shouted George.

The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn't get it out again.

"It was like watching a reenactment of the Sword in the Stone." said Harry with a smirk.

Finally, he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face. "Listen," said Harry, taking advantage of the knight's exhaustion, "we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"

"Every portrait in the castle knows where every room is, after a few hundred years, you learn quite a bit about this grand old place." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"A quest!" The knight's rage seemed to vanish instantly. He clanked to his feet and shouted, "Come follow me, dear friends,

"Is he shcizophrenic?" asked Dr. Clark.

"No, just over dramatic." said Remus.

and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!"

"Die on the way to a class?" said Ron.

"Knowing me, it'll happen." said Harry quietly.

He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady! On! On!"

"Wow, you guys went from being rogues and braggarts, to good sirs and gently lady in less than a minute." said Seamus.

"Well, he's able to adapt." said Professor Sprout, "That's one good quality."

"One of his only." muttered McGonagall.

And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left side of the frame and out of sight. They hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead. "Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!" yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines,

"I don't think that is what he was talking about." said Professor Flitwick with a giggle.

whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase.

"That was the worse part." said Harry.

Puffing loudly, Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom.

"Harry was breathing heavy too, but not nearly as hard as the rest of us." said Hermione.

"Farewell!" cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. "Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"

"Not that desperate." said Ron.

"Yeah, we'll call you," muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone mental."

The students in the Great Hall laughed loudly.

They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Ron nudged Harry and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it. "'Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher,'" Harry read. "How're we supposed to get up there?"

"Have Harry stand on your shoulders and he'll reach it." said said Dr. Clark.

As though in answer to his question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry's feet.

"I keep forgetting, what I think is an obvious solution, you do something different that's even easier." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

Everyone got quiet. "After you," said Ron, grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first.

"Chicken." said Charlie with a smile.

He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop.

"I find it cozy." said Trelawny with a distinct sniff.

"So do we." said Parvati, and Lavender.

At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle.

"Reminds me of my mother's favorite tea room." said Mrs. McFinn. "Could hardly breathe in there when I was younger."

The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups. Ron appeared at Harry's shoulder as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers. "Where is she?" Ron said.

"Waited for her entrance cue." muttered McGonagall.

A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice. "Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

"Right on time." said McGonagall.

Harry's immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect.

Dumbledore covered his mouth to hid a wide smile while several teachers coughed trying to hide their laughter.

Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.

"Yeah, I can see how that sounds like a bug." muttered Kingsley with a snicker.

"Sit, my children, sit," she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat themselves around the same round table. "Welcome to Divination," said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire.

"Over dramatizing the moment." said Ron.

"My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

"It most certainly does." said Professor Trelawney.

McGonagall rolled her eyes.

Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts.

"Can't argue with you there." said Sirius. "If you ain't got it, you ain't got it, and not many people have it."

I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you...Books can take you only so far in this field..."

"That is actually a very truthful statement." said Dumbledore. "Divination is more on feeling then actual knowledge."

At these words, both Harry and Ron glanced, grinning, at Hermione, who looked startled at the news that books wouldn't be much help in this subject.

"Poor Hermione." said Ginny soothingly.

"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings,

"What a kind way of putting it." said Dumbledore with a smile up to the blushing Divination teacher.

are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. "It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy," she said suddenly to Neville, who almost toppled off his pouf. "Is your grandmother well?" "I think so," said Neville tremulously. "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings.

"She got a cold, but nothing really all that bad." said Neville.

"Alright, so she can't get a few hits." said McGonagall to a smiling Professor Sprout.

Neville gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, "beware a red-haired man." Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her and edged her chair away from him.

"I didn't do a thing to her." said Ron quickly.

"It was George, he snuck up behind her and scared her the next day." said Lavender.

"In the second term," Professor Trelawney went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball - if we have finished with fire omens, that is.

"I remember when James learned about those, he leaned too far into the fire, and caught his bangs on fire." said Remus with a smile.

Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu.

"There's a surprise." said Sirius rolling his eyes.

I myself will lose my voice.

"That was a very nice week." mumbled McGonagall to Professor Sprout.

And around Easter, one of our number will leave us for ever."

"Well, that's ominous." said Remus.

A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it. "I wonder, dear," she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair,

"I didn't want to know what the future held for me at that point." said Lavender.

"if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?" Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney. "Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading - it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October." Lavender trembled.

"Way to dash her feeling of reassurance." said Madam Bones.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read.

"Oh my girlfriends and I love to do that!" said Mrs. McFinn excitedly. "We used to do that during our college days. I predicted my friends first child!"

"That is quite impressive." said Dumbledore with twinkling eyes.

"Well, I cannot see the aura radiating from her, it must have been coincidental." said Professor Trelawney.

You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear," - she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up, "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink." Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups when there was a tinkle of breaking china.

"The whole school knows he's clumsy, that wasn't a real prediction." said Dean in a low whisper to Seamus.

Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, "One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind...thank you..."

"Then why hand him a blue one?" asked Hermione loudly. "If you knew he was going to break it?"

"I had hoped that he would defy the road to destiny." said Professor Trelawney.

"Typical answer." muttered Hermione and McGonagall.

When Harry and Ron had had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly.

"It was Earl Grey, I hate Earl Grey." said Harry with a look of disgust on his face.

They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over. "Right," said Ron as they both opened their books at pages five and six. "What can you see in mine?"

"A cup of soggy stuff." said Sirius.

"A load of soggy brown stuff," said Harry.

"Yeah!" said Sirius happily.

The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making him feel sleepy and stupid.

"Hey now." said Sirius, his face falling.

"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom. Harry tried to pull himself together.

"Wasn't working." said Harry with a laugh.

"Right, you've got a crooked sort of cross..." He consulted Unfogging the Future. "That means you're going to have 'trials and suffering' - sorry about that -

"Aw, poor Ron." said George.

"He shouldn't have to endure hardships." said Fred.

"I go through enough trial's and suffering with the two of you." said Ron.

but there's a thing that could be the sun. Hang on...that means 'great happiness'...so you're going to suffer but be very happy..."

"Sounds like what James predicted for Peter, he was going to die unmarried and childless at twenty-four, but have seven grandchildren hanging on his legs" said Remus with a laugh.

"You need your Inner Eye tested, if you ask me," said Ron, and they both had to stifle their laughs as Professor Trelawney gazed in their direction.

"They always did like to goof off." said Professor Flitwick with a chuckle. "Boys will be boys."

"My turn..." Ron peered into Harry's teacup, his forehead wrinkled with effort. "There's a blob a bit like a bowler hat," he said. "Maybe you're going to work for the Ministry of Magic..."

"Now that the Ministry is going under some overhauling, I might just take the job, but I don't know quite yet." said Harry.

He turned the teacup the other way up. "But this way it looks more like an acorn...what's that?" He scanned his copy of Unfogging the Future. "'A windfall, unexpected gold.' Excellent, you can lend me some.

"All you have to do is ask." said Harry.

And there's a thing here," he turned the cup again, "that looks like an animal...yeah, if that was its head...it looks like a hippo...no, a sheep..." Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry let out a snort of laughter.

"She takes her job very seriously, apparently." said Sirius.

"Let me see that, my dear," she said reprovingly to Ron, sweeping over and snatching Harry's cup from him. Everyone went quiet to watch. Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise.

"Book said to do it clockwise." whispered Hermione.

"The falcon...my dear, you have a deadly enemy."

"Duh." said Seamus.

"But everyone knows that," said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her. "Well, they do," said Hermione. "Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who." Harry and Ron stared at her with a mixture of amazement and admiration. They had never heard Hermione speak to a teacher like that before.

"She was learning some bad habits from us." said Ron.

Professor Trelawney chose not to reply. She lowered her huge eyes to Harry's cup again and continued to turn it. "The club...an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup..."

"Well, I wasn't a happy child." said Harry with a smile.

"I thought that was a bowler hat," said Ron sheepishly.

"It was, till all that turning elongated that bowl part of the hat." said Hermione.

"The skull...danger in your path, my dear..."

"Another obvious prediction." muttered McGonagall.

Professor Trelawney scowled at her fellow teacher.

Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed. There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville had smashed his second cup.

"No fault of your own." said McGonagall.

Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed. "My dear boy - my poor dear boy - no - it is kinder not to say - no - don't ask me..."

"Which screams, 'ask me and I'll spill it.'" said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"What is it, Professor?" said Dean Thomas at once. Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly they crowded around Harry and Ron's table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney's chair to get a good look at Harry's cup. "My dear," Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, "you have the Grim."

Students who weren't in the Divination classroom the first time, gasped loudly.

"What's the big deal?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It's nothing good." said Mrs. McFinn as she clutched Harry to her. "I remember that from a book when I was younger.

"The what?" said Harry. He could tell that he wasn't the only one who didn't understand; Dean Thomas shrugged at him and Lavender Brown looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror.

"It's not a good sign to see, even outside a teacup." said Dumbledore with a kind smile.

"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry hadn't understood. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen - the worst omen - of death!"

"Man, dogs catch a bad rap." said Lee shaking his head.

Harry's stomach lurched. That dog on the cover of Death Omens in Flourish and Blotts - the dog in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent...

"Sorry about that." said Sirius quietly.

"It's okay, I overreacted." said Harry with a smile.

Lavender Brown clapped her hands to her mouth too. Everyone was looking at Harry, everyone except Hermione, who had gotten up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney's chair. "I don't think it looks like a Grim," she said flatly.

"Miss Granger!" said Professor Flitwick.

"Well it didn't!" said Hermione.

"That is most likely true, but..." said Dumbledore. "Minerva may hold some contempt for her, but a student should not openly disrespect a teacher in class."

"In her defense, I took that liberty with her." said Harry pointing up to Umbridge.

"She doesn't qualify, she wasn't an authentic teacher." said Remus quickly.

Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike. "You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."

"Fancy way of saying 'you don't have what it takes'." said Harry with a smile.

Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side. "It looks like a Grim if you do this," he said, with his eyes almost shut, "but it looks more like a donkey from here," he said, leaning to the left. "When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!" said Harry, taking even himself by surprise. Now nobody seemed to want to look at him.

"We couldn't." said Parvati, "it was...just..."

"I think we will leave the lesson here for today," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest voice. "Yes...please pack away your things..." Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books, and closed their bags. Even Ron was avoiding Harry's eyes.

"I couldn't either. I was...nevermind." said Ron quietly.

"Until we meet again," said Professor Trelawney faintly, "fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear," - she pointed at Neville, "you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra-hard to catch up."

"Another obvious prediction." muttered McGonagall.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione descended Professor Trelawney's ladder and the winding stair in silence, then set off for Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration lesson. It took them so long to find her classroom that, early as they had left Divination, they were only just in time.

"We got lost about three times, Sir Cadogan kept trying to lead us down the wrong way." said Harry. "He wanted us to go and help him fight some painted dragons and other things."

Harry chose a seat right at the back of the room, feeling as though he were sitting in a very bright spotlight; the rest of the class kept shooting furtive glances at him, as though he were about to drop dead at any moment.

"It was getting really annoying." said Harry.

He hardly heard what Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals),

"Well, that's a classic foreshadowing." said Sirius with a bark-like laugh.

"I'd love to have that ability." said Mrs. McFinn. "I'd love to be able to turn into a swan, that's my favorite animal."

"I can turn into a dog." said Sirius with a smile. "That's my favorite animal."

and wasn't even watching when she transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes.

"Tootsie." said Harry with fond smile.

"Really, what has got into you all today?" said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."

McGonagall blushed heavily.

Everybody's heads turned toward Harry again, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand. "Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and -" "Ah, of course," said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?" Everyone stared at her.

People in the Great Hall began to laugh loudly.

"Me," said Harry, finally. "I see," said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that." said Harry quickly.

"Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet.

"And I've told her every year that that little stunt needed to stop." said Dumbledore sternly.

Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues -" Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white.

"At least not to students." said Professor Flitwick.

She went on, more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney..."

Professor Trelawney continued to scowl at her learned comrade.

She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

"I needed to hear that." said Harry with a smile.

Hermione laughed. Harry felt a bit better. It was harder to feel scared of a lump of tea leaves away from the dim red light and befuddling perfume of Professor Trelawney's classroom. Not everyone was convinced, however. Ron still looked worried, and Lavender whispered, "But what about Neville's cup?"

"What about Neville's cup?" asked Sirius.

"It said he wasn't going to live past seventh year." said Lavender.

"You'll be fine, Mr. Longbottom." said Professor Sprout.

"I know." said Neville with a smile.

When the Transfiguration class had finished, they joined the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch. "Ron, cheer up," said Hermione, pushing a dish of stew toward him. "You heard what Professor McGonagall said." Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn't start.

"Wow, Ron must've been really upset." said Ernie.

"I dont' blame him." said Mr. Weasley giving his youngest son a kind smile.

"Harry," he said, in a low, serious voice, "You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?" "Yeah, I have," said Harry. "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'." Ron let his fork fall with a clatter.

"Yeah, after that little scene in Divination class, I wouldn't be too keen on dogs either." said Bill.

"Probably a stray," said Hermione calmly. Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad. "Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's - that's bad," he said. "My - my uncle Bilius saw one and - and he died twenty-four hours later!" "Coincidence," said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.

"Miss Granger, I think you owe Mr. Weasley an apology, you do not speak lightly of a family member's unfortunate passing." said Dumbledore calmly.

"But..." said Hermione.

"Now, Miss Granger." said Dumbledore, the twinkling in his eyes, dulling slightly.

"Sorry Ron." said Hermione.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" said Ron, starting to get angry. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"

"That they do." said Mr. Weasley, "It's a very bad omen."

"I always thought they looked cool." said Sirius with a guilty shrug.

"There you are, then," said Hermione in a superior tone.

Hermione looked down shamefully.

"They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"

"Miss Granger!" said McGonagall in shock.

"Well..." said Hermione quietly.

Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug. "I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"For some people I suppose, dear, but perhaps for some others, it's not guesswork, and they actually see what most people cannot." said Mrs. McFinn.

"I'm amazed you know so much about this kind of stuff." said Dr. Clark. "Did you ever call those psychic hotlines?"

"I'm not that stupid." said Mrs. McFinn. "I just read up on it for fun."

Dumbeldore smiled. "And yet, you have quite a large amount of knowledge about the field."

"Only the tea leaves part." said Mrs. McFinn shyly.

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" said Ron hotly. "You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly. "Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"

The twins groaned.

"That had to hurt." said George.

"That's below the belt." said Fred.

He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere. "If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"

Professor Trelawney folded her arms and looked away with a frown on her face.

She snatched up her bag and stalked away. Ron frowned after her. "What's she talking about?" he said to Harry. "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet."

"Wait, what?" asked Ernie.

"But she was, she was in there the first day." said another Hufflepuff.

Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class. Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other.

"Nothing new." said Harry rolling his eyes.

Harry walked beside them in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when he spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that he realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins.

"This won't end well." said Sirius.

"And it doesn't." said Remus shaking his head.

Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. Harry was quite sure he knew what they were talking about. Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start. "C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

"Hagrid seems so excited." said Tonks with smile.

For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest; Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Were you going to learn about thesterals?" asked Luna.

"Not that year." said Harry.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it - make sure yeh can see - now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books -"

"How?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Just stroke the spine." said Charlie, "It'll open right up."

"Like an animal?" said Mrs. McFinn. "That's adorable!"

"Not when the book bites you first." said Harry with a smile.

"How?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. "Eh?" said Hagrid. "How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.

"They really should have sold them with instructions or a spell to keep them closed when not in use." said McGonagall.

"Hasn' - hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen. The class all shook their heads.

"Only quick glances at a page or two." said Harry.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look -" He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.

"Well, that does seem simple enough, it is a sort of beast book." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"

"Mr. Malfoy..." said McGonagall.

"Sorry." said Malfoy.

"I - I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione. "Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"

"That book actually has the best knowledge of different animals and creatures." said Harry. "Though, the manager should have left instructions on how to get past the cover of the book."

"Shut up, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast and Harry wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success. "Righ' then," said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, "so - so yeh've got yer books an'...an'...now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on..." He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight. "God, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him -"

"You're father can do nothing more than any other father now." said Seamus.

"Expect he has the Minister by the wallet." said Harry.

"Not anymore." said Lionus with a smirk. "We seized half of his money."

"What?" asked Malfoy loudly.

"Any money that your father was entitled do, is gone. Now only your mother has authority to go into Gringotts and take out money." said Lionus.

"Goblins won't like that." said Bill.

"They don't have a choice, its either they cooperate, or we take back control of the security of the wizarding world's money. They choose to stay with the power they have." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry repeated. "Careful, Potter, there's a Dementor behind you -" "Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.

"I thought there really was one back there, I jumped about a foot in the air." said Harry.

Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking.

Mrs. McFinn whimpered slightly.

"That sounds like, what were they called? A hippogriff?" said Dr. Clark.

"Very good, Sam." said Dumbledore with a bright smile. "That is exactly what they are."

"Are they dangerous?" asked Mrs. McFinn holding Harry close.

"Not anymore dangerous than any other creature on this planet. You just need to be polite and you will be fine." said Harry.

Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures. "Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.

"Human nature to back up when something's charging at you." said Dean.

"Except for Harry, he tightens up and thinks of a way to stop it." said Angelina with a giggle.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?" Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant.

Harry smiled embarrasingly and turned pink. "Sorry Hagrid."

Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.

"They're kinda beautiful.." said Harry honestly.

"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer..." No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously. "Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

"Very good Hagrid." said Madam Bones, "So far your lesson is going splendidly."

"Thank you ma'am." said Hagrid his face getting pink.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson.

"Well, now. It seems that is what had happened." said Dumbledore.

Snape sent Malfoy an intense glare, but Malfoy didn't notice, he was too busy staring at his knees.

"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."

"That's an understatement." said Ron.

"Right - who wants ter go first?" Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron, and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this.

"Nah, they just like bein' intimidatin'" said Hagrid.

"No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look. "I'll do it," said Harry.

Several people groaned.

"You would volunteer." said Sirius with a small smile.

"Harry, I heard all about your dangerous little escapades, I don't want to hear about you doing anymore." said Mrs. McFinn pleading.

"Uh, how about from right now on? Cause, these things already happened." said Harry quickly.

"There's more than what I think, isn't there?" asked Sirius and Remus together.

"I don't know, how much do you know?" said Harry with a smile.

There was an intake of breath from behind him, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, "Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!"

"Oh, I don't revolve my life around tea leaves." said Harry.

"Good for you dear, for the past four years, everytime I looked it said that you were in mortal peril and I..." said Mrs. McFinn but slowly her voice faltered. "Nevermind."

Harry ignored them. He climbed over the paddock fence. "Good man, Harry!" roared Hagrid. "Right then - let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

"At Night's Rest, I've even got a stable for Buckbeak, he already loves it there." said Sirius.

"I thought that the Hippogriff known as Buckbeak was missing." said Madam Bones with an amused smile.

"Ah...well...uh...you'll see." said Sirius uncomfortably.

"Indeed I will." said Madam Bones with a smile.

He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously.

"What were you hoping for?" asked Harry with a smirk. "That he'd stampede me or thrash me about?"

"A little bit of both." said Draco quietly.

"I'll just bet." said Ron.

"Easy now, Harry," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink...Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much..."

"Just what I wanted to hear." said Harry with laugh.

Harry's eyes immediately began to water,

"That's why." said Harry.

but he didn't shut them. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Harry with one fierce orange eye. "Tha's it," said Hagrid. "Tha's it, Harry...now, bow." Harry didn't feel much like exposing the back of his neck to Buckbeak,

"Smart lad." said Moody, "But unfortunately, you have to for this situation."

but he did as he was told. He gave a short bow and then looked up. The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn't move.

"Not good." said Charlie.

"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried.

"That didn't boost my spirits, I can tell you." said Harry to Sirius.

"Don't blame you." said Sirius.

"Right - back away, now, Harry, easy does it -"

"Please tell me you don't get hurt." pleaded Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. McFinn.

"I don't." said Harry.

But then, to Harry's enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

"Don't know if Beaky was testin' you or not." said Hagrid thoughtfully.

"Well done, Harry!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right - yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

"No thanks, I can drive." said Dr. Clark holding his hands up quickly.

"You are horrible Sam." said Mrs. McFinn laughing.

Feeling that a better reward would have been to back away, Harry moved slowly toward the Hippogriff and reached out toward it. He patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it.

"Turns out, their beaks are super sensitive." said Harry. "At least to touch, they still can snap a limb in half with it."

The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.

"Big surprise." said Bill.

"Righ' then, Harry," said Hagrid. "I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!" This was more than Harry had bargained for. He was used to a broomstick; but he wasn't sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same.

"It wasn't, I still hurt sometimes." said Harry with a smile as he rubbed the inside of his leg.

"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," said Hagrid, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that..."

"Very reassuring." said Sirius trying not to smile.

Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto its back. Buckbeak stood up. Harry wasn't sure where to hold on; everything in front of him was covered with feathers.

"And he just told me not to pull on the feathers. I was doomed." said Harry shaking his head.

"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters.

"This won't end well." said Dr. Clark turning pale.

"I was fine. Just a bit startled." said Harry.

Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry, he just had time to seize the Hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upward. It was nothing like a broomstick, and Harry knew which one he preferred;

"Couldn't walk right for two days." said Harry with a smile.

the Hippogriff's wings beat uncomfortably on either side of him, catching him under his legs and making him feel he was about to be thrown off; the glossy feathers slipped under his fingers and he didn't dare get a stronger grip; instead of the smooth action of his Nimbus Two Thousand, he now felt himself rocking backward and forward as the hindquarters of the Hippogriff rose and fell with its wings.

"It does take some getting used to, but I actually really like riding Hippogriffs." said Sirius with a laugh.

Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground; this was the bit Harry had been dreading; he leaned back as the smooth neck lowered, feeling he was going to slip off over the beak, then felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground. He just managed to hold on and push himself straight again.

"Didn't notice you didn't like it." said Hagrid sheepishly.

"Good work, Harry!" roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?" Emboldened by Harry's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees.

"I should have given you Buckbeak, Glittertalon is sort o' stuck up. She don't like many people." said Hagrid scratching the back of his head.

Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry watched. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.

"Who was the one looking like that?" asked Charlie.

"Buckbeak, Malfoy was petting him wrong." said Harry.

"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to, hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it...

"Lets see you take on a troll in first year." said Fred.

"A three headed dog." said George.

"A dark lord and psycho teacher." said Fred

"Whomping Willow in your second." said George.

"A giant spider." said Fred.

"And a giant basilisk." said George.

"And the same dark lord as before." said Fred.

"I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the Hippogriff. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"

"He told you not to insult them. Clear as day, and what do you do?" said Charlie groaning and covering his eyes.

"It was your own stupid fault. And your dad, being who he is, no one else is going to question him." said Bill.

It happened in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.

"I couldn't even move, I was so much in shock." said Harry. "I expected him to try and sabotage the class, but I didn't expect him to go kamikaze on it."

"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"

"Harry's had worse, and you didn't hear him panicking." said Ernie.

"I was the only one down there, how do you know that if there was someone else with me, I wouldn't have screamed and cried?" said Harry.

Ernie looked at Harry with an unconvinced look.

"Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me - gotta get him outta here -"

"Least he's thinking clearly. It could have gone much worse. Professor Kettleburn's first class caused a mass infestation of fire-breathing salamanders on the grounds and then in the castle, it was quite a disaster." said Dumbledore.

"There wasn't a student that didn't have a burn or two." said McGonagall.

Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.

"You can't die from a gash." said Dr. Clark, "Unless you leave it untreated for a long time."

Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid. "They should sack him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.

"Give me a break." said Hannah. "It was his own stupid fault!"

"It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.

"What would have happened if they did try something?" asked Sirius.

"I'd kick their ass. I wasn't in any mood to be kind." said Harry.

They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall. "I'm going to see if he's okay!" said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase.

"That was a run?" whispered Harry quietly.

The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Ron, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower. "You think he'll be all right?" said Hermione nervously. "Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second," said Harry, who had had far worse injuries mended magically by the nurse.

"That you have. Mr. Malfoy's injuries took two seconds to heal." said Madam Pomfrey.

"Indeed?" said Professor Flitwick crossing his arms.

Malfoy looked down at the floor.

"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?" said Ron, looking worried. "Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him..." They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there.

"Wasn't hungry." muttered Hagrid.

"They wouldn't fire him, would they?" said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding. "They'd better not," said Ron, who wasn't eating either.

"Sweet Merlin! You really weren't feeling good!" said the twins together.

"I hope you ate Mr. Potter, you of all people do not need to be going without a meal." said McGonagall.

Harry didn't meet her eyes.

Harry was watching the Slytherin table. A large group including Crabbe and Goyle was huddled together, deep in conversation. Harry was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had been injured.

"He was stupid, he got hurt. Simple as that." said Dean.

"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back," said Ron gloomily. They went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given them, but all three of them kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window.

"Even Hermione was looking, that was really a shock." said Ron.

"I care about Hagrid!" said Hermione defensively.

"We know, but normally you're homework happy." said Harry.

"There's a light on in Hagrid's window," Harry said suddenly. Ron looked at his watch. "If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It's still quite early..." "I don't know," Hermione said slowly, and Harry saw her glance at him. "I'm allowed to walk across the grounds," he said pointedly. "Sirius Black hasn't got past the Dementors yet, has he?"

"But it's still a risk." said McGonagall.

"Didn't care, I wanted to know how Hagrid was doing." said Harry.

So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad to meet nobody on their way to the front doors, as they weren't entirely sure they were supposed to be out.

"Three years and you still don't know?" asked Kingsley.

"Different circumstance." said Harry.

The grass was still wet and looked almost black in the twilight. When they reached Hagrid's hut, they knocked, and a voice growled, "C'min." Hagrid was sitting in his shirtsleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid's lap. One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty getting them into focus.

"At least Hagrids gentle when he's drunk, as opposed to a mean drunk." said Fred.

"I thought you said you were going to swear off drinking." said Charlie.

"I was too upset, wasn't thinkin'." said Hagrid.

"I cannot blame you Hagrid." said Dumbledore.

"'Spect it's a record," he said thickly, when he recognized them. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before."

"You hadn't been fired Hagrid, I told you three times in my office that you still retained your job." said Dumbledore.

"You haven't been fired, Hagrid!" gasped Hermione. "Not yet," said Hagrid miserably, taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. "But's only a matter o' time, I'n't, after Malfoy..." "How is he?" said Ron as they all sat down. "It wasn't serious, was it?"

"Didn't know you cared Weasley." said Draco with a smirk.

"Didn't want your stupidity to cause Hagrid to lose his job." Ron shot back.

"Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could," said Hagrid dully, "but he's sayin' it's still agony...covered in bandages...moanin'..."

"One bandage that was on for one minute is not a grevious wound." said Madam Pomfrey.

"He's faking it," said Harry at once. "Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year.

"And that only took one night." said Harry.

"What?" said Mrs. McFinn in shock. "How...why?"

"I'll tell you later, Holly." said Dr. Clark.

Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth." "School gov'nors have bin told, o' course," said Hagrid miserably. "They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left Hippogriffs fer later...done flobberworms or summat...

"That's way too small." said Ron.

Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson's all my fault..." "It's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!" said Hermione earnestly. "We're witnesses," said Harry. "You said Hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened." "Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," said Ron.

"If I could give points, Minerva, they'd each recieve ten at least." said Professsor Flitwick.

"They'd lose them as soon as they'd earn them with all the stunts they pull." said McGonagall, trying to hide a smile.

Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug.

"Not quite, after that flying session earlier, I needed my back cracked, and that did it." said Harry with a smile.

"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," said Hermione firmly. She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it. "Ah, maybe she's right," said Hagrid, letting go of Harry and Ron, who both staggered away, rubbing their ribs.

"Just bruised ribs, I had a ointment that clears that right up...why won't I just shut up..." said Harry who looked up at the sky towards the end of his statement.

Mrs. McFinn's lip quivered.

Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. They heard a loud splash. "What's he done?" said Harry nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard. "Stuck his head in the water barrel," said Hermione, putting the tankard away.

"It sobers me up." said Hagrid, blushing as people began to laugh quietly.

Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes. "That's better," he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all.

"Beats him crying." muttered Ron.

"Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really -" Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realized he was there.

"I didn't know what was going through his head." said Harry.

"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" he roared, so suddenly that they jumped a foot in the air.

"He's never shouted at us before, it was sort of scary." said Hermione.

"YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN, YOU TWO! LETTIN' HIM!"

"If I wasn't all together sure that you were after me, that cemented it." said Harry to Sirius with a smile.

Hagrid strode over to Harry, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the door.

"Hagrid!" shouted Mrs. Weasley.

"He didn't hurt me, and once we got to the door he picked me up and carried me to the castle. It was embarrasing." said Harry.

"C'mon!" Hagrid said angrily. "I'm takin' yer all back up ter school an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"

"That's up for debate." said Harry.

"No it isn't." said the adults together.

Chapter 56

Before they had started the next chapter, they decided to eat lunch at that point.

"Harry! You didn't any vegetables." said Mrs. McFinn.

"I got a carrot." said Harry looking at his plate.

Mrs. McFinn smiled, she took the carrot off his plate. "This is a baby carrot, go try again."

"Yes ma'am." said Harry with a guilty smile.

"Well, we won't be getting away with just eating dessert for dinner, will we?" said Sirius with a chuckle.

"Well, now that our bellies are full, who would like to read?" asked Dumbledore.

"I'll do it." said Charlie.

"The Boggart in the Wardrobe"

said Charlie.

"This will be fun." said Harry as he ate his fourth carrot.

"Don't forget to eat your grapes." said Mrs. McFinn.

Remus stared at her.

"I'm making up for lost time." said Mrs. McFinn quickly with a light blush.

"I appreciate it." said Harry kissing Mrs. McFinn's cheek.

Remus crossed his arms.

"You punish, she dotes." said Sirius nudging Remus in the ribs.

Malfoy didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Harry's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle.

"He wouldn't know heroics if it peed on his leg." said Fred with a sneer.

"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"

"How much can a healed cut hurt?" said Ron.

"Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace. But Harry saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away.

"Well that way is the best way to get a girl." said Sirius shrugging.

"He's done it before too, always made sure to fall off his broom." said Remus rolling his eyes.

"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly. Harry and Ron scowled at each other; Snape wouldn't have said 'settle down' if they'd walked in late, he'd have given them detention.

"Why didn't you give him a detention?" asked Professor Sprout.

"He had a note from Madam Pomfrey." said Snape.

"I gave him no note, he was out of the Hospital Wing in less than twenty minutes." said Madam Pomfrey.

Snape turned and looked Malfoy slowly, who was staring intently at the floor.

"Well, I'm glad we had a talk about forgery." said Snape tapping his fingers.

"Never again, sir." said Malfoy quietly.

But Malfoy had always been able to get away with anything in Snape's classes; Snape was head of Slytherin House, and generally favored his own students above all others.

It was Snape's turn to look at the floor uncomfortably.

They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron, so that they were preparing their ingredients on the same table.

"Why?" asked Dean. "That always bugged me why you did that."

"It was so we could do all of his work for him and he could gloat and goad us." said Harry.

"Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm -" "Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Snape without looking up.

"Why you vicious little..." said Tonks sourly.

Ron went brick red. "There's nothing wrong with your arm," he hissed at Malfoy. Malfoy smirked across the table. "Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots."

Madam Pomfrey scowled at the fifth year. "How dare you use fake injuries to get out of doing work!"

Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's roots toward him, and began to chop them roughly, so that they were all different sizes. "Professor," drawled Malfoy, "Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir."

"Beggars can't be choosers." said Nightstrike. "You didn't want to work, suck it up."

Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair. "Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley." "But, sir -!" Ron had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding his own roots into exactly equal pieces. "Now," said Snape in his most dangerous voice.

Dumbledore and McGonagall looked at Snape sternly.

Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table at Malfoy, then took up the knife again. "And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter.

"I hope you put a stop to this." said Madam Pomfrey, getting angrier and angrier by the second.

"You know how to see into people's minds, why aren't you making him do it himself?" said Remus quickly.

"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Snape, giving Harry the look of loathing he always reserved just for him.

Mrs. McFinn stood up quickly.

"It's fine, I just shrug it off." said Harry grabbing her hand.

Harry took Malfoy's shrivelfig as Ron began trying to repair the damage to the roots he now had to use.

"You could have had mine, I would have been able to repair them." said Harry.

"Yeah, but Malfoy was watching." said Ron. "He would have whined to Snape saying that you were doing the potion wrong."

Harry skinned the shrivelfig as fast as he could and flung it back across the table at Malfoy without speaking. Malfoy was smirking more broadly than ever. "Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" he asked them quietly.

"None of your business." said Mr. Weasley quickly.

"None of your business," said Ron jerkily, without looking up. "I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. "Father's not very happy about my injury -"

"What injury?" asked Seamus.

"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury," snarled Ron. "- he's complained to the school governors. And to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know.

"Influence or money?" said Cho.

And a lasting injury like this" - he gave a huge, fake sigh -

Madam Pomfrey scoffed, "Lasting injury? Oh, if I were your mother..."

"who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again?"

"Your arm was perfectly fine!" said Madam Pomfrey irritably.

"So that's why you're putting it on," said Harry, accidentally beheading a dead caterpillar because his hand was shaking in anger,

"We were supposed to just slice it in half, not behead it." said Harry with a small smile.

"To try to get Hagrid fired." "Well," said Malfoy, lowering his voice to a whisper, "partly, Potter. But there are other benefits too. Weasley, slice my caterpillars for me."

Malfoy was still looking firmly at the ground.

A few cauldrons away, Neville was in trouble. Neville regularly went to pieces in Potions lessons; it was his worst subject, and his great fear of Professor Snape made things ten times worse. His potion, which was supposed to be a bright, acid green, had turned - "Orange, Longbottom," said Snape, ladling some up and allowing to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see.

"Severus, do we need to send you to the next teaching seminar?" asked Rivers.

Snape looked over to Rivers quickly turning pale and shook his head.

"I take it the seminars are really bad." said Sirius.

"If you aren't a very...efficient teacher, the Headmaster may send you to those, and...well...no, they are quite...unpleasent." said Professor Flitwick.

"Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one cat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?"

"I was impressed though..." said Harry.

"With what?" said Neville his eyes wide.

"That he knew exactly what happened." said Harry.

"He's gone through quite a lot of trial and error. At first he was quite abysmal at Potions." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Snape turned a faint sort of pink.

Neville was pink and trembling. He looked as though he was on the verge of tears. "Please, sir," said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put it right -" "I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," said Snape coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville.

"Severus..." said Dumbledore coldly.

"Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly." Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear.

"Miss Granger, forget the idea that you owe Professor Snape a new robe. Severus. This summer, I'm sending you to that teacher seminar." said Dumbledore, his voice like steel. "And Mr. Longbottom, I want you, after this school year is done, to tell me if he accosts you again."

"Yes sir." said Neville quietly.

Snape was white and staring blankly at Dumbledore.

"If you don't smarten up, Severus, I will most definetly send you, if you can prove to me that you will change and fast, then I will resend that order." said Dumbledore.

"Yes sir." said Snape just as quietly as Neville had been.

"Help me!" he moaned to Hermione. "Hey, Harry," said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over to borrow Harry's brass scales, "have you heard? Daily Prophet this morning - they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted."

"You're slacking." said Remus. "Why not stay in your animagus form?"

"The fleas were killing me." said Sirius quietly.

"Where?" said Harry and Ron quickly. On the other side of the table, Malfoy looked up, listening closely. "Not too far from here," said Seamus, who looked excited. "It was a Muggle who saw him. 'Course, she didn't really understand. The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hot line. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone."

"Stupid people." said Kingsley. "Should have had competent people handling the phones."

"Not too far from here ..." Ron repeated, looking significantly at Harry. He turned around and saw Malfoy watching closely. "What, Malfoy? Need something else skinned?" But Malfoy's eyes were shining malevolently, and they were fixed Harry. He leaned across the table. "Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?"

"That's nice." said Bill. "Trying to egg him onto putting him in danger."

"Yeah, that's right," said Harry offhandedly. Malfoy's thin mouth was curving in a mean smile. "Of course, if it was me," he said quietly, "I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy, I'd be out there looking for him."

Lionus looked at Draco, and rubbed his temple. "So, you'd send your schoolmate out to face a supposed mass murderer? Do we have to keep an eye on you as well?"

"No sir..." said Draco quietly.

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" said Ron roughly. "Don't you know, Potter?" breathed Malfoy, his pale eyes narrowed. "Know what?" Malfoy let out a low, sneering laugh. "Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck," he said. "Want to leave it to the Dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself."

"Lionus, I think he needs to see a counselor, he needs to get his father's poison out of his system." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Sounds like a plan." said Lionus looking at Draco.

"What are you talking about?" said Harry angrily, but at that moment Snape called, "You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's..."

"I cannot believe that you were going to go through with it." said Professor Sprout angrily.

Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, watching Neville sweat as he stirred his potion feverishly. Hermione was muttering instructions to him out of the corner of her mouth, so that Snape wouldn't see.

"Good girl!" said Nightstrike clapping loudly.

Harry and Ron packed away their unused ingredients and went to wash their hands and ladles in the stone basin in the corner. "What did Malfoy mean?" Harry muttered to Ron as he stuck his hands under the icy jet that poured from the gargoyle's mouth

"Why wouldn't you use warm water?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"It's not advisable." said Snape quietly.

"Why would I want revenge on Black? He hasn't done anything to me - yet."

"I've haven't done anything to you, but I'm going to get back at you for the stuff you've done so far these reading sessions." said Sirius with a teasing smile.

"Bring it on, old man." said Harry.

Sirius opened his mouth wide. "You just tacked on another reason." he said with a laugh.

"Watch me be frightened." said Harry.

"He's making it up," said Ron savagely. "He's trying to make you do something stupid..." The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Neville, who was cowering by his cauldron. "Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned."

"Severus!" shouted Professor Sprout.

The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat. There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then there was a small pop, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Snape's palm.

Most of the students cheered loudly.

The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown.

"I would have poured an antidote down the frog's throat if it had been poisoned." said Snape quietly.

"And the way you were acting, how was he to know about that?" said McGonagall fiercely.

"Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped the smiles from every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."

"And your proof that he helped her? Aside that you thought that Neville couldn't have done it?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the steps to the entrance hall. Harry was still thinking about what Malfoy had said, while Ron was seething about Snape. "Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!"

"It wouldn't have gone well for her." said Snape.

"Like it won't go well for you?" said Madam Pomfrey.

Hermione didn't answer. Ron looked around. "Where is she?"

"Where did you go?" asked Neville.

"I had another class to go to." said Hermione.

Harry turned too. They were at the top of the steps now, watching the rest of the class pass them, heading for the Great Hall and lunch. "She was right behind us," said Ron, frowning. Malfoy passed them, walking between Crabbe and Goyle. He smirked at Harry and disappeared.

"Slimy little toerag." muttered Charlie.

"There she is," said Harry. Hermione was panting slightly, hurrying up the stairs; one hand clutched her bag, the other seemed to be tucking something down the front of her robes.

"I was hoping you didn't notice that." said Hermione looking pink.

"If you had another class, what were you doing back with the boys?" said Tempest.

"How did you do that?" said Ron. "What?" said Hermione, joining them. "One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again." "What?" Hermione looked slightly confused. "Oh - I had to go back for something. Oh no -"

"I thought you said that you had another class to go to?" said Nightstrike.

"Don't ruin the surprise." said Hermione with a smile.

A seam had split on Hermione's bag. Harry wasn't surprised; he could see that it was crammed with at least a dozen large and heavy books. "Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Ron asked her.

"Our schedule was pretty full, didn't know what she was doing with all those extra ones." said Ron. "At the time."

"You know how many subjects I'm taking," said Hermione breathlessly. "Couldn't hold these for me, could you?" "But -" Ron was turning over the books she had handed him, looking at the covers. "You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon." "Oh yes," said Hermione vaguely, but she packed all the books back into her bag just the same. "I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving," she added, and she marched off toward the Great Hall. "D'you get the feeling Hermione's not telling us something?" Ron asked Harry.

"No more than what we weren't telling her." said Harry shrugging.

Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals.

"How do you..." said Remus with a dumbfounded look.

"Blame James." said Mrs. McFinn with a smile as she smoothed down Harry's hair.

"I told them that." said Dr. Clark.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

"I love those lessons." said Harry.

"Did you teach magical theory as well?" asked Rivers to Remus.

"Yeah, it was mostly once a week that we did that. The rest of the week was practical." said Remus.

"Excellent." said Rivers nodding with approval.

A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts class before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose.

"I won't be forgetting that year for some time." said Neville rubbing his ears.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me." Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

"Filch hates that." said Sirius.

"Remind me to ask Peeves to keep doing that." said Dumbledore coldly. "He'll be lucky to be living once I get ahold of him."

Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song. "Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin -" Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect toward the teachers.

"It's different when you're a trouble-maker just as much as he is." said Remus with a laugh.

Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling. "I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms."

"Aren't you laid back?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"Just not with me." said Harry.

"I'm getting better." said Remus meekly.

Filch was the Hogwarts caretaker, a bad-tempered, failed wizard who waged a constant war against the students and, indeed, Peeves. However, Peeves paid no attention to Professor Lupin's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry. Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand. "This is a useful little spell," he told the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely."

"Are you trying to make them into trouble makers?" asked Bill.

"Just...teaching." said Remus with a smirk.

He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, "Waddiwasi!" and pointed it at Peeves. With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

"Hmm, I think I remember Hermione using that spell once." said Fred thoughtfully.

"Cool, sir!" said Dean Thomas in amazement. "Thank you, Dean," said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. "Shall we proceed?" They set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect.

"HECK YEAH!" shouted many of the students together.

He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door. "Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back. The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in.

"I wasn't aware that you were going to take your class on a fieldtrip." said Snape with a sneer.

His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

"Well, you got your payback Neville." said Remus with a smile. Neville turned pale.

Neville went scarlet. Harry glared at Snape; it was bad enough that he bullied Neville in his own classes, let alone doing it in front of other teachers. Professor Lupin had raised his eyebrows. "I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably."

"Thank goodness, you stood up for him." said Madam Pomfrey with a disdainful sniff.

Neville's face went, if possible, even redder. Snape's lip curled, but he left, shutting the door with a snap. "Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.

"What on earth?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"Something I don't think neither you or I want to mess with." said Dr. Clark.

"Not without someone with a wand nearby anyway." said Dumbledore kindly.

"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "There's a Boggart in there."

"Nope, don't want to mess with that." said Dr. Clark.

Most people seemed to feel that this was something to worry about. Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively. "Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks - I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock.

"Yeah, that would be from James parent's house." said Sirius.

This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice." "So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?" Hermione put up her hand.

"Big surprise." said Zacharias quietly.

"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

Mrs. McFinn turned pale.

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. "So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.

"What we fear tells a lot about ourselves." said Luna.

"That it does." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"This means," said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?" Trying to answer a question with Hermione next to him, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air, was very off-putting, but Harry had a go.

"Miss Granger, he's not going to change his mind and ask you." said Dr. Nicodemus.

Hermione blushed.

"Er - because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?" "Precisely," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed.

"Sorry Harry." said Hermione softly.

"It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake - tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

Several people laughed.

'The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.

"That sort of sounds a bit difficult." said Mrs. McFinn.

"It's easier than it sounds." said McGonagall.

"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please...riddikulus!" "Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"Ridiculous?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"Yeah, the words they pick for it sort of fit the scenario." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville." The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows.

"That's how I felt too." said Neville.

"Right, Neville," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?" Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out. "I didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Professor Lupin cheerfully.

"You are so good with kids." said Tonks.

"I just don't know how to discipline them the right way." said Remus quietly.

"Sometimes you get it right, but sometimes...not so much." said Sirius.

Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape." Nearly everyone laughed.

"Not us." said Ron, Hermione and Harry.

Even Neville grinned apologetically. Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful. "Professor Snape...hmmm...Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?" "Er - yes," said Neville nervously. "But - I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either."

"Don't blame you." said Sirius, "I've met her, she can be a holy terror when you get her angry."

"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, now smiling. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?" Neville looked startled, but said, "Well...always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress...green, normally...and sometimes a fox-fur scarf." "And a handbag?" prompted Professor Lupin. "A big red one," said Neville. "Right then," said Professor Lupin. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?" "Yes," said Neville uncertainty, plainly wondering what was coming next.

"You didn't!" said Sirius with a laugh.

"I did." said Remus. "Call it Neville's payback."

"That's beautiful." said Sirius with a laugh.

"When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," said Lupin. "And you will raise your wand - thus - and cry "Riddikulus" - and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag." There was a great shout of laughter.

"That's awesome." said Nightstrike with a chuckle.

The wardrobe wobbled more violently.

"Due to the laughter, it was getting angry." said Remus.

"If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn," said Professor Lupin. "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical..." The room went quiet. Harry thought...What scared him most in the world?

"There's a short list." said Lionus.

His first thought was Lord Voldemort - a Voldemort returned to full strength.

"That would be plausible." said Dumbledore. "And completely understandable."

But before he had even started to plan a possible counterattack on a Boggart-Voldemort, a horrible image came floating to the surface of his mind...

"Your Uncle Vernon?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You know, he didn't even come to mind. I don't really fear him, I just fear his anger, and his fists and feet." said Harry thoughtfully.

A rotting, glistening hand, slithering back beneath a black cloak...a long, rattling breath from an unseen mouth...then a cold so penetrating it felt like drowning... Harry shivered, then looked around, hoping no one had noticed.

"Everybody else was too busy trying to think of something that scares them." said Harry.

Many people had their eyes shut tight. Ron was muttering to himself, "Take its legs off." Harry was sure he knew what that was about. Ron's greatest fear was spiders.

"Taking it's legs off wouldn't have made much of a difference." said Ron shaking his head.

"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin. Harry felt a lurch of fear. He wasn't ready.

"There's a first." said Neville.

How could you make a Dementor less frightening?

"There isn't a way." said Dumbledore.

But he didn't want to ask for more time; everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves.

"I felt really incompetent right there." said Harry with a smile.

"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward...Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot -" They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.

"Well done. Face your fears." said Tempest with an approving smile.

"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One - two - three - now!" A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.

"Student shouldn't fear their teachers that much." said Professor Flitwick shaking his head.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes. "R - r - riddikulus! " squeaked Neville. There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.

People screamed and howled with laughter.

There was a roar of laughter; the Boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, "Parvati! Forward!" Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising -

"Oh..." said Parvati, her eyes covered.

"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati. A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off. "Seamus!" roared Professor Lupin. Seamus darted past Parvati. Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floorlength black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face - a banshee.

"Those are real too?" said Mrs. McFinn with a horror filled look.

"Unfortunately yes." said Dumbledore.

She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Harry's head stand on end - "Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus. The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

"Good choice." said Charlie.

Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle,

"Bet that made having Scabbers around a bit difficult." said Sirius with a laugh.

then - crack!- became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before - crack! - becoming a single, bloody eyeball. "It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!" Dean hurried forward. Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab.

Mrs. McFinn picked her feet up off the floor.

"Riddikulus!" yelled Dean. There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.

"I'd use a cricket bat before I'd use a mousetrap." said Mrs. McFinn.

"Excellent! Ron, you next!" Ron leapt forward. Crack! Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly.

"Hi smaller version of Aragog." said Harry.

For a moment, Harry thought Ron had frozen. Then - "Riddikulus!" bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Harry's feet. He raised his wand, ready, but - "Here!" shouted Professor Lupin suddenly, hurrying forward. Crack!

"Hey, why didn't you give Harry a shot at it?" said Sirius. "Despite it being that Harry's Boggart would have turned into a Dementor."

"I didn't know that his Boggart was a Dementor." said Remus quietly. "I thought it would be someone else."

"Voldemort?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Yeah." said Remus.

The legless spider had vanished. For a second, everyone looked wildly around to see where it was. Then they saw a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, "Riddikulus!" almost lazily. Crack!

"That was brave of you to do that." said Sirius. "Letting everyone see that."

"I had a plan." said Remus.

"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Lupin as the Boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach. Crack! Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined. "Riddikulus!" he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter, and the Boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone.

"So you...killed that thing?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"It's a strong way of putting it, but yes." said Dumbledore.

"What harm does that thing do? Doesn't it just scare people?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"Actually, as it frightens you into a state of shock, it begins to eat away your very being, it doesn't need to draw blood to kill you." said Dumbledore calmly.

"Oh, nevermind." said Mrs. McFinn.

"Excellent!" cried Professor Lupin as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone...Let me see...five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the Boggart - ten for Neville because he did it twice...and five each to Hermione and Harry."

"Points for doing an assignment?" said Snape with a quiet sneer.

"They didn't have to do it. Some people stood in the back and didn't want to do it." said Remus.

"But I didn't do anything," said Harry. "You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry," Lupin said lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me...to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

"Well that's an easy first assignment." said Bill. "Wish I had you for a teacher."

Talking excitedly, the class left the staffroom. Harry, however, wasn't feeling cheerful. Professor Lupin had deliberately stopped him from tackling the Boggart. Why? Was it because he'd seen Harry collapse on the train, and thought he wasn't up to much? Had he thought Harry would pass out again?

"That wasn't my reason, I had a completely different one." said Remus quietly.

But no one else seemed to have noticed anything. "Did you see me take that banshee?" shouted Seamus. "And the hand!" said Dean, waving his own around. "And Snape in that hat!" "And my mummy!" "I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls?" said Lavender thoughtfully.

"You made them think you were afraid of Divination? Dear lord, no one is going to believe that! You took the bloody class when we were in school!" said Sirius with a laugh.

"Only the other teachers knew that, not the kids." said Remus.

"Clever." said Bathilda with a smile.

"That was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson we've ever had, wasn't it?" said Ron excitedly as they made their way back to the classroom to get their bags.

Remus blushed.

"He seems like a very good teacher," said Hermione approvingly.

"Seems?" said Sirius with a laugh. "Were you even paying attention in class?"

"But I wish I could have had a turn with the Boggart -" "What would it have been for you?" said Ron, sniggering. "A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?"

"Close." said Hermione remembering her third year exams.

"That's the end of that." said Charlie.

"We seem to be flying through these chapters today." said Speckerton.

"Who'd like to read next?" asked Charlie.

"Want to read with me?" asked Sirius to Harry.

"Sure." said Harry.

Sirius walked over and took the book, sat back down and turned the page.

"Oh crud." said Sirius.

"What?" asked Remus.

"Flight of the Fat Lady." said Sirius.

"You're dead." said Fred and George together to Sirius.

Chapter 57

"Get over here." said Sirius pulling Harry over to himself.

"First or second half?" said Harry.

"I'll take the last part." said Sirius.

"You'll be sorry." said Harry in sing song voice.

"Want to switch?" said Sirius. quickly.

"No take-backs." said Harry with a laugh.

In no time at all, Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favorite class.

Remus blushed.

Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin. "Look at the state of his robes," Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin passed. "He dresses like our old house elf."

"Yet he's got more talent then your whole family put together." said Neville bravely.

But no one else cared that Professor Lupin's robes were patched and frayed. His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first.

"Just imagine what being a History teacher will be like." said Dumbledore with a smile.

After Boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed:

"There's a quicker way of getting rid of those than the normal way." said Luna dreamily.

"What is that?" said Professor Sprout.

"Take a jar of strawberry jam and toss it in the opposite direction, they love it." said Luna with a smile.

"Fascinating, Miss Lovegood!" said Dumbledore with a smile. "I must test that out."

in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields,

"There aren't any of those things in here, are there?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"No, every year during the summer we have the Control of Magical Creatures department come in and take care of anything particularly harmful." said McGonagall. "Though, in the case of before Potter's second year, something very large was accidentally overlooked for many many years."

waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to Kappas, creepy. water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

"Which live in JAPAN!" said Ron loudly.

"Of course they do, who else told you otherwise." said Professor Flitwick.

Ron pointed to Snape.

Harry only wished he was as happy with some of his other classes.

"Want to switch now?" said Harry sheepishly.

"You said no take backs." said Sirius with a smile.

Worst of all was Potions. Snape was in a particularly vindictive mood these days, and no one was in any doubt why.

"God I wish I was there." said Sirius with a fond smile.

The story of the Boggart assuming Snape's shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his grandmother's clothes, had traveled through the school like wildfire.

"Do you blame the kids?" said Nightstrike with a smile.

Snape didn't seem to find it funny. His eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever.

"Sorry about that." said Remus to Neville.

"It was worth it sir." said Neville with a smile.

Harry was also growing to dread the hours he spent in Professor Trelawney's stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney's enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at him.

"That was getting annoying." said Harry shaking his head.

He couldn't like Professor Trelawney, even though she was treated with respect bordering on reverence by many of the class.

"I tried, I really tried." said Harry to Mrs. McFinn quickly.

Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown had taken to haunting Professor Trelawney's tower room at lunch times, and always returned with annoyingly superior looks on their faces, as though they knew things the others didn't.

"They were impossible to live with." said Hermione.

They had also started using hushed voices whenever they spoke to Harry, as though he were on his deathbed.

"I had to keep asking them what they were saying. Couldn't understand a word they were saying." said Harry.

Nobody really liked Care of Magical Creatures, which, after the action-packed first class, had become extremely dull.

Harry froze quickly, before he had read the line. He gulped loudly.

"Uh...can I skip a line?" said Harry quickly.

"Well, no one else can, you might be able to, but why would you?" asked Speckerton.

Sirius read the line that held Harry speechless. "Yeah, I can see why he'd pass." he said aloud.

Harry swallowed loudly, and continued on, relived that he didn't need to divulge that horrible fact.

Hagrid seemed to have lost his confidence. They were now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after flobberworms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.

"They actually are." said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I told you Hagrid that you could show them Kneazles and Nifflers."

"Didn't think that they were safe to show." said Hagrid quietly.

"Nonsense, they are perfectly safe." said Dumbledore.

"Why would anyone bother looking after them?" said Ron, after yet another hour of poking shredded lettuce down the flobberworms' throats.

"Ewww..." said Mrs. McFinn.

"Tell us about it." said Lavender.

At the start of October, however, Harry had something else to occupy him, something so enjoyable it more than made up for his unsatisfactory classes.

"I wasn't talking all the classes!" said Harry loudly. "Okay, this book sucks again."

Dumbledore smiled gently over to Harry. "Just like a cold, it has to get worse before it gets better."

The Quidditch season was approaching, and O1iver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor team, called a meeting on Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new season.

"Come on, you guys were already the best in the school." said Ernie.

"That's cause we practice." said Angelina.

There were seven people on a Quidditch team: three Chasers, whose job it was to score goals by putting the Quaffle (a red, soccer-sized ball) through one of the fifty-foot-high hoops at each end of the field; two Beaters, who were equipped with heavy bats to repel the Bludgers (two heavy black balls that zoomed around trying to attack the players); a Keeper, who defended the goal posts, and the Seeker, who had the hardest job of all, that of catching the Golden Snitch, a tiny, winged, walnut-sized ball, whose capture ended the game and earned the Seeker's team an extra one hundred and fifty points.

"Do we seriously need to go through this?" said Zacharias.

Mrs. McFinn stared at him as well as most of the adults.

"I don't know about this game." said Mrs. McFinn. "And I'm happy to learn all I can." said Mrs. McFinn.

"You'll love it." said Katie eagerly.

"No she won't." said Harry.

"If it puts you in harms way, then no, I don't like it." said Mrs. McFinn worriedly.

"Told you." said Harry.

Oliver Wood was a burly seventeen-year-old, now in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. There was a quiet sort of desperation in his voice as he addressed his six fellow team members in the chilly locker rooms on the edge of the darkening Quidditch field.

"Why is he desperate?" asked Mrs. McFinn.

"We've never won the Quidditch House cup." said Harry.

"But..." said Mrs. McFinn.

"We'll tell you about it later." said Dr. Clark.

"This is our last chance - my last chance - to win the Quidditch Cup," he told them, striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it."

"Well, isn't that dramatic." said Bill.

"Oh he gets worse." said Fred.

"Remember the book before?" said George.

"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world - injuries -

Mrs. McFinn whimpered slightly and held onto Harry's arm.

then the tournament getting called off last year." Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. "But we also know we've got the best - ruddy - team - in - the - school," he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye.

"We were pretty much backing up slowly." said George.

"We've got three superb Chasers." Wood pointed at Alicia Spinner, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell. "We've got two unbeatable Beaters." "Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred and George Weasley together, pretending to blush.

"Go figure." said Charlie.

"And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Wood rumbled, glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. "And me," he added as an afterthought. "We think you're very good too, Oliver," said George. "Spanking good Keeper," said Fred.

"Well at least you support him." said Bill.

"The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing..."

"So, I take it he thinks you can't win it without him?" said Dr. Clark.

"He's just over dramatic right now." said Harry.

Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.

"That's a surprise." said Bill.

"Oliver, this year's our year," said Fred. "We'll do it, Oliver!" said Angelina. "Definitely," said Harry. Full of determination, the team started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish Harry's wonderful vision of finally winning the huge, silver Quidditch Cup.

"It's just a trophy." said Hermione.

"No, its the trophy." said the Quidditch players of each house, plus Charlie.

Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly. "What's happened?", he asked Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in two of the best chairs by the fireside and completing some star charts for Astronomy.

"Did you get your homework done?' said Mrs. McFinn.

"Well, no. But I had it done in no time at all." said Harry.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," said Ron, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. "End of October. Halloween." "Excellent," said Fred, who had followed Harry through the portrait hole. "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets."

"What in the world are those?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"Something that's not allowed in the house." said Sirius. "Those are the only pranking items I hate."

"It all stemmed from when James tossed a bunch into the shower with him." said Remus. "It was beautiful."

"Shut up." said Sirius shortly.

Harry threw himself into a chair beside Ron, his high spirits ebbing away. Hermione seemed to read his mind.

"Sort of hard to not know that when you told us on the train you coudln't go and we were just telling you about it." said Hermione apologetically.

"Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," she said. "They're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already."

"Sighted, not cornered." said Sirius with s smirk.

"Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade," said Ron.

"Thank you, Ron." said Sirius.

"Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages -"

"That didn't work out too well." said Harry.

"Ron!" said Hermione. "Harry's supposed to stay in school -" "He can't be the only third year left behind," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall, go on, Harry -" "Yeah, I think I will," said Harry, making up his mind.

"You've got guts, you're an idiot, but you've got guts." said Bill shaking his head.

"Stranger things have happened." said Harry shrugging.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Crookshanks leapt lightly onto her lap. A large, dead spider was dangling from his mouth.

"That's...gross." said Dean.

"I thought you said the he was going to stay in your dorm?" said Dr. Clark.

"I couldn't keep him locked in my room! It just isn't right!" said Hermione.

"And when he eats Ron's pet rat, what are you going to say then?" said Lionus. with a frown.

"Does he have to eat that in front of us?" said Ron, scowling. "Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?" said Hermione.

"It's not like spiders that size can move that fast." said Ron.

Crookshanks; slowly chewed up the spider, his yellow eyes fixed insolently on Ron. "Just keep him over there, that's all," said Ron irritably, turning back to his star chart. "I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag." Harry yawned. He really wanted to go to bed, but he still had his own star chart to complete. He pulled his bag toward him, took out parchment, ink, and quill, and started work. "You can copy mine, if you like," said Ron, labeling his last star with a flourish and shoving the chart toward Harry.

"He was already dumbing down his work, might as well make it easy." said Ron shrugging.

Hermione, who disapproved of copying, pursed her lips but didn't say anything. Crookshanks was still staring unblinkingly at Ron, flicking the end of his bushy tail. Then, without warning, he pounced. "OY!" Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!"

"Well, look at that, the reason you need to keep the cat in your room." said Fred.

Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing. "Ron, don't hurt him!" squealed Hermione;

"He's trying to save his own pet." said Remus. "It's not his fault you went back on your word."

Hermione looked hurt.

the whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top - "CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers. George Weasley made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed;

"See, and you think I don't stand up for you." said George.

"Well...you never were much of a stand up for your siblings, kind of guy." said Ron looking uncomfortable.

Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw. Ron and Hermione hurried over; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail. "Look at him!" he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!"

"Like you promised to do in the first place." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" said Hermione, her voice shaking. "All cats chase rats, Ron!"

"And that's why he should stay in your dorm. Scabbers was there first." said Katie softly.

"There's something funny about that animal!" said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"

"Crookshanks is pretty smart." said Sirius.

"Yeah, and he knew what Scabbers really was though!" said Hermione.

"Oh, what rubbish," said Hermione impatiently. "Crookshanks could smell him, Ron, how else d'you think -" "That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" said Ron, ignoring the people around him, who were starting to giggle. "And Scabbers was here first, and he's ill!"

"See? And you can't seem to keep Crookshanks safetly tucked away in your dorm." said Bill.

Ron marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

Ron was still in a bad mood with Hermione next day. He barely talked to her all through Herbology, even though he, Harry, and Hermione were working together on the same Puffapod.

"Made for an awkward start to the class." said Harry.

"How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked timidly as they stripped fat pink pods from the plants and emptied the shining beans into a wooden pail.

"Now you care?" said Seamus.

"He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking," said Ron angrily, missing the pail and scattering beans over the greenhouse floor.

"Not a good idea." said Bill. "Those things can sprout the moment they hit the floor."

"What's wrong with them sprouting?" asked Mrs. McFinn.

"If they get get to their blooming stage..." said Charlie.

"They reek." said Bill.

"Careful, Weasley, careful!" cried Professor Sprout as the beans burst into bloom before their very eyes.

"And boy, did the smell bring water to our eyes." said Seamus.

They had Transfiguration next. Harry, who had resolved to ask Professor McGonagall after the lesson whether he could go into Hogsmeade with the rest, joined the line outside the class trying to decide how he was going to argue his case.

"I could have debated that for months. I wouldn't have won anyway." said Harry.

He was distracted, however, by a disturbance at the front of the line. Lavender Brown seemed to be crying. Parvati had her arm around her and was explaining something to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were looking very serious.

"This can't be good." said Sirius.

"What's the matter, Lavender?" said Hermione anxiously as she, Harry, and Ron went to join the group. "She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati whispered. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

"Oh you poor dear." said Mrs. McFinn.

"Oh," said Hermione, "I'm sorry, Lavender." "I should have known!" said Lavender tragically. "You know what day it is?" "Er -"

"Friday the thirteenth?" said Sirius.

"No, it has something to do with the last chapter." said Harry.

"The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!" The whole class was gathered around Lavender now. Seamus shook his head seriously.

"Well? Who could forget that first class?" said Seamus.

"Looks like she got another one right, Minerva." said Professor Flitwick.

"Another lucky guess." said McGonagall.

Hermione hesitated; then she said, "You - you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?" "Well, not necessarily by a fox," said Lavender, looking up at Hermione with streaming eyes, "but I was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't I?"

"Everyone dreads about their pets dying sweetie." said Mrs. McFinn soothingly.

"I worry about Hedwig sometimes when she's out too long." said Harry.

"Who's Hedwig?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"She's my pet owl." said Harry.

"You have a pet owl?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"Yeah, she's around here somewhere." said Harry.

"Oh," said Hermione. She paused again. Then - "Was Binky an old rabbit?"

"Oh, she isn't." groaned Tempes.

"It appears that she is." said Firenze.

"N - no!" sobbed Lavender. "H - he was only a baby!" Parvati tightened her arm around Lavender's shoulders. "But then, why would you dread him dying?" said Hermione. Parvati glared at her. "Well, look at it logically," said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today -" Lavender wailed loudly. "¨- and she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock -"

"MISS GRANGER!" said McGonagall.

"Well, how..." said Hermione quietly.

"Miss Granger, you do not try and use logic when someone loses a beloved pet or family member." said Dumbledore massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Don't mind Hermione, Lavender," said Ron loudly, "she doesn't think other people's pets matter very much."

"I..." said Hermione.

"Hermione, there's no fixing that." said Fred.

"Just let it go and say your sorry." said George.

Professor McGonagall opened the classroom door at that moment, which was perhaps lucky; Hermione and Ron were looking daggers at each other,

"You had no right to look at Ron like that." said Bill shortly. "He wasn't the one being insensitive."

and when they got into class, they seated themselves on either side of Harry and didn't talk to each other for the whole class.

"Again, there's something new." said Harry rolling his eyes.

Harry still hadn't decided what he was going to say to Professor McGonagall when the bell rang at the end of the lesson, but it was she who brought up the subject of Hogsmeade first.

"Well that's handy." said Tonks.

"One moment, please!" she called as the class made to leave. "As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"

"And that should have told me, there was no way in..." Harry looked at Mrs. McFinn. "...on earth that I was going to get to Hogsmede."

Neville put up his hand. "Please, Professor, I - I think I've lost -"

"Typicall Neville." said Fred.

"And that's why we love you." said George kissing Neville on the cheek.

"Get off me." said Neville.

"Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom," said Professor McGonagall. "She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave." "Ask her now," Ron hissed at Harry. "Oh. but -" Hermione began. "Go for it, Harry," said Ron stubbornly. Harry waited for the rest of the class to disappear, then headed nervously for Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Isn't going to work." said Sirius. "She never bends the rules."

"Except where Quidditch is involved." said Remus quietly.

"Yes, Potter?" Harry took a deep breath. "Professor, my aunt and uncle - er - forgot to sign my form," he said.

"Harry lied again!" said Fred in a dramatic pose.

"Harry! How could you?" said George.

Professor McGonagall looked over her square spectacles at him but didn't say anything. "So - er - d'you think it would be all right mean, will It be okay if I - if I go to Hogsmeade?"

"She won't bend the rules, not with a supposed dark wizard heading towards Hogwarts." said Tonks.

Professor McGonagall looked down and began shuffling papers on her desk. "I'm afraid not, Potter," she said. "You heard what I said. No form, no visiting the village. That's the rule." "But - Professor, my aunt and uncle - you know, they're Muggles, they don't really understand about - about Hogwarts forms and stuff," Harry said, while Ron egged him on with vigorous nods. "If you said I could go -"

"Won't change anything." said Harry.

"But I don't say so," said Professor McGonagall, standing up and piling her papers neatly into a drawer. "The form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission."

"Well, they aren't his parents and they can't even be considered guardians." said Dr. Clark.

She turned to look at him, with an odd expression on her face. Was it pity?

"It was that or annoyance, she's hard to read." said Harry in whisper.

"I'm sorry, Potter, but that's my final word. You had better hurry, or you'll be late for your next lesson." There was nothing to be done. Ron called Professor McGonagall a lot of names

"I really really REALLY sorry, Professor." said Ron. "You're right Harry, these books suck now."

"I told you!" said Harry.

that greatly annoyed Hermione; Hermione assumed an 'all-for-the-best' expression that made Ron even angrier, and Harry had to endure everyone in the class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they got into Hogsmeade.

"It was one bad day." said Harry. "Nobody was happy with anyone else."

"You didn't seem too bothered with not going." said Dr. Clark.

"I was crushed, but I could pretty much get over it." said Harry. "Sort of."

"There's always the feast," said Ron, in an effort to cheer Harry up. "You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening." "Yeah," said Harry gloomily, "great."

"Like I said, 'sort of'." said Harry shrugging. "Your turn." he handed the book over to Sirius.

"I remember the last time you said that. That was scary." said Neville.

"What?" said Harry.

"Well, the last time you said 'Your turn' was when you shocked Dumbledore back to life." said Neville.

The Hall went quiet.

"Seriously? What happened?" said Dr. Clark.

"He had a heart attack." said Madam Pomfrey softly.

"And Harry sort of shocked him, it was scary." repeated Neville.

"You used a defibulator?" said Dr. Clark in shock.

"Sort of, and then again, no." said Harry.

"I want to hear all about it later." said Dr. Clark.

The Halloween feast was always good, but it would taste a lot better if he was coming to it after a day in Hogsmeade with everyone else.

McGonagall looked slightly crestfallen.

"Woah, Harry made McGonagall look guilty again." said Fred in astonishment.

"Now, I'm really jealous." said George.

Nothing anyone said made him feel any better about being left behind. Dean Thomas, who was good with a quill, had offered to forge Uncle Vernon's signature on the form,

"After I saw his signature on his last Christmas parcel, it wouldn't have done any good. His writing is awful." said Dean.

but as Harry had already told Professor McGonagall he hadn't had it signed, that was no good.

"No way I could come back and say, 'I was just kidding! He signed it.'" said Harry with a laugh.

Ron halfheartedly suggested the Invisibility Cloak, but Hermione stamped on that one, reminding Ron what Dumbledore had told them about the Dementors being able to see through them.

"And that's why I said that." said Dumbledore.

"So you knew that the Dursley's didn't sign his slip?" said Dean.

"After Harry inflated his aunt, I thought it highly unlikely that they would be willing to sign anything. And the Minister told me Harry asked him." said Dumbledore. "He was actually smug about it, for some strange reason." he added thoughtfully.

Percy had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort.

"There's a big surprise." said Ron.

"They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be," he said seriously. "All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack's always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything."

"Dear Lord..." groaned Remus. "That's horrible."

On Halloween morning, Harry awoke with the rest and went down to breakfast, feeling thoroughly depressed, though doing his best to act normally.

"Wow, you were doing a good job of it." said Fred.

"Yeah, I mean that downcast look completely threw us off!" said George.

"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes," said Hermione, looking desperately sorry for him.

"Well, at least their looking out for you dear." said Mrs. Weasley.

"Yeah, loads," said Ron. He and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harry's difficulties.

"Which sound really petty." said Harry. "Compared to a pet being in constant danger and the...well...the difficulty of trying to having a cat around." said Harry gently.

"Don't worry about me," said Harry, in what he hoped was at, offhand voice, "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time." He accompanied them to the entrance hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going.

"The whole castle, the only third year and up left behind was Harry." said Bill. "Who else was he expecting to sneak out. They didn't even acknowledge Hogsmede in the other two books."

"Actually, there were some other people in the Dorms, they just didn't want to go." said George.

"Harry..." said Sirius slowly. "You didn't happen to sneak into Hogsmede, did you?"

"Well..." said Harry slowly.

"You never told me." said Ron.

"I...just wanted to see...how easy it was to get out of here." said Harry shrugging.

"And?" said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling.

"I gotta admit it wasn't easy." said Harry.

"It took you how long?" said Remus.

"Eight tries." said Harry. "Without magic, two with."

"That's sad." said Charlie.

"I'm impressed." said Lionus.

"Me too." said Moody.

"Staying here, Potter?" shouted Malfoy, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. "Scared of passing the Dementors?"

"Yeah, actually I never tried leaving the school that year for that reason. Well, not the ways I found out." said Harry sheepishly.

Harry ignored him and made his solitary way up the marble staircase, through the deserted corridors, and back to Gryffindor Tower. "Password?" said the Fat Lady, jerking out of a doze. "Fortuna Major," said Harry listlessly. The portrait swung open and he climbed through the hole into the common room. It was full of chattering first-and second-years, and a few older students, who had obviously visited Hogsmeade so often the novelty had worn off.

"That and they were probably broke." said Charlie.

"Harry! Harry! Hi, Harry!" It was Colin Creevey, a second year who was deeply in awe of Harry and never missed an opportunity to speak to him. "Aren't you going to Hogsmeade, Harry? Why not? Hey -" Colin looked eagerly around at his friends - "you can come and sit with us, if you like, Harry!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm still not comfortable with you, especially not since the last book, we've read." said Sirius.

"Er - no, thanks, Colin," said Harry, who wasn't in the mood to have a lot of people staring avidly at the scar on his forehead. "I - I've got to go to the library, got to get some work done." After that, he had no choice but to turn right around and head back out of the portrait hole again.

"Which sucks, I was hoping on just taking a nap." said Harry.

"What was the point of waking me up?" the Fat Lady called grumpily after him as he walked away. Harry wandered dispiritedly toward the library, but halfway there he changed his mind; he didn't feel like working. He turned around and came face-to-face with Filch, who had obviously just seen off the last of the Hogsmeade visitors. "What are you doing?" Filch snarled suspiciously.

"Walking arouind without a purpose." said Harry with a smile.

"Nothing," said Harry truthfully. "Nothing!" spat Filch, his jowls quivering unpleasantly. "A likely story! Sneaking around on your own - why aren't you in Hogsmeade buying Stink Pellets and Belch Powder and Whizzing Worms like the rest of your nasty little friends?"

"It's too bad that you can't skip over his parts." said Dumbldore with a scowl.

Harry shrugged. "Well, get back to your common room where you belong!" snapped Filch, and he stood glaring until Harry had passed out of sight. But Harry didn't go back to the common room; he climbed a staircase, thinking vaguely of visiting the Owlery to see Hedwig, and was walking along another corridor when a voice from inside one of the rooms said, "Harry?"

"Great more bodiless voices." said Zacharias.

"Not quite." said Harry with a smirk.

Harry doubled back to see who had spoken and met Professor Lupin, looking around his office door. "What are you doing?" said Lupin, though in a very different voice from Filch. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"Well, he's never out of their company." said Remus shrugging slightly.

"Hogsmeade," said Harry, in a would-be casual voice. "Ah," said Lupin. He considered Harry for a moment. "Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a Grindylow for our next lesson." "A what?" said Harry.

"You didn't know what a Grindylow was?" said Zacharias.

"I did, but I don't get invited to have a chat with a teacher, without getting a detention first." said Harry.

He followed Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.

"I was sort of waiting for it to flip me off." said Harry.

"It flipped me off before you came in, I guess it censors itself." said Remus with a smile.

"Water demon," said Lupin, surveying the Grindylow thoughtfully. "We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the Kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle." The Grindylow bared its green teeth and then buried itself in a tangle of weeds in a corner. "Cup of tea?" Lupin said, looking around for his kettle. "I was just thinking of making one." "All right," said Harry awkwardly.

"Don't blame you." said Fred.

"It's not normal to have a cup of tea with a teacher." said George.

"Though..." said Harry. "Nevermind."

"Finish it." said Sirius.

"Lockhart kept asking me in for tea." said Harry.

"Sweet lord." said Remus. "I didn't need to know that."

Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout.

"That's cheating." said Mrs. McFinn with a smile.

"Sit down," said Lupin, taking the lid off a dusty tin. "I've only got teabags, I'm afraid - but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves?" Harry looked at him. Lupin's eyes were twinkling.

"Never lost your touch for inside humor." said Sirius shaking his head.

"How did you know about that?" Harry asked. "Professor McGonagall told me," said Lupin, passing Harry a chipped mug of tea.

"Why would she tell you?" asked Colin.

"Cause of who I was to his father." said Remus.

"You're not worried, are you?" "No," said Harry. He thought for a moment of telling Lupin about the dog he'd seen in Magnolia Crescent but decided not to.

"That wouldn't have gone well for me." said Sirius.

"I would have demanded you to tell me the next time you saw the dog." said Remus quickly.

He didn't want Lupin to think he was a coward, especially since Lupin already seemed to think he couldn't cope with a Boggart.

"I was wrong." said Lupin quietly.

Something of Harry's thoughts seemed to have shown on his face, because Lupin said, "Anything worrying you, Harry?" "No," Harry lied.

"We can't consider that a lie, he always says he's fine." said George waving it off.

He drank a bit of tea and watched the Grindylow brandishing a fist at him. "Yes," he said suddenly, putting his tea down on Lupin's desk. "You know that day we fought the Boggart?" "Yes," said Lupin slowly.

"I didn't quite know where he was going with it." said Remus with an embarrassed smile.

"Why didn't you let me fight it?" said Harry abruptly. Lupin raised his eyebrows. "I would have thought that was obvious, Harry," he said, sounding surprised. Harry, who had expected Lupin to deny that he'd done any such thing, was taken aback.

"Wasn't exactly obvious why you didn't let me fight it." said Harry.

"Why?" he said again. "Well," said Lupin, frowning slightly, "I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort." Harry stared.

"That stare made me feel like an idiot." said Remus with a laugh.

Not only was this the last answer he'd expected, but Lupin had said Voldemort's name. The only person Harry had ever heard say the name aloud (apart from himself) was Professor Dumbledore.

"I didn't really care about the boggart at that poing." said Harry.

"Clearly, I was wrong," said Lupin, still frowning at Harry. "But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom. I imagined that people would panic."

"Yeah, but would the kids even know what that guy looked like? Yeah, Ron, Hermione and Harry know what he looks like, but none of the other kids." said Tonks.

"That's a good point, there are no pictures of the Voldemort, or illustrations." said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "Though the pale skin and red eyes might be a bit of a give away."

"I didn't think of Voldemort," said Harry honestly. "I - I remembered those Dementors."

"And to be honest, a dementor in a room full of kids isn't any better." said Sirius.

"I see," said Lupin thoughtfully. "Well, well...I'm impressed." He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "That suggests that what you fear most of all is - fear.

"So you fear...fear?" said Neville.

"And pink fluffy things." said Harry.

"Don't blame you." said the twins together.

Very wise, Harry." Harry didn't know what to say to that, so he drank some more tea.

"It felt really awkward." said Harry.

"So you've been thinking that I didn't believe you capable of fighting the Boggart?" said Lupin shrewdly.

"And did you think he'd be able to fend of a Voldemort Boggart?" said Sirius just as shrewdly.

"Well...no." said Remus.

"There you go." said Sirius.

"Well...yeah," said Harry. He was suddenly feeling a lot happier. "Professor Lupin, you know the Dementors -" He was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," called Lupin. The door opened, and in came Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Harry, his black eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, that doesn't look suspicious." said Ron.

"Ah, Severus," said Lupin, smiling. "Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?" Snape set down the smoking goblet, his eyes wandering between Harry and Lupin.

"I had thought that you were telling him fascinating tales of his father's past travesties." drawled Snape.

"I was just showing Harry my Grindylow," said Lupin pleasantly, pointing at the tank. "Fascinating," said Snape, without looking at it. "You should drink that directly, Lupin."

"Whatever it is, don't." squeaked a first year.

"It was fine." said Remus kindly.

"Didn't look that way to me." said Harry.

"Yes, Yes, I will," said Lupin. "I made an entire cauldronful," Snape continued. "If you need more." "I should probably have some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus."

"Were you worried about that?" said Ernie.

"Not at all," said Snape, but there was a look in his eye Harry didn't like. He backed out of the room, unsmiling and watchful. Harry looked curiously at the goblet. Lupin smiled. "Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me," he said. "I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex." He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Pity sugar makes it useless," he added, taking a sip and shuddering.

"Come on! You know he's going to ask questions about it!" said Sirius.

"Why -?" Harry began. Lupin looked at him and answered the unfinished question. "I've been feeling a bit off-color," he said. "This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it."

"The second clue." said Harry.

"What?" said Remus.

"Don't tell me..." said Sirius. "You had him figured out?"

"I had an idea..." said Harry.

"And you didn't say anything?' said Remus.

"It wasn't any of my business." said Harry

He heard a loud thumping and stomping around, he looked up and saw Umbridge thrashing about so hard that the chair was bounching around in fury.

"Do you want to do it?' asked Tempest.

"I don't want to hear it." said Nightstrike.

"Might as well let her talk." said Dumbledore darkly. "Or she'll just keep bouncing."

Nightstrike sighed and pulled the gag away from her mouth.

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS?" she shrieked. "THAT MONSTER COULD HAVE KILLED EVERYONE IN THE SCHOOL! HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED YEARS AGO!"

"That's enough out of you." said Nightstrike, he slapped her hard across the face and put the gag back on her.

"Anyway," said Harry continuing. "and from the potion smelled, and from what you said, narrowed it down to a Werewolf Relaxant potion. Or a Dragon Pox Resistance potion, though that seemed a bit unlikely." said Harry.

Professor Lupin took another sip and Harry had a crazy urge to knock the goblet out of his hands.

"Good boy." said Sirius.

"Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts," he blurted out.

"Thanks for trying to protect me." said Remus.

"Really?" said Lupin, looking only mildly interested as he took another gulp of potion.

"And you lie to me." said Harry with a smirk.

"Some people reckon -" Harry hesitated, then plunged recklessly on, "some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

"This piece of info didn't surprise me." said Remus. "That was one of the few classes he was right up there with us in the ways of grades."

Snape scoffed.

Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face. "Disgusting," he said. "Well, Harry, I'd better get back to work. See you at the feast later." "Right," said Harry, putting down his empty teacup. The empty goblet was still smoking.

"Had to be the Werewolf Relaxant." said Harry. "There you go," said Ron. "We got as much as we could carry." A shower of brilliantly colored sweets fell into Harry's lap. It was dusk, and Ron and Hermione had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind and looking as though they'd had the time of their lives.

"You know, being observant sometimes really sucks." said Harry with a smirk.

"Thanks," said Harry, picking up a packet of tiny black Pepper Imps.

"What are those like?" asked Mrs. McFinn.

"They make you breathe fire for a bit, scariest thing that ever happened to me here." said Dr. Clark with a laugh.

"What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"

"You already knew what it was like!" said Ron. "And you never told us!"

By the sound of it - everywhere. Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonko's Joke Shop, into the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot butterbeer, and many places besides. "The post office, Harry! About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!"

"But they really need to put their owl pellet box somewhere else." said George.

"Out in plain sight is just nasty." said Fred.

"Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look -"

"Ron ate most of it, there was only a sliver of it left." said Hermione.

"We think we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks -"

"An oger?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"You'd be surprised what you will see around here." said Dumbledore kindly.

"Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer, really warms you up -"

"You could have gotten it in bottles." said Dumbledore. "She sells them at the bar."

"What did you do?" said Hermione, looking anxious. "Did you get any work done?" "No," said Harry. "Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in..." He told them all about the goblet. Ron's mouth fell open. "Lupin drank it?" he gasped. "Is he mad?"

"Has to be." said Sirius with a laugh.

Hermione checked her watch. "We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape. "But if he - you know -" Hermione dropped her voice, glancing nervously around, "if he was trying to - to poison Lupin - he wouldn't have done it in front of Harry."

"What could I have done? Wave my arms and he'd be healed in a heartbeat?" said Harry. "I'm not a miracle worker."

"You could have gotten help!" said Hermione.

"And look for who? Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, Dumbledore and McGonagall were down in Hogsmede. Madam Pomfrey's office was several flights of stairs away, he'd never get help in time." said Harry.

"Yeah, maybe," said Harry as they reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.

"I can't wait for Halloween!" said Dr. Clark.

"Next Saturday, I think we will have a special sort of celebration for Halloween this year." said Dumbledore.

The food was delicious; even Hermione and Ron, who were full to bursting with Honeydukes sweets, managed second helpings of everything. Harry kept glancing at the staff table. Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did; he was talking animatedly to tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher.

"Worried about me?" said Remus with a smile.

"Do you blame me?" said Harry.

Harry moved his eyes along the table, to the place where Snape sat. Was he imagining it, or were Snape's eyes flickering toward Lupin more often than was natural?

"We were sitting at the very end of the table! How the heck did you see his eyes?" said Ron in shock.

The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading.

It had been such a pleasant evening that Harry's good mood couldn't even be spoiled by Malfoy, who shouted through the crowd as they all left the hall, "The Dementors send their love, Potter!"

"You are such a little..." said Bill.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower, but when they reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found it jammed with students.

"That's unusual." said Charlie.

"Why isn't anyone going in?" said Ron curiously. Harry peered over the heads in front of him. The portrait seemed to be closed. "Let me through, please," came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password - excuse me, I'm Head Boy -"

"That only made his work a bit tougher." said Fred.

"People just packed tighter together." said George.

And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."

"That's not a good thing." said Bill.

People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe. "What's going on?" said Ginny, who had just arrived. A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was. "Oh, my -" Hermione grabbed Harry's arm.

"It wasn't good." said Ron.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor;

"What the heck made you do that?" whispered Remus to Sirius.

"She wouldn't let me in." said Sirius. "But I went up during the last break and apologized. It took her a while to stop running away from me thought."

great chunks of it had been torn away completely. Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying toward him. "We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady." "You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice.

"Has to be Peeves." said Dr. Clark.

"That little ghost man?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"You've met him already?" said Fred hesitantly.

"He's a little charmer." said Mrs. McFinn with a smile. "He keeps bowing to me and bringing me flowers."

"Anything wrong with those flowers?" said George slowly.

"No, they were lovely red roses." said Mrs. McFinn.

"I don't believe it, Peeves has a crush on somebody." said Fred shaking his head.

It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry. "What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves's grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore.

"Well, at least he's knows when not to piss around." said Remus.

Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle. "Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing." he added unconvincingly.

"Well, maybe not a all around charmer." said Mrs. McFinn with a smile.

"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly. "Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

"You destroyed a living painting?" said Mrs. McFinn pulling Harry back towards her.

"I just cut around her!" said Sirius, "and I paid for the restoration!"

"You terrified her nonetheless." scolded McGonagall.

"And I apologized!" said Sirius.

"We told you, you were dead." said Fred.

"Who wants to read?" said Sirius quickly.

"I will." said Katie.

She took the book and sat down between her fellow chasers and read aloud.

"Grim Defeat"

said Katie.

"Oh no." said Fred and George together.

"I think we will take a break before we start. I need to send an owl." said Dumbledore standing up and walking out of the Great Hall.

"I wonder what he's going to do?" said Sirius.

"He's sending an owl to the Diggorys." said Harry sadly.

Chapter 58

Everyone waited until Dumbledore got back, two of the students however wanted to get the show on the road.

"Mr. Smith, if you ask when we are starting once more time, I'll call your parents and have you taken home." said Professor Flitwick angrily.

"The same goes for you, Miss Bulstrode." said Professor Snape sourly.

"But, why can't we just go on?" whined Millicent. "Potter's here, nothing is stopping us."

"We will wait." said Harry sternly. His eyes flashing fiercely. Ron smiled.

"Say hello to the Harry no one sees." said Ron with a smirk.

"What?" said Hermione.

"This is the way Harry is, when he doesn't act like a kid." siad Ron in a whisper. "Or when he gets cranky."

"It's going to be forever to bring the Diggory's up to speed!" whined Millicent.

"Be silent." said Harry quietly.

"But she has a point, Dumbledore is going to at least take four hours to get them up to speed." said Zacharias.

"And as a Hufflepuff, don't you agree that they deserve all the time in the world?" said Harry with a frown.

Zacharias gulped nervously at the look on Harry's face.

"So I suggest." said Harry with a strained smile, he stood up striaght, folded his arms across his chest. "That we all just patiently wait until Dumbledore gets back. Before I make you...patient..."

The other people in the Great Hall stared at Harry in shock. This was a side of him they didn't normally see. He was dark, cold and calculating, like a falcon waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"Harry dear?" said Mrs. McFinn uncertainly.

Harry turned quickly around, Remus had to blink a few times. He was back to being the, "apparently", normal Harry. He had a smile on his face and his eyes were bright green.

"Yes Mrs. McFinn?" he said with a bright smile.

"He's got split personalities, wonderful." scoffed Zacharias.

"Not really," said Harry turning back to Zacharias, the calculating look was back. "So many people want me to be their baby and an insecure child, but they've done so much to try and remove the pains of my summer, that I have no choice but to oblige them, and I'm happy to do so."

"Pains of my summer?" said Ernie.

"You should read his poems." said Ron whistling. "They're deep."

"When did you read them?" said Harry.

"You left a page out on accident." said Ron.

Suddenly the door opened, Harry turned towards the door, but this time, once he saw who had opened the door, his gaze dropped to the floor, there was no mask. Genuine remorse covered his face.

"I don't know what you wanted us here for Albus." said Amos Diggory throwing his arm around his wife.

"Amos, he's told you four times what he wants us for." said Mrs. Diggory. "Thank you for telling us about this Albus. Sorry we didn't come sooner."

"Quite alright." said Albus with sympathetic smile. "I thought that now would have been the better time to have you begin sitting in on these readings."

"Why is that?" said Amos.

"Your son is mentioned." said Dumbledore sadly.

The Diggorys went silent.

"Ced? Cedric is in this book?" said Amos Diggory weakly.

Amos Diggory looked over to Harry, who looked fixedly down at the ground.

"Sit down, sweetheart." said Mrs. McFinn. "What's wrong?"

"Their son died last year." said Sirius. "Harry watched him be murdered."

"Oh...Harry." said Mrs. McFinn giving Harry a tight hug.

"Mrs. Diggory, Mr. Diggory, please have a seat. Harry, you too." said Dumbledore.

Mr. Diggory looked up at the boy quickly, he had a frown on his face, but even that faltered when he saw a tear fall down Harry's face.

"Miss Bell, if you please." said Dumbledore.

Katie cleared her throat and picked up the book.

Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where they were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.

"What happened?" asked Mrs. Diggory.

"It was the year that I had escaped from Azkaban." said Sirius leaning forward.

Mrs. Diggory shrieked and her husband jumped up and raised his wand. Remus disarmed him quickly.

"He's innocent Amos, it's already been proven." said Madam Bones.

The Diggorys stared at her in shock, but they slowly settled back down into their chairs.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here.

"Big open area, with openings in the ceiling, and you find this place safe?" said Lionus with wide eyes.

"Try getting in when he doesn't want you in here." said Harry with a smile.

"We'll let you give it a shot tonight then." said Dumbledore with a faint smile.

I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge.

"And how are they to protect the students against a murderer?" asked Amos quickly.

"There was a charm on the entrances to the Hall, he only said that to make them feel important and needed." drawled Snape.

Percy turned pink.

Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing..."

One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.

"Those were the most comfortable sleeping bags I ever slept in." said Dean to Seamus.

"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.

"After Black got in the castle and sliced up a painting? You're nuts." said Fred with a smile.

The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"Yeah, right. No one is going to talk. That's a wish that's never going to come true." said George rolling his eyes.

"C'mon," Ron said to Harry and Hermione; they seized three sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Ron.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as they climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower..."

"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here."

Hermione shuddered.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" asked Bill to Harry.

"I was thinking." said Harry.

"About what?" said Charlie.

"Everything that happened." said Harry.

All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get in?"

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Almost everyone over seventeen knows how to Apparate, despite not wishing to use the skills doesn't mean that you aren't required to learn how to do it." said Harry.

"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.

"He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.

"And then straight into a dementor." said Remus.

"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to Harry and Ron.

"Probably," said Ron. "Why?"

"You didn't say Harry read it!" said Hermione.

"I said 'probably' not 'yes'." said Ron.

"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," said Hermione. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth.

"You can get in with stealth, just isn't easy." said Harry shrugging.

You can't just Apparate in here.

"Not all together true." said Harry. "If the Headmaster allows a certain part of the castle to be a Apparation point, then you can, and you apparate in during an electrical storm."

"Really?" asked Professor Flitwick.

"Yeah, the only downside is, you have to arrive the time and place of an electirical strike. You miss, you get splinched." said Harry.

"What's..." said Mrs. McFinn.

"Don't ask, Holly." said Dr. Clark. "I've already asked, I regret it already."

And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors.

Sirius smiled, stood up and changed into his canine form, then back again. "Hows that?" he asked Hermione with a smile.

Hermione looked down with a guilty smile.

They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered..."

"He doesn't know them all." said Sirius, Remus, Fred and George each had a bright smile.

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars.

"I could hardly sleep under that sky. It's way too awesome to sleep under." said Harry.

What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Harry felt as though he were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

"I always loved how you described things." said Mrs. McfFinn with a smile.

Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quiet.

"So...I'm guessing...you didn't sleep." said Remus.

"Not on a bit." said Harry.

Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep,

"Except for Harry." said Fred.

Professor Dumbledore came in. Harry watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking.

"It was hilarious watching Percy crawling on the ground on his stomach." said George.

Percy was only a short way away from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who quickly pretended to be asleep as Dumbledore's footsteps drew nearer.

"Plenty of practice," said George. "Mom likes to do bed checks when company's over."

"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything under control, sir."

"Except for the brats who can't sleep." said Snape quietly.

"I'd tell you off, but I was thinking the same thing." said Sirius with laugh.

Snape growled.

"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?"

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked.

"You need to work on that anger issue problem." said Remus thoughtfully.

She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr Filch restore her."

Harry heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.

"Headmaster?" It was Snape. Harry kept quite still, listening hard.

"A compliment? Once again, he gives you credit to your abilities, Severus." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"How is that a compliment?" he asked.

"He froze, so you wouldn't notice him. He didn't even feign turning over in his sleep." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched..."

"Where the hell were you?" asked Bill.

"I left through an old passageway." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.

Harry raised his head very slightly off his arms to free his other ear.

"I was interested to know another way out of the castle." said Harry.

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."

"I never thought about that one particular way in. Foolish of me to dismiss it." said Dumbledore sadly. "Making your way to the castle is only just a simple matter."

"Wasn't the tree one that I used." said Sirius quietly.

Harry opened his eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; Dumbledore's back was to him, but he could see Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snape's profile, which looked angry.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before - ah - the start of term?" said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.

"Don't blame you, he has a big mouth." said Bill with a smirk.

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

"It seems - almost impossible - that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed -"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply. "I must go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"How do you talk to them?" asked Dr. Clark looking apprehensive.

"They have a keeper, when a massive amount of them is sent away, a wizard is supposed to govern them. A wizard who is no better than one of them." said Lionus with a scowl.

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster."

"And unfortunately, that wish was ignored." said Dumbledore angrily.

Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the headmaster with an expression of deep resentment on his face; then he too left.

"He hates being told he's wrong." said Sirius with a laugh.

Harry glanced sideways at Ron and Hermione. Both of them had their eyes open too, reflecting the starry ceiling.

"What was all that about?" Ron mouthed.

"Oh, you guys were up too?" said Seamus.

"If I know Harry isn't sleeping, I try not too either. But Hermione was drifting off." said Ron.

The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub.

"Imagine, Black with flowers in his hair!" said Snape laughing out loud. That in itself took most people off their guard.

"This is embarrassing." mumbled Sirius darkly.

The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat gray pony.

"Oh no. Not him." groaned Tonks.

"He gets worse." said Ron.

Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.

"And he always came with the most ridiculous riddles so you could find out the damn password. Not even the Ravenclaws could help. He didn't follow their logical reasonings." said Seamus shaking his head.

"Thank goodness someone figured it out." said Neville. "We'd never be able to sleep in our dorms...wait a minute...Harry?" he looked over to Harry curiously.

"'Fastest means of travel of the middle ages.'" said Harry. "'The Catapult.' I really don't know how the Ravenclaws couldn't figure that out."

"I wouldn't call that pleasent travel." said Sirius with a confused look.

"He never said people had to ride it. He merely said means of travel, after everyone said horse or boat, that told me that he meant a travel of a different sort." said Harry thoughtfully.

"Wouldn't you have said an arrow then?" asked Cho curiously.

"I thought of an arrow, but then again, he wouldn't have chosen something so simple as that. And with that heavy sword and armor, he thinks of strength as a superior force. So, it had to be strong and fast. The Catapult was the only option." said Harry.

"Thank god he was solving those riddles, or we'd never get inside." said Ron.

"He's a complete lunatic," said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"

"None of the other pictures wanted the job," said Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."

"Brave or stupid?' whispered Bill to his brother Charlie.

Sir Cadogan, however, was the least of Harry's worries. He was now being closely watched.

A few of the teachers turned a faint pink.

Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with him,

"And he didn't believe them, smart boy." said Dr. Nicodemus with a smile.

and Percy Weasley (acting, Harry suspected, on his mother's orders) was tailing him everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog.

"You trying to hide behind the tapsetries were really bad. You were too bulgy for all of them." said Harry with a smirk.

To cap it all, Professor McGonagall summoned Harry into her office, with such a somber expression on her face Harry thought someone must have died.

"I've been faced with that expression way too many times for one lifetime." said Harry quietly.

Mrs. Diggory looked over to Harry in slightly surprise. Too many times?

"There's no point hiding it from you any longer, Potter," she said in a very serious voice. "I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black -"

"I know he's after me," said Harry wearily. "I heard Ron's dad telling his mum. Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic."

"Bet that set her back on her heels just a bit. You knowing something she didn't want you to at the moment." said Sirius with a smile.

Professor McGonagall seemed very taken aback. She stared at Harry for a moment or two, then said, "I see! Well, in that case, Potter, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it's very exposed, Potter -"

"Wow, she doesn't want you practicing Quidditch? That's a first." said Charlie.

"We've got our first match on Saturday!" said Harry, outraged. "I've got to train, Professor!"

Professor McGonagall considered him intently. Harry knew she was deeply interested in the Gryffindor team's prospects; it had been she, after all, who'd suggested him as Seeker in the first Place.

"But then I had to think about your safety. It wasn't very easy to come up with a plan for you to practice and be safe." said McGonagall quietly.

He waited, holding his breath.

"Hmm..."Professor McGonagall stood up and stared out of the window at the Quidditch field, just visible through the rain. "Well...goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last...but all the same, Potter...I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions."

"I was happy to do it." said Madam Hooch with a smile.

The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team was training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch.

"I've seen you kids do twists and turns that I haven't seen in five years." said Madam Hooch with a proud smile. "Our fliers are the best in the world."

"Without a doubt." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Then, at their final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave his team some unwelcome news.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Hate it when a team drops out at the last flipping second." said Alicia. "It's not fair"

"Let's face it, only the Slytherin team has been known to do it, everyone else gives you a decent heads up." said Angelina.

"Why?" chorused the rest of the team.

"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," said Wood, grinding his teeth furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."

"With Malfoy on their team, how much more damage can their chances get?" said George with a chuckle.

There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously. "He's faking it!"

"Didn't know why you were getting so upset about, the whole school knew it." said Fred shrugging.

"It's cause it was at Hagrid's expense." said Harry. "If I could have gotten away with it, I'd of really hurt his arm."

"Us too!" said the twins raising their arms.

"I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly, "And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different.

"They play fair." said Katie.

They've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory -"

Mrs. Diggory sniffed quietly.

Mrs. McFinn stood up and walked over to Mrs. Diggory.

"Mr...Dumbledore?" said Mrs. McFinn uncertainly.

"Please, call me Albus." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Well...Albus...could you um.." said Mrs. McFinn, trying to find the right words.

"Conjure you a pot of tea? Of course, my lady." said Dumbledore with a flick of his wand.

Hanging in the air was a beautiful oriental print teapot with matching cups, steam was lazily coming out of the spout.

"Thank you." said Mrs. McFinn as she took the teapot and the cup. She carefully poured a cup of tea and handed it to Mrs. Diggory. "Here, drink this, it might make you feel better."

"Thank you." said Mrs. Diggory, her trembling hands brought the cup to her lips. "Have you ever lost a child?"

"Yes, twice, and I lost my husband." said Mrs. McFinn.

The school went quiet.

"Twice, Holly?" asked Dr. Clark faintly.

"Years ago, James and I tried to have a child, and we did. But she died during the delievery." said Mrs. McFinn placing a hand gently over her stomach. "I was never able to have children after that. Then I lost James, and then I lost Harry for so many years." Her eyes began to water.

"Harry?" said Mrs. Diggory confused.

"He's my adopted son, as good as anyway." said Mrs. McFinn. "I lost two souls in my life, so I can understand your pain." she gave Mrs. Diggory a quick hug, who returned it with her own.

"How come you didn't summon your own teapot?" asked Mr. Diggory skeptically.

"She's a muggle." said Zacharias smugly.

Mrs. Diggory pulled away quickly. "Are you really? How..."

"She's an important person in Harry's life, therefore, she was invited to be here." said Dr. Nicodemus. "That and she's putting the boy on the fast track to recovery."

"Really?" asked Sirius excitedly.

"Certainly, boy, turn your head to the right." said Dr. Nicodemus.

Harry turned to the right, and in the back of his snow-white haired head, they could see a small tuft of long black hair starting at the back of his neck.

"He's getting there, may be a week or two, more to finish it up, but it's getting there." said Dr. Nicodemus.

Angelina, Alicia, and Katie suddenly giggled.

"What?" said Wood, frowning at this lighthearted behavior.

"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina.

Mrs. Diggory laughed a little. "He was amazingly handsome, he got his looks from my father."

Mr. Diggory blinked and looked over to his wife slowly.

"And from you." she said with a smile.

"Strong and silent," said Katie, and they started to giggle again.

"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently.

"ACCK! SORRY I AM SO SORRY!" shouted Fred loudly.

"It's alright, this was before..." said Mrs. Diggory, but she choked at the end.

"I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"

"My son wasn't Captain then." said Mr. Diggory proudly.

No one had the heart to tell him that his son was still Seeker then though.

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker!

"That he is! Best this school ever saw!" said Mr. Diggory pounding the armrests.

Sirius was about to stand and contradict him, but Harry kicked his shin.

"Drop it." said Harry quietly.

I was afraid you'd take it like this!

"He's so over the top." said George.

We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"

"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed.

"He just became a soap opera character, it was frightening." said Fred.

"We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."

The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit.

"Why wasn't the game called off? If the weather was so bad?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It's up to the both of the Quidditch Captains to postpone the game. Neither one of them were willing to step down." said Madam Hooch.

"That's when an adult should step up." said Mrs. McFinn shortly.

The Slytherin team was looking very smug indeed, and none more so than Malfoy.

"Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" he sighed as the gale outside pounded the windows.

"What would you do to Malfoy's arm?" asked Fred.

"I'd feed it to Fluffy, what about you?" asked George.

"Aragog could use it as a toothpick." said Fred.

Harry had no room in his head to worry about anything except the match tomorrow. Oliver Wood kept hurrying up to him between classes and giving him tips.

Sirius snorted. "Like he needs tips."

The third time this happened, Wood talked for so long that Harry suddenly realized he was ten minutes late for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and set off at a run with Wood shouting after him, "Diggory's got a very fast swerve, Harry, so you might want to try looping him -"

"God Oliver! He's got a class to go to!" said Katie groaning.

Harry skidded to a halt outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, pulled the door open, and dashed inside.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin. I -"

But it wasn't Professor Lupin who looked up at him from the teacher's desk; it was Snape.

"So much for getting a slap on the wrist." said Bill.

"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."

"Well, that is fair." said Remus with a smile.

"Never said it wasn't." said Harry. "I was late."

But Harry didn't move.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" he said.

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snape with a twisted smile.

"Sadist." said Sirius. "You must have been recovering from the full moon."

"Yeah, it was one bad moon." said Remus.

"I believe I told you to sit down?"

But Harry stayed where he was.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Aren't you a nosey one?" said Remus.

Snape's black eyes glittered.

"Nothing life-threatening," he said, looking as though he wished it were.

"I'll just bet you do." said Sirius angrily.

"Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."

"That's a bit much." said Charlie.

"Not where Snape's concerned." said Bill.

Harry walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Snape looked around at the class.

"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far -"

"If you had looked on the desk, and the copy I sent to your office, you'd know." said Remus with a smirk.

"Please, sir, we've done Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas, and Grindylows," said Hermione quickly, "and we're just about to start -"

"Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information.

"In a way, you were." said Tonks.

I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

"That's a first, you orgainized your flipping sock drawer for crying out loud." said Sirius laughing out loud.

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean Thomas boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. Snape looked more menacing than ever.

"That's not a very big surprise." said Remus with a smirk.

"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you - I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows.

"If we had a competent Defense teacher back then, than yeah. But he's making up for two worthless years." said Harry.

Today we shall discuss -"

Harry watched him flick through the textbook, to the very back chapter, which he must know they hadn't covered.

"- werewolves," said Snape.

Sirius facepalmed. "Of course."

"The reason behind this was obvious." said Harry with a smirk.

"But, sir," said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start Hinkypunks -"

"Miss Granger," said Snape in a voice of deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced around again. "All of you! Now!"

"Severus..." said Dumbledore in a warning tone.

With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, the class opened their books.

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape.

Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air.

"Good girl." said Rivers. "Don't let him deter you."

"Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between -"

"Because they hadn't gotten that far, Severus!" said Professor Sprout hotly.

"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on -"

"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are..."

"He was doing just fine in the ways of getting everyone up to speed." said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf -"

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

"Point goes to that she did talk out of turn, but you did ask a question that either no could or want to answer it. You can't have it both ways." said Flitwick.

Hermione went very red, put down her hand, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears.

"Apologize...right...now..." growled the rest of the teaching staff.

"Sorry, Miss Granger." said Snape quietly.

It was a mark of how much the class loathed Snape that they were all glaring at him, because every one of them had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once, and Ron, who told Hermione she was a know-it-all at least twice a week,

"Now we say it with love." said Ron quickly.

said loudly, "You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"

"Bravo, Mr. Weasely." said Professor Flitwick.

The class knew instantly he'd gone too far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly, and the room held its breath.

"We were all sort of writing his eulogy in our heads." said Seamus.

"Detention, Weasley," Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."

"Next time, come to either myself of the Headmaster if you have a problem." said McGonagall.

"Yes ma'am." said most of the students.

Snape began to snarl at the floor.

No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They sat and made notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin.

"Very poorly explained...That is incorrect, the Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia...

Dumbledore blinked and stared at Snape in shock. "That's not right Severus, they are rarely found in Magnolia."

Snape blushed heavily.

Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three..."

"The grade I gave you was the right one." said Remus to Ron kindly.

When the bell rang at last, Snape held them back.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves.

Sirius made to stand up and walk over to Snape but someone beat him to it.

SMACK!

Mrs. McFinn slapped the left side of Snape's face so hard that his entire head turned to the right.

"How dare you! You knew what Remus was, and you try and teach children how to kill him! You should be ashamed of yourself!" she shrieked.

Snape looked up at Mrs. McFinn with a shocked look on his face, the side of his face that had been hit turned a furious shade of pink.

I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."

"That should be a fun discussion." said Fred.

"Would you rather disembowl a rat or toad." said George.

"Then after that, you get to skin them! Doesn't that sound fun?" said Fred clapping his hands together.

"Sounds disgusting." said Mrs. McFinn turning a faint green.

Harry and Hermione left the room with the rest of the class, who waited until they were well out of earshot, then burst into a furious tirade about Snape.

"Snape's never been like this with any of our other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, even if he did want the job," Harry said to Hermione. "Why's he got it in for Lupin? D'you think this is all because of the Boggart?"

"That's a small part of it." said Remus with a smile.

"I don't know," said Hermione pensively. "But I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon..."

Ron caught up with them five minutes later, in a towering rage.

"D'you know what that -" (he called Snape something that made Hermione say "Ron!")

"GO RON!" shouted his brothers and sister loudly.

"- is making me do? I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing. Without magic!"

"Whatever you called him, it fits." said Dr. Clark. "I hated that job when I was starting out."

He was breathing deeply, his fists clenched. "Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"

"I was debating beating the snot out of him, I thought better of it though." said Sirius.

Harry woke extremely early the next morning; so early that it was still dark.

"I normally wait for dawn, to get up." said Harry.

For a moment he thought the roaring of the wind had woken him. Then he felt a cold breeze on the back of his neck and sat bolt upright - Peeves the Poltergeist had been floating next to him, blowing hard in his ear.

"Well, at least he knows when to keep his distance with the ladies." groaned McGonagall.

"Boys are free game." said Sirius laughing. "He threw James' undershorts out the window one year."

"I thought you did that?" said Remus.

"Well, I opened the window, but Peeves did the actual throwing." said Sirius.

"What did you do that for?" said Harry furiously. Peeves puffed out his cheeks, blew hard, and zoomed backward out of the room, cackling.

Harry fumbled for his alarm clock and looked at it. It was half past four.

"I had gone to bed at two." said Harry.

Cursing Peeves, he rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but it was very difficult, now that he was awake, to ignore the sounds of the thunder rumbling overhead, the pounding of the wind against the castle walls, and the distant creaking of the trees in the Forbidden Forest. In a few hours he would be out on the Quidditch field, battling through that gale.

"Not a really good motivational thought." said Angelina.

Finally, he gave up any thought of more sleep, got up, dressed, picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand, and walked quietly out of the dormitory.

As Harry opened the door, something brushed against his leg. He bent down just in time to grab Crookshanks by the end of his bushy tail and drag him outside.

"Wish I was up in time to see that, that furball is fast when he wants to be." said Seamus.

"You know, I reckon Ron was right about you," Harry told Crookshanks suspiciously.

"So you were on my side first!" said Hermione with a smile.

"Only cause cats chase things smaller than them, but he has enough prey to hunt, he doesn't need to go after Scabbers day in and day out." said Harry. "So, I wasn't really on either side, and yet I was on both of your guys side. I sort of always have when you two fight." he added with a smile.

"There are plenty of mice around this place - go and chase them. Go on," he added, nudging Crookshanks down the spiral staircase with his foot. "Leave Scabbers alone."

"You'd think you'd keep Crookshanks in your room at night." said Tonks.

The noise of the storm was even louder in the common room. Harry knew better than to think the match would be canceled; Quidditch matches weren't called off for trifles like thunderstorms.

"What if you add lightning in the mix?" said Dr. Clark with a worried look.

Nevertheless, he was starting to feel very apprehensive. Wood had pointed out Cedric Diggory to him in the corridor; Diggory was a fifth year and a lot bigger than Harry. Seekers were usually light and speedy, but Diggory's weight would be an advantage in this weather because he was less likely to be blown off course.

Mr. and Mrs. Diggory smiled a little.

Harry whiled away the hours until dawn in front of the fire, getting up every now and then to stop Crookshanks from sneaking up the boys' staircase again.

"I was getting ready to permanently glue Crookshanks' paws to the floor." said Harry with a smirk.

At long last Harry thought it must be time for breakfast, so he headed through the portrait hole alone.

"Stand and fight, you mangy cur!" yelled Sir Cadogan.

"Oh, shut up," Harry yawned.

"You tell him Harry." said Bill.

He revived a bit over a large bowl of porridge, and by the time he'd started on toast, the rest of the team had turned up.

"Well it was peaceful, before you guys got there." said Harry.

"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything.

"Stop worrying, Oliver," said Alicia soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."

But it was considerably more than a bit of rain.

"So I was understating it." said Alicia.

Such was the popularity of Quidditch that the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns toward the Quidditch field, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went. just before he entered the locker room, Harry saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, laughing and pointing at him from under an enormous umbrella on their way to the stadium.

"What was so funny?" asked Ginny.

"I don't even think they knew." said Fred.

The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned them to follow him.

"He did say he had a bad feeling about the match." siad Katie.

The wind was so strong that they staggered sideways as they walked out onto the field. If the crowd was cheering, they couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder. Rain was splattering over Harry's glasses. How on earth was he going to see the Snitch in this?

"Damn, even your dad called the match when the weather was bad enough." said Sirius.

The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field, wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood but Wood now looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded.

"Gotta say, at least Diggory was a genuine sportsman." said Katie with a smile.

Harry saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount Your brooms." He pulled his right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant - they were off.

Harry rose fast, but his Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind. He held it as steady as he could and turned, squinting into the rain.

"Get down on the ground now!" said Mrs. McFinn worriedly at the book. "And get undercover, before you catch your death of cold!"

"The game didn't last all that long." said Harry soothingly.

"Well, as long as you get back on the ground safetly." said Mrs. McFinn.

Harry didn't meet her eyes.

Within five minutes Harry was soaked to his skin and frozen, hardly able to see his teammates, let alone the tiny Snitch. He flew backward and forward across the field past blurred red and yellow shapes, with no idea of what was happening in the rest of the game. He couldn't hear the commentary over the wind. The crowd was hidden beneath a sea of cloaks and battered umbrellas. Twice Harry came very close to being unseated by a Bludger; his vision was so clouded by the rain on his glasses he hadn't seen them coming.

"Get...to...the...ground..." muttered the people in the bowl through gritted teeth.

He lost track of time. It was getting harder and harder to hold his broom straight. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. Twice Harry nearly hit another player, without knowing whether it was a teammate or opponent; everyone was now so wet, and the rain so thick, he could hardly tell them apart...

With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; Harry could just see the outline of Wood through the thick rain, gesturing him to the ground. The whole team splashed down into the mud.

"Good, get back to the castle!" said Mrs. McFinn.

"I called for time-out!" Wood roared at his team. "Come on, under here -"

They huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.

"What's the score?"

"We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."

"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.

"Why not make your glasses so they repel water?" asked Charlie.

"My wand was up in the dorms." said Harry.

"You should keep your wand with you at all times." said Moody shortly.

At that very moment, Hermione appeared at his shoulder; she was holding her cloak over her head and was, inexplicably, beaming.

"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"

He handed them to her, and as the team watched in amazement, Hermione tapped them with her wand and said, "Impervius!"

"There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"

Wood looked as though he could have kissed her.

"That would be traumatizing." said Fred.

"For Hermione." said George.

"Brilliant!" he called hoarsely after her as she disappeared into the crowd. "Okay, team, let's go for it!"

Hermione's spell had done the trick. Harry was still numb with cold, still wetter than he'd ever been in his life, but he could see.

"But still cold." said Mrs. McFinn. "You should get to the castle and get to bed."

Full of fresh determination, he urged his broom through the turbulent air, staring in every direction for the Snitch, avoiding a Bludger, ducking beneath Diggory, who was streaking in the opposite direction...

There was another clap of thunder, followed immediately by forked lightning. This was getting more and more dangerous. Harry needed to get the Snitch quickly -

"Yes, great plan, get to the ground." said Sirius. "I don't want you struck by lightning."

"Us either." said Dr. Clark, Mrs. McFinn and Remus.

He turned, intending to head back toward the middle of the field, but at that moment, another flash of lightning illuminated the stands, and Harry saw something that distracted him completely, the silhouette of an enormous shaggy black dog, clearly imprinted against the sky, motionless in the topmost, empty row of seats.

"Was that you?" asked Remus.

"Yeah...I think I was there now that I think of it. The first game I saw Harry playing...though, can't really count that, I could barely see a damn thing." said Sirius.

Harry's numb hands slipped on the broom handle and his Nimbus dropped a few feet. Shaking his sodden bangs out of his eyes, he squinted back into the stands. The dog had vanished.

"Harry!" came Wood's anguished yell from the Gryffindor goal posts. "Harry, behind you!"

"I didn't frighten you again, did I?" Sirius asked in a whimper.

"Only for a moment." said Harry.

Harry looked wildly around. Cedric Diggory was pelting up the field, and a tiny speck of gold was shimmering in the rain-filled air between them...

Mr. Diggory could hardly contain himself he couldn't wait to hear about how his son caught the Snitch in a game against Harry Potter.

With a jolt of panic, Harry threw himself flat to the broom handle and zoomed toward the Snitch.

"Come on!" he growled at his Nimbus as the rain whipped his face. "Faster!"

But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though Harry had gone suddenly deaf - what was going on?

The grip Dumbledore had on his chair seemed to tighten.

And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over him, inside him, just as he became aware of something moving on the field below...

Before he'd had time to think, Harry had taken his eyes off the Snitch and looked down.

"Harry?" said Mrs. McFinn in a whimper.

At least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at him, were standing beneath him. It was as though freezing water were rising in his chest, cutting at his insides. And then he heard it again...Someone was screaming, screaming inside his head...a woman...

Mrs. McFinn turned pale. So did Mr. Diggory.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now..."

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead -"

Mrs. McFinn turned at looked at Harry in shock. HIs mother?

Harry was fumbling with the necklace that was around his neck.

Numbing, swirling white mist was filling Harry's brain...What was he doing? Why was he flying? He needed to help her...She was going to die...She was going to be murdered...

"Harry?" said Mrs. McFinn grabbing Harry's arm and bringing him close to her.

"What about my son?' said Mr. Diggory.

"Shut up Amos!" hissed Mrs. Diggory looking fearful over to Harry. "We now Cedric won."

He was falling, falling through the icy mist.

"Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy..."

A shrill voice was laughing, the woman was screaming, and Harry knew no more.

Mrs. McFinn screamed.

"I was okay, nothing really bad happened." said Harry soothingly in Mrs. McFinn's embrace.

"Lucky the ground was so soft."

"I thought he was dead for sure."

"Didn't need to hear that." said Sirius covering his ears.

"But he didn't even break his glasses."

"Those things were super durable, or at least magical." said Harry pushing up his new glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"No, just glasses that the hospital bought for you." said Dr. Clark reaching over and ruffling Harry's hair.

Harry could hear the voices whispering, but they made no sense whatsoever. He didn't have a clue where he was, or how he'd got there, or what he'd been doing before he got there. All he knew was that every inch of him was aching as though it had been beaten.

The school went quiet. "And you would know what that feels like." said Fred darkly.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Scariest...the scariest thing...hooded black figures...cold...screaming...

Harry's eyes snapped open.

"That scared us, we didn't expect you to wake up like that." said George.

He was lying in the hospital wing. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, spattered with mud from head to foot, was gathered around his bed. Ron and Hermione were also there, looking as though they'd just climbed out of a swimming pool.

"Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath, the mud. "How're you feeling?"

"You don't want to know." said Harry.

It was as though Harry's memory was on fast forward. The lightning...the Grim...the Snitch...and the Dementors...

"What happened?" he said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.

"Didn't help that you started coughing and heaving." said George.

"We thought you couldn't breathe." said George.

"You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been - what - fifty feet?"

"We thought you'd died," said Alicia, who was shaking.

"I was still sort of shaken from that whole scene." said Alicia. She looked around quickly. "Good, those Scattered Shot things aren't showing up."

"I don't think I could handle it." said Mrs. McFinn holding Harry close to her.

Hermione made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot.

"I was crying for over twenty minutes straight." said Hermione quietly.

"But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"

No one said anything. The horrible truth sank into Harry like a stone.

"We didn't - lose?"

Mrs. McFinn turned Harry's face to her face her own.

"Who cares about a game! You are alive! That's all that matters!" said Mrs. McFinn.

"Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off.

Mr. Diggory looked down at the ground, while his wife had tears in her eyes with a proud smile on her face, but she she flitted a worried look over to where Harry was being tightly embraced by Mrs. McFinn.

Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square...even Wood admits it."

"Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realizing he wasn't there.

"Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown himself."

"Did you have to tell him that? He was already crushed that he fell of his broom." said Mrs. Weasley shortly.

"Wanted to ease the tension. Backfired." said Fred.

Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair.

"Games aren't everything Cub." said Sirius grabbing Harry's shoulder tightly.

Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.

"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."

"There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.

"Thanks, bring him back down to earth." said Bill.

"Your dad missed hundreds of times when he was younger." said Remus softly.

"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points."

"Right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin..."

"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George.

"But if they beat Ravenclaw..."

"No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff..."

"It all depends on the points - a margin of a hundred either way -"

"No wonder you guys are so good at wagering bets." said Ron quietly.

Harry lay there, not saying a word. They had lost...for the first time ever, he had lost a Quidditch match.

"And not just by being unconcious." said Harry.

It's okay." said Sirius patting Harry's back. "Don't worry about games, living is way more important."

After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave him in peace.

"For the first time, I was happy to hear that." said Harry with a half-hearted smile.

Mrs. McFinn held Harry tighter.

"We'll come and see you later," Fred told him. "Don't beat yourself up. Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had."

Charlie smiled "And from what I hear, you'd beat me hands down."

The team trooped out, trailing mud behind them. Madam Pomfrey shut the door behind them, looking disapproving. Ron and Hermione moved nearer to Harry's bed.

"Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione said in a quaking voice. "I've never seen him like that before. He ran onto the field as you fell, waved his wand, and you sort of slowed down before you hit the ground.

"Miss Holly." said Harry quietly.

Mrs. McFinn blinked and looked down at him. "What is it Sweetheart?"

"I can't breathe." said Harry quieter.

She looked down and saw that she was holding Harry around the chest very tightly. "Sorry dear." she said quickly releasing him.

"It's okay." he said leaning against her shoulder.

Then he whirled his wand at the Dementors. Shot silver stuff at them. They left the stadium right away...He was furious they'd come onto the grounds. We heard him -"

"He was ticked." said Fred.

"I swear, there weren't as many Dementors after that." said George.

"There weren't." said Dumbledore darkly.

"Then he magicked you onto a stretcher," said Ron. "And walked up to school with you floating on it. Everyone thought you were..."

"We couldn't tell if you were breathing or not, but you looked really pale." said Ron.

His voice faded, but Harry hardly noticed. He was thinking about what the Dementors had done to him...about the screaming voice.

Harry closed his eyes slowly.

He looked up and saw Ron and Hermione looking at him so anxiously that he quickly cast around for something matter-of-fact to say.

"Wish I had picked something else to talk about." said Harry looking down.

"Did someone get my Nimbus?"

Ron and Hermione looked quickly at each other.

"Er -"

"What?" said Harry, looking from one to the other.

"Well...when you fell off, it got blown away," said Hermione hesitantly.

"And?"

"And it hit - it hit - oh, Harry - it hit the Whomping Willow."

"Ouch." said Lionus. "That's painful, your first broom."

"That hurts." said Charlie.

Harry's insides lurched. The Whomping Willow was a very violent tree that stood alone in the middle of the grounds.

"And?" he said, dreading the answer.

"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "It - it doesn't like being hit."

"Or driven into." said George.

"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around," said Hermione in a very small voice.

"He quite the cut on the side of his face for it." said Snape.

"I know, I sent him some ice mice in return for it." said Harry. "To say thanks."

"I still don't know how you figured that that was my favorite candy." said Professor Flitwick.

"If you let your class get real quiet, you can hear them squeaking in your desk." said Harry with a smile.

Slowly, she reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside down, and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the bed, the only remains of Harry's faithful, finally beaten broomstick.

"Oh, you kids could have done it a bit better." said Sirius groaning.

"I wouldn't have let them leave the room without telling me where the pieces were." said Harry.

"I've never seen you cry before that. You wouldn't stop crying and holding those pieces." said Ron sadly.

"Whatever happened to the pieces?" asked Neville.

"It's a picture frame now." said Harry.

"Of who?" asked Ginny.

Harry said nothing, but looked slowly up to Mrs. McFinn. She smiled softley. "You were alwasy so sweet, which one did you take?"

"The one from the garden party." said Harry quietly.

Mrs. McFinn smiled at him.

"Shall we read another one before dinner?" said McGonagall trying to give Harry and Mrs. McFinn privacy.

"We'll read the next one!" said Fred and George.

They took the book and read the title to the themselves first.

"The Marauders Map."

"We're in BIG trouble." said Fred.

"Forget trouble, we're dead." said George.

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