The Power of the Press :: Chapter 8

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It was the intense groaning that first alerted Alyx to the problem. She cautiously approached the stage, wondering just what madness Bob was up to this time.

"Voila!" Cried Bob.

Around the stage were all sorts of heavy equipment that made Alyx nervous. Being a woman, power tools automatically made her nervous. But the kicker, was the unlicensed Nuclear Particle Accelerator that was whining and glowing a bright orange.

And if that wasn't enough to make her worry, Leo, her pet Llama trotted by on five legs!

"What are you doing? We only lease this theater! Look at the damage to the stage!" she shouted angrily.

Bob glanced up and hastily pushed a piece of broken floorboard behind him. "Damage? What damage? Have you taken your medicine today?"

Alyx marched over to Bob and got in his face. "What are you up to this time?" she said, shaking a finger under his nose. "You're supposed to be working on chapter 9!"

Bob backed up slightly under the intense onslaught. "I've been working on it. But I heard rumors that Kieth had finished beating it and we'd have our file back soon."

"Beating? He's not wanking off you moron! He's Beta'ing!"

Bob paused and his brows furrowed. "Oh, I thought that sounded strange. Isn't that what Dorothy is for?"

Alyx turned a bright red and Bob reached for a fire extinguisher.

"Try it and we'll be having Bob Balls, sauteed in a wine sauce for dinner," she growled.

He hid the fire extinguisher and pretended he never would have considered such an insanely rash act.

"Now what are you doing?" she asked again through gritted teeth.

"I'm making a permanent disclaimer so we don't have to do it every time," Bob proclaimed proudly. "It's perfect, it tells people we don't own Harry Potter and we make no claim to any rights to the Potterverse. It insults JKR rudely several times and makes claims that Alan Rickman blows chunks..."

He trailed off as Alyx achieved an even darker shade of red. Frightened, he edged away from her and wondered if that website offering do-it-yourself divorces and mail order brides really worked.

Alyx picked up a eighty pound sledge hammer. "Where is this permanent disclaimer?" she asked, sweetly.

"HA! I knew you'd take that attitude, so I made it invisible. It's the only disclaimer in the world made from unobservium!"

Alyx blinked and turned back to stare at Bob. She dropped the sledge, which conveniently landed on Tumshie for updating so late.

"If it's invisible, how can they see it?" she screamed.

Bob looked at the large empty space on the stage and frowned. "Oh."

"Yes oh! Oh this is ludicrous! Just start the chapter!"

"Ok," Bob agreed happily. He handed her a box of popcorn and they both moved over to a couch to sit down and enjoy the chapter.

The Power of the Press

Chapter 8

Daily Prophet Headline August 15th 1997...

Prisoners Escape from Parole Board!

The Ministry announced today that during a routine prisoner transfer from Azkaban to the Parole Board office, four prisoners overwhelmed their guards, stole their wands and fled the building, evading capture.

An alarm went out immediately, but the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's efforts were hampered by the fact that the stolen wands were standard Auror issue and untraceable. Additionally, the chaos surrounding the escape added to the confusion during which, at one point, the DMLE thought they might have a hostage situation on their hands.

Among the prisoners that fled the scene were Augustine 'Cannibal' Crenshaw, noted for murdering his family by transfiguring them into chickens and eating them; Mundungus Fletcher, a notorious thief and dealer in black market dark artifacts; Matilda Snickhurst, kidnapper and trafficker of children, and Severus Snape, former Potions Professor at Hogwarts, incarcerated for abusing students.

Ministry spokesmen Perky Weatherbee noted that Mr. Snape's escape was most unusual, as he had the shortest sentence of the four. Snape was sentenced to five years in prison for abusing his students using a mix of magic and intimidation.

The DMLE again denied the rumor that Mr. Snape had been placed in the cell once occupied by Sirius Black, a known childhood friend of Snape's and a school companion. Black, now Ambassador at Large for the Ministry and a Wizengamot member, escaped from Azkaban so that he could go to the aid of his Godson, Harry Potter.

Potter, who turned seventeen just this summer, was one of Hogwarts’ most promising students. When forced by Albus Dumbledore into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, he refused, sacrificing his magic and saving our world by causing You-Know-Who to lose his magic.

The DMLE warns all citizens that if these prisoners are spotted, they should not be approached. Contact the DMLE for Auror assistance immediately.

Diagon Alley, London, August 25th 1997...

Hermione checked her watch for the fifth time and gazed out into the street. She was sitting with her friends, enjoying some of Florean Fortescue's ice cream, and waiting for Evan to arrive. He had received an owl late last night asking him to stop by the Japanese Embassy to pick up a package. He was supposed to go to the Embassy, get whatever was waiting for him, and then leave to catch up with Hermione in Diagon Alley.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon," offered Hannah quietly.

"Isn't that him now?" asked Ginny.

Hermione looked and spotted him instantly. He was wearing the Armani suit that looked so good on him, and carrying a burnished aluminum briefcase. His suit and briefcase made him stand out like a sore thumb among the wildly garbed wizards. He looked more like a young executive than a wizard.

He might not be the height of wizarding fashion, she thought, but he is so fine looking.

She quickly stood and walked towards him. He spotted her and smiled broadly. As soon as he could reach her, he pulled her into an embrace and gave her a searing kiss. She melted against him, enjoying the thrilling rush of feeling she got from being in his arms.

"I take it from your kiss that you missed me?" she whispered when they finally broke apart.

"You could be in the other room and I'd still miss you," he told her softly. Then he wrapped an arm around her waist and looked to her friends. "Did I miss much?" he asked, eying the mountain of bags and bundles surrounding the table.

"We got most of our shopping done already. Now we're just relaxing and having some ice cream," Hermione replied, tugging him over to the table.

He slid into the seat next to Neville and Hermione slid in next to him. He nodded to everyone and then waved to Mr. Fortescue. "Well, I could use some lunch before I think about ice cream."

"Did you get everything squared away?" Hermione asked.

Mr. Fortescue, summoned by Harry's wave, walked over and handed him a menu.

He glanced down at the menu and tapped a selection with his wand, then he handed it back to Fortescue. "Yes, some minor paperwork and a few extras that someone felt I might need. They told me I start work on September second," he said with a smile.

"What will you be doing, Evan?" asked Hannah. She sat next to Ron, her hand firmly gripping his.

"I'm working for the Pacific Rim Ministry through the Japanese Embassy. I expect it will be rather dull work, but it's only for a year, until Hermione leaves Hogwarts. Then I suspect we'll find something more interesting to do with our time."

"I bet," murmured Ginny, eying him with interest. "You look better without the bandages."

Harry smiled. "I'm glad to be done with the potions, too. I've been hurt before, but that tropical infection was difficult to get rid of."

"It's a shame you'll be in London. With Hermione being Head Girl this year she can go to Hogsmeade whenever she wants," Ron said with a friendly smile.

"All she need to do is tell me and I'll come up for the weekend," replied Harry. He had to caution himself. It would be so easy to fall back into old patterns with his former best friend.

He grinned and looked at Hermione, who blushed slightly.

"I don't know," Hannah said dubiously, "London to Hogsmeade is a long distance to Apparate. I don't think I'd want to risk it."

Hannah, like Hermione, had been able to get her license just before Christmas holiday last year and was, at best, uncomfortable with the method of travel.

"You do what you're comfortable with. Out in the Pacific, we become accustomed to longer distance Apparitions because of the distance between islands," Harry replied.

"You never said exactly what it is you'll be doing at the Embassy," Neville commented. He liked Evan. There was some quality, some inner confidence about him that he found appealing and wished he had for himself.

"I'm working with the Embassy's legal group," Harry said smoothly. "They are part of the DMLE. I was fortunate that a position opened up in London; I could have been posted anywhere."

"Actually, that sounds rather exciting, to work at an Embassy. Who knows what country you could end up in?" Hannah said with a grin. It certainly seemed more exciting than what she knew of life growing up in Essex.

"I don't know. I think I'd prefer to stick closer to home; maybe play Quidditch," Ron replied.

"You'll still travel playing Quidditch, mate," Harry said softly. "Your British league plays exhibition games in Europe and the Americas."

Ron nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, I'm heading into the Ministry. Susan Bones says she can help me get a job there," added Hannah. To her, a job was merely a stepping stone to the next step in her life, as a married mother.

"Professor Sprout said she might consider me for a five year apprenticeship, but only if I agree that I'll apply for her position when she's ready to retire," Neville said somewhat nervously.

Everyone turned to stare at him. Most people never considered going for a Mastery these days.

"From what Hermione tells me about her, that's a good offer Neville," Harry said carefully. Professor Sprout was a kindly middle aged woman, she wouldn't abuse Neville in any way, like so many other Masters.

"Will she let you live at home?" Ginny asked worriedly. An apprenticeship could put a big kink in their relationship.

Neville smiled at her. "Normally, I wouldn't even consider it, but Professor Sprout is a nice lady. I'll be able to get my Mastery in Herbology under her, and still live at home. Gran's getting up in years and I don't want to be too far away from her. Besides, life under Professor Sprout won't be that bad and she's got a lot she can still teach me. It won't be like what happened to Cho Chang."

Harry glanced at Hermione with a curious expression.

"She was in the year ahead of us," she explained. "She wanted to become a Runes Mistress, so she accepted an apprenticeship from a Master in Cornwall. He beat her nearly to death, then kicked her out for refusing to do something he wanted. No Master will touch her now."

He shook his head. "Mitsumi is looking more and more appealing," he muttered.

"Mitsumi? What's that?" asked Ron.

"Evan has been trying to convince me to attend a magical university in Japan with him," Hermione said softly.

"What? Leave Britain?" exclaimed Ron. "Why? Evan has a job, so why go back to school?"

"I don't have the Mastery I want," Harry replied.

"You make it sound like you already have a Mastery," Hannah said with a laugh. She leaned against Ron, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I don't like the sound of that, leaving Britain. You hear such horrible things about the other countries. Charlie, in Romania, says that the wizards there sometimes act so savagely. Even when we went to Egypt, it took us forever to find a place that served a decent butterbeer and a good roast," Ginny said with a shiver.

Ron nodded absently. He wasn't against the idea of other countries. He knew that if he was tapped for a team he might end up playing on foreign soil someday, but he wouldn't want to live there all the time.

Harry frowned. He was about to say something when Hermione gaze captured his. She imperceptibly shook her head and he nodded slightly in return. Now was not the time, nor the place to get into an argument with her friends.

Fortunately, Fortescue arrived with Harry's sandwich and Ron used his arrival to order another triple decker banana split with the works.

"Pig!" Ginny said with a laugh.

"I'm still growing," Ron complained.

Hannah hugged his arm tighter. "Don't worry, he'll be working it off later."

Ron blushed heavily and Ginny snickered at his discomfort.

"Speaking of that, did you hear about Theo Nott and Tracey Davis?" asked Neville.

"What about them?" asked Ron with a darkening expression. He didn't like Slytherins.

"They've been arranged, as of last month. It's official. Gran and I saw Davis at the Ministry. They had just filed the papers."

Ron shook his head. "I'm glad Mum and Dad don't go in for that sort of thing."

"Actually, Ron, they do." Ginny said softly.

"What?" he exclaimed.

"Bill told me that they will ask you if you want them to make a formal arrangement. None of our brothers wanted it, but they will ask if you want one."

Ron leaned back in his seat and looked dumbfounded. "I had no idea. No one has asked me about it."

"They'll probably wait until just before you leave for school. Fred and George turned them down, said they'd prefer to do that sort of thing on their own," Ginny replied. "I asked Dad about it and he told me that it's one of the few traditions they will observe, but they aren't too sure about it. Mum and Dad didn't have an arranged marriage. They'd been going steady since third year and everyone just assumed it was all arranged for. That's what they hope for us."

As Ginny spoke, Harry noticed Neville watching her intently and it dawned on him that she just might become 'arranged'.

"Hannah and I have been going together for a while now, so I hope people make the same assumption," Ron said, pulled her a little closer. She smiled and laid her head on her shoulder.

Hermione leaned into Harry's side and he grinned at her before offering her a chip. He swallowed the last of his sandwich and looked at everyone. "So? Are we still shopping?"

"I need to get some new quills," Hermione said, sitting up.

"I still want to check out the brooms," Ron added.

"I need new chaser gloves," Ginny said.

"Well, I guess I'm off to get quills then," Harry said, then turned to Hermione, motioned for her to slide out of the seat.

Quibbler Headline, August 27th 1997...

The Great Giant Flobberworm Trace Found!

Once again the Quibbler is the first wizarding publication to bring ground-breaking proofs of the stranger creatures that inhabit our world. The Great Giant Flobberworm has been spotted many times in history, but never before with such definitive proof.

As our more dedicated readers will remember from our annual Creature Feature issue, the Giant Flobberworm is generally a benign larger cousin of the regular flobberworm, measuring up to twenty cubits in length. The Great Giant Flobberworm is much more dangerous, at over three hundred cubits in length, and massing more than twenty Hogwarts Expresses combined!

The Great Giant Flobberworm is carnivorous and is especially fond of espresso and Stone Bee Honey, which, fortunately for us, is exceeding rare.

Until now, there has been no verified proof of the existence of the Great Giant Flobberworm. That is, until we discovered the Muggles using one of the tunnels left behind by the massive creature's passage. Stretching from Folkstone, in southern England, to Coquelles, near Calais in France, this massive tunnel is clearly a relic of a Flobberworm passage.

The Muggles are claiming they built the massive underground tunnel, but the signs of the Great Giant Flobberworm's passage are everywhere in the tunnel.

We attempted to contact the Ministry concerning this, but have been told that they have filed for a restraining order against us. This just confirms that our suspicions about the Ministry being controlled by Heliotropes. Obviously, they are afraid we are getting too close.

Next Week:
Catholic Church closes it's doors in light of Joseph's confession."We had a good run, but it's time to go home," says the Pope. Christian world stunned, Jewish and Muslim leaders offer low cost conversion kits.
Steven Spellberg denies any plans to make a film about the sacrifice of Harry Potter.
Bill Gates buys Vatican City, renames it Billland.

The Granger Home, August 31st 1997, Oxford England...

Harry awoke in the middle of the night and knew instantly that something was wrong. Hermione had rolled to the far side of the bed and was crying softly. He rolled over and wrapped an arm around her.

"Shhh," he said softly. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you," she replied, turning in his arms.

"It's all right, something is bothering you. Tell me."

She looked at him in the dim room, his eyes sparkled faintly in the darkness. "It's just that this is our last night together."

He smiled and pulled her into a hug. "No, not entirely. The Hogwarts wards won't stop an Auror Teleport. I can come to you, or you can come to me. I thought about that, too. We might not be able to share a bed every night, but we can be together more than anyone suspects."

"Really?" she said, smiling tremulously in the darkness.

"You aren't the only one affected by this. It's times like this I wish there was some way we can do some kind of bond that allows us to talk with our minds, share experiences and such," he said regretfully.

"Sounds like a wonderful fairy tale. Maybe someday we can invent a spell to do that," she replied with a chuckle. "I'm afraid the best we can do is the journals."

"And I will use mine faithfully, but all you'll have to do is ask and I'll teleport to you."

"Really?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "Really. Even if all you want is someone to hold in the night, I'll be there. It's not our last night together. This summer was the start of a lifetime of nights and days together."

She snuggled closer, reassured by his words and his presence. Tomorrow she would return to Hogwarts and she'd be sleeping alone for the most part. But for now, he was here and that was all that mattered.

The Great Hall, Sept 1st 1997, Hogwarts...

Hermione surveyed the Gryffindor table with satisfaction. The sorting was over and they had twelve new students in Gryffindor, a record for her time at school. There had been a bumper crop of new students this year; nearly fifty. She had the numbers, broken down by Muggle or wizard born, that allowed her to know which of the new first year students would need extra help.

Down the table from where she sat, Lavender ate quietly with Parvati, Seamus and Dean. Apparently, she was still recovering from whatever punishment her father had inflicted on her over the summer months. Hermione watched the girl for a moment longer and nibbled on her lower lip worriedly. Lavender seemed a pale echo of her former self and Hermione wondered if it would help if she attempted to make a peace between them.

Ron sat not far away with Neville and Ginny, and he kept glancing over at the Hufflepuff table where Hannah sat. He had revealed that his father had asked if he wanted them to arrange a union for him, but he turned them down. He had spoken with Hannah a few days earlier and they had come to an agreement of their own.

On the train trip up from London, Ron announced that he was officially courting Hannah. Courting was similar to an arranged union, but was generally something agreed upon by the couple. No one was surprised by the announcement, but there were congratulations all around for the happy couple.

Hermione was happy for them. Hannah was a sweet girl who liked the idea of a large family and loved children. She was also adept at nudging Ron in the directions she wanted him to go without him realizing it.

She looked back up towards the head table and smiled at Remus. Next to him sat Tonks. She still limped a little, but she was getting better.

Minerva stood and the hall slowly fell silent.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. This year we're pleased to welcome back Professor Remus Lupin, who will be taking over the position of Head of Gryffindor House. Professor Lupin will be assisted by Miss Nymphadora Tonks. Miss Tonks is an Auror who was recently injured in the line of duty and is recovering from those injuries. We are lucky to have her expertise and experience available to us this year."

She paused while Gryffindor led the students in applauding Remus' return.

"In case you don't know, our Head Boy and Girl this year are Mr. Anthony Goldstein of Ravenclaw, and Miss Hermione Granger of Gryffindor.

"As always, no student is allowed into the Forbidden Forest without the escort of a teacher. Mr. Filch has posted an updated list of the banned items next to his office door.

"Finally, we will host a Yule Ball this year on December 19th, the day before the train leaves for London. Since many of our seventh year students are in the process of making arrangements for their post-Hogwarts lives, you will be allowed to invite anyone you wish from outside the Hogwarts student body. As always, the dance is closed to first and second years, third years must be invited by an older student in order to attend."

She paused again and took a breath. "And now, what has become tradition here at Hogwarts, let us complete our welcoming feast with the school song."

Hermione winced and fervently wished someone would put that ditty to one standard piece of music.

From the Journal of Harry Potter (Transmitted Entry), Sept. 2nd 1997, Little Hangleton...

Dear Hermione,
I know it's only been one day, but I thought I'd leave you a letter to let you know I'm thinking about you and missing you. I'm sitting in my tent, not far from the old Riddle Manor.

You should have seen your Mum today. Sirius was busy at the Ministry and I was packing my things so I could get a mid afternoon start. The backpack you bought me is marvelous, by the way! I love the bottomless feature and the ultra light charms. Did you know this thing has a negative G setting so I can literally leap twenty or thirty feet? I swear it must cut my weight to an eighth of what it should be.

Anyway, I'm double-checking everything, making sure I have my tent and other supplies, when your Mum comes in the room all teary eyed and sniffling. I felt awful! She walked over and made some light conversation, asking if I packed my socks and if I had enough clean underwear, then she grabs me into a tight hug like the ones you give me. Only then she starts crying harder!

Hermione, how am I supposed to deal with your crying mother? I patted her back and told her I'd be fine, but that's the sum total of what I know of how to soothe a crying female! At least with you I can distract you by nuzzling that spot below your ear that turns you on, or I can try to make you laugh. But come on, this is your Mum here! I certainly can't use the Dursleys’ technique either, so I was at a loss.

Anyway, after nearly thirty minutes of her crying and me conjuring tissues, she settled down and sat on my bed while I continued packing and checking everything. She made me promise to teleport to your place at least once a week for dinner, and she made sure I had an extra battery for my mobile phone. Honestly, has she forgotten about our mirrors?

I suppose you're wondering what I'm doing near Little Hangleton. Well, I got to thinking this morning and changed my plans. I know Nagini started out from there and I want to survey the house for myself. I don't think Remus missed anything, but it won't hurt to check it over with the detection spells I've learned.

One of my Auror investigative textbooks called it an immersion technique. Basically, by visiting the location and trying to put myself in the criminal's mindset, I'm supposed to get insight into them. Whether that's true or not, I can't say. I just thought seeing the house would help put things into perspective for me.

It's over three hundred and fifty miles from Riddle's place to Hogwarts, but I should get a clue or two here. I've got to make sure I'm done no later than the end of this week, then move on. It's going to start getting cold soon and the snakes will go into hibernation, costing me a source of valuable information. I am tempted to jump directly to Hogsmeade, but I may miss something if I do.

The more I think about it, the more it sounds like a logical plan. Sure, I could run around chasing after snakes, but I needed a solid place to start from and this is about as solid as I can get.

I've got my tent set up on the other side of the family graveyard and my warning wards out in force. It's not the most pleasant of locations, but I really don't want to sleep in that house, or worse, down in the graveyard. That place is creepy.

Oh, one more thing I just remembered. Your Dad, just before I teleported away, came in and offered me fifty pounds. He said he wanted to make sure I had enough cash on me. Your parents are a treasure, Hermione. I know there will be points when we both will think they are annoying, but they really are special. They are the kind of parents I always wanted for myself.

I'm going to sign off now and get to bed. It's going to be difficult to sleep without you, but I keep telling myself this is the final phase and once it's done, we can be together forever.

All my love,
Harry

From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Private Entry), Sept. 3rd 1997, Hogwarts...

Back to school.

N.E.W.T.s this year!!!!

I miss Harry.

The Gryffindor Head Girl's room is accessible from both the common room and a private door near the fat lady. It's a nice cozy room with a lot of book shelves and a small common room that normally I would have shared with the Head Boy, had he been from Gryffindor. As it stands, I have it all to myself, but Ginny has been up to survey the space and suggested that it would be a good place to hold girls’ night.

I reminded her about this being my N.E.W.T. Year, but she flatly told me I can't study all the time. Her comment reminded me of when Harry got so terribly sick studying so hard. She's right, I've got to pace myself, make sure I get enough sleep and eat right.

I spoke to Lavender today. She is much changed and frankly I'm a little scared by it. Gone is the happy-go-lucky buxom blond that could only think about boys and fashion, replaced with a soft spoken, almost timid girl. I don't know what her father did to her this past summer, but we've all noticed the changes. She also seemed rather unprepared for school this term. Her uniform shows obvious signs of being transfigured.

I think one of my first duties will be to get the girls together to see if we can do something to help her. She's of age now, so she doesn't have to return to her family home for holidays or when we leave. I'll talk to Ginny and Parvati, see if we can come up some ideas.

The Head Boy is an arrogant prig. Yes, I said prig. He is. He seemed to think that it was tradition and customary for the Heads to be very... friendly. I rather frostily reminded him that I had a boyfriend. I even went as far as to hint that it was all arranged, just to divert him elsewhere.

I think that's the last I'll have to worry about Mr. Goldstein. I feel sorry for the other girls, however. Once he struck out with me, he zeroed in on several sixth years from Hufflepuff.

I heard from Harry last night. I must say I was glad to read his letter. I was feeling a little sorry for myself and blue without him. I wrote him back this morning, asking him to be careful. I don't think I'm going to have a single nail un-bitten before this year is out!

Last year we fought our urges in bookspace and managed to avoid any complications. Now we have this new teleport spell. He could be here, in my bed every night, if I asked him. I am going to try to keep that to a minimum. I have to keep reminding myself that this is my N.E.W.T. year. As much as I would want him here, I want to show him that I'm as good with my studies as he was with his.

I was tempted to ask him to teleport up here every night. I considered asking McGonagall for permission. Fortunately, I caught myself in time. I realized that this is no longer his school and he's grown way past considering this his home. Fiji and my parents’ place in Oxford are home to him, not this castle.

Besides, if he's here every night, I think I would have a lot of trouble concentrating my studies. The things that man does to me! Honestly! I used to wonder about our love lives and listen to the girls in the dorms talk. I was sure I'd never do half the things they talked about, and now I find myself wanting to do that with him and more. How can I study with that kind of temptation around?

It's funny. He really applied himself since leaving Hogwarts and he claims it was mostly inspired by me. Now I find myself approaching the same tests and I want to get a good grade so he will be proud of me! Talk about role reversal!

Crookshanks loves the private apartment. He's already claimed one of the high back arm chairs near the fireplace as his personal throne.

I'd better end this for now. It's nearly midnight and I think I'm tired enough to sleep, even without Harry.

Little Hangleton, Sept 4th 1997...

Harry sat up in bed and blinked for a moment. He looked around, confused, before remembering where he was.

The tent given to him by the Pac Rim Ministry was moderately comfortable, but it was designed for field Aurors on extended assignments, not for luxury vacations. As such, it contained only the bare essentials; a small one-person bedroom with a double wide bed; a bathroom with a sink, shower and toilet; a small kitchenette that came stocked with a year’s supply of basic provisions. Next to the kitchenette was a small study with a desk and shelves of books and a Wizarding Wireless. The one surprise was the Muggle short wave radio that had been adapted to work around magic using Technomancy.

Had he been a real field agent, he would have been instructed to listen on the short wave radio for coded messages, since the distances in the Pacific were too great to overcome with things like the Wizarding Wireless, owls or even his mirror.

During the summer he had learned to use the complex-looking radio and had programmed it to a number of his favorite stations. With a flick of a finger, the radio turned on, set to Radio Japan. As he stood, he gestured towards the kitchenette, starting up a pot of coffee, then he did a quick check of his wards before heading into the bathroom to perform his morning ritual.

After breakfast, he climbed out of the tent and collapsed it. It quickly rolled itself back up and he tied it onto his backpack. He then cast a concealment charm on the pack before leaving it to investigate the house.

He followed the path down through the small graveyard and up toward the house that sat on top of the hill, overlooking everything in sight. In its day, it was a magnificent home. Those days were long gone, however.

He stopped near the back of the house and looked around. Nearby lay the caretaker's cottage. It, too, seemed deserted.

The house badly needed painting and the presence of several broken windows was clear testimony to the fact that no one was taking care of it anymore. While Voldemort and his Death Eaters would have killed any Muggle vandals who might have approached when they were here, he was baffled by its relatively untouched state. Voldemort had been gone for three years now.

A sharp cracking noise from within the house caused him to tense and quickly cast a Disillusionment charm on himself. Someone was inside and, from the sound of it, they were tearing the place apart.

Safely disillusioned, he crept forward and slipped through the open back door. He stood in an old kitchen that looked as if someone had taken an axe to it. The cabinets were broken and there were huge holes in the walls. The stove had been tipped onto its side and someone had tried to pry up the floorboards underneath it.

"Where is it?" shouted a voice from upstairs. Whoever was in the house was clearly angry and frustrated.

Harry moved out of the kitchen and into what used to be a sitting room. It, too, was torn apart. He quickly glanced around and moved toward the open arch entrance to a foyer and staircase. The intruder was tearing the place to shreds looking for something.

A former Death Eater, most likely. Maybe it's Snape. He probably knew about this place. Moony found a Horcrux here. Could they be searching for that? Harry thought. He was ready to fight, his wand in one hand and his ring ready on the other.

He paused cautiously at the bottom of the stairs and looked up. Through the doorway of one room above, he could see a light and hear the muffled sounds of someone saying something. He cast a silencing charm on himself and started to ascend the stairs.

He moved slowly and carefully to the room with the light, pausing to cringe when one of the stairs creaked ominously. He had silenced himself, but his surroundings could still make noise. He watched the doorway and a tinge of fear ran through him. His heart beat rapidly and beads of perspiration formed on his forehead.

One minute, two minutes, nothing. Who ever was upstairs was paying no attention to anything else happening in the house. Cautiously, he resumed his climb and a moment later he was on the landing. The noises coming from the room were more distinct now.

"It has to be here somewhere. He didn't just become immortal and strong overnight. He had to have a grimoire or a journal, something to help him," muttered the voice.

So that's what he's looking for, thought Harry, some sort of book. It must be a Death Eater who's hoping to copy his master and follow in his footsteps. He doesn't realize that Voldemort's power level was natural; his only augmentation came from the Horcruxes! I don't know if such a book or grimoire exists, but I can't let this guy get his hands on it if it does.

Harry moved to the door and peered around the edge.

Walden McNair! He thought and gasped. It wasn't much of a sound, but it was audible.

McNair pivoted, whipping up his wand. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted.

Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, Hogwarts, Sept 4th 1997...

"And so, ladies and gentlemen, that is why I will push you harder and longer than any Defense class you've ever had," Remus said, pacing slightly in front of the class. "Your N.E.W.T.s are less than a year away and you will need to work..."

He paused and frowned. The mirror in his pocket was thrumming and getting hot, that meant an emergency signal from someone.

"Auror Tonks, take over for a few minutes," he snapped.

Tonks, who had been sitting up near the front watching Remus and trying to make him smile by making faces at him while he lectured, jumped to her feet, surprised.

Remus turned and walked briskly into his office, smirking to himself. He could hear Tonks stand and face the class nervously. "Um... Hi?"

That will teach her to do that to me in class, he mused, then he pulled the mirror out of his pocket. He placed his thumb on the corner to activate it.

"Come on, Remus, pick up the damn mirror," said a voice, then Evan's image formed in the mirror.

"Harry?"

"Remus! Thank Merlin, I was afraid I'd be stuck here until you answered and I didn't want to alert Sirius," he said.

"Harry, you're bleeding!" Remus said in protest.

He was bleeding from a nasty gash in one cheek that extended from his mouth to just short of his ear. Blood dripped from the wound and he had wiped his cheek at least once, smearing blood back along his jaw.

"Tell me something I don't know," Harry replied dryly. "I also think I sprained my knee, but none of that matters right now. Remus, I'm at the Riddle home in Little Hangleton. I figured it would be the smartest place to start. I'm not alone. Right now I'm sitting on one Walden McNair, former Ministry Department head, Wizengamot member, Death Eater and wanted fugitive. I've stopped the really bad bleeding and I think he's still alive, but what do I do with him?"

Remus blinked in surprise, then the wolf in him woke, howling. Harry had caught the man that had hurt his mate!

"Remus, calm down. Merlin, I knew I should have called Sirius," Harry muttered. He could see Remus' eyes turning yellow. "What should I do? I can't slap a Portkey on him and send him to St. Mungo's or the Ministry. They have my magical signature on record! Even without a wand, they'd know who made the portkey and I can't leave him here in the shape he's in."

"Hold on a second, cub. Are you seriously injured anywhere?"

"I'm fine. Like I said, I have a cut on my cheek and a sore knee. I've cast pain numbing charms on both and a charm to help the knee, but the cut is too big for the spells I know."

"All right Harry, you hang tight. I'll be there or send someone we trust as soon as possible. Keep McNair stunned and don't let him out of your sight!"

Harry smirked at him. "Oh, don't worry Moony. He's not going anywhere. Just remember to bring someone who can seal off his wounds... I did, sorta, but it's not right."

Remus looked at the small image in the mirror and nodded uneasily. What did he mean by that? He thought. "All right, see you soon."

Remus pressed the edge closing the connection and stuck the mirror back in his pocket, then he fired off a messenger Patronus to Minerva.

Stepping out of his office, he was surprised to find his seventh year class, and his assistant, standing on one foot and hopping up and down.

"Learn balance!" shouted Tonks encouragingly to the class of bewildered, bouncing students.

Balance? Merlin knows I love her, but even I'll admit her balance stinks, Remus thought as he stared at his girlfriend.

He walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She staggered and landed in his arms. A moment later, a bunch of students fell over as they lost their own balance. Shaking his head, Remus placed Tonks back up on her feet.

"Do you mind explaining what that is all about?" he asked her mildly. Around them, the class found their seats and watched the pair. Hermione tried hard not to laugh.

"Well, I thought my exercises for improving my legs and balance would help them too," Tonks admitted sheepishly.

He shook his head and moved a little closer. "I... I... Oh, just forget it," he muttered. "Look, we have a problem. Minerva will be here in a moment, then we're leaving."

The back door opened and the Headmistress walked into the class looking around worriedly.

"Open your textbooks and read pages twenty through sixty. When you're done, I want you to move the desks aside and try out the Imperial Shield technique. Miss Granger, as Head Girl, I'm putting you in charge of this class," Remus called out as he pulled Tonks towards his office.

Minerva followed them, seeing little choice in the matter.

Remus turned and waited for her to shut the door. "Minerva, I remember during Voldemort's first reign of terror you were the Order's backup healer. Do you remember how to seal wounds, at least temporarily?"

She looked at him in surprise. "I suppose, but why don't I just call for Madam Pomfrey? Who's injured? None of your students..."

Remus waved her to silence. "Harry contacted me. He ran into Walden McNair at the old Riddle house. He said he's all right, but he has a nasty gash on his cheek. It's McNair we need to worry about. Harry said he's hurt pretty bad," he told her before turning to Tonks. "We need to figure out how to bring him in without involving Harry."

Minerva frowned. "Do you know where this place is?"

"I can make us a Portkey, but we'll have to walk to the edge of the wards."

"Then let's get going," Tonks said with determination. This was the man who killed several of her mates and nearly killed her. She wasn't going to miss this for anything.

Little Hangleton, Sept 4th 1997...

He held his mirror in one hand and was probing around the cut on his cheek when he heard someone shout from downstairs.

"Harry!"

"Up here, Remus. First floor."

Barely a minute later, Remus, Tonks and Minerva entered the room with wands drawn. Remus looked around stupidly at the torn up room.

"Harry, where's McNair?"

Harry scowled and winced. His numbing charm was starting to wear off. "I told you I was sitting on him."

That caused all three of them to pause and look at the three legged stool Harry was resting on.

"You transfigured him into a stool?" asked Tonks incredulously.

Harry shrugged. "Why not? He was bleeding to death and stools don't bleed."

The three blinked in shock.

"I never thought of that," Remus muttered.

"It is a novel use of Transfiguration. I wonder why the healers haven't thought of using it?" Minerva said softly. She moved closer to Harry and, with a deft flick of her wand, the cut on his cheek sealed up like new.

"I'm sure there's something morally or ethically wrong with it. I mean, imagine capturing someone like Lucius Malfoy and turning him into a rubber duck just to make sure he doesn't escape," Harry said, then he smiled his thanks to Minerva and hopped off the stool.

Tonks cackled with laughter. "I'll have to try that idea on Mad Eye or Shacklebolt next time we're sparring."

Harry pulled a wand from his pocket and held it out to Tonks. "Here's his wand. He only got off two spells, a killing curse and a shield."

"Then how did you hurt yourself?" asked Remus looking up from staring at the stool.

Harry pointed to a hole in the door frame. "He cast a killing curse and missed. It hit the door frame, which splintered. Some of the debris hit me. I hurt my knee diving away from the door. He put up a shield which deflected my wanded Reductor, but my follow-up bone breaker hex was a little too strong, I'm afraid. His kneecap shattered and he's got a bad compound fracture. I think I hit an artery."

Remus stared at him.

Harry stared back. "What?"

"Aren't we getting rather blasÃ© about nearly getting hit with a killing curse?" Remus said through gritted teeth.

Harry shrugged. "He missed, that's all that matters. What are we going to do with him?"

"First we'll slap an emergency healing spell on his leg after I transfigure him back," Minerva said. She flicked her wand in a complex pattern and the stool shimmered and reformed into a man. He lay on the floor deathly pale and quiet. Blood fountained from his leg, splashing the wall.

Minerva moved closer, her wand tip glowing a bright blue. She touched it to the wound and the bleeding stopped instantly. The leg around the area turned a dayglow orange to signify that emergency field medical magic had been performed and would wear off soon.

Tonks stepped up to him and placed a playing card on his chest, then she tapped it with her wand. McNair vanished from sight.

"A Portkey! But they'll trace that!" exclaimed Harry.

"Relax, Harry. That was a Ministry standard Portkey. It has the standard Ministry signature on it," Tonks replied with a grin. "Besides, it was one of the older Portkeys made by Rufus Scrimgeour. I kept it around on a lark. I never thought I'd need to use it. Let the Ministry hacks figure out how a Portkey was made by a dead man."

Harry shook his head in amazement. Shortly after Scrimgeour had been ousted as Minister, he had committed suicide. If anything, McNair's arrival was about to cause a great deal of confusion at the Ministry.

With McNair gone, Harry relaxed for the first time that morning.

"What was he doing?" Remus asked, looking around at the torn up room.

"He was looking for a book or something. I don't know why, but he seemed to think that Voldemort had left a cache of books here on how he got so powerful. I think McNair wanted to find them and follow in his footsteps. Or at least that was what he was muttering as he tore the place apart," Harry said softly.

He lifted his hand and stared at it, surprised to see it shaking.

Seeing his confusion, Tonks moved over and wrapped an arm around him. "It's all right, Harry. It's a natural reaction. Your body is flushing out the adrenalin."

He smiled weakly.

Minerva frowned and conjured a thermos of hot tea on an unbroken table. She poured a cup for Harry and handed it to him.

His hand shook slightly, but he thanked her. Tea sounded wonderful!

"Why here, Harry?" asked Remus.

He sipped his tea for a moment. "It's the starting point. Nagini was here; Riddle was here; it's where it all started. I was going to examine the house in the morning, more out of curiosity than anything else. In the afternoon I was going to look for a snake and see if I could get a sense of direction from it."

He paused and looked at the blood splatter on the wall. "That plan got sidetracked when I realized that I wasn't alone here. I never expected to find McNair though. That was just a bonus, I reckon."

"I'll say. I suspect that the DMLE will be celebrating in a few hours. He's wanted for the murder of two Aurors, plus what he did to me and more," Tonks replied, then she shivered heavily.

Alarmed, Remus stepped over to her side. "Are you all right?"

She smiled and touched his cheek fondly. "I will be, now that our Pacific Boy Wonder has captured the big bad wannabe."

Harry shook his head and moved to stand next to Minerva, giving the other two their privacy.

"That was an excellent Transfiguration. Someday I think you should return to Hogwarts as a Professor. The students would profit from such a capable wizard."

Harry blushed. A teacher? Me? he thought. It had never crossed his mind, but it was something to talk to Hermione about. It sounded like fun, actually. "I'll speak to Hermione about it, Professor. It does sound interesting."

She nodded and turned to the others. She would have liked to stay and talk more, but she had a school to run and the quicker they were gone from this place, the better.

"We must leave. You as well, Harry. The DMLE might not be able to tell that you were involved, but they can trace their Portkey back to the starting point," Minerva said.

Harry nodded and he sketched a mock salute at Tonks and Remus, then he teleported out of the run- down home. He need to pick up his pack before he could begin his trip north.

"How does he do that?" Tonks asked in annoyance.

Remus grinned. "He won't tell us. He taught it to Hermione, but he won't tell us. It's an Auror spell he learned when they made him a reserve."

"I'm an Auror! He can teach me," Tonks whined.

Remus chuckled and shook his head. He had explained this to her before. Harry had permission to teach others, but only under strict conditions, which he interpreted to mean he'd teach Hermione and no one else.

Minerva held out her Hogwarts Portkey and a moment later the room was empty. With exception of the slowly drying blood on the wall, there was nothing to indicate they had been there.

Daily Prophet Headline, September 5th 1997...

Fugitive Walden McNair Captured Under Mysterious Circumstances!

Ministry Spokesman Perky Weatherbee announced that the dangerous fugitive Walden McNair has been captured under unusual circumstances.

"Yesterday, at just past eleven o'clock, the wanted fugitive, Walden McNair, appeared in a DMLE holding cell. Mr. McNair was seriously injured and unconscious upon his arrival. Emergency healing was performed in the holding cell, resulting in the loss of his left leg. McNair is wanted for the death of two Aurors, and injuring three others. McNair is also charged with being one of the leading members of the subversive Cult of Voldemort.

"Our investigation has revealed that he was the principal financial backer for the group and the one directing most of the Cult's activities. Between the raid just over a month ago, and now the arrest of McNair, the Cult of Voldemort has been gutted and is no longer a threat to our way of life."

According to inside sources, the Cult, which never numbered more than thirty members, has less than a handful still at large. Unconfirmed reports put the tally at fourteen arrested, and another eleven killed either by Ministry Aurors or as a result of their activities. The DMLE feels that those remaining members may try to slip back into normal society, burying their past and hiding their crimes.

Weatherbee made it quite clear that the DMLE will continue to investigate the Cult and they hope to get a full list of participants once McNair is well enough to be questioned under Veritaserum.

Details around the apprehension of McNair remain sketchy. According to one anonymous source, McNair appeared in a holding cell, heavily wounded. The Portkey which transported him was registered to Rufus Scrimgeour, former Auror and former Minister of Magic.

Scrimgeour committed suicide after his administration was exposed as being corrupt and secretly pursuing a policy of racial bigotry against non-human species. He left behind his wife and three mistresses.

Fire Sale goes horribly wrong when someone starts a fire. Page 2.
Head Healer at St. Mungo's says Male Pregnancy is a myth! Page 4.
Celestina Warbeck gives birth to Triplets! Ex-Lover claims to be father. Page 9.
Harry Potter Day movement suffers setback with McNair's arrest. Page 16.

From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Transmitted Entry), Sept. 6th 1997, Hogwarts...

My love,
I needed to take a day off before writing this. Remus told me about what happened with McNair and my very first impression was to write a scathing note about you being so reckless. And then I realized that you weren't being reckless at all. Remus and Tonks explained what happened and how you had been slightly hurt when it could have been so much worse.

I understand now. This is what you have spent the last three years of your life training for, and it's something you're very good at. I also understand why this is not something you want to spend the rest of your life doing. To be honest, I'm sitting here worrying about you and driving myself insane. Promise me you will write every day, even if it's just to say you're fine. Please?

As much as you've tried to share your training with me, the simple fact is you have been trained to survive this fight and I have had only a small taste of your training. I can't imagine myself acting so calmly when someone is trying to use a killing curse on me.

I promise I'll try to keep my worrying to a minimum. And I won't yell at you unless I think you really deserve it.

I know you'll be careful, for our sake.

Now, here's a new topic to think about. This year Hogwarts is holding another Yule Ball, and the seventh years are allowed to invite anyone they want to be their date. Therefore, I am requesting that you be my date. As much as I would like to be escorted by Harry James Potter, Evan Black will suffice, for now. The Ball is on the 19th of December, and I am hoping that I can talk the Headmistress into allowing you to ride in the Head carriage of the train on the way home.

On the trip up, Ron announced that he is officially courting Hannah Abbot! Can you imagine that? I know it was fairly obvious how they felt about each other, but I never imagined he'd make an official announcement like that. Thinking back over the past few years, it's obvious now that Hannah has gently guided Ron to this point. I think she knew exactly what she was doing all along.

Remus is a fantastic teacher and a great Head of House. He and Tonks visit the Common Room every evening for an hour to see how everyone is doing. He's offered tutoring in Defense and Charms, and Tonks has offered tutoring in Transfiguration for anyone who needs it. It's quite a change from Lawson, who basically ignored us, and McGonagall, who was standoffish, but available.

Being Head Girl is different. I don't patrol like I used to, but I have visited all of the Common Rooms and I've had to deal with more than a few homesick first years. Would you believe I think I have a first year Hufflepuff boy crushing on me?

The Head Boy is Anthony Goldstein. He's a Ravenclaw and the most pompous person I have met since Malfoy was carted away in a full body bind! I hope you don't mind, but I strongly hinted to him that you and I were arranged. He was making a few comments and I wanted to head him off before he became a problem.

Speaking of arrangements, I think you're right. Neville is seriously considering Ginny. I don't think she would be against it, if it happens, but sometimes I think she's still looking around for someone better. He'd be good for her, though. In some ways, she's rather sheltered and opinionated and I can see Neville broadening her horizons.

Neville was telling me that Professor Sprout spends half her summers traveling the world, looking for rare plants. If he takes that apprenticeship, he'd be going with her, and dragging his wife along. I wonder if Ginny is aware of that?

I'm going to close this entry now, my love. But I intend to carry my mirror all the time, in case you want to contact me, and I'll see you in bookspace in two days time.

All my love,
Your Hermione.

From the Journal of Harry Potter (Transmitted Entry), Sept. 7th 1997, Scotland, north of Hawick...

Dear Hermione,
Of course Evan will be there to escort you to the Ball! Do we need to make sure our outfits match? I know you wanted that for our ballroom dancing, but I don't know much about formal balls. If we need to meet and buy clothes, let me know and I'll be there.

The incident with McNair was an accident. I honestly thought I'd walk around an empty house for an hour or two, then move on. I had no idea I was about to encounter a fugitive Death Eater. Believe me when I say the very last thing I want to do is draw attention to myself or what I'm doing.

With that said, I promise I'll be as careful as I possibly can be.

I can't tell you how happy I am for Ron and I do hope once this is done we can find some common ground to reconnect on. I'm not certain that will happen. Remember when we were all together in Diagon Alley this past summer? It took all of my willpower to keep myself from telling them off for being so narrow-minded about the rest of the world!

Maybe Hannah can work on him some more. She's put in a good effort and he's actually turning into a good man, finally.

Tell anyone you want that we're arranged. If you want, I'll be happy to provide a ring to prove the point.

Oh, speaking of rings! Sirius forwarded me my inventory book that he got from Gringotts. It's a handy little book that allows me to know what's in my vault. The book includes photos of the objects and known history. I was surprised at the number of enchanted objects in the vault. Nothing really useful, but there's a lot of strange stuff collected by the Potters over the years.

Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I brought this up, but it's really simple. There are over two hundred rings in the vaults, and at least twenty of which are of a type I'd consider good enough to be used as an engagement ring. If I forwarded you the book, could you look at these and see if there are any you'd like to use as your engagement ring?

If you don't find one you'd like, I'll get you a new one. But you'll need to tell what style you want.

Remus told me that I should try to find out what you'd like. He thought I should hint around it and observe your reactions. That's all right for him and Tonks maybe, but I'm more straightforward than that.

It's daunting. I passing through a Muggle town yesterday and I stopped at a jewelry store. They had so many styles it made my head spin! Ovals, solitaires, pear, marquee; diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, mixed gems; gold, platinum, silver, white gold. Honestly, it gave me a headache just thinking about it. Finally, it dawned on me that I should ask you want you want. I mean, at least in general terms. After all, the ring is going to sit on your hand for a long time. Shouldn't you have a choice?

Your Head Boy sounds a lot like Percy Weasley did when he was Head Boy. I wonder what happened to him, anyway? Or the twins, for that matter. They were a great bunch.

I was right about one thing. Nearly every snake I've spoken to since that first one over the summer has demanded a rat in payment before they would give me any information. You know, it's strange. Snakes have no concept of names, but they have a wonderful sense of time. They were able to tell me exactly how many moons ago it had been. Assuming they are accurate, and I have no reason to assume they aren't, Nagini was very late getting to this area.

I don't know why, but she showed up nearly a year later than I expected. She's still heading north and I'm still on her trail, but the temptation to jump directly to Hogsmeade is enormous.

It is quickly becoming harder to find any snakes and the season is still early! Last night the temperatures dipped below fifty. This morning I found another European viper and he took nearly an hour to rouse. If this keeps up, the snakes will be in hibernation by mid-October and I'll lose them as a source of information.

That will leave me with only one option; jump to Hogsmeade and search the Forbidden Forest. She hasn't crossed the ward that Sirius and McGonagall put up, so if she's by the school, she hasn't entered it yet.

I stopped in Hawick to pick up some warmer clothes. Biking the English/Scottish countryside is nice in the summer, but it's starting to get chilly. I needed a few heavier jumpers. Its funny. I packed winter clothing and summer clothing and had nothing for Autumn. That's where I spotted the jewelry store.

I'm going to close now, as my dinner is nearly ready. I want you to know how much I miss you. As much as I enjoyed making love to you, I think holding you while we slept was even better.

All my love,
Harry

Quibbler Headline, September 10th 1997...

Sydney Snail Stampede Injures Hundreds!

The Australian Ministry denies reports that they ignored the warnings of Harry Potter concerning the oncoming snail stampede. Potter, age 17, provided the government with three weeks advance warning about the stampede and still no action was taken until it was far too late.

"I don't get it!" exclaimed an exasperated Harry Potter. "I could clearly see the millions of snails coming towards the city from my bat perch and when I warned them they didn't believe me!"

At that point our brave hero broke down and wept, describing in vivid detail how the horde of snails overran a campground on the outskirts of the city, starting fires and causing dozens of injuries. Overcome with remorse, Mr. Potter donned his patented bat suit and swooped away, heading east. He told us, off the record, that he wanted to visit Hoboken because he couldn't believe that anyone would name a place that.

"They were everywhere!" said another survivor of the attack. "It was slimy! It was terrifying! They slimed my boy!"

Our research has discovered that the snails in question are closely related to the common house elf and we're worried that such a disaster might happen here. In the role of concerned citizens, we felt obligated to warn our Ministry so that steps could be taken to prevent this from happening to us.

Ministry spokesperson Perky Weatherbee had this to say. "Snails? Snails? SNAILS? B B B B B B B B B!" At this point the poor man broke down and wept in despair. He obviously realized just how unprepared we are. This would be almost as bad as the time the Ministry released new Owl post stamps with super glue backing!

We at the Quibbler will do our best to stay on top of this and bring you new information as it becomes available. If any reader knows the meaning of the strange code spoken by the Ministry Spokesperson, please contact us. We're sure it's important.

Coming Next Week:
Great Parisian Mime Disaster blamed on Harry Potter! Ministry Spokesperson Perky Weatherbee committed to St. Mungo's Psyche ward for observation due to rabid Snargle Infestation.

The Granger Home, Sept 11th 1997, Oxford England...

"I spoke to Harry today," Emma said softly. "He called the office while you were doing that extraction on the Pickerton boy."

Dan looked up from his newspaper. "Oh? How's he doing?"

"He said he's been bouncing all over the Midlands, chasing down snakes to talk to. I think he's feeling considerable pressure with winter coming on. He only has about a month or so before most of the snakes slip into hibernation," she replied.

Dan frowned. That wasn't a lot of time. "Is he going to come here for dinner this Sunday?"

"He begged off. He said he has a lead he's been tracking down. He's taken to stopping and checking the local libraries, looking for clues from old newspapers. He thinks between that and the snakes, he'll find Nagini."

Dan folded the paper and placed it on the table. "Next time you talk to him, try to insist he come for dinner. After all, it doesn't take much effort for him to teleport or Apparate or whatever he does."

Emma looked at her husband with mild amusement.

"What?"

"Why don't you just admit you care about what happens to him?" she teased.

He scowled at her. "I'm just protecting my daughter's interests," he replied haughtily.

"Right. And I'm related to the Royal Family. Is it that hard for you to admit it? He loves her and she loves him and they're good for each other. Someday, he's going to be the father of your grandchildren."

"Oh all right," he conceded with a mock growl. "Besides, she did reasonably well choosing him. I suppose he isn't that ugly."

"Daniel Patrick Granger!"

He winced and opened up his paper again, hiding behind it. Emma stared at the paper for a moment with amusement. Stubborn old fool, she thought fondly. He likes Harry, but he's so used to fighting against their relationship that he won't admit it.

The Forbidden Forest, Sept 12th 1997...

Tom was exhausted. It took most of his energy to maintain enough of a link to Nagini that he could see out of her eyes.

He had a vague memory of an entrance to the castle. It was underground and would allow them to pass beneath that strange ward. Now it was a matter of finding it.

For the past several days he had been slowly coaxing the snake forward and still managing to maintain a safe distance from that strange ward.

Now he was getting worried. They were coming around to the backside of the castle where the wards came closest to the great stone structure and they were perilously close to Acromantula territory.

Tom's time as a trapped spirit was messing with his memory. He remembered there was an entrance, but he couldn't recall where it came out, or if it connected with the series of tunnels that accessed the Chamber of Secrets.

Time was running short for him. The Horcrux was steadily increasing its hold on his spirit, making it increasingly difficult to contact the snake. If he didn't do something soon, he'd be absorbed into the Horcrux and helpless to influence any of the events happening around him. Should the Horcrux succeed in absorbing him, he'd be released only by its destruction.

Nagini tensed. She felt a strange vibration. Spotting a pile of rocks, she quickly slithered toward the pile. She was nearly there when she felt the vibration increase in speed and intensity. She found a hole in the pile and slithered inside, then turned back to look.

She was trapped! Outside the pile were two Acromantula scouts. They were out hunting for food when they spotted her. She was a powerful predator, but her fangs were no match for the large spiders. She knew instinctively that she'd never be able to penetrate their hard exoskeletons.

She was stuck, unable to get out, and the spiders were unable to get in. Stoically, she turned to survey the space she was in. It was only then that she noticed the hole extended deeper and downwards. With the equivalent of a reptilian shrug, she turned away from the entrance and made her way down deeper. She had no choice in the matter. To leave the hole was death. This way might provide an unblocked exit.

Hogwarts, Gryffindor Head Girl's apartment, September 24th 1997...

Hermione's desk was piled high with books and parchments. Nearby, the fireplace burned merrily, heating the small Common Room, and several wall sconces lit the room with their flickering light.

The door opened and she walked in. She was exhausted, the result of not enough sleep and too much work. With a grimace, she pulled her book bag off her shoulder and placed it on her desk. Sitting down, she opened the bag and started to pull more books out.

"Watashi wa anata ga suki desu," said a voice softly.

She sighed and shook her head. "I love you too, Harry," she replied absently, then looked up in shock. "Harry?" she whispered, then she whirled around. For a moment she was confused, she couldn't see him, but then he appeared as his invisibility cloak fell to the floor.

"I've missed you," he replied softly.

Bolting from her seat, she leaped into his arms. They held each other for a long time, saying nothing. Nothing needed to be said.

Finally, Harry pulled on her chin slightly so he could look into her eyes. "Are you getting enough sleep?" he asked worriedly.

She looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "I get enough."

He glanced over at a wall clock and then back to her, his plans thrown out the window. "No, I don't think so," he said, then he bent down and lifted her into his arms.

"What are you doing?" she asked in alarm.

"My original thought was to come here and spend a few hours with you. But I've changed my mind. As to what I'm doing, I'm taking you to bed... to sleep."

"But..."

He gently put her down on the edge of the bed and he started to pull at her clothing, helping her undress.

"We're going to sleep, Hermione. You look like you haven't gotten more than four hours sleep a night," he said, then he found her nightgown on the back of a chair. He picked it up and handed it to her.

She nodded absently. She was still a little confused by his abrupt arrival. She stood and started undressing, totally unaffected by his presence in the room. Harry stripped down to his boxers, then he walked over to the bed and pulled down the duvet.

He climbed into the bed and with a wave of his hand, the lights dimmed down, leaving just the light from the fireplace.

She slid into bed next to him. "Are you sure you don't want to..."

He placed a finger over her lips. "I do, but not tonight. You're exhausted and need your sleep. I need to hold you and you need to be held. We have a lifetime of making love ahead of us," he whispered in reply, then he slid his arms around her, pulling her in close.

She smiled to herself and thought that Mr. Potter was going to get very lucky as soon as she could arrange it. His body was warm next to hers and she snuggled a little closer. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Harry relaxed, feeling her breathing deepening and evening out. He hadn't known she was pushing herself this hard until Remus made a comment while he was talking to him via their mirrors. I've got to get her to slow down a little. If I have to, I'll teleport here every other night just to make sure she sleeps, he thought. Not that it'll be much of a hardship on my part.

He grinned to himself and started to relax. As much as he would like to make love to her, her health and sanity were too important for him to risk it. He'd spend every night just holding her if that was what it took to keep the N.E.W.T.s from driving her over the edge. He sighed and started stroking her hair. It was one of the features he loved about her and it relaxed him to play with her hair. Within minutes he, too, was drifting off to sleep.

Hermione opened one eye and looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was ten in the morning, on a Sunday, so she wasn't missing anything. She stretched, or tried to, until she realized that she had one Harry James Potter draped over half her body.

She turned to see he was still sleeping, but he was already starting to wake up. She ran her hands through his hair and smiled. He had arrived last night, interrupted her planned night of studying. She had been ready to snap at him, half expecting he had arrived just because he wanted sex. Instead, he took her to bed and made her sleep. She felt a brief shiver of shame wash through her at her first thoughts when he arrived.

Harry opened his eyes and blinked sleepily.

"Good morning," she whispered to him.

He smiled at her. "You look like you slept better."

"I did, thanks to you," she replied, then she chewed on her lip for a moment. "I'm sorry," she blurted.

He grinned at her. "For?"

"Well, when you first arrived last night I thought were interrupting my studying only because you wanted to have sex with me."

He grinned. "Would you be terribly angry if I said that thought had crossed my mind when I decided to visit you? But as soon as I saw you, I knew you needed sleep more than I needed to make love with you."

"So. I was right then?"

He shrugged. "At least partially. I wanted to see you and hold you. It worked out, though. I got to spend the night with you in my arms."

She wanted to scold him, but couldn't. He had put his own desires on hold for her. He watched her thinking, his eyes dancing with amusement and his tousled hair made him look adorable. "So, you think you can just teleport here anytime and drag me into bed?" she asked teasingly.

His expression hardened. "If I find you exhausted again, I will, protests or not," he replied sternly, then he sighed and sat up, turning on the bed to face her.

"Hermione, you can't let your N.E.W.T.s become an obsession. I thought you would be better able to manage your time than this."

She sat up and looked down at her hands laying in her lap. "I don't know what happened. It just seemed that I was spending more and more time studying."

Harry looked at the stack of books sitting on one chair and shook his head slowly. "Sweetie, your N.E.W.T.s are important, but you're approaching this wrong."

She scowled at him. "Oh?" she asked in a dangerous tone.

He scowled back at her. "Look, Remus told me all about them. For the two part exams the written is really only worth forty percent of your score. And the practical is worth sixty percent. They claim it's fifty fifty, but it really isn't."

He paused and looked at her intently. "The Pac Rim was even worse with a twenty-five, seventy-five split. What that means is that it's more important that you can cast the spells, even if you're a little weak on the theory.

"For the past three years we have lived, and learned together. I think it's safe to say I know how well you can do. Trust me when I say if you set yourself a reasonable schedule, like three hours a night, you'll earn full marks on your exams."

She looked at him in surprise. "Do you really think so?"

He nodded. "That's the schedule I used. Three hours a night, plus time for homework. I'm not nearly as smart as you are, either. You're sure to do better with that schedule than I did."

She nodded and looked down while he climbed out of the bed and summoned his clothing to his hands.

"You're not staying?" she asked suddenly.

He turned to her and shook his head. "I can't. But I'll be back, if for no other reason than to make sure you're getting enough sleep. I worry about you," he said softly.

She smiled at him and climbed out of the bed. She walked over to him and stopped him from putting on his shirt. She ran her hands over his chest for a moment.

"Anytime you want to come here to make love would be fine by me," she whispered, suddenly feeling very embarrassed.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I'd like that," he replied, then he kissed her hard, holding her tightly against him.

For a moment, she thought they'd end up in the bed, which sounded rather good to her. Instead, he released her and stepped back to put on his clothes, then his shoes. His invisibility cloak flew in from the other room.

"Why did you bring your cloak?"

He grinned. "I didn't know where your apartment was, so I teleported to the one place I thought you would be, and followed you here."

She giggled. "The library."

"Right in one," he said with a chuckle. "Now that I know where this place is, I can arrive here directly."

He folded the cape and placed it in a side pocket of his cloak. "Remember; three hours. I'll be back in a few days if that's all right with you."

She nodded eagerly. "I'd like that. Maybe we could do this once a week?"

"I wish we could do it every night," he muttered, but he nodded to her idea.

Harry looked around quickly to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything, then he gave her a kiss on the cheek and vanished from sight.

She sighed and looked at the empty room, suddenly feeling lonely. A knock from the entranceway startled her and she reached for her robe, then she went to answer her door.

She was surprised to see the Headmistress standing at her door, especially since she had the ability to enter every room in the castle!

"May I come in?"

Hermione shook herself, thinking how fortunate they were that Harry had left when he did. She stepped back. "Yes, please come in, Headmistress."

Minerva entered the small Common Room and glanced around. "I take it that your guest has left already?"

Hermione stared at the older witch in shock.

Minerva's lips tightened into a slight smile. "I noticed you skipped breakfast this morning, Miss Granger. Perhaps we can have some tea and biscuits to hold you over until lunch."

A small table appeared in front of the couch with a tea setting and a platter of biscuits. Minerva moved to sit on the couch and poured herself a cup of tea.

"You knew Harry was here?" Hermione asked, a bit dumbfounded. She still hadn't budged from the doorway.

Minerva sipped her tea for a moment before turning to face her. "I am the Headmistress of this school, my dear. I know most of what happens here. Perhaps someday you will be able to understand better."

"But Harry... we slept... the rules..."

She stopped and shook her head. This couldn't be happening to her.

"Sit."

Hermione bolted for the couch, sure she was about to lose her Head Girl badge.

Minerva watched the girl for a moment before deciding to explain. "Earlier this week I spoke to Professor Lupin and suggested that Harry visit you. You seemed to be working yourself into quite a state and I thought a visit would help soothe your nerves. Tell me, Miss Granger, do you know why we isolate the boys from the girls in this school?"

"Well, the rules say..."

"Yes, there are rules and we try to enforce them. Rules are important, but they are not the reason for living, nor should one consider them to be absolute. Nearly twenty years ago, the Head Boy and the Head Girl occupied this apartment and they used only one bedroom for the last half of the year. Their marriage after graduation gave us the wonderful young man that visited you last night. Nothing was said then and nothing would have been said now if Mr. Potter were Head Boy. The reason for that is that we already know that the Head students are responsible."

She paused and tilted her head slightly in thought. "In the past two hundred years there have been exactly eight witches who have gotten pregnant at this school. And none of them were in their seventh year. By seventh year, we expect our witches and wizards to be responsible for their actions, and to take precautions. Taking precautions is one of the lessons we drum into you everyday when you're taught magic.

"I spoke to Remus because I was worried that you were working too hard. A visit from Harry would be tolerated, so long as you were responsible and discreet, and it would do you a world of good."

Hermione blushed and looked down. "We didn't do anything we shouldn't, Ma'am. Harry took one look at me and made us go to sleep. He made me promise to limit my studying to only three hours a night."

Minerva nodded in satisfaction. Her meddling had a better impact than she had expected, then. Harry might look like his father, but he certainly was more insightful than James was. "Excellent. I always thought he had a head on his shoulders. Miss Granger, you, like all Head students, are a valuable asset to the school. You are just a step shy of being part of the staff and we grant you certain allowances due to the extra work you put in. If it takes Mr. Potter visiting, then it was worth it."

When Hermione looked up at her in surprise, the older witch smiled thinly at her. "Come now, Hermione. You're not the first Head Girl to sneak a boy into her rooms. I was given the same lecture by Deputy Headmaster Dumbledore in my day."

Hermione smiled sheepishly at Minerva who returned her smile. "Your friend may visit if he wishes, but he is not to be seen by the regular student body. And if I may ask, just how did he arrive? The school first detected him in the library."

Hermione bit her lip. The Headmistress had just confirmed something she had suspected for a long time. "He knows a method of travel that bypasses the wards, Ma'am."

Minerva's expression tightened into a thin line of disapproval. That meant Potter could come and go as he wished. She much preferred he arrive like a normal wizard or witch. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He's probably taught you the same technique," she replied testily. Minerva knew the answer already, but she wanted to know if Hermione would admit it.

Hermione looked down at her feet and said nothing. Her silence was all the reply Minerva needed for confirmation.

"Very well. Remember what I said. No student is to see him. If he is keeping his Evan Black personna, he is to limit his stays to nine hours or less."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Minerva stood. "Enjoy your day, my dear." Turning, she walked to the door and left the suit.

Once she was gone, Hermione lost her rigid pose and slid down on the couch. Slowly, she started to grin. The Headmistress had given her permission to sleep with her boyfriend! First it was her father, then her Headmistress. If this was a conspiracy, it was a mighty nice one. All I need now is Mum to give me a Guidebook to Better Shagging and we'll have it made!

The thought made her laugh out loud.

The Forbidden Forest, Sept 25th 1997...

For weeks Nagini navigated the twisty narrow passages of caves she had stumbled into. She survived on rats mostly. In this environment, she was an ace predator and not limited to her eyesight in order to catch her prey. In fact, she had only come upon one predator more dangerous than herself and she had managed to escape in time.

She had discovered a large chamber that contained an undiscovered species of subterranean Acromantula. They were much smaller than their above-ground cousins and blind, relying entirely on catching rats and other small creatures using their webs. Nagini encountered them when she entered a chamber which appeared to be a nest full of them. Fortunately for her, she managed to escape into an underground river, which carried her through several adjoining chambers before washing her up on a sandy underground shore. Nagini was able to swim better than her pursuers.

Day after day passed with no light to mark their passage and still Nagini explored, following the taste of fresh air whenever she could find it. Occasionally, fate would tease her and Tom by allowing her to find a chamber in which part of the ceiling had fallen away revealing daylight high above, and always out of reach.

It was in one such chamber that things changed for Nagini.

She lifted her head and stared at the sunlight filtering down through a small hole in the ceiling. This was the source of the fresh air that she tasted. A quick survey of the chamber revealed no route to the hole outside. There was no way to climb the sheer, slick walls.

She was circling around the floor of the chamber, examining the walls when she spotted the opening and more importantly, tasted the scent of humans.

"YES!" shrieked Tom.

The opening was clearly man made, a broken clay pipe, very old and rather brittle. And more importantly, it was probably a conduit straight into the castle. At this depth, they would be beneath the wards, so they could travel safely without activating them.

"Yes," whispered the voice in the back of her mind. It had been fading for a while now and Nagini wasn't sure if it was real, or something remembered from long ago.

Whatever the reason, the result was clear. She changed directions and slithered into the pipe.

Tom gloated in the silence of his prison. A back door had been found!

Hogsmeade, Oct 1st 1997...

Severus Snape groaned and pulled the blanket tighter around himself. He wasn't far from Hogsmeade now, but it had taken him over a month of hard walking to get here. He was in better shape than when he escaped. He had helped himself to equipment from a safe house he knew about from his Death Eater days.

He could have apparated the distance, but he was sure the Ministry could track apparitions. In fact, he was sure the Ministry could track nearly everything. His time in prison had given him an unhealthy dose of paranoia.

He was warm and comfortable, hidden in a small tent and well warded to warn him of approaching intruders. He was also certifiably nuts. Three years of Dementors was enough to drive most people insane. And Severus Snape had been a driven man even before prison.

He opened one eye and looked around the tent warily for any signs of intruders, or Dementors or worse, Gryffindors.

"All clear?" he asked himself.

"All clear," he replied with a firm nod, then he pulled his wand from underneath his pillow.

Throwing the blanket off, he sprang to his feet, his wand at the ready and he surveyed everything.

He stood for a moment, then started humming Christmas tunes. After several minutes he glanced over at the calendar on the wall. It wasn't time yet. He had to stay here and wait for the right moment.

"I'll be home for Christmas. But for now I have a Longbottom," Snape said with glee. "That's worse than a lovesick Hufflepuff."

He scowled suddenly. "Damn you, Parkinson! If you're going to be the house slut, at least do it right! Let me show you how it's done. Come here, Draco!"

He cackled for a moment, then shook himself.

Satisfied, Snape walked over to the small kitchen area and began to prepare his breakfast. Every so often, he'd giggle to himself and mutter about revenge against those 'thundering dunderheads'.

Gryffindor's Head Suite, Oct. 3rd 1997...

"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Tonks.

Hermione hesitated for a moment.

"Hermione? You're not in some kind of trouble are you?" asked Tonks worriedly.

Hermione blinked and looked at her in shock. "Merlin, no! This isn't about me, it's about another student."

Tonks leaned back in her chair, feeling relieved. She wasn't sure how she would have handled a pregnant Hermione.

"So, what's the problem then?"

"You know the problem I had with Lavender Brown for the past few years?"

Tonks nodded. "Yeah. Harry mentioned how he hated not being able to protect you from her. I had to stop him once from going all white knight on her."

Hermione smiled softly at that. "I think that Lavender is receiving the same treatment at home that Harry received before Sirius rescued him," she said softly. "She's changed drastically this year. I don't know what happened over the summer, but I think her father may have been excessive in his treatment of her."

Tonks looked at her in surprise. "I thought you and she weren't on speaking terms."

Hermione shivered slightly and crossed her arms. It bothered her that Harry was treated that way, and she wasn't about to see anyone treated like that if she could help it. "We're not friends, Tonks. But I keep thinking about how Harry treated his relatives and how he was treated in turn. No one deserves that. Lavender used to be very outgoing and very outspoken. Now she's this timid little thing, afraid of her own shadow. Something happened during the summer. Something bad. I can feel it."

Tonks leaned back on her chair. "All right, what do you want me to do about it?"

"Can't you do something? You're an Auror!"

Tonks shrugged. "You have a suspicion of someone being abused. Just that. Unless Lavender comes out and admits it, the DMLE can't get involved. I can try talking to her, but without a complaint from the victim, or eyewitness testimony, my hands are tied."

Hermione shoulders drooped in defeat. She had hoped there would be something that Tonks could do to help her.

"Hermione," Tonks said. "Did you ever think that she might need the same sort of rescue that Harry needed?"

She nodded in reply. "I did think of that, but I'm not sure what can be done if that's the case."

Tonks stood and looked down at her. "I'm not promising anything, but I'll speak with McGonagall and see if she and I can meet with Lavender."

Hermione nodded unhappily. It wasn't what she hoped for, but it was better than nothing.

Remus' Quarters, Hogwarts, Oct 5th 1997...

Remus looked up when the door opened and Tonks entered the room. He was sitting up in the bed he shared with her. On his lap was a pile of homework from his third and sixth year classes.

"How did your meeting with McGonagall go?" he asked.

"Tense," she replied. "I always feel like I'm still a wet-nosed firstie when talking to her."

He chuckled, though he couldn't disagree. "She does the same thing to me. But what about Miss Brown?"

He watched her avidly as she peeled out of her robe and walked, nearly naked, toward their closet to pick out a nightshirt.

"It was worse than what we thought. Apparently, after she was picked up by her father at the end of last term, he got her home, then burned most of her clothes and beat her. She had a bout of accidental magic, pushing him away from her, then she grabbed what she could and ran."

Remus frowned.

"She's been staying with friends, a few days here, a week there. After she came of age, she slipped back into our world, staying with the Patils and some other girls she knew from school. She was afraid to tell anyone about it, but it was obvious to anyone that something had changed her."

Tonks paused and gave him a rueful smile. "You know Hermione was at the meeting?"

He nodded.

"Well, she pulled a Harry. She forgave Lavender for her past behavior and promised she'd do whatever she could to help her. It was almost like what Harry did with the Dursleys."

"Is there anything anyone can do?" asked Remus.

Tonks shrugged. "You know our Ministry, Remus. If something isn't shoved in their faces, they will do nothing about it. There's no structure in place to help abused teens. Minerva is going to contact the Patils and see if they would be willing to take her in for a few months after school, at least until she is able to get on her feet and afford a place of her own."

Remus shook his head. The Ministry was notorious for being unwilling and unresponsive to help in situations like this. Amelia had been working to change that, but she recognized that she couldn't introduce sweeping changes overnight. It would be a gradual process that could take years to change attitudes.

"I think Hermione wants to talk to Harry about maybe helping Lavender," she said, climbing into bed.

"Helping her? How?"

She shook her head and grabbed half his pile of parchments. "I don't know. She didn't come out and say it, but I could hear her gears clicking. Do you think he'd do anything?"

Remus looked down at his smaller pile of parchments in relief, then looked up at her. "If Hermione asks, he will. He'll do it because she asks, and because it would be the right thing to do. He could easily float her a loan of fifty thousand galleons and not miss it if she failed to pay it back."

She nodded and glanced down at her parchments, reading the essay on top. For several minutes they continued in silence, reading and marking. Then she spoke again. "Remus, is powdered Weedle horn really a curative for a Nundu bite?"

Remus put his quill down and sighed. "Luna Lovegood, right?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

He grinned. "If there is one thing I know, it's that if it's bizarre, Luna knows it. So yes, the powdered Weedle horn probably is a curative for a Nundu bite. However, I don't see how you can get bitten by a Nundu without being exposed to its breath ... wait, don't mark that wrong. If you do, I know she'll find the one case history to prove her point. Mark it right and give her an extra point for creativity."

Tonks snickered at him and the pair fell silent again.

"Tonks, I've been thinking," Remus said after grading a few more assignments.

He put his quill down again and looked at her. She was busy crossing something out on the essay she was reading and was chewing on her lower lip. "'Bout what?" she mumbled.

"Us."

She froze and looked at him. "Us?" she asked, a bit afraid. She had heard that sort of conversation opener in the past and it was never good. "What about us?" she asked warily.

"Well, I've talked to Sirius about that school they're building back on Fiji. It won't be ready until late 1999. I contacted the Pacific Rim Ministry and they told me they would be very interested in my teaching Magical Creatures. They even said they would be willing to allow me to earn my Mastery via correspondence with Mitsumi or the PMU."

Tonks smiled at him. "That sounds wonderful, Remus. But how does that affect us?"

He looked down at his lap. "One of the Pac Rim's requirements was that I assume a citizenship there and give up my British citizenship. That isn't a problem, but that got me thinking. I don't want to leave you here. I want you to come with me."

She blinked at him, unsure if she had heard him properly. "You want me to come with you? Be your live-in girlfriend there?" she asked, then she paused for a moment. "I suppose I could see if they have any openings in their DMLE."

"No, Tonks, you misunderstand me. I want you there, as my wife. We can become engaged here and move there after the next school year. Don't you see? I'd be away from the British Ministry and their crazy anti-werewolf laws by then. We could marry on the way there," he said intently.

Tonks stared at him for a moment longer, then she threw the parchments to the floor and lunged at him. Remus squawked in surprise and they both fell off of the bed. The parchments that he had been working on sailed upwards in a blizzard of homework that rained down on the couple as they kissed on the floor.

When they finally broke the kiss, Remus winced and rubbed the back of his head. "Kissing you isn't supposed to hurt," he mumbled.

She grinned at him. "So, I'm a little clumsy. It's a small price to pay for being with the most interesting witch in Britain."

"You are that," he replied with a chuckle. "But do you think we can do this in the bed? The stone floor is rather cold."

"Well, if you insist."

She stood and offered him a hand up. "I'll marry you, but..."

She paused and her expression changed. She turned to him with a confused look. "Is it possible to have two last names and no first name?"

He sat on the bed and laughed. With all of the problems involved in moving around the world and marrying a werewolf, if all she had to worry about was a name, then everything was all right in his book.

From the Journal of Harry Potter (Transmitted Entry), Oct. 10th 1997, Scotland...

Dear Hermione,
I've been giving Lavender's problem some thought. In fact, a lot of thought. We're going to be married, that means that you have will have access to all of my money. I trust you with my life, my heart and my bank account. You never need to explain your reasons to me. But even if that hadn't been the case, helping Lavender is still the right thing to do. I can't help but wonder how long this problem has been going on, and if her behavior wasn't a result of her treatment at home. Honestly, ask yourself, do you think you would have known how I was treated at home had you not found out in the Prophet?

I understand it enough now to know that a lot of my behavior stems from how I was raised. Lavender could have been under similar circumstances. I read the book your Mum gave you about children of abuse and I see myself in some of the instances they describe. I also see that some of that could be Lavender.

I know your Mum meant well, but it scares me to think that I... Well, let's just say I worry that I'll not be a good parent and a good husband. I don't know what to do about it, either.

In Lavender's case, I agree completely. I want to say how proud I am of you. You didn't have to forgive her and you certainly didn't have to get involved.

I have contacted Gringotts and they have done as I have asked. They will contact Headmistress McGonagall with the details and allow her to tell Lavender. I did make one small change, however. I doubled the amount from the two thousand you asked for, to four thousand. That's enough for her to continue her schooling, or to start a business of her own. Gringotts will manage the loan for me, so it will remain anonymous. The important thing is that when she leaves school, she will not have to return to that place.

I teleported back to your parents to ask their opinion, as well as speaking to Sirius via mirror. Your Mum insisted I stay for dinner, then she started piling so much food on my plate I could barely see around it to speak to your father. I think your parents are getting as anxious as I am to finish this hunt.

I'm north of Perth now, about fifty miles south of Hogsmeade. I've found ample evidence of Nagini along the way in old newspaper clippings and from the local snakes. The newspapers have reported several unsolved deaths and disappearances, which are probably the result of Nagini. I should reach Birnam in a few days and I'll check the library there.

She's meandered a bit, but I could draw a line along her route straight to Hogsmeade. If the library, or the snakes around Birnam check out, I'm probably going to jump straight to Hogsmeade and get a room at the Three Broomsticks.

That's where things will get tricky, since I'll have to be Evan nearly all the time.

I'm going to close now as my soup is ready. I'll see you this Friday night, so make sure you have your homework done. If you want, invite Remus and Tonks for the evening. If they want, I'll teleport down to London and pick up dinner for all of us.

I'm still waiting for you to tell me if there is a ring from the vaults that will do.

Love,
Harry

From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Transmitted Entry), Oct. 11th 1997, Hogwarts...

Dear Harry,
I received a letter from Mum today. She explained that she had a talk with Dad and he finally admitted that he approved of our relationship. He just didn't want to make things too easy for us. Right. That's what he says. In fact, Mum tells me that he insisted that next time you stopped by, they feed you right. She said that he told her he's watching out for his daughter's investment.

I mean, really! So my father thinks you're an investment? If that's the case, then I am the richest witch in the world. To be honest, I always thought he complained a bit too much about our relationship. I think he didn't want to acknowledge that I was growing up.

And speaking of that, you will be fine as a parent. Of all the things I worry about, that is perhaps the one thing that has never crossed my mind. We've had few arguments and none of them have even involved shouting, let alone any sort of violence. That book talks about generalities, Harry. It's not possible to speak about every case because every case is different.

I saw Lavender earlier. She was coming from the Headmistress's office looking much relieved. It's a good thing you're doing, Harry Potter, and it makes me only love you more. This won't heal her, but it will take a great deal of stress off of her. Parvati told me that her parents have offered to let Lavender stay with them. They were upset to discover that she had been hiding her situation from them.

I have been sticking to my promise of three hours study a night, plus homework time. And while it's not a lot of free time, I do find I have more of it now. So much so that I'm preparing a surprise for you.

I returned the inventory book to Remus, who said he would get it to you. I marked two rings which I liked, but I feel uncomfortable with this. I mean, these are part of your family's history. Some of the items in that book are so valuable and rare that the British Museum would kill to display them!

Tonks had to thumb through the book when I told her why you had sent it to me. Can you believe Remus finally asked her to marry him? She pulled me into a corner of the Defense classroom and spent twenty minutes after class telling me all about it. I'm very happy for both of them. They deserve some happiness.

It's hard to find things to write about when you keep showing up here. But I'd rather have you here at least once a week, than having to go back to using bookspace all the time.

I'm going to turn in now, and dream of you while I sleep. Please keep safe, my Harry.

All my love,
Hermione.

Hogwarts Grounds, Oct 12th 1997...

She almost missed the exit!

The route into the castle was convoluted and difficult. There were several points where the pipe had broken in an otherwise sealed chamber and getting out of one end of the pipe and back into the other was very difficult. This time the break came and finding the other pipe turned out to be nearly impossible. She couldn't taste it anymore, since the whole chamber was filled with the scent of growing plants.

While searching for the passage she came upon a small ledge that was slick with run off. She followed the ledge until she reached a hole. In better fed days she would not have attempted it, but she had lost weight. The rats were now few and far between in this underground warren of passages and feeding was becoming a desperate search.

Tom watched passively. He had managed to achieve an equilibrium with the Horcrux, but it was a tenuous truce at best. By carefully conserving his strength, he could tap very lightly into what Nagini saw and still maintain enough separation between himself and the Horcrux. The downside was that this reduced his connection to Nagini to the barest minimum. He could see what she saw, and that was about it. He wasn't sure she could hear him at all anymore.

Entering the passage, Nagini paused. If she had been capable of it, she would have grinned. She wasn't outside, but she was on dirt, inside a house with see-through walls! It was wonderfully warm and the air tasted of green things and of a rabbit, not far away. She would hunt and hide here for a while, until she recovered her strength, then she would move on to the large stone place only a short distance away.

Headmistress's office, Hogwarts, Oct 15th 1997...

"Come in!"

The door opened and Remus entered the office, followed a moment later by Tonks.

Minerva waved to the two and motioned for them to take seats.

The pair sat down and looked expectantly at the Headmistress.

Minerva's lips thinned into a straight line. "I called you both here today because of that little exercise you held."

Tonks leaned forward with interest. "Which one? The fifth year stealth and ward-breaking test or the seventh year Vampire field trip?"

Remus reached out and touched Tonk's hand. She looked at him and he shook his head at her.

"I am referring to your fifth year exercise for the moment, but we'll get to your field trip later."

Minerva leaned back in her chair and looked at the pair for a moment. They were undoubtedly the most popular teachers in the school. Their classes had brought a new level of fervor to the students. She was thrilled to see even first years excitedly working on the little projects this pair kept thinking up.

"During your exercise in stealth and ward breaking, you instructed your fifth year classes to locate a room which was guarded by wards and contained a secret treasure. While I have no problem with the task you assigned, you failed to provide sufficient direction."

Minerva paused and let that sink in for a moment. Remus nodded thoughtfully.

"Several fifth year Ravenclaw boys took your directions as approval to break the wards on the stairs to the girl's dorms."

Remus winced. "Ouch! Even James, Sirius and I never tried that."

"Be that as it may, this is a direct result of your students not receiving enough information. Filius is now forced to spend the next week putting the wards back in place."

"They succeeded?" blurted Tonks in shock.

Minerva's expression turned disapproving and she nodded reluctantly.

"Extra credit, Remus," Tonks muttered.

"Indeed. Filius' wards are more complex than what we had up."

"Professors, please," Minerva said in a pained voice. "That was only part of the problem. Your Vampire field trip now has two girls in Slytherin asking for permission to be turned."

"I told you that was a bad idea, Remus," Tonks said smugly.

Remus blinked at her. "Yeah, but it was your bad idea."

"Oh, yeah, it was."

Remus turned back to Minerva. "I'll speak with the girls. I think I can show them that turning is not all that smart an idea."

"Do that," Minerva said frostily. "And from here on, all future field trips and exercises held outside of the classroom are to be approved by myself."

"Oops," Tonks said.

Minerva swung her gaze towards Tonks and pinned her. "Oops?"

"Erm... Well, I might have suggested that the fourth years practice their kinetic shields by banishing food at each other."

Remus, unable to hold back any longer, began to laugh. Several of the Headmaster portraits snickered and the Sorting Hat chortled merrily.

Dumbledore never had these problems, Minerva thought with a sigh, then she looked sternly at Tonks. None of what the young Auror had suggested was actually a bad learning tool, but the unstructured nature was enough to drive her to drink.

Remus placed a hand on Tonks' hand and leaned forward. "Minerva, Tonks and I will make sure the classes know not to banish food at anyone. We'll inform them at tonight's dinner."

Minerva nodded, relieved with Remus' solution.

"Very well. Unless there is something else, I'll let you get back to your duties," Minerva said.

"Actually, there is one thing. We've noted several times that the ward for Nagini has come close to triggering several times in the past month. I can only surmise that Nagini somehow detected the ward and decided not to cross the line," Remus said.

"So the snake isn't in the castle?" Minerva asked in a relieved tone.

"That's what we believe," replied Tonks. "The wards came close to triggering a few times and then settled down again."

Minerva leaned back in her chair and smiled. Her students were safe! "Thank Merlin!" she whispered.

Remus stood and Tonks joined him. With a wave, they left her office. It was only after they had left that she started to laugh. She had actually hoped to see the food fight by the fourth years, but she could never admit that to anyone.

12 Grimmauld Place, London, Oct 18th 1997...

"Sirius Orion Black, just what do you think you're doing?" Cindy demanded crossly. She had just finished arranging the furniture in the sitting room to her satisfaction and here he was, moving things so he could place a large crate on the floor!

Sirius looked up. He was handing Dobby two large books and whispering to him. The little elf was wearing a Santa Claus costume today and his grin gave Cindy a shudder. It was as if she were seeing a rabid Christmas elf on steroids.

"Ummm, payback?"

Sirius nodded to Dobby who winked at him, then vanished with a pop.

"Payback for what?" Cindy asked. She had a really bad feeling about this.

"Do you remember what Harry and Hermione did to us on our honeymoon?"

She glared at him and placed her hands on her hips. "If I recall, the prank was on you, but go on."

"Well, the best revenge is a well planned revenge. Harry's hired a few elves to work on renovating Potter Manor. Since it's open, I asked Dobby to pick up a few things that belonged to me, and a very special book that belonged to Lily."

He explained in detail for a few minutes, then he explained how he had visited Dan and Emma for the second half of his revenge, and that Dobby was now delivering it.

Cindy sighed in resignation and shook her head. "You're evil, Sirius Black. Did you know that?"

Sirius nodded happily and Cindy sighed again. "So what else did you get from Dobby?"

Sirius grinned and gestured to the large crate. "Some of this is just junk; old school books and robes and stuff. But there's some real treasures in here."

He reached in and pulled out a book with a lurid purple cover. "The Marauder's Handbook," he said reverently. He ran a hand over the cover. "In here is a list of every prank and how we did it."

He frowned and looked in the crate again. "Somewhere is another book explaining how Moony and James made the map."

Cindy pulled out a photo of Sirius, James and Remus. James and Sirius wore their Quidditch uniforms and what struck her the most was the happy expression on Sirius' face. She had seen him happy and he was happy most of the time these days. But it was obvious from the picture that prison had stamped its impression on her husband.

Sirius pulled a small box out of the crate and looked at it with confusion. "Hello, what's this?" he asked.

He opened the box and a purple powder flew into his face. He coughed and Cindy backed away in alarm. The powder expanded into a cloud and it swirled around him for a moment before fading away.

Cindy blinked at Sirius in shock. He now had bigger breasts than she did.

"Oh, no," Sirius moaned. "Gender Bender Powder." He clutched his breasts in shocked awe.

Struggling to maintain a straight face, Cindy asked, "How long does it last?"

Sirius shrugged, which caused his breasts to jiggle enticingly. He stared down at them hungrily for a moment, before tearing his eyes away and looking at Cindy. "Only a few minutes, back in 1978, but this stuff gets more potent with age."

She sat down and started to giggle. Sirius started pulling things out of the crate, looking for the counter powder to undo the curse. She chuckled and watched him for a moment, then she spotted something he had tossed behind him. She bent down and picked it up, then grinned maliciously.

I think I need to talk to Dobby, she thought. Two can send embarrassing things to Hermione.

"Don't forget to clean up when you're done making a mess, Sirius. I'll go see about dinner," she said, then she walked to the door, hiding her prize. "Oh, and do find a way of fixing that. I really prefer my men to have smaller breasts than I do."

Sirius tried to glare at her, but she had already left the room.

From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Private Entry), Oct. 18th 1997, Hogwarts...

Someone is going to have to talk to Sirius Black. I mean, really. He has such a twisted sense of humor. I have half a mind to send him an owl, thanking him and detailing exactly what his little gift is making me want to do.

I don't think he'd appreciate hearing that right now, but it would be his own fault. I suppose I should back up and explain. This morning, I found a book on top of my dresser. I knew I hadn't put it there and Harry hasn't been here in a few days, so I know it didn't come from him.

No, Sirius sent it and I know it was Sirius because a moment after I found the book, Dobby popped into my room to deposit another "gift", this time from Cindy.

Dobby admitted that Sirius had sent the book and said it was revenge for the honeymoon prank. I cast several detection charms on it only to discover no hidden traps, jinxes, hexes or curses. The only spell I found was a preservation spell to keep the book safe and dry.

Now you know me. It's a book! Of course I'm going to open it! To my surprise it was a book of Harry's baby photos. I can only surmise that Sirius hoped to embarrass Harry by sending me these photos. I think Harry will be happy to have these. There are a lot of pictures of his Mum and Dad in these. And Merlin he was the most adorable baby!

And that is the temptation. I never thought I was much of the maternal type, but now I find myself looking forward to being able to give Harry a son or daughter. Sirius might have wanted to embarrass Harry, but all he ended up with is igniting my desire to give Harry a child of his own someday. We'll have a family. I'm not ready to have a baby today, and I think the idea would terrify Harry. We both still have a little more growing up to do. But if any child we have is half as cute as Harry was, then Merlin help me because the temptation is strong.

The present from Cindy is going to take some thought. I think I know what to do with it, and Tonks is going to love this. People think I can't prank? Hah! I'll show both Sirius and Remus.

The weather is turning cold. It's early and this morning we had a very early frost. Madam Hooch was complaining about it because it means she has to move her flying lessons into the Great Hall. I'll have to remind Harry to make sure he dresses warmly.

He has been trekking through the Forbidden Forest looking for signs of Nagini. I don't think he'll spend the entire winter in the forest. In his last note, he mentioned he was thinking about going back to Oxford and teleporting here during the day to continue his search. He mentioned that the last snake he found was nearly hibernating. I think the loss of the help from the snakes is depressing him a little.

We are almost certain that Nagini made it to Hogsmeade, but she never came to the school. At least that's what Remus and Tonks think.

On other news, I had an interesting conversation with Lavender yesterday that left me feeling like we've finally put all that unpleasant business behind us.

I was sitting in the Great Hall reviewing my Transfiguration essay when she sat down next to me.

"It's too dry," she said.

I looked up from my essay. "I'm sorry?"

"Your hair, it's too dry and your shampoo isn't helping any. That's why it's always all over the place. You need a little moisturizer added to your shampoo and it should settle down nicely. Because it's so dry, it cracks and gets all sparky when the air is dry."

I peered at the girl suspiciously. This sounded more like the old Lavender. She smiled tentatively at me, then she pulled a parchment out of her book bag and passed it over to me.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's a recipe for a proper shampoo that will help tame your hair. I know it bothers you sometimes and you want to look good for Evan, don't you? This will do it."

I glanced down at the parchment, then blinked in surprise and read it more closely. It was a recipe for a hair cleanser all right, but it seemed to be very advanced potion making. I glanced back up at her. "Where did you find this?"

She blushed and looked down. "It's what I do," she whispered. "I'm not a good witch like you, my power is barely average. I'm not good with the fancy potions either, but I know how to make potions like skin cleansers, shampoos, makeup bases, and some other forms of makeup."

I looked down at her recipe and then looked back up at her. "I think you're selling yourself short, Lavender. This is advanced potions. It might not be a cardiac regeneration potion, or spirit summoning unguent, but it's very advanced. I didn't know you were capable of this kind of work."

Lavender blushed and looked down. "I just wanted to say thank you. Despite how I treated you, you still forgave me. I know you won't admit it, but I know you had something to do with that loan that came from that foundation."

I looked down, not wanting my expression to give me away. Sirius and Harry had created a foundation to assist students that had been abused in one way or another. Lavender was the first to benefit from it and she probably wouldn't be the last.

Lavender nodded to herself as if my expression had given it away. To be honest, I was anxious to try her potion out.

Lavender stood with a soft smile on her face. "Thank you," she whispered.

She turned and started to walk away, but I called out to her. "Lavender?"

She stopped and turned. "Yes?"

"Why don't you join our study group on Sundays? It's only a few hours and I think you'll do well with it."

She smiled and nodded, then turned to join Parvati, who had been watching our conversation with intense interest.

I've used her formula and it does work. After one application I could see the difference immediately. I can't wait to see Harry's reaction to it. He thinks I don't know, but I've often woken at night to find him gently caressing my hair. I suppose I shouldn't complain though, I play with his hair almost as much.

I admit I'm surprised. Lavender never struck me as being all that intelligent, but I spoke with Parvati and discovered that, between the two of them, they have invented a whole range of beauty products based on potions and spells of their own invention. They even have a perfume that's based on a very mild lust potion that could be used for those times when you want to get your man in the mood. Parvati showed me the formula and I was very impressed. It could only fuel an existing desire, something which most lust potions lack.

Not that Harry needs it to get into the mood. I'm not complaining, but his desire has done wonders for my ego.

Parvati tells me that thanks to Harry's loan, they are thinking of opening a small shop in Hogsmeade to sell their products to the students. I think it's a wonderful idea for them. I know it's strange for me to admit that. I've never been one to use cosmetics, but there are times when I do want to look my best for Harry.

Harry. That man is the only person capable of tearing me away from my books. I can't believe how he can arrive here and how excited I become. The last time he visited me I realized just how comfortable I had become around him. I was undressing for bed and it took me a full minute to realize that I had stripped down naked and slipped into my nightgown without even a single blush. There is no modesty between us anymore. How can there be when I've heard him call my name in the throes of passion or me the same?

I'm not saying that's all we do. In fact, the last time he showed up, he had teleported down to London, where he bought dinner. I was shocked to find him bearing a large shopping bag of Chinese food. It's funny, he loves the Japanese culture, but he abhors their food. Not that I'm complaining. General Tsao's Chicken is not something you normally get at Hogwarts. And I still have a large plate of egg rolls under a preservation charm. He even brought a large bag of fortune cookies and told me to leave them out for the first years.

The firsties loved the cookies, but I heard a large batch of them found their way up to the Divination classroom, where Professor Trelawney took exception to them. Several students claimed the cookies were more accurate than she was. I suspect Ron and Seamus had a hand in that little affair, but I can't prove it.

Harry usually shows up on Fridays around seven P.M. and stays until around seven the following morning. Most of the time he waits until we're going to bed before changing back into Harry. I wish we knew why the Headmistress insisted that he can only stay for nine hours as Evan.

We talk, and enjoy a dinner. Sometimes we make love right away. And he always tries to do something romantic, like bringing a rose, or some candy. It's rather sweet, really. I never suspected he could be... well, so nice like this. If someone had told me four years ago that my best friend would turn out to be a romantic at heart, I wouldn't have believed them. I would have believed that we became lovers, but never a romantic. I think it's a measure of the good that Sirius and Remus have done in raising him.

It's time to close this for now. There's an early morning staff meeting that the Heads are supposed to attend. I need to be awake for that. Four more days until Harry visits again. I don't know if I can make it without being tempted to call him and ask him to come here. With him so close, the temptation is great.

Defense Against the Dark Arts Office, Oct 19th 1997, Hogwarts...

Hermione opened the door and grinned, seeing Tonks all alone. Tonks sat at her desk, her head slowly nodding down towards the desktop. She opened the door further and coughed lightly, causing Tonks to start awake.

Tonks looked up sheepishly at the Head Girl. She hadn't meant to doze, but she'd had a physical therapy session with Madam Pomfrey that morning and they always wore her out.

Her injuries were mostly healed now, but she was still working on rebuilding her strength and endurance.

Tonks shook her head and waved Hermione in.

Hermione grinned, noting the small, but very beautiful engagement ring that adorned the young Auror's hand. Tonks had shown the ring to a few people discreetly. It was still against the law to marry a werewolf.

"Come in, Hermione. Remus is in class. Can I help you with something?"

Hermione smiled and pulled up a chair across from Tonks' desk.

"Sirius sent me a present the other day; something which he felt would embarrass Harry. It really didn't cause any embarrassment, but then Cindy sent along something that I know Remus and Sirius would pay money to make sure is never displayed anywhere."

That immediately sparked Tonks' interest. "Oh?"

Hermione looked around for a moment, then she saw the perfect spot. "You know, this office is really really drab. Don't you think a little decorations might be in order? Maybe a photo or two?"

Hermione held up a large, rolled up poster. It had taken her several hours to locate the necessary spells that would allow her to expand a photograph without distorting the image and still keep the animation.

"A poster? From Cindy? This should be interesting. Go on then. Hang it up, girl," Tonks replied with a wave toward the wall. She knew Cindy had a wicked sense of humor and couldn't help but grin in anticipation.

Hermione returned the grin and floated the poster over to a wall where it unrolled and stuck.

Tonks stared at the poster for a moment and started to laugh, then she started to roar and slid from her seat with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Remus, hearing the noise, stepped into the office from the classroom door and froze when he spotted the poster.

It was a moving image of Sirius, James and Remus. All three were clustered around an infant Harry and were obviously arguing over who should change the diaper. Sirius finally gave in to James' urgings and he had the nappy off when he noticed someone off camera. Without thinking, he dropped his drawers and lifted the bare bummed infant over his head. James and Remus, sensing an opportunity to moon someone, joined him. There they were, the infamous Marauders, plus the next generation, mooning the camera.

Harry at that point decided it was time to provide sprinkler service and Sirius, in a panic, pointed him at Remus, who shouted something and waved his hands futilely. Laughing, Sirius turned the marauding sprinkler on James. Then the image recycled, having reached the limit of its recording.

"Oh, Merlin," Remus moaned.

"Nice, tight bum, Remus. That hasn't changed much," Tonks commented gleefully.

"Gives new meaning to the term 'Moony'," added Hermione, then she slipped from the room, laughing to herself. Now she had to send another poster sized copy to Cindy, and maybe her parents. I wonder if the Headmistress would like to see it, she wondered.

"What's it going to take to remove that?" Remus asked painfully. He was averting his eyes and trying to ignore the photo.

"Why don't we talk about it," Tonks purred. "Tonight, after dinner, in our rooms. In the meantime, I'll leave it where it is."

Hogwarts Castle, Oct 25th 1997...

Nagini curled up, sated and relaxed. She had found an large junction of pipes that emptied out into a room. From the look of it, it hadn't been visited in centuries. She didn't know it, but she was well below the castle and close to her goal.

The chamber wasn't far from the Chamber of Secrets, and it was covered by the wards erected by Salazar Slytherin to keep that chamber secret. That was a good thing for her. She had unwisely decided that a juvenile house elf would make a tasty snack before she entered into hibernation for the winter.

The voice had tried to warn her against eating the elf, but she ignored it. The humans of the castle were all armed and too big for her to consume, but an immature house elf was just perfect.

Warm air from the huge eternal furnace that piped heated air to the classrooms ran through this chamber, making it an ideal spot for her to digest her meal. She was full, and sleepy and had unknowingly picked an area of the castle to winter that House Elves couldn't visit.

She curled up to begin her long sleep, never knowing that her final destination was only twenty meters away, down a large pipe.

Headmistress' office, Oct 26th 1997...

McGonagall reread the report, then laid it down on her desk in exasperation. How anyone could read this stuff and not go insane is beyond me, she grumbled to herself. Maybe this is what drove Albus crazy, these Ministry reports and recommendations on teaching techniques!

One of the things she had learned about this job was that if she didn't respond to these reports with some form of written rebuttal, the Ministry would assume she had adopted the technique and come looking a few months later for a progress report. Though it consumed a lot of her time, she now routinely replied to each one, explaining why it was a bad idea, like the suggestion she had received to include a course of dragon handling at a general school with no facilities for keeping dragons.

This latest report was a perfect case in point. It suggested that Spirit Summoning and Necromancy be integrated into the Divination curriculum. The author of the document had apparently forgotten that summoning of spirits and the Necromantic arts had been outlawed in 1847 after the evil witch Wanda attacked Gringotts with a dozen Inferi.

McGonagall was about to reach for her quill and parchment when she heard a small pop. She looked up to see Pappy, the oldest and most respected elf in the castle, standing in front of her.

"Pappy? Is something wrong?" she asked. Normally, elves never show up unless called.

"Professor Mum, one of our younglings is missing," said the ancient elf.

McGonagall frowned. She knew little about the elves in Hogwarts. They lived in a series of rooms under the Potions floor, and that was about it.

"Have you searched the castle?"

"Yes, Professor Mum," replied the elf.

Minerva sighed and suddenly looked older than her seventy-two years. "Which babe was it?"

Pappy's eyes shone with sadness. "Ticky's little one, Micky."

Minerva nodded and opened herself up to the Hogwarts wards. She conversed with the school for a minute while the elf watched respectfully. The school had a limited intelligence that was growing slowly over time. It was speculated that in another five hundred years, the school would be fully awake all the time and actively helping in school functions.

She made an adjustment to the wards so that she would be alerted every time something unusual happened.

"Pappy, please go tell Professor Lupin and his assistant that I require them right away, then return here with them," Minerva said after breaking her connection to the school.

The elf nodded and popped away.

Minerva stood and walked over to a bookshelf and pulled down an old and ragged-looking volume. It was this volume that she was inspecting when Tonks and Remus filed into the room a short while later.

"You sent for us, Minerva?" asked Remus. His wolf senses were screaming a warning at him. Minerva's posture and obvious tension said danger. Something had frightened her and he didn't know what it could be.

She looked up at the pair. "I think we may have made a terrible mistake, Remus. The snake is in the castle and one of the elf children is missing."

"Oh, no," gasped Tonks.

Tonks, like all of Harry's family, had come to value the elves, thanks to their exposure to Dobby. In their minds, elves were treated as family, or at worst, respected hired help, but still people with feelings and worthy of respect and kindness.

Pappy watched carefully, noting the reactions of the humans. Dobby had explained to the Hogwarts elves about Harry Potter Sir's family and how they treated elves, but he hadn't believed it. Now he was seeing it first hand.

"Underground," murmured Remus.

Minerva turned in her chair to look at him. "I'm sorry?"

"Underground. It's the only way Nagini could have done it. The ward is a dome and it only extends a few feet underground before fading to nothingness."

Minerva nodded and pushed the book on her desk over to Remus.

"This is the Book of Hogwarts. It contains a record of all the structural changes that have been made to the castle since it was built in 968," Minerva said. "As you can see, there must be ten miles of pipes under the castle!"

Remus picked up the book carefully and started reading.

"What can we do?" exclaimed Tonks.

"I'm not sure," replied Minerva unhappily. She was wondering if she should alert the Board of Governors and the Ministry.

Remus looked up from the book. "First we protect our students and the elves. Pappy, how many elf children are in the castle?"

Pappy counted on his fingers for a moment. "Sixteen, Professor sir."

Remus leaned back in his chair. "All right then. Minerva, let them move all of the children into an unused classroom on the sixth floor. If there are enough classrooms, all of the elves can move out of the lower levels."

Pappy's eyes widened. Living in classrooms? Those rooms were enormous! It seemed almost sinful!

Minerva turned to the elf. "Move the children right away, Pappy. There are twelve unused classrooms on the sixth floor. Would that be enough for all of the elves?"

Pappy nodded in surprise at the Headmistress. Even Dumbledore hadn't shown this level of concern for the elves, and he had been a kindly Master compared to Master Dippet.

"Then move everyone, today if possible," Minerva said gently, then she turned back to Remus. "What else?"

"Tonks and I will examine the Elf quarters tonight after dinner. But for now, the biggest threat will be to our first and second years, who won't know the spells to defend themselves. And the greatest danger is probably on the lowest levels. I'd suggest either assigning an elf or an older student to escort the first and second years to and from potions, Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures classes. Potions is on the lowest student-accessible level and both Herbology and Magical Creatures are outside."

Minerva nodded thoughtfully at that. "But what about the Slytherins? Their house is on the same level."

"We'll have to ward it somehow, or assign a guard during the nights," Tonks replied.

"I better contact Harry," Remus murmured.

Minerva scowled and shook her head. "No, you can't!"

Remus blinked. "What? Why not?"

"The castle will disable him," Tonks murmured. "I had forgotten about that!"

Remus gave her a baffled look.

"It's simple, Remus. Harry is still school age, and he's a metamorphagus. That means the school will force him back into his base form if he maintains another form for too long. It's a very old anti-cheating enchantment that was placed on the school in the fourteenth century when Metamorphs were more common. I had forgotten about it completely."

Remus shook his head. "How did you discover this?"

Tonks looked down at her feet and mumbled something. Minerva jumped in to answer for her.

"There was an incident in her fourth year. I suggested a change of form to prevent a repeat of the incident, only we discovered that after ten hours, her form started changing and her ability to control it was severely suppressed for a full day. Harry still has a base form to change into, it will turn him back into Harry Potter."

Remus grimaced. He could imagine what kind of incident Minerva was talking about. Tonks had explained how the boys had treated her during her Hogwarts years. Unlike Harry, Tonks had started morphing so early and had lost touch with her base form. For her, the ward set her constantly shifting between forms.

"And it's age-related?"

"Yes. Once she graduated and was outside of the age bracket, the enchantment didn't affect her anymore. We retested it when she was twenty so we could understand it and found she could remain in any form she wanted at that age."

"So he can't come to the castle unless we have the snake cornered then?" asked Remus.

Minerva nodded unhappily. "I know Miss Granger has invited him to escort her to the Yule Ball, and he's visited her at least once a week, but he's not maintaining the Evan form long enough to trigger the ward. There's not enough time for the enchantment to kick in."

"Well, what about during the Yule holiday? We'll have more than two weeks in which to search the castle and find the beast," Tonks said.

"Not this year," Minerva said with a shake of her head. "The Board of Governors is hosting a International Confederation of Wizards Conference on Magical Education here at Hogwarts. All of the students were told with their regular letters that the school would be hosting many delegates this holiday and they needed to go home, or make other holiday plans."

"That leaves the summer," Remus replied heavily.

"Can the elves search for this snake, Mum?" asked Pappy hesitantly.

Remus glanced up at Minerva. "It's worth a try. But it's very dangerous. I'd hate to see anyone else get hurt by it."

"Harry's going to blow a gasket once he discovers the snake is in the castle and he can't hunt it down," Tonks said softly.

"Well, to be honest, we don't know for certain if the snake is here, but I think you're right," Remus added. "I'll need to talk to Harry."

"Use your mirror," Tonks suggested.

Remus glanced at Tonks, then Minerva, who watched him with interest.

"Mirror?"

"It's something James, Sirius and I came up with back in our third year," he admitted sheepishly, then he pulled a small mirror out of his pocket.

Minerva arched an eyebrow and watched with fascination as Remus contacted Harry.

"Harry," he called, pressing the corner of the mirror to activate it.

A minute passed with nothing happening, then the surface of the mirror rippled like water and the image changed.

"Remus?" replied a tinny voice. "What's going on?"

Remus launched into a long explanation of what they thought and what had happened, then he waited.

"So you think she's in the castle then? I don't know, Remus, it's mighty slim. An Acromantula could have taken the elf," Harry replied. "Merlin knows there are enough of them in the forest."

McGonagall looked shocked. "You know, he could be right. Pappy, was the little elf let outside?"

Pappy shrugged. "Once they are old enough, they usually are unattended. They know not to be seen by the students, but that is their only restriction."

"Great!" groaned Tonks, "We're back to where we started. Except now it might be a Saint Bernard sized spider in the castle."

"Remus?"

Remus turned back to the mirror. "Yes, Harry?"

"I think your ideas were valid. Move the elf children and escort the first and second years. But unless Nagini is spotted in the castle, I don't think you can assume it's her. The Acromantulas are all riled up over something. I can't get anywhere near the main lair to talk to Aragog. I don't think even Hagrid could, at this point.

"And the Centaurs seem mighty upset about something, too. I haven't spoken to any, but I have seen them running around in very large armed groups."

"Where are you, Mr. Potter?" Minerva said.

"Headmistress? Merlin, Remus, warn me in the future when you have others listening in. These mirrors really muck up a voice," Harry said. "I'm in the Forbidden Forest, Ma'am, about three miles from the south eastern face of the castle. Up until that frost a few days ago I had been interrogating all the snakes I could find. But they have all entered their hibernation cycle." It was impossible to miss the disappointment in his voice.

"Then what are you still doing out there?" asked Minerva incredulously.

"Exploring, Ma'am. The snakes say she's in the area. If Nagini entered the castle, she had to do it via a tunnel or cave," he replied, then he paused and looked thoughtful. "Remus?"

"Here, Harry."

"Do you think I should sneak in for a look at the Chamber?"

"About that, Harry. It might not be a good idea, at least not with people in the castle. There's an enchantment that will affect your metamorph ability if you stay here too long," Tonk said.

Harry's image in the mirror seemed surprised. "How long is too long?" he asked tensely.

"You haven't stayed long enough in another form for the ward to trigger, Mr. Potter," replied McGonagall.

Harry blushed in reply. He hadn't been aware that McGonagall knew of his visits.

"Oh, ho! Someone's been sneaking in to see the Head Girl?" chortled Tonks, deliberately saying it loud enough for Harry to hear.

"Can we get back on topic?" Harry replied plaintively. "Should I come in and check out the Chamber of Secrets?"

Tonks and Remus looked at Minerva. It was her school and her call.

She sat for a moment, thinking quickly. "No, not yet, Mr. Potter. Considering the fact that no one, not even the elves, know for certain if the snake is in the school, I think it would be premature for you to start rooting around in the dungeons."

Harry's image nodded thoughtfully. "All right, but as soon as it's spotted, let me know and we can finish this thing for good. Now, about this metamorph enchantment. Since it's no secret I've been in the castle since the term started, I'd say it's safe to assume I'll have no problem at the Yule Ball?"

Minerva smiled softly. "You'll have no problem, Mr. Potter. We'll be pleased to see you at such a happy occasion."

Harry nodded again, then he turned away from the mirror for a moment.

"Remus, I better go. There are some centaurs sniffing around in the clearing where I pitched my tent," he called.

"Right Harry, be careful," Remus replied, then he pressed the corner to close the connection.

"We'll go with what we discussed," Minerva said. "I'll announce the changes at dinner. Pappy, get the children moved today, please."

The little elf had stood quietly watching the conversation. Startled, he nodded quickly and popped away.

Remus and Tonks left to return to their classes, leaving Minerva to sit and ponder what had transpired. Harry was close by and if they could find that snake, they'd be rid of the threat of Voldemort for good!

With that in mind, she decided it was time to start exploring the castle in her cat form. It had been many years since she had tried that.

From the Journal of Harry Potter (Private Entry), Oct. 29th 1997, Forbidden Forest...

Sweet Merlin, what am I going to do with that girl?!

She sent me a note. No, not a note, a sizzling, steamy letter, via our journals. She sent me a detailed, hold onto your pants, missive, explaining exactly what she wanted to do to me the next time I see her. Someone throw a bucket of ice water on me! I swear that girl is full of surprises. I had thought I knew my little bookworm very well, but since we started making love, I'm seeing a side of her that I never knew about.

Oh, she's still the same sweet girl I feel in love with, but she has a naughty side that she's showing me with an almost gleeful delight. And I wouldn't change her for all the money in the world.

I think that maybe it's because she knows I won't laugh at her. I've thought about this a bit in the last two months and I think that I've learned what real love is. It's all about trust and caring. She's showing me aspects of herself that she's hidden from everyone, even her parents. And she trusts me enough to believe I won't make fun of those aspects. It works both ways, she gave me her love and I gave her mine. We both have the ability to hurt each other incredibly, but we trust that the other person won't, because they care about how we feel.

Confusing, eh? This is what happens when it's after midnight, and thanks to my wonderful girlfriend, I'm horny enough to consider teleporting into the castle and surprising her.

All right, lets change the subject.

Nagini.

Well, there's a cold rag for you. Nagini may be in the castle, but I'm not convinced. The simple fact is, the large sentient creatures in the forest are agitated about something. I just wish the Centaurs were friendly enough to talk with me. Forget about the Acromantulas. I can't get anywhere near Aragog. I've tried twice now and have had to teleport away each time to keep from getting swarmed by the spiders.

Someday I am going to sit Hagrid down and tell him a thing or two about his misunderstood beasties, then I'm going to give him a puppy.

I saw so many spiders today, they were like an anthill that had been kicked! Ron would be gibbering in terror.

The search has slowed down tremendously. For the past week it's been dropping below freezing every night and barely rising above fifty during the day. The snakes have gone into hibernation and I've lost my best source of information. Damn, why couldn't Gryffindor and the others build the freaking castle someplace warmer, like southern Spain?

If Nagini is in the castle, then that means two things. It means she somehow detected the wards and found an underground passage into the castle. It is possible to see the wards. Some people can see magic using Mage Sight and there's a spell that does the same thing. That spell gives me a whale of a headache, but I've used it a few times.

More to the point, even if she's in the castle, her natural imperatives must be kicking in. Even if she finds a warm place to hide, she's going to hibernate until late April. Searching for her while she's sleeping will be like looking for a needle in the haystack. She's probably in some corner somewhere and the odds of finding her will be astronomical.

The only thing left for me to do is to look around and see if I can possibly stumble onto some sort of subterranean passageway into the castle. I'll give that another two weeks at the most, then I'll return to London. I don't see any reason for me to stick around and spend the winter in the middle of a forest in Northern Scotland, when I can be warm in London.

Honestly, I think she's gone to ground, either outside or inside, and I'm not going to find her until the spring thaw. Damn, damn, damn! I had hoped to finish this up before Christmas. Now that's seeming less and less likely.

Tomorrow is Halloween and I think it's affecting my mood, at least in part. I am going to see Hermione tomorrow; she's insisting on it. I don't mind, but I swear on my magic, if she sends me another letter like that last one, I am going to call her on our mirrors and let her listen to me relieve the problem she caused BEFORE SHE GOES TO CLASS!

Let her see how she likes it.

I'm off to bed. It's late and I don't need to start thinking about her letter again.

Minister's Office, Ministry of Magic, London, Nov 5th 1997...

"Minister, Ambassador Black is here, as you requested."

"Thank you, Shirley. Please send him in, then see we're not disturbed."

Her secretary nodded and opened the door for Sirius, then waited until he was inside before the door glowed with a colloportus spell, locking and sealing the door.

"Sirius, please have a seat."

"Amelia," he replied with a nod, then sat in the plush chair in front of her desk.

Amelia stood and walked over to a tea setting and poured two cups. She handed one to Sirius, then took her own cup over to her desk. Sitting down, she pulled out Merlin's Orb and activated it, letting the privacy spell bathe the room.

"I've been thinking about our last discussion. First, I want to let you know that I've taken steps so that no one in my administration is aware of Mr. Potter assuming control over his family properties."

Sirius nodded in reply. He had expected her to make this move.

Amelia leaned back on her chair, idly stirring her tea for a moment. "I am wondering if there is more we can do to assure the Internationals that we aren't returning to the 'Good Old Days'."

Now we get to the heart of the matter, Sirius thought. I wonder what she has in mind?

"I can't say for certain, Amelia, but they are hoping to see Britain move to a more moderate stance in regard to a number of issues. They recognize that where we go, Europe follows, and they are hoping that some moderation on our part will be picked up by the continent."

Amelia nodded reflectively. She had been pushing for more moderate policies since she took office, but hadn't managed to make much headway.

"It's a tough task, Sirius. You know the conservatives are firmly entrenched in their positions and their power," she replied.

"I know, but you have to start chipping away at their power somewhere. The Americans and the Japanese are pulling away from us economically because of the lack of limits on their people. We hide from the Muggles, while America is entering an era of open cooperation between their Department of Magic and the Muggle government. Magic is still secret, but not like it is here."

"What do you suggest then? It's not like I can repeal the Goblin Suppression Act of 1807," she replied plaintively.

Sirius shook his head. "No, you can't. Not yet. But you can work on things you do have control over. You don't need to go to the Wizengamot to moderate Ministry practices. You don't need to ask for permission to make it Ministry policy to hire based on ability, rather than blood lines."

Amelia sat quietly for a long moment, considering his words. "We could do that. But even without having to go to the Wizengamot, there will be a lot of resistance."

He leaned back on his chair and sighed. "Look, Amelia, the Internationals want change. Right now, we're saying the words, but failing to act on them. When was the last time someone was prosecuted under my Fair Treatment Act? Never, that's when. You have to start somewhere, and no matter where you start, someone is going to object to it."

Amelia nodded. "You're right. My problem is that I'm stuck catering to so many factions just to hold the government together."

"Then show them how it hurts. Do something that lets them earn more money, but only as long as they approve of the changes. For example, remove the ban on Werewolves and Vampires being served in public. The tavern owners will make more money, the government will pull in more revenue from taxes, everyone will profit. And the people against it will be looked on as being overly bigoted."

"That might work," she muttered. She pulled a parchment toward her and scribbled down a few ideas, then looked up at him. "You know, Sirius, one of the things I've always liked about you is that you never seem to want anything from me. You've supported my administration since I took office."

He shrugged. "You and I were on opposite sides of the fence for a long time, but you recognized the mistakes made by previous administrations. Besides that, I've got most everything I need," he replied, smiling.

"Have you heard from your cousin lately?" she asked hesitantly.

Sirius frowned. "There isn't much I can say. He's still out there, still looking. It's looking more and more like what he's after is at Hogwarts."

Amelia sat up straight. "Hogwarts?" she gasped. "Should we close the school?"

He held up a hand. "Relax. Nature is working for us at the moment. Unfortunately, it's not going to go exactly as he had hoped it would. The onset of winter is making conditions difficult."

"The students are safe?"

"We think so."

Amelia nodded. "Very well. You're off to that economic trade conference in Madrid next week?"

Sirius nodded. He and Cindy were looking forward to it. The weather in London had been increasingly dreary.

"You know our position?"

"Yes, but I think you should ease off on the Veela import restriction."

She reached for a folder and opened it, pulling out a parchment containing the position breakdown. "Oh? Why?"

"Malta is part of the International coalition and their Veela colony has developed some new medicinal potions that could be useful. To restrict something just because it was developed by a non-human seems silly to me," Sirius replied.

Amelia made a notation on her sheet. "All right, what else?"

Sirius leaned forward to detail the changes he had in mind. It wasn't much, a nudge here, a nudge there. It was something that Harry and Hermione both had problems with. They wanted sweeping changes now, while he knew changes could only come slowly. He was grateful that Amelia had given him a position where he could influence policy, without being tied directly to the Ministry, or his Wizengamot seat.

The Great Hall, Hogwarts, Nov 13th 1997...

Hermione looked up in surprise to see Ginny and Neville walking into the Great Hall, accompanied by her parents and an old lady wearing a Vulture hat. Ginny's expression seemed torn between surprise and happiness.

Molly smiled, seeing Hermione and she walked over to her.

Hermione stood and hugged the older witch. "It's good to see you, Mrs. Weasley. I hope nothing is wrong for you to come to the school."

As far as Hermione knew, neither Ron nor Ginny were in trouble.

"Oh, no, dear. Just a bit of family business we had to attend to," replied Molly smugly.

Ginny sat and Neville took a seat next to her. He looked extremely satisfied with himself.

"Molly, sit. Minerva said we can join them for lunch," Arthur said with a grin.

Hermione returned to her seat and looked at her friends. "What's going on?"

Neville exchanged a glance with Ginny, who nodded to him. He turned to Hermione. "My Gran is a little old fashioned, but she knew I liked Ginny. We've been dating steadily for nearly two years now. So she approached Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about an arrangement."

Ginny blushed prettily, but Hermione got the impression she wasn't that happy. Arrangements needed the consent of both parties and Ginny must have approved of the match. She always gave me the impression that she was going with Neville because he was the best pick left after Harry and Malfoy left, she thought. I shouldn't be so mean spirited, but I think I can't wait to see her reaction when she discovers that Evan is Harry.

"What about you, Miss Granger. Surely by now someone has shown an interest?" asked Mrs. Longbottom.

"Oh, she's got a boyfriend," Molly said with a smug tone. "A foreigner."

Mrs. Longbottom sniffed loudly. "A foreigner? Really? I do hope he's trainable. Some of these foreigners have no manners whatsoever."

Hermione gritted her teeth and was about to say something when another voice broke into the conversation.

"I've met the lad and, quite honestly, I was very impressed. He's finished his schooling a year early and is currently working for the DMLE at the Japanese Embassy. He's a cousin to Sirius Black," Minerva McGonagall said in a frosty tone.

Mrs. Longbottom looked up with interest. "Sirius Black, you say? Well, then, he's not really a foreigner, is he? Deep down, he's still British."

Molly’s expression changed when she realized that Minerva wasn't going to let her gloat. She had once considered Hermione as a possible match for Ronald, but the girl was simply too tied to her Muggle roots and their dismal moral values.

"Yes, from one of Phineas' younger sons, I believe," added Minerva.

"Goodness, he must be a bright one to be working at the Embassy. Only the best get diplomatic postings," Mrs. Longbottom added. She turned to Hermione. "Well done, my dear, well done indeed."

Hermione blushed and Ginny shot her a look that clearly said "Ha! Now it's your turn!"

Minerva smiled at them, then continued on her way up to the head table. She was glad she had been able to divert Molly from her path. She liked the woman, but she had a petty streak in her that shone through too often for her tastes.

Hogwarts Entrance Hall, Dec 19th 1997...

Harry stepped into the entrance hall for the first time in over three years. The last time he had been here, he'd left Hogwarts as a student.

He shrugged off his cloak and handed it to a waiting elf. Then he quickly brushed off some of the snow clinging to his robes. He was very glad he had given up his hunt in late November. He had woken up to an early winter storm that had nearly buried his tent.

He'd crawled out into the thigh-deep snow and quickly folded it up. Then he'd teleported straight back to Oxford, since Sirius was in Madrid with Cindy.

Since then, he had spent his time studying more spells and visiting back and forth between Grimmauld Place and the Granger house.

"Name?" asked another elf.

"Evan Black, here to escort Miss Hermione Granger to the Ball," he replied.

"One moment, sir," replied the elf, then bowed and vanished with a pop.

A side door opened and Hermione stepped out. He stared. There was no polite way of saying it. She was stunning, dressed in a long black gown with a side slit that nearly reached her hip. The neckline was modest, showing only a hint of cleavage, and her hair was done up in a French braid.

She approached him tentatively. "Evan?" she said cautiously. His eyes tracked her every movement and she could feel his gaze sweeping her form.

When he didn't reply, she started to worry. She gripped his arm and tugged gently.

He blinked. "You're gorgeous!" he blurted. Then he flushed right up to the tips of his ears.

She smiled and looked down for a second, pleased with his reaction. Looking back up, she grinned at him and his look of awe. "Hey, it's still me," she said softly.

Harry blinked again and shook his head. "Your Mum wouldn't tell me about your dress except to say it was black. I pulled something from the vault that I thought you might like to wear tonight." He offered her a small, long box.

She glanced down at it, then up at him uncertainly. He nudged the box towards her, waiting for her to take it.

She opened up the box and gasped. Inside was a string of pearls with a center pendant that looked like a blue diamond. "Is this real?" she exclaimed.

"The Goblins seem to think so. They offered a tidy sum to buy it. Apparently, the diamond is fairly rare," he replied.

She handed him the box and turned around. "Put it on me please?"

He grinned and kissed the back of her neck before sliding the necklace in place and locking the clasp.

He gently turned her around and looked at her. "Beautiful," he whispered softly. It was obvious he wasn't even looking at the necklace. Then, offering his arm, he smiled. "Shall we join the Ball?"

She grinned and linked her arm in his, then led him up the Entrance Hall to the Great Hall. Inside, she led him over to a table where her friends waited. Ginny sat, holding Neville's hand. On her finger she wore a small engagement ring with a delicate pink colored diamond. Ron sat talking to Hannah. Remus and Tonks, also at the table, smiled in greeting.

"Hermione! Evan!" exclaimed Ginny. Her eyes widened when she saw the large blue diamond around Hermione's neck.

"Hello everyone," Evan said with a grin, then he pulled Hermione's chair out so she could sit.

Remus, Neville and Ron looked down and their dates gave them sour looks. Hermione grinned at their discomfort. Harry's behavior was strictly Dan Granger at work. Over the years, he had coached Harry to open doors and pull our chairs for Hermione.

"So, Evan, how is life working at the Embassy?" asked Ginny.

Evan looked up from the printed menu he had been examining. "It's pretty routine, actually. At points, downright dull."

Ginny made a face, as if dissatisfied with his answer. "I would have thought working at the Embassy would be more interesting than that."

Evan nodded in reply, then he pointed at an item on the menu. A moment later it appeared on his plate. "I'm not saying there aren't any exciting moments, but most of the time it’s pretty routine. I imagine you have more exciting times up here than I do."

"The biggest excitement around here is Snape's escape, and the fact that we have to escort the first and second years to class," muttered Ron. "Now, when Harry Potter was here, we had excitement."

"Yeah, like Hermione petrifying me in first year," Neville replied to everyone's laughter.

"I had a good reason for it," she muttered, causing everyone to laugh again.

"I understand that congratulations are in order?" Evan said, then he nodded to Neville and Ginny. Then Evan turned to Remus, who blushed slightly.

"You're the different ones," Hannah said with a laugh. "Hermione mentioned over a year ago that you wanted to marry her."

Evan grinned and reached over to caress the back of Hermione's hand. "I would have told her sooner, but I don't think she was ready to hear it that early."

"Oh? When did you know?" asked Ginny.

Evan smiled. "Not long after I first met her," he replied vaguely.

Hermione looked down and smiled to herself. Remus chuckled. Evan's comments had just confirmed the existence of the Potter curse.

Hermione looked at Evan and decided to turn the conversation away from her. "Evan, you have permission to ride back on the Express with us, if you want."

"Excellent!"

Tonks reached for her glass. "Well, Happy Christmas everyone."

Everyone joined in the toast and Evan sipped his drink thoughtfully. It isn't exactly how I had hoped to end this year, he thought. "And here's to a better New Year," he added.

Authors Notes:

Bob says he's making me do the Authors Notes because he likes when we write stories together. While I'm sure that's at least partially true, I know for a fact that he's making me do them because he's in a hurry to post the chapter and doesn't want to take the time himself. Lazy bum...

Er, right. So, on with the freakin' questions.

Hobbsing: I've got a full time job "re-educating" my husband. If he's agreed to loan me out, please consider that it's the medication talking and ignore it. As for returning teenagers? I'm pretty sure his/her mother would be rearranging the more sensitive parts of your anatomy if you attempted to put the child back where he/she came from!

Now, having said that, I'd like to offer an alternative. Send your kid to us. We have plenty of snow that needs to be moved from one pile to another. By the time we're done, your child will be the most well behaved, polite child you've ever seen. He/she will also be twitchy, crying and clinging to you in terror, but you can't have everything!

Yes, now you know why Bob and I never had kids!

DarkRoot: Your English is great and so much better than my German!

Sheepstamper: What an unfortunate profession you have. Umm, you're not from Montana, are you? (Smiles innocently) Now, about your question. Hermione's use of the word bollocks shows she's growing up. Mummy dearest didn't comment because her daughter is an adult. If she wants to curse, who is she to complain? I mean, her daughter's having sex with Harry. What's an occasional curse word when compared to that?

TeddyLupin: Flattery will get you no where! Did you honestly think I wouldn't see through that? You're just trying to get us to double our output!

As for your BDSM comment? What makes you think we don't? Hmmm?

(Slaps a ball gag on TeddyLupin, wraps a rope around his wrists and ankles, then hoists him into the air.) I'll get back to you as soon as I finish the notes. Don't go anywhere!

GinnySohma: Hmm...Sohma. Do you read/watch Fruits Basket by any chance? Anyway, thank you ever so much for the industrial sized nuke. It's sitting in the living room, beeping away. Bob was mesmerized by the blinking lights for a few minutes, but I chased him away so I could worship the thing in peace. The few people brave enough to visit us have now fled, swearing to never return. I'm not sure if it was the nuke, or the fact that I was dancing around it naked that chased them away. In any case, I love it!

Eewec: You want us to share the story of the mix up between the personal lubricant and the heating rub? That's a little personal, don't you think? Wait, I've got an idea! (Pulls Eewec's pants out, squirts a bit of heating rub over the genital area, then let's go of the waistband.) Stories have their place, but there's just nothing like experiencing some things for yourself. Oh, and don't use water to try to wash away the burn. It just spreads it around. Air, however, seems to work. Take off your pants and run around naked for a bit. That should help.

Oh, and sending fire ants by international post isn't a good idea. It's has nothing to do with unpressurized holds and everything to do with the fact that the little suckers escape from the envelope. Don't ask me how I know this, just trust me!

Amit Patel: No, they still use bookspace, but not as much. You'll see mention of it, but you probably won't see those sessions.

Jakjakattk: Thank you every so much for sharing with us the fact that you have a very small wand. So, is that erect? Normally, I wouldn't ask such a question, but you usurped my right of picking on Bob. That's my job, buddy.

(Strips Jdcox61 down and stuffs him into a see-through negligee.) You enjoyed Hermione's so much, I thought you might like one of your own! (Snaps a few pictures and post them on the internet) How lovely! (Smiles sweetly) Now, if you don't want your parents/significant other/pastor/friends/teachers to see this, send me money... or toys.

Geovanni Luciano: Sorry to disappoint, but there's only one more chapter to go. The Weasleys will make an appearance, but not a significant one, and only at the end.

PerfesserN: I know you cock hammers, not triggers. However, I'm not allowed to edit, or in any way touch, the disclaimers. So I can honestly say (and take great pleasure in doing so) — That mistake was all Bob!

Solicitor and Webdoc: The tobasco sauce enema is an interesting idea. However, I think I'll use an enema of Naga Jolokia (ghost pepper) instead. Tobasco is nice, but just doesn't have the same pucker factor!

Now Manatheron, you have to know that a woman can never have too many toys! I'm not sure I can answer your question, however. Bob still has his X-Men story to finish and post and I may or may not post mine. After that, we have to pull out the plot bunny file and find something we can flesh out and write together. We'll get there eventually, though.

Faith: C4 is always better. I have plenty of restraints!

Crys: You want to be my minion? (Blinks, then squeals with excitement) I get my own minion! (Pounces on Crys and ties him up next to Teddy) Minions must be branded! Imagine that. I didn't even write the story and I've already got my own minion. I'm thrilled! (Stokes up the fire, then tosses in a branding iron that reads PROPERTY OF ALYX- WRITER OF AUTHORS NOTES AND KEEPER OF MINIONS!) Don't struggle too much or you'll smear the brand. Screaming is allowed though. I'm sorry I don't have any burn cream, but I still have some of the heating rub and the juice from the ghost pepper enema left. That should do the job, right?

Kutekess: Is being insane a requirement for an author? (removes her tinfoil hat and scratches her head) If I were insane, would I know? (Looks over at Bob, who's wearing his viking helmet, complete with massive horns, and a fur cape.) What do you think, honey?

Bob replied with a grunt, so there's your answer.

Musings: Your happy place sounds interesting to me. Bob, however, is worried about you. He says "Go into the light!" Don't listen to him. The dark is better. No one can see the blood...no one can hear you scream. (Blinks) You know, maybe I should start taking my meds. :D

For those who asked: The point of the Quibbler articles is basically to make you chuckle, scratch your head and say, "What?" However, if you look at them closely, they actually did get something right. Harry does, in fact, still have his magic! Think of it this way. The Prophet gets everything right...except that one fact. The Quibbler gets everything wrong...except that one fact. Don't over analyze them too much. Either enjoy them or skip them, whichever you prefer.

Kris: Bring back the livestock?! (Trots out a chicken on a leash and glares at Kris) A llama in the disclaimer and a chicken in the AN. (Listens to Bob bark and growl at his computer) And a dog, apparently. Happy now? (Plucks the chicken, then punts it into the cook pot) Well, at least we have something for dinner. As for your comment about Bob and I having children — HELL NO! We won't infect the world with what the blending of our DNA would create!

(Catches Bratling as she tries to escape) Yes, I know Hannah is a blond. I made a mistake. But it's not very polite of you to point that out! You hurt my feelings. No, really, you did! (Drags Bratling over to her new industrial sized meat grinder) And the fact that I just got this little puppy and have been dying to try it out has nothing do with the fact that I took exception to your correction. Really. Oh, and you spelled my name wrong. But you won't have to worry about that for long.

Bob, we're having chicken soup and Bratling burgers for supper! Fire up the grill, would ya?

Particle_Accelerator: You could send us your thesis and we'll finish it for you. We can't guarantee it will be any good, but it will be long. And if nothing else, it will give your Professor something to laugh at as he/she fails you. A few more years of school never hurt anyone. You don't really want to enter the real world anyway. They expect results. That's why Bob and I avoid it like the plague!

However, to answer your question, yes, I really do own an 16" LX 200...in my dreams. Sadly, the real world won't let me have one. Thanks for asking and rubbing it in. Although, if you're offering one, we'll take it! We're not picky, either. We'll even take an 8"!

And for those of you with filthy minds, that's an 8" telescope! Yeesh, you people are sick!

(Smacks Musing just for the hell of it)

Now, where was I?

LadyImmortal: Yes, we are very proud of the fact that we've deprived you of your much needed sleep. It means the subliminal messages in our story are working! Now to slip some into a few National Security documents and we'll take over the country when they doze off! (Evil cackle)

As for threatening Bob with a bazooka? All I can say is: You gotta be kidding me! I've two nukes given to me by our lovely readers and an arsenal of other destructive weapons. If you want Bob to write faster, bribing him works best. Threatening him just means he lets me out to play! Hmm... Now that I think about it, threaten him some more, would you? After all, we subscribe to the Peace Through Superior Fire Power theory and he'll let me pull out the big guns and wade through the body parts!

One more small point I'd like to make, Lady I. Threatening Bob tends to arouse him. So unless you're willing to take care of that problem, stick with the bribes, okay?

(Looks around at all the horrified faces) I'm sorry, was that too much information??

Right...where were we again?

Jeff: Filleting Crys implies that we'd cook him. However, as we're not sure what kind of wine would go best with him, we've decided against it. Besides, he's going to become my very first minion, once I get him branded. A meal lasts a few hours...a minion is forever.

Blind-phoenix: You enjoy the authors notes because your wacked in the head? Just what are you implying here? You can't possibly be saying that only crazy people could appreciate them, are you? Now, think carefully about your answer, as you'd be insulting not only me, but one or two other people who actually get a chuckle out of them.

(Smacks Musing around until he screams, and watches Blind-phoenix flinch at the sound) Ah, I thought you'd understand.

Rathvander: No, it's the penguins. It's always the penguins.

Dazza: I'd ask about your wedding, but I'm guessing that's rather personal. As for the donuts, yes, you should send them to Keith and Dorothy now.

(Unwraps a new multimedia keyboard, packs it full of explosives, then mails it off to Chris) You might want to ask someone else to plug that in for ya.

That's it for the notes, folks. And you don't have to look so relieved about it, either! (Glares)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a busy day ahead of me still. Teddy's been waiting patiently for me and my flogger and I need to get Crys branded before he changes his mind!

Back to:: Harry Potter » The Power of the Press

The Power of the Press
Chapter 8 - Year Seven Fall

By Bobmin

The Power of the Press Chapter 8 - Year Seven Fall

By Bobmin

The Power of the Press
Chapter 8 - Year Seven Fall