Prologue

It was amazing what magic was capable of.

We all got tons of presents this year. James had been way happy with his haul and I can't really say that I blame him. I mean, the Cosmos 360 hadn't even been in the market for a month yet and already he has one. I'd say it would be favoritism but I still loved my Comet 9000. The Cosmos was a fit broom for a Beater but not a Seeker, which was the position that I played. Lily was enjoying the Potions kit Mum and Dad got her but I can't figure out just why. Where did she get her love for Potions? There is no sense.

Of course I could factor in that her namesake had attracted the fancy of a Potions Master and she herself had been a wonder at the subject. Well it makes much more sense now.

Uncle Ron and their family were scheduled to arrive in a couple of hours and it was as always since we Potters had breakfast and opened our presents before lunch arrived with the coming of Hugo and Rosie then the day would end with dinner at the Burrow with Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur. It had always been this way which insured some of peace and order in the day.

Of course they sent presents in early or we sometimes opened them all together during tea at the Burrow. I'd already opened my fair share of presents, but there was still one I'd yet to unwrap.

It was a small box covered in green wrapping paper and a silver bow. Slytherin colors. Not so funny since I was neither a Slytherin nor close to one. It had James written all over it but that couldn't be since I'd already opened the present he'd given me, which was a new silver Snitch designed to fly as far away from the Seeker as possible. I loved it but I'd never tell him that.

It couldn't be from Lily either because the silk scarf she'd given me was still wrapped around my neck from where it had magically situated itself after I'd taken it out of its packaging. Mum and Dad had gotten me a new set of Quidditch paraphernalia thus proving that I have no life aside from Quidditch so it couldn't have been from them either.

The possibility of the present being from a Weasley relative was a lot more compared to it being from anybody else. My friends and I had a tradition to swap presents when we got back from the hols and I'm pretty sure no one would break a six year-long tradition.

"What in Merlin's name are you waiting for Albus? Open it already!" Lily shoved my arm and I looked up from the box in my lap. I hadn't realized that I'd drawn their attention.

Gingerly, I fingered the silver ribbon before tugging on it and tossing it aside. The lid of the box came off just so and I realized that I should have cast charms to see if what was inside was dangerous. Gryffindor courage pulled through for me here.

"What in the world is that?!" I swear my sister has no clue that ear drums could break. She peered over my shoulder, eyes bright and inquisitive not caring that she'd practically screamed right beside my poor abused left ear.

Focusing on the opened box, I reached a hand in and pulled out the roughly palm sized… toy? Figurine? Whatever it was, it was tiny and it seemed delicate and fragile. I was half afraid picking it out of the box would cause it to break into a million pieces but I needn't have worried.

It was, as mentioned, the size of my palm and in its position of lying down and curling in on itself, it fit snuggly cupped in my hand. I couldn't really figure out what it was but the best description would be is that it was a tiny person that had blonde tufts of hair styled neatly and it was wearing the Hogwarts uniform.

"From a friend to a friend in hopes that this builds better bridges." Jamie gives me a look before ducking down and staring at the card I hadn't seen inside the box. "Who in Slytherin is sending you presents Albus? Not keeping any secrets from us are you?"

"James." Mum said in that way of hers that got him to look sheepish.

I let out a small breath. "I don't know. You don't see me getting cosy in the dungeons."

"But whoever sent it said he was a friend." Lily piped up. She tossed her red hair over her shoulder and peered at the thing even more.

"I really don't know." I raised another hand and let my fingers caress that blonde hair. It was so soft, almost real as if made from actual hair. I took in a deep breath and found myself smelling jasmine, sort of like the tea Mum liked to drink.

Dad had been quiet for a while now, and so it startled me to hear him letting out a soft sound as he kneeled in front of me. "I think I know what that is."

"You do?" Jamie asked, kneeling down as well almost copying Dad's movements.

"Doesn't it look like the prototype the twins used to work on, Ginny?" Dad asked looking at Mum. "Right before they went out of Hogwarts that year, they made these prototypes where they use the hair of a person and made live acting dolls that actually stored whoever it was for a few minutes. I never knew how it actually worked just that it used a whole lot of magic and a great deal of concentration."

"Are you saying I'm actually holding a real-life person?" I was half inclined to drop the daft thing back inside its box.

"Yes." Dad's lips pulled into a frown. "I'm not sure George said anything about bringing these out of the idea box again cause it was one of Fred's original five but... maybe he's testing them out again."

"Maybe." Mum breathed, her blue eyes getting just a bit teary-eyed at the reminder of her dead brother. "But just in case, I'll go Floo him now and have a look-see."

"I'll go with you." Dad got back to his feet, frown still in place. "In the mean time Albus, don't do anything that could accidentally wake or active him."

"Him?" Lily echoed. We all stared at the tiny body in my hands and again I had the mad urge to drop it. I couldn't though since she reached over and began stroking the blonde tufts. "Are we sure it's a him? It looks really feminine to me. I mean, no boy can have hair this soft."

"I beg to differ." Jamie scoffed then rolled his eyes. "It's a him, Lils. If his eyes were opened, I'd bet ten galleons that they're grey."

"Why?" I wondered. What would make him think of that?

Jamie smirked quite similarly to Uncle George, his arms crossing over his chest. "Because, little brother, if you'd seen the Prophet today, he looks exactly like Beauxbatons Academy Charms Prodigy, Scorpious Malfoy."

I stared back at the tiny person and realized that my brother was right and not because I'd seen the Prophet today (what self respecting sixth year ran for the Prophet on Christmas morning?) but because I found mercury grey eyes blinking up at me from a rather frazzled and confused face.

"Albus," Dad breathed eyeing the slowly stretching doll. "What did you do?"

I was duped, watching fixedly as tiny arms pushed themselves above a tiny head and tiny legs wobbled as he got onto his teeny tiny feet (We've established that he's incredibly tiny- palm sized people!). I looked up at my family and couldn't help but wonder what in the world was happening as I held Scorpious Malfoy quite literally in the palm of my hand.

For what felt like the umpteenth time that day I could only answer with a rather exasperated, "I really, really don't know." and slumped against my sister forgetting that I had been holding Scorpious whose eyes widened and arms grabbed for something to hold onto lest he fall.

Oh boy.