Eric woke the next morning, everyone was still in bed except for Harry who was always up first. Eric grabbed his things and climbed into the shower. Thinking about last night and the conversation they had had. It was true, a lot had changed since this time last year. Harry was so much happier now. Eric thought about his own life he wished he could go live with the Snapes, or he would find out his mother was alive and she would come take him away. But Eric knows this was just a childish dream and would never happen, although he would always hope.

By the time Eric got out of the bathroom the other boys were all awake. Or seemed that way as they were all moving about the room. Draco still had his eyes closed and bumped into things. Nevile seemed to have been looking for something but had stopped and was now just staring at the open trunk in front of him. And the others all seemed to be doing something similar. Eric smiled at them all, walking over to the couches he could see that Harry was sitting there.

"Morning Harry" Eric said as he sat down beside him

"Morning"

"Did you wake them up?" Eric asked

"Ya if they don't get up now they will be late for breakfast," Harry responded

Eric and Harry waited for the other to get ready then went downstairs with the others to join the girls for breakfast. At breakfast, the mail was delivered. Front page news was that Ron Westly had taken his fathers flying car and driven it to school like an ideot. There was a small story about the Snape's being back with a picture of them all smiling together.

Mis. Snape and Prof. Snape handed out the new timetables for this year. Their schedule was the same as last year mostly, this year there were no flying lessons. Eric and the others went off to their first class of the day, DADA.

Pro. Black was teaching again this year and he was just as amazing as he had been the year before.

For the next cupel of weeks, nothing interesting happened. Then in the third week of school sitting in the comen room, Prof. Snape came in to get him. "Eric there is someone here to space to you."

Eric followed Prof. Snape out of the comen room and into his office. Once inside he could see who was there it was Nymphadora. She was sitting down and looked to be worried about something. "Niph what are you doing where?" Eric asked as he walked over to her and gave her a hug.

Niphandora hugged him back. They stayed that way for a long time not saying anything. After a little bit, Niphandora started crying. Eric stood there holding on to his sister not knowing what was going on the things going thru his mind where. She lost her job. Their father had died. She had been dating someone and they broke up. She mad a mistake that she could not fix. She was sick. Eric waited patiently for her to tell him what was going on.

Niphandora eventually let him go and sat down on a couch. Snape had left the room at some point so that they might have some privacy. Niphandora looked at Eric with red-rimmed eyes.

"I'm sorry Eric I just had to tell someone and I I… I know I would have to tell you at some point… And you're the only one I can really trust… And I couldn't tell you this in a letter… but it will all work out… It just has to…" Niphandora said stuttering thru the whole thing and by the end was talking so quietly Eric could hardly hear her.

"What is going on? You know you can tell me anything." Eric told her

"I'm going to have a baby," Niphandora told him quietly

Eric sat stunned he didn't know what to say.

In the muggle world to be an illegitimate child was no big deal. But in a world like theirs run by tradition, it was a horrible thing to happen. People would shun Niphandora and ignore the baby. The child would never be excepted into society. Condemned to a world of loneliness. Niphandora could not get rid of the child as the magic surrounding the child would stop that from happening. Niphandora would lose her job. Being pregnant the Aura would normally put her on a desk job for it but with her being unmarried and pregnant. There was no way she could keep her job.

"I will figure something out. It will all work out don't worry. I'll take care of you." Eric told her as he pulled her into another hug.

After some time Eric told her to go home. To act normal and to not tell anyone.