Headmistress McGonagall was waiting for them. She looked at them curiously, as if trying to determine their true identities. Harry said, "Hermione asked about us having the boys' homework sent along."

McGonagall got to her feet and walked forward to look at them critically. "How am I to know it's you, Mr Potter, and not your son playing a trick?"

It took Harry a moment to realize she saw him as Albus. "Ask me a question only I would know the answer to."

She pondered for a moment. "Do you remember when Delores Umbridge disparaged your marks in Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

Harry grinned at the memory. "You told her I had achieved high marks in all Defence Against the Dark Arts tests set by a competent teacher."

"I suppose that will do. Can you find your way to your respective dorms or do you need an escort?"

"I know the way, Headmistress," Malfoy said dryly. "Potter, try to remember you're in Ravenclaw. And good luck getting in."

"Ha bloody ha," Harry said as Malfoy walked to the stone staircase and descended.

"Mr Potter, see that you don't disrupt my school. And be very careful with my students. I do not appreciate Hogwarts being used as a trap in which to catch criminals."

"Nott would have come here, anyway, Professor," Harry said. "He wants revenge. There is no telling what he would do if he came here and found Albus and Scorpius missing. It's possible he might have taken other students as hostages. This way, he may think he has succeeded." If he takes the bait, Harry added to himself.

"Why are you so certain he will come here?" she asked.

Harry sat down and sighed. "Because of Theo. Do you know the story?"

"Only what was in the Daily Prophet," she replied and frowned as if to cast doubt on the veracity of the information therein. Harry nearly smiled. His antagonistic relationship with the paper had not diminished over the years.

"It was a routine raid," Harry explained. "We found out Nott, the elder, was smuggling potion ingredients and manufacturing illegal potions, mostly hallucinogens and narcotics. A few libido enhancers and inhibition traps. Theo was distributing the potions at his London club. We went in to close them down, but Alcott wouldn't go quietly. The Aurors fought. It was a vicious battle. Nott and his people all knew capture meant Azkaban."

"And Theo was killed," McGonagall said quietly.

Harry nodded with a twinge of guilt. Theo was one of the few Slytherins Harry had not hated at school. Theo had seldom made his life difficult, unlike Malfoy and his cronies.

"It was an accident. I sent a Stunner Theo's way, but he dodged and the spell hit a cabinet behind him. A heavy cauldron was knocked loose—it fell from the top of the cabinet and hit Theo on the head." Harry swallowed and shut his eyes at the memory. "None of us noticed how hard it had hit him. I saw him go down and thought he was simply unconscious, out of the fight. Spells were still flying and I turned back to the battle. By the time we got the others subdued it was too late. The blow had cracked Theo's skull and he… bled to death."

Harry pushed his fingers against his temples, rubbing at a headache there. "I should have noticed," he said. "I should have checked."

McGonagall shook her head. "It is very difficult to pay attention in the heat of battle, Harry. It was an accident."

"Alcott Nott didn't see it that way. He went completely mad with grief and vowed revenge. The usual." Harry tried to smile and failed.

"And Draco? He is no Auror."

Harry snorted. "Malfoy? No, he is the Chief Prosecutor for the Ministry. You didn't know? He became a litigator after the war and worked hard to put away former Death Eaters, assisted by his parents. Very anti-Voldemort, those Malfoys." Harry's tone was bitter. Despite all the criminals rotting in prison because of Malfoy, Harry still thought it was nothing but a façade. The Malfoys did whatever they could to wheedle themselves back into the good graces of society.

"You don't think Draco is sincere in his career choice?" she asked.

Harry shrugged. "People have short memories if you throw enough Galleons at them. I don't think Malfoy has been sincere about anything in his entire life." As soon as he said the words, Harry saw an image of Malfoy weeping in a bathroom, just before he bled red from Harry's spell. And later still, white-faced and terrified as a helpless teacher dangled above his dining room table, awaiting her own murder. Harry winced inwardly.

McGonagall's lips thinned, as though she had witnessed his thoughts and disapproved of his words. "How does Draco fit into the Nott situation?"

"During the trial, Nott accused me of murdering his son. Malfoy was the prosecutor on the case and I defended myself. Since I'm not in Azkaban, Nott decided that Malfoy wasn't doing his job; that he refused to put 'the Great Harry Potter' in prison." Harry's words were bitter and he still heard them ringing in the courtroom, shouted by an enraged Nott. Harry sometimes wondered if the words were true. Had Malfoy done his best or had he cultivated popular favour by clearing Harry's name? "Nott vowed revenge on us both."

"And then he escaped."

Harry nodded and got to his feet. "I suppose I had better go meet Albus' friends and try to fit in."

"Good luck, Harry," she said with a smile. "By the way, are you aware of…?" She trailed off.

"Aware of?"

She shook her head and smiled again. "Never mind. Good night, Albus."

Harry grinned, bid her a good evening, and headed for Ravenclaw Tower.

xx*x*xx

Harry stood before the blank door at the top of the spiral staircase, frowning at the eagle-shaped door knocker. He had assumed he would be intelligent enough to answer the riddle and enter, but he had forgotten how much he hated riddles.

No sooner spoken than broken.

"Albus, why are you lurking out here?" someone asked. "Did they change the question?"

Harry looked down the stairs to see Rose Weasley approaching, looking so much like a carbon copy of Hermione that Harry's heart ached. He had seen her over the summer, of course, and frequently, but seeing her in school robes within the walls of Hogwarts was quite different. A wave of nostalgia swept over him.

"Hi, Rose!" he said happily.

Her frown deepened. "What did you call me?"

Harry winced. He had forgotten the horrible nickname bestowed up her by his own children. They never called her anything else. He gave an Albus-like chuckle. "Only kidding, Bludge." It sounded strange on his lips. "I was just looking for…" He patted his robes and tried to think of something.

"You're acting weird. Have you been Confunded?"

Harry jumped on the excuse gratefully. "No. Maybe. Have I?"

"Bloody hell," she snapped and Harry gaped at her use of profanity. Rose had always seemed so sweet, despite the nickname. "Can't you idiot boys ever stop with the ridiculous hexes? Was it Hugo this time, or Louis?"

"Don't remember," Harry mumbled.

She shook her head with a put-upon sigh reminiscent of Hermione and answered the riddle—silence, of course—and took Harry's hand to lead him into Ravenclaw Tower. He hadn't been inside the common room since their search for the tiara Horcrux—he resolutely shook off that memory and asked, "Um… where is my room?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Should I cast a Finite?"

Harry shook his head. "I think I'll be fine. Just having a bit of trouble remembering."

"You didn't forget Scorpius, did you?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's usually attached to your arm, so I was wondering. You didn't have a fight, did you?"

Harry shook his head. He had known Albus and Scorpius were friends, but he hadn't realized they were that close.

"All right, come on." She dragged him up stairs that resembled the ones in Gryffindor Tower and halted after a brief climb. "There you are. I have Charms homework, so I'll leave you to your recovery, but you can bet I'll be having a talk with my brother and our lovely cousin, so help me." With that, Rose marched away.

Harry grinned and pushed the door open. A boy with dreadlocks tied up in a bright blue scarf looked up from the huge book open on his bed.

"Albus?" he asked, sounding confused. "What are you doing here?"

Harry frowned, wondering if Rose had directed him to the wrong room after all, but then he spotted the gigantic poster on the wall above one of the beds—definitely Albus'. The poster sported Tanner Kinkade, the willowy blond Seeker for the newly-formed Brighton Banshees Quidditch team, holding his broom and waving at an adoring crowd of fans. With his silver-trimmed purple robes billowing in the breeze, Harry thought Kinkade looked a bit like Malfoy, although he'd never noticed before.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked as he seated himself on Albus' bed.

"Did you have a fight with Scorpius?" the boy asked.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Harry muttered and took off his boots. It was too early to sleep, so he planned to familiarize himself with Albus' schedule and then double-check to see if Albus had any homework due the next day. Also, he needed to look at the Marauder's Map and make sure Nott wasn't already on the premises.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Fine, don't tell me." He went back to his reading. Harry tossed his shoes on the floor and then transformed them with a quick wordless spell, remembering that once out of the influence of the Changeling Charm they would appear as his Auror boots rather than the trainers Albus normally wore.

Harry settled back onto the pillows and pulled out the scroll Albus had given him. It detailed pertinent information, such as the names of his roommates. Harry glanced at the boy, who could only be Jeremiah Abrams. They called him Jem. He memorized the names of the other dorm occupants, in case they appeared later, and then drew the blue curtains on the bed. He cast a Silencing Charm, and pulled out the Map, which he found stuffed in a secret compartment of the headboard, just as Albus had instructed.

Harry had originally given the map to Teddy, who had passed it to James, who had bequeathed it to Albus on his departure from Hogwarts. Albus also had the invisibility cloak, which had caused Harry to give him a severe look, since he had apparently nicked it from Harry's closet at home without his knowledge.

Harry's eyes scanned the map and instantly sought out the Slytherin dungeon, where he spotted the name Draco Malfoy in the common room, amid several unrecognized names. He watched for a moment, but none of the names moved, so he assumed Malfoy was fine where he was. A detailed search located no Alcott Nott, so he put the Map away.

Harry pulled a small pouch out of his robe peered inside. He had magically enlarged it using Hermione's spell, and filled it with clothing and other items he might need. After retrieving his pyjamas, he took off his Auror robes, folded them carefully, and stuffed them into the pouch. Keeping personal items hidden while Polyjuiced was always a challenge, and it was just as important with the Changeling Charm. Anyone seeing Auror robes in Albus' quarters would be sure to ask questions, and that included the house-elves.

Harry dragged the blankets back, cancelled the Silencing Charm, and fell asleep in Albus' bed after one last thought for his children's safety.

xx*x*xx

Harry was on his way to the Great Hall for breakfast when he encountered Draco Malfoy, or rather, Draco Malfoy encountered him. One moment Harry was walking, the next he was slammed up against a wall and held in place with an arm across his chest. Harry was reluctantly impressed; he knew he could escape Malfoy's hold easily, but he was much stronger than Harry would have guessed.

"We need to talk, Potter," Malfoy growled.

"Nice to see you, too, Malfoy," Harry replied.

Malfoy leaned closer to him and spoke low enough that only Harry could hear. "Something is going on with our sons. Every single child in the Slytherin common room asked me about Albus, as if they are never parted from one another. Does that sound like normal behaviour to you?"

Harry glanced at a group of students who were eyeing them and whispering at the end of the hall. "They kept asking me if we were fighting. I think Albus and Scorpius are a lot closer than we suspected. Not just friends, but best friends."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. Harry found it slightly difficult to breathe through the pressure of Malfoy's arm. He wondered if he should mention it. "Best friends," Malfoy muttered. "Why would Scorpius keep that a secret? He's never even asked if Albus could come to the Manor."

Harry made a scoffing sound. "Do you blame him? You insult me fifty times a day, and that's at the Ministry! I can only imagine what you sound like at home."

Malfoy's arm fell away and he stepped back, glaring. "As of today, our sons are no longer best friends." He turned and started down the corridor.

"What? Wait!" Harry hurried after him and grabbed his arm. "You can't do that! He's your son!" Harry's words were hissed, but frantic. Albus would be crushed if Malfoy tried to keep him away from Scorpius. Judging by the bizarre looks Harry had received in Ravenclaw Tower that morning, Albus and Scorpius spent far more time together than seemed rational.

Malfoy glared at him. "I don't mean forever, Potter. Just while we are impersonating them. I don't intend to spend any more time with you than necessary."

Harry held more tightly as Malfoy tried to leave again. "All right, then what did we fight about that caused this sudden rift?"

Malfoy sighed explosively. "Your deplorable fashion sense?"

"Try to remember you're supposed to be talking about Albus and not me," Harry growled.

"Well, I don't know. What do boys fight about?"

Harry thought back to the times he had fought with Ron. The Triwizard Tournament. Yeah, not likely. Still… "Jealousy? Is Scorpius very good at something?"

"Transfiguration."

Harry nearly sagged in relief. "Great! Albus is pants at that. I suggest that you, being a Malfoy prat, insulted Albus' Transfiguration skill, and Albus retaliated by…"

"Being a complete arse?" Malfoy suggested, raising a blond brow.

Harry sneered. "You know, you really haven't changed much since we were last here."

"Speak for yourself, Potter," Malfoy snapped. With that, he yanked his arm free and stalked down the corridor.

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes," a familiar voice said behind Harry. He turned to see Louis Weasley shaking his head sadly. Harry smiled broadly. He didn't see Bill's children as often as he would like, and Louis was always charming. His robes were a surprise; Harry always forgot the boy had been Sorted into Slytherin.

"Hi, Louis!" Harry said.

Louis gave him a puzzled stare. "You can sound that cheerful when you're fighting with Scorpius? Have you been hexed?"

Harry resisted the urge to ruffle the boy's blond hair. He had always found Louis to be adorable, with his blond hair and scattering of freckles. All of Bill and Fleur's children looked more like Fleur than Bill, but Louis had just a hint of strawberry in his hair and his eyes were brown. He wore his hair long and pulled back into a ponytail, like his father.

"Mal—Scorpius is just being a prat. He'll get over it," Harry said confidently. "Are you going to breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'm just waiting for Hugo. If you see Dominique, tell her I'm dead."

The statement threw Harry for only a moment. His own children often issued such bizarre statements to one another; the rest of them took it in stride. "Will do," he said and raised a hand the way he'd seen Albus do a dozen times. He made a snapping motion with his fingers, botching it only slightly, and said, "Later, coz."

Louis gave him an absent nod, already scanning the hallway, probably looking for Hugo. Harry smiled as he headed for the Great Hall. It was lovely that so many of his family members got on so well together.

Breakfast was brilliant. Harry had to admit to a nostalgic longing for Hogwarts' meals. He gorged himself on bacon, toast, beans, bangers, and potatoes fried to crisp perfection.

"You seem awfully cheerful today, Albus," Rose said and gave him a stare that he recognized as a mimic of Hermione's disapproving look.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Harry asked around a mouthful of toast.

"Because of Scorpius! You can't be happy about this! What's wrong with you?"

Her words caused him to look over at Malfoy, who sat at the Slytherin table looking baleful and poking at his food. "What? He looks miserable enough for both of us. Why should I be upset?"

"Albus Severus Potter!" Her tone was outraged. "When did you become so heartless? He lives for you and you know it!"

For some reason, her words made Harry feel guilty and he looked at Malfoy again. Was it true? Was Scorpius really that close to Albus? Harry frowned, studying Malfoy's handsome face. What would it be like, to have such devotion from Draco Malfoy?

Malfoy seemed to feel his gaze, and raised his head to meet his eyes. Harry tried a tentative smile, and Malfoy blinked with a surprised jerk. A sneer curled his lip a moment later and Harry nearly laughed aloud. Friendship with Malfoy was too ridiculous to even contemplate.

"Are you going to make up with him?" Rose asked.

Harry shook his head. "Surely not. That's his job. I'm off to class! Bye, Bludger!" Harry got to his feet and headed for the Potions classroom, curious to know who had taken over the job of Potions Master. On the way, he ducked into an alcove and consulted the Map. Still no sign of Nott.

Harry walked into Potions utterly unprepared for what was to come.

xx*x*xx

"Don't chop against the grain, you idiot!" Malfoy hissed. "Cut with the grain!"

Harry clenched his jaw and debated stabbing the glass-bladed knife into Malfoy's shoulder. That might silence the prat for a minute. Granted, Harry was crap at Potions, but did Malfoy have to make it so bloody difficult? "I hate being your partner."

"The feeling is mutual, Potter, but if you fuck this up and earn Scorpius a lower mark, I will personally take it out of your hide."

Harry stabbed the knife into the stem, pretending it was one of Malfoy's fingers.

"Now, class," said Professor Kinder as she held up the root for them all to see. "This is what your banalroot should look like. Does everyone see this? Everyone?" Her nasal tone and slight French accent was disarming and Harry found himself staring at her in bemusement each time she spoke. Her method of teaching was more akin to a Muggle cooking class than the "learn on your own" system employed by Snape during Harry's school years.

"Give me that," Malfoy growled and wrapped his hand around Harry's to wrestle the knife away. Harry refused to let go, however, and they had a minor tug-of-war with the glass dagger.

"Let go," Harry said.

"You are doing it wrong," Malfoy snapped.

"Everything I do is wrong, according to you!"

Unfortunately, Harry's hissed comment came during a lull in class conversation and he became aware of the sudden silence.

"Way to go, Potter," Malfoy said and took the knife.

"Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy," said Professor Kinder. "Is there a problem?"

"No," Harry said quickly. "No problem, Professor."

"Arse kisser," Malfoy muttered.

"Sorry to take your job," Harry countered in a low tone.

"Fuck you."

"Not your job, either," Harry replied smugly.

Malfoy's glare could have melted the cauldron.

"When you have added the banalroot, be sure to stir six times only and then bring me a sample. I expect that you will all have done well." Professor Kinder held up a brilliant white liquid in a vial and Harry looked dubiously at their cream-coloured mixture.

"I hate you, Potter," Malfoy growled and spelled some of the not-quite-white potion into a vial. He shoved it at Harry, who took it and walked to the front of the class to hand it over to the professor.

He hoped to hell Nott showed up soon, otherwise he might kill Draco Malfoy.

xx*x*xx

"This is terrible. I've never seen you two fight like this. I thought you might actually hurt one another in Potions."

"Well, he was acting like a bloody git," Harry replied.

Rose gasped. "Albus!"

Harry sighed, realizing he didn't want to jeopardize Albus' relationships at school, even if he didn't understand his odd friendship with Scorpius Malfoy. "All right," he muttered. "I'll try and get along with him."

"You'll try and get along with him? Albus, you love him."

Harry looked at her sharply. He was about to protest that although he might like Scorpius quite a lot, he certainly didn't love him, but Hugo pounded into the room suddenly and dove behind Rose.

"Bloody hell, Sis, you have to hide me! Albus, do you have that cloak handy?"

Harry shook his head. He certainly didn't plan to carry the invisibility cloak everywhere he went, although he had gone through Albus' trunk to verify it was there.

"Hugo!" Rose cried in an admonishing tone. "Aren't you supposed to be in Muggle Studies?"

"I was on my way!" Hugo burst out. "Dammit, I really need to work harder on my Animagus form!"

"I am not hearing this, Hugo," Rose said. "I told you before, if you plan to become an Animagus, you need to apply to the Ministry for a license."

"Weasley!" someone bellowed.

Rose gasped. "Flint? You did something to Morgan Flint? Are you crazy?"

"It was random!" Hugo cried. "I didn't know he would trip the spell! Albus, if you save me, I'll give you every sweet my dad sends me for the rest of the school year."

A tall, beetle-browed boy in Slytherin robes entered the room, eyes glowing with rage and fists clenched. His brown hair was sticking out at all angles, looking as though he had stuck a finger into a Muggle light socket.

"You're dead, Weasley!"

Harry got to his feet, glancing at Professor Binns, who had already started his lesson on Gifford Ollerton, giant-slayer. The history lesson might have been interesting in the hands of anyone but Binns, who droned on monotonously and ignored the altercation completely.

"Out of my way, Potter," Flint growled.

"Now, Morgan," Harry said in his best calming Auror tone, hoping he remembered the name right. Morgan Flint resembled a Neanderthal even more than his father, Marcus. "Hugo didn't mean to um… prank you. It was an accident."

"It wasn't meant for you, Morgan," Hugo said quickly. "It went off too soon, really."

"Fine, if you won't move, I'll just hex you both," Flint said and drew his wand.

Harry's Expelliarmus was uttered before Flint's wand cleared his robes—the wand sailed across the room, smacked into the tapestry on the wall and fell to the floor. Flint roared in rage and charged forward, but Harry leaped aside and cast a simple Trip Jinx. Flint went down hard.

"You bastard, Potter!" he growled and shoved himself to his feet before a second Trip Jinx sent him to the floor again.

"You should stop, Flint. I can do this all day."

It took three more spells before Flint finally gave up with a snarl. He retrieved his wand and pointed it angrily at Harry, who held his own at the ready.

"This isn't over, Potter. Watch your back, Weasley." With that, Morgan Flint stalked out, followed by two younger Slytherin students who had watched the drama without intervening.

Hugo threw himself into a seat with an exaggerated sigh. "Fuck, I thought I was dead. Thanks, Albus. Nice hexes, by the way."

"Yes, Albus, that was impressive," Rose added, looking a bit suspicious.

"What did you do to him, anyway?" Harry asked.

Hugo straightened his Gryffindor tie and winked. "Lightning Liquorice. It was meant for Bonnie Bradfield, but Flint shoved her aside and snatched it first. Serves him right."

Rose made a noise of disgust. "Honestly, Hugo, sending voltage through a girl is not the proper way to ask her out. Have you thought of flowers?"

Hugo tsked at her. "Bonnie isn't like other girls. She has giant blood, so the liquorice wouldn't have hurt her. And she would have thought it was dead funny." Hugo got to his feet and patted at his red curls. "Actually, she laughed pretty hard when Flint lit up like a Christmas tree. I think I'll go find her and accept my congratulations. Make my excuses to Binns if he should happen to notice my absence." Hugo nodded towards Professor Binns, who hadn't noticed the confrontation with Flint, so the absence of one student would hardly be remarked upon.

"I'm not helping you with your exams!" Rose threatened as Hugo trotted out. Her note-taking had faltered, but once Hugo left she continued to scratch madly on the parchment with her quill.

Harry shook his head and jotted down a few notes for Albus' sake, even though with Hermione tutoring him he would likely learn more about Gifford Ollerton than he would ever need to know.

~TBC~