I don't own Harry Potter.

"Well done kid." Ella congratulated Harry as he was walking behind McGonagall after catching Neville's Remembrall.

"What are you congratulating Ella, his skill with a broom or his disregard for the rules?" McGonagall asked wryly

"Both, naturally." Ella grinned "The boy ain't got anyone else to boost his spirits."

"How much time did you spend around your uncle when you were a child?"

"Every birthday." Ella smiled wickedly.

"Oh dear." McGonagall sighed "You are passing on bad habits."


"I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry." Hermione spoke up from a chair near them.

"You!" Ron nearly yelled at her "Go back to bed."

"I almost told your brother," she snapped "Percy-he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."

"Come on." Harry said to Ron.

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere." Harry and Ron turned to face Ella.

"I seriously doubt that. Would it have anything to do with that argument you had with Malfoy earlier?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other. Arguing with Hermione was one thing, all she could do was tell the teachers. They both suspected Ella could do much worse.

"We're going to duel with him." Harry told her. To their surprise Ella just collapsed back onto her makeshift bed.

"Go on then. Don't get killed."

"You're not going to complain?"

"Why would I do that? I'm not a hypocrite. I snuck out of bed plenty of times to do non-dangerous stuff."

"Okay. Night."

"G'night."


"All teachers to the dungeons, students to your houses." Dumbledore told the school.

"Headmaster!" I called.

"Ella, you're at your own discretion."

"Thank you sir." I started running towards the door then remembered my charge. "Expecto patronum. Do NOT get yourselves hurt." I told my patronus. I almost smiled at the students' reaction to the horse-sized dragon, I sometimes slightly regretted Drako not being full sized. I watched as he relayed his message to my charge and surrounding students. One of them, Harry, looked at me and nodded. Deciding he and his friends were okay, I went after the troll, Drako running behind me.


"At her own discretion to do what?" Seamus asked.

"Go troll hunting probably." Harry answered, watching Ella. At the door she stopped, pulled out her wand and muttered something. Almost everyone started at the silver shape that erupted from her wand.

"What is that?" Dean asked.

"A horse?" suggested Harry.

"I think it's a dragon." Ron answered.

"Horse-sized dragon?" Seamus compromised.

"Must be smaller for convenience." Ron speculated. "Whatever it's for, having it full size would probably be quite impractical."

Just then the horse sized dragon arrived at their part of the table, surprising them again by saying in Ella's voice "Do NOT get yourselves hurt."

Harry looked back at her and saw her hovering by the door. He nodded at her "We'll be fine." He tried to say. Ella hesitated for another moment the clicked at the dragon and they both ran off.


As we travelled down towards the troll, I touched Drako's back, bringing back the memory I used to create him.

"We can't give you a treat like last year but we hope you like what we decided."

Drako found the troll's scent and we began to follow it.

"Do you know why your aunt has been in St. Mungos?"

I shook my head "Is she okay?"

"She's fine." he assured me. "Absolutely fine."

I heard a thunk. Drako growled "Yes, faster probably would be better." I agreed.

"Is it something to do with the bump in Auntie Lily's tummy?" I remembered what Daddy had told me. "My cousin?"

"Yes," Uncle James smiled "His name's…"

"Harry!"

"I'm not hurt." he assured me.

"You two?" I checked Ron and Hermione.

"We're okay as well." Ron confirmed.

"I'll make the wording clearer next time." I glared at them "I meant don't get into trouble." Then I smiled "Next time you decide to knockout a troll can you do it while I'm with you?"

"Sure." Harry promised.

"These bad habits you're not supposed to be teaching us." Hermione put in.

"Yes?" I turned to her.

"What are they?"

"I have no idea." I told her honestly.

"Ignorance of most of the rules." McGonagall told me.

"And complete disregard of the rest." Snape chimed in.

"Ignorance of the word dangerous." McGonagall continued.

"And selective deafness." Snape finished.

"Those are bad?" I looked surprised.

The teachers looked at me with disbelief,

"You never came to detention, you don't even appear to know what it, or various other rules, are."

"The rules you have heard of, you ignored. You've been told not to go into the Forest how many times?"

"You're not allowed in there? I thought you were all just being mean."

"You think that letting a poisonous snake bite you is fun."

"You never listen to anyone when they tell you off."

"Well," I started.

"I want to hear this." Ron muttered to Harry.

"Detention? Never heard of it. Oh, wait, that's writing lines isn't it? Why would I want to spend time doing that when I could be talking to a centaur?

"Like I said, that's news to me.

"Madam Pomfrey can fix me up so what's the point in worrying about a small snake bite?

"Teachers just don't talk loud enough. There you go." I grinned.

McGonagall sighed "Fine, now you three…