I have a poll up for opinions on whether you'd prefer this to eventually be slash or het, and would be grateful if you could take part. Nothing serious will be happening any time soon.


"Why Hermione, there's something different about you." Morticia noticed as she greeted the girl.

"Oh, well I had my teeth fixed?" She replied shyly.

"What a shame, you had such a delightfully unique look before." Uncle Fester never was one for tact. Hermione was a little mortified but was thankfully saved by Pugsley.

"They were only like that in the first place because her muggles didn't want to use magic to fix them." Well, that made her action much more acceptable. The idea of a muggle preventing a young witch taking advantage of what magic had to offer her was simply barbaric. Even if they didn't agree with her decision. Really, those teeth were the only thing giving her character!

The Malfoys soon made their way over, Lucius practically preening at the envious looks from his friends as he fell into conversation with the esteemed and feared family. Everybody else gave them a wide berth; even those families that reassured their children that they had nothing to fear weren't willing to put that theory to the test themselves.

"Ah, Lucius old boy, have you have met the charming Grangers?" Hermione supressed her moan – she'd told her folks she would be right back! Meanwhile the Malfoy Lord looked like he'd just been handed a pooper scooper and set to work.

He looked down in distain at the hand offered by Mr Granger and Draco held his breath. "No, I've not had the… pleasure." He made his distaste clear and neglected to take the offered hand, instead turning back to the Addams'.

Hermione frowned, but wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't ashamed of her parents, but she could acknowledge there was a difference between muggles and wizards. She was lucky to have been born a witch, but the fact was that she had been, that her parents had brought a witch into the world and they should be honoured for that, not treated like any other muggle – not that she thought less of muggles in general of course.

"Come now, haven't you heard of respect by association? Why, these muggles gave us the wonderful Hermione, who is a dear friend of ours." Heri's words sounded like a challenge, and Lucius cast another eye over the newcomers. He didn't see why giving birth to a mudblood should give them any special dispensation – if anything they should be further vilified. But then he also had to consider his current company, and Snape's warning not to underestimate any of these children. Maybe even a mudblood could show promise under the right circumstances. Besides, there was a hard look in Herido's eyes that made him feel uneasy and told him to tread carefully.

Narcissa was quicker to adapt to the situation – she was used greeting people she didn't particularly like; it was all part of her role as Lady Malfoy.

"How do you do, Mr Granger, Mrs Granger." She only held their hand for as long as was necessary so as not to cause offence. Lucius reluctantly followed his wife's example, telling himself that it hardly mattered who they were, greeting them was beneficial to his family and that was really all that mattered. It's not like he hadn't made beneficial arrangements with muggles in the past, but never in view of civilised society like this.

Wednesday watched the awkward exchange with amusement, though she was keeping an eye out for the Weasleys. Heri had told her about the scuffle between Lucius and Arthur and she wanted to bring the Weasley parents into this little meet and greet. It was already looking dicey, if she could just add them to the mix she was sure things would get interesting. There might even be fireworks.

Lucius gripped his walking stick more fiercely with each minute as he schooled his features and listened to the muggles share some of their more gruesome dental practices with the group, barely noticing the all too interested expressions of the Addams family.

When Hermione suggested they find seats before the train got too full, Heri sent Crabbe and Goyle ahead with the luggage to find somewhere, before gathering the others and suggesting the rest of them wait for the twins and Ron in King's Cross.

The pure bloods moaned when he dragged them to a muggle pizzeria, but became entranced as he told them the tale of how Fester became a widower and that was how the late-comers found them.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, red faced and out of breath.

"Pugsley told us you were out here." Fred said in a similar state.

"We need to hurry." Hermione looked down at her watch with a gasp at George's words. It was 11. They were going to miss the train!

Heri watched on with a sly smile as all his friends rushed from the restaurant in a panic, though he was amused to see Ron pause long enough to grab a couple of slices of pizza. He took his time, finishing his drink before standing and gathering up what appeared to be a large doctor's briefcase – they weren't going anywhere, he could afford to dawdle.

After a leisurely walk through the throngs of commuters, all of whom seemed to part for him, following some kind of lizard brain instinct to get out of his way, he did indeed find them still in the muggle station. Blaise appeared to have a broken nose and was scowling viciously at the wall.

"Heri!" Ron saw him first and took a hold of his arm – a wonderfully frantic look igniting his eyes. "We can't get through! What are we going to do?"

"Huh." Heri responded as though utterly baffled. Hermione shot him a strange look. "Well, it seems like we missed the train anyway." He tried to comfort them. Just before the others could round on him and moan about how bad the situation was, Wednesday and Pugsley walked to them, with the elder boy holding their baby brother.

"You could always just have someone apparate you." Wednesday suggested in a monotone, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are you mad?" Ron cried, before actually processing her words. "That, that's… actually not a bad idea."

"Getting a train from London to Scotland is actually, probably the most laborious and wasteful method available." Hermione said with a frown, wondering why she'd never thought about it before. Wizards and witches from all over the British Isles must apparate or floo to London just to catch a train, why not go directly to Hogsmeade?

"But guys," Blaise interrupted the thoughtful silence. "If we can't get onto the platform, maybe our parents can't get out." His voice was nasally. Heri wanted to roll his eye: his parents were also on that platform – there was no way they would be trapped, especially as Pugsley had been the one to seal the entrance, but he didn't say anything as pointing this out wouldn't be conducive to his desired outcome.

"Well Pugsley could take us, or someone's elves, or, hey!" He said as if just remembering something, "Didn't you say something about a flying car?" He asked the Weasleys. "Seems like the easiest way to get us all there." Hermione narrowed her eyes at his light tone – what happened to apparition being the quickest method?

The Weasleys seemed happy with this development and a consensus quickly spread, but their excited chattering was interrupted.

"Herido Addams, what did you do?" Hermione demanded.

"Whatever do you mean?" She wasn't buying his confused act for a second.

"You did this on purpose just so you could have a go in their car!" She accused, furious at the position he'd put them in. When she heard Pugsley snicker, she rounded on the other Addams children too. "And you two as well. I imagine you were all in on this?" The three older siblings just smiled gleefully.

"Save it, Hermione." Draco advised. What's done was done, so they might as well make the most of it. Draco was curious to ride in a car, even a flying one, not that he'd be admitting it.

"Great, let's go." Pugsley said, turning to lead the way to where he somehow knew the car was parked.

"Wait, you're coming too?" Daphne asked. Those eerie smiles were the only reply she got. She was going to point out that their parents would be worried about where the other Addams children had gone, but decided that this kind of insanity was probably hereditary or learned behaviour at the very least.

And so they all piled into the magically expanded car: four Addams' in the front, with Heri driving, and everyone else in the back. The twins didn't have time to teach him how to make it fly before Heri had a go. He preferred learning on the go as nothing motivated you like impending death. The car skipped along the road for a few seconds before taking off, only to drop straight back down, nearly crashing into a building as it did.

The second attempt was more successful and nobody could suppress their gasps or whoops as they soared higher. Well, nobody but Hermione, who hated to fly and glared murderously at the back of Herido's head.

"We've been seen." Draco informed them with a grimace as he was looking at the world below, and the muggle that stared, dumbstruck before taking out his phone.

As George leaned forward and activated the invisibility booster, the Addams' shared a look.

"No, it's wasteful." Wednesday declared, shaking her head to some silent conversation.

"Not if it's necessary." Heri argued.

"Herido's right. Sorry sister mine." She growled while Heri just grinned and began to climb out of the window, not even blinking when the car started to plummet from his absence.

Immediately everyone in the back started to scream. In the front Pubert stood against the passenger side window, banging his hands against it as he babbled happily, watching the world fly past them. With a sigh Wednesday slid over to take control of the vehicle, while Heri stood with his feet on the window. Draco looked back down as the car circled back around, and didn't know what happened when the muggle suddenly fell to the ground, blood quickly pooling around him.

Wednesday slid back over when Heri re-entered the car, looking wholly unimpressed.

"A slingshot? Really?" Draco had no idea how she knew what he used – she wasn't even looking that way. Heri smirked.

"What? I though being hit by a small rock would be less suspicious than an arrow to the head." Those in the back would have agreed, but they were all quiet as they thought on what had just happened, that odd scratching making them uncomfortable as their conscious was challenged once more. Had Heri just killed a man for convenience? Was that ok or smart? They probably shouldn't have been surprised but they were. Thankfully, they were snapped out of their darkening thoughts when Pugsley lowered his window, and Pubert had already crawled half-way out when Hermione quickly leaned forward.

"Can I hold Pubert for a while?" She hastily asked, relieved when he was passed back. She wasn't exactly overjoyed to be watching the dangerous baby – a baby that had beaten Heri's record by making his first kill before he was even one – but everyone would gladly babysit if it saved him from falling to his death!

When it became apparent that the car wasn't going to crash and kill them all, everyone managed to relax and settled into all the talking and games they would have indulged in on the train. At various points a new driver took over and a cramped game of musical chairs ensued.

Heri moved into the back, watching with raised eyebrows as Ron tried to feed some of his sandwiches to his pet rat.

"They really let you have him as a pet? Even at Hogwarts?" He asked in honest disbelief. Ron just shrugged.

"I know, he's pathetic isn't he?"

"I'm not sure that's the word I'd use. Creepy, maybe." Ron raised his own eyebrows at that: Herido Addams thought a rat was creepy?!

"This is Scabbers. He's been in my family for years." Heri looked even more disturbed at this, but chose not to say anything more. He didn't like to judge, and if Ron wanted to keep him as a pet, he couldn't see any reason he shouldn't. But really! A grown man playing pet to a twelve year old, living in a school, in a dorm with a bunch of other young boys… Heri thought that was rather creepy. He could only hope the man had been forced to keep that form as a punishment of some kind and wasn't doing it voluntarily.

He finally settled back in his seat – setting his briefcase down in the foot well.

"Why didn't you put that on the train with the other luggage?" Fred asked.

"I didn't want the Hogwarts elves getting too close to it." It was only then Fred noticed how the briefcase shook every so often by itself. Heri noticed too and took out his wand, shooting what looked like a brief blast of electricity at the case before giving it a firm kick. It stilled after that, and Fred decided he didn't want to know, so turned to join a game of exploding snap.


Dumbledore had added to the castle's wards in preparation for the new school term. Events had gotten away from him last year: Quirrell, the Philosopher's Stone, a teacher murdered in self-defence, dark curses, traumatised children, trolls, and a dozen other mysteries that he attributed to his darkest student. Maybe it was unfair; maybe he was allowing legend to influence him, but he didn't think so – all of this had only happened after an Addams joined the school after all.

He buried his head in his hands, wondering whether he was getting too old for this. However with Harry Potter gone he was the last line of defence against Voldemort and therefore had to persevere. He couldn't decide whether Herido's actions at the end of term gave him hope or despair. He'd deduced that the fact a dark wizard would attack the Addams boy and that he killed that wizard was surely a good sign: a sign that he didn't brook the ideas of dark wizards in England. Then again he had killed Quirrell with seemingly no compunction or regret and that left the old wizard cold. And more importantly he still couldn't read how Herido would come into play, if at all, when Voldemort returned. Even at this young age the boy could be considered a valuable asset, but whether he was a white or black piece on the Headmaster's chessboard was yet to be seen. And there was always the possibility that the Addams' would react as they usually did and pull the boy out of school, considering themselves above such 'petty disputes'. That family always seemed to come out on top without lifting a finger.

The headmaster had made sure to seal all the secret passages out of Hogwarts. He normally allowed the odd student to get up to mischief, believing it all to be an important part of childhood, but decided that the price was too high if it meant Herido being able to come and go as he pleased. He'd also placed a stronger monitoring charm over the castle, one that would inform him if any significantly dark magic was used. He couldn't extend it to the Room of Requirement, so had increased the amount of portraits in the hallways and instructed them all to inform him of any suspicious activity – another thing he'd changed this year as he was hesitant to run the school like some fascist regime.

He'd also instructed Snape to keep a closer eye on his Slytherins, thought the man was obviously reluctant to agree. He supposed he'd just have to increase teacher and prefect patrols and hope for the best. Albus was confident he still had Snape's loyalty. He had never given up hope for Harry Potter, even after his death, but at that time the potions master had assured the old man of his continued allegiance, stating that nobody betrayed the Dark Lord and walked away with his life so he was sure that returning to his former master wasn't an option.

Still, every year that passed without any sign of Voldemort caused Dumbledore to worry more and more: had he missed something; was the man working from the shadows? No, he shook his head. He couldn't think like that. Proof of the man's dormancy was plain to see on Snape's arm. But then what on earth was he up to?

With another sigh he stood and prepared to apparate to London where he was expected at the ministry. Lately he didn't know which of his duties tired him the most.


"I'm telling you we won't make it!" Ron stressed as the car shuddered and strained under Pugsley's ministrations.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." The eldest boy said happily as he put his foot down – the car dipping and swaying as it set out over the dark lake. The Addams children looked gleeful and started making bets on how far they would get before the engine gave out, while the others held their breath and clung to any part of the car they could.

They just about made it to the other side of the lake. Heri let out a groan as the car finally lost momentum and handed Pugsley a shrunken head – it seemed he'd won the bet.

"We should probably abandon ship." Heri's tone was far too relaxed as they began to plummet, but nobody could do anything but watch as the oldest three Addams jumped out and fell to grass that seemed envelop them like a giant mattress. It didn't take long for everyone to follow their example, Daphne reaching over to grab the baby before making her own nerve-wracking leap.

Draco lay on his back, staring at the colourful evening sky, trying to calm his hammering heart and wondered why he had ever moaned about the Hogwarts Express. Hearing a loud crash he sat up to see what had become of the car, cringing as the metal buckled under a relentless beating from the weeping willow.

He caught sight of his godfather striding across the lawn and flopped back down – he was too relieved at still being alive to worry about being in any trouble.

I apologise for the delay and short chapter. I am hoping to get back to normal next week, all being well, but thought I should update in the meantime. xxxx