The following morning rumors where going around the school that Harry, Ron and Hermione had adventured into a forbidden part of the school. That they had found the philosophers stone and Professor Quirrel trying to steal it. Lizzie had never liked Professor Quarrel; he was twitchy. It was also being said that Professor Quirrel had died when Harry touched him. That was unexplainable, even by magical standards, so not many believed that part.

Lizzie left something for Harry while he was sleeping off the adventure in the hospital wing. As she was leaving she passed Ron and Hermione; Ron continued into the hospital, but Hermione pulled Lizzie aside.

"How did you know we suspected Professor Snape? How did you even know what was going on?" Hermione asked in a hushed voice.

Lizzie smirked a little. "Little minds have big ears. I hear everything that goes on around here. I have my ways and my sources. Plus I was under the table in the greenhouse when you three were talking about it."

Hermione seemed almost stunned with Lizzie's answer. "But you didn't tell anyone about it."

Lizzie shrugged. "You can trust me Hermione. Just promise you will remember that." With that statement Lizzie skipped off down the corridor, to go back outside where she was meeting Draco to play.

The morning of the last day of term Lizzie sat eating breakfast with Draco and his friends. They three had started to grow on her a little.

While eating Draco grabbed Lizzie's wrist. "Lizzie, what are you plans for the summer?"

Lizzie turned and looked at Draco. "Not much. Dad and I will go back to our home in Cokeworth. I'll spend most of summer there. If I'm lucky we will go on a short trip."

"Really? That's your whole summer? " Draco appeared shocked, and Lizzie just shrugged and went back to eating her oatmeal.

Draco to returned to eating. At least for a few minutes. "My parents and I will be going to France for a few weeks this summer. Visiting the beaches and such. Would you like to join us Lizzie?"

Lizzie dropped her spoon and oatmeal went every where.

"Watch what you are doing Lizzie. You will have to be more careful than that if you want to come. "

"Really Drake? You think your parents will let me come? You would really want to spend part of your vacation with me?"

"I don't see why not. I'll have my mother send a letter to Professor Snape. " With that the conversation ended and Lizzie grinned. Hoping that her own father would say yes.

Lizzie spent the remainder of the day packing away her things to take back to her house on Spinner's End. That's all it was; a house. It wasn't really a home; Hogwarts was.

As she packed Severus entered her room. "How is it coming Elizabeth? Are you almost packed to leave in the morning?"

Lizzie threw a few things into her trunk. "Yes. Guess what, Dad? Draco Malfoy invited me to go to France with him and his parents this summer. Oh please say I can go!" Lizzie looked up into Snape's dark eyes with her green ones. Pleading to let her be normal, or as normal as you can get, just once.

"Yes, I know he invited you. He spoke with me earlier today. We will see what his parents have to say about the invitation. We will revisit this discussion then."

Lizzie huffed a little. It wasn't a yes, but it also wasn't a no. That was good enough for now.

That night Lizzie entered the Great Hall wearing a green sweater and brown trousers; her sweater matching the green banners and other decorations that proclaimed that Slytherin had won the house cup that year. For the seventh year in a row. Lizzie smiled and joined the Slytherin's at their table.

The Hall was loud and full of excitement. Lizzie loved it and she took in everything she could. When Harry came in the room was suddenly quiet for a moment and then full of noise and babble again. Lizzie watched as Harry slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione. He seemed to her to be trying to disappear, and she didn't blame him.

Moments later Dumbledore entered the room and began his end of the year speech. But he didn't award the House Cup immediately as everyone expected and as was traditional. Instead he began to award points to Gryffindor. Fifty to Ron, fifty to Hermione, and sixty to Harry. That made them tied with Slytherin. Several people around her began whispering that this wasn't fair. Lizzie on the other hand bit her lip and kept her excitement in. There had never been a tie that she could remember or that she had heard of. Dumbledore then award ten points to Neville.

The room exploded in cheers as Slytherin had been defeated. Lizzie didn't hold back her excitement, even sitting with the Slytherins. The banners changed to gold and scarlet as Gryffindor was awarded the house cup. Lizzie watched her father shake Professor McGonagall's hand with a scary smile. While Severus would never tell anyone he was impressed with Harry and his friends, and was always proud of whoever won the house cup.

The following morning Lizzie watched from a window as the students moved toward the train station to go home for the summer. She would never ride that train and she would never cross the lake on the boats as a first year. But that was okay.

Severus walked up behind Lizzie and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Lizzie, I think you are old enough to walk down to the train with your friends and say your goodbyes there."

Lizzie turned and looked at Severus. "Really?" She couldn't hide her excitement.

"Yes. Walk back up with Hagrid."

Lizzie hugged Severus and then ran off down the hall without saying anything else.

She managed to catch up with her Hufflepuff friends and walked with them to station. They told silly jokes and the seventh years said they would miss seeing Lizzie and told her to write to them the following year after she was sorted. Many of them believed that she would be sorted into their house, but Lizzie was still not so sure.

On the platform she waved to Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. Draco told his friends to wait while he went to talk to Lizzie. "I'll talk to my mother today. Be watching for my owl." He ruffled Lizzie's hair and then smoothed it back down, much like Snape did; Draco must have seen him do it.

"Okay. I will. Will you write to me this summer?" Lizzie asked as she rocked on her feet.

"Maybe. Not much of letter person. No promises." Draco shrugged as he said this.

Lizzie's face dropped a little. "Oh. Okay."

"Who knows though. Maybe you'll change my mind." Draco started walking away towards the train. "See you later Lizzie."

Lizzie smiled a little and looked around the platform. There were only a few students not on the train, including Harry and his friends who were saying goodbye to Hagrid. Harry caught Lizzie's eye, and she waved at him.

Then Harry did something she didn't expect him to do. He walked over to her and stuck out his hand for her to shake.

"Um... Thanks Lizzie. For you know." Harry said this kind of stammering. She could tell that Harry didn't know what to think of her and whether or not he could trust her.

Lizzie took his hand and held it tight as she could. "No problem Harry. You can trust me. Remember that."

"Hermione said something like that earlier. She said to say 'I promise' for her. Whatever that means." Lizzie smiled, knowing just what it meant. "Well I've got to get on the train." Harry pulled his hand away from her. "See you next year. Who knows maybe you'll be in Gryffindor. Break the mold. You know?" With that statement Harry ran and joined his friends on the train.

Lizzie walked over to Hagrid who lifted her onto his shoulders and she giggled. They waved to the students as the train pulled away. As the pair walked back to the castle Hagrid spun Lizzie in circles like a ballerina around his finger.

"It's been some year hasn't Miss Lizzie?" Hagrid said in his gruff and almost muffled voice.

Lizzie grinned and looked up at him. "You have no idea Hagrid. And next year will be even better, because now its my turn. And its going to be great."

End of book One