~*Chapter 10*~

Home Again

The next few months were tense and unhappy for much of the student body.

There was a lot of detention handed down to those involved with the jinxing- especially to those fingered as Judges. A lot of Judges were still angry at the knowledge that some unknown member of their false House had ratted them out. If Roxy or Fred ever suspected James, neither of them said anything. The three of them took their punishment with grim solemnity, though the Howlers they received from their parents made Al's ears ring from the other end of the table during breakfast.

The entire student body was depressed about the lack of Quidditch, but if anything, Shacklebolt's punishments seemed to help them in their schoolwork. Without fear of being jinxed or Quidditch to look forward to, everyone seemed more focused on desperately trying to earn back House points by doing well in classes.

Scorpius was anything but warm, but he still continued to help Al during Potions, and he even nodded once in greeting when they passed each other in the hallway. He remained snarky and impatient, and made no effort to seek out Al outside of Potions class, so Al did not consider him a friend, but it was nice that they were at least able to remain civil towards one another. He wasn't sure if it was because he'd helped shield Scorpius with Protego or if seeing James and the others punished had just soothed his temper. Either way, Al was pleased that things were mended with his brother and he was scraping by in Potions with Scorpius's help.

He was still lousy at Transfigurations, but Scorpius continued to flat-out refuse to tutor him.

With each House so bent on showing off in class and trying to avoid further detention, everyone's grades seemed to improve somewhat. As finals approached, the initial panic did not feel as sharp as it might otherwise have; study groups had become the norm, and Al felt at least somewhat confident that he would do well. Or well enough to squeak by, perhaps. He was quite ready to throw himself from the astronomy tower after yet another long evening spent memorizing dates and important figures for History of Magic.

Zabini, who had once treated everyone with equal disdain, no longer gave points to anyone but Slytherin during Potions. Not even when a Gryffindor student managed to make a perfect potion, which Al found furiously unfair, considering he'd given five points to Delilah Castor for getting a question right. No one said anything, but it was clear the Professor was still holding a grudge against the Judges for going after his House. Rose admitted glumly that he wasn't giving points to Ravenclaw, either, though he'd given a few points to one Hufflepuff boy. No one was mad at them, at least.

"Hopefully he'll have cooled down by next year," Rose sighed. "I'd hoped to gain Ravenclaw back some points by really shining in Potions, but he couldn't care less."

Slowly the Houses began earning back some points, and by the onset of June, it looked like Ravenclaw might have a chance to give Hufflepuff a run for its money.

"We're screwed," James sighed, looking at the hourglasses one afternoon with Al.

"Definitely," Al agreed glumly. They were in last place. He'd thought it would be nice to get the House Cup his first year, but it was a disappointment he found easy to shrug off. They'd deserved to lose so many points, and there was always next year. It was just a prestige thing, after all- not even as grand as winning Quidditch. He winced as he made the mental connection, shooting a glance at his brother, who looked depressed. No wonder James was so upset. It wasn't just his competitive nature. He had no Quidditch to play and win; that left only the House Cup. And now it seemed that was out of reach as well.

"We'll get it next year," he said bracingly.

"Yeah," James muttered. He turned his back on the hourglasses. "C'mon, let's get some lunch."

Al and Felicia spent the week before the final exams frantically trying to stuff every bit of knowledge into their heads that they could. They were in the library every day, sometimes for up to three hours, cramming with Rose- and Andrew, when they could bully him into it. Al briefly considered inviting Scorpius to join them- for his supposed Transfiguration smarts if nothing else –but the others refused to allow it. Besides, as Rose pointed out, he was likely studying with other Slytherin first years already.

When the exams finally came, Al was relieved to find that many of them were not as bad as he'd feared, though he was dead sure he'd have failed History of Magic if he hadn't studied so much. He walked out of Potions and Transfiguration with no idea if he'd even passed, and wasn't sure how he'd done in Astronomy or DADA. Charms, at least, was easy, and Herbology wasn't bad either. There was even an "exam" for flying lessons, though Professor Cho said it was more of a marker to see where they were at. And since all of them could at least hover, there was no way to fail, only give her an idea of who might need more instruction in the future, or who should stay away from Quidditch tryouts- or, alternatively, who should maybe look into trying out for the team next year. Al managed to fly the designated lap without wobbling visibly, and stumbled only a little on landing. Felicia fell off her broom as she came in for a landing, but she still seemed pleased with her progress overall.

In the end, Al's fears were for nothing. He passed every class (though some he barely scraped by in). Rose and Felicia had done even better. "Looks like James managed to pass Potions," Al laughed, pointing out the expression of sick relief on his brother's face as he looked over his grades. "Mum was threatening to bar him from Quidditch if he failed anything, especially after the whole mess with the Judges."

Time had gone by so swiftly that the End-of-Term Feast almost caught Al off guard. Felicia looked upset about having to leave Hogwarts, especially with the knowledge that she wouldn't be able to practice any magic outside of school.

"I want to make sure I don't get rusty," she sighed, squeezing into her spot between Andrew and Al at the Gryffindor table. "Plus, I really think Mom and Dad would get a kick out of seeing some magic."

"Bring back a copy of the Daily Prophet," Al suggested. "They might get a laugh out of seeing all the moving pictures, at least."

"Ooo, that's a good idea."

They fell silent as Shacklebolt rose and rang a small silver bell for attention. All heads swiveled towards the front.

"I would like to congratulate you all for your fine work on the exams," the Headmaster said in his sonorous voice. "It has been a rough year for many of you, but I hope you'll leave with good memories as well. During the break, remember the friends you've made, the magic you've seen, and the lessons you've learned- both in and out of the classroom." He raised his goblet in a toast. "To our seventh years, I wish you all the best. We are proud of you all, and will miss seeing your faces in the halls." He set down his goblet carefully. "And now... the House points." He pulled out his wand and gave it a small wave; instantly, the hourglasses lined up at the front of the hall as they had before. Staring at the scant amount of rubies, Al felt his heart sink. It was obvious who had lost before Shacklebolt even spoke. "In fourth place, Gryffindor, with 95 points."

The applause that followed was scattered and just this edge of polite. Al slapped his hands together twice, reluctantly, and shot a glance towards his brother further down the table. James and his friends were wearing very long faces indeed. It was a miserable score to have. Victoire in particular looked like she'd swallowed something sour. Perhaps she'd really been hoping her House would get the Cup for her last year. The thought sent a jolt of surprise through Al. He had not stopped to think that Victoire was graduating. She was going to be finding a job soon, possibly at the Ministry. And everyone expected her to marry Teddy very soon. She wouldn't be there for Al to rely on if he needed an older student for advice. He wondered glumly if he would even see her outside of holidays, now that she was an adult.

The applause had petered off quickly, and Shacklebolt was already speaking again. "In third place, Slytherin, with 212 points."

Slytherin applauded themselves with almost defiant zeal. Hufflepuff seemed to be the only other House bothering to clap much for them.

"In second place, Ravenclaw, with 220 points."

"They grabbed a lot of points the last few months just in classes," Andrew muttered rebelliously. "I guess maybe they just mostly wanted to beat Slytherin, even if they couldn't win."

"And in first place, winning the House Cup for this year, is Hufflepuff, with 356 points."

The Hufflepuff table cheered wildly. It had been a long time since their House had won the House Cup. Al knew for a fact they'd never won it during his parents' time at Hogwarts. The applause from the other tables was much louder than it had been for the other Houses. No one had any grudges against Hufflepuff in general, and perhaps some would rather that House win than another. Especially with all the bad feelings in the air over the Judges. Al felt his mouth pull into a smile almost despite himself as he watched Louis yell himself hoarse.

Shacklebolt gave his wand a sweeping flourish, and the flags and banners immediately became emblazoned with the Hufflepuff's badger crest. "We hope to see your smiling faces next year," the Headmaster boomed. "And I hope you are looking forward to our little competitive event next year as much as we are. Let the feast begin!"

Immediately the tables groaned under the weight of all the food that suddenly appeared, and Andrew and Al wasted no time in fighting for possession of the nearest plate of turkey.

"Hufflepuff's all right, I guess," Andrew said, hastily stuffing a roll into his mouth with his free hand. "Better them than Slytherin, anyway!"

Felicia looked ready to say something, but squealed as both boys lost their grip on the platter and several chunks of stuffing spattered across the front of her robes.

The next morning was chaos, with everyone running around the dorms and common room trying to find mislaid items and exchanging information and promises to contact each other over the summer.

Felicia tried to explain email to Andrew and Al for ten minutes before giving up. "Just send me an owl, I guess," she sighed. "Though I think my parents may have a conniption the first time one arrives. Here, I'll give you my address, just in case." She seemed happy about the idea of receiving mail as she jotted down her address on two slips of paper and thrust them at the boys. "I don't think I've ever gotten a letter in the mail," she said with a pleased grin. "Aside from my invitation to Hogwarts. But everyone here says it's the way to keep in touch, so..."

Al stuffed a roll of socks deep into his bag and took the paper, slipping it into his pocket. "I'll write," he promised. He'd never had anyone but James to write to before. During James's first year in Hogwarts, Al had written him many letters, pestering him with endless questions about Hogwarts that James mostly refused to answer. He'd wanted Al to experience Hogwarts with fresh eyes, he'd insisted. Al secretly thought it had been his father's idea. And though James and his cousins had ended up talking a lot about Hogwarts during summer break, it had been nice to discover Hogwarts's magic and splendor for himself. I won't tell Lily much, he decided. Though it was going to drive her bananas. He would be in his third year by the time she was old enough to attend.

They made their way down the changing staircases- with Fred having to run back twice for things he'd forgotten –and followed Hagrid towards the carriages that moved by themselves.

"They don't, you know," James said importantly as he clambered into one after Fred. "There's beasts pulling 'em, but none of us can see. Dad told me."

"Beasts?" A little first year girl shot a startled look towards the front of the carriage. "Invisible beasts? Are they dangerous?"

"Nope," James said cheerfully, refusing to elaborate and catching Roxanne's bag as she tossed it up to him.

"You probably don't wanna know," Al said hastily when Felicia looked at him curiously.

"You'd sleep better at night," Fred teased.

"Oh, move over and make room," Al grumbled, giving him a push as he struggled onto the carriage himself. "Don't scare her."

The carriages carried them swiftly away, and Felicia twisted in her seat eagerly to get one last look at Hogwarts. Al turned as well, gazing up at the spires and the solid walls. He would miss Hogwarts, but it would be good to spend time with his family and not have to worry about studying for awhile. He knew Lily missed having her brothers around, and perhaps his parents would get lucky at work and be able to spend most evenings at home. Even James was already making plans with his cousins on what to do and where to go during the summer. Al turned back to face the road, without the faintest idea that his father had once dreaded leaving the school every year, and would in fact have been pleased at his children's eagerness to return home.

"It's like something out of a Disney movie," Felicia murmured, finally turning forward again as well. "I don't even know if I can do it justice when I describe it to my parents."

"Out of a what?" Roxanne asked blankly.

Felicia laughed, but shook her head and refused to answer.

"See you, Hagrid," Al squeaked, losing all the air from his lungs as the huge man swept him up in a quick but crushing hug. "I'll tell Dad you said hello."

"I'll come 'round nex' month," Hagrid promised cheerily. "Be good, you lot."

James waved at Hagrid one last time and hurried to catch up with Roxanne and Fred, eager to get a compartment all to themselves.

"Probably going to spend the whole trip back talking about Quidditch next year," Rose said with a fond little smile. She picked up her bag and jerked her chin towards where Molly was saying goodbye to some Ravenclaw friends. "I'm gonna talk to some of them real quick. Save me a seat?"

"Yeah, sure." Al was hardly paying attention. His gaze had drifted to follow James, and he'd spotted a familiar twig of a boy peeling away from a clumped group of Slytherin first years.

Al dithered for several moments, then stepped forward hastily just as Scorpius was moving towards the train. "I'll see you next year," he said quickly.

Scorpius hesitated, glancing back at him with a frown. The nearby Slytherins glared at Al with open hostility and suspicion. Finally Scorpius grunted, glancing away, and climbed aboard the train.

"Well, he didn't jinx you," Felicia murmured in his ear, coming up behind him unseen.

Al sighed, scratching at his scalp in embarrassment. "We're not friends, but I thought maybe it'd be nice to... yanno, be on okay terms."

"In case you get stuck with him in Potions again?" Felicia teased.

Al grinned back. "Well, yeah."

"He didn't take out his wand or tell you to get bent," Felicia said encouragingly, steering him towards where Andrew and the others were climbing aboard the train.

"I don't know why you bother," Andrew admitted, turning to offer Al a comical grimace. "He seems like a stuck-up git to me."

"I can't wait to come back," Felicia said with a giddy grin. She looked as if she'd like to dance in place. "Mom says she'll definitely get me an owl or something as a reward for doing well on the exams. Though I think mostly she's just fascinated by the idea of an owl delivering mail."

"Dad was hinting at the same thing," Al said quickly. He'd almost forgotten about it during all the excitement of the school year. "He told me at the end of Christmas break. Maybe I'll get a cat or something, though. I mean, I can keep that in the dorms with me..."

"I wish we could have dogs," Andrew sighed. "Though there's no way Mum will let me get anything like a pet after the grades I got in Transfiguration and History of Magic... Hell, she's going to hit the roof when she sees my Charms grade..."

Chatting and laughing excitedly, the friends stepped aboard the train, headed for home.

~THE END~

A/N: Oooops, sorry I haven't touched this in so long! I was working a lot of long hours, and got really caught up either playing video games or drawing in my down time. But I'm moving across the country, and when I realized I'd stopped with only one chapter left to go, I figured it was a good time to knock it out. Sorry it's so short, but it's more of a wrapping-up type of chapter. I've had the next three or four years outlined for ages, so I'm hoping to get the first chapter of Year Two out soon. :) I'm still waffling with the title, but you can check back on my profile to find it.

Thank you for those who stuck with me during the unexpected hiatus, and anyone who gave this a read. And especially a million thanks to people who left lovely comments! 33 They always give me the kick in the rear I need. See you soon!