News about the butterfly incident traveled fast. The older students were given detentions and House points were taken away. Thankfully, all of the Houses had been involved so it hadn't mattered much, with the exception of the Gryffindors, who unfortunately had the most student involvement.

There had been much hemming and hawing, but the Gryffindor officers finally decided that the discovery of Neville's speed, along with Dudley's strength had been worth the loss of points and no more demerits were handed out.

Harry was congratulated for having such a strong thrall, something that was beginning to make him extremely uncomfortable.

"Well, he has latent fairy blood, doesn't he?" Fred pointed out one night as they were settled around one of the bonfires out in the Gryffindor yards. He gestured out to a rousing game of football with too many players. "He mixes well. Not like some of the others."

"Some of the other thralls have been treated like second-class citizens their whole lives," Hermione pointed out. "Why would they mix well? They're afraid!"

"Afraid of what?" George asked.

"What happens when a thrall gets out of line?" Hermione asked.

"Same thing when a fairy gets out of line." Fred shrugged. "There are rules. You don't get to walk away from unacceptable behavior just because of your birth or rank."

"So what happens if a thrall disobeys their master?" Hermione asked, an eyebrow arched.

"Well, it depends on their master and what they did." George stretched his arms. "Are we talking thievery, assault, murder? What do they do in the Outworld?"

"Sometimes its handled by the employers, but larger problems are handled by the law." Harry said. Hermione looked at him. "My uncle works in a factory. They're not going to call in the police for a stolen sandwich."

"A worker in his factory can quit his job if his boss is a mess!" Hermione blustered.

"But would a human employer call in police if a worker went missing?" Fred asked.

"Of course they would!" Harry said.

"Well, eventually…" Hermione hazarded.

"What do you mean?" George asked curiously.

"Well, people quit their jobs during the course of a workday, don't they? I mean, it's not usual, but people do walk out. Don't they?" She didn't look sure of herself.

"Without telling anyone?" Fred asked.

"Well, I don't know." Hermione mumbled. "Sometimes it happens on TV."

"How long can an entire person go missing and no one know?" George asked the first years, a look of alarm on his face.

"It depends on who they are." Harry shrugged. "If they keep to themselves, who knows? They could be dead for months before the body is found, and even then they may not have ever been missed."

"How can a life be lost and no one notices?" Ron asked, horrified.

"Humans can't feel life force," Hermione said. "Outworlders have to learn how to feel it."

"You mean you can't feel it?" Ron asked, shocked. "Nothing?"

"And we can't see auras, either," Hermione said embarrassedly. "Our eyes aren't used to Seeing. We have to learn how to do it."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked her as the Weasleys made surprised noises.

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked as he passed by, his attention caught by the outburst.

"How fairies born outworld can't feel life force and can't see auras," Hermione said.

"Oh. Well, the dullness does go away. Avalon has a way of making repressed traits come out. Sight and sense and the easiest to lose, it's why they're always the first to go when you're Outworld for long periods of time." Percy said knowledgably.

"So, if we went Outworld we'd go blind?" Ron looked alarmed.

"Well, you're not going to be completely useless, but you're going to be more human than you've ever been." Percy assured him.

"The humans seem to get along all right without all of those things." Harry pointed out.

"But it makes life easier if you can read intentions," Fred said. "It's why people can't trust Unseelie."

"Why?" Harry asked. "I mean, other than the obvious."

"Well, their auras have been compromised, haven't they? Damaged or destroyed in one way or another." George said. "Like Snape. There's just nothing there."

"There isn't?" Harry asked blankly.

"When you start developing your sight you'll notice." Percy assured him. "Since you're not used to seeing them at all it won't be as much of a shock."

"Never thought of it that way." George rubbed his chin. "Do Outworlders make better Aurors? You know, because they're not used to auras and life force affecting them?"

"I don't know," Percy said, surprised. "But it's not like they can repress it forever. Just being around magic makes your own magic stronger. It's why the first years look more human."

"What's that mean?" Hermione scowled.

"Your ears are going to tip, your wings will get bigger, you'll start to grow more rapidly—"

"So, puberty?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Has it been tested outside the fairy realms?"

Fred waved her off, a motion that seemed to annoy her. "Why do you think we go fetch everyone that gets their wings? All sorts of things can go wrong."

"Like what?" Harry asked.

"Mutations." The twins said ominously.

"Mutations?" Hermione snorted.

"Pointy horns and snaggle teeth," Fred said menacingly.

"Cloven hooves and snapping beaks," George contributed.

"Creeping, crawling, out of reach," recited Ron, rolling his eyes.

"All with a taste for fairy meat!" They finished together and cackled evilly.

"What?" Hermione and Harry said blankly.

"It's from a Halloween panto." Percy rolled his eyes. "To keep children from running away to Outworld."

"Do fairies really turn cannibalistic if they season Outworld?" George asked.

"I sincerely doubt it." Percy snorted. "For all we know her mother seasoned Outworld and there's no record of horns or even wings on anyone running around London." He nodded at Hermione.

"She could have been concealing them." Ron reasoned.

"They could have been cut off," Hermione said quietly.

The Weasleys went pale and Percy's look hardened. "Why would you say that?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense. Fairies birth easy and there wasn't anything easy about my birth. She had to have been damaged. I looked it up." Hermione looked defiant.

"Unless she wasn't a fairy." Percy whispered.

The twins sat up straight from their relaxed positions and stared at Hermione.

"But, there's no way—" George started.

"She made it through the veil!" Fred exclaimed.

"She's one of us!" Ron said firmly.

"Of course she is!" Percy snapped.

"It explains why Snape doesn't effect her," Ron said in wonderment.

"What?" The twins and Percy exclaimed.

"He snapped at her in class and she got mad at him. I saw her do it. Everyone did." Ron babbled.

"What did you expect? Applause?" Harry asked, half joking.

"But he's Unseelie! I mean, he was… sort of. Well, he's been touched, that's for certain—" Ron faltered.

"You aren't repelled by Snape?" Percy interrupted. "Like, literally?"

"Well, he's not my favorite teacher, but it's not like I'm running from the room." Hermione snorted.

"He's gotten a lot better at his shielding." Fred pointed out. "No need to terrify the firsties more than normal. Doesn't need to shield for us."

George shrugged. "Well, anyone touched by dark magics… it's like we were saying about auras. They get damaged and instead of reflecting they start repelling. It's why some places or people feel creepy or bad."

"I felt it." Harry blurted out. "The first night we were here. When I saw him at the staff table, I felt… something."

"But not in class?" Percy asked.

"No," said Harry.

"Well, a bit," Ron said uncomfortably.

"You might be more sensitive." Hermione pointed out.

"I'd be surprised if he wasn't." Fred turned around to take a glance at the football game. "Dad started training us young."

"But what does it matter if Hermione is half-fairy?" Harry asked. "My mother was a fairy and her sister wasn't."

"I bet they had different fathers," George said slyly, "and I bet your grandmother had fairy blood."

"They assume he does because he's so hearty and he gets along with everyone else." Percy shrugged. "It doesn't actually mean he does. Some people are just big and friendly."

"Better tell Lavender Brown that." Fred nodded at the game. "She keeps making cow eyes at him."

George waved his twin off. "Her parents are from Outworld. They couldn't care less if she married a human."

"Why would they care?" Hermione snapped.

"There can be problems with mixing species, Hermione. Certain things don't mix well." Percy said gently. "Look at Seamus."

Hermione blinked. "What about Seamus?"

"He keeps setting things on fire!" George laughed. "Are you kidding?"

"Well, that's not his fault—" Hermione began.

"No, it's his parents." Fred said firmly. "Fairies and fire sprites. Don't know what they were thinking!"

"Maybe they fell in love!" Hermione said hotly.

"Nothing wrong with that, but adoption exists for a reason!" Percy hissed. "It's funny now, but if he has a nightmare and the tower spontaneously combusts? It's selfish and he's more dangerous than you give him credit for!"

"What if he marries a water spirit or something more… earthy?" Hermione asked. "Would it make the children more stable?"

"If it's ever happened before it's been Outworld. No records of anything like that here." Percy shook his head.

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

"Percy's specialty is bloodline tracking and inter-species research," Fred explained.

"You'd call it genetics," Percy said with a smirk.

"We were supposed to start it this year," Hermione said with a slump to her shoulders. "But then I came here instead."

"You have classes like that at your age?" Fred asked a bit too casually. It was as if he could see the look on Percy's face behind him and was delighted.

"Yeah, it's part of basic biology." Hermione made a bitter face. "I know we're going to cover it all eventually here as well, but it's going to be spread out over several classes instead of a concentration of life sciences." She didn't seem to notice Percy's expression.

"You could always bring extra books next term," Harry suggested, curious to see if Percy was going to actually explode. "See how much faster outworld curriculum is."

George hazarded a look over his shoulder and had to turn back quickly and pretended to cough to cover a bark of laughter.

"I'd be very interested in seeing them, if you do," Percy said haughtily. "If you'll excuse me." He turned on his heel and marched away.

Hermione finally looked up. "What's with him?"

"I think you took the wind out of his sails." Fred laughed.

"Well, we might learn genetics later, but we also learn magic." Harry pointed out. "That's kind of more important, isn't it?"

"Not really." Ron said. "Unless you have issues with control."

"Like Ginny." Fred said and George giggled.

"Who's Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Our little sister, and she knows exactly what she's doing, she's just a liar," Ron said coolly. "Particularly gifted in hexes and general mayhem."

"Hopefully she'll be here next year." George sighed. "Don't know what mum and dad will do with an empty house."

Harry and Hermione both snorted.

"Ew." The twins said in unison.

"Mum's going to sleep until Christmas," Ron said firmly. "I heard her tell Aunt Muriel."

"I believe it." Fred snickered.

"Maybe we should send her a present!" George suggested cheerfully.

"Don't you dare!" Hermione chided them.

"Spoilsport." George made a face at her.