Disclaimer: I don't own it!

"Yes, I think I should have, it was foolish of me not to, but one can't go back in time… well one can, but it's against the law to do so!" Harry was rather horrfied when the man actually smiled at his own horrid joke. Sensing Harry's hostility, he sighed and backed down.

A silence fell about the group. Harry took time to examine the room around him. Things had picked up around the bar, it seemed as if the customers weren't interested enough to stay silent and listen. One man was drunkenly waving his arms, obviously engaged in a story he thought of some importance. It reminded Harry of Dean earlier and that he remembered that he really needed to give the boy a hexing.

"Tell me about your brother," Harry finally said, softly. "Whatever comes to mind. Anything, everything."

"And of course, Albus was always an odd child," Aberforth said, taking a deep gulp from the bottle. "Always. And when he took up fighting Grindelwald… well, who knows what he was really thinking. It thrust him into the heights of fame though, I sensed he didn't like that. He was never a violent child, mind you, but you turn a wand on he or someone he loved, and you would almost certainly guarantee yourself a visit to Mungo's at least."

"Of course, then he took up working with those Alchemists. And about… nighteen sixty, was it?" Remus nodded. He was slightly drunk, and handed Harry the glass of ale, much to the dismay of Aberforth, but Harry didn't comment. He sipped it softly and drank regularly over the next large amount of time until it was gone. He'd ordered a beer before that. Harry was settled in for a long talk, after all.

"Right, about then, the announcement came out that he and Flammel had finally perfected another Sorcerer's stone, and it was a good thing too, Flammel was gettin' on in years and needed it." The mercurial mind of Aberforth Dumbledore then switched to another story about a duel he had with his brother when they were both kids in Hogwarts.

Harry smiled as he sat at the bar. He listened to the man talk well into the night; he was not shocked to hear that the bar was closing and shook his head to Remus when the man offered to escort him back to Hogwarts. "I want to stay for a bit," Harry had replied, and Aberforth Dumbledore launched into the end of a story.

"So, Alby went off ter a hearing or somthing, I don't know, that Mundungus fellow-"

"Dirty common thief," Harry muttered. Remus didn't seem shocked at this at all, and laid a galleon down on the bar before Dissaparating. Aberforth continued.

"He had gotten into quiet some trouble. I didn't seem him again 'til Hallo-" His mouth shut suddenly, and Harry tilted his head to the right in curiosity. When the man didn't comment for a few moments, Harry reached into his pocket and put down some money of his own.

"Can I get a pint of mead?" he asked. He had particularly enjoyed the taste he had gotten of it on Privet Drive, and rather fancied a drink to allow him to mull over the sudden silence. He was sure the man had been about to say Halloween, but there'd been such a sudden, strong pause that it worried Harry.

"You drink, boy?" Aberforth asked, changing the subject.

"Only once before," Harry replied truthfully.

The man gruffly pulled out a mug and filled it from a one of the few clean bottles behind the counter. "What year was Dung's trial?" Harry asked cryptically, drawing a drink from the mug. It wasn't as good as the drink he had had at Privet Drive but it was nonetheless a pleasant taste that rolled across his tongue.

"1979, if I remem-ember right," the man slurred. His eyes widened in realization of what he had said, but he didn't speak anymore of it, and Harry was appreciative. "So Alby and you were cl-close," Aberforth asked after several minutes.

"Sort of, I guess," Harry said, sighing into the last of his mead which he downed and then standing up. "I should get back to Hogw-Hog- the school." Harry finished, moving toward the fireplace. He bumped into a table on his way and knocked over a chair. He managed to send himself sprawling after a moment and took a deep breath then returned to his rather uncoordinated feet.

"Don't… don't be a stranger, boy!" Aberforth replied softly from across the bar. He had even managed to slur that sentence!

"I won't. I-I-I'll come here every weekend when I'm done studying," Harry promised with a smile. What would they do to him, expel him? A soft, slightly dark smile played across his face as he stepped into the fireplace. Of course, he managed to slam his head on the mantle and to stub his tow on the brick before he made it in. He seemed rather uncoordinated for whatever reason. He finally decided it was the excess of alcohol. From the pouch at his waist he withdrew some floo powder and spoke the words, "Hogwarts, Gryffindor Common Room." And thus it was that Harry Potter emerged from the small, cramped fireplace onto the hearth rug and landed square on his back, only to look up into the face of his beloved and the faces of Neville, and of Ron, and Hermione.

"Good morning," Ginny said softly. Harry grinned as he stood and stumbled, only a bit, over to the couch. He flopped down on it so heavily that it tipped backward and he had to lean forward to stop it from tipping. He found it rather funny she was waiting up for him. It was like, an old married couple bit.

"G-G- you too," Harry replied, grinningly. Ginny was looking more beautiful then ever, her cheeks adorned with a red tint that was soft compared to the red flush that usually covered her face when they were together.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" Hermione asked frowning as Ginny sat down beside him.

"I'm just a drunk little, I mean, a little drunk. That's the one. I had a pint of mead, a glass of ale, and… wait, did I order beer before the… it doesn't matter! I have something to tell you," he said suddenly.

"Something Aberforth said," he shook his head at first and then he nodded slowly. "What?"

"I don't remember," he replied truthfully, and then broke into laughter. After a while, Ginny did as well. He wasn't sure why it was so funny that he couldn't remember what had been so heavy in his mind a few minutes ago. He felt warmth at his ear as her lips met it. His eyes closed against the sensation, and he sighed.

"I remember now," When she pulled back he saw that Ron had determinedly averted his eyes. "Dumbledore, Aberforth, that is, had some sort of conversation with our dear former Headmaster the day Voldemort attacked my folks. I don't know what about, he kept trying to avoid the subject."

Ron woke him. Harry looked up at his redheaded friend with a smile on his face. "'Mornin' mate." However, standing over his bed was also one Professor McGonagall. Harry, not exactly sure what to say, probably due more to the thick obscuring curtain of his hangover than anything else.

"Come along, Mr. Potter, someone wishes to have a meeting with you," her face was pained, drawn into a thin grimace, tighter than ever. He stood up in his pajamas and made as if to look for his clothing but was stopped. "Just grab a cloak and come along." Frowning, he pulled the cloak on and around him tightly –he felt a little shy in his pajamas, after not being around another human for so long- and made his way toward the door. A prying little voice made him turn.

"Come Rudra, Maleck. Come my friends." The sound of his snakes slithering softly along toward him reassured him as little else possibly could. Harry began his descent to the bottom of the stairs behind the Headmistress and felt rather like he wanted to be sick.

"Several first years claim to have seen you take off via the fireplace last night, without your snakes. Indeed, the new Deputy Headmaster and Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher claims he saw you." His ears perked up. If the new Deputy Headmaster had seen him, Harry should have recognized him. "In fact, he'll escort us the rest of the way."

"Wotcher, Harry," Harry heard the phrase slide, almost oddly from between Remus Lupin's lips. Tonks must have been rubbing off on him. "You've a meeting you know, come on then."

As Harry pushed the veil of his hangover back he ran forward to catch the man, his companions following behind him. "You're a professor again? You're the Deputy Head?" Remus Lupin smiled mischievously. It was this smile that Harry imagined Sirius and his father had seen many times from the man when he was a younger. In that light, that mischievous grin scared Harry though. It reminded him of a man named Morfin. Unbidden, the verse came from his lips, one that he had heard Morfin, uncle of Voldemort croon to his own pet snake on one dark dreary day.

"Hissy hissy, little snakey
Slither on the floor
You be good to Harry
Or he'll nail you to the door."

Maleck and Rudra slowed behind him, and he turned to see them. He was worried as to how they'd react from his little play on that rather dark verse. He wondered at the depths of Morfin's loneliness when it had come into his mind. The man had obviously been a dark wizard, that was sure, but he also seemed rather insane, a side effect, perhaps, of his obviously insane father. Harry shuddered when he remembered Dumbledore telling him that Morfin, when in Azkaban, had proclaimed his worry of his dead father's reaction to the loss of his locket.

"Have we angered you, Master?" The snakes seemed rather fearful, and how could he blame them? He'd been rather annoyed and vague lately, and had disappeared without taking them with him last night. Harry bent at the waist to put a finger on either of the snake's heads. It was, quiet possibly the most intimate gesture he had shared with anyone other than Ginny in his entire life.

"No Rudra, it was merely a memory," when he released each snake he noticed their whole bodies were relaxed now. "Not even my own."

"You know, it is rather fascinating to hear, but do you mind filling me in?" Remus Lupin had paused to watch the exchange with a look that was indeed of fascination. However, Harry knew that he was still unable to tell anyone about the lessons with Dumbledore as per the old wizard's request and thusly merely shrugged. He answered his guardian as vaguely -or even more vaguely- than he had his pets.

"Merely a memory, Professor, merely a memory," saying nothing more, he started off with his head pounding violently. His hand came up as if to quell the headache by rubbing at his temples, but it was filled as Lupin's hand had met it, and deposited a small crystal flask into his hand. Harry briefly examined the slightly sharp, rather evil looking potion, but knew he wasn't receiving anything poisonous from the Werewolf.

"It'll quail your hangover and I'm pretty sure you'll need a clear head for this one." It was only after this very comment that Harry began to truly worry about just what this 'meeting' was all about. He downed the potion quickly, wanting to be able to think and to wonder without fighting through a cloudy veil of pain. It was not at all as bad as he had expected by the acid green color of the liquid inside of it. He rather suspected an ingredient had been added to neutralize the potion while still maintaining its potency. Harry almost had the urge to let out a long violent laugh, the traitor's book was actually educating him, and educating him better than the greasy man himself ever had at that.

"Here we are," McGonagall interrupted, speaking for the first time since Harry had seen Remus rounding the corner. "White Hat," she said to the gargoyle. Had Harry been Hermione, he would have understood the significance of this, as it was a close translation to their old Headmaster's name, probably a testament of some sort. Stepping onto the bottom step, Harry, Maleck, Rudra, and Remus began the ascending to the Headmistress' office. "Good luck, Mr. Potter, I shall be heading to breakfast now." As the stairs came to a stop Harry reached to open the door and felt a hand on his shoulder. For a moment he figured it was only a brief squeeze and would be removed so that he could turn the knob. However, he soon felt pressure on it, and turned to look at his former guardian. The man's face was drawn and wrinkled, as if he was twenty years older.

"Take a deep breath first Harry, you'll want to," Remus told him.