It paid to have sources in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement - Rita Skeeter knew this better than anyone, seeing as how she had several. She strolled along the corridors of Level Two of the Ministry of Magic, crocodile-skin handbag slung over her left shoulder and eyes darting back and forth in an attempt to spot anything that would give her a good story. Many of the Ministry employees she passed recognized her and averted their gazes, which caused a happy smirk to cross her lips. It always felt good to know that you were feared.

She had gotten a massive tip two nights ago - something unbelievable. She had already been gathering as much information as she could on the Girl Who Lived when she got wind of the fact that she had finally arrived at Hogwarts. She was friendly with a few people who had children at the school, and they had been more than willing to pass along whatever they could glean on Linnea Potter from the owls that their kids sent them - for a small price, of course. Rita didn't mind paying for knowledge; information trading was the way her world worked, and she was an expert on it.

The facts that she had gotten so far on Linnea's first year in school paled in comparison to what she had just heard. That was why she was here, to get as much as she could straight from the horse's mouth - she would not risk any of her rivals intercepting anything from her source. She walked into the Investigation Department and being familiar with the area, went right to the room she was looking for.

She found a tall brown-haired woman examining something laid upon the table before her - a corpse. A headless corpse, to be precise. Rita didn't feel the slightest bit squeamish at the sight of a body; she had covered the Death Eater trials during the end of the first war with You-Know-Who, after all, and she had seen her fair share of them then. All she felt was a mounting excitement.

'Amanda Brocklehurst,' Rita said with a wide smile in greeting; the brown-haired woman turned towards her and a smile split her face as well.

'Rita Skeeter - it's been too long.' The two women gave each other a short hug. 'I hope you aren't here to destroy my fragile reputation.'

'You know why I'm here, Amanda,' Rita said. 'Though if you could tell me of a few skeletons hidden in our fine government's closet, I would be more than happy.'

'Of course; I haven't forgotten your taste for bringing giants down. I'm a little short of gossip at the moment, though - unless you want to talk about dead Hogwarts teachers.'

'I would love to,' Rita said sweetly; she pulled a notebook and blue quill out of her handbag - this was no job for a Quick-Quotes Quill, she knew. She sucked on the quill for a moment then put it to paper, where it balanced perfectly. 'I have to say, I nearly drowned in my whiskey glass when I read your owl. So what have you got?'

'Just what you can see - a decapitated Hogwarts teacher. Professor Quirrell, in charge of Defense Against the Dark Arts.'

'Ah, he got the cursed job - explains a lot. How was he killed?'

'A Severing Charm,' Amanda answered, glancing at the blue quill that was feverishly taking notes. 'The caster was quite powerful; normally a first year Severing Charm would just create a cut, but this one went right through the man's neck.'

'First year? So it's true then? Linnea Potter killed her teacher?' Rita was feeling that intoxicating, giddy excitement she got whenever she was on the verge of a front page story.

'I wasn't sure when I sent you the owl, but I am now; I got confirmation from one of my friends who's out investigating at Hogwarts.'

'Why did she kill him? It must have been exam time - was she that depressed with her grades?'

'It was almost certainly self-defense; other than the Severing Charm, I've detected traces of Dark magic.'

'Dark magic?' Rita repeated incredulously. 'What kind?'

'I haven't the faintest idea,' Amanda said with a disgruntled snort. 'I've never seen anything like it. It did leave its mark, though.'

Amanda went to a small black bag that lay next to Professor Quirrell's body. She opened it and revealed the man's head, which she turned around for Rita to see its back. She gasped when she saw much of the skin grotesquely burned and blackened.

'Well isn't that interesting? Completely no idea on what could have caused it?' When Amanda shook her head, Rita asked, 'You said that it was "almost certainly self-defense". What do you mean?'

'It's just that I can't imagine anyone, even a Dark wizard, casting a spell that would do this to them, and the damage seems to have been caused right at the moment he died. On the other hand, I can't imagine a first year being able to cast something that could have this kind of effect, no matter how powerful she might be. We also have confirmation from the girl's wand that she did indeed kill him using the Severing Charm. There's so much about this that doesn't make sense.'

'What about Dumbledore? Has he said anything?'

'You should know better by now,' Amanda said with another snort. 'Tight-lipped old codger.'

'That he is - which is why I was so surprised that the Ministry got wind of the situation; I would have thought that Dumbledore would have kept everything quiet.'

'He couldn't. For one thing, there was a body, which I would wager would have been seen by some of the staff and more than a few students as it was carried out - and they would have told their parents, wouldn't they? For another, the Potter girl wasn't alone - she was with four others, her friends. The story they're telling is that apparently they were trying to stop Quirrell from stealing a Philosopher's Stone that was being protected at Hogwarts. And they mentioned…You-Know-Who.'

Rita gasped again, before the feeling of excitement threatened to drive her out of her mind; this was just getting better and better.

'You-Know-Who? Really? What did they say about him?'

'All that the investigators managed to get on that topic was that the girls believed Quirrell was working for You-Know-Who; he was going to steal whatever artifact was at Hogwarts for him. That was about the time that Dumbledore had the investigators leave.'

Amanda raised an eyebrow at Rita, who was literally bouncing in her excitement. It had been quite a while since she had last seen her favorite reporter like this - not that she couldn't understand why.

'Is there anything else that you can tell me?'

'Not at the moment, no,' Amanda said, shaking her head again. 'I'll send you an owl, of course, if I learn more.'

'Thanks. I owe you big for this - how about a drink later?'

'That would be highly appreciated.'

'I'll tell you when and where. Let me just go keep these notes somewhere safe - and do a little more snooping,' said Rita, staring at her notebook as though it were a treasure beyond reckoning as she put it back in her handbag along with her quill. She left the room with a wave of farewell towards her friend. She smiled as headlines popped up in her head. She almost felt like she should thank Linnea Potter; thanks to her being such a fascinating little girl, Rita Skeeter was once again going to rock the Wizarding world with a story.

Linnea was walking slowly through the halls of Hogwarts school, looking down at the floor; many people stared at her as she passed and for the first time she could remember, no one was calling out to her in greeting. Instead, they were whispering to each other.

It had been just over a week since the incident with Professor Quirrell and Voldemort; she and her friends - Su and Hermione had thankfully been unharmed apart from their unconsciousness - had been given two days to recuperate, and then they had taken the rest of their exams. Members of the Investigation Department from the Ministry of Magic had dropped by to question the girls. Linnea had been terrified that she would find herself in a cell in the Wizarding prison, Azkaban, but everyone seemed to believe them when they explained that it had indeed been a case of self-defense.

She came up to the gargoyle that protected the Headmaster's office; she had received a missive from Professor Dumbledore requesting a meeting with her after she was done with her Magical History exam, which she had just completed. She spoke the password and went up to find him sitting at his desk, the tips of his fingers pressed together.

'Ah, Linnea - please take a seat.' Linnea went and settled into the same chair she had used during her Christmas meeting with Professor Dumbledore. 'May I offer you a lemon drop?'

'No thank you, Professor.'

Professor Dumbledore nodded and then asked, 'How was your final exam?'

'Not as bad as I expected; I'm a lot better at practicals than theory, but Magical History doesn't have a practical bit so I was very nervous about it - almost as nervous as I was during the Transfiguration exam. But I think I did well enough to earn at least an E.'

'Splendid,' Professor Dumbledore said with a smile. 'I hope you will have been able to do yourself justice.' He peered at her over his half-moon glasses and asked, 'How are you feeling?'

'Fine, sir,' Linnea responded with a shrug.

'Linnea, you watched a man die at your hands.'

'I don't need you to remind me of that, sir.'

Professor Dumbledore's eyes widened at the icy quality of her voice and the glare that she was giving him.

'Pardon my bluntness, Linnea, but I merely meant to point out that someone who has gone through what you did could not possibly be "fine",' he said morosely.

'Well, I am; I've come to terms with what happened and what I did,' said Linnea. 'I'm just glad that me and my friends are all right. I wasn't trying to get Professor Quirrell, anyway - I wanted to hurt Voldemort. Professor Quirrell should have known what could happen for allowing that monster to share his body.'

'You do not feel sorry for Professor Quirrell? Do you not feel remorse?'

Linnea stared at Professor Dumbledore for a long time before abruptly saying, 'I am very sorry for the loss of a life, but when I think about what that man chose his life to amount to, I find it hard to feel sorry for him as a person. He was going to help Voldemort come back with the means to create an immortal army and as much gold as he could possibly need; I've read enough about the first war to know that that couldn't be allowed to happen. Professor Quirrell deserved what he got.'

'That isn't for you to decide, Linnea,' Professor Dumbledore protested, his eyebrows raised.

'I didn't - Professor Quirrell decided that for himself when he sided with Voldemort,' Linnea retorted.

Linnea and Professor Dumbledore stared at each other in the eye for a long time before Linnea started to squirm uncomfortably; she felt like the Headmaster was trying to see through her somehow. He eventually looked down at his desk and sighed heavily, his expression very grave.

'May I ask what will be done to the Stone, Professor?' asked Linnea.

Professor Dumbledore hesitated before saying, 'It will be destroyed.'

'Destroyed? Won't Nicholas Flamel die without it, sir?'

'Yes, he will - which is why I called you here, Linnea.' When he noticed Linnea raise an inquisitive eyebrow, Professor Dumbledore elaborated, 'Nicholas wanted to thank you and your friends for fighting to protect his Philosopher's Stone as much as you did. By doing this, you see, you were all effectively fighting for both his and his wife's lives.'

'What does that matter if you're going to destroy the Stone anyway?'

'Nicholas and I had a discussion and decided that it was best if the Stone was put out of the reach of Voldemort or any other who would use it for unsavory ends. The only way to ensure that would be to destroy the Stone. He is currently at work setting his affairs in order before he dies - and one of these affairs was to thank the five first years who so bravely tried to keep his Stone from being used for evil.'

Professor Dumbledore dipped his hand into a pocket in his robes and withdrew two keys that Linnea instantly recognized as Gringotts vault keys.

'Nicholas has seen fit to grant you each a small portion of the fortune that he and his wife have amassed in all the years that they have been in this world. One hundred thousand Galleons will go to you and each of your friends - more than a hefty sum for students your age. Since you, Miss Parkinson and Miss Taylor already have your own Gringotts accounts, the gold has already been added onto what you already had. As for Miss Li and Miss Granger, Nicholas took the liberty of opening accounts for them both and depositing the money; these are the keys. I would ask you to pass them along, and inform them of what they have acquired.'

Linnea reached out, took the two keys and put them in her pocket. She looked back at Professor Dumbledore and asked, 'This reward is for all of us - why didn't you call my friends here as well, sir?'

Professor Dumbledore stared at her for a long time before saying, 'I wished to speak to you alone, Linnea. I wanted to see how you were dealing with the death of Professor Quirrell.'

'Are you disappointed, sir?'

The silence that followed was more than enough to answer Linnea's question. She sighed and looked around; Dumbledore's phoenix was staring at her with keen curiosity, as were the hundred or so portraits of whom she assumed to be former Heads of Hogwarts. Even the Sorting Hat was openly staring at her. When Linnea looked back at Professor Dumbledore, she could see that he still looked like she had broken his heart.

'I must say that I am disappointed in you as well, Professor,' she said.

Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows before saying, 'May I ask why?'

'Your protection of the Philosopher's Stone was flimsy at best,' Linnea answered bluntly. 'I've read enough to also know that you are a highly intelligent man, Professor - many call you the greatest wizard of this age, and such a reputation isn't lightly won. So I find it hard to understand why someone so clever would have protected something as important as the Philosopher's Stone with obstacles that could be breached by virtually anyone who is at least a first year. The only reason we didn't get past Professor McGonagall's room was because none of us was an active chess player and we had no idea of the skill level of the enemy chess pieces - we deemed it too risky, in short. I'm not sure what lay ahead, but if it was at the same level as what we had already faced, then it can't have been much, with the exception of perhaps Fluffy; but I think it's safe to say that Hagrid isn't the best at keeping secrets - he obviously told Professor Quirrell how to get past him since I'm sure you didn't, assuming that you knew.'

Professor Dumbledore was once again staring with an uncomfortable amount of keenness at Linnea. 'How would you have proposed that I protect the Stone?'

'I have no idea; I'm only a first year after all, sir,' Linnea said with a shrug. 'But I know that you and the other teachers are far more capable than what those protections showed. I assumed that you would have left your own for last, and was quite surprised that Professor Quirrell managed to get the Stone so fast. Just what was your protection, if I may ask, sir?'

Professor Dumbledore gazed at her for a long time before he answered, 'I used the Mirror of Erised; only someone who wanted to find the Stone and not use it would have been able to get it.'

Linnea did a little staring of her own. 'I'm sorry to say, Headmaster, that that was a very big oversight; Professor Quirrell wanted the Stone, but to give it to someone else, not to use it. That would fall directly in the parameters you set, wouldn't it?'

Professor Dumbledore couldn't remember any student - or any adult, for that matter - speaking to him like this - like he was a child who had committed some petty act in their foolishness. It irked him more than he could have ever expected. Regardless, he could not refute her claims; he had put such protections in place on purpose in order to test her, after all. He could now see that Linnea Potter was vastly more intelligent than he had given her credit for. What disturbed him most was that it seemed to be geared towards spotting holes and weaknesses in people's character and behavior; he remembered all too well how fast she had deduced that he was the one who had sent her the Invisibility Cloak. Now she was indirectly accusing him of not doing his best in protecting the Philosopher's Stone - and she was, of course, completely correct. He was convinced, more than ever, that Linnea Potter was dangerous.

'I am afraid that you are right, Linnea,' he said, keeping his face as impassive as he possibly could.

Silenced reigned between the two for a long time; the Headmaster's phoenix let out a musical trill, as though saying he was very uncomfortable with the quiet. Eventually Linnea addressed Professor Dumbledore again.

'I have a question I would like you to answer if you could, Professor.'

'I will do my best. What would you like to know?'

'Could you tell me where my parents are buried, sir? Meeting Voldemort reminded me that they died so that I could live and yet I have never visited their graves. I'd like to do so.'

Again Professor Dumbledore lapsed into a long silence while his eyes remained unblinkingly fixed on her before saying, 'Your parents were laid to rest in Godric's Hollow; they owned a cottage there - it was where Voldemort attacked your family.'

'Godric's Hollow?' Linnea repeated. 'Any relation to Godric Gryffindor, sir?'

'Yes, it was Godric Gryffindor's birthplace. If you would like to visit the village, I would be more than happy to accompany you.'

'No, I think I'd like to visit them on my own, sir. I'll find my own way there somehow.'

Professor Dumbledore visibly sagged; Linnea supposed that she had said something else to disappoint the old man. But she would not budge on the issue to anyone; she wanted to see her parents' resting place alone for the first time at the very least.

'Was there anything else you wished to discuss with me, Professor?' she inquired.

'No, I think I've covered all I could want for the moment, Linnea,' Professor Dumblefore replied.

'May I be excused then? I'll be needed at my team's practice - the Hufflepuff-Slytherin match will be for the Quidditch Cup, you know.'

'Yes, I'm quite pleased and impressed with the performance that Hufflepuff House has shown this year,' Professor Dumbledore said, the customary twinkle back in his blue eyes. 'Having the Girl Who Lived join their ranks has done much to boost the Hufflepuffs' confidence and drive - especially with how well you've been doing in your first year here. Hufflepuff is lucky to have you, Linnea.'

'Thank you, Professor,' Linnea said with a genuine smile; she rose from her seat and exited the Headmaster's office.

'That girl is made of stern stuff,' the Sorting Hat observed. 'I'd wager you expected her to be a blubbering mess about her killing that teacher.'

'I do not think that her nonchalant attitude towards the death of a Professor by her own hands is something to admire,' Professor Dumbledore said lightly.

'What about your nonchalant attitude towards leaving her to be raised by people you knew would hate and abuse her?' the Sorting Hat retorted snidely. 'I'm sure you were hoping for them to turn her into a meek little girl, but it looks to have had the opposite effect - she seems quite hardened.

'Besides, how could you possibly expect her to weep for a man who sided with her parents' murderer? I agree with Potter: Quirrell reaped what he sowed. I felt echoes of what she could be, Dumbledore, but now I am certain - Linnea Potter will be a great witch.'

'There is no denying that the girl is strong - too strong, in my opinion. I am worried about what she will choose to do with her strength, and so far it does not bode well.'

As he thought more about Linnea Potter, Professor Dumbledore resolved to contact Arabella Figg and have her keep a much closer eye on the girl during the summer.

LINNEA POTTER'S FIRST YEAR AT HOGWARTS

By Rita Skeeter

The Girl Who Lived. We all know her story - at least, as far as until she mysteriously disappeared from the Wizarding world as directed by the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore. Ten years ago, she saved our world from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the most feared and powerful Dark wizard of all time by surviving the dreaded Killing Curse - a feat thought to be impossible until a one-year-old girl actually managed to pull it off - and consequently causing the Dark Lord's much-appreciated disappearance. How she did it has been a source of much debate among members of our community. Could her ability to survive the Killing Curse be duplicated by others? One way or another, there is no doubt that the Wizarding world owes a great debt to Linnea Potter.

Knowing this, many within the Wizarding community were heavily disheartened - with this reporter being among them - when Linnea Potter simply seemed to vanish. Many questions later, Albus Dumbledore, whom many consider to be the greatest wizard of the age, announced at a Wizengamot meeting that he had taken baby Potter to live with her Muggle relatives. At the time of this declaration, many witches and wizards wondered why Professor Dumbledore would possibly do such a thing - and what gave him the license to do it in the first place. As time went on, however, the Wizarding community fell into a state of resigned acceptance. No doubt the Headmaster's reputation and many accolades and titles gave him more than a little pull in this matter, but this reporter - and I feel sure in saying that I am not alone - would very much like to know exactly what happened that night.

Regardless, it was with much joy and excitement that Linnea Potter was accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the start of the school year. She arrived at the school on September 1 along with her fellow first years and was sorted into Hufflepuff House - a great surprise for many.

"Everyone was really surprised when she got sorted into Hufflepuff," says Gabriel Truman, a Hufflepuff prefect. "Most people were expecting her to end up in Gryffindor."

Over the years, the house of Hufflepuff has had a reputation of lackluster performance in school and life thereafter, be it in academics, magical achievements or Quidditch. Hufflepuff has ended up last in points in both the Hogwarts House Cup and Quidditch Cup for so many years that many have deemed it a house of 'leftovers'. This reporter can remember only too clearly how much Hufflepuff has been looked down upon by the other three houses, particularly Ravenclaw with Gryffindor being a close second. In the opinions of the majority of the Wizarding world, Hufflepuff is the poorest Hogwarts house.

But then the Girl Who Lived joined their ranks, and their fortunes seemed to suddenly rise. According to a great many number of students, many of them being Hufflepuffs, Linnea Potter quickly established herself as the star of Hufflepuff - so much so that she is known throughout Hogwarts as the 'Hufflepuff Princess'.

"She really blew everyone away on the first day of class,' Lavender Brown, Gryffindor first year says. 'Gryffindor has Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs; she did the match-to-needle task in five seconds flat. I thought Professor McGonagall was going to pop a vein - you should have seen how surprised she was. Linnea said she'd been practising a lot before coming to Hogwarts, but that she wasn't as good at Transfiguration as she seemed. I thought she was just being modest, but after the introductory classes were over, I noticed she isn't as good at it as she is in the other subjects; it gives her a little trouble - but she's still better than most. And after she was done with her matchstick, she went around class giving out pointers; she's really sweet and likes to help people where she can. I only heard about the other classes, but from the way people were raving about her, I think I have a good idea of how well she did."

"She earned Hufflepuff fifty points on the first day," reports a Hufflepuff third year. "She even got some from Professor Snape in Potions. All I've ever done in that class is lose points, and that goes for most if not all of the other Hufflepuffs."

"Linnea's really amazing at Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts," says Lisa Turpin, first year Ravenclaw. "Professor Flitwick is always complimenting her on how well she handles her wand - and it's a beauty of a wand, too; it's really long with a jewel and what I think is gold laid into it. I don't think it's an Ollivander wand…"

"Lin is great at Potions," Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy and a first year Slytherin says. "She loses points in Professor Snape's class just like most people, but she more than makes up for it with the ones she gains; I think Professor Snape really likes her, not that it's particularly difficult to."

Many of the residents of Hogwarts attest to Linnea Potter's talent in the magical arts, particularly where practical work is concerned, which is where many confirm she earns the most house points. But it seems that the Girl Who Lived's talents are not confined to the classroom…

"Lin tried out for the house Quidditch team as a reserve Chaser and she got in," sixth year Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain, Malcolm Preece reveals. "In our first match, which was against Gryffindor, one of our Chasers got hurt and I had her take his place for the duration of the match. We - myself, my housemates and I'm sure all of Hogwarts - were so impressed with how well she did that I brought her up to starting Chaser. She's using our former starter's broom for the time being because first years can't get one of their own. I can't wait to see what she flies like when she gets her own broomstick."

Some of you readers may have attended Hogwarts while James Potter, Linnea's father, was there and can attest to his exemplary Quidditch skills, which earned him the much-contested title of best Hogwarts Quidditch player ever seen. It seems that Linnea has inherited his great talent on the pitch, as well as both his and her mother's magical prowess; you may also remember that both James and Lily Potter were among the most gifted of their peers at Hogwarts, both with straight-O grades throughout their years there, where they finished their great records by being Head Boy and Head Girl.

Needless to say, many within our world were anticipating the Girl Who Lived to have a stellar run through Hogwarts, and she seems to be living up to those expectations. Intrigued, this reporter delved a little deeper into her social side in an attempt to learn how her fellow students perceive Linnea Potter.

"She's very friendly - you could just walk up to her and chat and she'll accommodate you with a smile," confides an unnamed Ravenclaw student. "She doesn't seem to care about the house rivalries, either; she has a close friend in each house, and they keep really close to each other. They often have meals at each other's house table and they always study together. Lin is very protective of them - just ask Ron Weasley."

The friends mentioned above are Pansy Parkinson of Slytherin, Su Li of Ravenclaw, Leanne Taylor of Hufflepuff and Hermione Granger of Gryffindor. Many readers will recognize the names 'Parkinson' and 'Taylor', as they are very prominent pureblood families; Miss Granger is a Muggleborn, and Miss Li is of unknown blood status or descent - she is, however, Muggle-raised. Of particular interest is the well-known fact that the Parkinson family supported the Dark Lord; with no evidence of being in any way connected to the Death Eaters or offering them any aid, the family has remained safe from persecution. But could Linnea Potter's close friendship with Pansy Parkinson point to something else? Or is the fact that Pansy Parkinson's family supported her parents' murderer of little consequence to Linnea Potter? Does she indeed believe that the sins of the family are not Pansy's own? Many within our world will doubtless be wary of this association, but this reporter finds her curiosity piqued…

Linnea Potter's first year at Hogwarts seems to have been going very well with Hufflepuff, whose desire to win seems to have shot through the roof since acquiring the Girl Who Lived, maintaining first place for both the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup. No one can seem to recall when Hufflepuff House wasn't in last place for both Cups, let alone in the lead. Many of her housemates attribute this success to Linnea herself.

"It was a very big boost to the Hufflepuffs' confidence to have Lin in our house," says one Hufflepuff. "It isn't just because she's the Girl Who Lived - though that certainly doesn't hurt anything; Lin always puts her best foot forward in anything she does. When everyone heard just how well she did on her first day, all the Hufflepuffs seemed to agree not to let her down and let her efforts go to waste. I'm in sixth year right now, and I can honestly say that I've never seen my housemates so driven."

Everyone that this reporter spoke to seems to have nothing but praise for Linnea Potter. She has undoubtedly been a great credit to her house and I am sure that Hufflepuffs everywhere, be they current or alumni, are happy to have her on their side. While Linnea has had an undoubtedly successful year, it hasn't been without its bad spots.

Recent events have come to light - events that took place at Hogwarts School with Linnea Potter right in the middle of everything. As has already been reported, Quirinus Quirrell, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, passed away a little over a week ago. According to sources within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, however, it was Linnea Potter herself who killed Professor Quirrell - a truly shocking revelation.

"She decapitated him using a Severing Charm," reveals an Investigation Department employee who wished to remain anonymous. "She must be very strong for a first year to cast the charm with that much power behind it; most first years would only be able to cause nothing more than a cut, you see. While the Professor's death is regrettable, it should be known far and wide that it was a case of self-defense; Linnea Potter and her friends were in danger, and she did what she had to do to stay safe."

When asked how and why Linnea Potter would be in any danger, the Ministry worker continues to add, "According to the five girls, Professor Quirrell was trying to steal a Philosopher's Stone which was being protected at Hogwarts, presumably by Headmaster Dumbledore; they tried to stop him from doing so and things quickly escalated from there."

These revelations are baffling to say the least, and it seems that Professor Dumbledore has a lot of questions to answer. In the meantime, our appreciation must go out to the five girls who were brave and strong enough to stand up for what is right, even when their teachers presumably couldn't.

'Wow,' Linnea said, staring at the Daily Prophet. 'I knew I was popular, but I didn't think that people would have so many good things to say about me.'

'Are you kidding? I bet that in two years' time they'll want you to be Headmistress,' joked Leanne.

'This article is very factual,' Hermione observed. 'With celebrities in the Muggle world, you can never believe what's written about them in the papers.'

'Of course it's factual, it's by Rita Skeeter,' Pansy said as though that explained everything; when her three Muggle-raised friends stared at her blankly, she sighed and said, 'She's a very famous reporter. She writes for the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly. When she has a story in the Daily Prophet, you can be mostly sure it's true; when she writes in Witch Weekly, it's mostly gossip.'

'She has a reputation for disgracing big government officials - the Ministry of Magic isn't very fond of her,' Leanne chimed in brightly.

'She must have been watching us very closely to get this much information - though I honestly can't figure out how,' Linnea said.

'The best journalists have sources people wouldn't even imagine, and Rita Skeeter is certainly one of the best. I bet she interviewed a lot of the students who've been quoted over the Christmas and Easter holidays.'

'I don't suppose I mind; a girl can't complain about two pages of flattery in a newspaper's headline story,' Linnea said jokingly, resulting in a lot of snorting and eye rolling. 'Hey, don't be like that; you've been painted as courageous heroines too, you know.'

'She practically skimmed over the part about Professor Quirrell,' Hermione said with a frown once they were all done laughing at Linnea's comments.

'She's saving it for later,' Su explained. 'She's provided so little detail that everyone will be desperate to learn more about the incident, and the public will be even more curious about Linnea. Plus her wording has brought a lot of attention to the Hogwarts teachers, Professor Dumbledore in particular. She's done things in a way that will allow her to have at least two follow-up stories that everyone will be itching to read.'

The girls looked up at the Head Table; Professor Dumbledore and the other teachers were indeed looking a little more tense than the warm summer evening called for. Students were streaming into the Great Hall for the Leaving Feast - the last feast they would have at Hogwarts until the start of the next school year. Tomorrow, they would board the Hogwarts Express, which would take them back to London.

Linnea was not at all happy about leaving Hogwarts and going back to the Dursleys; she felt very welcome and at home within the castle. She had toyed with the idea of requesting permission to stay at Hogwarts for the summer holidays, but she remembered how terrible it had been staying for Christmas. Though she hated Privet Drive, she would go back to avoid the boredom and loneliness - and she would be damned if she let her relatives impose it on her anyway. When she had left, they had been quite scared of her, and she would make sure that they stayed that way so that she could enjoy her summer for the first time in her life.

Hufflepuff lost the last match of the year against Slytherin, but it didn't matter; Cedric managed to catch the Snitch, meaning that the point difference was low enough to allow Hufflepuff to still come out on top. To say that the Hufflepuffs were overjoyed would be downplaying matters. Malcolm, in particular, was quite pleased; he had had a great grin plastered on his face ever since Professor Dumbledore had presented him with the Quidditch Cup. The resulting victory party had been the biggest yet, and even Professor Sprout had lended a hand towards the festivities by bringing them a lot of snacks and sweets that weren't stored in the Hogwarts kitchen. Malcolm told Linnea to get the best broom she possibly could; remembering the gold that was sitting in her vault, she knew that she wouldn't have any trouble doing so.

They had gotten their examination results just the day before. Hermione was the top of the class followed closely by Su; Linnea came in fourth, Pansy sixth and Leanne seventh. Each of them was very pleased with their performance; Linnea got O's in Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Astrology, Herbology and - to her incredulity - Transfiguration, with her only E being in Magical History. She didn't get the highest marks in any subject, but she didn't care; she had done as well as she could have hoped for.

With the Great Hall close to being full, Su, Pansy and Hermione had to go to their house tables, as they couldn't eat at each others' during a major feast. When all the students had finally taken their seats, Professor Dumbledore stood to address the school.

'Another year has gone,' he said, his arms wide and smiling. 'Much has happened for us to be thankful for. There are those among you who will not be coming back to us next year; I wish the current batch of seventh years all the best as they leave to take their places in the Wizarding community.' There was some clapping for the seventh years, who looked pleased to be done with school but also sad to leave Hogwarts behind. 'It is now time for the awarding of the House Cup and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and ninety-six points; in third place, Ravenclaw, with four hundred and twenty-two points; in second place, Slytherin, with four hundred and fifty-three points and in first place, for the first time in as long as anyone alive can remember, Hufflepuff, with four hundred and eighty-eight points.'

The noise that came from the Hufflepuff table was such that many of the people in the Great Hall had to clap their hands over their ears. Every Hufflepuff was on their feet; they were screaming with joy, hugging each other and stamping their feet in the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff. It took a few minutes for the din to die down, but the smiles on the faces of the Hufflepuff students could never be diminished.

'A job well done, Hufflepuff! I do, however, have a few last minute points to dish out; they will certainly not change the winner of the House Cup, but I think that these individuals' actions are worthy of notice.

'I would like to award an additional fifty points each to Pansy Parkinson, Leanne Taylor, Su Li, Hermione Granger and Linnea Potter; their efforts in defending an artifact charged to the protection of Hogwarts is not soon to be forgotten. Their great courage and loyalty to the school and each other is something to be greatly celebrated. Hogwarts is very lucky to have you.'

Professor Dumbledore gave a slight bow. The girls were desperately trying to hide in their seats as each of their housemates' eyes turned towards them; Linnea could feel her face growing very hot, but she was smiling all the way.

'Well, that's that, and I think it's time to get our decorations up,' Professor Dumbledore said happily; he clapped his hands and great banners and hangings with the Hufflepuff colors and crest appeared all over the Great Hall. He took the silver House Cup, which had been lying innocently on the Head Table, and presented it to Professor Sprout, who looked to be close to tears. She raised the Cup high into the air, and the Hufflepuffs once again went into a frenzy of merriment.

'I never thought that I'd live to see Hufflepuff win the House Cup,' Tonks said, wiping a fake tear from her eye.

'Don't forget the Quidditch Cup,' Malcolm said, that stupidly huge smile still on his face.

Professor Dumbledore clapped his hands again and food instantly appeared on the tables. 'And now, I think it is time we begin our feast - tuck in!'

The students all dove towards what they wanted and piled it high on their plates. Linnea couldn't believe how happy she was; she was quite certain that that moment of victory for her house was the happiest that she had ever felt…

The girls were closeted in a compartment of their own on the Hogwarts Express. Where they were in their journey they didn't know, but they had been going for almost an hour-and-a-half. They talked about the year they had had, and what their plans for the summer were. Hermione was going on an overseas trip with her parents at some point; Pansy, Su and Leanne had no idea what they might get up to yet. Linnea was itching to get to Gringotts, make a big withdrawal and go on her first ever shopping spree; she hadn't bought many clothes for herself while in London the last time, since she would be mainly wearing her school uniform and robes at Hogwarts. She also wanted to buy a few books to tide her over for the two months of she had before going back for her second year, as they were not allowed to use magic during the holidays.

'Well, after Hermione comes back from her trip, you're all going to come visit me - no excuses,' Leanne said happily; she was looking at Linnea in particular as she added the last part.

'I'll see if I can convince my father to let me come, but I haven't got much hope,' said Pansy. 'Send us owls when you want us to drop by, will you?' Leanne easily agreed to the request.

'Hermione, Su - here's my phone number,' Linnea said, writing the number down on a piece of parchment and giving it to each of them while Leanne and Pansy looked mystified. 'Call me; it would be fun if we could meet up sometimes.'

They kept talking, laughing and joking amongst themselves until finally, the Hogwarts Express slowed down and came to a stop at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Linnea grabbed her trunk from the luggage rack and Abell's carrier and lugged them off the train; she kept a copy of the evening edition of yesterday's Daily Prophet in her hand, ready for her plan to keep her relatives in check.

'Hey, everyone, put your luggage down for a bit and come meet my mum.'

Leanne led her friends over to a woman who looked very much like an older version of herself.

'Ah, so this is the famous quintet,' Mrs Taylor said, smiling down at all of them. 'It's very nice to meet all of you. I must say, you've caused quite a stir; I've never heard of first years having such an adventure. Now, let me see if I can guess who's who.'

Mrs Taylor pointed at each of them in turn and guessed what their names were based off the article; she got them all right.

'Very Ravenclaw of you, Mum,' Leanne said with a roll of her eyes before she gave her mother a quick hug. 'Mum, I invited them to spend some time at our house this summer - is that okay?'

'Of course it is,' Mrs Taylor said with an airy wave of her hand. 'I daresay your brother would be quite excited about the idea; he is rather obsessed with you, Lin.'

'Er…' Linnea said stupidly as her friends laughed at her and Mrs Taylor smirked.

They stayed a while longer and met Pansy's mother, a pleasant and striking woman, and Hermione's parents; Su was going to take a taxi home as her parents hadn't been able to come pick her up. The adults were concerned at first, but she assured them that she was well versed in taking care of herself. And so it was that Linnea and Su crossed the barrier to the Muggle world together after saying goodbye to their friends, whose parents were happily chatting with each other.

Linnea was very surprised to see Aunt Petunia standing there waiting for her; she had been planning to take the Knight Bus. She hugged Su goodbye and followed the horsey woman out to the train station's parking lot, where she could see Uncle Vernon and Dudley in the car. She heaved her trunk into the boot and got into the backseat alongside Dudley, Daily Prophet in hand and Abell's carrier on her lap. Uncle Vernon immediately left the station and drove off towards Privet Drive.

'Hello, Dudley - did you have a good school year?' Linnea asked pleasantly, turning to her cousin.

'It wasn't bad,' Dudley mumbled uncomfortably.

Linnea smiled and looked at her aunt and uncle. 'Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia - would you like to see how well I did in my exams?'

'What do I care?' Uncle Vernon asked gruffly. 'I don't pay for you to attend that school.'

'Oh, okay,' Linnea said in a convincingly disappointed voice. 'Would you like to see the article in the paper about me, then?'

'What are you talking about? Why would you be in the news?'

'I'm very famous in the Wizarding world,' Linnea explained sweetly while unfolding the Daily Prophet. 'Every magical person in Britain knows my name. They wrote an article about my first year in yesterday's paper. I had a very good time, except for the end; I had to kill my teacher, you see -'

Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into another car as he swerved the steering wheel in alarm. Linnea resisted laughing out loud; her plan was already working very well.

'What are you talking about?' Aunt Petunia asked as Dudley stared at Linnea in horror while trying to edge away from her.

'Here, read the last four paragraphs of this article.' Linnea passed the Daily Prophet to her aunt, whose eyes grew wider with fear as they traveled down the article; Linnea's smile grew wider with joy.

'Self-defense,' Aunt Petunia whispered. From the look on her face, you would think that she had just been informed that she would without a doubt die the next day, not that Linnea was complaining; her expression instantly convinced her husband that what Linnea was saying was true and they had undoubtedly gotten the message: leave Linnea alone. She could practically see it in their faces.

Linnea begun humming as she happily pictured what possibilities her summer holidays could hold.