Chapter Twenty-Six

Lucius woke up instantly alert, trying to figure out what had disturbed his sense of contentment that early in the morning. Feeling the warm soft weight of his wife's head against his bare shoulder, he searched out with his senses and connected to the Malfoy family wards to assure himself that everything was safe.

When there was no sense of strangers or any danger, he relaxed his tense muscles then using his wand checked the time. Grimacing when he realized it was not even four in the morning, he dropped his wand in the nightstand and curled his arms around his wife with the intention of going back to sleep.

Just as sleep began to overcome his consciousness, he felt more than heard a soft knock on the thick door. Groaning as he recalled that it was Christmas morning and well aware of his son's inability to sleep in due to the excitement of this particular holiday, he softly called out for Draco to enter making sure not to disturb his wife.

Draco froze at the sound of his father's voice coming from his mother's bedroom. Hurrying in, worried that something was wrong, he came to an abrupt stop next to the bed when he noticed that his father wasn't sitting by his mother's bed but LAYING IN IT!

"Father." In his astonishment at the strange and unusual sight in front of him, he completely forgot why he had entered his mother's room in the first place.

"Draco, it is way too early for opening presents." He heard.

"Presents?" Draco was confused for a moment as his eyes took in the unusual sight in front of him. His father was still under the covers in his mother's bed, his mother's head was on his shoulder which looked bare to him which confused him even more. "Father is mother sick?"

His father's eyes seemed to look down at where his mother was still fast asleep then he heard a soft chuckle from him.

"No, she has just been a bit tired due to the ball she has been planning, but we will join you downstairs to open presents at a more reasonable hour." He was firmly told.

Draco heard the finality in his father's tone and knew not to push any further, so exiting his mother's bedroom, he aimlessly wandered around the manor knowing he had to avoid the library where the family tree was located due to previous holidays.

About forty minutes later, completely bored and struggling to stay out of trouble, Draco entered his bedroom and saw the present he had wrapped himself and then decided that if he couldn't open his own presents, he could at least give that insane house elf his.

Calling for Dobby, he waited until the house elf had finished greeting him and then feeling extremely awkward handed the house elf the wrapped box and said "Would you please give this to the other house elves when you return to the kitchen."

Before Dobby disappeared, Draco handed him the other box and said "This is for you."

The house elf snapped his fingers and the wrapping paper was gone which had Draco sighing as he didn't understand why the house elf hadn't torn it apart like he would have but the house elf's wide grin and enthusiastic thanks before disappearing with the odd box with small pieces that Harry had suggested getting for the elf.

Draco shrugged, he had never heard of giving a house elf presents, but when Harry had chosen a gift for the house elf, Hermione had decided to send something to him as thanks for helping Harry that summer, which had had Neville agreeing to help. Draco hadn't wanted to feel left out so he had also picked up a set of the muggle toys that Harry had said the house elf had liked when he had presented them to him before he had came to Hogwarts.

Not wishing the other house elves to feel left out, in truth more like Hermione had guilted him into getting something for all of the elves, he had picked up a large box of chocolate frogs for them when Hermione had ordered some for her father because she had believed he would find them fascinating.

"Merry Christmas son." Draco looked up to see his father standing in the doorway and to his astonishment, his father wasn't dressed as he normally was during the opening of holiday presents, but instead seemed to be wearing what looked like pajamas with his dressing robe over it with slippers on his feet instead of his normal boots.

"Father?"

Lucius heard the confusion in the tone of his son and said "In your closet you will find a new set of bed clothes, your mother wishes us to open presents in them. She has decided that we are going to try something different this year."

"I-er, well I will change immediately." Draco stuttered as he turned to his closet and soon found the dark gray pajamas in the same thick silk that had created his father's dark green ones. Wrapping the dressing robe around himself and trying it, he exited his closet only to find his father thumbing through his transfiguration textbook.

"It's for my homework." Draco said then with a sigh added "Only Severus also assigned us homework. An essay about the six uses of dragon's blood. All of our other professors have us doing revising of what we have learned so far this year. McGonagall however has assigned us an essay on the semantics of size versus matter."

As they exited his bedroom and began their walk towards the staircase that would take them to the ground floor and the library, Draco felt his father's hand fall on his shoulder as they discussed his first semester at Hogwarts.

Outside the library door, his father stopped him from entering and said "Before we go inside, I just want you to know, that I am proud of you, Draco. You have done well at Hogwarts. Now let us join your mother."

Entering the large library, Draco saw his mother similarly dressed to his father, seated in the center of the most comfortable sofa, an assortment of breakfast choices and juices in front of her. Walking over, he pressed a kiss to her cheek and said "Merry Christmas Mother."

"Merry Christmas my dragon." she said before pressing a soft kiss to his cheek before she cupped his jaw in her hands and said with a sigh "You have grown so much while gone this fall, I soon won't be able to recognize you."

As the Malfoy family settled down to open presents, all felt the warmth that was created as they settled into the more informal behavior Narcissa had insisted upon. Lucius directing Draco to passing out the presents, some soft laughter began when Draco realized that the first present was his and quickly sat down on the thick Turkish rug and ripped open the wrapping paper….

Across England, another young boy was laying awake in his bed, his head resting on his pillow as his eyes went to the nightstand next to his bed and the small bowl of with gum wrappings neatly folded on top of it.

His mind was on what was missing from his day, his parents. Neville often daydreamed about his parents returning to him, but having spent the last four months with Harry and knowing that at least he had the ability to visit his parents whereas Harry didn't, had him feeling guilty about his anger at the fates.

Thinking on Harry had him reminiscing about the last four months and the friendships he had gained. He had been so sure that he would remain friendless at Hogwarts, instead he had become friends with the one boy he had been sure would never waste time with someone like himself.

That his image of that boy had been so wrong had been the first jolt to his system. Harry had not been an arrogant self assured celebrity but instead had been merely a boy just like him.

When Draco Malfoy had entered their train compartment that day with an unknown girl it had begun a cascade of surprises that to this day still had Neville pinching himself to be sure he was awake.

Yes, Draco was arrogant and at times pompous, but to Neville's pleasure, he was also his friend. Draco's friendship with Hermione was often combative but there was almost a sense of sibling rivalry to it that Neville had often seen between his Grams and his Great Uncle.

"Neville?"

Turning his head, Neville saw his Grams was entering his bedroom. "Why don't you join me for breakfast in an hour then we can open presents."

"Yes, Grams." He replied then sliding out of bed, went to shower and change into a more formal outfit than normal knowing that at some point today, his uncle and a few more distant family members would be paying visits.

By the end of the morning, Draco was finding that he had gotten everything he had asked for for Christmas and much, much more. Grinning at his parents when his mother suggested that he go shower and dress, he quickly obeyed but midway up the stairs realized he wished to wear one of the shirts he had received as a gift.

Returning to the library, he was about to enter but what he saw through the half opened door had him halting midway through it. His father's arms were around his mother's waist and hers were resting against his father's chest as they stood in front of the large window overlooking the gardens.

When his father's head lowered and kiss his mother, Draco backed away, stunned at what he had seen. Unsettled, Draco slowly returned to his room, his mind searching his memory for any recollection of having seen his father kiss his mother on the lips and couldn't find any.

In fact, over the morning, he believed he had seen his parents touching more than they had ever done so in his entire life. Showering, dressing in more formal robes, his mind not on what he was doing but on how different the morning had been when compared to past holidays, Draco couldn't help thinking that something was going on and that while he liked how it felt, he wished to know what the heck was going on.

Neville grinned after his Great Uncle had hastily exited the manor house. His grams had pretty much rousted the wizard after his roundabout insults regarding Neville had reached her ears. Her pride in informing him and the other relatives just how well Neville was doing at Hogwarts and how he was in the top ten of his year, had shut up all those who had often described him as little more than a squib.

Just as they were sitting down for an early afternoon tea, a very familiar snowy white owl flew in and landed in front of Neville and offered her leg. "Hello Hedwig; there is water and treats on the perch over by the window, just give me a few minutes, I already wrote to Harry and just wish to read his letter."

"Neville, you know this lovely lady?" His grandmother asked as the owl flew off to the aforementioned perch.

"That's Harry's owl, she spends a lot of time in the dorms." Neville replied then asked permission to read the letter.

"Go, read." she replied then when he did just that then grinned and laughed before picking up a quill to write a bit more at the end of the parchment he already had written to his friend, then handed it to the waiting owl. "Mr. Potter is wishing you well on the holidays."

"Yes, and he also let me know that he already talked to Draco and Hermione. Draco was worried you wouldn't wish to have him owling me during the break and Hermione doesn't have her own owl, so Harry and she talk via the muggle telephone which is sort of like the floo network for muggles." Neville replied.

"Send an owl to young Mr. Malfoy and inform him he is more than welcome to communicate with you in any form that the two of you wish." She replied then inquired how he knew so much about how muggle technology worked.

"Hermione, she and Draco often discuss it dragging Harry who has lived as a muggle onto her side while Draco does the same to me. Some things are better on each front. I have to say that I would love to see some of the things that they discuss." Neville replied with a grin. "Hermione says that Muggle studies, she had seen Oliver Wood's textbook is over fifty years out of date. After some talking, we think that because in the magical world life spans are longer, we don't have the generational changes that the muggle world does. Draco has been shocked at how much different the muggle world is than he had believed."

Seeing his grandmother truly seemed interested, he asked "Do you want to know more about what we decided?"

"Yes, but let's move to the parlor Neville." She said fascinated as her grandson began to explain the differences and how the muggle world found ways to improve and change their society and how they did so at a much faster pace than the magical world.

By the time he was finished, Augusta was determined to speak to Lucius Malfoy, Sirius Black who she knew damn well was too impatient not to have already spent time with his godson and a few others she knew that skirted the muggle and magical world. She was very interested in discovering if four eleven year olds had a better grasp on their world than many of its adult wizards.

The Weasley children remaining at Hogwarts had enjoyed their holiday, even if they weren't completely together as a family. The feast that their mother had arranged for them had been a surprise and way more food than even Ron could eat on his own.

As a result they had invited Ron's dorm mate Dean who had remained at school after his parents had informed him that his little sister had the chicken pox. The muggleborn had tried to explain, but after a rather confusing discussion in which he soon realized that the purebloods believed it was a fatal disease, gave up and simply enjoyed the meal.

As dinner time approached, Percy who had gone back to his dorm to study was joining his brothers who were still in the common room. Ron and Dean were currently playing Exploding Snap but it was clear that others games had been explored and the twins, well they had spent the afternoon making plans for their escape to Hogsmeads the next afternoon thanks to Harry's map.

As they and the only remaining female in the tower were heading to the Great Hall, they were discussing their classmates plans for the holidays. Lee Jordan had invited the twins to stay with him, but they had been told by their father to remain at school with their siblings.

Soon seated at the altered table, Dean and Ron were discussing their own roommates. "Neville went home, poor sap looked unhappy."

"Malfoy went home because of his family hosting some ball." Dean was saying as the Headmaster entered his eyes looking around for Harry. "Ron, where did Harry say his family was going again?"

"Someplace called Mallorca or Majorica. I heard him talking to Granger about it." Ron shrugged. "Sounds like a dead bore to me, stuck hanging around with muggles all day and not able to fly or to play Quidditch."

Albus froze for a moment then turned to Minerva and harshly whispered "Who gave permission for Potter to go home? I thought you told me that he was remaining in the dorms for the holidays with the Weasley boy."

Blinking a bit at the tone, she frowned and said "No, I never told you that. As for permission, Harry had been one of the first to sign up to go home. I believe that his relatives mentioned something about a Spanish Island."

Albus was grinding his teeth as he fought to stay calm and not get angry considering how few people there were in the Great Hall and how it would be noted by Lockhart which was the last thing he wished.

When the meal was over, Albus gave the Weasley foursome an assessing glance then when he heard Dean mentioning something about Wizarding chess used that to remove the youngest boy from his friends with a question. "Young Mr. Weasley, would you be interested in a more challenging opponent? I happen to have a brand new chess set that I received as a present and would love an opportunity to try it out."

Seeing the questioning glance from McGonagall and Snape, Albus kept his face in as nonthreatening expression as he could while enticing the Weasley boy away so that he could thoroughly question the boy.

Ron eagerly accepted the offer and once he had finished eating followed the Headmaster to his tower office and was soon seated across from the man while mentally imagining how he could brag about this event to his friends and brothers who he was sure had never been asked to play chess by the Headmaster

Albus began the game and subtly inquired about Ron's school year and his classmates, learning far more than he ever wished about Mr. Finnegan, Thomas and Longbottom before he got to the two he considered most interesting.

"How are you handling rooming with the Malfoy boy?" He asked.

The redhead shrugged and said "We don't get along, but we ignore each other because if we don't, Potter gets all pissed. I just don't think it's fair that either of them got to be on the Quidditch team without trying out. I mean I grew up playing it against my brothers, I should have been offered that spot on the team."

"You do have that option next year." The Headmaster reminded him then after moving his next piece probed a bit more. "And the Potter boy?"

"Harry's fine." Ron said flatly. "We get along, but we aren't exactly friends. He cares way too much about his classwork and stuff for my taste, plus he hangs out with that muggle girl. She tends to boss me around and I can't stand it."

Albus was not happy with the response but realized that he couldn't exactly force things with the changes that had happened at the school this year. "I was rather surprised to see that Mr. Potter went home for the holidays."

Ron looked up and frowned a bit before replying. "He is weird. He turned down a chance to go stay at the Malfoy estate, I heard that they have forty bedrooms and a pool plus their own regulation Quidditch pitch, but Potter preferred to go visit muggles. He's mental I tell you."

Albus finished the chess game, quickly demolishing the boy now that he had gotten what he needed from him. When the boy had demanded a rematch, Albus put him off and went to speak to his familiar. "Where did you take the gift to the Potter boy?"

The bird seemed to stare at him then with what looked like an animal version of a shrug, he flew off out the always open charmed window leaving the Headmaster to glare at the stone walls of his tower.

He considered calling for his staff and demanding answers, but he had learned long ago that it was never good to do so when angry. So instead he went to his quarters, sank down onto a chair in front of his fireplace and considered going to visit to the residence on Privet Drive.

Thinking hard on the subject, determined to solve the riddle that was Harry Potter and how he wasn't reacting as expected to his muggle relatives, Albus went back to each and every single contact between them and Figg, who had sworn that things while not great were acceptable.

Still, a choice between acceptable and Hogwarts, should have had Harry choosing Hogwarts. Wishing he had gone to get the boy himself instead of sending Hagri...that's it. Albus called for a house elf and had it go tell Hagrid he was needed in his office, the Headmaster pulled out one of his presents, a book on Merlin and settled in to await the half giant's company.

Hagrid arrived a half hour later and was soon ensconced in a chair the headmaster had transfigured for him. When they had talked about the holidays, his latest pets and the students, the Headmaster inquired about his first meeting with Harry since his return to the magical world.

"Thank you for sending me, Headmaster." Hagrid said with a grin on his face. "It was an honor to escort James and Lily's boy to Diagon Alley."

"Did those muggles give you any trouble?" Albus asked. "I was concerned that they would try to prevent Harry from attending."

"No, no trouble at all. His aunt was in the kitchen cleaning when I arrived and I think his cousin was outside. Harry mentioned to his aunt regretting not being able to spend the day outdoors when I explained about the trip to purchase what he needed."

"You spoke to Lily's sister?" Albus probed again.

Hagrid frowned as he tried to remember and then wrongly replied. "I did. We spoke real quick and I promised to have Harry home before the end of the afternoon."

"She was polite?" Albus asked.

"Yes." Hagrid replied then brightly told him. "Harry was such a joy, asking questions and you should have seen his reaction to the Goblins. His eyes went so wide and he stuttered in surprise when they spoke to him. He even enjoyed the ride in the mining cart to his vault."

Albus spoke to the large man about a few other mildly inane subjects and then watched him leave. So the Dursleys had grown to accept the boy, which was a surprise but not an unpleasant one if Harry had a good view of muggles.

Still, he wasn't happy that the boy had aligned himself with the Malfoys. That was a friendship that had to be ended and soon. Albus wasn't too happy about that muggleborn witch either, she was just too bright, just too the sort that Potter men tended to marry.

Deciding to look around at the pureblood witches who were light magic witches to pair the young tragic young hero with, he went to his quarters and pulled out the ring he had obtained over thirty years ago and that to this day refused to accept him as it's master.

With a nod, he removed it, returned it to it's place of honor and decided to go pay a visit to his brother. Aberforth and he had never really gotten along, but still he was his last bit of family still around.

In Romania, the Weasley family women had gone off to be bed, and Charlie, his elder brother and his father were seated around the warmth of the small fireplace in his quarters on the dragon reserve and spoke about the changes that were occurring back home.

"So, Fudge has stepped up for real?" Bill was inquiring a bit surprised at the news.

"Honestly, I actually considered that he might have been imperioed for a bit." Arthur answered. "First this new act which of course led to my promotion. Your mother was thrilled of course."

"All this as a result of his Undersecretary going off the deep end?" Charlie asked skeptically. "I just can't help feeling that something is missing."

"It was more than just that. There was that murder near Hogwarts. Your mother is still defending Dumbledore, but I can't help questioning his actions regarding a few things, the least of which being his handling of Sirius Black." Arthur replied with a heavy sigh. "He never even questioned the boy, even in spite of knowing he was the Potter boy's godfather."

Bill frowned at that news, then asked "Dad, what does this mean for you. I mean, wasn't the Headmaster how you got your position with the Ministry?"

"He was, however, I am feeling rather secure, a lot more than I ever did in my previous department." He replied as he yawned widely and admitted he was tired before heading off to bed.

"What do you think?" Bill asked Charlie knowing his brother like him was a bit more cynical than their go with the flow father.

Charlie put up a privacy charm and bluntly told his brother. "If dad doesn't separate himself from the headmaster and soon, even with the changes and how fair I know Bones and Diggory to be, he could take a hit. Mum won't ever hear a bad word against the Headmaster. Even after what happened with Percy this year."

Seeing his brother frowning, Charlie filled him in the Headmaster's 'advice' to their brother and how Percy's own attitude had cost him the prefect's badge. "The twins wrote me a letter about the situation with Percy."

"Percy is all about ambition, how he ended up in Gryffindor and not Slytherin, I will never know." Bill replied. "What about Ron?"

"He is settling in. There were some rough spots, the Potter and Malfoy boys ended up on the Gryffindor Quidditch team was the big one, but I heard from Oliver Wood. He was one of the only remaining on the team this year, he is a fifth year and the captain this year and the way that boy raves on those two…"

Bill looked at him then said "We have done Ron a huge disservice, you do realize that. He truly believes that he is the best keeper in the world."

"What else could we do?" Charlie sensibly asked. "He was pants at being a chaser and frankly the less said about his skills with the bludger bat said the better. We both know that Ginny was more talented but Mum kept her from playing."

"When he realizes the truth, that he is merely mediocre it's going to be ugly." Bill warned.

"No it's going to be ugly when he doesn't make the team in spite of his beliefs. He won't believe that he isn't talented, there will be an excuse like the other kid has a better broom or bribed his way onto the team." Charlie replied. "He is good at chess though."

"Somehow, I doubt that that will be acceptable, Charlie. He truly is Quidditch obsessed." Bill replied as he went off to his own makeshift bed in the parlor.

Charlie sat there, then quietly admitted to himself that he was glad he was half a world away from home, that Bill had been right in the advice he had given him the year now had a career he loved, was out from under his mother's domineering presence and was able to make his own way in the world. For now, he would do what he should and hopefully at some point, be able to help his younger siblings break free from the family name and expectations like Bill had done for him.

Albus Dumbledore woke up on Boxing day, his mind unsettled. For every one event that went his way, several seemed to go against his wishes. As he prepared for the day, he took relief in knowing at least one thing had gone his way this year. As of the last day of this year, the Potter boy would lose all chance of being the Head of the Potter family and would lose all claims to any other family heads title including the head of the Dumbledore family.

Due to this, he would be able to keep the seat he had managed to regain in spite of technically his brother as the eldest being the one who should be sitting there. Still as far as Albus was concerned, he had earned the right to be Head of the Dumbledore family. After all his brother had no interest in doing so.

Counting down the months until he was assured control, Albus decided to see what he could do to regain a semblance of control over Potter and his muggle relatives. A compulsion charm wouldn't work, but maybe a subtle threat might get Petunia Dursley to realize that she needed to work with him. A warning about the danger she could be in? No, if she knew of the danger, she might just release custody of the boy to Black and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

Albus went through a laundry list of ideas, each a worse option than the last, until he finally just accepted that he was going to have to take a wait and see attitude. Looking idly through the pile of mail on his desk, he found the note from Corwin Toplofty regarding the Malfoy holiday ball.

Debating attending as his guest as invited, Albus thought about it then turned it down, sure that no one he was worried about would be in attendance and that if he were to attend it might look like he was pandering to Malfoy.

At the house on Privet Drive, Harry hurried down the stairs and sat down across from his newest cousin Dora who was the person staying with them the most. She was using the bedroom that Madge Dursley normally used when at the house while Sirius had moved into Dudley's while Remus was using the spare room.

When she offered him breakfast, he watched as the waffles appeared with fruit and syrup in front of him along with a large glass of milk. "I think Dobby has already decided what I am eating. May I ask you a question?"

"Sure." She replied as she took a bite of her own large waffle.

"That thing you do, that metamorphis stuff, when I was little I changed my hair length once. I grew it after my aunt pretty much shaved my head bald. The next morning it had returned to how it looked before." He said. "Am I able to do what you do?"

"Doubtful." She replied then explained. "What it sounds like you did was perform accidental magic as a result of your strong emotional response to that terrible haircut. What happens with me, it is more instinctive. I see something and it effects the color of my hair. I heard someone talk about a facial feature and before I got control over it and my face would change. Plus from what I hear, you have a much better sense of balance minus use of the floo than what people who have my ability do."

"Okay." He replied then asked "What about Sirius?"

"He like most adult wizards has the ability to change his hair color and length. That is taught at Hogwarts, during your NEWT years." She answered. "So, anything else?"

Harry thought about the day before and then how Hermione had told him that if you want answers, the only way to get them was to ask questions, which was something he was trying to work on, so he simply asked. "Yes, do you really like Remus like that, or are you just teasing him because if you are just teasing him, it is really sort of mean, because in spite of how he hides it, he really, really likes you."

The woman sitting across from him turned so many different shades of red, Harry could only watch awestruck as she finally got control of it, before she found the ability to reply. "Does he really like me? Did you hearing him say so?"

Blushing himself, Harry replied. "No, but he acts like he does. He gets all flustered and his heart rates speeds up when you enter the room. I saw it at his neck yesterday.'

Tonks quickly stood up and never noticed that she had send the chair flying as she came around the table, gave Harry a huge hug then pressed a kiss to his by now bright red cheek and said "Thanks, Harry. You have no idea what what you just said means to me."

With that, she quickly went through the floo calling out the name of a dress shop just as the two Marauders entered the room worried about the loud bang they had heart. "What happened Harry?"

The boy shook his head then said "I am not sure, but Tonks just kissed me and said thanks before disappearing into the floo. Something about a dress for the ball."

"Look at you, a babe magnet already at the age of eleven. Your father would be envious." Sirius said messing up Harry's already messed up hair before going to sit in the chair that had just been righted by Remus who had settled into the chair nearest the fireplace.

"Now, Sirius, you know that James was a babe magnet, they just felt the need to express their disinterest with a smack on the face or a hex." Remus chided his closest friend. With a wink Harry's way, he said "He must have had a magnet in his cheek, why else would Lily have threatened to smacked it so many times over the first six years of school."

"Mom did that to my dad?" Harry inquired.

"Your father liked your mother the minute he met her, but found it hard to tell her this as every time he opened his mouth, he inserted his foot. Add to that his jealousy of Lily's friendship with your Professor Snape and it was not a good situation." Remus explained. "Thankfully by the time we were seventh year students, they worked it out. Your mom began to understand your father and well, your father began to realize that your mom wasn't going to just fall at his feet because he was smart and good looking like he had expected."

"Well, it might have gone better that first year if your mom hadn't done just that the first time that they met." Sirius replied with a chuckle. Looking at his godson, he explained. "Your mom and your dad met for the first time when McGonagall was showing her Diagon Alley. She tripped as she came through the floo and your father was at the Leaky Cauldron with is dad. He helped her up and when they meet again for the first time on the Express, your dad made a comment about lots of pretty girls falling at his feet and that she was only one of many."

"Lily replied that she was no more interested in him than she was in the bar keep who had helped her clean off her clothes. James replied back that she didn't know what she was missing and she rolled her eyes so he started to brag about who he was and that was the beginning of six years of nonsense." Remus replied.

"The amusing thing is that in spite of their backgrounds, your parents were very similar. They were both smart, did well in school, both loved to joke around, your mom was more of the sort to be mischievous whereas your father liked to take things a little too far, but that was partly my fault." Sirius added. "The main difference is that your mother never got caught by the teachers whereas your father was always getting caught in spite of the map and the cloak."

"Add in that they were both very attractive and athletic people who were very charismatic and it was like they were fated to be together." Remus added with a chuckle, "Might I suggest however, that you take after your mother and not your father when it comes to pranks and misbehaving, like I said, your mom was never caught."

As Harry was about to ask more questions, Sirius got several different owls and Remus received one as well. The werewolf grimaced and told them that he had to go visit Minerva McGonagall who had wrote to him then asked Sirius who had wrote to him.

Holding up the first bit o parchment, he grimaced and said "Lucy wants a word, but at Gringotts this afternoon. The second is from the Ministry telling me that I must have permission from Harry's guardian to visit with him and that said guardian put it on file that I am allowed to. According to Cartier, the letter is at the request of the Headmaster who expressed concern that Harry wouldn't wish to visit with me."

"Meddling old goat." Remus replied only to wink at Harry who was scowling. "The others?"

Scanning the rest, Sirius said. "Some are interest from families wondering if I would be interested in betrothals not only for myself but Harry. Those are to be set on fire and burnt. A request from Madam Bones for a visit and one from Augusta requesting that we change the visit with Neville to another day as he is spending it at St. Mungos with his parents."

"So, Harry what do you wish to do with your day?" Remus asked. "Maybe spend it with Ms. Granger or Draco?"

"Hermione has to visit with her muggle family today." Harry replied. "I am calling her later, but maybe I could spend the day with Draco."

"Let just contact my cousin." Sirius suggested then after a floo call with Narcissa confirmed that they would arrive around ten. Harry to spend the day with Draco and Sirius to join Lucius on a visit to the magical bank.

The trio went their separate ways to prepare for their day, meanwhile Scotland Yard was preparing arrest and search warrants for one Vernon Dursley who had no idea what was about to happen to him.

The Headmaster was still looking for answers, Hagrid was returning a borrowed item to it's owner through the Goblins and others were starting their last minute preparations for the end of the year.

Gilderoy Lockhart, Zara Zabini, and many, many others were heading on a collision course that would result in fireworks at the Malfoy ball. Fireworks that would result in two weddings and someone accidentally dosed with veritiaserum. Oh, and a pesky reporter who would be there to see and report on it all would get the goods on several stories that would make her career.

TBC

AFter New Year, rework

On my honor, I will never betray my integrity,

my character, or the public trust.

I will always have the courage to hold myself

and others accountable for our actions.

I will always uphold the law to protect

my community and the public whom I serve

I do swear to be a true and faithful member of the auror corp. I will give my Allegiance unto the leaders of the Wizengamot. And generally in all things will be a faithful employee to it's chosen leader..

Nott considering marriag

Septima, Aurora and Charity shopping.

Bathilda gets drunk on New Years and almost spills her biggest secret to Lockhart but the Headmaster prevents it and begins to realize that she has been speaking about him to the professor.

Hagrid and Sirius Black's motorcycle

Flitwick warned to protect Luna

Dougal McFaddyn School BoG

Corwin Toftlofty

Rita Skeeter is on the loose

Madam MacMillian

Trudy Bullstrode

Consanguis Antecedent Marriage Act

Amelia recalls the Headmaster has the Mirror of Erised at Hogwarts

Remus bought potions from Knockturn Alley

Love's Lost Potion

Nott (astronomy) and Zabini

The Riddle's strength is ebbing, the anchors are to fail and the twice lived wizard shall prevail