A/N: The second year has started. The years won't be as long as the first year, though. That's one of the reasons its all in one story. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading.

Return

It was in the aftermath of the attack on Diagon Alley. Father was helping the Aurors account for the damages and the dead. I was huddled, for the lack of a better word, outside the entrance to the music shop with Hermione, her parents and Ritchie. John was with the headmaster examining the shattered remains of the Dalek.

The man walked up. An older looking version of the muggle boy. He apologized, It wasn't safe for hm to be this close to a younger version of himself but he needed something from Ritchie, he smiled at me, lowered his mirrored sunglasses and stared through me with steely grey eyes. He put his sunglasses back on and turned to Ritchie.

"So Wolf, you're also a Dragon. I'm a Dragon as well. And I need to breathe fire. May I?"

He held out his hand. Ritchie hesitated only for a moment. He handed his weapon to the man. He gave his thanks and pressed a button on a strange device he wore on his wrist. He vanished. That was when I decided. It was time to ask John to explain time travel to me.

John opened the compartment door and looked inside.

"This is definitely our compartment."

Draco followed him in with amusement. Even being familiar with magic, it was impressive. All the other compartments could seat six. This one could seat sixteen. Three pairs of seats on each side. Two pairs of seats in between with a table between them.

"Are we expecting that many people to join us?"

"Apparently."

Hermione arrived first. John grabbed her to the far seats by the window and cast a silencing spell. Draco turned around to greet Neville and Harry. Behind them were Ron with his sister, Ginny, and his, formally announced, girlfriend, Parvati.

"That's half of us," Draco commented. "Who else is coming?"

Terry Boot came by with a few minutes to spare. He was with a glassy eyed girl with long, dirty blond hair. Ginny jumped up and hugged her. She introduced everyone to her friend and neighbour, Luna Lovegood.

Terry admitted that he met her on in the previous car. She was asking for Ginny and he told her she was probably with her brother. She followed him.

Draco watched Luna as she sat at the table next to Ginny. Ron and Parvati sat across from them.

"You're much nicer than your pictures," Luna said.

"Um, thanks."

"I thought you'd be infested with nargles, but you come by your sadness naturally. It's easier to get rid of nargles."

"Um, yeah."

"Luna's father is the editor of the Quibbler," Ginny pointed out.

Draco resisted the urge to shout, "That Rag?" Everyone knew about the Quibbler. If there was any conspiracy theory completely devoid of facts, it made the front page of the Quibbler as the newest revelation. He paused long enough to think of a safe question.

"What does he say about me?"

"Oh," Luna said, happily, "He pointed out that you're the scion of Death Eaters who have infiltrated the government. He noted that you've rejected your father's hateful ways and joined the Velvet Underground."

"Velvet Underground? I've never heard of it."

"It's a secret organization. And I understand why you refuse to admit it."

Draco nodded. "And what do we do? The Velvet Underground. I mean, what does your father say we do?"

"You combat wizards who have joined with aliens. To keep them from taking over the Earth."

"A noble cause," Parvati said with a wicked grin. "Can I join?"

"I'll get you an application," Draco offered. He turned around as the compartment door opened.

"MISTER SNUGGLES!" Ron shouted as a three-headed dog rushed into the compartment. Fred and George were grinning.

"Tell him that Dumbledore said yes."

"He would wait until the last minute."

"And let Ron know."

"Dumbledore's already made arrangements for Hagrid to take care of him."

"No dogs in the dorms."

"All the time, that is."

"And tell John and Hermione that they need more than a silencing charm."

Draco turned around to see the two hugging. He turned back.

"Would you like to join us?"

"You've plenty of room."

"But Lee's holding a compartment for us in the fourth car."

"Mum wanted us to wait."

"We think she knew Dumbledore was going to agree."

As the twins left, Draco stepped into the corridor to see if anyone else was about. Susan Bones smiled at him, Ernie Macmillan in tow. "Looking for us?"

Susan laughed. "I don't think you have room enough."

She looked into the compartment when Draco stepped aside. She looked at Ernie who nodded, a smirk on his face.

"For a while. I think we were expected."

"Oh, wow," A small mousey-haired boy shouted as Susan and Ernie entered the compartment. "You're a Malfoy!"

"Draco." The introduction was said without emotion. He was faced, he was convinced, with one of his undying fans. To prove the point, the boy, almost tripping over his own trunk, rushed forward with his hand extended.

"Colin Creevey," the boy said with unabashed excitement. "Dad said Mister Malfoy had two boys going to Hogwarts. He said I should search you out. And I ran into you first off. That means we're going to be best mates."

He stood there, hand extended. Draco, carefully, reached forward to shake it. Colin pumped his hand up and down longer than was necessary until Draco pilled his hand away.

"So. Your father told you to search us out?"

"No." Colin laughed. "Your father."

"Um." Draco said, convinced he was reverting to an earlier version of Neville, "I suppose I should ask you to join us." He decided to call Father as soon as he could. He wanted to know why he was being punished.

"WOW," Colin gushed as he looked in the compartment. "It's bigger on the inside."

"It's called magic," Draco said, catching him as the train lurched. They were beginning their trip to Hogsmeade. Only six more hours until he was free of a small irritation. Draco smiled at a wonderful thought. He would introduce the boy to Luna.

John took Hermione aside as soon as she arrived. She watched with amusement as he cast a silencing charm. She wanted to know what was so important.

"Me."

"You?"

"Well, not only me. You're important, too. But that's not the point. I want to talk about me. Not just me. About you knowing about me."

"Thank you," Hermione said, appreciatively, "for clarifying that." She paused. "What are we talking about?"

"About who I was."

They were both quiet for a minute. Hermione gave him a small smile.

"You should know, John. I've already had this discussion about your long and varied past. I was told, and I agree, to look at you for what you are. A very promising young wizard who is capable of anything."

"Draco doesn't know. He has all the same information that you have. He hasn't put the pieces together, yet."

"You know, he isn't as smart as I am." She realized she was talking to his twin brother. "No offense intended."

John smirked. "Draco isn't stupid. I don't think he ever bothered to think about it. I mean, what reason does he have to question where his brother came from. Me. Not the other one. Father explained that to us when Mum was expecting. Not that he needed to explain it to me. And I don't think he needed to explain it to Draco, either."

"You're rambling."

"I do that. Draco says I'm very good at it. Much better than he is. I don't think he even tries." John smiled at her. "Thank you. For understanding. It's just . . . I don't want to live in the past. It's so much baggage. And much of it is useless." He smiled a little more. "For example, when the Earth disappeared . . ."

"The Earth disappeared? When did this happen?"

"Two years ago. I returned it to its proper place, except, two years ago, it didn't happen. Something was changed in the past. That version of history never occurred."

Hermione stared, "History was changed? That shouldn't be possible."

"But it is. Hermione, this is what you need to understand. Time isn't fixed. Things don't happen in a linear fashion. When you travel in time, you can alter things in the future."

He put a hand on her shoulder, both to keep her from interrupting and to assure her that nothing bad was going to happen. Hermione's mind insisted the word, yet, be added to that thought.

"Things like this happen all the time. The universe compensates for them. That's because there are fixed points in time. Things that have to happen, that the universe will twist events to make them happen. In that universe, I read about Harry."

"Harry becomes someone?" She asked with a smile. "Of course, his scar!" Her smile faded. "He confronts . . ."

"Voldemort," John answered. "You were a big part of it. You and Ron were Harry's best mates."

"Why are you telling me this?" Nervousness was in her voice.

"That's one of the changes. It's no longer the Golden Trio."

The nervousness didn't leave. "It's better, though." A touch of fear entered her voice. "It is better?"

"Harry has more friends. More people to protect. And he's missing something." A frown. "His antagonist." A smile. "Guess who?"

"You?" Confusion.

"Right face. Wrong person."

"Draco? I know Draco. He would never do anything like that."

John gave a wry smile. "Because he's too much of a coward?"

"He's not a coward."

"He is. I know. I'm his twin brother. I AM his twin brother. When I regenerated, I inherited his personality. I know exactly what he's like because that's exactly what I'm like. Draco IS a coward."

"Then why would he . . . antagonate?"

"He's afraid of disappointing Father. In the other past, he never met me on the train. You never met me. I wasn't there. Do you follow?"

"You weren't there last year? On the train?"

"Before history changed, no." He smirked. "And before you ask, I read about Harry before time was changed. That's why I remember."

A thought struck Hermione. A memory. "You're . . . you were a time traveler."

"That's why I can remember things that didn't happen. Because at one time, they did."

She frowned. "I know you, John. You have a reason for telling me all of this. What is it?"

"Remember, at Diagon Alley?"

Hermione nodded her head. She did remember. Unbidden, the witch, frozen with fear, came into her mind. As real as the moment it happened. The other bodies lying on the ground. An unbidden sob escaped her. The next second, she found herself hugging John. John hugging her. Whispering into her ear that he was sorry. He was so sorry. He should have been more careful before he reminded her.

After a minute, Hermione regained her composure, wiping away the tears. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Really."

John asked her again, to be sure, then continued his explanation. The Dalek was supposed to have been the last. That means that something else had changed, That, somehow, someone would change the results of the final battle in the Time War.

"Time War?"

"That's one difference between me and Draco, Hermione. I'm not human. My people were called the Time Lords. We had a history stretching back more than a million years. And we had a war. With the Daleks. We were losing."

Hermione tried to follow everything. It seemed so fantastic. But this was John. "And Draco, or Ritchie, will be there to turn the tide." She explained what happened after the attack. About the Dragon appearing. That he was an older version of Ritchie. "Isn't that a good thing, though? The Time Lords will win." She received a frown. "John."

"Do you know history? The Romans were a military state. They attacked the Persian Empire, which was a sort of feudal confederacy, and were defeated. After a time, the Persians became a military state that was even worse than the Romans. They adapted to better fight their enemy. That's what happened to the Time Lords. My people had changed. For the worse. Whoever won would destroy everything else in the universe."

"But . . . who won?"

"No one. When the battle was at its fiercest, I . . . I put the whole thing in a time lock." He looked at her with a blank face. "I had to. I couldn't let either side win."

Hermione could only stare. Here was a boy of twelve talking about fighting a battle in space. If she understood correctly, he had destroyed two races, species, people. One of them his own. He didn't do it for glory or revenge or because it was his duty. He did it because he had to. There was no way she could respond to that.

She found a way. She hugged him. She whispered into his ear that she was sorry.

"I need to do something," John whispered. "I need someone to know what I'm doing. In case there's a problem."

Hermione giggled. She apologized. It all seemed so strange. Of course, she would do whatever she could for him.

"I've realized that there's something that I've forgotten. I have no idea what it is. I can think of only one solution. I'm going to remember. I'm going to remember everything. My whole life. It's going to take time. I've had a very long life."

"How long?" Hermione whispered.

"At least six months. I've already owled Madam Pomfrey about staying in the infirmary. I want someone my age to keep an eye on me."

She let go of the hug, laughing. "That wasn't what I meant."

"I'm twelve, Hermione. I have memories that go back millennia, but I'm still only twelve years old."

"John, you are amazing."

He returned the grin. "I mean it. Mum proves it to me all the time. I decide to show how brilliant I am, she offers me a slice of lemon swirl cake to wait until Father's gone to work. I love lemon swirl cake."

"So does Draco." Hermione kept her smile. "When I visit, should I say anything? Brush your hair?"

"Talk," John told her. "Anything that you think is important. I won't react, but it will stay in my memory. I don't want to wake up and have no idea what's been happening during the school year. And Quidditch results. And how well everyone played."

Hermione was laughing again.

John smiled as he looked toward the compartment door. "We finished at the perfect time. The trolley lady is here." He cancelled the silencing spell. "I'm buying."

Draco couldn't help but laugh as John ran to the door. The trolley lady was staring at the size of the compartment. John had to shout to get her attention so he could pay for everything. He handed over five Galleons. It was nice being rich. Draco sat down in the pair of seats next to Harry and Neville, a pile of snacks between him and Neville. He looked across the compartment at his brother.

"John?" he called out. "I have a question. What do I need to know about time travel?"

"Know when you're going," John called back.

"And when I'm going back?"

"That's mostly it." John smirked. He then went into his lecture mode, explaining how time was not linear. Cause did not necessarily follow effect. Despite there being fixed points in time, It was possible for things to happen because of what someone will do. It was possible for things that happened not to have happened because of what someone did when they traveled to the past. Draco asked for an example.

"You want me to point out something that didn't happen?" John shook his head. "Think of it this way. Your house is on fire but you can't put it out because you left your wand in your room. You reach into your pocket and pull out your wand. You cast the spell to put out the fire. Then you travel back in time and remind yourself to put your wand in your pocket."

"I understand," Luna Lovegood said. "It's a wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey sort of thing."

John stared at her.

Draco smirked at him. "Why don't you ever say anything clever like that?"

John scowled at him. Hermione laughed. John scowled at her, She laughed harder. Almost everyone else joined in.

"Fine. It is a timey-wimey sort of thing."

"Did you really travel through time?" Colin asked. "In a time machine? Like H. G. Wells?"

Draco was surprised by John's reaction. His brother simply stared into space, a sad look on his face. After a too long pause, he said, "no."

"Did you know someone who . . ." Colin began to ask. He was interrupted by the compartment door opening. Draco looked over. It was Theodore Nott. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle.

"I heard you were special," Nott said dryly, looking directly at Draco. "It must be nice. Not caring about your heritage. Assorting with all sorts of riffraff."

"Your point, Nott?"

"No point. No point in talking to you," Nott sneered. "We'll see you at school." He turned to leave, ordering Crabbe and Goyle to follow. Draco closed the compartment door.

"You see," John said as Draco closed the compartment door.

"Harry's antagonist?"

"Most likely. I'd give him a few weeks before Harry becomes the focus. After all, Harry's the one who's been marked. And everyone knows that Voldemort was seen in Hogwarts, last year. Not that everyone believes it."

"What should we do?"

John gave her a surprised look. "Let it happen. It has to. We'll help Harry when he needs it but . . . if we stop that Slytherin from doing anything, it could make things worse."

"You didn't mean to include me in the silencing charm?" Susan Bones asked.

John turned around to face the Hufflepuff. "Yes. As in yes, I didn't. But, all things considered, what do you think?"

"Well," Susan said. She paused in thought. "You said earlier there were fixed points in time. And about . . . You-Know-Who. My guess is that Harry's one of these fixed points."

"And you're not in Ravenclaw."

"You made it obvious."

"Only if you're paranoid."

"Blame my aunt for that. She always tells me how she has to think of everything, even the things that probable won't happen."

"I missed it completely," Ernie MacMillan said.

John pulled out his wand. He scanned it with his sonic screwdriver. "I DID cast a silencing charm." He shouted, "CAN ANYONE ELSE HEAR ME?"

"No," Hermione pointed out, "but they know you shouted something." She pointed out that everyone else in the compartment were looking in their direction. She waved. Luna waved back.

"Am I right?" Susan asked. "Someday, Harry Potter is going to fight . . . him?"

"The final battle, yeah," John answered. "That's a fixed point. The problem is this. The outcome isn't."

"It's not fun knowing you," Ernie said with a touch of fear. "Maybe we shouldn't talk about this." He looked at Susan. "Ever."

"Ernie's right," Susan smiled at John. "We won't talk about it. But Harry's my friend. Expect me to help him when he needs it."

It was Hermione who thanked her.

Lucius Malfoy sat at his desk. He was tired of reading the reports. He was reading the results of the Ministry investigation concerning the victims. It reminded him of the scene at the train station. All of the happy families. The boy, Roger Davies, saying goodbye to his father. His mother wasn't there to see him off. His brother would not be joining him at Hogwarts.

He thought back to the last war. The things he had done. The misery he had caused. How he had laughed at times.

"He is now a stranger I no longer know."

"Excuse me, Sir?" Hambledon Quince asked from the other side of the desk.

Lucius looked up. "Unwanted memories. I blame this damned report."

"Understood, Sir. I wish I could help you."

Lucius smiled. "No. You don't. But thank you for saying that. I have seven people dead because I wanted to keep my son safe. I saw one of the families today. The survivors."

"I spent yesterday with my brother and his family. I find it helps."

Lucius nodded. "It's good advice." He decided at that moment that he would visit Hogwarts. He would bring Narcissa with him. He would do more than visit his children. He would try to lay a demon to rest.

"And he waved his wand and the truck flew over on its side," Colin was telling everyone. "Then he knocked out the motors in all the busses." He was thrilled to be the center of attention. He was also thrilled to be able to tell the true events of what happened instead of having to lie about magic. As he finished, he said the last line with pride. "And when we found my dad, Mister Malfoy was thanking him for saving his life. Dad won't tell us what he did."

"Oh, do you want to know?" John asked. "He jumped the barrier and attacked a soldier that was about to shoot Father in the back."

Colin's face was a war between pride and confusion. "But the soldiers were guarding the barrier."

"They missed one spot."

Pride won the war.

Draco was happy. They had arrived at the station. Colin, he thought happily, would be taking the boats. He might even be sorted into one of the other houses. Draco frowned. The boy would probably throw a tantrum if he wasn't put in the same house with his 'best mate'.

"What are you thinking?" John asked as he faced his brother. They were tying their ties.

"If Colin would fit in Ravenclaw."

"He has Gryffindor written all over him." John smirked. "I think he used a permanent marker."

Draco returned the smirk. Then he cringed.

"Are you sure I'll be put in Gryffindor?" Colin asked, hopefully.

"It's a given," John answered. He frowned. Draco frowned. They undid their ties and started over.

They were four to a boat. Colin Creevey was nervous. He was in the same boat as Luna Lovegood. Luna was very smart. Her knowledge of magical animals and plants was amazing. He was also with Ginny Weasley. Ginny wasn't as smart as Luna, but she was brilliant in her own way. She knew how to handle people. The way she handled her brother to get what she wanted. How she managed to get the others to back her up. Which was why he was nervous. The fourth person wasn't a person at all.

"Mister Snuggles," Ginny Weasley shouted. "Colin is not a play toy."

Mister Snuggles whimpered.

"Maybe he's nervous," Colin suggested. Against his better judgement, he knelt down in the boat. The three-headed dog, leaned into him, licking his hand when he put it around the dog to hold him in place, even though the boat didn't rock.

A moment later, Ginny was on the other side, petting Mister Snuggles and telling him she was sorry, that she should have known better.

"Thanks," she told Colin, "for noticing."

"Dumb luck, really," Colin said. "He looked nervous. I know what that's like."

"Like if your 'best mate' doesn't like you?" she asked with a giggle.

"I - I overdid it," Colin said/asked.

"A bit."

"The school," Luna said.

They looked up. Hogwarts Castle was directly before them, towering over the cliffs, the light reflected in the lake. It seemed imposing and warm at the same time. It spoke of safety. Even Mister Snuggles barked in appreciation. Colin looked over at Ginny. She smiled back. She asked him if he was going to Gryffindor. He told her what John said. Her laugh brought a smile to his face. A nudge from the dog brought his hand to between two of the heads where he scratched the necks.

They were worried about docking but Luna stepped out of the boat and held it so the dog would not worry. He took the cue and jumped out onto the stone floor and up the stairs, three children running through the crowds after him. Consequently, they were the first to reach the doors, even passing Hagrid the groundskeeper.

Mister Snuggles was content to wait by the door once his neck scratchers returned to their positions. Even the giant, Hagrid, laughed. He told them the dog knows his master's inside. He also warned them to keep a good hold of the dog. He'd take the Cerebus to his hut once he was done 'wit` you lot.'

The man gave three booming knocks to the huge wooden door. A severe looking woman opened it. A three headed dog lunged for the open doorway. Two first years, a boy and a girl, were pulled forward, falling at the woman's feet, whereupon they lost their grips. One first year, with dirty blond hair, was explaining that Cerebus are extremely loyal and wouldn't try to kill anyone unless they tried to stop him.

"Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said with difficulty, failed to continue and burst into laughter.

"First years, follow me," Professor McGonagall said, as though nothing had happened. "And you two, there's no cause for lying on the floor. Do get up."

Draco was following John into the Castle. It was an interesting ride. Before it even started, Ron was complaining that they shouldn't have let Ginny take HIS dog. John was saying that the dog was a first year, well, in his first year, and that the horses were scaring him. Then Ron asked what horses.

Neville said they were called Thestrals. He told Ron that you needed to experience a death in order to see them. Hermione shuddered at a memory and told Ron he should be happy.

"Mister Snuggles can see them?" Ron asked.

"All magical animals can," John explained. "It's in their nature."

"But he's a Cerebus. He shouldn't be afraid."

"He's also a puppy and he's never seen them before. Let him meet one, Ron, before he meets the entire herd." John smiled. "He was nervous about the boat, too, but I told him Ginny would take care of him."

"You understand him?"

"I understand dog. You know that."

"But . . . you really do understand dog?"

"Yes."

"Does he . . . like me? I mean, does he think I'm . . . you know."

Draco admired his brother. John was the only one not laughing at Ron.

"To tell you the truth," John said, "on second thought, no. You should know the answer to that."

"But . . . he went with Ginny."

Parvati put her hand on Ron's shoulder. "He went with his master's sister. Now stop being stupid, Ron, and get in the coach."

Draco stopped as he remembered Parvati's remark. Not because of the memory but because of what he was seeing. His parents standing by the entrance to the Great Hall. John was rushing forward to greet them. Draco knew he could by himself a few seconds. He turned to Hermione.

"My apologies," he said, gesturing toward his parents with one hand. "We're going to be delayed. Could I bother you to save seats for us?"

Hermione was smirking. "I would have done that. You didn't have to say anything."

"I'm stalling. Are my parents smiling?"

"I'll save John a seat, Draco, you're on your own."

Draco turned to face his parents with a smile on his face.

"You see, John," his mother was saying, "Draco knows how to delay the inevitable."

"I was surprised," John was saying. "Usually, parents coming to the school isn't a good thing."

"That must be why your friend, Harry, stopped in the doorway." Narcissa nodded toward the entrance.

"And why, Mother," Draco dared to ask, "did you come to the school?"

"Because your father asked me to join him. He has something he wants to say to you, and I think it will be embarrassing."

"For us?"

"For all of you?"

Both boys looked up at Lucius Malfoy and said in unison, "Yes, Father."

"Ah," Lucius said expansively, "I'll be brief. I've been thinking over the events of the previous week and I, for some reason, feel the need to tell my children that I love them. I told Romulus but he's too young to understand. All he did was gurgle and spit up."

"You're rambling, Father," John said.

"That's where you get it from," Draco told his brother.

"Really? No wonder I'm so good at it."

"Boys," Lucius said sternly, "I'm trying to have an emotional moment."

"We know, Father," Draco said, sincerely, "but . . . we're Malfoys. We've never had emotional moments without planning ahead. They never work out. For example . . ."

"Draco, now you're rambling," his father said, adding in mild surprise, "it does run in the family. My father used to do the same thing whenever he had to talk to me about anything personal." He patted his son on the shoulder. "We'll do it the proper Malfoy way. Second day of Christmas holiday, I will tell you over breakfast that I love the two of you. Make that three."

"We''ll be prepared, Father," John said with firmness.

Draco looked at John. John nodded. They both embarrassed their father by hugging him at the same time. He whispered as he returned the hug, "I do love you."

In the background someone was saying how that was the way to say you loved your parent. Or guardian. A younger voice was saying he'd do that as soon as he had a twin brother.

Draco turned around with a smirk to see Harry standing there with Sirius Black. "Is it parents day at Hogwarts as well?"

"I'm here on business," Sirius said. "I'm sure you'll find out about it soon enough." He turned to look as he heard a knocking at the outside doors. "I think it's time we went inside. The first years are here. Lucius, Narcissa, will you join us?"

"I should ask Dumbledore," Lucius said, then looked toward the door that Professor McGonagall was opening. A loud barking was heard followed by shouts from the children and . . . laughter?

A Cerebus puppy came running down the hall. It paused to stare at Sirius Black, barked once, then ran past him into the Great Hall which erupted at once in cacophony.

"Isn't that the Weasley's dog?" Narcissa asked.

"Dumbledore said Ron could bring him," John said.

"Well, the Weasley twins said that Dumbledore said," Draco clarified.

"And we trust them."

"We do. Honestly."

"We believe you," Narcissa replied.

"Colin?" Lucius asked. "What happened to you?"

Draco turned. His 'best mate' was standing there with a fresh bruise on his chin and torn robes. Ginny Weasley was next to him. She was merely disheveled with a scratch on one cheek.

"Mister Snuggles," Ginny said without humour.

"He went into the Great Hall." Draco pointed.

"You might ask Ron if he knows where he is," John advised.

"Boys," Lucius warned. "Colin, are you or your friend hurt? Except for the obvious that is."

"Professor McSomething said she'd take care of us once we get . . . wherever we're going," Colin explained.

"I'll do this," Narcissa said. "I'm out of practice." She pulled out her wand and cast a repairing spell on the boy's robes. She then cast an ironing spell on the girl's robes. As a finishing touch, she put healing charms on their injuries so that they wouldn't hurt and would heal faster.

"Are we better?"

"Definitely," Ginny said with a big smile.

"My camera's even fixed," Colin added, happily. "Um, Mrs. Malfoy, Mister Malfoy, could I ask a favour. So my father knows I did meet you at the school."

Draco was about to say no when his father said it was a wonderful idea. "And we want a print as well. "

"We should have brought Romulus," Narcissa said wistfully as she pulled John in front of her.

Lucius already has his hand on Draco's shoulder, pulling him into place. "Smile, son. That's an order."

Draco knew how to follow orders. He also thought of a wonderfully biting remark for after the picture was taken. Except Colin apologized for bothering them and ran off to the room where the other first years were. Curiously, Ginny Weasley ran with him, as though they were a pair.

"I don't think you're his best mate anymore," John said as he patted his brother on the shoulder.

Draco nodded with approval. "That was very well done. How did you think of that?"

John grinned. "It was easy. You were treating him that way Ron was treating his sister. The dog gave them a reason to talk to each other."

"And you knew it would work."

"No, but I knew it was worth a try."