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Chapter 26 - A Less Than Warm Welcome back

They spent most of the rest of spring break either playing quidditch, or having Albus try to break some of Hugo's weak anti-apparition wards. It took him a long time to manage anything until the second to last day of the break.

"Alright, try again!" Yelled Hugo.

Albus closed his eyes, and started breathing deeply. He took a huge breath and crack!

He opened his eyes, and looked over, only to see his left arm, hanging in the air, wriggling around. "Ahhh!"

Hugo took down the ward right away, and Albus apparated right back to the other spot, so Hugo could put his arm back more easily. It took a while to cease the bleeding.

Ron and James couldn't stop laughing. They found it so funny that Albus had finally splinched himself. He-besides Lily-was the only one who still lacked an official ministry approved license to apparate, but was better at it then all of them, so naturally they liked that things were starting to even themselves out.

The next day, Harry had brought him to the apparition test centre to finally get a license. Harry was surprised to find that the man who tested Albus, was none other than Wilkie Twycross, the same man who had taught Harry to apparate so long ago.

"Congratulations!" Said Twycross, handing Albus the license. "You are the first person ever to past the test without taking lessons. Why did you deny them again?"

All of his friends had taken the lessons in sixth-year, but Albus knew how already and didn't see the need. He figured he would just take the test when the time came, but it never did. "Just, never bothered." Said Albus nonchalantly, like people did this every day.

At half past ten, Albus, Rose and Lily went to platform nine and three quarters to await the Hogwarts express. When they got in, they looked up and down the train for a compartment, until they found a familiar face sitting in compartment C.

"Colby?" Yelled Rose.

He turned and looked at the three of them, and his face lit up. "Guys!" He yelled, pulling them into a hug.

"How are your parents?" Albus asked, anxious.

"Oh, er," He began, looking upset. "They were found dead in a village on the coast of Ireland."

"What happened?" Rose asked.

He just looked down. A fat tear fell from his eye.

"If you would rather not talk about it, I understand." She said.

"No, it's not that. They were killed by a werewolf." Said Colby.

"Oh." Said Albus, unable to think of anything better. "I'm really sorry, Colby."

"I'd rather not talk about it." He said.

"Well, were here to help, if you want it." Added Rose.

"Thanks a lot, guys. So, fill me in on everything that's happened since the ball." He said, trying to sound happy, but not fooling anyone.

Rose had begun telling him the story about the second task, and Albus's new found ability, while Albus had let his mind wander.

If there was one thing he was certain about, it's that Colby was hiding something. What, though? Was there something more about their death? He tried to think. Teddy's dad had been a werewolf, but he died in the war. The only werewolf Albus knew of was Fenrir Greyback, but nobody had seen him since the war had ended. He was one of the only death eaters who had still not been found. Maybe Albus would write to his father. His dad would probably be able to find a list of registered werewolves.

But Colby's parents had been in Ireland, which would put it out of Harry's power. Maybe his dad could write to the Irish Auror office.

His mind drifted to Elise. She had been allowed to return to France for the break to see her parents, and had invited Albus to her house during the summer. Apparently, she was extremely wealthy. Her father was the owner of a newspaper in France called la Monde Magique du France, which was pretty identical to the daily prophet except in french. Her mother, who was scottish, had come from a long line of Blotts, who partly owned the bookstore Flourish & Blotts. Albus had always thought it had been unique to England, but they had locations set up in Scotland, Wales, France, and Ireland.

"Al?" He suddenly became aware people were talking to him. "Al, have you been listening?"

"Er, sorry, I think I must have dozed off. What were we talking about?" He said.

"Where was uncle George's shop in Ireland again?" Lily asked.

"Oh, in Dublin. Manley square. We went there once, do you remember?"

"Vaguely. I was only nine." She replied.

"Ya, Manley square, that's the place!" Said Colby. Al was trying to get back into the conversation. "Exactly like Diagon Alley, except much nicer. It's twice as big, with way more restaurants and shops. No bank, though, everyone uses Gringotts. There's a bunch of floo powder fireplaces in a wall for people who need to visit the bank that take them right outside Gringotts. They've got everything Diagon Alley has, but just, better."

"In what way?" Asked Lily.

"Well, they have a Quality Quidditch Supplies, but it's about three times a large as the London location and they have a broomstick testing range, underground. It's just a basement that's had a really good undetectable enlargement charm on it; it's about the size of three pitches. I tried the Firebolt three, and it's spectacular! It can do about one seventy-five, although I only managed to get it to one forty."

"Wow, we should go back to Ireland over the summer!" Yelled Lily, and Rose laughed.

Colby had seemed to brighten up. "Do John and Brian know your coming back?" Albus asked him.

"Wrote them a few nights ago. I wonder why they aren't on the train." Said Colby.

"They're taking floo powder back and forth. That's what they told me before the holiday." Said Albus.

"You can take floo powder to school?" Exclaimed Lily. "Why bother wasting seven hours on this bloody train?"

Albus burst her bubble. "Well, they aren't going back to the school, Madam Rosmerta is letting them use the three broomsticks as a landing point. But the train is part of the tradition; it's how everyone gets to Hogwarts, unless they live to far away. Also, there isn't a school for Ireland, all the Irish kids usually come to Hogwarts."

"Well, where else would they go? How many wizarding schools are there?" Asked Lily.

"A lot, Lily." Said Rose. "There's the triwizard schools, and then many more. I know there are two in America, and one in Canada, and they have a tournament almost exactly like the triwizard cup. Also, four schools from Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Italy have a tournament just like it. I bet there are some in Asia and the Oceanic countries too."

"Why don't they just amalgamate the three tournaments in to one? I bet a tournament between ten schools would be more exciting then a tournament between three." Said Colby.

"Good idea, Colby, give me more competition." Said Albus.

They all laughed. The train had just pulled into Hogsmeade station.

Lily and Rose had sped off and left Albus and Colby alone. Colby looked relieved.

"Hey, Al, there's something I gotta talk to you about." Colby said, looking nervous.

"What's that?" Asked Albus. It appeared like he was about to find out the 'something more' in Colby's story.

"Well, the woman who picked me up from the dance, was my aunt. She was my mum's sister."

"Ya?"

"Well, they had a brother, and he was," Colby hesitated. "Well, he was a werewolf."

"Oh. Well, er-"

"There also happens to be only two registered werewolves with the Irish ministry. The one who isn't my uncle, is Fenrir Greyback."

"The death eater Greyback?" Asked Albus, but immediately regretted it. What other Greyback was there? He asked himself.

"That's the one. Anyway, last he'd been heard of, he was in hiding with Antonin Dolohov, somewhere far in the north.

"The other thing, is that my uncle, Abraxas Johnson, had come to visit my parents a few nights earlier, and was staying in the same village on the night of the full moon. There are plenty of unregistered werewolves, but the doubt is there. None of my relatives have been able to contact him."

"Oh. Is there anything I can do?"

"Actually, yes. Do you think your Dad could get his hands on a list of wanted unregistered werewolves, British or Irish?"

"Ya, I bet he could, if I asked him. How could that help, though?"

"Names would be a good start to finding whoever it is that killed them."

Albus pulled out Parchment and a quill as soon as he got to the Common room and began writing:

Dad

I don't know whether you've heard, but Colby's parents were killed by a werewolf. They think it was his uncle, a registered werewolf with the Irish ministry called Abraxas Johnson.

His aunt is trying to track down either the uncle or the real killer, and she was hoping you could find us a list of all the known unregistered werewolves in Britain or Ireland. Also, any information you might have about Fenrir Greyback would be quite helpful.

Let us know quick.

Al