Neville's Law of Transmutation After Transfiguration

by BeepKeeper

This story is fairly dark and not kind to Magical Britain. Harry is an abused child who used magic to 'hide' and does not trust adults. He is sorted into Hufflepuff and keeps his own counsel. He knows the only way to keep a secret is to not tell anyone. But he makes true friends in Hufflepuff, learns to trust some people. But first he must survive the dangers at Hogwarts.

4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Start Third Year 1993-1994

On 1 September, Harry and Justin used a floo in Gringotts to reach platform 9¾ at Kings Cross Station. They said their farewells to Andrew and Helene at home, were popped into Gringotts by Dobby where Director Ragnok greeted the boys and questioned them closely about their summer classes and surprised them with a quiz on rare plants that were valuable potion ingredients.

"The Director is a much better professor than Snape," Justin observed.

Harry snorted and quipped, "Anyone with a pulse is a better professor than Snape. I wonder who the new potions professor will be?"

"Where on the train do you want to sit?"

"Front, middle or end… Doesn't matter to me. Let's get in and put the decal on the window so Neville knows where we are," Harry said as he surveyed the platform and the families already appearing.

"What is it?" Justin asked as he picked up on the sudden tension in his brother's figure.

"There are Aurors everywhere," the dark-haired boy replied as they both counted the wizards in red robes entering and exiting the carriages, while students arrived with their trunks. Some of the Aurors were unwelcoming of the children but several spoke to the students, even shrinking their trunks for them. When Susan Bones and her aunt arrived, the Aurors all saluted and two of them attempted to escort Susan on the train, but she stomped her foot and send them scurrying. She found Justin and Harry's cabin and hurried inside.

"You beat me to the train!" she laughed. Handing a second sticker to Harry, she said, "Put my seashell on the window, please. That'll tell Hannah where I am."

"Sure Susan," Harry replied before he added the seashell next to the sticker of a blooming tulip.

An Auror kept trying to block the window where Susan watched for Hannah until the girl lowered it and yelled at the woman to move around.

"Harry, I apologize for ever doubting you about fame being something you didn't want," Susan told her classmate. "With that convict on the loose, the Aurors won't let me breathe without one of them beside me."

Nodding his head in understanding, Harry gave Susan a hug with one arm, while Justin shook his head and pulled out his runes' textbook–all the members of their clique were taking runes that fall. It was only fifteen minutes before Neville and Hannah arrived, holding hands, and blushing before greeting everyone.

"So, Hannah, eh?" Justin asked.

"Yes, Gran is negotiating with Mr. and Mrs. Abbot this fall and hopefully we'll become betrothed at Yule."

"They are good together already," Susan explained. "I think they will be very happy and have lots of children."

"Children?" asked Harry. "We're just thirteen!"

"Stupid boy," Susan said, smacking Harry's arm lightly. "They won't marry until they're eighteen and then they can pop out three or four little Longbottom babies."

"Hey, Neville. Think your babies will come out green?" teased Justin and that made all three boys laugh while the two girls rolled their eyes.

During the train trip, there were visits by a few older Hufflepuff students, and one abortive attempt by Ron Weasley to access the cabin but the Gryffindor slob couldn't get passed the Puff's lock. When he banged on the door and shouted, his older brother Percy stopped him and sent him away. As head boy, Percy could open the door, but he just nodded and went on his patrol.

"Harry, did you get the defense book and the others for our classes?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, Neville."

"Can I borrow them until Gran can get mine?"

"Sure, but what…" asked Harry.

Again, it was Susan who explained, "The goblins locked down everyone's vaults. My aunt can't get into hers, but I was able to get mine from my education vault."

"And my gran did away with my vault while I was still a baby," Neville explained. "So long as the child has an education vault, they can get robes, books and such. Their parents and guardians are cut off. So, I don't have new robes or books for school."

"No worries, Neville. Anything you need we can get from Mom and Dad," Justin offered.

Harry who remembered his hungry times as a small child, asked, "What about food? Did you have enough to eat?"

"I have lots of gardens at home, so Gran has enough to eat but she'll run out of tea and fire whiskey soon," Neville said. "I had the elves pour out most of the whiskey just to…"

He didn't finish the statement, but Hannah leaned closer and placed her head on his shoulder. There were no visits by Slytherins from their year; Malfoy, Parkinson, and Nott all died with their parents at the poisoning at Malfoy Manor in the spring. The remaining Slytherins came from neutral or gray families and these students had no desire to draw attention to themselves.

Delayed Trial and Cover-up

Forced to act because of the sealing of their vaults, the new minister for magic and the Wizengamot conducted a trail for Sirius Black the morning of 1 September. Madam Bones forced her participation after firing two Aurors who attempted to provide information to the new minister, Felix Cochrane. Without any evidence of guilt other than rumors and gossip, the Wizengamot was forced to acquit the new Lord Black of all the charges. They avoided the idea of damages by ignoring the fact that he had been falsely imprisoned for eleven years. Their own empty pockets may have played a role in that decision. And no one thought to place notices in The Daily Prophet though the trial proceedings and outcome were forwarded to Gringotts that same morning.

The bank would make the effort to contact Lord Black with the news of his freedom.

A Spider Attack

At the train station in Hogsmeade, Harry noticed that Percy Weasley kept his three brothers and little sister under tight control. This was Ginevra's second time starting Hogwarts and he hoped she remained in Gryffindor House. He also noticed the Aurors seemed on high alert and one talkative wizard in red robes explained the extra caution was because of the problem with the giant spiders–acromantulas–from the Forbidden Forest that were seen around the outskirts of Hogsmeade and spun webs to capture dogs and cats.

Harry turned toward Hagrid and the half-giant seemed to be depressed. When Harry asked, he learned that Fang, Hagrid's large dog, had been taken by the spiders. The grounds keeper blubbered "All I found was a few of 'is bones and his skull around some of 'is fur. 'dis is all my fault. I shoulda never got that female spider all those years ago…all my fault."

While Hagrid sent the children across the lake on the boats, he remained behind to make certain no spider appeared to cause problems. An Auror rode in each carriage; Harry noticed that most of the seventh-, sixth- and fifth-year wizards and witches rode with their wands out and ready. He didn't mention his observation aloud but did catch Justin's eye who nodded understanding. Both boys had their wands at the ready.

At the castle doors, as the carriage with Harry and his friends arrived, three of medium sized acromantulas dropped down on the carriage from the surrounding trees. The Auror cut the first one in half, while the second one grabbed for Hannah, and the third spider swung toward Harry. With a swipe of his wand, Harry sent the spider spinning through the air with a bombard-like push that dropped the heavy spider into Black Lake, a mile away.

Susan's scream caught Harry's attention and he saw Neville and Justin wrestling with the spider as it attempted to bite Hannah. Harry leapt onto the spider's back and grabbed the two front arms that Justin and Neville were holding back. Bracing his knee against the spider's back, Harry's magic helped the strength in his arms to break off first the arm held back by Neville and then the arm held back by Justin. The Auror had climbed over Susan by that time and helped to lift the twitching spider from the carriage and into the road. Another Auror dispatched the creature as Percy and the Head Girl, Florence Sterling from Ravenclaw, herded the children inside. More Aurors covered the firsties as they hurried up the stairs and everyone crowded into the entrance hall.

"What the blazes?" McGonagall asked as the children arrived, many hysterical after the events just outside the front door.

"Send for Madam Pomphrey," one Auror ordered. "Tell her to bring calming potions."

"Why? What happened?" Minerva insisted on knowing. While the deputy headmistress took five minutes to convince, Percy sent a fast runner from the fourth year Gryffindors to the infirmary. The noise in the entry hall had caught the attention of the staff members already in the Great Hall and they hurried out.

Justin and Neville stayed with Hannah and Susan as Professor Sprout appeared, her wand waving and creating chairs for the students to sit, and then calmly calling for elves that popped in and out with her orders. As Madam Pomphrey popped into the entry hall via a helpful elf, the other elves appeared with basins of water, soap and towels that were used to quickly wipe all residue from Hannah's face and hair before Pomphrey administered a calming potion, and then popped the girl back to the infirmary to get her out of her contaminated robes. Susan followed to keep Hannah company while Justin, Neville and Harry were examined by Professor Sprout after they cleaned their hands and arms carefully. Harry did shake for a minute as the adrenalin left his system.

"Wash your hands and lower arms as if you handed the poisonous tarantula clinging vine without gloves," she instructed them.

"This is certainly a great deal of fuss over some spider," McGonagall scowled before one of the Aurors forced the deputy headmistress out the door to view the corpse of the spider that was as large as a first-year student. When she came back inside, McGonagall was quiet but didn't provide support for any of the students who entered the Great Hall. Neville and Justin wanted to change their outer robes that were contaminated with spider webs and blood but there didn't seem to be time. Then Harry vanished for a few minutes before he reappeared with clean outer robes for the three of them. An angry Dobby appeared and removed the dirty robes to see if they could be cleaned or would have to be discarded. The boys went into the Great Hall and found all the firsties sitting at the tables already with the older student. Three firsties without older siblings or cousins in the hall were all seated at the Hufflepuff table where Luna and Dennis told them tales about their house. Professor Sprout lectured McGonagall again about her failings as the head of Gryffindor and dared the transfiguration professor to duel her!

"Sprout's really mad," Justin whispered.

Neville glanced about and asked, "Can you imagine how mad Susan's aunt will be when she hears about this?"

Shortly thereafter Headmaster Dumbledore appeared in the Great Hall and he called for the sorting to begin. During the ceremony where the new students were assigned to the house with their siblings or friends, Hannah and Susan and Madam Pomphrey came into the Great Hall as if nothing had occurred. None of the Aurors appeared and then everyone in the Great Hall seemed to have forgotten the attack by the spiders as well.

Well, everyone except for Harry who kept his focus on the plate in front of him, not wanting to be recognized for saving anyone's life. Later after he closed the curtains around his bed, Dobby appeared and told Harry that the headmaster had obliviated the memory from all the students and from the Aurors.

"But the spiders are dangerous! Why would he do that?" Harry asked the elf.

Another Spider Attack

News of the spider attack came to the attention of Madam Bones two days later when standard medical reviews of the Aurors revealed that all the wizards and witches assigned to escort the Hogwarts Express on 1 September had been obliviated. The magical signature on the spells all originated with Headmaster Dumbledore and once the spell was reversed, Bones released the details of the attack to the Daily Prophet which printed a special edition. Included in the news were details of the defense of young witch by three young Puffs in their carriage with the memory of the Auror showing every moment from when the three spiders dropped down. Then she charged into the Great Hall with Aurors, the school governors, and the minister as the owls arrived with the late edition.

"Blimey, that's me!" Neville said as he and Susan held up Hannah after seeing the cover of the paper with a picture of the spider trying to bite her while the two boys held it back. Then Harry Potter threw himself on the spider and appeared to rip away two of the spider's arms. Before the adults could begin arguing, one of the Aurors who came with Madam Bones reported that a large number of the spiders were swarming up the path from Hogsmeade headed toward the castle.

"Students return to your dormitories! Prefects close the doors and ensure that all windows are sealed!" Professor Sprout ordered while Dumbledore ordered the armored statues into battle. Each of the professors herded the students to the four dormitories and then returned to find the Aurors battling the spiders in front of the school. More Aurors popped into Hogsmeade and ran toward the battle, while from above, the students on the Quidditch teams flew above the battle and cast transfiguration spells that turned the spiders into water-filled balloons. Simple piercing spells deflated each balloon and would prevent the creature from reforming after the spell faded away.

There were only a few casualties of the battle, one being Rita Skinner from the Daily Prophet, a reporter infamous for her yellow journalism. Unexpectedly, her body appeared in the middle of the battle and one of the spiders injected the witch with a large amount of venom that killed her almost instantly. In the aftermath and review, one experienced Auror decided the reporter had been under an invisibility enchantment and it failed. Another suggested she had been an Animagus, was wounded and transformed to survive.

Rumors spread out from the ministry and Madam Bones made no effort to quell them, "Was Rita Skinner an acromantulas Animagus? Was she leading the attack on the school?"

Once again, Dumbledore had too much power to be arrested and the minister gave the headmaster 'his unflinching trust and confidence.' While the Daily Prophet was reluctant to print that story, the rumor spread and eventually the paper was forced to print the lurid headline, 'Did Rita Spin A Web of Lies for Evil?'

Madam Bones did force the headmaster to agree to allow the Aurors to sweep the forbidden forest and wipe out the clutter of acromantulas. In their bombardments of the large nest, the Aurors discovered many of the largest spiders dead of poison. They apparently had dined on the corpse of the groundskeeper, Rubeus Hagrid who had ingested large amounts of Sansevieria Trifasciata (also known as 'mother-in-law tongue' and 'snake plant') before he ventured into the forest to be bitten. Once Hagrid was paralyzed, the spiders injected him with large amounts of venom that liquified his organs, muscles and even some bones. When spiders dined on the juices in the giant corpse, the poison in the plant he had ingested blinded and paralyzed the spiders. They tumbled over and died, often being eaten by their smaller kin who then died from the same poison.

One moderate-sized acromantula crawled away from the forest before the cold weather came and made a small nest in the deserted Shrieking Shack where it would hibernate for the winter. The remainder of the clutter of spiders was exterminated.

If anyone had all the clues, they might have decided that the presence of the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets had repelled the clutter of spiders for fifty years and kept them away from the students. With the death of the Basilisk the previous spring, the spiders overcame their fear of the castle and expanded their hunting grounds.

Good and Bad Herbology Classes

While Hannah and Susan declined to venture out of doors following the spider attack, Neville, Harry, and Justin grew curious and joined with many students out the front entrance of Hogwarts that same afternoon. Aurors, reporters and ministry officials stood around the grounds, discussing the attack, and watching for any hint of more spiders.

"Ugh," Harry said as he found the drainage ditch filled with various parts of the many spiders that the older students had transfigured into 'water balloons'. "I thought the water ran off."

Justin and Neville joined him and watched as more spider parts 'appeared' as the transfiguration spells of different students ended. "Wonder why the water didn't flow away or dry up?"

The boy who loved plants replied, "The students on brooms turned spiders into water balloons. But maybe they didn't 'know' water. If it had been real water, it would have dried up or evaporated. But the transfigured 'water' stayed in the ditch and that's why the chunks of spider returned."

Harry considered everything he'd seen and heard that day and spoke quietly to Neville during supper. All the Hufflepuffs gave Hannah their support as the girl experienced nightmares about the attack by the spiders. Madam Pomphrey refused to over-medicate the girl with dreamless sleep potions, and Professor Sprout wrote extensive letters to Mr. and Mrs. Abbot about their daughter's mental state.

In Herbology, Harry and Neville were pleased to learn of a challenge by Professor Sprout; the school was trying to find ways of propagating and speeding up the growth of two plants necessary in the brewing of potions for treatment of chronic heart failure, thinning hair and baldness, pneumonia, and chronic rheumatism, all diseases that struck the elderly in the magical world. The two plants were Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) and Mother-in-laws Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata). Harry remembered Foxglove from his first year with Professor Quirrell and the stories of the potion that poisoned all the wizards and witches in his second year. And he remembered the second plant because Hagrid had poisoned himself with it to kill the largest of the spiders when the monsters injected their venom into him to dissolve his insides. When the spiders sucked out the juices from Hagrid's corpse, they poisoned themselves.

In the greenhouse, the Puffs experimented with different amounts of light, water, and temperature to find the perfect combination to stimulate growth in the plants. However, Herbology class offered a new horror! Marietta Edgecombe, a fourth year from Ravenclaw, had failed Herbology in her third year and was forced to repeat the class. Professor Sprout met with the young Claw regularly, attempting to encourage her and offering her special lessons. But Marietta refused to cooperate and acted out in class, throwing soil on other students, and pinching both the boys and girls when Professor Sprout was not watching her.

"I am not going to be in here with you losers for long!" she taunted them. "I'm a whole year older and shouldn't have to put up with you gits."

"Edgecombe, stop it!" Susan shouted one day when the older girl tormented Hannah. Without hesitating, Neville was out of his seat and punched the Ravenclaw in the shoulder to push her away from the younger girl before Professor Sprout could turn around.

"He hit me!" Edgecombe shouted. "Bloody plant boy hit me!"

Because of this episode, Hannah Abbot was withdrawn from Hogwarts by her parents for medical reasons. Neville Longbottom received his first ever detention with Professor Sprout, and Lady Longbottom came to the school to yell at her grandson. Harry and Justin never heard what was said in the meeting with Professor Sprout, but after Neville emerged, he remained silent for three full days. Susan cried because she missed Hannah and made certain to prank and pinch Edgecombe every time the girl came into view. Susan collected detentions from all the professors, but she never protested and continued stalking Marietta Edgecombe.

To help Neville and spur his interest in herbology, Harry sent Hedwig with a request to Andrew and Helene for several microscopes used by students in muggle schools. Dobby picked up and delivered six microscopes to Professor Sprout who installed five of them in her classroom. The sixth microscope was kept in the dormitory room of Harry Potter and his friends. Sprout caught Edgecombe smashing one of the microscopes and expelled the girl from her class permanently.

A stink with the governors and headmaster Dumbledore followed where the students and Professor Sprout had to show the benefit of using the 'muggle' devices in a magical school.

"But we don't use anything muggle in our lives!" protested one of the oldest wizards. "Our world is completely separate from theirs."

"That's not true, Mr. Haversham," Professor Sprout replied. "The cloth our clothes are made from originates from the muggles. Robe makers have used muggle cloth almost exclusively since 1840. The metal used to forge the cauldrons used for brewing potions all comes from muggle companies."

"Well, those are bulk items…"

"What about the Hogwarts Express?" asked Harry Potter from the back of the classroom. This was the first time the boy had ever spoken out of turn in the classroom in his three years at Hogwarts.

Susan nodded and spoke up, "We use part of Kings Cross Station, Saint Mungo's is in an abandoned Muggle building, and the ministry is hidden underneath a muggle car park. We use a muggle telephone booth to access the ministry from the streets."

"Is that what that red box is?" asked another of the governors.

Despite Dumbledore's misgivings, the muggle microscopes could remain, and Neville and Harry put the devices to great use studying the roots and parts of the stems and leaves until they each knew their two plants very well. They studied the pollen, stamin and flowers, seed pods and seeds, drawing extensive pictures and making pages of notes.

Marietta Edgecombe was permitted to attend Herbology with the fourth year Ravenclaws but her activities in the greenhouse were closely monitored by the other students and Professor Sprout. Her hatred focused on Susan Bones and Neville Longbottom, and when she began having continuous bad luck in her daily activities, she complained about hexes and jinxes to Professor Flitwick who checked her for those charms but proved to the girl none of her classmates were causing the problem. (No one realized that Harry's patience with the girl and her problems had worn thin, and he charged Dobby with keeping Edgecombe off center and away from his friends.)

Professor Flitwick began an extensive series of meetings with the young witch to try and change her attitude but each time he thought they were making progress; Marietta would revert to her true behavior and pick on a younger student. He traveled to her home several times to speak with her parents, but Mr. Edgecombe never saw any problem with his daughter's behavior.

Rumors filled the Great Hall one morning that the convict Sirius Black had attacked the portrait guarding the door to Gryffindor Tower. The portrait of the witch was slashed viciously and was removed to be repaired by the elves. In its place, a large portrait of a wizard in armor, with sword and wand was placed on the door with suits of armor placed on either side.

The news that he was free didn't seem to register with the wizard, perhaps because of ten years of exposure to dementors.

New Potions

Leticia Evergreen was a veteran of teaching potions to young wizards and witches. She'd worked at one of the American schools of magic for the very young students for ten years, before her husband had been transferred by the British ministry to Australia in an effort to heal the frayed relations between the two nations. At the magical school in Australia, she began with the youngsters and moved into the intermediate students, and then worked with the students in the higher levels of potion classes. When her husband died and her children were all settled, she decided to visit Magical Britain and just happened to be at the right place at the right time to interview for the position of the potions professor at Hogwarts. The ministry forced Headmaster Dumbledore to accept her as the potions professor and her first week at the castle in August, she began a campaign of change that left the headmaster flustered. The brewing laboratory and classrooms were moved into the area of the Ravenclaw tower, away from the dungeons. Proper ventilation was installed, the doors to the old classrooms sealed, and new cauldrons, bottles, and other equipment sourced from suppliers in Diagon Alley.

Professor Evergreen refused to even consider the idea that her students would brew potions for delivery to Saint Mungo's and potion shops in Diagon Alley. The guild of Potion Masters supported her without reservation and Dumbledore lost a quarter of his illicit income before the school year even began. The first week of classes, Professor Evergreen railed in the staff meetings about the poor quality of knowledge in her students in all seven years and in all four houses.

"We're spending the first month on nothing but ingredient preparation and techniques to use in the laboratory! Even your seventh year Slytherins you bragged on are wholly unprepared for their Newts, Dumbledore! I don't see that Snape taught them anything except how to brew the potions you sold on the side!"

By Halloween, Evergreen is pleased to report that the Puffs and Claws are proficient with preparation of potion ingredients and brewing simple potions. The Slytherin and Gryffindor students are disasters in the potion's classroom and her detentions and remedial classes are filled with students from both houses almost every night and on both days of each weekend.

DADA with Professor Lupin

Harry found the attentions of the new DADA professor to be uncomfortable. The man was a credible instructor, and the students learned a great deal about spells and counter-spells for many attacks between magic users and against creatures. But Professor Lupin would hold Harry back after the class on Wednesday to ask about his homelife and family. The schedule for the third year Puffs gave them a free period after DADA every Wednesday and Lupin didn't have a class for an hour after the class.

Justin and Neville checked with other Hufflepuffs and no one else was required to remain after any other DADA class and while Harry refused to complain to Professor Sprout, Justin, and Neville both did. The next Wednesday, as the class was being released, the DADA professor said, "Harry remain behind."

Once the door was closed, Lupin rose to move closer to Harry who remained in his seat at the back of the room. Refusing to look the man in the eye, Harry frowned and mumbled with his regular answers until the door was thrown open and Professor Sprout stomped inside, her wand throwing off sparks to match her agitation.

"What's the meaning of this Professor Lupin?"

Remus remained seated in the student desk about halfway between his desk and the student when he replied, "Professor Sprout, I just wanted to speak to Harry about his home life."

Her wand raised and pointed at the wizard, she asked, "Why?"

"He is… Harry's parents were very good friends of mine. You remember that don't you?"

"You will refer to my student as 'Mr. Potter' henceforth in all your conversations with him and with me. Are we clear on that?"

"Professor…" Pomona cast a particularly stinging hex that caught the man in the shoulder, and he yelped. "Wait… don't do that, again!"

"Are we clear on how you will address Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, but I thought…"

"Until the first day of DADA class, Mr. Potter had never seen you before. Do not presume familiarity with him!" Sprout said. She thought for a moment and then hissed, "Dumbledore! You're one of his cronies, aren't you?"

"Professor Dumbledore asked me to spend time with Harry…" Lupin yelped once again with the stinging hex before correcting himself, "With Mr. Potter and share stories about his father with him."

"My understanding is that you have not shared any stories about James Potter or Lily Evans with Mr. Potter–you have only repeatedly asked him about his current living conditions. Did you make any inquiries about his first home? The muggles? His cupboard?"

Remus Lupin frowned and replied, "Professor Dumbledore explained that Harry exaggerated the stories about his aunt and uncle to gain attention."

Sprout frowned and said, "Professor Dumbledore lies with every breath he takes, Lupin. You will never keep my Puff after class again without notifying me so that either myself or one of my seventh-year prefects can be in the room for entire interview and the conversation will be recorded!"

There was a second and even more disturbing rumor about Sirius Black entering the castle in December. Apparently, the wizard had found the password for the Gryffindor portrait, entered the dorm room of the third-year boys, and threatened the life of Ronald Weasley. The screams and shouts of all the boys brought prefects running and head boy, Percy Weasley charged into the room, chasing the escaped criminal away and into the darkened hallways of Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall arrived finally after the shouting was over and refused to believe any of the stories.

Tragedy in Spring 1994

Standing before a mirror in his room at his family home, Neville Longbottom stared at his reflection and wished he never been born. If he did not exist, his parents might not have been targeted by the Death Eaters in November 1981 and they could still be alive. And, if he did not exist, he would not face the coming years of torment having Marietta Edgecombe as his wife, his grandmother keeping control of the seat in the Wizengamot, and the loss of his greenhouses.

Determined to confront his grandmother before she signed any betrothal document, he turned around and hurried down the stairs, charging into the room where Lady Longbottom was meeting with the Edgecombe family–wizard, wife, and monstrous daughter.

When he arrived home for the Spring Holidays for the 1993-1994 School Year, Neville received a pair of terrible shocks. First his grandmother informed him that his parents had died two weeks earlier from Wizard's Flu while still at Saint Mungo's. And rather than continuing with the betrothal between Neville and Hannah Abbot, Augusta had decided that Neville would become betrothed to Marietta Edgecombe.

"The girl is mentally addled after that scare with the spider. McGonagall assures me that Hannah is exaggerating the danger to gain attention."

Mourning his parents and unable to accept the notion of marriage with Edgecombe, Neville never told his grandmother about the publication that would announce 'Neville's Law' and place his name in all the transfiguration journals and textbooks, as well as earn him a chapter within the next edition of Hogwarts, A History.

"They died two weeks ago! Why didn't you tell me?" he cried.

"There was nothing you could have done. Frank succumbed to Wizard's Flu," Augusta said.

"And my mother?"

Lady Longbottom frowned and said, "She died the next day."

Sitting down hard in a nearby chair, Neville asked, "When are their funerals?"

Grimacing, the old woman impatiently explained, "I went ahead with the funerals four days later. There wasn't any announcement in The Daily Prophet because I didn't want anyone to impose upon you before the holiday."

"You already held the funeral? Where?" Neville demanded to know.

"The pyre was beyond the screen of trees on the north side of the house," she replied. "They were cremated during the dark of the moon."

"I… You…"

Frowning at her grandson, Augusta said, "You can mourn them when the moon is full."

Neville's mind was lost in memories of the parents he saw at Saint Mungo's when his grandmother would take him to visit. Seeing her grandson distracted, Lady Longbottom went to the floo and opened it, allowing three individuals to enter Longbottom Manor. The couple were strangers to Neville, but he knew the girl–Edgecombe, the despicable fourth year Ravenclaw who plagued their herbology classes that year.

With a small smile on her face, Augusta said, "Now, Neville, allow me to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Edgecombe, and I believe you know their daughter, Marietta Edgecombe. Tonight, we shall proceed with a betrothal agreement so the two of you can marry when you turn seventeen."

"No!" Neville protested loudly. "Not Edgecombe! She's stupid and mean to everyone! You pushed me to talk with Susan and Hannah last summer. I like Hannah and want to marry her, not this girl."

"How dare you speak of my daughter in that way!" declared the father, a man who was worn out from hard work and stress in the magical world. He had welcomed the opportunity to move his daughter up into the nobility without any cost except for his services to run the business.

Waving the man to be silent, Augusta turned to Neville and said, "What you want doesn't matter. This alliance is the best for the Longbottom fortune. Her father will manage the greenhouses and you will sit in the Wizengamot when you are thirty years of age."

"No! I won't do it!" Neville said. "Once I turn fourteen, you can't force me!"

Staring down her nose at her grandson, Augusta lectured, "You are not fourteen yet and I can sign the betrothal as your guardian."

Not seeing any surrender in her grandson's eyes, the old witch repeated, "It doesn't matter what you want! You are a child and will do what I tell you! You will never be the man your father was! I am glad he is dead and can't see what a disappointment you are!"

At the end of his grandmother's diatribe, Neville walked from the room, and climbed the stairs to his rooms above stairs. From one large window, he gazed upon the gardens and greenhouses he loved. The hatred he felt for Edgecombe, his grandmother, his life, and the whole world outside of the peace of the greenhouses welled up inside. Everything he wanted was to be taken away from him. Then he turned to the mirror and stared at his reflection, desperately wanting to deny the future his grandmother planned to inflict upon him.

That was the point where he returned to the room below.

Lady Longbottom and Mr. Edgecombe were prepared to sign the betrothal agreement when Neville opened the door and stepped into the room.

"Neville…" chided Lady Longbottom.

"I won't do it! I won't give up my greenhouses or marry Edgecombe!"

"You don't have a choice, plant boy," sneered Marietta. "As soon as Daddy signs the agreement, you're mine!"

Turning around, Neville looked between Marietta and his grandmother, and then said, "I curse both of you! With all my magic, I wish I were dead."

Then magic granted his wish, and Neville Longbottom dropped dead on the floor of his family's salon. No one moved for a moment, but then Augusta cried out and staggered back to drop into a chair, while Mr. Edgecombe grabbed his wife and daughter and hurried to the floo.

"We were never here!" he insisted as they took floo powder and fled through the flames.

Seated in a comfortable chair with a book and glass of brandy, Amelia Bones attempted to relax after a busy week at the DMLE and Wizengamot. The minister was proving to be an even more dangerous idiot than Cornelius Fudge; Felix Cochrane wanted to implement laws that would allow pureblood wizards to keep up to three muggleborn concubines so long as they could afford to pay the upkeep for all the children they proposed to breed on the girls. Dumbledore in his infinite wisdom thought the matter deserved hearings which meant it would pass the needed three votes in the Wizengamot.

There were two pops as her elf, Foxie, appeared with an unknown elf.

"Missus Boneses, I am Sneezie. You must come to Longbottomies Manor! Mr. Nevilles is dead!"

Amelia felt her heart stop. Popping her wand from her wrist holder, she rose and hurried through the halls of her home to the floo in her office. Taking floo powder from the dish on the mantle over the fireplace, she threw it into the fire and once the flames turned green called out, "Longbottom Manor, DMLE emergency."

Sad News

"Boys, you need to come to the office," Helene Finch-Fletchley told Justin and Harry just as they finished their breakfast.

"Hasn't Dad gone to the bank?" asked Justin but his mother did not reply and walked with the two thirteen-year-olds to the room called 'the office'. Here Mr. Finch-Fletchley had fax machines, multiple phone lines, one of the latest computers, and a highspeed laser printer around a large desk with comfortable chairs.

"Come in boys, I have sad news to share with you this morning,"

"What's happened?" Justin asked as Harry prepared to vanish until Mrs. Finch-Fletchley placed her arm on his shoulders.

She whispered, "You are safe with us and we want you here, Harry. Remember that!"

He nodded and gave his full attention to Justin's dad. Andrew unfolded The Daily Prophet and sighed, true regret in his voice when he said, "This rag reports that your friend Neville Longbottom is dead. The front-page article only speaks about Lady Longbottom's grief and the recent loss of her son as well."

"Neville's dead?" asked Justin. "No, we're supposed to publish today with the big announcement about Neville's Law!"

"What happened?" asked Harry in a whisper.

The family read the story together: The Daily Prophet reported that Director Bones was called to Longbottom Manor by a desperate house elf to find the body of the teenager lying in the middle of the room, and Lady Longbottom seated in a chair but obviously in shock. Questioning the elf, Bones discovered that the Edgecombe family had been present, so Bones sent a full squad to question them while a healer was summoned to deal with Lady Longbottom and then examine the body.

With Lady Longbottom moved to her room and guarded by two Aurors, the healer reported, "It was wish magic. Either someone wished him dead, or he did it himself."

"The teenage girl?" Bones asked while the healer continued with her spells around the boy.

"I doubt Marietta Edgecombe invoked the wish magic. The boy's body still glitters with magic and he's been dead for almost an hour already," the healer replied. "He was incredibly powerful and wished himself dead. There's no crime here."

Examining the papers left lying on the table nearby table, Madam Bones realized the boy must have truly objected to the entanglement with the Edgecombe girl. Perhaps Augusta should have waited longer after Hannah and her family left.

'The old battle ax has lost everything now,' Amelia thought. 'She didn't think Susan was good enough and after the spider attack, Hannah never recovered. Wonder why she thought of Edgecombe? Susan doesn't think much of the girl, at all.'

"Neville killed himself," Justin sighed mournfully. "His grandmother trapped him, and he 'wished' himself dead."

Racked with sobs, Harry buried his head in Mrs. Finch-Fletchley's shoulder as she held him close. Andrew was terrified that this 'magic' his boys possessed was that strong–a child could make a wish and their magic would make it come true. The training and education of all magical children would have to remain in place.

A parliament of owls flew in and out of the Finch-Fletchley home that day and the next. Letters arrived from Ernie McMillian, Professor Sprout, and Susan Bones among the correspondence with other Puffs and Claws the boys had befriended. Hedwig understood her boy was sad and she impressed upon every owl that carried a letter away from Finch Manor the importance of quick and perfect delivery. Harry felt that Hogwarts would be a colder place in the next year without Neville there to make the greenhouses come alive. But his plans remained the same, getting through his Owls with passing grades and then preparing for university.

A Visit by Professor Sprout and the DMLE

Following another letter delivered by a Hogwarts owl, Professor Sprout and Director Bones visited Harry and Justin. The two witches were granted entry privileges for the wards for a single visit. Andrew, as master of the house, wrote the names of the two witches in the family guest book and returned it to the hiding place under the watchful gaze of Justin and Harry.

"No one knows where this book is except for me and you two. Tell no one, not even your Mum, no matter how much anyone begs or pleads," Andrews instructed them.

"Yes sir," both boys replied, understanding the 'adult' responsibility assigned to this knowledge.

Shortly thereafter, there was a knock on the door, and the butler opened the door. Seeing a human servant startled both witches for a moment; Andrew recognized the advantage this might give him over Bones if he needed one. The butler led the two visitors into the library, a room purposely designed by his genius wife to establish their wealth and accomplishments before any visitors.

Andrew rose from his comfortable seat as the door opened and his servant announced, "Mr. Finch, may I present Professor Pomona Sprout and Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with the Ministry for Magic, and regent of House Bones."

"Ladies, be guest welcome in Finch Manor for this visit," he replied with the proper pureblood greeting that limited their access to his home to this single visit.

"Thank you… Mr. Finch-Fletchley," Professor Sprout replied, and her reply was echoed by Director Bones just a moment later. The director of the DMLE had underestimated this muggle and was now on her hind foot.

"What brings you before my hearth this morning?" he asked as he motioned for the two ladies to take seats in two chairs on his left side. An empty sofa sat on his right but for now, he directed them to the left.

Director Bones placed her hands on the arms of the chair, without her wand in her hand, and said, "We wished to speak to your ward about attending the funeral for their classmate, Neville Longbottom."

Andrew frowned and said, "I can understand Professor Sprout's attendance today–Justin speaks very well of his head of house and she is one of the few adults in the entire world that Harry respects. I don't believe ether of my boys have met you before this day, Madam Bones."

Amelia inclined her head before explaining, "I met Mr. Potter at Hogwarts during Christmas 1992. There were questions about disappearances that year. Now, Mr. Longbottom's death has occurred and…"

Pomona interrupted and said, "Sir, in the magical world, sometimes wish magic turns into a curse on the wizard or witch who triggered the wish by their actions. Tradition is for a family member to light the pyre to cremate the wizard's body, but Lady Longbottom is terrified that Mr. Longbottom's spirit may appear and curse her."

The facial expression on the squib were hard to read but Amelia thought she saw disdain in the man's eyes. "My sons are both very brave men. Would they be in any danger if they attend the service?"

"No, sir. But… we thought that perhaps Mr. Potter would be willing to light the pyre, to honor his friend," Pomona said. Glancing at Bones, she added, "We can't ask the young witches in Hufflepuff to perform the service; it must be a wizard who is a close friend, if not a family member. And Mr. Longbottom was not friends with any other wizards."

"So, you only want my son, Harry? Why not Justin?" asked Andrew, enjoying putting both women in the dark for a moment. "I don't know if Heir Potter-Black will attend without his brother."

"Potter-Black?" asked Amelia. "Your… he will hold both titles?"

"Yes. Harry stands to become Lord Potter and Lord Black when he turns fifteen if he wants them that early. We haven't decided if he should combine the houses in Potter-Black or keep them separate," Andrew explained as though confiding in the two witches.

"That's hardly a matter for a muggle to have input on!" Amelia declared, regretting that she allowed the boy to make the choice of returning to the muggles each summer. "They are both magical houses that trace their lineage back to the Romans."

The slight smirk on Mr. Finch-Fletchley's face terrified Professor Sprout and confused Director Bones. The man called out, "If you would come in now, please."

A side door opened and a lovely woman, tastefully dressed for a mid-day meeting, was escorted into the library by two young men. Justin was as tall as his mother, and Harry was well-dressed and confident standing beside the woman he now considered his 'mum'. It was obvious the three had overheard the previous conversation.

"Professor Sprout, you know our two badgers and my wife well enough. Director Bones, may I present my wife, Helena Finch-Fletchley, and my son, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and my ward and adopted son, Harry Potter, Heir Potter-Black."

Director Bones stood to greet the boys who each offered to shake her hand, but they did not kiss the air above her hand. They sat on either side of Helena on the sofa, across from their Head of House and Madam Bones.

The Director went to the heart of the matter saying, "Mr. Potter, we have come today to ask if you would stand as 'family' and light the pyre to cremate Neville Longbottom on 27 March."

"Wait," Harry interrupted. "Me? Not me and my brother?"

Madam Bones and Professor Sprout both appeared to have bitten sour lemons before Bones explained, "It would not be proper for a muggleborn to participate in the service. Young Mr. Finch-Fletchley would not be invited…"

The temperature in the room dropped as Harry's magic poured from his fiery eyes and it took Mrs. Finch-Fletchley putting an arm around the boy to calm him. Justin stared at the two witches with a stony face that mirrored his father's–pureblood magic-users seldom cared if they offended the muggleborn or other 'muddy' persons. Professor Sprout disappointed the Finch-Fletchley family for the first time with this unfortunate interview.

"Mr. Potter, I understand the offense we have offered," Professor Sprout stated carefully. "It was not intended to be delivered so brutally."

She glared at Madam Bones for a moment and then continued saying, "Mr. Potter, you were Mr. Longbottom's friend. You fought the spiders together and the two of you changed transfiguration this spring. There is no one who deserves the honor of lighting the pyre to reunite him with his parents more than you."

Justin nodded his head once and said, "She's right Harry. You gotta be the one to light the pyre."

Harry, with the arms of his Mum holding him, nodded once in agreement and that ended the discussion about his attendance at his friend's funeral. Madam Bones continued, "The pyre has been built on the same spot where his parents were cremated on 11 March, but his grandmother has collapsed, and she is not able…"

The frowns on the faces of Harry and Justin were disturbing enough that Pomona interrupted Amelia and explained, "Mr. Longbottom wished that he was dead, and magic granted his wish."

"Why would he want to be dead?" Harry asked, carefully moderating his voice.

Bones sighed and explained, "I watched the memory of Wallace Edgecombe of the meeting between the Longbottom and the Edgecombe families. Lady Longbottom wanted to perform a betrothal between her grandson and Marietta Edgecombe, but Mr. Longbottom objected. Lady Longbottom would not listen to her grandson's objections to the girl, told him the Mr. Edgecombe would take over management of all their greenhouses, and he would prepare to become Lord Longbottom when he turned thirty."

"Stupid!" Harry growled. "Marietta Edgecombe is unpleasant to everyone. We had to bear with her in our Herbology class because she failed the course last year. The whole of the term, she was nasty to the girls and hit the boys. She particularly didn't like Neville for some reason."

"Her parents may have told her about the betrothal ahead of time," Mr. Finch-Fletchley suggested, and Madam Bones would have preferred the muggle not speak at all.

"Professor, what is 'wish magic'?" asked Justin.

Sprout set forward in her chair and explained, "In magical children, when they want or need something particularly, they can make a wish and magic may grant it."

With that explanation, Harry understood how he was able to become invisible to the Dursleys several years earlier. And he was determined to hold onto this magic–Dobby said it was like the house elf magic that made elves invisible when they needed.

"Might we return to the reason for our visit?" prompted Madam Bones.

"Certainly, Director. You wish for our Harry to honor his friend Neville Longbottom by lighting the boy's funeral pyre, correct?" asked Mrs. Finch-Fletchley with an arm draped over the shoulder of each of the two teenage boys.

Professor Sprout said, "I suggested Mr. Potter as the 'family' to ignite the flame to cremate Mr. Longbottom."

"Is it done with magic or a regular flame?" asked Justin. "We're not allowed to use magic outside of school until we are seventeen."

"Mr. Potter will be granted an exemption by the DMLE to perform the service with magic," Bones stated.

Sprout added, "If you wanted to use a muggle match, it will be allowed. Once upon a time…"

"Magic," replied Harry after exchanging a glance with Justin.

"I would appreciate it if you would provide me with a certified copy of the exemption, Madam Bones. Or better yet, provide it to Director Ragnok at Gringotts. He oversees all official documentation for Heir Potter-Black," Andrew said. "The ministry for magic appears to lose a great many documents that are owed to muddy people."

Embarrassed, Director Bones nodded her head. Helena rose and led Madam Bones to a table where the someone laid out tea, biscuits, and small cakes for refreshments. Mr. Finch-Fletchley remained at his desk while the two boys rose to be embraced by Pomona Sprout. There were tears in her eyes as she told them to be brave and remember the good things about their friend. When eyes were dry once again, Sprout apologized to Justin and his father for the implication that he was not worthy of attending the funeral for a pureblood wizard. Then the four of them joined Mrs. Finch-Fletchley around the refreshments and talked with the Director of the DMLE.

"Sir, may I ask Madam Bones an important question?" asked Harry of Mr. Finch-Fletchley, as teacups and plates of biscuits were passed. Amelia instantly recognized that this was planned beforehand–a very Slytherin thing to do.

"If you can ask it politely," Andrew caution his ward and Madam Bones.

"Thank you, sir," Harry replied before turning to the witch. His face stony without expression, something unusual for a who was only thirteen years old, he asked, "Will Augusta Longbottom face any charges for causing Neville's death?"

"No," replied Madam Bones. "The wizards and witches of the Wizengamot won't permit me to bring any charges. They are worried that they might face similar charges from their children and grandchildren if I did. Technically, no law was broken."

"But in the history books, the authors talk about the evil that comes from ending a magical line. Are there any Longbottoms left alive?" asked Justin.

Madam Bones explained, "A distant cousin, in the direct male line, has been contacted by Gringotts. The goblins control who has access to the family vaults when the current lord dies."

Andrew asked, "Has there been in progress in contacting Lord Black about providing him with news about the trial last September? I understand from my last discussion with Director Ragnok that there remains a hold on the vaults of the Black family in his bank. He was very displeased."

"How is it you have access to the director of Gringotts?" Bones asked and then answered. "Oh, through Mr. Potter's vaults."

When the family offered no additional information, Professor Sprout said, "I believe you would have done well in Slytherin, Mr. Finch-Fletchley."

Mrs. Finch-Fletchley replied, "Professor, from everything we have read in the history of the magical Britain, it appears the best Slytherins are the ones who hide themselves among the other houses."

The butler appeared with a second tray, carrying another pot of tea, and Director Bones asked, "Mr. Finch-Fletchley, how many muggles in your household are aware of the… aware of magic?"

"Why all four of our staff members understand that Justin and Harry are wizards."

"I know of no exemption that allows you…"

"Director, my wife and I are both from squib lines cast out of the magical world. Each of our staff members is also a squib or has parents who are squibs, and we support the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy."

"What lines do they come from?"

"Amelia! You can't ask that!" Professor Sprout insisted.

The butler glanced at Mr. Finch-Fletchley for permission before he nodded his head to Director Bones and revealed, "Sister, I have often wished to meet again with a member of the family that cast me aside. I lived with you, our brothers and parents, Horace and Jewell Bones, until I turned eleven and didn't receive an invitation to Hogwarts. I remember you speaking about your classes at Hogwarts and hoped I would be in Hufflepuff with you. It was 29 August 1964 when Father abandoned me at an orphanage with nothing but the clothes on my back and I have never heard from any of you since. I understand everyone is dead now except for one niece and yourself. Tell Susan that her uncle wishes her well."

Neville's Funeral

Attendance at the funeral of Neville Longbottom was by invitation only. Per an earlier arrangement, Professor Sprout and Auror Felix Proudfoot met Harry inside Gringotts to provide them with transportation to the Longbottom manor house, and protection while at the ceremony. Just inside the front door of the bank, the witch and Auror found the boy waiting with Director Ragnok of the whole of Gringotts.

Sprout had the good sense to offer the powerful goblin a curtsey but the Auror immediately was concerned about underage magic.

"How did you get here, boy?" the Auror asked.

While the young wizard did not offer an explanation, Professor Sprout laid a hand on the man's arm and asked in a very pointed manner, "Why are you questioning a guest for Neville Longbottom's funeral about something you have no need to know?"

"But how did he get here without using magic?" the Auror insisted on knowing.

Ragnok, Director of Gringotts frowned and said, "Are you interfering with Gringotts business, Auror Proudfoot? The ministry is in enough trouble with the business about Lord Black and closed vaults. Within the walls of Gringotts, our clients are not any of your concern."

The goblin paused only a moment before he said, "And remember that this boy is 'Heir Potter' who will join the Wizengamot in a few years as Lord Potter."

Sprout glared at the Auror before she turned back to the goblin and said, "Director, I thank you for your arrangements today. Heir Potter is the 'friend' honored to light the flame for my student's funeral pyre. As the escort for the young man, we shall guard him with our lives and return him unharmed to Gringotts after the ceremony."

The goblin ignored the Auror after Professor Sprout's statement and continued, "We have provided a portkey that will deliver the three of you to Longbottom Manor and return you here after the funeral. At that time Heir Potter will be returned to the custody of his guardians, Mr. and Mrs. Finch-Fletchley."

Once activated, the Portkey whirled them about for almost thirty seconds before they landed on a grassy lawn beside an old manor house Harry recognized from their visits for lessons with Lady Longbottom and Neville in summers past. With new eyes, Harry realized the house was not as large or as beautiful as Finch Manor. As the last light of the day vanished from the sky, the shrubbery and trees fell into dark shadows as though they mourned for Neville. Harry thought it appropriate that none of the windows of the house gave evidence of lights burning.

Professor Sprout led her student away from the landing area, and they waited patiently as more wizards and witches gathered. The night was dark without the moon in the sky and only a few charms provided low lighting. Warming charms were cast several times as they waited silently. However, Auror Proudfoot frowned and doubted his orders–this half-blood must have used his magic to get to Gringotts somehow. He suspected a crime had been committed and he would investigate it.

"Let me see your wand!" he demanded of the boy wizard.

"Auror Proudfoot, what are you doing?" demanded Professor Sprout.

"This student is guilty… I suspect this boy is guilty of using magic while not at Hogwarts! That's against the law and I intend to arrest him," declared the wizard.

Her own wand now glowing as Pomona prepared to defend her student, Harry intervened, "Auror Proudfoot, do you have all the information necessary to make this arrest?"

"It doesn't matter where we are, if a crime has occurred, I shall act accordingly!" the Auror announced, loud enough to disturb the other wizards and witches gathered for the service.

"Then by all means, examine my wand," Harry said as he handed the precious item over. The Auror took the wand from the boy-who-lived and noted that there were multiple spells on the wand, but they were from more than two months previous during the end of the year testing at Hogwarts.

Silently, he returned the wand, but Potter spoke up, "Well Auror Proudfoot. You were vocal with your suspicions and now you are silent. Will you share with all the guests gathered here tonight what you found on my wand?"

Glaring at the boy-who-lived, Proudfoot growled, "It is clean… it hasn't been used."

"Louder please, I don't believe everyone could hear you like earlier," demanded Potter.

"I said the wand is clean. You have not performed any magic outside of school."

"That must have been very hard to admit that a half-blood with a mudblood mother is following the laws that protect the Statue of Secrecy. Now, may we spend the rest of the time in quiet contemplation of my friend's life?"

It was only then that Proudfoot caught sight of the cold stare on the face of Director Bones where she sat with her niece. Bones remained out of balance after meeting Andrew Finch-Fletchley–the squib and his wife would influence one of the most important wizards of the next generation and her own squib brother was there in the house! Contradictory feelings filled Amelia Bones when she thought of Barnard. He'd been a loving younger brother until Father took him away just before her fourth year at Hogwarts. All trace of him vanished between 1 September and her return for Yule–his name had even been banished from the family tapestry.

'What would happen to Susan if I died?' she wondered. 'Harry Potter ended up with abusive muggles. Would any magical family treat her better?'

There was one final guest who arrived in the landing zone. The wizard was not dressed in British robes though Amelia recognized them as the style worn in America and the blonde man glanced briefly at the house before he approached the gathering. He remained among the regular guests as Pomona and Harry followed an elf with a lantern to light the way. As the boy passed the well-worn path around the windbreak of trees, lights appeared along the edges to light the way to the sight of the funeral service. There, upon a good-sized pyre, lay the body of Neville Longbottom, still dressed in his Hufflepuff robes.

Among the gathered witches and wizards, Augusta Longbottom swayed and clutched the arm of her brother, Gawain Rosier, while she continued mumbling that she was sorry and begging forgiveness. Most of the crowd thought she mourned for her grandson's death, but a few realized the woman dreaded her grandson's curse coming into effect.

Pomona Sprout stepped forward and turned to address the crowd. "Neville Longbottom was a member of Hufflepuff at Hogwarts, and he made everyone proud of his loyalty and willingness to share his knowledge. Textbooks for Transfiguration will henceforth include details of 'Neville's Law' and Hogwarts, A History, will record his accomplishment for all to read for the next thousand years."

The witch paused before motioning to Harry and continuing, "Tonight, I bring his friend and fellow Puff to send his body and soul on to Avalon. Madam Bones graciously granted Mr. Potter permission to use his wand tonight to light the pyre."

Proudfoot grimaced and imagined that he would be assigned to work at Azkaban for a month without any break for embarrassing his boss at this service.

Taking a deep breath, Harry approached the pyre and knelt on one knee, placed his wand at the bottom of the wood and cast, "Adducam purgatio ignis." (ignite pure fire)

None of the assembled wizards or witches recognized the spell, and as the fire began in the wood, everyone noticed that it burned with a bright white flame without smoke. Stepping back from the pyre, Pomona heard Harry whisper, "Bye Neville. We'll always be friends."

As the flames grew higher and reached where Neville lay, the white light seemed to consume the body almost instantly. Augusta Longbottom fainted, and her brother conjured a chair to let her sit. A few moments later, Harry pointed at the flames above the pyre; there were three figures forming in the flames and everyone stared as Neville appeared, wrapped in the arms of his father and mother.

"Augusta Longbottom, born Rosier," boomed the voice of Frank Longbottom. "You failed the house of Longbottom and made my son's life unbearable. I ask if the new Lord Longbottom is present?"

"I am", called the last visitor to arrive. "I am Lord Longbottom as recognized by Gringotts."

"Greetings Lord Longbottom. I ask that you grant justice for my son against the witch that betrayed our house."

Frowning but nodding his head, the new lord announced, "I, Marshal Longbottom, Lord Longbottom, do cast Augusta Rosier from our house. I throw her worthless dowry at her feet and name her as betrayer and abuser. Witch, get thee gone from our lands."

"No… No… please…" Augusta cried as her rings and jewelry disappeared and a few trunks appeared around her feet. Then she and her brother vanished from the grounds.

There was quiet around the pyre while Harry simply smiled and waved to Neville and his parents. To the shock of many, the spirits of the dead family returned the wave before they faded, and the fire died away. Everyone noticed that there were no ashes left, the fire had consumed everything and left nothing behind.

Harry watched as several people approached the man now known to be Lord Longbottom with simple greetings before stepping away. Because it was not appropriate to stand around and talk, Professor Sprout led her student back to the landing zone and activated the port key to take them to Gringotts. Madam Bones whispered with Auror Proudfoot for a moment and then dismissed him before she turned to take Susan home.

A Transmutation

In his office, Dumbledore reviewed the proposition set forth in the new law of transmutation after transfiguration–to accomplish the transmutation the spell caster must truly 'know' the target of the transfiguration.

'And I get none of the credit for this breakthrough,' he complained to himself. After attempting a two transfigurations, he sat back and summoned a copy of the report supposedly written by Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. 'Doubtless this is Pomona's work, but why give the credit to the boys?'

'What do I truly know? Dragon's blood? No, it has been eighty years since I worked with dragon's blood…'

After considering many different items, Dumbledore admitted to himself that the one item he truly understood and knew was the simple, sweet and sour lemon drop. He called an elf to bring him a sack of small stones and when he was alone again, he poured the stones onto the desktop. There were almost two dozen stones the size of the ball of his thumb, so he took a lemon drop and placed it in his mouth, closed his eyes, concentrated on the wonderful taste of the confection, and then cast the spell to transfigure the stones in lemon drops. When he opened his eyes, he was struck dumb, though his phoenix was laughing so hard she fell off her perch.

Dumbledore's powerful wand and spell transfigured the rocks and every other item on his desktop into lemon drops. In addition, his antique desk was a giant lemon drop. At just that moment, the door opened as Professors Sprout, Flitwick, McGonagall and Sinistra entered his office to discuss the schedule for testing in the next three weeks.

"And how long do your transfigurations generally last?" Flitwick asked after he and the ladies ceased their laughter.

The desk, now made of sugar and lemon flavorings, was just as heavy as the wooden desk had been before. On the side away from guests, there were two legs at the bottom to hold up, and these two narrow legs were also now made of hardened sugar that was not as strong as wood. While Dumbledore and the professors discussed the schedule, the legs shattered, and the desk dropped four inches to the floor on the side facing Dumbledore's lap. The impact threw the headmaster and his chair back, bruising his thighs and back.

"Well, this is a spoiled potion for certain," Flitwick commented. "According to Neville's Law, this desk will remain a giant lemon drop now and not revert back to the original form."

"But only the legs are broken," McGonagall argued. "Only the legs should remain the bloody lemon drops."

"But the whole desk… top, sides, and contents were transfigured into one giant lemon drop. And by the legs shattering, the transmutation of the whole has occurred. Dumbledore certainly has enough lemon drops here to last several years," Professor Sinistra commented. "How very interesting to have Neville's law verified by Headmaster Dumbledore so convincingly."

"The contents are lost, you say?" asked Dumbledore, thinking of the vault keys, bags of galleons, and blackmail materials he kept locked in the desk.

A Blood Feud

In the spring of 1994, during a Hogsmeade weekend, an older wizard attempted to kidnap a sixth-year, muggleborn witch on the street in broad daylight. The man loudly declared, "I want to pick my mudblood bed warmer before the bosses get the pick of the litter! This blondie will do nicely warm my cold bed next winter!"

The young woman grabbed a nearby cauldron and bashed the man's head in, leaving him unconscious on the cobblestones. Four other witches cast spells to confuse everyone present and rushed with their friend back to Hogwarts. For the remainder of the school year, none of the muggleborn ventured into Hogsmeade. Rumors spread that week about a plan in the Wizengamot to 'give' the muggleborn witches to the pureblood men as concubines and harem girls. The mixture of truth and imaginings fueled many tearful letters to parents. Dumbledore dismissed the worries of the muggleborn even though three half-blood students received confirmation from their families that such a bill was to be presented to the Wizengamot during the summer sessions.

The next weekend, a seventh-year, pure-blood princess from Ravenclaw was kidnapped while on the path between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. The Aurors were called but before they could locate her, she had been 'violated and spoiled' according to Magical Britain standards. The result of this kidnapping and rape was the declaration of a blood feud on the floor of the Wizengamot between the girl's family – the rich and powerful Ogden family – and Zacharias Smith's family. Unfortunately, Zach's great-uncle mistook the youngest daughter of the heir to the Ogden fire whiskey fortune for a 'muggleborn'.

For two weeks, The Daily Prophet was filled with articles about duels and battles as Lord Ogden brought his great wealth to bear against the Smith family. Zacharias faced bad news each morning as another relative was slaughtered by professional duelists paid for by the Ogden fortune. Finally, the Smith family was extinct except for Zach who was safely hidden at Hogwarts until summer. The young witch was freed from a cell in the Smith family home before it was burned to the ground but nothing else was reported or said about her condition.

In one of his speeches to the students at Hogwarts, Headmaster Dumbledore sighed and deplored the senseless violence. After class one day, Harry and Justin spoke with Professor Binns, the ghostly history professor, and learned that a blood feud between two magical families always meant someone died and sometimes meant the entire family was wiped out. The young witch was 'ruined' through no fault of her own, but she would be stricken from the family tapestry and never spoken of again.

Professor Sprout's web of Hufflepuff contacts were reluctant to provide any suggestions about the boy's future so Pomona wrote directly to Lord Ogden begging for relief for the boy. She never explained what the wizard wrote in reply, and the mighty Headmaster Dumbledore refused to intervene in a blood feud.

Dementors Over Hogwarts

Just three weeks before the end of the school year, Hooch, the flying instructor and Quidditch referee for the school, rushed into the Great Hall during lunch to announce, "Dementors! There are a dozen Dementors circling over Hogwarts!"

Professor Flitwick immediately produced his Patronus, a crocodile that flew around the ceiling to cheer the students and prevent panic. Professor Lupin's Patronus, a large wolf, immediately flew through the nearest window to search for the terrifying guards of Azkaban. Professor Evergreen's Patronus, a small bird flew about for a moment, sat on her hand, and then flew out the window. Professor Dumbledore attempted to intercept Evergreen's Patronus, but she threw her luncheon plate at his hand with the strange wand and knocked the wand loose.

"How dare you attack the headmaster!" admonished Professor McGonagall.

Scrambling to get to his wand once again, Professor Dumbledore knocked over his tumbler of pumpkin juice and pushed the pitcher of juice off the table into McGonagall's lap. Lupin's wolf returned and appeared to 'report' to the DADA professor.

"There are a dozen Dementors stationed over Hogwarts," the DADA professor announced. "None of the students should go outside of the castle wards until the ministry calls them away."

"I shall speak to Minister Cochrane immediately," Dumbledore declared and rose from his throne to exit the Great Hall.

"What about Quidditch practice?" asked George Weasley.

McGonagall replied, "Until we have definitive answers about the dementors, no one goes outside the castle wards. Any student who goes to the Quidditch field risks having their soul sucked out of their body before anyone can rescue you."

Harry was quiet and frowned, watching the adults dither and argue about safety and defending the students. Professor Sprout was quietly talking with Professors Lupin, Evergreen and Flitwick. The head of Slytherin house, Professor Sinistra walked along the table speaking to her students before returning to the head table and speaking with the other heads of house.

"Attention students, beginning this afternoon during his free period from 2:00 until 4:00, Professor Lupin will begin classes on the Patronus spell for all students in fourth through seventh year," announced Professor Flitwick after he climbed upon the table. "Any student who can produce a corporeal Patronus already will be given extra credit for assisting with teaching other students in the class."

At the Gryffindor table, Ron Weasley shouted out, "Leave out the Snakes! They're all dark lords in training so they'll never produce a Patronus!"

"Weasley, ten points for insulting another house," Lupin called.

"Ron, shut it!" Fred shouted at his younger brother.

Justin glanced at Harry and asked, "What are you planning? I can hear the gears grinding in your brain from here."

"I want to be in that class. If I can learn the spell, I can teach everyone in our year."

Justin smiled and said, "Guess you'll just have to pretend to be a house elf from 2:00 until 4:00 every day then."

Dobby popped into the Great Hall, standing on the bench beside Harry, but only Harry and Justin could see the elf.

"What's Mr. Harry Potter planning?" the elf asked, and Harry quickly explained his plan to become invisible and pop into the DADA classroom to attend Professor Lupin's class on the Patronus spell. "Dobby be going with Mr. Harry Potter to keep him out of trouble."

At supper that evening, Headmaster Dumbledore explained that the Dementors had been sent to guard Hogwarts from any more invasions by Sirius Black. After two incursions into the castle, and multiple howlers from Molly Weasley about her son's safety at Hogwarts, the minister felt he had to take some measures to protect the students. The Dementors would prevent Black getting into the castle again. With only a few weeks of school left, Dumbledore agreed with the minister to allow the Dementors to remain.

It took almost a week before Harry could produce a corporeal Patronus. Dobby succeeded in just three lessons; his Patronus was Harry Potter on a broom, speeding around the classroom to the cheers of the students and amazement of the Professor Lupin. The appearance of the unique Patronus exposed the presence of both Harry Potter and his elf in Lupin's extra tuition class but the professor, for once, kept the information to himself and didn't report it to Dumbledore. Thereafter, all the house elves received training from Dobby on producing the Patronus to protect the school and the students, while Harry studied the charm and produced his Patronus in just a few more lessons – a large Snowy Owl with large claws and a sharp beak.

When Dumbledore permitted a pickup game of Quidditch on a sunny Saturday afternoon, Harry attended with an invisible Dobby sitting between him and Justin. The two teams were in the air playing their game when the chill and gloom of the Dementors filled the stands and the players all flew to the ground, trying to escape. But the hungry Dementors followed only to be met by a dozen determined Patronus creatures. The sparkling Harry Potter on his broomstick passed along the side of the first Dementor and the creature whirled away from the Patronus straight into the claws of the Owl Patronus of the boy-who-lived. Everyone in the stands watched the first-ever death of a Dementor as the two charmed creatures ripped the shroud and the magic within to shreds. Almost two dozen other Patronus creatures of other house elves appeared above the Quidditch pitch, and the eleven remaining Dementors fled to hide in the Forbidden Forest.

The next day, Professor Lupin taught the students how to send a message with the Patronus.

"So, it's like a miniature tape recorder," Harry observed confusing the purebloods but getting nods from all the muggleborn and most of the half-bloods.

Peter Pettigrew Meets a Spider

Exams were over and late on the last day before the Hogwarts Express would take the students home for the summer, Ron Weasley lingered at the Quidditch pitch after another practice. The youngest Weasley boy was hopeful of making the Gryffindor team the next year, and even agreed to clean the equipment properly when assigned the task by Madam Hooch. As he left the grounds of the stadium and crossed under the Hogwarts wards, a giant dog leapt out the bushes and grabbed his arm.

"Let go! Let go!" Ron screamed but the dog was latched onto the boy's coat and dragged him off the path and into the shrubbery. Harry and Justin were outside, gathering cuttings for their greenhouse at home when they heard Ron's cries for help.

Without a thought for their own safety, the two Hufflepuffs raced forward, following the hound as it dragged Ron underneath the Whopping Willow. The tree became still when the dog's paw pressed the stump and then grabbing hold of the shrieking boy by the leg, the dog pulled him underground.

Harry cast his Patronus and sent a message to the 'nearest professor' that a giant dog attacked Ron Weasley and dragged him into the tunnel leading to Shrieking Shack. The two boys dove into the opening and with light from their wands, they hurried along the wide tunnel toward the opening into the shack.

At the other end of the tunnel, Harry and Justin emerged to find Ron Weasley lying on the floor with a broken leg, but rather than a large dog, the dirty mutt had transformed into a wizard, who claimed to be Sirius Black.

"James, you're just in time! I caught the rat! I got you now Peter and this time I'll kill you!" Sirius shouted just after Harry and Justin climbed into the room. The madman kept calling Harry by the name 'James' and Ron remained perfectly still, paralyzed with fear. The two Puffs watched as the wizard in filthy robes, used Ron's wand to levitate Scabbers in the air where the rat squirmed but can't get down to run away.

"The trick to the Wingardium Leviosa charm is to put a sticking charm on the air around the object so it remains stuck in midair," Sirius Black explained. "James, do ya remember when we did this to the robes of all the snakes at Slytherin table in sixth year?"

"Let Weasley go," Harry ordered the wizard, pointing his wand at the man.

"Who is 'James'?" asked Justin.

The wizard grinned, his blackened teeth making both boys look away, and replied, "Who is James? Are you blind?"

He pointed at Harry and said, "He's James Potter! I'd know my best friend anywhere in the whole world!"

In the next room, the hibernating acromantula stirred, feeling tremors on the many webs strung about the rooms of the shack. The giant spider rubbed two of its legs together to call other spiders to come join the feast.

"We can't stay here!" Justin insisted as soon as he recognized the webs and the sounds coming from the other room. Behind them, Professor Lupin climbed out of the hole to the tunnel and moved to stand between the boys and Sirius Black.

"Sirius! What are you doing here?" Lupin demanded.

"Remus! James and I caught the rat! This is Peter Pettigrew!" he said pointing at the rat scrambling in the air but not able to grab anything and hide.

The professor took a step closer to the rat, to smell and peer at the creature.

"The rat smells like Ron Weasley, but he is missing a toe where the finger would have been." Remus glanced at Sirius and said, "Hold him here and don't let him fall."

Then Professor Lupin waved his wand in a long series of whirls and dips, with an equally long spell that grabbed the rat and transformed him back into his natural form of Peter Pettigrew. Seeing a fat, dirty man appear in midair where his pet rat hung only moments before, Ron screamed and couldn't stop. To quiet the room, Remus cast a stupefy at the Gryffindor student.

Eager to escape from the madhouse that was the Shrieking Shack, Harry and Justin levitated Ron back into the tunnel. Taunted by Sirius Black and questioned by Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew waited only a moment before he pulled a small potion bottle from a pocket and threw it on the floor. He'd stolen the potion from the Weasley twins while they worked on a new potion, and now the whole of the room is enveloped in darkness. Drawing his wand in the darkness, Pettigrew canceled the spell holding him in the air.

Peter landed with a crash, and Sirius and Remus leapt to tackle the traitor in the dark. At the tunnel, Harry tarried at the entrance while the wizards yelled back and forth at each another. Then there was the crash of a door and the sounds of someone running into the next room. A scream filled the air as though a spider had caught someone in a sticky web and then repeatedly bit the prey to inject the body with venom to liquefy the organs and muscles before feasting.

"Professor Lupin. Come this way! We're at the tunnel," Harry called out. Once two men entered the tunnel where the darkness potion didn't reach, the light from Harry's wand revealed that Professor Lupin brought Sirius Black with him. Remus closed the tunnel entrance into the shack while Harry rushed along the tunnel to catch up with Justin who had levitated Ron out the other entrance.

Climbing out of the hole at the Whopping Willow, the two Hufflepuffs waited as their professor climbed out with the convict. At just that moment, the clouds began to clear away, and the full moon shone on the grounds, making Lupin tremble and moan, "Not now! Not now!"

"Moony, quick! Back into the tunnel!" Black commanded and the DADA professor fell forward into the tunnel that the convict quickly closed. Through the closed earth, the two boys heard a growl of an angry wolf.

"James, quickly, get back to the castle with the boys!" Sirius said as he noticed the Dementors hovering over the area. "I'll lead the spooks away!"

Nodding in agreement, Harry cast his Patronus, and the owl circled overhead as he and Justin ran back, Ron levitated between them. Looking back, Harry saw the dirty wizard leading the Dementors into the Forbidden Forest. Just as they reach the castle, Professor Evergreen appeared.

"Have you boys seen Professor Lupin?" she asked, the concern evident in her voice.

"Yes ma'am, but he's confined to the tunnel between the Shrieking Shack and the Whomping Willow," Justin replied.

"What happened to Mr. Weasley?" she asked, and Justin related with the whole story of rescuing Ron from a large black dog, the rat being a man hiding in his Animagus form, one man racing into the web of the acromantula hiding in the shack, and Professor Lupin remaining in the tunnel for the night because he'd turned into an angry wolf of some kind.

After helping the professor deliver Ron to Madam Pomphrey and being examined briefly themselves, Harry and Justin headed back to the Hufflepuff dormitory. Madam Pomphrey had floo called Ron's mom and Mrs. Weasley came through the flames to comfort her son who babbled about a cursed rat in his pocket. Mrs. Weasley wailed loudly about the dark curses at Hogwarts that plagued her children.

Anxious to escape, Harry and Justin slipped out the infirmary door, only to be intercepted by Professors Dumbledore, Sprout and McGonagall in the hallway. After Justin repeated the story once again, Dumbledore focused on Harry and demanded, "Did Sirius Black find you?"

"There were two crazy men, Professor," Harry explained. "Like Justin explained, Professor Lupin knew them, and they argued. One man ran into the next room but there was an acromantula hiding in the Shrieking Shack; one the Aurors missed. It caught that man and was eating him when we left. Lupin is a werewolf and he remained in the tunnel underneath the Whomping Willow as a giant wolf. Did you know he was a werewolf, Headmaster?"

"The other fellow ran into the Forbidden Forest with the dementors chasing him," Justin reminded the adults. He glanced at Harry and asked, "Did you ever figure out which one was which?"

The shorter Hufflepuff replied, "No, there was too much yelling and neither of them were coherent. Both were filthy and their words were garbled like neither of them were used to talking much."

"Professor Lupin will come out of the tunnel tomorrow and be able to tell you about those two wild men," Justin assured the headmaster.

Impatient for more information, Dumbledore said, "Maybe Mr. Weasley can tell me more."

"I'd wait until tomorrow to bother Madam Pomphrey, Headmaster. She's got a traumatized patient and…" Justin reminded the elderly wizard.

"No, I am certain it will be fine," Dumbledore said as he walked toward the infirmary.

Pomona prompted Minerva, "Aren't you going to go protect Mr. Weasley?"

Dismissing Professor Sprout's question, McGonagall waved away the question to ask, "How did you boys get outside? Should I give you detention?"

Justin whispered, "Harry, you know Mrs. Weasley's in there. She's probably sitting there beside Ron's bed."

Breaking his look of concentration as the headmaster headed down the hallway, Harry shook his head and said, "And I bet Mrs. Weasley will let loose with her bellow the second she sees the robes the headmaster is wearing today."

Justin turned and noticed the panels of the headmaster's robes were filled with dancing red-headed children with rats and black books flying around them. He asked, "How did you do that?"

"Decorative charms are all about concentration and intent," replied Harry. "Changing the dancing leprechauns into red-headed Weasley children with their favorite cursed items wasn't hard."

Nothing was said at breakfast that last morning about Sirius Black, werewolves, or Ron Weasley's broken leg. The two youngest Weasleys were missing on the train, and during the journey between Hogwarts and London to begin the summer vacation, Zach Smith vanished and was never seen in Britain again. Harry wrote Professor Sprout with news of the disappearance that same day and in a short reply, Pomona told the two Hufflepuffs that it was not necessary to wear a black arm band to mourn Zach. Harry and Justin decided that their head of house arranged for Zach disappear from the train and to be moved to another country with a new identity to hide him from the Ogden family. And the professor included a line that Professor Flitwick used his connections with the goblins to ensure the future of the girl from Ravenclaw.

When the boys shared the news with their parents, Helene asked, "What kind of people are these wizards? An entire family wiped out because of one idiotic man! And the girl is thrown away like a used tissue!"

"There's some government bill where the wizards think they're going to get the muggleborn girls as concubines," Justin added. "I'll never let any of my children go into that world."

"Do you boys want to continue at Hogwarts? There are other schools and private tutors," Andrew said.

"I can't leave my friends," Harry replied. "Dennis, Luna and the other kids who don't have money to escape. If I'm there I can make a difference."

Justin frowned, but agreed with his 'brother'.

Next chapter will begin with the summer before Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts.

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