It was less than a week later, that Lucy found herself, summoned to the Headmaster's office.

"What does he want now?" she sighed, any day that didn't require a "visit" to or from Albus Dumbledore was good.

"Ah Lu-! Miss Potter Come in, come in."

The teen resisted the urge to roll her eyes. When was he going to realize the "Grandfather" routine does not work on her? "Headmaster Dumbledore," she replied coming to stand at his desk.

"Please have a seat?"

"I'd rather not, would you mind just telling me what it is I am here for?"

It was Albus' turn to sigh, this wasn't easy for him. "Lucy…. you were right"

"Wait, what?" she gasped, not quite able to believe what she was hearing. "Did you recently have a fall and break your royal crown? Because I thought you just admitted that you were wrong?"

The old man made an effort to swallow his pride. "I did, I know these are just words to you now but maybe this will clear things up" he said, passing her what appeared to be a legal document.

Lucy's eyes widened, as she looked it over. "Is this real?"

The Headmaster reluctantly nodded. "It's true, for a "meddlesome old man" I have many connections, including those in the Ministry of Magic. You are as of now totally and legally emancipated in the Wizarding World. I have no more control over you"

"Why would you do this?" her eyes narrowed suspiciously. There had to be a catch, she'd bet anything it was Harry. As if she would pick up and leave her brother to Albus' "mercies"?

"Because I'm tired of fighting with you, Lucy. You never respected me as a Guardian anyway. I'm hoping to start a new relationship. You certainly are more responsible that I was at your age."

"I still am" she muttered to herself before speaking up. "Being a "Guardian" is more than just holding keys and signing papers. You have to put their needs ahead of your own. No matter what, that's why my parents went into hiding, but they should have gotten out of the country all together"

Albus could now see what Thomas had meant. It wouldn't be hard to see her making a deal. "Please stay," Dumbledore implored,

"I'm not planning on leaving yet, but I am going to start building up my nest egg. So, I have something when I graduate. I've got another year and a half here. I have a better chance on getting a job with a Degree than on my own. Whether or not I stay in the UK… That depends on YOU: Are you going to give Harry a CHOICE or NOT?

Are you going to force him into the upcoming war? Without hardly any training, make him fight Voldemort. Until ultimately becoming the Wizarding World's Sacrificial Lamb, making you proud? All just because it was "foretold". That disgusts me."

Dumbledore's pupils widened, "You know about the Prophesy?" causing the girl to give him an "Are you stupid" look?

"Six-year-olds hear everything. Especially when that was the main topic in our house for over two weeks.

Do you have any idea how much stress you caused Mom?! Her hormones were all over the place! She was caught between praying for another girl or wanting to abort the baby all together! She did not want this for him. She actually cried "No!" at the hospital when the healer said it was a "Boy!" Not a joyous day for her. She wouldn't even hold Harry, much less let him nurse on her for up to three days after. Talk about "Birthing Blues."

Albus Dumbledore was stuck speechless as her words hit their target and he hung his head in true remorse.

"There is a reason I haven't signed up for Professor Trelawney's class. I probably would have choked the Bitch with my bare hands"

"Language," said Dumbledore softly, lacking the strength to fully scold. "You must know, I- I never meant to cause Lily- your mother so much pain and heartbreak-"

"You were just overjoyed to finally have a "Savior." A end to all this mess with Tom riddle, right?"

Albus couldn't answer.

"James was the same way, too enraptured by the thought of his future son's accomplishments that he almost didn't see her pain until he and his friends overheard her loudly panicking to Alice Longbottom about not being able to go through with this endless circle of Sacrifice and Death.

Her dying to save her precious baby boy, only for him to die at the "right" moment makes Lily Potter's sacrifice: meaningless"

"That's not true!" The old man stood up shouting, red in the face. He'd done it, Albus Dumbledore had finally lost his temper with Lucy.

"Then HONOR my Mother's sacrifice: Give her son a choice! Give him the choice of the life his mother would have wanted him to have!" Lucy shouted back, not willing to budge on this. She took a deep sigh a minute later; it did no good to argue with stupid.

"Look, Thank you for my Emancipation. It means more to me then you will ever know.

But I think it would be best for both our sakes, if we did not meet so often. How about a 3-month academic check in from now on? This is a big school, plenty of room for us both until I leave. Even when Harry's still here, we just won't see each other as often. Better separate then together, less fighting. Deal?" she offered, carefully rolling up the document, placing it in one hand while holding out the other to shake.

The Headmaster paused, this wasn't what he had been hoping for, but he would take it. She didn't want to fight, and neither did he. "Good luck to you Miss Potter," he said, taking her hand in his.

"And you as well Headmaster," she replied before leaving the room, and going down the staircase.

The old man collapsed in his chair, dealing with a headstrong teenager was tiring.

Though she did have a point, Albus had never even thought of Harry from Lily's perspective.

How different their world would be had she chosen not to have the baby? Of course, he had heard of some - some muggle women-! But he never thought Lily would do that to her own child - out of fear of the Prophesy! A copy of it was still in the Hall of Mysteries to this day. But he guessed the real question was: Was it worth it? At the time he thought so, but now Dumbledore wasn't so sure…

...

"That boy just can't seem to stay out of trouble" the sixteen-year-old sighed to herself as she made her way up the Owlery, six months later.

She had a larger envelope for Hedwig this time, seeing as both Neville and Professor Flitwick had written letters of their own to give to her friends in addition to the usual. Strange to think they all suddenly had family members out there that wanted contact. Hers though at least lived in the same castle, less postage.

Ahh! who was she kidding? "Trouble," was the Potter family's middle name for currently last 2 generations.

First, along with finally finding information on Nicolas Flamel: The Creator of the Philosopher's Stone. An object that was supposed to grant an elixir of immortality. No thank you. Her brother and Ron had discovered that Mirror which shows your heart's desire.

She had been careful not to directly look in it when he dragged her there in his excitement. For she was sure she would have seen Lily alive and herself a regular carefree teenager. She didn't lie to Harry, but she didn't tell him everything before quickly leaving. Not wanting to get caught in the great trap. Something Albus Dumbledore had to explain to him an evening later. For once, she was grateful for the old man's influence. It would have killed her if she even gazed at that curse-ed mirror for the second time.

Then Hagrid just had to go and win a Dragon's Egg of all things in a game! Luckily, she was there when it hatched and could communicate with it as Reptile to Reptile in her snake form…

"Flashback…."

Rule breaking seems to be a "Potter" trait, she thought as quickly and quietly followed behind her brother and his friends. It was after dark (and hours for first years) but they were determined to see Hagrid and tell him what they found. When the Groundskeeper opened the door, he had an apron and oven mittens on? Home cooking?

He seemed to be in a hurry as he tried to get rid of them. Until the trio blurted out, they knew about the "Philosopher's stone" that Hagrid reconsidered, taking notice of Lucy. "Right behind yer brother as usual?"

"Lucy?!" the three children turned around to face her.

"Honestly, you lot" she sighed. "You're not a "sneaky" as you think. The whole point of coming to school is to get smarter. Besides I've had lots of practice getting around quietly. As you well know Harry. How else do you think I fed you all those years?" she asked, causing the boy's face to turn red with as his friends looked at him.

"Lucy… you are embarrassing me" he whispered.

"Then don't insult my intelligence and remember who you're dealing with here. Our methods maybe different but I am ultimately on your side. Something you clearly have forgotten since boarding the train! I don't have much of a social life at Hogwarts Harry, I am here to protect you. Get the picture?!" she confirmed, intensifying her glare, causing the first years to instinctively back away with their eyes down and Hagrid to flinch.

"Yer' better start listenin' to your big sister 'Arry. And since you already know about the stone yer might as well come in. But don't stay too long" he said, making room for the four of them to get by. The children and teen quietly entered,

"Lucy," said her brother, getting his sister's attention. "I'm sorry…. It's just-"

"With all the Adults not believing you, you don't know who to trust?" she finished.

"Yeah…"

"You forget Harry, that I've lived and faced this longer than you have. You also had the privilege of being ignorant as a baby for almost two years before you started to question, at least vocally." Harry grimaced,

"The only way this works Harry, is if we trust each other. Because at the end of the day, you and I are, ALL we have got. Ron, Hermione, even Midnight and Mary Jane won't be going back to the Dursleys when this school year is over at the end of the month"

The boy's eyes widened, "But Dumbledore?"

"Doesn't care, we have to stay with blood relatives. Until next year after I graduate and we can start looking for our own place. I'm sorry Harry, that's the way it is for us" Better he learns the truth now, she thought.

They were soon distracted by Hermione and Ron asking Hagrid questions. "Of Course, there are other things defending the stone? Aren't there? Spells? Enchantments?"

"That's right, waste of bloody time if you asked me" Hagrid agreed. "Nobody can get past Fluffy. Not a soul knows how, except for me and Dumbledore. Shouldn't have said that, I should not have said that…"

Suddenly there was a tapping coming from something inside the pot the Groundskeeper had hung over the fireplace. Reaching inside, it was discovered to be an egg? A very hot one!

Ron's face lit up as Hagrid placed it in the center of the table. "I know what that is! But Hagrid? How did you get one?"

"I won it, off a stranger I met in the Pub. Seemed to be glad to be rid of it as a matter of fact?" he answered thoughtfully at the end of his sentence. The egg started to shake, like it was preparing to hatch. They all stood around watching as a piece cracked and broke off, revealing a wing! A reptilian Wing! It was a Dragon! Ron called it a "Norwegian Ridgeback," said his brother "Charlie" worked with them in Romania.

"Isn't he beautiful?" remarked the half giant, "Oh bless him! Look, he knows his Mummy!"

Lucy wasn't so sure, "I'm going to take a closer look," she said, transforming into her snake form, surprising everyone.

"I keep forgetting she's a snake too," said Ron, "Fred and George keep calling her "Mama Lion" often enough"

*Mother? * hissed the dragon hatchling, its attention now on the other reptile in the room. For she was the only creature who looked similar to itself.

*Hello hatchling, Welcome to the world. But I am not your mother, sshe'ss ssomewhere far away, I don't know where. These humansss, well mainly the big one with the fur on hisss face iss going to take care of you until we find her* she told it – HER, for it was most definitely another female from its scent.

*Will you sstay with me until then? *

*I cannot sstay alwayss, but I will vissit or come and sssee you until ssome other humanss find and bring you to her" Lucy answered, knowing Hagrid won't be able to keep her for very long.

"Blimey! Wonder what are they saying?" asked Ron as he and the others watched the hissing contest between python Lucy and the Dragon. Her massive coiled body was on the ground with her long neck and huge head peacefully resting on the table with her forked tongue sticking in and out. Harry of course could understand what was going on, just like he had with the boa constrictor in the zoo but he simply chose not to say anything, remembering the punishment for what happened last time.

"I never thought I'd be comfortable, this close to a snake before" said Hermione,

"The Animal or the House?" asked Ron.

"I always had no problem with the animal," remarked Hagrid, "Look at 'em, both beautiful" running his mittened hands down the back scales of "Norbert" then Lucy,

*Jusst breathe, * the snake instructed the little dragon. *Thisss iss how humanss ssshow affection to animalsss. He won't harm you*

* If he could jusst get a little lower to the left, behind the wing? *

*Do you want me to tell him? *

* You can do that? *

*Yesss, but I'll have to leave you? *

* Come back asss soon asss you can*

*Tomorrow* Lucy hissed as she turned her head down to the floor, her neck following after.

"Where are you going Lucy?" asked the first years as she slithered over to a wide enough corner and concentrated, turning back to human.

"Whoa!"

"Did you and Norbert have a nice talk?" questioned Hagrid eagerly.

"It was "nice" but Hagrid you might want to add an "A" on the end of "Norbert?" She's a girl"

"A female Dragon? Sorry Mate" said Ron a bit disappointed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hermione, her eyes narrowing on the redhead.

"I was hoping it would be a ferocious dragon when he grew up"

"Are you saying "girls" can't be?!"

"Yeah, Ron. Do I need to have a talk with your mother? According to that Howler letter she sent the twins at lunchtime: Ferocious Female" bluntly stated Lucy, making him blanch.

"Right"

At that moment Norberta sneezed fire into Hagrid's beard as he'd been tickling her. "It doesn't matter ter me if she is a female -Oh! Oh!" he said using his mittens to pat the fire out. "she'll have to be trained up a bit of course" Good Luck, thought Lucy, I'll probably have to translate.

"Who's that?" questioned the half-giant as he saw a stranger child's face peering in through the window. "Malfoy!" Harry shook his head as he quickly led the group out of Hagrid's hut and racing back towards the castle.

"End of Flashback…."

Draco Malfoy had of course run to Professor McGonagall, alerting her that some of her lions were out of bed. The only one who didn't get in trouble was Lucy, since sixth- and seventh-years curfew was 11 at the latest. Because she had been with them, thus responsible. The three first years were let off with ten house points each deducted and a warning while Malfoy got Detention. He glowered at them as they walked off.

"Alright!" cheered Ron, "Maybe having your sister along is a good idea!"

"That's a given" she scoffed, "And this is no high fiving matter" she had continued coolly. Not feeling good all of a sudden. Tomorrow was her birthday, she hoped to feel better by then. Nobody noticing the trail of frost following behind her until morning…

Happy New Year! A big thank you to all who have followed and favorited, since I started back up writing again. Hope you enjoyed and will review...