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by M V Stevens This story contains Charactors and places which were created by J.K.Rowling and is Fan Fiction. Chapter 4 Of Dwarves and Stones. It was about three AM when Dumbledore regained consciousness. "Who's in charge?" He asked LaRaina weakly. "Why it's Hagrid of course. Who else would it be?" She asked surprised that he would even need to ask. "The children, how are they?" He asked almost desperately. "A few injured but the rest just fine. No one seriously hurt by the Balrogs attack if that's what you mean." "What do you mean? Were children injured some other way?" He had heard the change in her voice. "Nothing for you to worry about now Dumbledore. You need rest not talk." She told him sternly. Dumbledore ignored her. "Have the Dwarves started to repair the School?" "No why should they?" LaRaina asked surprised at the question. "Because it's their job to!" Dumbledore replied testily. "I have to talk to Hagrid right now. He has to go tell the Dwarves to begin the repairs." Hagrid wasn't far away, in fact he was right out side the tent waiting to hear how they all were. He came in right away ringing his hands together in worry. "She said yr gona be all right. Yr look awful... I shouldna said that... Sorry, it's just that I've been so worried about you. And I wanted to make sure that I done everything just right for ya." Dumbledore smiled weakly. "I'm sure you have Hagrid, I'm sure you have. What shape is the School in?" Is it bad?" "I don't know if I should tell ya Sir, I don't want ya to worry none." Hagrid admitted unthinkingly. "It's that bad?" Dumbledore demanded. "I shouldna said that either." Hagrid mumbled embarrassed. "Hagrid you must got to Hogsmead right now and find the Dwarves. You must tell them to begin repairs immediately. Go! Go right now. We can't have the Children out in the open and I can hear it raining." "I'll go but no need to worry we have the kids in tents snug and dry. They've been fed and are being watch over by a whole herd of folks who volunteered to help out, so don't worry none about that. Toby and Sam got me straitened out right away, and now everything is going fine Sir. You just get better, and don't worry, we got it all under control." Hagrid left to find the Dwarves and Dumbledore lay there muttering, "Toby and Sam? Toby? And Sam?" Then he fell asleep. The Dwarves weren't all that hard to find as it turned out. Hagrid opened one of the huge gates at the outer wall of Hogwarts and ran right into about a thousand Dwarves. The leader was cross and almost angry. "Took yr own good time to open the Gates. Thought we were going to have to tear them down just to get in. We're here to fix the School. Where's Dumbledore?" "Dumbledore was hurt and asked me to come get ya. Guess ya knew that all ready. The School's a mess. Come on ya might as well see for yr selves. It's pretty bad." Hagrid told him as the crowd of Dwarves followed him towards the School. When they came up to the School close enough to see it the Dwarves all spit on the ground in shock. "What in the Blue Blazes did ya do here Hagrid. It looks like ye fought a world war right here." The leader exclaimed in astonishment. "Naw it was worse than that. It was a Balrog that did it and nearly did in Dumbledore and some of the other teachers too." He told them, only to see them all spit on the ground again. A really old Dwarf spoke up loudly. "I teld ya it were a Balrog, didn't I tell ya I heard one? Next time maybe ya will listen to me when I tell ya something for a change." And he spit agin. The leader of the Dwarves sent four of his fellows into the School to see what the damage was, and to see what was needed to do the repairs. When they returned all four spat upon the ground before one of them made his report. Hagrid knew the moment they spit that it wasn't going to be good. She's a mess all right. We can't repair her. She's got to come down to the ground and below. Her foundations are broken like glass, and the walls are only being held together by the magic that's still worken. As soon as that fails and it will, the whole thing, she'll come tumbling down. We gotter build her from the bottom up. No getting away from it." The leader spit again then turned to Hagrid. "I got to talk to Dumbledore before I can build her new. I got ta know what his will is in this. Come on Hagrid we got ta go see him right now." Hagrid didn't know if that was a good idea but the dwarf didn't give him any choice. Off they went to the Aid Tent. Dumbledore it seemed was expecting them, and was awake laying there waiting for the bad news. One look at both Hagrid and his sad face, and the Dwarf spitting was all he needed to see. It was bad. Once the Dwarves leader explained that they had to build the School from scratch, he asked Dumbledore. "What ya want? The Contract between us and Godric says we have ta take care of the School no matter what. So ya get a new school. Now how da ya want it?" Dumbledore didn't even blink, but he did spit just to show the Dwarves that he understood the seriousness of the situation. "I want the School back the way it was. Your Grandfather built that school, Gimmly, and he built it very well in deed. I want it stone for stone just as it was not one single change. Well no take out that hidden chamber. You'll find a dead Basilisk in it. Destroy that but the rest is to be just as it was. Use as many of the old stones as you can, and put them back right where they were. No changes. Just as your Grandfather Galdrey built it before." The old Dwarf actually smiled. "Knew I could depend on you ta know good work when ya seen it. That's the best news I heard since this thing started. We'll start tonight and we won't stop tell it's done. Hagrid leave those Gates wide open, we'll post guards so no one what don't belong here will get in but we got to have them open tell were done cus there'll be a lot of comin and goin." Hagrid nodded agreement. Dumbledore fell asleep, and the Dwarves left the tent singing some ancient song of theirs. When Toby woke up late the next morning it was to the sound of hundreds of hammers. Not the bang and pounding sound of most hammers, but this sound was musical it followed a ancient song the Dwarves had worked to for more years than anyone could remember. The sound didn't rattle the mind and jar the nerves, but instead it invigorated, it inspired. Toby was alone, so he dressed quickly, noting as he did that somehow his clothes had been cleaned and set out for him just as if they were still in the School. Out side everyone had gone to the other side of the big tents. As soon as he rounded the tents he knew why they were all there. Thousands of Dwarves were at work taking the School apart granite stone by granite stone. There were tall stacks of stones everywhere with colored markings on them. And as he watched the stacks grew visibly taller as stones were removed from the School and stored out on the lawns. His growling stomach told him finally that he had better get something to eat. It had been short rations the day before with no lunch and a hurried supper. Inside the big tent with all the tables he found Sam and his friends just finishing their morning meal. Even Sheba had finished eating. He grabbed a plate and started to look for the food line, but Sam caught him. "Just sit down Toby the Elves have it all working again, and your food will just appear as always." Sam had obviously told them all about his contacts and his eyes cus he cought them staring at him every now and then. No one said anything, and by the time he had filled his plate the third time no one paid any attention to his eyes at all. He was Toby and they were his friends. Toby was very glad and very relieved. He had so hoped no one would mind and clearly they didn't think anything more about it. This was Hogwarts after all where everyone was a little different in one way or another. They were allowed to watch the Dwarves as long as they went no further than the backs of the large tents. The Dwarves had almost the entire grounds covered with stacked stones and debris from the Demolished School and it wasn't safe for them to go any nearer. Besides the Dwarves would yell at them if they went anywhere near one of their piles of stones. By noon the School was down to ground level, and still the stream of stones kept coming. They spent an hour trying to count how many Dwarves there were, but it was impossible to count them. They moved so fast and were mixing around so much they couldn't keep track of them. One thing was certain. No human construction crew could have ever matched the Dwarves for getting a job done. Even with all the technology to help them humans simply could never work as hard or as fast as the Dwarves. Of course the Dwarves were cheating outrageously. They were using magic. No sooner was a stone loosed from it's place than it disappeared and reappeared on a stack, where a Dwarf marked it with a colored code to indicate where it had come from, and where of course it would go back. When it rained the Dwarves worked. When it didn't rain the Dwarves worked. When the sun was up the Dwarves worked, and when the sun wasn't up the Dwarves worked. The Dwarves worked. In one day the School was disassembled. Hagrid had to go get the dead Basilisk, the Dwarves wouldn't touch it. Hagrid built a huge prier and burned the Basilisk to ashes then Dwarves dug a deep hole, and Hagrid put the ashes into it, and covered it over. On day two the new foundations were laid. On day three the School was back to ground level. On day four the School was three stories high. On day five the Towers were completed. On day six they moved back into the School. When they returned to there dorm their trunks and all their possessions were just as if they had all stepped out for a moment and returned to find everything just as before. There was no smell of new paint or saw dust. No new shiny surfaces. Every thing was just as it had been. That night they gathered in the Great Hall for their first meal together since the disaster. Many People sat at the teachers table. Toby saw his mother and grandmother, and he ran up and hugged them both then returned to his place beside Sam with Sheba between them. Dumbledore stood up and McGonagall taped her glass so it rang loudly. "My dear students, teachers and guests, we have so much to be thankful for this night. Our School is returned to us just as it was. Despite the disaster that befell us no one died or was seriously hurt. Nothing lasting at lest. I asked the Dwarves to come tonight, but they refused. Master Gimmly told me they had received all the thanks and vindication they could ever want when I requested that they build it back just as his Great Grandfather had built it one thousand years ago. But I say publicly all our thanks to the Dwarves." Everyone clapped and cheered for the Dwarves. "We must thank the Ministry of Magic for all the help that they sent us and so quickly. We were out of the rain and had food to eat thanks to them, and all the volunteers that pitched in and helped. Everyone clapped and cheered for the Ministry and the volunteers. "I especially want to thank two witches, Mrs. LaRaina Figg, and Mrs. Arabella Wright, without who's help some of us might not be here tonight. Two very special healers. Everyone clapped and cheered for Toby's Mother and Grand Mother. Hagrid stood up quickly and said, "an we all owe our vary lives to Professors Dumbledore, Snap, McGonagall, and Longbottom, fir sending that Balrog back to were ever it came from." Everyone clapped, cheered and whistled for the Professors. "Thank you Hagrid, but you are owed a big thank you for your handling of the crisis right from the beginning you took charge and provided the leadership everyone needed to make all the students and teachers safe." Everyone clapped, cheered and whistled for Hagrid. "There are many more heroes who did brave deeds and helped above and beyond the call of duty. However there is one young man who is responsible for us all still being alive. The Minister of Magic will now speak to you." The room was dead silent as Cornelius Fudge stood up and addressed them. "It is rare indeed that we of the Ministry present this award. It takes an act of courage, skill and compassion to earn this award. In this case, the act of one student at this school saved the lives of all the rest. He warned of the Balrog's attack and made it possible to see the creature so it could be fought, and he gave warning in time so the school could be evacuated with out the loss of a single life. The attack of a Balrog is no small thing. It is by far one of the most fearsome of magical creatures. It exhausted Professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall and Longbottom nearly to the point of death to defeat it. They did defeat it and it is thanks to this student that they had the time to do it. That however wasn't all he did. Once he and all the others were clear of the school he provided sound counsel to Hagrid as to how to proceed, he summoned his mother to come and begin medical treatment of the injured, though he himself received a serious injury. He worked tirelessly to help in the care of the injured, and to assist his mother and latter his Grand Mother in caring for the hurt. He did many other things that day that will eventually be written in a new chapter of Hogwarts a History. He is the youngest person to ever receive the Order of Merlin First Degree. Mrs. Wright would you please present this to your son." There was dead silence as Toby's Mother stood up and motioned for Toby to come up to her. Only a very few had known until that moment the details of the discovery of the Balrog and it's eventual defeat. Now they all watched as a small boy walked very shakily up to the front and received the medallion placed over his head and around his neck. Arabella and her mother LaRraina, both Jinns of great power, watched with pride, and yes with hope as Toby received his award. The pride was understandable, but the hope? Well you see no male of Jinn - human crossbreeding has ever live to be five, much less see his eleventh year. ( Writter's note. The Jinn are a type of Genie. Howerver they do not have the Genie's weakness. Put a Jinn in a bottle, you not only have one mad Jinn, you also have a broken bottle.) Toby returned to his seat. His ears were ringing and his mind filled with the noises around him. He was happy to have such an award but truthfully he didn't feel he deserved it. He had only done what was right not what was easy. And somehow it seemed wrong to him to reward him for doing what he should have done anyway. Sam seemed happy for him, and his friends all told him how great it was for him to receive the award but... well he'd just have to get used to it he supposed finally. Then it was Sam's turn along with Hermione. They were given awards too. Minister Fudge introduced them. "During the first hours of the crisis two very brave young ladies made themselves useful in a very great way. There were many injured by flying glass and debris. Many were bleeding heavily. Hermione Granger and Samantha Whitby, both worked diligently to save lives and assist Mrs. Wright in her efforts to heal the injured. To them I am awarding the Order of Merlin second degree. Would you both come forward." Toby's mother gave them each their medallions and a hug. Sam seemed as embarrassed as Toby had now that she had received her award. "Now you know how I feel." Toby whispered. "But I'm proud of you Sam." She smiled then dropped her eyes to look at the medallion. After all the speeches were over they got to eat. Somehow it just felt good to sit at the table with his friends and enjoy their talk and companionship. They were all, strange as it may seem, eager to get back to their classes, and get things back to normal. The Ghosts were back and Fat Friar came by and congratulated Toby "My boy you have no idea how terrible it was not having the School here for those few days. We Ghosts are here for a reason and it was almost painful to not have our beloved halls to roam. I for one am very grateful to all those Dwarves for rebuilding the school so quickly and so perfectly just as it was. I do hope they have come up with a way to make sure there isn't a repeat of this last weeks events." Toby agreed. He certainly didn't want another repeat either. "I'm sure they will do their best Sir I don't think they want it to happen again either." Toby was slowly becoming aware of something. Something or someone was watching him. He could feel the eyes, but no one seemed to be paying attention to him at all, except for occasional glances and smiles his way. Who ever it was didn't have good intentions either. Their was evil in the feeling. Sheba caught the feeling as well and began to look around. Neither of them could find the source and soon it was time to go to bed. Toby ran up to his Mother and Grand Mother and hugged them both and told them he loved them. He also gave his Mother his medallion. "Take it home please Mother and put somewhere safe. I don't want anything to happen to it and I know it will be safe at home." "I agree Toby, I know just where I will put it too. Right out were everyone can see it." She told him with pride. "Oh mom. Your embarrassing me." Toby told her blushing. "My Toby I am so very proud of you. I want everyone to see what my son has accomplished. Now run along. Your friends are waiting for you. I love you Toby." Toby hugged her again then ran to his waiting friends, he looked back once and saw his mum talking to Professor Snape, then he was off down the halls to the Hofflepuff dorms for some study and then bed. The next morning it was breakfast and then off to Defense against the Dark Arts. Professor Longbottom seemed to almost be in a good mood as they filed in. She even smiled at Toby and Sam and petted Sheba, who always preferred to come to class with Toby and Sam. "Last week before we were interrupted we were discussing some of the more famous or as it were infamous Dark Wizards and Witches of the Past. Do any of you remember any of them?" Sam raised her hand and answered when called on. "Morgana, Professor." "Yes she is one of the more famous Witches. Do you remember who she was?" "Yes mamma. She was Merlin's arch nemesis." "Very good Sam. Yes she was Merlin's arch enemy. She was especially good at illusions and potions. Now do any of you remember the order of events last Thursday?" "We all do Professor." One girl answered without waiting to be called on. "Good suppose you tell us the order of events then." Professor Longbottom told her fixing her with an icy glare. "The Balrog appeared and you sent us all running for our lives I guess." The girl answered. "Anyone else have anything to add to that, or is that it?" There was an edge to her voice that said someone had better remember something else. Sam put her hand up again, and the Professor looked around the room before she nodded for Sam to answer. "You were telling us about the Dark Witches and Wizards of the past and Toby didn't look like he was paying attention. When you got his attention he told you that something terrible was coming, something that was hungry and wanted to kill us. We couldn't see anything so Toby did some kind of spell and suddenly there was this horrible creature trying to get into the room. Then you sent us to tell Professor McGonagall and put Toby and I in charge of seeing to it that the other students stayed together and reached Professor McGonagalls classroom together. Which they did or rather we all did." Professor Longbottom smiled. "That was very good Sam, and I might add a perfect testimony as to the events of that morning, and worth five points for Hofflepuff. Now as Sam said the Balrog was hidden from us. Toby what spell was it you used that day?" "It was the 'Reveal Hidden' spell mamma." Toby told her already knowing what she was up to. "Class there are three people in this room who are hiding from you. Do any of you know who they are, and where they are. Besides you Toby that is I have already noticed you looking at them." Everyone looked around and reached out and tried to find someone invisible. No one found anyone. And they all gave up. "Toby I want you to draw the rune for the spell and show it to Sam, lets see if she can do it just from a drawing." Since they had already done this in Transfiguration class before it was much easier for Sam this time. She traced the rune once on paper then when the Professor nodded she used her wand. Like running water that settles and clears, there were ripples in the air, and then there were Professor Dumbledore, Harry Potter in an invisibility cloak, and a Ravenclaw girl named Stella, also in an invisibility cloak. Professor Dumbleldore smiled happily and told the class. "That spell is going to be taught to every student in this school. As you saw, Sam learned it in one try. My dear students we have every reason to believe that there have been numerous visits in the past by persons who did not belong here. We have decided to begin the practice of casting that spell every time any of us enter a room for the first time. All of you will be practicing that spell until you get it perfect. Harry and Stella will stay here today and help you to learn the spell. They will both receive extra credit for this assistance, although truthfully neither of them need it. I will not be able to stay I'm sorry to say, but I know Harry and Stella will do quite nicely." Professor Dumbledore left and Professor Longbottom had Toby show Sam the 'Revoke Spell" charm so Harry and Stella would become invisible again, and she had the class split into two groups. Toby with one group and Sam with the other. Toby got mostly Ravenclaws, and Sam had mostly Hofflepuffs. Most of the Ravenclaws caught on very quickly, and Stella became visible over and over again as each learned the spell and the counter charm. Toby at first was very bashful with Stella. She was a sixth year and very, vary pretty. However she was so nice and easy to be around that he soon forgot his shyness and relaxed and enjoyed the class time with them. Twice Stella had to speak harshly to students who weren't listening or didn't try hard enough. But everyone did learn the spell. Everyone had a very good time that class. It was fun for them all to learn new magic and have live subjects to test it on. Harry and Stella were very much in demand for the next couple of weeks as they helped class after class to learn and perfect the 'Revel Hidden' spell. No one minded going to History class, it was just nice to be back in classes again. At lunch time everyone was happy and cheerfully. After lunch back in their common room Sam again worked with them, this time on their Astronomy. They had to learn the constellation of Orion, and about the positions of the Big and little Dippers, or as they were also called Ursa Major and Minor and the North Star about which they circle. That evening as they studied, Toby again became aware of a presence watching him. With great care he reached inside his robe and pulled out his wand and did the 'Reveal Hidden' spell. There was a snarling sound like a angry animal then a loud tearing sound. The air in the common room rippled and shivered as something tried desperately to keep from becoming visible. There was a long load wail and then it disappeared leaving the room in an uproar. Professor Flitwick was summoned and soon Dumbledore arrived as well. After explaining what he had felt and done Dumbledore asked him, "And you say you felt the presence yesterday in the Great Hall?" "Yes Sir I did but there were so many people and so much confusion that I couldn't locate it. Tonight was different. I couldn't see it but I could feel it and where it was." Toby told them. "Was it watching you Toby?" Professor Flitwick asked concerned. "No, I don't think so. It would have seen me go for my wand and it didn't. No I had the feeling it was interested in someone else, but I don't know who. It was just watching is all Sir." Toby couldn't explain it better than that. "Could you sense anything else about it Toby?" Dumbledore asked quietly as if he were almost afraid of the answer. "Yes it was angry, disappointed and it wanted something to happen very badly, but I don't know what it was Sir. These are all just feelings Sir they are very hard to put words to." Toby told him honestly. "I understand Tobius, I really do. Very well. You did exactly as you should have. Do not be afraid to use that spell any time you have one of those feelings. You can't hurt anyone with it and it may save lives again one day. Very good Tobius, that will be all. I'm fairly sure it won't be back tonight nor perhaps for sometime. You have given it something to think about that it hadn't counted on, and I for one say good!" Dumbledore then left and Flitwick stayed with them for a while to settle any 'nerves' that some might have had. Astronomy class was fun. They as a group when up to the highest tower and listened to lectures and looked through a telescope at stars. They learned about the stories told by the constellations and about the different houses in the sky. Some nights it was hard to stay awake but most of the time they were all held in thrall with the stories and signs written in the sky. Time passed and the School settled down into it's normal routine. When Halloween arrived the School held a huge ball. Everyone was invited and the School Ghosts made an impressive entrance at the beginning of the festivities. A rock group know as the 'Enchanted bag-hags' performed and surprisingly they were excellent, in a eire sort of way. As soon as they found out about the dance Toby had asked Sam to go to it with him. He liked Sam far to much not to ask her. The other boys had to be teased into asking girls to go with them, but all in all they were glad that someone had cared enough to tease them into it. Sheba distained to go. She had other matters to attend to. Two days before Halloween she had delivered five kittens. She had been getting rather plump but everyone attributed it to all the good food provided her by all her friends, which included just about everyone in the School. Toby and the boys had come up to their dorm after a wet cold afternoon with Hagrid and with Herboligy, and they had run into their dorm not suspecting anything. Toby spotted Sheba laying on his bed and went over to tell her about Hagrids class, when he saw the tinny new kittens nuzzled up to her getting their dinner. "Sheba!" Toby exclaimed. The other boys ran over to see what the matter was. "Oh boy! Oh boy!" Guy hooted and hollered. Orion just starred at them and smiled. Tie looked them over and announced, "I had better go get Sam. She'd be really mad if we didn't tell her right off about the new kittens." A few minutes latter Sam ran in. Now strictly speaking girls were not allowed in the boys dorms and visa versa. However all things being equal no one was about to gainsay her seeing the kittens especially since Jay her brother came with her and he was a Prefect. "Oh how precious." Sam exclaimed. "Sheba they're beautiful." Sheba nodded in agreement that in fact they were indeed beautiful. At the sound of Sam's voice one of the kittens, a calico, raised it's head from dinner and turned it awkwardly towards Sam and meowed at her. Everyone was surprised at the tinny still blind kittens reaction, including Sheba who looked in surprise at the kitten as it tried to get up and go towards Sam. Sam stared at the kitten then asked Sheba, "may I pet him Sheba? He seems to want me." Sheba thought it over then nodded guardedly. "Don't worry I'll be careful." Sam assured her. Carefully she reached out and with one finger she touched the tinny cat. It reacted by meowing again and pressing upward against Sam's finger. Satisfied that Sam was there the kitten returned to it's dinner. Everyone else wondered at such strange behavior in a newborn kitten. The Halloween Ball was a total success. Toby and Sam danced, they bobbed for apples, they ate to much, and they had all the fun any one could ask for. Toby danced with lots of different girls, he had no idea he was so popular. Sam danced with quite a few boys as well. The party had to end, and it did at two AM in the morning. Toby had not in his whole life been to anything like the Holloween Ball at Hogwarts. Before he fell asleep with six cats sharing his bed, he told Sheba all the highlights. Then he went fast asleep. The Next day was a Saturday, so everyone slept in and they needed to. Once he was up Toby and Orion picked up Sheba and the kittens in the basket that the Elves had fashioned for them and took then down stairs to the common room. Sheba loved to be where she could see everything that was going on, and still be able to take care of her kittens. Everyone else loved to see Sheba and the kittens, so this arrangement pleased them all. The calico kitten was definitely Sam's. If he heard her voice he meowed as load as he could until she came and petted him and talked to him. Sam had already decided on a name for him. Weezer. Why? Even she didn't know, but he already answered to it so there was no changing it now. Only one other kitten exhibited the same behavior. The black one. He would raise his head as if listening and meow now and then as if trying to find someone, but no one in the common room suited him, so it was a mystery for the time being. By mid November the Kittens were allowed to go out side with Sheba, Sam and Toby. They went to Hagrids class with them one afternoon. It is uncertain who was the most surprised that a day. Fang or the Kittens. Fang froze in his tracks when the kittens began to hiss and spit at him. He had come bounding up glad to see Sheba, but the reaction of the kittens surprised him. Sheba hissed right back at the kittens, and basically told them off for such a poor showing of their manners when visiting a friend. Two hours latter poor fang was almost glad to see the kittens go. Once assured that he was a friend they had gone to work to have their usual fun with a friend. That included stalking, batting at his tail, his ears and anything else that dared to move. They climbed up his legs and if he laid down they were all over him mock fighting each other and of course Fang. From then on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and any other time they could get their mother to take them on an outing, it was fun time with uncle Fang. Hagrid thought it hilarious to see the huge boar hound covered with playing kitten. Fang for the most part took it all stoically and with much long suffering. No one had any idea that Fang actually liked the kittens until one day a weasel came running out of the forest and tried to grab one of the kittens to kill it and probably eat it. The kitten was too far away from any of them to save it, but not for Fang's long legs. Hagrid admitted he had never see Fang move so fast in his life as that day. The end results was one dead weasel and a very frightened kitten who received several scoldings from Sheba, Sam and Toby, and then Sheba again. From then on none of the kittens went anywhere near the forest. Two weeks latter in December the mystery of whom the black kitten was seeking was solved. The kittens were now eating solid food, and followed their mother to the Great Hall for breakfast every morning. There were too many of them now to sit at the table with Sam Toby, so they had their own small table at the end of the hall were they each had a bowel of meat every morning and usually some milk to go along with it. They were just finishing their breakfast when suddenly the black kitten heard the voice he had been listening for. Like an arrow he leaped off the low table and shot across the floor to the Ravenclaw table. He raced under the table between numerous legs and leaped up into the lap of the person he had been looking for. She sat there dumfounded as the kitten purred and rubbed it's head against her and demanded to be petted. Stella knew about the kittens and had seen them several times. She loved cats and her hands itched to go pet them but she had always been going somewhere important before when she had seen them. Now here was a black kitten carrying on as if she were it's long lost mother. After petting it for several moments she reluctantly got up and took it over to Toby. "This belong to you?" Toby looked up from his plate, and came to an almost instantaneous conclusion. "Er. Stella I think he thinks he belongs to you. Or to put it properly, you belong to him." "Your serious? I can have one of Sheba's kittens?" Stella asked surprised, and excitedly. "He picked you, but lets go ask Sheba. She'll know." Toby told her. Stella felt a little silly going to ask a cat if she could have one of her kittens, but Toby seemed to think it was the right thing to do so she followed along. Toby approached Sheba who had one of the kittens pinned down and was giving it a bath despite it's vehement protest. "Sheba, the black kitten wants to be with Stella, is that ok with you?" Sheba looked up and seemed to say, "It sure took you long enough to figure it out. What's the problem here?" Then she went back to bathing the struggling kitten. "I guess he's yours Stella. Weezer already sleeps with Sam so I imagine yours will want to do the same. Just bring him with you to meal times and I'm sure everything will work out just fine." Toby told the astonished Stella. Who then turned and went back to her place at the Ravenclaw table clutching the purring kitten tightly to her. From then on Max was hers and she was his. As the Christmas holidays approached everyone was excited to get to go home and see their families. Everyone that is except Toby. Something was wrong. First he felt hot, then he felt cold. Then his teeth hurt, then his toes. No matter what he did he just felt worse and worse. Finally he asked to go to see the School nurse. She took a close look at him and took him by the arm and sat him down. "Toby you have to go home now." She told him sincerely. She turned to Sheba who had naturally followed along, with her three remaining kitten, "Sheba open a portal to your home. Toby has to go home now and I have to talk to Arabella." Sheba looked at Toby then opened the portal. In minutes Toby was home, and in his bed. Madam Pomfrey was in the living room talking to his mother and he was slowly drifting off into never, never land.
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