T. K.: *sobbing uncontrollably*
Neko: *standing beside her, unsure of what to do* Should I get you some tea?
Tsuki: Bleeding idiot! Her great-grandmother just died. I don't think tea---
T. K.: *choked* Thank you, Neko. Tea would be fine.
Tsuki: You heard her, get some tea!
Neko: *rolls his eyes* Ruby Harris died at 4:47 pm in her Kingsport, TN home. She was survived by her husband, seven children, thirteen grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Luckily, T. K. had this written. Her cousin, White Wolf, is hiding in the library. We don't own Harry Potter.
~~~~~~
Draco oozed into a chair as Crystal shut the door to her rooms. Draco and Crystal had been sharing quarters since she had brought him back to Hogwarts from St. Mungo's.
"Tired?" she asked sitting down on her couch.
Draco nodded sleepily. It was almost eight o'clock by the time Draco, Harry, Crystal, Ron, and Hermione had returned to Hogwarts and close to ten before they had finish dinner and said goodnight.
"I suggest you go to bed, before you fall asleep in that chair," Crystal said.
The blonde smiled at her. "But, it's so comfortable," he said.
"The last time you fell asleep in a chair you were stiff for two days and too stubborn to take a pain potion," she reminded him.
Draco nodded and got up. "Goodnight," he said.
"'Night," she called as he went into his room, leaving the door open slightly. Crystal didn't extinguish the fire she had going and went to her own room. Several hours went peacefully by until Crystal woke up with an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She listened to the silence and heard it. Draco thrashing in his bed, moaning, begging for his father to stop, he then begged for his mother to save him.
By the time Crystal had entered Draco's room, his whimpers and moans had turned to full-blown screams.
"Draco," Crystal said taking his hand and squeezing it gently while her other hand stroked his hair and face, tracing the scars that were no longer there but she knew the faded cuts by heart, "Draco, you're okay, you're safe." Draco quieted a bit but still moaned and squirmed. Crystal lay down beside him and continued to play with his hair. "You're okay, I'm here and Lucius can't get you," she whispered. Draco's eyes opened slowly and Crystal breathed a sigh of relief. Draco turned on his side and buried his head into the crook of her neck.
"I saw them," Draco said, "I keep seeing them. A stag, a wolf, a Grim, and an unicorn." Crystal's eyes widened. "When what happened... happened, I saw the unicorn standing behind my father and I knew it was there to save me."
Crystal nodded. She had been in animal form when she'd been to rescue Draco, Lucius had already started to ritual when Crystal had shown up. Narcissa had stood to the side and watched her only child mutilated and abused. Crystal had galloped full speed at Lucius and reared up on her hind legs, then thundered down on him. She hadn't killed him, but as she had watched Draco over the next month and now she wished she had.
"But behind the unicorn, I saw a Grim and a wolf and between both of them was this stag," Draco said. "It seemed like they were waiting for something to happen, when one of the Death Eaters tried to hurt the unicorn the stag came to its rescue and knocked him down."
Crystal thought back to Malfoy Manor. She had just trampled Lucius and a Death Eater came at her, then he'd fallen over on his side dead. The doctors at St. Mungo's couldn't explain it but it seemed as if his side had been hit and his ribs collapsed on his lung and punctured his heart.
"The Death Eater started to flee and that's where I draw a blank," Draco finished. "I must have been half-delirious by this point in time. I mean, James Potter is gone and his friend was a werewolf but it was a new moon that night."
Crystal smiled. "Maybe, even though James is dead, he's still protecting me," she said. "Think me half-delirious if you will."
Draco looked up at her and smiled. "A ghost Animagus and his phantom friends."
~~~~~~
The days went by quickly and quietly, Crystal spent most of her time perfecting her lesson plan while Harry and the others roamed the school learning all its secrets. Only one major name calling match broke out and that was between Snape and Crystal who at the end of it just looked at each other from the four inches separating them and smiled at each other.
Soon August 31st was upon the group and the professors were bustling around, preparing for their classes. Crystal and Snape were in the Potions Lab making one last check of the potion's supplies.
"Woolly Wart," Crystal said as she went over the checklist Snape had made up.
"Check," he said, locating the bottle of a red fuzzy-looking herb.
"That's it, Severus," she said sitting down on a student table, "we have been over this room three times with a fine toothed comb."
Snape pursed his lips in thought. "But I still feel I'm missing something," he said looking the room over.
"Sev, you even know what you're assigning for homework the first day of class!" Crystal said exasperated.
Snape nodded once. "Is Wolfsbane on that list?" he asked.
"Yes, with three checkmarks beside it."
"I know I'm forgetting something!"
Crystal removed her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I can't think of anything," she told him. "Did you remember to wash your hair?"
"Very funny," he said, "I washed it this morning."
"I thought it looked clean," she said.
"Did you check your room?"
Crystal nodded. "Twice with Draco and once with Harry and Hermione," she told him.
Snape stood there thinking and Crystal watched his face. "That's everything, I wrote it all down as I thought about it over the summer," he said finally sitting down beside Crystal.
"The fifth!" Crystal exclaimed. "We forgot to ask someone to cover our classes on the fifth for the Malfoys' trial!"
"How on earth did we forget that?" Snape asked.
Crystal looked at him. "Well, between Draco and Harry, scheduling classes, and life in general it wasn't an easy thing to remember."
"Still," Snape said, "we have to find someone to watch our classes."
Crystal sat thinking. "I know!" she finally exclaimed. "We'll send them to the Great Hall, Albus is in and out of there all the time and the ghost come and go. We should just put signs up on the doors and tell the students it's silent reading."
Snape nodded. "That'll work, just remember to tell Dumbledore about it."
"We can do it now, the students should be arriving about now."
~~~~~~
Crystal entered the Great Hall with Severus, Professor Minerva McGonagall stood waiting at the top of the stairs. Crystal smiled at her.
"You two are almost late," McGonagall scolded.
"Professor--- Minerva, I'm twenty-seven, and a professor," Crystal pointed out.
McGonagall shook her head. "I know, some days I just forget." McGonagall smiled. "I'm a bit worried about two Potters in this school at the same time."
"Glad I'm not the only one," Snape said, then took Crystal by the arm and led her inside before she could get off a smart retort.
Dumbledore smiled at the two as they entered the Great Hall. Draco sat at the Gryffindor table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, chatting amiably. Draco still wore Slytherin robes and would still attend classes with Slytherin, but he would be staying in Crystal's quarters. Harry had been told the password (Marauders Rule) and Crystal had set up a bed for him in Draco's room, at Draco's insistence.
Draco looked at Crystal, then his watch. "It's almost time," Draco said.
"Stay strong, Draco," Hermione said.
Ron nodded. "And don't let your guard down."
"Crystal will be right up there," Harry told him in a voice you would use to comfort a child, "and we're right here."
Draco nodded. "Thank you," he said before walking over to the Slytherin table and sitting close to end towards the Teacher's table.
"Just say my name if anything goes wrong or you feel uncomfortable," Crystal told him. "Severus or I will be there to help you." Snape nodded his agreement.
The question is will it be enough? Crystal asked herself. Once a panic attack gripped Draco, it was almost impossible to help him get control without a calming charm or potion.
A stampede of feet and voices filtered into the Hall and Crystal saw Draco and Harry tense up. "Breathe, boys," Crystal said. "Remember your calming exercises."
Draco and Harry took a deep breath through their noses and held it for a three count before exhaling through their mouths. They did this several times before Harry put a smile on and Draco slouched gracefully in his chair, looking bored.
The doors opened and Crystal leaned over Snape's lap to speak with Dumbledore. "We forgot to cover our classes---"
"Not mention our asses," Snape muttered so that only Crystal heard.
"On the fifth," Crystal said as if the Potion's Master had said nothing. "We thought we could just send them here for silent reading."
Dumbledore nodded. "That would be fine. How long will you be gone?"
"For only a day, we hope," Crystal said.
"What if it's more than a day?" Dumbledore asked.
"Then I shall smite Cornelius Fudge down and lead a revolution to get a new Minister of Magic," Crystal said with conviction in her voice and a smile on her face. "I'm sure one of the Weasleys would want the job."
Dumbledore smiled and shook his head.
"If it takes more than a day," Crystal said seriously, "we'll let you know and you may do what you feel you must with our students."
"Potter," Snape said.
"Yes, Severus?"
"Your nephew has the oddest blush and the meanest look in his eyes," Snape told her. "If he's going to kill me, I don't want it to be over this."
Crystal smiled at Dumbledore and sat up straight in her own chair.
McGonagall led the next generation of Hogwarts students in and told them how they would be sorted. "But before we start, Professor Dumbledore has a few start of term announcements."
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. First and foremost, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason, and is off limits to all students. Secondly, Mr. Filch, our schools caretaker, would like to remind you that there shall be no magic practice allowed in the halls. Lastly, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Crystal Potter."
A ripple went through the students and Harry just smiled and nodded. "She's my other aunt," he told anyone who asked. "I didn't think I had another one."
Already, the Slytherins were making plans to turn Crystal's year into a nightmare.
"And on that note, let the Sorting begin," Dumbledore said. When the Sorting finished the start of term feast began and Crystal was watching Harry and Draco nervously. Both seemed to be getting the third degree from their house mates. Harry was obviously taking it better than Draco.
"Severus?"
"Yes?"
"I think you need to go save Draco," Crystal said. Snape stood instantly and made his way to his house's table. Soon he and Draco were leaving the Hall and Crystal was breathing a large sigh of relief.
Harry looked at his aunt who was soon following Snape's plan and walking to the Gryffindor table. "Hullo," she said to the table. "Harry, may I have a word with you?" Harry nodded and walked out of the Great Hall with her.