This chapter is made possible by a late night IM session with a friend of mine ( for anyone who's interested you can find her stories here http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=10359 ) in fact, most of the dialogue in this chapter is right from our conversation, just with different people saying it of course.
Chapter two.
It was his first day as a teacher, although, classes didn't really start until the next day, and Harry was getting the grand tour of Hogwarts by the oldest of his old friends, Albus Dumbledore.
Dumbledore was still Headmaster, and made all the important decisions, but for the day-to-day running of the school, that went to Acting Headmaster Oliver Wood.
Dumbledore nodded as he walked, with the aid of both Harry and an intricately carved wooden walking stick, "As you can see, the school is much the same. Much the same." He nodded again, "The faces have changed, although, not as much as one would think. Sprout's still here, and Madam Pomfrey. And as you no doubt saw, Hagrid is still very much here."
Harry nodded, "I noticed a few faces missing though. Professor Flitwick, and Madam Hooch and Professor Trelawny."
Dumbledore tilted his head, thinking a moment, "Flitwick passed on a few years back. Hooch is teaching Quidditch to underprivileged children in Rome. And Trelawny went on a vision-quest not too long ago, a quest that she has yet to return from."
Harry nodded, "Ginny? Neville?"
Dumbledore chuckled, "Happily married last I heard, working at the Dragon sanctuary with the eldest Weasley."
Harry smiled, "And McGonagle? Snape?"
Dumbledore laughed shortly, "Retired, both of them. To the countryside, France I believe, last letter mentioned passels of cats."
Harry blinked, "They retired, together?"
Dumbledore nodded, laughing again, "They did, who would've thought?"
Harry smiled, shaking his head, "Fred and George?"
"Run a wildly successful joke shop, based in Hogsmeade. Still drop by every few weeks to see their niece. Although they say it's to keep us all on our toes."
He chuckled again before patting Harry on the back, "What say we go to the kitchen, see what sort of a snack we can scrounge up eh?"
Before long the two were standing in the kitchen doorway watching Winky the House Elf sashaying around, rocking a tea cozy and singing softly.
She squeaked when she saw them, scurrying over, holding the tea cozy to her chest.
Dumbledore smiled, "Hello Winky, how are the babies?"
Winky blushed an interesting shade of magenta, her shoulders hunching up around her ears, "They're asleep now mister Dumbledore, sir."
Harry blinked, "Babies?"
Winky blushed again, holding up the tea cozy so they could see inside. Three House Elf infants, each one little bigger than a kitten, and wearing a handkerchief, lay curled together, thumbs in each other's mouths.
Harry smiled, "They're beautiful Winky, are they yours?"
Winky blushed further, going from magenta to a deep maroon, nodding, her voice a squeak, "Yes they are mister Harry Potter, sir. Well, half they are Dobby's."
Harry blinked, "Half? Dobby's their father?"
Winky continued nodding, unable to say more.
Dumbledore smiled, patting her shoulder, "You go and have a sit Winky, here come Sherry and Boots."
Winky managed a strangled sounding, "Thank you sir." Before hurrying away. The other two House Elves ushered Dumbledore and Harry to a table in a corner of the kitchen, Dumbledore smiled, winking at the younger of the two, "We're just here for a snack Boots, nothing that will ruin our appetite for dinner you know."
Chapter two.
It was his first day as a teacher, although, classes didn't really start until the next day, and Harry was getting the grand tour of Hogwarts by the oldest of his old friends, Albus Dumbledore.
Dumbledore was still Headmaster, and made all the important decisions, but for the day-to-day running of the school, that went to Acting Headmaster Oliver Wood.
Dumbledore nodded as he walked, with the aid of both Harry and an intricately carved wooden walking stick, "As you can see, the school is much the same. Much the same." He nodded again, "The faces have changed, although, not as much as one would think. Sprout's still here, and Madam Pomfrey. And as you no doubt saw, Hagrid is still very much here."
Harry nodded, "I noticed a few faces missing though. Professor Flitwick, and Madam Hooch and Professor Trelawny."
Dumbledore tilted his head, thinking a moment, "Flitwick passed on a few years back. Hooch is teaching Quidditch to underprivileged children in Rome. And Trelawny went on a vision-quest not too long ago, a quest that she has yet to return from."
Harry nodded, "Ginny? Neville?"
Dumbledore chuckled, "Happily married last I heard, working at the Dragon sanctuary with the eldest Weasley."
Harry smiled, "And McGonagle? Snape?"
Dumbledore laughed shortly, "Retired, both of them. To the countryside, France I believe, last letter mentioned passels of cats."
Harry blinked, "They retired, together?"
Dumbledore nodded, laughing again, "They did, who would've thought?"
Harry smiled, shaking his head, "Fred and George?"
"Run a wildly successful joke shop, based in Hogsmeade. Still drop by every few weeks to see their niece. Although they say it's to keep us all on our toes."
He chuckled again before patting Harry on the back, "What say we go to the kitchen, see what sort of a snack we can scrounge up eh?"
Before long the two were standing in the kitchen doorway watching Winky the House Elf sashaying around, rocking a tea cozy and singing softly.
She squeaked when she saw them, scurrying over, holding the tea cozy to her chest.
Dumbledore smiled, "Hello Winky, how are the babies?"
Winky blushed an interesting shade of magenta, her shoulders hunching up around her ears, "They're asleep now mister Dumbledore, sir."
Harry blinked, "Babies?"
Winky blushed again, holding up the tea cozy so they could see inside. Three House Elf infants, each one little bigger than a kitten, and wearing a handkerchief, lay curled together, thumbs in each other's mouths.
Harry smiled, "They're beautiful Winky, are they yours?"
Winky blushed further, going from magenta to a deep maroon, nodding, her voice a squeak, "Yes they are mister Harry Potter, sir. Well, half they are Dobby's."
Harry blinked, "Half? Dobby's their father?"
Winky continued nodding, unable to say more.
Dumbledore smiled, patting her shoulder, "You go and have a sit Winky, here come Sherry and Boots."
Winky managed a strangled sounding, "Thank you sir." Before hurrying away. The other two House Elves ushered Dumbledore and Harry to a table in a corner of the kitchen, Dumbledore smiled, winking at the younger of the two, "We're just here for a snack Boots, nothing that will ruin our appetite for dinner you know."