A/N: I have to say I was happy and relieved to see that you didn't take the religion part badly at all. You took it quite well :)
The article is supposed to be in italics, I don't know whether ffnet keeps the italics when I upload it…
Well, onto the next chapter that will also make you shriek at me angrily (although for a totally different reason ;)
Chapter 17
A birthday, a wedding and a funeral
"Of course he loves you… like he loves everyone," the vicar stuttered, clearly not sane enough to comprehend what had just taken place.
"Loves me, eh?" Harry growled. "Then why did he let this happen? You said God had a reason for everything… then tell me, vicar, what reason did he have for this?" he flung the dirty, sagging feather-ball that used to be Hedwig, in front of Mr. Diggle's eyes. "And for this?" he yelled, pointing at the ruin that had been his house. "What did I do to punish me like this?" he howled up into the dark January sky. It was a minute past midnight – the year 2012 had started. But this time no fireworks appeared on the sky, only the smoke that rose from the Potter house, blurring the stars. No cheers and clinks of champagne-glasses could be heard, but sniffs and sobs and gasps.
"Harry, calm down, please!" Sirius put an arm around the young wizard's shoulder, but Harry tossed his godfather's hand away, as if he couldn't bear anyone's touch at the moment. "How could I calm down? My house has been burnt down! My owl has died! My daughter almost died!" his gaze shifted to the quivering Dinky. "Why didn't you put out the fire when it started? Elves have magic powers, don't they?"
"Well, Master Harry…" Dobby answered instead of his girlfriend, "it is like that elves lose a serious amount of their magic powers when they are in love… Dobby and Dinky couldn't have put out the fire even if they tried."
"But… why didn't you come to the pub earlier? That fire must have started long before you told us!" Harry yelled in an accusing voice.
"Master Harry… Dobby is very ashamed… but Dobby and Dinky were too occupied to notice the danger at first…" the elf hung his head, his brown complexion tinged with red.
"You were shagging while the fire spread in my house?" Harry shouted, shaking, but not with sobs, but with rage.
"Master, we apologise…" Dinky squeaked.
"Don't let me see you again!" her master bellowed at the unfortunate elf. "You're fired! Go and fuck Dobby elsewhere!"
"Harry…" a tear-soaked Ginny stepped to him, but he recoiled.
"Leave me alone," he hissed. "I have to bury my owl."
The crowd gave way to him and followed him with their eyes as he put Hedwig's body onto the snow in his garden, right under a huge oak tree that Hedwig had loved to perch on. He flicked his wand at the ground and a small hole appeared on the soil. Harry dropped to his knees, pulled his old Gryffindor scarf off his neck and wrapped the tiny body into it, then placed it into the hole with all the solemnities befitting a monarch, not a mere animal. He covered it with soil again and levitated a rock from the rockery, placing it over the tomb, then with a final wave of his wand, he conjured an epitaph of one single word onto the stone: 'Hedwig'.
"May you rest in peace, my friend," he whispered, a last tear coursing down his soot-covered cheek. "I shall never forget you… and I'll revenge your death, I swear," with that he stood up and headed back to the others. "Come on, Ginny, kids, we are going to Mrs. Figg's. We no more have a home."
* * * * *
On the 2nd January, Gabrielle Delacour was having breakfast, preparing to leave her house for the florist's shop when the magical doorbell rang. She opened the door to see Draco standing at the gate of her garden. She activated the gate-unlocking charm and let the visitor in.
"Good morning, Miss Delacour."
"Good morhning, Mr. Malfoy," she said. "To what do I owe ze honour of your visit?"
"Have you read today's paper?" the blonde man asked.
"No. Should I 'ave?"
Draco shoved the Daily Prophet into the young woman's hand. "Rhea Skeeter has been well-informed as always. Takes after her wretched aunt."
On the front page was a coloured photo of the sooty Potter house, and – to Gabrielle's surprise – another photo of Draco's house.
The headline said: 'HOUSES MISTAKEN – GOBLIN REVENGE?'
The first day of the new year will very likely remain the most tragic memory of Harry Potter. While he and most of his family were taking part in the New Year's Eve party in the Three Broomsticks, his house burnt down. What has caused the fire? – we may ask. And the answer very possibly lies with Mr. Draco Malfoy and his bank, Malfoy & Malfoy.
You may wonder what the connection between the fire devastating Mr. Potter's house and Mr. Malfoy's bank could be. Just cast a glance at the photos below. Even in its burnt state, the Potter house bears a remarkable resemblance to that of the banker Malfoy. As though the two houses had been twins… interesting, is it not?
As we all know, Gringotts Bank has been suffering from a serious financial crisis ever since Mr. Malfoy opened his bank in Hogsmeade – several goblins have lost their safe jobs and have to live off unemployment benefit, cursing the day Draco Malfoy was born.
According to the Daily Prophet's information, Mr. Malfoy has been harried by goblins for months. At the New Year's Eve party in the Three Broomsticks four goblins had been seen, who disappeared shortly before Mr. Potter's house was set on fire. Could it be coincidence? I, for one, seriously doubt it.
Mad-Eye Moody, head of the Magical Law Enforcement, has told in an interview that the remains of the Potter house and its surroundings had been thoroughly examined and now we have evidence for a goblin-attack: one of the ground-floor windows has been broken and the shards of a Fire-Spitting-Goblin-Gargoyle have been found. (To those who have already forgotten what they have learned in professor Binns' History of Magic classes: the Fire-Spitting-Goblin-Gargoyle is some kind of a bomb shaped to the form of a gargoyle head. When it is activated, it splits open and an all-igniting substance gets released from its inside. Goblins loved to use this kind of weapon during the Goblin Revolutions.)
It seems that the goblins who have been spotted in the pub of Hogsmeade have set Mr. Potter's house on fire – mistaking it for Mr. Malfoy's, given the uncanny resemblance between the two buildings.
Mr. Malfoy, the real target of the goblins' attack, was also celebrating in the pub, which makes it difficult for us to draw the conclusion – the goblins have very likely seen Mr. Malfoy at the party – but why set his house on fire when he wasn't in it to get burned? Was it supposed to be a mere threat? An admonition to tell Mr. Malfoy 'close your bank or next time you'll also get cooked!'? We can only guess.
A rather racy detail to the story is the fact that the two elves, who were supposed to take care of Potter's youngest child in the house, were having a little romp when the fire broke out, so they did not notice it quickly enough. When they finally noticed it, the flames had already spread from the ground-floor living room up the stairs, separating them from Potter's youngest child. They hastily let the pets – six owls, a raven and a monkey – out of the house and hurried to the pub to notify the Potters. By the time The Boy Who Lived, his family and friends arrived at the house, the whole building was on fire. However – according to bystanders – Potter, his godfather Sirius Black, their friend Neville Longbottom and also the neighbour Mr. Malfoy ran into the blazing building to save the little girl. The child, though, got finally saved by the heroic owl of Mr. Potter. The owl, named Hedwig, managed to lift the child up to the windowsill, but barely had the girl opened the window when the owl died of exhaustion – she had been very old, after all. Bystanders told us about Mr. Potter's behaviour after the tragedy.
Doris Crockford: Harry Potter seemed to have gone mad. I have never seen him like this before – as though he weren't himself. He first wanted to persuade vicar Diggle that God hated him, then fired his house-elf (he did all this with a lot of yelling), then finally, when he had calmed down, he buried his owl in the garden of his house. He looked scary, really, like a raging madman at first, then like a silent lunatic… gave me the creeps!
Professor Trelawney (who arrived to the ruins of the Potter house later that day): I saw this! I saw this months ago! I told Harry Potter to keep his eyes open, but he just wouldn't listen to me! He keeps saying that Divination is nonsense, the most imprecise branch of magic, but see where he got with his stubbornness! Maybe he'll listen to me from this day on, and he'd better, because the series of tragedies affecting him and his family haven't come to an end yet!
We can only hope that Sybill Trelawney was wrong, that Mr. Potter and his family will get better soon and that the guilty goblins will be caught. 'We are working on the case with all our might' said Mad-Eye Moody. 'And until we catch the perpetrators, I can only give two pieces of advice: first, to Mr. Potter: do remember that life goes on, second, to Mr. Malfoy: the goblins are still thirsting for your blood, so constant vigilance!'
Thank you, Mr Moody.
Gabrielle looked up from the newspaper, frowning. "So you were zeir target? Not 'Arry?"
"No, not Potter. Why would goblins want to harm the wonderful Mr. Potter?" Draco said sarcastically. "If someone wanted to harm him, then maybe Trelawney…" he gave the girl a grin. "She might have set his house on fire just to prove that her prediction was all right."
"Ah, Dhraco!" she waved. "Don't be stupid!"
"I was kidding, okay? Anyway, I have just received an owl from the manager of Gringotts – he wants to talk to me."
"To talk to you? About what?"
"That's obvious, isn't it? He is going to try and persuade me that his former employees have absolutely nothing to do with the attack on Potter's house and that I shouldn't turn to the Magical Court of Justice saying that the goblins wanted to kill me. Of course I'm not going to believe him, whatever he says. I even think it's possible that he will use our little meeting as a good opportunity to get rid of me… he requested in particular that I didn't tell anyone about our meeting… so that no one can suspect him if I mysteriously disappear and my body gets found weeks later in a sewer…"
"Oh, Dhraco… don't even talk about such things!" she knitted her eyebrows, wondering why Malfoy was telling her about his impending meeting when he obviously hadn't told anyone else.
"Why not? The possibility cannot be excluded," Draco replied nonchalantly, as though his life wasn't more important to him than a glass of butterbeer. "And that's why I have come."
"What do you mean?"
"Perhaps you have heard of my very rich – and luckily late – uncle, Jean-Luc Malfoy, who has left all his money by will to us: father and me," Draco said, seating himself. "His last wish was that we found a bank with the money – a bank that can only be directed by Malfoys. Uncle Jean-Luc dreamt about becoming a banker all his life, but he simply had no talents for dealing with money, so he did not dare to start an enterprise. He wanted that father and I made his dream come true - at all costs, so he threatened us that if we didn't found a bank on his money, then it would go to the wizarding orphans. Before we got poor, my father had given donations to orphanages for several times and didn't intend to let them have our newly inherited money. You know, we Malfoys respect our relatives very much, even if we don't like them. Thus, respecting uncle's wish and not wanting to lose the money, we founded the bank… and now all this is in danger. Father isn't going to return to England for months and my brother is still too young to direct a bank if something happens to me… and these goblins are going to see to it that something does happen to me."
"Dhraco, please, don't say zis…"
"But I have to. I've got to prepare for all possibilities… and that is where you come in."
"Me?" Gabrielle blinked.
"Yeah. You have to help me. You said you learned how to direct a bank. Should I die, you have to take over Malfoy & Malfoy until father returns."
"Me? But… you said zat your uncle insisted zat only Malfoys direct ze bank."
"Yes, that's what I said," Draco nodded.
"Now wait a minute! You don't want to…?"
"Oh, yes I do. I'm going to marry you."
"Escuse moi?" she gasped.
Draco looked at her appalled expression and shrugged. "You wanted to marry me years ago, after all… And it's only about a short time. The goblins won't know about it, so your life won't be endangered like mine – they only want to kill the Malfoys. Anyway, this morning, I placed a fire-repelling and explosion-preventing charm on the bank, so you cannot be touched there. An identical charm can be placed on your house and mine as well."
"'Ow good for me!" she said in a mocking tone.
"You don't want to help me, do you?"
"Right zere you are."
"Gabie… " Draco's voice turned pleading. "I'm not asking this for myself… but for my mother, father and little brother. All our money is in that bank. If it goes bankrupt because of my death, my parents and Norbert won't have a knut."
"Hm… I thought you didn't like your bruzzer at all," Gabrielle folded her arms.
"That's right – I don't like him. But it's my duty to secure a safe and wealthy future for him. This is the very first of the 66 Malfoy rules: respect your relatives and fulfil your duties towards them – at all costs."
The girl looked contemplative for a moment, as if weighing the arguments pro and con marrying Draco Malfoy. There were many cons (number 1: Draco is stuck up! number 2: Draco is stuck-up. number 3… Draco is stuck-up…), but the pro was securing the future of an innocent child.
"All right, zen," she said finally. "I don't know your parents, but your bruzzer seemed to be a nice leetle guy to me – I'll do it for 'im. And not for you."
The young wizard nodded.
"And 'ow exactly did you imagine ze whole zing?" she asked. "I mean… marrying me wizout ze goblins getting to know?"
"Have you heard of the ancient Scottish wedding ceremony called troth?"
"No," she shook her head.
"It is the following: the man and the woman assert – without witnesses, if they don't want any –, that they get married to each other. The man gives the woman his ring and the wedding is done. This ring," he pulled a silver ring off his finger, "has been in the possession of the Malfoy family for centuries. The eldest son receives it on his eighteenth birthday and gives it to his fiancée when they get married. The eldest son's wife wears it until their eldest son turns eighteen, then passes it down to him. So, should something happen to me, this ring shall prove that you are my wife. The marriage will last for one single year, and if that year is over, it automatically ceases to exist. The husband and the wife, of course, might decide to get married again in the normal way, but that does not concern us. One year, Gabrielle, and no obligations, no superfluous ceremonies… quite a clever custom, this troth. Muggles stopped using it about one hundred and fifty years ago, but wizards haven't abolished it yet."
"You said it was a Scottish custom… are you Scottish?" she frowned.
"No, I'm pure-blooded English… with a bit of French ancestry," he said with a small smile. "However, we are in Scotland for the time being, so the marriage is going to be valid."
"All rhight. One year… and no sleeping togezzer, Malfoy."
"I thought you liked calling me Draco," he grinned. "Oh, all right. I promise I'm not going to touch you… as long as you don't want me to."
"Hah, wishful thinking, Malfoy," she said. "C'mon, let's get it over wiz, zen. Marry me, zen go, ze goblins are waiting for you."
* * * * *
"Why have you sent for me, Albus?" Hermione asked, seating herself in front of Dumbledore's desk.
"I would like to know about Harry's condition," the old wizard replied, looking a bit paler than usual. He must have been shocked by the news of the Potter house burnt down. His phoenix Fawkes was sitting on his lap, its huge black eyes mirroring the sadness of its owner.
"Well… he's coming to teach today, of course…" Hermione said, but seeing Albus' stare she understood that it wasn't what the headmaster was interested in. "He's broken down, Albus. Ginny's miscarriage was hard enough to bear for him, but he showed himself strong, in order to put heart into her. Still, I know that deep down he was suffering, and now this case with the fire… his youngest child almost died, and she only survived because of Hedwig. Thus… all Harry's pains are focused on Hedwig, who was not only his pet, but a friend. Hedwig was his first real birthday present, you know… he got her from Hagrid… Her death was a terrible shock for him, although he knew that she'd die sooner or later, given that Hedwig was very old. But I suppose he wouldn't have been so crushed if she had died a natural death, peacefully," Hermione heaved a sigh. "Harry just can't accept that his Hedwig died in the fire… or at least almost in the fire. If there had been no fire, she could have lived for another few years, I think… and Harry lost their home as well."
"I heard that the house hadn't tumbled down," Albus said, stroking Fawkes' back. "With a few week's work it can be returned to its original state, right?"
"I think so," Hermione shrugged, "but it won't be the same. This house will always remind him that his daughter almost died in there and that his owl did die in there. Oh, Albus, why is life so unfair to poor Harry?" she burst out. "He has suffered more than any of us put together and his suffering never seems to end! Why? I simply can't accept that he is reduced to a human wreck again because of some stupid goblins who mistook his house for Malfoy's!"
The headmaster shook his head. "I don't think it were the goblins."
"No?" she knitted her eyebrows. "What makes you think that it wasn't them? The Daily Prophet article clearly states that the fire was caused by an ancient goblin weapon."
"Dear Hermione," Albus smiled benignly, "I thought you were good in History of Magic."
"I was," she said.
"Then reply to me, please, what did you learn about the goblins' abilities?"
"Well…" she started chewing her lower lip, concentrating on the bits of knowledge she had stored in her mind over the years. "Goblins are… good in stealth, practically impossible to catch if they don't want to be caught… they have an excellent sense for dealing with money and for cheating for money as well… what else? Um… their vision, hearing and sense of smell are highly developed, almost as much as that of dogs…" her eyes widened. "You meant that they are too keen observers to mistake two houses for each other, even if they look so similar?"
"Exactly," Dumbledore nodded.
"My gosh! Then the target wasn't Malfoy!"
"Right. It was Harry."
"But who… who would want to harm him?" she asked with a pleading expression. "He has no enemies anymore… has he?"
"Be sensible, Hermione," Albus said. "Harry and Ginny had a great role in doing away with Voldemort and getting several Death Eaters into Azkaban. The relatives of those Death Eaters are at large and they must be thirsting for revenge."
"Poor Harry…" she sighed. "There are so many dark wizards who got into Azkaban because of him and Ginny… how could we find out which one caused this?"
"I have already talked to Mad-Eye," replied the headmaster. "And he shares my opinion. The wizards of the Magical Law Enforcement found the shards of Fire-Spitting-Goblin-Gargoyle in the Potter house, but Alastor wasn't fooled. He knew that the attackers wanted it to seem as though it had been done by goblins, so they had used a goblin weapon. Alastor is one of the cleverest people I know – including you. He knows that he has to be looking for humans, not goblins."
"Then that Daily Prophet article was a simple ruse?" Hermione looked extremely excited by the news she had just got to know – excited, but terrified as well. "What Mad-Eye said in there… he wanted everyone to believe that they were after goblins, while in fact they are looking for a human?!"
"Brilliant deduction," Albus said. "I must ask you Hermione, to keep this a secret – no one must know it – especially not Harry. He has to live in the belief that he and his family are safe now because the goblins wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Let him believe this – he will heal quicker if he does not have to worry about another attack."
"Speaking of attacks, Albus… have you managed to find out anything about the acromantulas?"
"Unfortunately no. Just one thing is sure: the attack was aimed at Severus, and it was well-planned."
"Yes, Harry told me about a letter that lured Snape to the edge of the forest…" she looked into Dumbledore's vivid blue eyes. "Harry said he trusted me enough not to tell anyone, and I was the only one he told about it…"
"It's okay, Hermione," Albus waved. "I know that you wouldn't give it away and Harry did the right thing to trust you with this secret – your intelligence might help us solve the riddle."
"I wish it would," she said. "But I'm at my wit's end. Who would want to kill Snape if not… oh! Could it be another Death Eater-relative who has it in for Snape because he sided with you instead of helping You-Know-Who?"
"Possible, yes," Dumbledore nodded. "But a Death Eater-relative's vindictiveness wouldn't make Severus' Dark Mark ache, now, would it?"
"This whole thing gives me the creeps," she shuddered. "Riddle upon Riddle… while Tom Riddle is dead. He cannot be causing all this… can he?" she shot the old wizard a look that beseeched him to say 'of course not'.
"Of course not," said Dumbledore. "I presume you have read the book Death and beyond?"
"The one about the wizard reincarnation? Yes, certainly. It states there that wizards and witches who killed out of evil are denied the chance to be reborn in a new body."
"See, Voldemort couldn't have returned. It must be one of his eager followers who wants to do away with Severus and Harry… but who?" he mused.
"I suspect that not all Death Eaters were present at Stonehenge when You-Know-Who died," said Hermione. "Am I right?"
"Alas, this is something we might never know. But we'll work on the case. Just one thing counts: Harry must not know."
"He won't. You have my word," she nodded. "Albus…"
"Yes?"
"Whoever is behind all this… he or she must have it in for Remus as well, don't you think?"
"Um, you refer to the Discord Potion?"
"Yes."
"Well… might be. However, it could be just another 'attack' aimed at Harry. He seems to have a great antagonist."
"I wish I knew who it was…" she said, standing up. "If you excuse me now, I have a class."
"Certainly. Thank you for coming, it is always a pleasure to talk to witty people like you."
"Thank you for your trust, Albus," Hermione nodded and headed for the door. Then she suddenly turned around. "Lucius Malfoy."
"Pardon me?"
"I said Lucius Malfoy. How could I be so stupid not to think of him earlier?" she looked downright angry with herself. "He's the only Death Eater we know at large!"
"My dear Hermione," Albus shook his head, "Lucius has had nothing to do with the Death Eater business ever since Voldemort's fall. I wouldn't say that he stopped exercising dark arts, but he has no reason to want to harm either Severus or Harry."
"But… for a while he was You-Know-Who's right hand!" she reasoned. "You-Know-Who might have promised him to give him power beyond we could imagine…"
"Even if Voldemort had given Lucius such a promise, it must have happened before he cast Cruciatus on Lucius," Dumbledore said. "Remember that Lucius spent months at St. Mungo with addled brain and only got healed when Voldemort died. I seriously doubt that Lucius would want to take revenge on those who helped Voldemort die, given that he must have been downright mad at his former Dark Lord. If I were in his place, I would be mad at someone who drove me crazy by Crucio and would be thankful to those who brought about the Dark Lord's downfall and my healing."
"You are right," Hermione said, still frowning. "Lucius Malfoy really has no reason to want Harry, Snape and Remus harmed. Then who…?"
"For this question I can only quote Alastor's words: constant vigilance – and we might find out."
"All right, Albus. I promise to keep my eyes open, and should I notice something, I'll report to you."
* * * * *
"Oh, Daniel… I'm so sorry," Gilda said compassionately during an ever-so-boring History of Magic class. She had just returned to the school from Egypt and her friends had told her about the Potters' tragedy-series. "First your mum losing your unborn brother, then the house burning down, and your dad's owl's death… it must have been terrible."
"Yeah, it was," Dan nodded. "I have never seen dad this broken down. He is so pale and his eyes… they look so empty, so devoid of emotions… it keeps me wondering what exactly he is feeling, but he seems to have closed up, letting no one – not even mum – into his heart. I fear he might…"
"Might what?" Norbert asked.
"… go mad," Dan whispered. "I don't want to see my father in the lunatic ward of St. Mungo."
"Don't worry, you won't," Norbert patted him on the shoulder. "Your dad is a tough man, he can hold out, no matter what happens. He did away with Voldemort, didn't he? He faced thousand dangers and always came off victorious!"
"Yeah… perhaps he'll manage this time as well," Dan nodded, not feeling too optimistic.
"Don't give up hope," Gilda squeezed his hand. "Everything is going to be okay and the goblins will be caught and sent to Azkaban for life."
Daniel was very thankful to his friends for the encouragement and felt considerably better after talking to them, but he feared that his fahter's spiritual balance wouldn't be put right as easily as his. Life was so damn unfair, he thought. Why did his father always have to suffer?
Professor Binns shook him out of his reveries by announcing that next Monday they'd be writing a test – about goblins.
"Goblins, goblins, always goblins!" Dan fumed. "They set our house on fire! I hate them! All of them, from Adalbert the Aberrant to Zigfrid the Zonker!"
"You'll still have to write a test about them, so you'd better prepare," Norbert remarked as they exited the classroom. "Oh, good morning, Professor Snape!"
The Potions Master dashed past them without even indicating that he noticed them.
"What got into him?" Gilda frowned. "He's quite nasty, that's right, but up till now I thought he knew that one was supposed to return a greeting…"
"He must have been too immersed in his thoughts," Norbert defended their head of house. "Even he can have problems…"
Dan wondered what Snape's problem could be and followed his friends out onto the grounds, to greenhouse number two.
* * * * *
Snape didn't have any classes on Monday, so no one found it strange that he didn't appear in the Great Hall for the meals – no one, but Bert Bradley. He started to feel worried about the Potions teacher and decided to visit him in his room.
Knock-knock.
"Who's there?" Snape's voice shouted from inside his bedroom.
"It's me, Professor," the caretaker opened the door and entered. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Snape gave him a bemused look that immediately told Bert that Severus was a bit tipsy. Or maybe not just a bit. He was indeed holding a bottle in his hand, and the bottle was almost empty.
"What are you doing?" Bert knitted his eyebrows. He had never seen Snape like this before and supposed that Snape wasn't the type to get drunk.
"What am I dooooing?" Severus said in a drawling way – his tongue clearly didn't move as quickly as he would have liked. "I'm… I'm celebrating my birthday."
"Your birthday?" Bert asked, sitting down next to Snape. "How wonderful! I didn't even know!"
"'Course you didn't… 'cause no one knows," Severus replied with a dark glance.
"You should have told me that today was your birthday – I would have prepared with some present…" the caretaker said, barely believing that not a single soul in the castle – not even Dumbledore – knew that Severus had birthday today.
"No presents are needed," Snape waved. "I get birthday presents every 13th April from my mum…"
"13th April?" Bert blinked. "But you said that today was your birthday!"
"Yeah… today is my second birthday… I mean… I'm not two years old…" Snape propped his head into his palms. "You wanna know… why I celebrate today as my birthday… when I was born in April?"
"Yes, of course, I'm very interested!"
"Then let me tell ya a story…" Severus said. "You know Harry Potter, right? Oh, hell… how could ya not know Harry Potter?" his voice sounded sarcastic. "Well, hic, he had a father. That in itself wouldn't be surprising… now, would it?"
"Not much," Bert shook his head, not really knowing how to handle a drunken Snape. "What about Professor Potter's father?"
"Well… he was called James. And I haaated him. I hated all his friends as well… that idiot Black and that pathetic Pettigrew… they had Remus Lupin as their fourth friend… and Lupin was a… hic… werewolf… back then."
"A werewolf? Really?"
"Yeah… but no one knew… just Dumbledore, Pomfrey and Lupin's friends," Snape's expression radiated hate and despise, and something else, too… but Bert couldn't tell what it was. "I realised that Lupin hic… kept disappearing once in a month… got curious… once on the 2nd of January, right after the students came back to Hogwarts after the holidays… I saw Pomfrey escort Lupin… through the school grounds. I was damn curious, and that git Black told me to… to go and hit a gnarl on the Whomping Willow and I'll… hic… I'll get to know where Lupin went… so I went… and almost got killed."
"How?" the caretaker's eyes widened.
"I hit that gnarl and entered a… secret passage… that started from the willow…" Snape was about to drink the remainder that was in the bottle, but it accidentally slipped out of his hand and broke into several little pieces on the stone floor of the dungeon. The noise of the bottle breaking must have brought Snape a bit to his senses – but just a bit. "Damn," he growled. "Neway, I went into the underground corridor… and saw a werewolf… it was Lupin, and it almost killed me… then came James Potter and saved my sorry ass… damn him, he saved me!"
"Is it that much of a problem?" Bert asked, not understanding how someone could hate a person who had saved his life.
"Of course it is!" Snape slapped the table. "'Cause then I owed him one! I was in the debt of a bloke I haaaated! In the debt of the bloke who… who married the woman I loved," he stared at the ground as rigid as a rock. "James Potter took Lily from me…" indeed, Severus had secretly been in love with Lily Evans. He never understood why he just couldn't bring himself to be rude to Lily Potter, Harry's daughter… but it was obvious. Lily looked exactly like her grandmother, the only woman whom Snape had ever loved.
"I'm sorry," the caretaker reached out and squeezed the Professor's arm. "But I still don't understand why you are celebrating today as your birthday."
"'Cause I almost died that day. I considered it as… as being reborn… getting… getting another chance from life… I've celebrated this day ever since, always remembering James Potter… damn him."
"Excuse me, Professor, don't take me wrong, but if you hated this James Potter so much, then you shouldn't make yourself remember him every year this day," Bert said.
"Maybe I shouldn't…" Severus shrugged. "Wanna see that underground corridor?"
"Er…" before Bert could properly answer, Snape caught him by the arm and yanked him up from his seat.
"Come, I'll show ya… and let's take this," Snape snatched a bottle up from his table – one of two identical-looking flasks.
"Er, professor…" the caretaker wanted to protest, only to be dragged upstairs and out onto the chilly, snow-covered grounds. The park was bathed in the light of the full Moon. It was already six p.m. and most students were in their common rooms, sitting by the fire and talking about the past holidays, so not a soul was in the park. Severus was walking way too quickly and steadily for a man as drunk as he was.
Bert was frozen to his bones by the time they reached the Whomping Willow and welcomed the slightly higher temperature in the underground passage. In fact it wasn't a bit warmer in there than out on the grounds, but at least the wind wasn't blowing in there, so the corridor felt a bit warmer.
Snape kept pulling the unfortunate caretaker through the corridor – he had to bend down all along, not to bang his head into the ceiling -, and after about five minutes of swift walking they reached some kind of an underground room. Everything here was in ruins – the table, the chairs, everything had been crushed and the floor was littered with their debris.
"Well… that's it," Snape said. "The Shrieking Shack… that's where Lupin lived every month at full moon."
"Ehm… interesting place," said Bert, looking around in the dark room that was only illuminated by Snape's wand.
"Yeah… James and Lily were having dates here, so I heard…" the Potions master growled with a noticeable bitterness in his voice. "How utterly disgusting…"
"Um, Professor… if you don't mind me asking, why have you brought me here if you thought that this place was utterly disgusting?" the caretaker knitted his eyebrows.
"'Cause you were interested… weren't you?" Snape grunted.
"Er, yeah, I was, but…"
"C'mon, let's go upstairs… I've brought a nice bottle of champagne… and this is… this is the first year that I'm sharing my 'birthday' champagne with someone… you can't say no to it!" Snape's voice was peremptory and pleading at once, as though he had longed to share the celebration with someone for years but up till now he hadn't found anyone to tell about his secret. Bert felt sympathy for him – who wouldn't feel sympathy for such a lonely man as Severus Snape?
"Of course I'm going to drink with you to your 'birthday', professor," he smiled.
Snape nodded and led him upstairs, into a room that had a table with two chairs (in much better condition than one floor lower) and a huge four-poster bed.
The professor conjured some candles, took place on a chair and motioned the caretaker to sit down opposite him. He conjured two glasses and filled the liquid from his flask into them, then thrust one of them into Bert's hand.
"And now…" Snape lifted his glass to a toast, "damn all the Potters for always saving my miserable life… and bless them for the same… happy birthday to me!"
"Happy birthday, Professor!" Mr. Bradley smiled and they touched their glasses with a clink. "By the way… you were talking about the Potters in plural… did not only one Potter save your life?"
"If only one of them did!" Snape snorted. "No… Harry Potter also saved me… at Stonehenge… but I'm not celebrating that day, too… it would be… a bit… stupid… to have three birthdays in a year, wouldn't it? Cheers!" with that Snape downed his drink.
"Cheers!" Bert nodded and emptied his glass.
In the next instant, their eyes were forced shut and millions of little stars started to attack them from all directions. They hit them then bounced back from them... the world was spinning around them - they didn't know which way was up and down, they didn't see or hear anything… they felt spinning and spinning and spinning… suddenly it stopped, the little stars disappeared – the world stood still, and they glared at each other, mesmerized.
"Sev?" the caretaker whispered.
"Bertie?" Snape whispered back.
"Oh, Sev…"
* * * * *
Gabrielle was looking out into the moonlit winter wonderland, her heart clenched with worry. She couldn't take her mind off Draco, their secret wedding and the threat that hung over Draco's head like the sword of Damocles. She didn't dare imagine what could be happening to Draco all day – how the discussion with the Gringotts manager was coming along, was Draco still alive at all or was his body already down a sewer? There were too many questions to be answered and the more she thought of them the more worried she felt. Her glance fell upon a ring on her right hand – the silver ring she had received from Draco. The ring depicted two snakes with intertwined bodies. Apart from Gabrielle's loathing for snakes, she found the ring rather pretty.
It was already ten p.m. and quite dark outside when a figure appeared at her gate – the figure had silvery blonde hair that practically shone in the moonlight.
"Draco!" Gabrielle breathed, clutching at the curtain in excitement. He was alive! He was alive and came back to her!
She felt like ripping open the door and throwing herself into her husband's arms, but her proud veela blood kept her back. She adjusted her locks and forced herself to look less excited than she actually was. With the dignity of a princess she opened the door and flicked her wand at the gate, letting Malfoy enter. Her hand was shaking all along and her legs felt like jelly, but she just stood upright in the open door, waiting for the wizard with a haughty expression.
"Zey 'aven't killed you, as I see," she said coolly.
"You could be a bit happier about it," Draco grunted.
"I am 'appy, but don't be mad at me eef I'm not flinging myself on your neck in my ethernal 'appeeness," she replied.
"Pity… but you're right, not even hugging me would warm you up out here, it's damn cold. Of course you could still hug me in your bedroom…" he grinned.
"I told you: we got married, but no sleeping togezzer!"
"You were the one who mentioned it, not me…" he shrugged and walked past her, into the hall.
"So… 'ow comes zat you are not floating in a sewehr yet?" she seated herself on a sofa, motioning him with a graceful gesture to sit down opposite her.
"Dunno… that manager didn't look exactly murderous, you know," Draco said, taking a fluffy cushion into his hand. "He said exactly what I was expecting him to say… he wanted to convince me that no Gringotts goblin would ever dare set fire to a house just because that's mine… then I reminded him that the supposed perpetrators were no more Gringotts goblins, given that they had been sacked after my bank was opened. Then he started to babble everything about goblins' morals – which I know do not exist -, and everything… but I saw through his game, a Malfoy can't be fooled! I politely asked him to talk his fellow-goblins into leaving me in peace or they'll have to bear the consequences in front of the Magical Law Enforcement and the Magical Court of Justice, and the manager reassured me of the goblins' good will towards me and my bank," he made a sarcastic grimace. "Goblins might think that they can lie cleverly, but not if they're lying to a Malfoy. They'll need to get up earlier than that to deceive me!"
"Glad to 'ear, oh ghreat banker!" she crossed her arms.
"Are you making fun of me?" he threw the cushion he had been holding at her.
"Not at all!" she replied, grabbing the same cushion and another one, aiming them at Draco.
In the blink of an eye they were having a furious pillow fight, making the whole house ring with their laughter. Feathers were flying every way from the unfortunate cushions, looking like indoor-snow, settling into both Gabrielle and Draco's hair. When there was only one cushion left in one piece, Draco snatched it before Gabie could and aimed it at the woman with such force that the 'impact' made her tumble backwards and fall onto the sofa – mysteriously Draco also tumbled onto the sofa, right onto her.
"Uh, sorry…" he grinned, not too hasty to get off her.
"I can eemagine 'ow sorry you are," she replied with an angelic smile and pushed him off herself with such a sudden move that in the next instant he found himself lying on the floor.
"Ouch. That hurt," he muttered.
"It was supposed to 'urt, Mr. Self-conceited," Gabrielle replied, standing up and smoothing her robes. "And now, would you pleaze leave my 'ouse?"
"On our wedding night?" he pouted.
"Exactly," she nodded, opening the door for him.
"When will I see you again?" he asked.
"Why do you want to see me again?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Why wouldn't I want to see you? You're my wife."
"I'm your deputy bank-manager, you mean," she corrected him. "And as long as you are alive and able to direct your bank, you do not need me."
"Perhaps… but you, as a deputy manager, are supposed to visit the bank once in a while," Draco reasoned. "Let's say… a five o'clock tea tomorrow – solely for business purposes?"
A small smile appeared on Gabrielle's face, seeing Draco's attempts to get closer to her. But she wouldn't give in so easily. She had been fantasising about this man ever since she was fourteen – she had met him several times in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade over the past ten years and he hadn't given her a look… he was torturing her, unbeknownst to him… and now Gabrielle wanted to return the torture. "Solely for business purhposes, eh? All rhight. We shall 'ave tea – and discuss business. Only business."
"Okay," he grinned. "Good night, Mrs. Malfoy."
Gabie shut the door behind him and had to squeeze her hand over her mouth not to shout with glee 'He called me Mrs Malfoy! He wants to meet me again!' She had never felt so happy in her whole life, but, at the meantime, she felt a pang of remorse, knowing that her happiness was due to the grief of the Potter family. Had the Potters' house not been burnt down, then the article on goblins vs. Draco Malfoy wouldn't have been published, Draco wouldn't have got jittery about dying and leaving no one to care for his bank, and he wouldn't have married her.
*Poor Harry,* she thought, then chased the sad feeling of remorse out of her heart so that she could in peace think of her husband and their future together. Yes, their future… for she had decided not to give up on Draco after the one year of troth was over. Poor Draco, he had no idea what he was in for…
* * * * *
Severus opened his eyes, squinting in the relative darkness of a rather unfamiliar room. Some candles were standing on a table, burning low, making the room look eerie. He looked around, feeling dizzy and having a nasty headache, and it slowly dawned on him where he was: in the Shrieking Shack. He was lying in the huge four-poster bed, and he was totally alone. What had happened? - he tried to remember. Oh, yeah, he had brought that caretaker here, they had drunk a glass of champagne to his 'birthday', then… then…
He sat bolt upright. They hadn't drunk champagne! There had been two bottles on his table in his room, two identical bottles – one of them containing champagne, the other containing the strongest attraction potion ever! The same attraction potion that he had once force-fed Harry Potter, making him fall for Mrs. Norris! The potion that, if drunk by two persons at the same time, made them… uh-oh…
Snape gulped, and slowly directed his stare downwards, already fearing what he'd see. His gaze shifted to his bare chest, then to his blanket-covered lower parts. With shaking hands he lifted the blanket and almost passed out when he saw that his fears had been proven right.
He was naked.
A/N: now you surely want to shout at me: "you evil slash-writer!", but I'm telling you: if you call me a slash writer, you'll regret it soon. Not telling yet, why, just wait, trust me, and you'll see.
I think that Draco acted a bit ooc in this chapter, but I wanted to show that he could be so happy and carefree as well :)
Stay tuned for the next chapter: the longest chapter of the whole series.
Alexander Phoenix: yeah, you really say 'poor' too much :) I don't think that I have ever read a fanfic in which Hedwig died. I hope you found this chapter nicer than the last one ;)
figgiesblazin: perfect match? Hm… we'll see.
Tap Dancing Widow: yes, you're right, Harry is going to go through more. And much worse things.
jennaration: glad you liked the religious part :)) Of course Lily is going to get her period soon, but it won't be important in the story.
sabby: what's next? Well, now nicer things are coming… for a while. You can enjoy about 10 nice chapters before all hell breaks loose. Harry and Ginny are safe. As for Dan… let's hope so :)
Black Ice: you wrote: "there doesn't seem to be a bad guy causing all of this. The story is almost a 'this is my version of Harry's post Hogwarts life with kids'." You have no idea how wrong you are. There IS bad guy/gal, and when his/her personality is revealed, it will be the greatest shock in HP fanfic history, you have my promise. Harry will wish he were dead, it will be so dreadful. Originally I wanted to name this story something like The Greatest Shock of Something… but then decided against it. The point it that there is someone bad in this fic, and his/her involvement in some events is great. You cannot imagine how much he/she is involved in things. This story is a lot like an Agatha Christi novel: the interwoven plotlines will be solved at the end, revealing things you have never even dreamed of. Just give me time and be patient with me, okay? Perhaps H and G are acting Mary-Sueish, but soon they won't. I'm giving you a teaser/sneak preview of a H/G scene that comes later:
…there was still one person he wanted to give a last glance to…
Ginny.
His wife.
His life.
She was the most beautiful thing in his life - and not just her looks, but her heart, the way she loved him – it was simply beautiful… a memory worth of taking with himself to the netherworld.
She smiled at him – a brave smile it was. There were no tears in her eyes, although she felt like bawling. She kept her tears at bay. She wouldn't cry, wouldn't let Harry pass with the image of her crying when he could pass seeing her smile…
"Thank you for being my wife, Gin. You have been the best thing in my life."
"So have been you," she whispered. "I'll be with you soon. Forever."
He nodded, his eyes fixed at her face. He wouldn't look away from her. Let her be the last person he saw in his life… let him die seeing her smile…
So, did you find this Mary Sueish? Too sappy? Just wondering…
chrissi: I'm glad I managed to make you 'feel' how deeply Harry loves Ginny. Thank you, my grandpa is doing fine :)
2Coolio: thanks – I love it when people say 'holy shit', it's so funny!
jasper: oh, so our birthdays are so close to each other :) I got a scanner for mine. What did you get for yours?
Bucky: holy cr*p, Bucky! I'm still laughing when I think of your review! Acromantulas loving Chinese food! That was your best so far, keep such jokes coming, I love them! :D Do you want to be mad at me? Because if you want to, then look at this art of mine – here's the link (you'll have to paste it into your browser because ffnet doesn't let me make proper links):
Rest assured that I still hate her, no matter how pretty she is ;)
Altec: I don't think I spelled Sirius with a C, did I? I'm glad I managed to make you 'almost-cry'. I was crying when I wrote 'killing-off-Hedwig', but I think my grandpa's illness added to my bad mood. I'm glad that I'm the only H/G author whose fics you like, it's flattering :D
C-chan: S.R.I.C. – hey, I love this! :)) I think that the kid who announced that Neville had a Remembrall in the movie was Dean Thomas. I have never seen/tasted Lemon Drops. I wish I could, if Albus likes them, they must be cool :D I like Bertie Bott's. Yes, feel free to use Profero Graviditas, and no, I won't ask you why you need it ;) I haven't seen a single episode of South Park yet.
rebkos: another interesting idea. But no, Voldie had no children (the mere mental image of him having sex with a woman turns my stomach, yuck!)
King Jasbon: the next death comes much later, around the end. Thanks, my grandpa is doing fine :)
Shazzman: no, the fact that Lily isn't fully developed isn't important. It just assures the reader that she won't have kids in this fic ;) None of the underage people will, anyway.
Muggle: thanks for your support and I'm glad you like my stuff ;)
Sean Mulligan: my grandpa is doing okay now :) The 500 day rule was mentioned in chapter… er… 9, I think, by Dobby. It means that if two house-elves fall in love and declare their love to each other, then they must not see each other for 1000 days to test their love, and after 1000 days they can start dating, but they mustn't have sex for 500 days. (Dan and Norbert made snide remarks about house-elf rules being stupid).
seashell: I know fictionalley pretty well, but I only read fics on schnoogle, I don't like the Astronomy Tower for example (I haven't been able to find a decent fic on AT up till now, but schnoogle has many good fics). Sometimes I look at the art section as well. Perhaps one day I'll post my arts there. What do you mean by 'Snape and Bradley dig each other?' is 'dig' some kind of a slang here? Sorry, but I'm not familiar with it, I don't know too many slangs :( I agree, Liu belongs with a rat (hm, if Pettigrew hadn't got stuck in that pyramid, he'd make a nice hubby for her or for Cho ;) I hope you are feeling well now (you said you were sick).
Indigo Ziona: yep, Cho is a bitch ;) But I drew a nice pic of her. Wanna see it? Then go to:
Wood's secret lover: how could I be so horrible? Hm… dunno. It's in my nature (just kidding, I'm a really nice girl, I just love writing sadistic things ;) No, you couldn't guess Dobby and Dinky's kid's name. You'll find out what it is in chapter 27. And no, this kid won't die. About the vicar: I think I kind of copied the reverend from Disney's The Parent Trap – the reverend in there was very funny and loved alcoholic drinks ;) The funny thing is that I didn't even realise I was copying him until my friend Toby Haine mentioned the movie Parent Trap: then I suddenly realised that my vicar was a lot like the reverend from that film.
Houou: I don't think that Doris is evil, she's just a crazy old bat like Trelawney. I think Trelawney isn't evil either, just crazy.
Kit Cloudkicker: yes, Hedwig was very brave *sniff, sniff*
Katrina: Cho and Liu are two of a kind ;)
No longer a Lone Wolf: of course Lea is clever! All the Potters are clever, it runs in the family! :D
Red Ridding Hood: Harry meant it in a sarcastic way: now he either doesn't believe in God at all, or thinks that God hates him. Oh, but of course it was Norbert's first kiss! Why would he lie about this? I swear it was his first. You almost cried? Oooooh… I'm happy! *now you're scowling at me madly* - I'm happy because that means I managed to reach my goal: to make that scene really touching. Well, Harry did fire Dinky…
Keila: glad you liked them :)
AmandaPanda: nope, the elf kid won't be important.
Katie Bell: thanks. It's okay, not everyone can be religious. And don't worry, no religion comes up in the future. Or rather put it this way: there will be one single sentence in the final chapter in connection with religion, but that's all.
Brat Pack Girl: I can't tell you whom I'm going to murder next. But for quite a while no one will die.
FireBolt9000: okay, I'm not asking, inside jokes are hard to explain.
Colibi: yes, rest assured that the ending will be a 'they lived happily ever after' one :) And the final line of the story will be just as funny/surprising as the final lines of the first two stories. That's a nice tradition I'm going to keep: always end my fics in a funny way.
Princess Ginny: why did Neville and Draco show up? Well, they just wanted to help, out of the goodness of their hearts :D
Toby Haine: I'm glad you thought that last chapter was my best so far, because that was my opinion, too. However, the very best chapters (IMHO) will be chapters 27-29. Perhaps also chapter 30.
VegaKeep: why are the American Corporate Exec's dirty? Why do they play dirty? And uh… who exactly are they? Sorry, I have no idea.
Lady Schezar: I'm glad you aimed all your hexes at Cho, she deserves them! Norbert and Lily… who knows?
ErisedLily: I'm happy you think that the nasty twists add to the story. I also think that H and G throwing daisies would be utterly boring. Unfortunately I have read some (many) stories like that. But not anymore.
PheonixFire: hm, I had no idea how a woman who has just miscarried would act – I've never known anyone personally who has miscarried. I just thought that Ginny would perhaps want to replace the lost child with another. Oh yes, a lot of Imaginer stuff is coming up! :) About Harry's relationship to God: you'll see that in the final chapter. (don't imagine a huge religious stuff there, just one single line, but it will tell everything).
Saphron: well, there WERE Draco/Gabie moments in this one ;)
apple-pie: don't worry, the next 10 or so chapters will be much happier than the last two. Glad you liked the religious part :)
Kristen Michelle: it seems you were really shocked about Hedwig's death. Sorry. I'm glad you didn't write a real flame :D
Inken: Lea wasn't left alone with Hedwig: the two house-elves were 'taking care of her', or put it this way: they were supposed to look after her if they hadn't been doing some other stuff… *coughsexcough*. I understand what you mean about religious stuff, and I'm not taken with the Church myself. The Church did terrible things in the middle ages, but as an extremely clever Ethics professor told us in the college: "Never mistake the idea for the institution. The idea – Christianity – is beautiful and totally all right. The institution – the Church – isn't all right." And I have to agree with him. The idea of Christianity is cool, everything Jesus taught us is wonderful, but the Church did dreadful things in the name of God (and I think that God must be also mad at the Church for that!) No, Lily-not-being-a-big-girl-yet isn't important. I also don't understand why some girls look forward to it. I remember I cried when I had my first period. I felt utterly miserable ;) About Neville's parents, here's a quote from chapter 34 of TGSiHH: Voldemort's death had a tremendous impact on the whole wizarding world – the evil was dead and the evil charms due to his tyranny lost their effects on the still living victims. Neville got his parents back. Lucius Malfoy, who had also been driven mad by the Cruciatus that Voldemort put on him in chapter 16 of TGSiHH, also got healed when Voldemort died.
Prongs: perhaps it was the enemy who did it… this chapter makes you think that, doesn't it?
tarantula: Hedwig's death was just an additional torture for Harry, the more important thing was the house burning down. Everything about this will be explained in chapter… 28, I think.
Nefertiri: I don't think that Hedwig will die in book five. Rowling said that she wrote about a terrible death in book five – a death that was extremely hard for her to write, and I don't think that she'd feel so miserable about killing Hedwig. I for one believe that Hagrid will die in book five. Yes, most of the story will take place at Hogwarts. Congrats on winning in basketball! :) How did your last match go?
ruffled owl: whew, that's a relief! You know that I was afraid why *you* would say about the religion part? 'Cause I knew you had to be Jewish, since you said you read the HP books in Hebrew ;) So, I was kinda afraid, what a Jewish person would say, and I'm very happy that you liked it! :D
Sky: really? You like Lea so much? :)) I haven't seen that horse-episode of Little House.
Inigma: glad you liked it.
Jennifer W: yes, in the end everything will get all right for the Potters, you have my word :)
JustChrys: you wrote: "poor Harry. I'm almost afraid to see what's next for him!" Well, something worse… much worse. In case you want to know how much worse it is, read the italicised sneak preview I put in my reply to Black Ice. *hah, I'm very evil, I should feel ashamed!*
loveatfirstsight: no, there won't be a sequel to this one, this is the end. But I might write other stories (very likely H/G) and also outtakes from these three fics, like I wrote Starry Night and Racoon Bite.
Squalldaman: don't worry, there'll be a lot about the kids. Funny that you say the H/G parts are boring and I should be focusing on the kids, while other say there's too little about H/G in this fic so I should focus more on them than on the kids… unfortunately I cannot satisfy everyone's wishes, but rest assured that there'll be a lot about the kids in the near future :)
Autumn Dreams: well, my birthday wasn't very special, but I got a scanner, and that WAS special :) Glad you liked the flower-scene :D Yup, I thought that it would be very Harryish to make him run his hand through his hair, it's somehow cute, I guess ;)
goldenstar555: yep, more bad things are coming for poor Harry… but for a while he'll be safe.
tyleet: oh, now I understand the dodgeball thingie! Thanks for the explanation!
EchoLark: no, Gin's miscarriage had nothing to do with Harry's wish. It had something to do with something else, but I'm not telling yet what is it ;) What? The Potters moving in with Draco? Ooooooh… my mum asked my why I was laughing so hard… then I told her your idea… hilarious! Yes, my birthday is 19th February. Well then happy belated birthday to Joe! :)
Harrysgirl: well, now you know why the elves didn't help Lea ;) Nasty, kinky elves! Yes, the twins are serious about the reconciliation. Kevin won't break his dumb pride… yet. Liu's a freak like her mum, that's all I can say :D About the next Potter baby – if there'll be one, that is – it won't/wouldn't be born in this fic, since the fic ends in July and now it's January, and a baby needs nine months ;) Draco doesn't like Ginny that way anymore. Well, now you know how the fire started.
Aimee: yes, the miscarriage had a reason as 80% of the things happening in this story have a reason. You'll get to know in chapter 28. The timing (Christmas) was just a nasty idea of mine: to make Ginny and Harry be even more miserable that it had to happen on that wonderful holiday. Yes, I'm sure that Harry fixed Gin's 'pregnancy dress', and perhaps she'll wear it again some day ;) Is your new cousin or a boy or a girl? And what's his/her name?
thecrazygirl: I've updated quick enough, haven't I? :)
Lana Riddle: I'm glad I managed to make last chapter touching. I was bawling like a baby when I killed off Hedwig :(
Makayla P.: when have I said that Snape was gay? *grins* just wait it out, you'll be VERY surprised!
Zenon Lee: no, I'm not going to kill off the Potters… at least surely not all of them ;) Who caused the fire? Well… this chapter told you a lot about him/her… but I can't reveal it yet. No, no divine retribution, I'd never ever write about such a thing. About someone cursing the Potters… well, Harry in the next chapter will say that he believes his family is cursed, but no, it isn't. Perhaps it's the greatest enemy behind all this… who knows? *enigmatic smile* And yes, more evil coming. There'll be peace for about 10 chapters, then all hell will break lose, so be prepared for the evilest twist in Harry Potter fanfic history (it's so very evil that at first I didn't even consider writing it, then I mentioned that idea to my mum and she said how wicked it was and that I just HAD TO write it. She convinced me ;)
Mage: welcome back, it's nice to see you again – I thought you have forgotten about me, so I'm glad that you haven't! *waves happily at Mage* As to your question: it's NOT out of the question. I'm evil, so the answer might be yes.
Rab: I hope you're doing better now :) No, Millicent's baby won't be in the story, but she won't miscarry. Yes, you'll get the baby elf in the story :D
weirdo_without_a_clue: Cho is nasty, but she isn't the greatest enemy and had nothing to do with the fire. No problem, you didn't make me feel bad – I know that there are way too many coincidences in my fics – but in this one there won't be that many, I think. However, I don't think that I really described Harry in all his glory. For example, I never used words the actual names of the sex organs in my stories I used 'metaphors' and 'euphemisms' – like "two wands" - instead of the actual names of the organs. Glad you liked my Aberforth, he's one of my favourite characters – I just love crazy guys! :) Yep, you're right, my stories are like a jigsaw puzzle – and I think that this one is the one that resembles a jigsaw most. I have already read the Draco Malfoy the amazing bouncing rat – about half a year ago – and loved it. One of the most hilarious HP fanfics ever. There's only that I found even funnier, it's Naked Quidditch Match by Anya and can be found on www.gryffindortower.net . Go and check it out, it's hilarious! And thanks for the long review. Btw, my grandpa is doing fine, he has healed since he was operated :)
Wizzabee: no, Harry won't cheat on Ginny. The Durmstrang chick who seduced Harry was called Tatyana – do not forget her name, she might be mentioned again. Nope, Cho isn't really evil, just nasty.
heavenly182angel: thanks, my grandpa is doing much better :) Yes, Harry was being sarcastic at the end of the previous chapter. Yeah, it's funny that elves should break rules ;)