A/N: I wanted to explain the closing line to the last chapter, in case some of you are not familiar with it. That line directly relates to the closing line of the movie, Casablanca (which the AFI ranked as only the second best film of the twentieth century. Did they really believe that a story about a guy and his sled was a better movie? Not that there's any prejudice on my part.) The closing line is spoken by Rick (Humphrey Boggart) to the Louis Renault (Claude Rains). "You know. Louis, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship." I guess I'm trying to say that you're right. I agree with you about the use of words but it is a line I had to use. If you noticed, I also used it in my other stories. Thank you for letting me talk about my favorite film. Next time I'll try not to talk as much.

To clarify a point for some other readers, Louis Renault was a character that Malcolm made up. That is why everyone was surprised when the real Louis showed up. It does make one pause in thought, though. If they were dealing with Malcolm, why were they surprised?

Also, for those of you who are anxious for me to finish: We're almost there.



CHAPTER THIRTYSIX: THE FEAST


"This is Great," Nob said happily as Professor McGonagall refilled his plate. "Thank you."

"And you are a very polite young man," Minerva replied.

"He learned that from his brothers," Professor Vector pointed out

"Yeah, Malcolm told me to watch it around you." Nob added

"He should take his own advice," McGonagall laughed.

"He does," Amber added. "He said you taught him to stand firm when he knew he was right. Although he still likes to be prepared."

Minerva McGonagall looked down at the boy who was stuffing his face, then glanced over at the moody boy at the Gryffindor table. "Stand firm. Do what is right," she said to herself as she unconsciously rubbed her chest where the stunning spells hit. "I must add to that list remember to duck."

"Excuse me?" Professor Vector asked.

"I was surprised to learn that Malcolm actually listened to me."

"Me, too," Nob said as he reached for a cookie.

*

"So, Good lookin'. You got a name?"

"Ginny Weasley. And you must be Snape's nephew."

"What?" Louis Renault asked, and looked when Ginny pointed. "Nope, never saw him before. Good hair, though. Anyway, you got a boyfriend?"

Ginny laughed. "No, I don't. Would I get the same answer if I asked if you had any manners?"

"Probably," Louis said and grinned when Ginny laughed.

"Could I try something," Ginny said, and gave him a kiss.

Louis smiled in surprise and asked, "What do ya think, Babe?"

"Yeah, you kiss just like my brother."

Louis shrugged. "I get that a lot. Mom says it'll change when I meet the right girl."

"Good luck."

"In the meantime?"

"Ask my brother. He's the one watching us. The one with the purple face."

"Gotcha," Louis said as he got up and sat elsewhere. "So, Good lookin'. You got a name?"

*

Hermione whispered something to Neville who looked in surprise. She nodded. Turning to Malcolm he asked, "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Malcolm asked as he put down the bone from the chicken leg he had eaten.

"You've been expelled. But that was Umbridge. It shouldn't count."

"It does count," Malcolm told him. "It was by order of the Minister for Magic. I'm also forbidden to use magic, but I've been assured that the ruling applies to me only in Great Britain. I'll just be going to another school. That's all."

"We'll miss you," Neville said sincerely.

Euan stood in front of Malcolm and held out a piece of parchment. "You might want to keep this. It's a list of grades for the first years. Your name is on it."

"Did he finally pass?" Neville asked.

"My name's on this?" Malcolm asked.

"Yeah. All of us thought it was a joke, then we found out after it was all over that it was a real class. Why didn't you tell us you were a real teacher."

[I'm a real teacher?]

"I forgot," Malcolm said. "Besides, would you have tried as hard if you knew it was for real?"

Malcolm watched as Euan's jaw dropped open. At the same time a pair of arms came from behind and entwined themselves around Malcolm's neck, and a voice whispered into his ear.

"Je te adore."

"Who is that?" Euan asked in surprise and delight.

"My french teacher."

"I'd love to learn another language," Euan said loudly. The looks he received convinced him to go back to his own seat.

Gabrielle sat down between Malcolm and Neville as they made room. "I 'ave brought this for you," she said, and placed an envelope before Malcolm.

"What is that?" Neville asked.

Gabrielle smiled, knowing that everyone who could was listening to her. "Madame Maxime 'as personally invited Malcolm to attend Beauxbatons. It appears that 'ogwarts does not care about its students any more."

Gabrielle smirked as several students protested.

"Please tell the Headmistress that I accept." Malcolm grinned as he said that, looking only at Gabrielle.

*

"What?" Lois asked as she opened the door. "Oh, it's you Lloyd. Malcolm isn't home yet. Try tomorrow. Is this your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Lloyd insisted. "I'm only helping her out with a school project."

"I'm Belinda," the girl said, and added as a figure suddenly appeared next to her, "and this is my mom."

Lois marveled at the sudden appearance. "I didn't realize there were witches in the area. Come on in."

Belinda's Mom smiled. "We didn't even know about your family. I know all the girls rave about Malcolm but we didn't know it was your son. After all, he doesn't go to Brentwood."

"Coffee?" Lois asked as they sat down in the kitchen.

"Thank you. I'm being rude. I'm Beatrice. As I was saying, I didn't realize your family's background, and I thought I should welcome you back to the neighborhood. Since Belinda knows Malcolm, I suggested she bring me."

"To find out if we're really as bad as people say," Lois suggested.

"I didn't say that," Beatrice answered, but added, diplomatically, "we constantly hear things about your children and I assumed those things were said to help keep their magical abilities hidden."

"Believe what you want," Lois said offhandedly. "So. How does your daughter know Malcolm?"

"Let me say that I had to put a parental lock on the fireplace," Beatrice said as Belinda frowned. "Belinda, why don't you and your boyfriend take off. You obviously don't want to watch us talk."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"I'm only helping her with a project for Muggle Studies."

"Don't be ridiculous, all three of us know that Belinda can't take Muggle Studies until next year. I DO teach that course."

Lloyd looked at Lois in fear. "Please. Don't tell Malcolm."

"I promise," Lois said as Lloyd and Belinda fled.

"You dropped something," Lois called out as she reached down and picked up Belinda's wand.

*

"I am so happy for you," Harry Potter said sarcastically.

"Like I care," Malcolm retorted. "Every time you've said something to me it's been one snide remark after another. And I'm tired of it. It's bad enough I have to deal with your friend Ron all the time, but adding you to the mix made every day here a royal pain. Then after I'm done with you I have to turn around and deal with Draco and Dewey. I don't care if you're happy or not. I'm going to another school. If my mom lets me, I'm going to Beauxbatons, where I have actual friends. If not, then I'm going someplace close to home so I can see my old friends anytime I want to. Isn't that right, Lloyd?"

[Lloyd?]

"Lloyd, what are you doing here?"

"Belinda brought me?"

"Hi, Malcolm."

"Hi, Belinda."

"Um. Malcolm," Harry said.

"Oh, did you want an introduction? Well, forget it. These are my friends. I'm leaving here, and my life is going to be better."

"Um, Malcolm."

"Don't bother, Harry. The only way my life could get worse is if I stayed here."

"Um, Malcolm."

DO YOU HERE THAT, EVERYONE. I'M TIRED OF ALL YOU JERKS."

"Shut up and sit down," a voice said from behind him. "You're not going anywhere."

"Mom?" Malcolm said in surprise as he and Harry hurriedly sat between Gabrielle and Neville. He looked back and saw his mother holding something in her hand.

"Mom, you have a wand. What does that mean?

[OH NO. Mom has a wand. You know what that means.]

"Just hope you never find out, little mister. And you, young lady," she pointed to Gabrielle and then to the other side of the table, "you will sit over there. I don't want the two of you getting any ideas. You're too young to have a girlfriend anyway, Malcolm. Where's your brother?"

"Which one? Nob is at the head table with Professor McGonagall, Dewey's at the Slytherin table with Draco, and Reese is outside in the bushes with Millicent Bulstrode."

"No, he isn't," Argus Filch said as he dragged Reese forward. "He's sitting here with you. Move over Potter."

"We were studying Astronomy," Reese insisted, then turned to Malcolm. "Why does Mom have a wand?"

"Mom is a witch."

"I know that, but why does she have a wand?"

Malcolm paused then smiled and pointed. "Harry can explain it better than I can."

"Harry? Hey, cool scar. Did you get that skateboarding or something?"

"Or something," Harry said angrily while Malcolm grinned even more. "Reese, your mother has a wand because she is able to do magic. Do you understand?"

As Harry tried to explain, Hermione offered Belinda and Lloyd a seat. Both declined, pointing at Reese. "Then I'll join you."

She led them to another spot where everyone grudgingly made room, especially the ones who had to move closer to Reese.

"No, that isn't it at all," Harry said in exasperation. "Your mother is a witch. She is capable of magic. You saw how the tip of her wand sparked as she held it. The wand only helps her."

"Then that funny feeling when you grab a wand has nothing to do with it?"

Everyone grew deathly silent at the implications of Reese's statement. Even Malcolm was flummoxed for a solution. That is when Harry proved why he deserved to be called a hero. "That's right," he said smoothly. "They only feel that way because they are wands. But that has nothing, nothing at all, to do with magic."

"Thanks," Reese said cheerfully as everyone in hearing distance exhaled, "and if anyone asks, Malcolm said it was okay for me to leave."

"I even heard him tell you," Harry offered happily.

After Reese left, Malcolm turned to Harry. "I owe you. You name it. Anything and I'll do it."

Harry smiled broadly. "When you leave, can you take your cousin with you?"

"I'll try."

"It's settled. You're staying," Lois said as she walked by on her way out. "Albus said you could take care of Belinda and Lloyd. Professor Vector will take care of Nob."

"Mom, about Professor Vector . . ."

"She's Hal's Grandmother. I know. She told us all about it while you were gone for the summer."

"Oh, okay. Bye."

"I'll see you tomorrow. REESE, GET OVER HERE."

"I like you're mom," Harry said as he watched Lois and her friend leave with Reese.

[There's an interesting mood swing.]

"Only because she took my brother with her."

"No," Harry said sincerely. "It's more than that. She loves you. It obvious. I never had that. At least I don't remember. All I remember is everyone constantly yelling at me."

[It's funny. That's all I remember, too.]

Malcolm patted Harry on the shoulder. "If I can work it out, we'll have you come over for a visit. Maybe when we have a family get-together."

Harry smirked. "You can have me sit with Cousin Draco."

"He'll appreciate your concern. Now that his dad's in jail." Malcolm and Harry smiled. "Oh by the way, If you get a chance, could you ask Sirius Black if I actually drew a mustache on his mother's portrait."

"It will be a while," Harry said coldly.

[Great. Another mood swing.]

"Why is that?

[That's the problem with not knowing things. If I had said something to anybody else, I would have known not to ask that question. And how do I know I shouldn't have asked that question? Because Harry's ready to either kill me or cry on my shoulder.]

*

"I want to know," Hermione asked. "Why are the two of you here?"

"Malcolm's mom went crazy and forced us to come," Lloyd said.

Belinda answered more calmly. "It seems that Malcolm's mom is a witch but she was never told about it. When I dropped my wand, she picked it up, and it began to shoot off sparks. THEN Malcolm's Mom went crazy and forced us to come, after we went to the Magimall so she could buy her own wand."

"Then we visited your Minister of Magic," Lloyd explained.

"What happened there?" Dennis asked.

"It was terrible," Lloyd told everyone. "The Minister was literally shaking in fear."

"Have you ever received a Howler?" Belinda asked. "It was like that except the person who sent it was actually standing there."

"It was amazing, too," Lloyd added. "I've never heard such a degree of vileness that could still be rated PG-13. I almost begged forgiveness."

"For what?" Hermione asked.

"Anything."

"Belinda," a voice interrupted.

"Mom?"

"Everything is settled. Lois and I are going back home now. You can either stay here, or come with us."

"Stay!" Belinda asked and answered.

"The headmaster said you can stay for the feast and come back tomorrow with Malcolm, on the train."

"Mom, that's wonderful. Thank you."

"And you will be grounded for the rest of the summer. You can explain what that means to Lloyd."

*

"There were two letters for you," Piama said. "Both by owl."

"Was it . . ."

"No, neither of them was Malcolm."

They both smiled. Francis reached over and took the first letter and opened it. He smiled broadly. "The house is ours if we want it. Gringotts actually approved the loan. All I have to do is have a job when we sign the papers."

"This house must have had a bad reputation."

Francis nodded. "I found out that the neighbors next door to us have a reputation as well." Ironically, both looked out the window at the neighboring house on the opposite side from the Burrow.

"And here is the second envelope."

Piama watched hopefully as her husband opened the letter and smiled when he did, then frowned when he did.

"What is it?"

"I got the job," Francis said sadly.

"Isn't that supposed to be good news."

"It isn't exactly the job I asked for. Piama, the travel agency that Arthur Weasley recommended does want to hire me, and they'll pay me a decent wage, but the job is back in the States."

"Then we can't buy the house." Piama looked around her. "It was such a nice house, too. I've never lived in a place like this. Even on the reservation, rooms were small."

Francis smiled. "I have had a Malcolm-sized thought. We can buy the house, and rent it until we can live here. It's only a matter of time. I'll do my best at this new job, and I'll put in my name for a local position every chance I get."

Piama wavered. "Let's do it. Regardless of what happens, we'll still have a house, even if it means we have to sell it."

"I'll send both owls back immediately," Francis said happily.

*

"Malcolm?" Hermione asked. "Why are you sleeping on the couch?"

"Anthony is sleeping in my bed."

"Isn't EJ's bed still in your dorm?"

"Yeah. Lloyd is sleeping in that bed. And Belinda is sleeping in Amber's old bed."

Hermione sat down after Malcolm sat up. "How are you?"

"Tired, and annoyed."

"Are you going to Beauxbatons next year?"

"Probably not. I think she's making me stay here. Mom's not too excited about my going to the same school as Gabrielle. Belinda's Mom showed her the pictures from the Cotillion."

Hermione laughed. "I don't know what your mom will think about Brentwood. Belinda told me that her mother explained everything to your mother about her visiting you. Remember, Malcolm, you are the international playboy of the wizarding world."

"Ask Harry if he wants to trade places?" Malcolm said mockingly. "This time last year, I had given up on stopping the lies about my having a magical heritage. Now I know that my father's a squib, my mother's an untrained witch, and her father was a pureblood who's name I will not mention. My Grandmother is the only normal person in the family and she makes Umbridge look like a kitten."

"I'm sorry, Malcolm. You're life was so simple before."

"Don't be. The only reason I'm upset is because I didn't know. But now that the truth is out, I think it's cool. My brother Francis even put together a family genealogy. We've traced all of our relatives back at least five generations, even the normal branch."

"You mean the muggle branch."

"Yeah. And this is the cool part. My Grandmother's father settled in England, so we even have relatives here. They're all normal, um, muggles, of course."

"That's wonderful." Hermione agreed. "Do you know where they are?"

"Not exactly. We do have a bit of a soap opera here. It seems that My grandmother's father was this guy named Thomas Riddermark." Hermione arched an eyebrow on hearing the name. "Anyway, he abandoned Grandma and her mother rather then get married. Then he moved to England, anglicizes his name and gets married anyway. His wife died giving birth and (this is typical of my Grandmother's family) he dumped the kid in an orphanage and took off."

"Does the kid have a name?" Hermione asked carefully.

"Yeah. Tom Marvolo Riddle. He should be in his sixties now. Francis is trying to find out is he ever married or anything."

[Great. I said something wrong again. Thanks to Harry, I just have to hope that when I ask her why she's staring at me like that, she doesn't say she knows him and HE'S dead. Anything else I can handle.]

"Hermione? . . ."