**Finally! I get to write the students arriving! Also people wanted more Snape and I decided they were right so I did my best.

As before, if you want to be on the unofficial mailing list, drop me a review to let me know.

Yes! Past the 300 mark! Thank you everyone! **

It was the same dark corridor, the same eerie passageways. Harry followed the man with the silver hand up stairs and through doors (literally).

When they reached the final door, Wormtail's hand shook as he touched the door handle. He gently pushed the door open. It scarcely made a sound.

"Ah… Wormtail. So good to see you. Everything is according to plan?"

"Y…yes… My Lord."

"Liar. My senses tell me that something is worrying you. Let me in on your little secret, Wormtail."

Wormtail began to tremble uncontrollably. Harry resisted the urge to kick him hard in the backside from where he was watching.

He concentrated on the back of the chair. It was so huge that even Voldemort's head was not visible above it. A huge black thing decorated with skulls, it was probably The Dark Lord's own invention.

It was very good workmanship, Harry had to admit. His fingers suddenly itched to examine it.

Wait! What on earth was he doing? Voldemort was sitting there! Harry shook his head firmly and reverted his eyes to look at the cringing heap on the floor that was Wormtail.

"It is S…S…Snape, m…my lord…"

"Ah yes. Severus. What about him, Wormtail?"

"He…he is saying…"

"Get on with it, you fool!"

"Master, he is saying that it is too soon, that we should be trying for smaller targets first, Wizards…"

"The fool! Is he frightened?"

"I don't think so master."

"You don't think. I do the thinking here."

"Yes master."

"Well, what to do about faithful Severus… What do you think, Wormtail?"

This seemed to confuse Wormtail considerably. In the same minute he'd been told both not to think, and then asked for his opinion.

"Master… you said I wasn't to think…

"Did I say that?"

"Yes, master…"

"Crucio."

The air was suddenly full of Wormtail's screams. When the curse was released, he got to his knees, still trembling.

"I know what to do about my little lie spreader. Send some useless incompetent out to kill him."

Wormtail looked up hopefully, despite the aches that must have been wracking his body.

"Of course, they'll probably die in the attempt…"

"You mean not to kill him master?"

"Not in the least, Wormtail. But it will make him wary enough to stop spreading poisoned ideas among my Death Eaters."

"What if the assassin succeeds, master?"

"Then that's too bad. I can't have doubtful feeling among my servants. See to it."

"Yes, master."

Harry felt that familiar pulling sensation, and he

Sat up in bed.

Oh brilliant. The only good thing about that dream was that no one had died. Not that Harry would have minded, considering the subjects…

Send someone out to kill him.

Oh great. Snape's life was under threat. Just what he always wanted, but Dumbledore needed him. Really, really great.

Harry had long since given up asking the question, 'Why me?' at every turn, because there didn't seem to be an answer, but he said it aloud then anyway, just to make him feel better.

"Why you what?"

"Did I say that in Parseltongue?"

"Evidently."

"What am I going to do, Sleeve?"

"Hopefully, you'll grow up have eggs and then die. That's what usually happens, isn't it?"

"Humans don't lay eggs, Sleeve."

"Don't they? How fascinating."

Harry shook his head and automatically reached over on his bedside table for his glasses before he remembered that they were still in a pocket in his jacket and where likely to stay there for the rest of the life of either the glasses or the jacket.

It was weird not having them on, but he knew he'd get used to it after a while, and started to get dressed. As he pulled his robes over his head he mulled over his predicament.

The obvious answer was to go straight down to Snape's rooms now and tell him. Harry didn't doubt that he could find them with the Marauder's Map now at hand again.

The chances were, however, that Snape would be asleep, and would probably curse him into a thousand pieces for coming into his room at five o'clock in the morning.

He didn't want to get killed before term started, thanks.

Another course of action would be to wait until he could catch him in a corridor. But by then it might be too late, and Snape would still curse him into a thousand pieces.

The only thing to do, it seemed, was to tell him at breakfast, which the Potions Professor would be attending, for a change.

Harry didn't want the other teachers to hear what he was going to say, but he didn't want to be slaughtered, either.

He decided to make sure, just to be on the safe side. He had plenty of time on his hands. He smiled at the almost pun as he looked at his palm.

He decided against using the blue book. He didn't need this particular conversation to be recorded, and writing took so long…

'Sirius?'

'Harry? What's up?'

'Well-'

'It's five o'clock.'

'So?'

'I thought you'd got your powers straight?'

'I have. Sort of.'

'It's amazing, Harry.'

'So I hear.'

'So what's up? I was just waking up from a beautiful sleep there.'

'You were wide awake, weren't you?'

'Er… yeah.'

'Well, I had this dream.'

'One of 'those'?'

'Yes, but no one died.'

'Oh well that makes it perfectly fine then.'

'Be serious, will you?'

'I am, that's what I keep telling you people! So, this dream...?'

Harry then proceeded to tell his Godfather everything, cunningly exaggerating the effects of the Cruciatus curse to make Sirius forget about being tired and start seething.

Cruel? Of course it was.

'Well, you're going to have to tell him, Harry.'

'You agree with me, then.'

'Yes. Despite how much I loathe him, he's necessary in Dumbledore's plan. Though I didn't know about the whole Death Eater charade though. Thanks for that information.'

'I bet Dumbledore wasn't going to tell you.'

'Too right. Anyway, I defiantly would not advise you telling him without company. Otherwise you'll probably end up a by-product of death by Snape.'

'That thought had crossed my mind.'

'You-know-who seems confident that Snape'll survive it, but it's likely that he'll get a scare. As much as I think he deserves it, I think he'd appreciate you telling him.'

'Do you really?'

'Well, he would if he was human.'

'Thanks a lot, Sirius.'

'You're welcome. How's Remus?'

'He's fine. You should see his room.'

'And Alula?'

'She's fine too. She was happy to see Remus, though.'

There was a pause.

'Sirius – Remus told me. About you and Wendy.'

'Why the hell did he go and tell you that?'

'Wendy asked him to. I think it's nice that at least someone wants me to know things.'

'I'm sorry for not telling you before, Harry.'

'But why didn't you?'

Harry hoped he wasn't out of his depth. He didn't know his Godfather well enough to judge when he was being pushed too far.

'Because – because I guess – I'm ashamed. I – I ruined her life, when she could have been the most powerful and respected witch and auror living. I reduced her to a hideaway in a foreign country, with no friends and no family anywhere near her. I did all that.'

'Nope. Voldemort did all that.'

'You keep telling yourself that, Harry. I've got a lot of things to put right, and a lot of people to repay. I'll do it all in time.'

'If she'll give you the chance.'

Another pause.

'Does she really hate me that much?'

'She hasn't told anyone about your animagus form, if that's any help.'

'She hates me.'

'Yeah.'

'What am I going to do?'

'You'll do it. At least you don't have to tell Snape that he's about to be assassinated. I am not Voldie's messenger boy, thank you very much.'

'You'll do fine, Harry. You'll do just like your father, and you'll be fine.'

And then he was gone.

Harry wondered why people always expected him to be like his father. He didn't want to be too much like his father. Especially when it got down to the dead part.

A lot later, Harry made his way down to the entrance hall in a snug snakeskin. Sleeve had at least been impressed – the second time. The first time had been an utter disaster. He'd looked like a run over pencil.

Now though, the shape was perfect. His scales flashed in the sunlight from the windows and he had to resist the urge to bask in it's rays.

Every time a teacher appeared, Harry resumed the cat form out of sight, just to keep in practice.

He'd purr appreciatively at them and then race ahead before they could catch him. Then, once out of sight again, he'd resume the black snake form, perfecting little details each time.

"You know, I must have seen that cat about three times this morning," said Professor Sinistra thoughtfully, as Harry entered the Great Hall. "Keeps popping up everywhere."

"Funny," said Wendy. "I've never seen it."

"You were down here at about three o'clock in the morning," pointed out Professor Binns. "Not even a cat would be stupid enough to get up that early in this weather."

"Cats hunt all through the night, so there," said Wendy. "And they aren't stupid either."

Professor Binns looked slightly taken aback. Harry supposed he couldn't even remember the last time someone had said 'so there' to him.

Hagrid was not present, but Professor Snape was, looking sour at having to be up at this time in the morning. Everyone asked about Harry's glasses, and Harry explained very shortly that he didn't need them anymore.

"Are we expecting any unusual mail for you this morning, Harry?" said Professor Sinistra, to change the subject.

"I certainly hope so," said Wendy.

Everyone looked up at her, shocked. She shrugged.

"Well, it's been on alternate days so far, hasn't it? If we get one today, there won't be one tomorrow. I don't think anyone would want that on the first day of school."

Everyone else nodded, satisfied, but Harry couldn't help thinking that lord Voldemort would have thought of that.

The guy was clever, Harry had to admit it. Ruthless and terrible, but clever. The worst kind of villain in any horror story. But this was real life.

He was right. When the post arrived, everyone drew their wands, but only Hedwig alighted on Harry's shoulder, looking longingly at his bacon rinds, which he gave to her, only slightly relieved. He looked a little closer at Hedwig. Was there something different about her?

Snape had a letter too. Harry watched his expression carefully as he read it, but it didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary and there Harry's hopes of a way of bringing up the subject were dashed.

Fortunately, Dumbledore came to the rescue as usual.

"Are you out today, Severus?" he asked meaningfully, with a pointed look at the letter in Snape's hand.

"Most of the day, Headmaster," said Snape dryly.

"I erm… wouldn't go if I were you, Professor," said Harry quickly.

Everyone's eyes swerved to look at him.

"What do you mean, Potter?" Snape snapped.

"Well," Harry said, wondering how to phrase this, wishing he'd revised this part.

Then he remembered a spell that could help him. He'd never tried it before, but it would be the simplest way of telling him without actually coming straight out and then getting blown to smithereens.

This was meant to be used on other people. Harry was not one hundred per cent sure that it would work on himself – and he didn't want the other teachers, let alone Wendy, to see him struggling with an impossibility.

"What do you mean, Harry?" asked Professor Dumbledore quietly.

"I don't suppose you'd like me to tell you in private?" Harry asked Snape. It was his favourite option, but –

"We're all ears." There was a cold edge to Wendy's voice that was rarely present.

It was that voice more than anything else that made Harry decide that it was worth trying.

Concentrating hard on the dream, Harry moved his hand as if holding an invisible wand, and touched his forehead with a whispered: "Clarita."

It then seemed to everyone in the room that they were underground. The small sounds of air and footsteps echoed around them.

Harry deliberately did not let them in on what he could see. The memory – even just sounds and feelings – was hard to sustain. Any more and he might pass out.

He was showing them his memory of the dream through sound. If he had been able to, he would have limited the spell so that only Snape could hear it, but his control over the spell was minimal as it was.

Footsteps growing louder, the soft creak of a door –

"Ah… Wormtail. So good to see you. Everything is according to plan?"

"Y…yes… My Lord."

"Liar. My senses tell me that something is worrying you. Let me in on your little secret, Wormtail."

Harrry started to sweat. He forced his eyes open so that the image would remain inside his head – Wendy mustn't see Peter! – and looked around at the others as the dream continued for the second time.

Wendy, Flitwick and Dumbledore seemed to be the only ones with the faintest inkling of what he was doing. Still, they listened with rapt attention. The others all looked shocked at that hissing voice, that cringing whine…

Snape had sweat running down his face too, almost as if he knew what was coming next, eyes as cold and unrevealing as usual…

"It is S…S…Snape, m…my lord…"

"Ah yes. Severus. What about him, Wormtail?"

Wendy looked sharply up at Snape. So did several of the other teachers. Harry prayed they already knew about Snape's current occupation. Snape himself had shaking hands.

"He…he is saying…"

"Get on with it, you fool!"

"Master, he is saying that it is too soon, that we should be trying for smaller targets first, Wizards…"

"The fool! Is he frightened?"

"I don't think so master."

Wendy made a derisive noise at that. Snape looked up at her with a glare.

"You don't think. I do the thinking here."

"Yes master."

"Well, what to do about faithful Severus… What do you think, Wormtail?"

Silence at the staff table.

"Master… you said I wasn't to think…

"Did I say that?"

"Yes, master…"

"Crucio."

Harry slumped in his chair as the air rang with Wormtail's howls. When they stopped some people had their hands over their ears. It didn't help in the slightest to block out Voldemort's next words.

"I know what to do about my little lie spreader. Send some useless incompetent out to kill him."

Someone screamed. Harry was now holding on to that memory with all his strength unable to stop his own feelings of fear and pain passing on to the teachers. Snape jumped. Dumbledore frowned.

"Of course, they'll probably die in the attempt…"

"You mean not to kill him master?"

Baited breath…

"Not in the least, Wormtail. But it will make him wary enough to stop spreading poisoned ideas among my Death Eaters."

"What if the assassin succeeds, master?"

"Then that's too bad. I can't have doubtful feeling among my servants. See to it."

"Yes, master."

Five, four, three, two, one…

The echoes ceased. Everyone felt a brief surge of Harry's relief before he pulled his memory back into himself, thanked it and told it never to obey him again.

Snape stood up without a word. He left his breakfast unfinished and swept out of the Great Hall.

"He didn't even say thank you," said Harry, back to his normal self but breathing heavily.

"He's trying to kill him?" said Professor McGonagall. Harry wondered vaguely why she was looking so shocked.

Before he could answer, however, he was enveloped in Wendy's small arms.

"Harry! Don't you ever, ever scare me like that again!"

Harry jumped.

"Please tell me you'd practiced that spell before!"

Harry tried not to look too guilty.

"Er.. if I say no, will you overreact?"

"I should be able to control myself."

"I practised it over and over until I had it right."

"I don't believe you."

"Your problem, not mine." Harry's breath returned to normal and he picked up his fork as if nothing had happened. He'd lost his appetite, however.

"And that happens every night?" said Professor Sprout. Her voice shook.

Harry looked up at her. It seemed to them all that there was a deadened look in his eyes.

"That was a good one."

"A good one?" exclaimed Wendy.

"No one died." Harry was trying to make clear that he didn't want to talk about it, but Wendy was deliberately making that hard.

"Who's Wormtail?"

"His henchman. He does all the dirty work."

"It sounds familiar."

"Can't do," Harry lied. "This one's pretty new."

"Can you name all of You Know Who's supporters?" she asked. It seemed to be some kind of joke.

Harry looked straight into her eyes. "Do you want them alphabetical?"

She looked shocked. "Then why on earth don't you? Turn them in?"

Harry glared at her. She didn't get it. She thought she knew everything, but she didn't know anything.

He hissed it at her. "You don't know anything, do you?" It wasn't Parseltongue, but it had the same effect. Wendy stared at him in shock.

He left his plate, pushed his chair back loudly and made his way in silence to the Gryffindor common room, knowing she'd follow him.

Wendy stared after him. "Was it something I said?"

Dumbledore sighed.

***************************************************

Harry waited for about ten minutes for his teacher to arrive, letting the after effects of the clear memory spell drain away. By the time they were all gone, he was feeling very sorry for what he had said, and Wendy was entering the room.

"Harry?"

"Hi." Then, before he lost his nerve, "look, I'm sorry about what I said. The spell was making me… angry. Just like… at anything."

"That's all right, Harry. Dumbledore explained to me about Fudge and the Ministry. They're all a bunch of dossers, aren't they?"

That made Harry smile a bit. "So… we're OK?"

"Yeah." She said it with the same amount of relief. "I'll see you later then?"

"Sure."

She left. Harry wondered what he was going to do now. Wendy had obviously gone to meet Remus – there are some things you just can't keep a secret – so there was no chance of meeting him.

He thought briefly of checking through all his homework, but that notion was dismissed in a second.

More Defence work? Please. He'd memorized every single word of those books and his head would explode if he tried to do it again.

Animal? Whoops, he'd forgotten that. He picked up the dog-eared book on animal anatomy and behaviour and tried to focus on the owl page, but all he could think about was Snape.

Where was he? What was he doing? Was he going to walk right into the trap or avoid it somehow?

Owls, owls, owls… Harry stared at the page until he thought his head would explode anyway.

He threw the book across the common room, where it landed on an armchair, and transformed into the cat.

Preoccupied as he was, he missed seeing the young lady headed his way on the second floor corridor until it was too late.

Damn. If forgot I can run faster than she can.

"Oh! Hello!" said Wendy.

If her eyes go googly I'll bite her.

Harry backed up into a sort of bow.

"Very well, thank you, My Lord," said Wendy with a curtsey.

Eh?

"So you're the one everyone was talking about at breakfast."

Harry shook himself in a sort of proud, 'be about your own business'.

Nosy parker.

She giggled. "You are noble, aren't you, My Lord?"

Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, now move along…

She did in the end, after much stroking and idle conversation.

When she had left with an offhand 'we'll see each other again, My Lord," (not if I can help it) Harry sped off in the direction of the owlery.

He transformed and entered the dark room. Hedwig swooped down softly when he called her name.

He stroked her gently. "You wouldn't just flap up to where I can see you, would you?" Harry asked quietly.

She obliged, if a little puzzled, by flying gracefully upwards to one of the lower perches. Harry stood still, taking in all the tiny details of her body.

He tried to remember all he had read in the book about the positions of the owl's insides.

The pinfeathers… longer than that…

He closed his eyes.

Hedwig squawked with fright. Standing below her was not her master, but a handsome, pure black owl.

Hush, Hedwig.

The snowy white owl cocked her head on one side.

Harry flexed his wings. They were larger than he had expected, for some reason. He gave them an experimental flap, and he rose off the ground a couple of inches.

He squawked and fell back down onto the ground on his feathery behind. Hedwig opened her beak in mirth.

You show me then, since you're so clever.

Hedwig was only too glad. She gave him a sharp lesson on how to fly without a broomstick. Harry hadn't realised his owl was so critical.

He soon learned to determine the difference between her noises of irritation and of praise. She conveyed more important items of conversation using images inside his head.

Harry thought that this particular thing would have Muggle scientists tearing their hair out in frustration, if he could ever be bothered to tell them.

She grew increasingly impatient because he didn't understand that once you were up, you didn't need your wings except to get higher. You just had to lock them in place and let them carry you.

If there was more wind, she seemed to be saying, you'd be able to soar properly.

Harry got the hang of it in the end, however. Hedwig showed him around the parts of the owlery that couldn't usually be reached.

Harry wondered whether a real owl might find this more attractive. The bird muck and half eaten food everywhere made him feel rather sick.

When they reached Hedwig's own perch, however, he got a surprise.

Hedwig! They're not yours, surely?

Three large brown eggs sat in a circle inside a nest made of twigs, fluff and forest debris. Hedwig looked a little sheepish.

No way! I mean, I'm happy for you, but who's the father?

An image of a large, handsome brown owl with sparkling eyes.

Flash?

A squawk of impatience.

All right, all right. Congratulations.

By the time the tour was over, it was past noon. Harry thanked his owl, transformed, and ran downstairs on four paws.

While thinking about Hedwig's eggs (I ought to tell Remus about that) he forgot once again to look where he was going.

"Good afternoon, My Lord," said Professor McGonagall.

Oh brilliant. Now she's informed everyone of that stupid title. And I've missed lunch.

Harry lifted his head majestically and strode off.

"Do you know, Alula was right about you…" Professor McGonagall's voice faded into the distance.

In the end, Harry scabbed some food off the house elves, who were incredibly pleased to see him and all congratulated him on his reformation of Dobby.

"Reformation?" asked Harry incredulously.

"He is being very good, sir!" piped up one of the house elves. "He is working now, even on his…" she shivered. "Day off."

"Why?" said Harry, though he had his suspicions.

"I is not knowing, sir. Dobby is not telling us, sir."

All the same, Harry got a good lunch from them, warned them that Madam Pomfrey might be paying them a visit to check that he had been fed, and made his way to the Defence Against The Dark Arts classroom.

******************************************

"Today we're switching roles."

Harry felt a surge of excitement.

It must have shown on his face, because Wendy sighed. "I'm not looking forward to it myself, but you need the practice."

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you too badly," Harry said with an evil smile on his face to rival Wendy's own.

"That's what I'm afraid of." She ducked her head, whipped out her wand and clothed herself in the traditional black robes.

Harry was in combat robes before she could blink.

She glared at him. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

A shield flew into place around her – but it was blue. Weird.

 "I am your clay!" said Wendy's voice from behind the sky like expanse. "Feel free to mould me into grotesque shapes!"

Harry certainly did his best. He sent curse after curse at the shield without repeating himself, dispelling it each time and causing Wendy to create a new one.

After a while he grew fed up and threw two at her at the same time, one with his wand, the other with his left hand.

The combined result blew the last shield up and levitated his teacher upside down, revealing old jeans and a frown.

"Thanks a bundle. I bet you enjoyed that."

"No, not really. It's no fun when you're not fighting back. It isn't fair."

"Well done."

"Well done what?"

"You passed."

"I didn't know there was a test!"

"It was something other than whether you can cast a curse or not. You had to do it without enjoying it. No one on the light side should take pleasure in attacking someone who can not defend themselves."

"That sort of killed the evening," said Harry, after a brief pause.

Remus came in then. "I've been looking for you," he said to Harry.

"Where else would I be?" said Harry, just as Wendy said,

"You shouldn't get into the habit of wandering around. What if a student saw you?"

"There aren't any students yet, Wendy," said Remus with a smile that said 'not that it matters'.

"What did you want me for?" said Harry.

"Tell me about your animal."

"His what?"

"It's a project he's doing," said Remus with a shrug. "he has to tell me in detail about a different animal each day."

Wendy looked at him as if trying to read his mind. "He's not going to… you know…"

"Of course not. He's too young."

"Si – he was only fifteen when he did it."

"He was an idiot. Harry's better than that."

Harry knew that Remus was making it up but it hurt to hear what Remus might have thought about Sirius before he learned the truth.

And the way they were talking about just him told Harry that Wendy didn't know about Peter and his father.

Oh well. It made everything just a bit easier.

Harry then proceeded to recite everything about the owl. It took a while, because Harry was taking his information from his transformation, not from the textbook.

When he had finished, he dropped the bombshell.

"Hedwig and Flash's what?" exclaimed Remus.

"Eggs," Harry repeated. "do you want one?"

"Just one, if that's all right."

"Sure. I don't think I could raise three more, anyway."

"Baby owls?" said Wendy in a choked voice. "How wonderful!"

Harry stood embarrassed. "It happens every day."

"Yes, but little baby ones!"

Remus shot Harry a look that said 'women.'

"Er… would you like one?"

 "Oh Harry!" Wendy hugged him. "Do you mean it?"

"Sure. Like I said, I can't raise three more."

"But you must keep the third one for yourself. Don't you dare give it away to anyone at all."

Harry could see her point, if for the wrong reasons. She had sentimental views, Harry just knew that Hedwig would never forgive him if he gave all her babies away.

He went back up to the owlery in the evening to see Hedwig's eggs again. Just to make sure he hadn't been making it up inside his head.

Hedwig was happy to see him as soon as he transformed. Her squawks and thoughts seemed to say, 'if you can be an owl, why bother being a human at all?'

After he'd spent as much time as Hedwig would let him looking at her potential offspring, he asked her whether she'd like to fly with him, with the utmost courtesy.

She agreed gracefully, and together they soared off into the sky.

It was already dark, but the sky was clear and they flew together over the trees of the forest and over Hagrid's cabin.

Harry then led Hedwig over to the huge main gate of Hogwarts, and they flew over it, Harry using his owl sight to try and spy out the horseless carriages that were due at any moment along the track to Hogwarts.

When the first one came into view, Harry let Hedwig show him how to swoop gently downwards to watch them crunch along the stony path.

A few people stuck their heads out of the windows to look at the stark white owl and the barely visible black one. Harry waited patiently, until he heard:

"Look Ron! That's Hedwig!"

"Hedwig! Over here!"

Harry swooped – very fast – with the wind to land with a bump on Hermione's lap.

Hedwig settled much more gracefully on Ron's shoulder.

"How's Harry, Hedwig?" said Ron quickly, as though she could answer. "Who's your friend?"

"He's beautiful," said Hermione, running a hand over Harry's feathers.

"is he black?"

"What does it look like to you?"

"I didn't know you got black owls."

"Well, this one is." Hermione sighed heavily and leant back on the seat. "I wonder if Harry's all right?"

"Hermione, that's the fifth time you've said that since we left King's Cross. I've been counting."

"Well I'm worried about him. It was that bad."

"Well, once we get in there, don't mention it, Ok? Just act like nothing's happened."

"Do you reckon that'll work?"

"Nah, he'll see through it right away. But we can only try."

Harry didn't need to hear anymore. He hooted to Hedwig and they flew out of the window again and back to the castle.

Harry ran down the stairs two at a time, waving a hand so that his green combat robes he still hadn't changed out of quickly became his school ones. 

It was cheating, but he wanted to make it back to the Entrance Hall before Professor McGonagall did. He also wanted to beat Peeves, who'd been remarkably quiet all week and was probably planning something.

He made it down the last staircase just as there was a knock on the door. He turned the key, flung open the door, and –

"HARRY!"

He was set upon.

"Hermione! Get off!"

"Sorry! Are you OK? I've been worrying about you the whole time…"

"So much for being discreet," said a voice from behind her as the whole school filed in around them, watching.

"Hey, Ron." He shook hands with his friend just as a huffing puffing Professor McGonagall rounded the corner.

"I see you opened the door," she said disapprovingly.

"You wouldn't have just left them out there?" asked Harry, innocently.

"You made a specific attempt to get down here before I did, young man, and don't try to deny it."

"Ok. I won't."

Professor McGonagall shook her head and waved the whole school on. "In you get now, quickly, before the first years arrive."

"How've you been, Harry?" said Ron, red hair standing out against his black robes as they filed into the Great Hall and sat down at the only recently assembled house tables.

Harry noticed that his chair at the staff table had been removed. He wasn't too sure how he felt about that.

As they sat down, Harry grinned wider than he had all summer and said "Great, Ron. Just great."

"What about these then, eh?" said Ron, plucking at his prefect badge, which looked very out of place. "It's been hell at home ever since I got my letter."

"Where's yours then, Harry?" said Hermione, who was wearing her own on the most visible place possible on her robes. "You were on the list of Prefects."

"In my pocket," Harry lied, and brought it out. It had lived a much simpler life as a paper clip only a second previously. He'd have to exchange it for the real one when someone wasn't looking.

** Ok, now you know why it took me such a long time. The chapter was meant to be half this length! Did you like it? You know how to let me know…

Here be thanks:

Skahducky

Wingweaver

Kateydidnt

Ranger

french flunkie

Liedral

Jordan

Shdurrani

Maverickgean

AllAboutMe

Gotta Luv Pippin

Vanessa

Syd

Chanzo654

D.S. Moony

Lady FoxFire

Gara

Sabrina

Mystic Queen

Sky Chief

Angel Baby

John

AllieSkittlez

lover of the Dragon

shinystars007

Evil Willow

Joanna

Sarah Powdrill

Miss-Sexy-Ass-Kicker

Ashley

Karen

Tiger Lily

the Queen of Fire and Ice

Amity

Lani Lathron

Autumn Dreams

Bumblebee Bucy

Immortal Rose

Ivette Jamaya

august wynd

Lanfear

Centra-gal86

Nova

Young Phoenix

K. H. T

Lady Russell Holmes

Darienetta Stoke

**Thanks everyone! Don't ask about the French exams, I bet I failed the lot, but half term is coming up so I will probably post then if not before. Wicked! **