I own the plot, the first names and the personalities of a couple of the characters, and not much else. JKR owns that.

My beta, Nat, rocks.

I really do like reviews.

Thanks to all those who have reviewed so far.

That being said:

*****

"So what happened to Krum?" Ron voiced the question that had definitely been on everyone's minds since the advent of Hermione and Fred at the party Friday night. No one had been brave enough to bring it up until Hermione slipped into her seat at the Gryffindor table the Tuesday morning after the Quidditch trials.

"What?" Hermione asked. Harry, Ron and Ginny all stared at her intently.

"Wait, isn't Krum that famous Quidditch guy?" Astrid asked.

"The famous Quidditch guy that Hermione dated last year," Ginny corrected. Hermione nervously looked up and down the table.

"The twins are still up in the tower working furiously on their Transfiguration homework," Ron said without asking what she was looking for.

"Right then, some Swedish girl named Olga happened to Krum," Hermione replied.

"He's got another girlfriend?" Ron asked coolly.

"Oh no, evidently he had a one night stand with her at the World Cup and now he has a wife named Olga," Hermione corrected.

"Wait. A one night stand led to him being married?" Harry asked.

"His wedding was only the social event of the summer!" Astrid squealed.

"It must have happened while we were at Hermione's," Harry reasoned,
"That's why we didn't hear about it."

"So how did a one night stand lead him to get married?" Ron asked.

"Actually it wasn't really the one night stand," Hermione said.

"But you just said," began Ron.

"It was the product of the one night stand" Hermione replied.

"What?" Ron asked.

"He has a gorgeous baby girl named Tatiana," Hermione said with a sly smile.

"WHAT!" Ron roared.

"Evidently his fling with Olga produced Tatiana. Olga found him after he got out of school and introduced him to Tatiana. Paternity tests proved she is his, so his parents forced him to marry Olga," Hermione explained.

"That's crazy!" Ron cried. Harry nodded vigorously in agreement.

"How did they hide Tatiana at the wedding?" Ginny asked.

"Oh they didn't, she screamed for quite a bit of the ceremony" Astrid replied with a smile.

"You were at the wedding?" Ginny and Hermione both asked.

"Of course," Astrid replied, "the Krum's are old friends of my family." Ron and Harry exchanged an incredulous glance.

"Morning everyone!" Fred exclaimed. He slipped into an open seat next to Hermione.

"Good morning, Fred," She replied, smiling sweetly at him. George half-fell into a seat across the table from his twin. His hair stood up on end, his robes were wrinkly, and he had a bright red line running down the side of his face from sleeping on the seam of his pillowcase.

"And that is pre-breakfast George," Ron said, pointing at his brother. George glared at him.

"Don't worry, the fangs shrink and he regains control of the English language as soon as he's had food," Fred quipped. George glared at his twin and ripped the corner off of a piece of toast with his teeth.

"He looks a little vicious," laughed Hermione. George turned his glare on her.

"He's really quite harmless" Ginny assured her. Everyone gathered, save George, laughed at the youngest Weasley.

"Do I have to go to Potions this morning?" Ron asked after everyone's laughter had subsided.

"YES!" Hermione insisted.

"Why?" Ron asked. "I'm still excited about making the team and dealing with
Snape will simply ruin it for me!"

"You made the team Friday night. I do believe it is time for you to come off of your high," Hermione announced.

"Amen!" Fred cheered. George even managed to smile around his toast. Ron glared at them all.

"I'll have you know that I'm one of the first players in a very long time to get chosen for two positions!" He insisted.

"Thank your sister for that," Harry said.

"If she hadn't hit that rock at you," continued Fred. He looked expectantly at George to finish his sentence. George was too busy devouring his toast to finish sentences for his brother.

"When do you think they'll announce captain?" Harry asked.

"Good question. McGonagall said she'd decide by the end of this week," Fred replied.

"McGonagall?" Harry asked.

"She is head of house isn't she?" Hermione replied. Harry shot her a withering look.

"Evidently she's the one who picks the captain," Fred said, ignoring the glares flying between Harry and Hermione.

"So who do you think it will be?" Harry asked.

"You," Fred replied simply.

"Me?" Harry asked.

"Yes you, git!" Ron exclaimed, "Of the seven members of the team, five are seventh years. Of the two that aren't seventh years, only one is a returning player. I hardly think a new player would qualify as captain."

"How vaguely familiar does that sound?" Hermione muttered. She received quizzical looks from everyone around her except Fred. Fred laughed appreciatively. He slipped an arm around her shoulder. Five days had passed since the party, and Fred and Hermione hadn't progressed much past minor flirting. Sometimes, when he thought no one was looking, Fred would slip his arm around her shoulders. He even did it right in front of everyone, like that morning at breakfast, occasionally, She had seemed receptive to his advances, but no major declarations of love had happened. Or declarations of like, for that matter.

"What about the school team?" George asked. He finally had enough food in his stomach to speak coherently again.

"I wonder who the impartial judge is going to be," Fred said.

"Do you think I'll get to try out?" Ron asked hopefully.

"You're a starter for the Gryffindor team aren't you?" Fred replied. Ron smiled broadly.

"I am aren't I!" He cried. Hermione shrugged Fred's arm off suddenly.

"Potions!" she declared, standing up quickly. Fred scrambled to his feet too.

"I'll walk you," he offered.

"You'll be late," she objected.

"I'm a Weasley," Fred said with a mischievous smile.

"We have Charms next," George added.

"And everyone knows we don't need anymore charm," Fred finished haughtily. Hermione playfully poked him in his ribs. He jumped back and clasped his hands over the spot where she had poked him, catching her finger in his as he did. Harry and Ron slowly stood up, complaining the entire time about Potions and Hermione's general enthusiasm for school. Hermione tried to pull her finger away from Fred. He reached over and picked up her bag. He tossed it over his shoulder. Then he finally let her finger go, only to entwine all of his through hers before she could say anything.

"AAWWW!" Came Ginny and Astrid's collective reaction. Hermione and Fred both reddened visibly, but they didn't stop holding hands. Ron, Harry, and George all made several unattractive gagging noises, but were silenced with a glare from Fred. He and Hermione began walking towards the doors of the Great Hall. Ron and Harry followed them a bit more slowly.

%%%%%

"How did she manage it?" Lavender Brown asked Parvati Patil. The two girls watched Hermione and Fred walk from the Great Hall, hand in hand.

"She's the biggest book worm in Gryffindor, possibly in the whole school! And she manages to get with one of the two biggest pranksters!" Parvati squealed.

"Like that'll ever last," Lavender laughed.

"I think it's cute," Parvati countered.

"No," Lavender corrected, "You think Fred's cute."

"George is still single though," Parvati reasoned.

"So if you married George and Padma married Fred, and you and George had kids and Padma and Fred had kids, would your kids look just like their cousins?" Lavender asked.

"Lav, you're thinking to much," Parvati said. She stood up. "Come on, we've got to go to potions."

"Isn't George with Angelina?" Lavender asked as she followed her friend from the Great Hall, still nibbling on a piece of toast.

"No, I think they're off again this week," Parvati laughed.

%%%%%

Hermione couldn't believe herself. She was walking down towards the potions dungeon voluntarily holding hands with Fred Weasley. He had been incredibly sweet to her since their dance (okay, since their five dances) at the party the previous Friday night. The fact that they had danced five dances without noticing exactly what was happening stood as a testament to itself. But the fact of the matter was, Fred Weasley was different. Completely different from any guy she'd ever been with. Okay. Decidedly different from Krum. But Fred was also different from the guy she pictured herself dating. The guy she pictured was, in fact, more like Percy. He was studious and followed the rules. He didn't have the motto "rules were made to be broken." He didn't hold a school record for detentions. He certainly didn't know more secret passages about the school than anyone, and know them all by heart. Then she thought about Krum. So maybe he wasn't her ideal guy either. He had been more studious. But he was now married with a child as a result of a one-night stand, so he had more of a wild streak than she ever knew about when they had dated. She felt Fred's hand tighten slightly around hers. So Fred had been ideally sweet. He'd held doors for her, and when he thought no one was looking he'd slip his arm around her shoulders. She sighed a bit. He'd even let her dance standing on his toes. For five dances! Of course, his boots were steel toed so he didn't feel a thing, but the thought is what counts. Right?

"Hermione, we're here," Fred said, drawing her out of her thoughtful reverie. Hermione turned to look at him. He smiled at her and handed her bag to her. He still hadn't let go of her hand though.

"Thanks for walking me," Hermione said, smiling sweetly.

"No problem" He replied, "You should probably go in before Snape gets here and decides to take points off."

"Yeah, I probably should," she said, glancing at their hands. Fred quickly pulled her hand up. He brushed a light kiss on the back of it before pulling his hand away.

"See you at lunch," he said, turning bright red.

"Yeah," she replied before heading into the Potions classroom. He watched her go before turning to run to Charms.

Fred couldn't believe himself. He was running at a breakneck speed to avoid being late to Charms. Okay, so running to prevent being late wasn't an unusual occurrence. But he wasn't usually late because he had been walking Hermione Granger to class. He couldn't really place the date he had noticed Hermione. Of course, she had always been there. At school, at his house, wherever. And she'd been the annoying know-it-all friend of Ron's. But when she had come to the Burrow that summer, she had seemed more grown up. Less know-it-all, if that was possible for Hermione. Her hair had changed. It was longer and curlier, less bushy. And he couldn't help but notice that she looked more like a woman and less like a little girl. But she was Ron's friend. And he was Ron's brother. So him dating Hermione was wrong on several different levels. In fact, he'd always suspected she and Ron fancied each other. So he'd resigned himself to getting Angelina back from George. George never should have pretended to be him on the day after the ball anyway. But then, on the first night back, Hermione and Ron shared their kiss and the "that felt like kissing my sibling!" moment that ensued. If Ron hadn't wanted Fred to go for Hermione, he should have never said that after kissing her. As it was, his comment gave Fred all of the permission he needed to go after Hermione. After all, she didn't seem like a little sister to HIM. So it had taken Fred a good week to make his move on Hermione. But finally they had gone flying together.

"And the rest is History," Fred thought to himself as he spun into the Charms classroom and into his seat next to Katie mere seconds before he would have been tardy.

"Let me guess," Katie whispered, "Either you couldn't bear to leave Hermione in Potions, or Ron cornered you in the dungeons and tried to hex you into next week. Fred attempted a laugh; quite a daunting procedure considering he was trying to catch his breath at the same time.

"Ron has actually been fairly reasonable about this whole thing," He finally gasped. Katie looked quite amazed at his revelation. "Really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"As reasonable as a Weasley can be," Fred corrected himself.

"That's better," laughed Katie.

"SSHHH!" Alicia hissed from her seat in front of Fred and Katie. She sat with Angelina, while George sat with Dani Carmichael in the front of the room. Lee and Jae Lucas's older sister Marissa sat together next to George and Dani, while Coltan Franklin and Leah Myers occupied the seats behind Lee and Marissa.

"Shove it, Head Girl," Katie whispered back at Alicia. Alicia turned around and glared and Fred and Katie, who both laughed under their breath.

%%%%%

Hermione slipped into her seat between Harry and Ron.

"He finally let you come to class?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend. She jerked an elbow into his ribs.

"THAT HURT!" he exclaimed, clamping his hand over the spot she had hit him.

"Leave her alone, Ron," Harry warned.

"Leave HER alone, RON?" Ron cried. "Shouldn't you be saying 'leave him alone Hermione?'" Hermione and Harry both laughed at their outraged friend.

"No. She wouldn't have elbowed you if you hadn't been picking on her about Fred," Harry reasoned.

"Well if she wouldn't have been acting all romantic with him out in the halls, I wouldn't have to pick on her," Ron countered.

"Well if you hadn't screamed about kissing your sister after she kissed you, maybe she wouldn't have to be all romantic with Fred," Harry hissed. He made sure to keep his voice low so no one would find out about Ron and Hermione's kiss. Ron turned bright red and Hermione began spinning her quill through her fingers. Harry smiled sweetly at them both, knowing he had won the argument with Ron.

"So Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger have been snogging in the common room, have they?" an oily voice from just behind the friends asked. Snape had entered the room just in time to hear Harry's comment about Ron and Hermione's shared kiss. All of the Gryffindors turned to look at the two bright red prefects in the back row while all of the Slytherins collapsed in rounds of obnoxious laughter.

"I personally don't think it's any of your business," Hermione snapped quietly at the potions master's back. Ron and Harry both looked at her, wide-eyed and open mouthed.

"WHAT did you say Granger?" Snape asked in a coolly menacing voice. He spun to look at Hermione.

"She said, 'I personally don't think it's any of your business'," Ron replied, equally coolly, if not nearly as menacing. Harry and Hermione glared at Snape.

"I personally think you've both got detention tonight. The three Malfoys already have one, so meet them in the Entrance Hall at 9 to serve your detention with Hagrid," Snape replied. He turned to continue walking towards the board. Hermione bent down under the table to retrieve something from her bag. The potions master took two more steps towards the board before a solid ice statue took the place of Snape in the center of the classroom. The statue was frozen mid stride with one arm extended in front of it.

"Bloody hell," came the only statement from anyone in the class. Everyone else was too busy staring at the frozen potions master.

"What did you do to him, Weasley?" Draco asked. He was only the second to regain his voice. Harry had been the first.

"I… Didn't do anything!" stuttered Ron. He was still looking at Snape with his mouth hanging open.

"Sure you didn't" Pansy cried.

"I don't think he did!" Karen insisted from her seat next to Blaise. Pansy and Draco both turned to look at her.

"He looked away before Snape turned to ice. I think it was Potter," Karen reasoned.

"Um, can I make a suggestion?" Neville asked nervously.

"No!" Draco exclaimed.

"Sure," Hermione said at the same time. They glared at each other.

"Maybe someone should unfreeze Professor Snape so he doesn't kill us all when he finally does thaw out," Neville said. He trembled visibly at the thought of Snape's rage. Draco pulled out his wand and muttered a thawing spell. Almost instantly, Snape stood in the middle of the room in the middle of a large puddle. His hair hung in limp ringlets around his face and his robes were soaked. Water trickled off the end of his crooked nose. He looked at Harry and Ron.

"Bring your wands to me," he instructed both of them. They nervously got up and walked to their drenched potions master. He took Ron's wand first and preformed Priori Incantatem on it. A shadow of a matchbox floated above the two wands.

"Transfiguration homework," Ron explained. Snape took Harry's wand and preformed the spell. A shadow of a matchbox floated above the two wands.

"Transfiguration homework as well," Harry said. Some of the Gryffindors chuckled nervously.

"So if neither of you cast the spell, who did?" Snape asked, glaring at the two boys standing in front of him.

"It was Harry!" Karen called.

"His wand just proved him innocent for once," Snape said, turning his glare to the girl.

"He didn't use his wand, just his eyes," Karen insisted.

"Really?" Snape asked. Karen and about half of the Slytherins nodded.

"Very well then, Potter, you can join Weasley and Granger in detention tonight. And both of you go to the headmaster now," Snape commanded. Harry and Ron didn't need to be told twice. They grabbed their bags and stormed from the room.

"I can't believe him!" Ron cried. Harry just scowled at his shoes. "He gave us detention for no good reason!"

"Actually," Harry said, " I think he had a pretty good reason this time."

"WHAT!" Ron roared.

"Well, you actually talked back to him, which either takes a lot of balls or no brains. And I think I froze him."

"You can't tell me you're admitting guilt," Ron said, looking at his friend. Harry pulled his glasses off and polished them on his robe as they walked.

"Actually, yes. I was staring at him and he froze. I believe it's termed accidental magic," Harry admitted.

"So you froze Snape without using your wand?" Ron asked incredulously, "Karen was right?"

"For once in her life, yes," Harry replied. "At least I think so."

"I can't believe we've got detention with the Malfoy children!" Ron cried.

"You and Astrid seem to get along fine," Harry countered, "and we're going to be with Hagrid."

"But being with Hagrid means going into the Forbidden Forest usually. Don't you remember what we found in the Forbidden Forest in second year?" Ron asked.

"Okay yes. Gigantic spiders," Harry laughed.

"It's really not funny, Potter," Ron snapped, "And knowing my luck I'll get paired with, well, not with Astrid!"

"Hermione's got it too," Harry said.

"I can't believe she talked back to Snape!" Ron cried, "My brother must be rubbing off on her!" He started up the stairs to the Entrance Hall.

"How do you feel about that?" Harry asked the question that had been on his mind since the party Friday night.

"How do you think I feel? My older brother is trying to date my best female friend!" Ron cried.

"So do the threats you made to Braeden stand with Hermione?" Harry laughed.

"Not funny, Potter," Ron growled, "in fact no, those threats stand with Fred."

"I figured as much," laughed Harry.

"But at the same time, I think I would rather her be with Fred," Ron said.

"Why Fred?" Harry asked.

"Because if he hurts her, I know where he sleeps!" Ron's laugh bordered on maniacal. "And even if I wasn't okay with it, what can I do to change it? I set myself for it after that episode in the common room the other night."

"That, you did," Harry said, unsure of what else to say. He slipped his glasses back onto his face.

"What's the password?" Ron asked. Harry, finally able to see again as he had just put his glasses back on, realized they were standing at the infamous gargoyle.

"Fizzing Whizbees," Harry guessed.

"Chocolate Frogs," Ron said.

"Ice Mice?" Harry questioned. The gargoyle, if anything, got more still and scowled at the two boys.

"Acid Pop?" Ron queried. The gargoyle sprang back revealing the spiral staircase.

"Eeeww," Harry said. Ron shuddered at the thought of that particular sweet.

"Come in!" Dumbledore cheerfully exclaimed. He met the two boys at the top of the stairs.

"Hello professor," Harry mumbled as a greeting. Ron just waved politely. They both seated themselves in the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"Hello boys. It seems as though there was some trouble in Professor Snape's class?" Dumbledore cut right to the chase.

"Yes," Harry admitted. He and Ron instantly looked at their shoes.

"Well, he has already handled the potion, so all I'm asking is for you to tell me exactly how he got frozen," Dumbledore said. The two teenagers looked instantly relieved.

"Well, I'm not really sure," Admitted Harry. I was looking at him and then all of the sudden he was covered in ice.

"Were you mad at him?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," Harry said, "he had said some pretty rotten stuff about Ron and Hermione in front of the entire class."

"Have you done any wandless magic before" Dumbledore asked.

"Not since I was really little," Harry said.

"None lately?" Dumbledore prompted.

"Not that I can think of," Harry replied.

"Well. There is a distinct difference between what you did in potions and what you used to do when you were younger. Before school, when children do wandless magic, it's termed accidental magic. After they begin proper training, if they can still do this accidental magic, it is then termed wandless magic," Dumbledore explained.

"The handcuffs!" Harried cried suddenly. Dumbledore looked at him with an extremely interested look on his face.

"What?" Ron asked.

"When I was with Bill, Fred, and George this summer, I managed to get the handcuffs off of my wrists when they wouldn't!" Harry explained excitedly.

"WHAT!" Ron asked, a little louder than necessary.

"When they pretended to arrest me," Harry continued. Dumbledore smiled knowingly.

"WHEN THEY WHAT!" Ron screeched.

"When they rescued Harry from the Dursley's," Dumbledore clarified Harry's rambling statements for Ron.

"They had me in handcuffs because I was supposed to be being arrested! Then Bill transfigured the cuffs into shiny pink bracelets that I couldn't get off. He wouldn't charm them off, so I accidentally transfigured clasps onto them and they came off that way," Harry explained.

"You did?" Dumbledore asked, sounding quite a bit more interested.

"Yes, I did. And Bill and the twins seemed quite amazed that I managed to do wandless magic," Harry added.

"Well, I advise you to go back to Gryffindor tower until lunch. Harry, please try to control yourselves as much as possible with the wandless magic. If it happens any more, we may have to get you into special training to control your abilities," Dumbledore said.

"I'll try to control it," Harry promised. He and Ron excused themselves from the Headmaster's office and headed back towards Gryffindor tower.

"No more potions!" Ron exclaimed. He jumped a couple of steps in front of Harry.

"But we've got a detention. In the Forbidden Forest, with spiders!" Harry reminded him. Ron shuddered.

"And Malfoys!" Harry continued. Ron shuddered even more.

"Oh come on Ron, Astrid's not that bad," Harry said.

"No, Astrid is probably one of the coolest first years," Ron replied, "But her brother is a prick and her little brother is, well, I think he's worse than Malfoy."

"But Little Malfoy isn't her little brother," Harry corrected, "She's the middle child. Malfoy and Little Malfoy are older and Emma and Barrett are younger."

"Shove it, Harry," Ron exclaimed.

"So what do you propose we do while we should be in potions?" Harry asked.

"Chess?" came Ron's suggestion.

*****

"WE BEAT HIM!" Astrid's girlish squeal pierced the tension in the common room before Harry could mutter those faithful words. "Check. Mate." Ron stared tensely at the board as if he could will his way out of a loss. Harry leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands comfortably behind his head.

"You were no match for me this time Weasley," He laughed.

"Me?" Ron asked. He raised his eyebrow at Harry and the group congregated around the back of Harry's Chair.

"Okay, us," Harry corrected himself. The chess game had started out before lunch as just Harry and Ron. Ron had been winning when they had to go to lunch, so they placed charms on the game to protect it until they got back from dinner. When they got back from dinner, Fred had instantly occupied the chair next to Harry's to watch the game. Fred, however, did more helping than actual watching. Quickly enough, Hermione occupied a spot on Fred's lap and joined in the group effort to dethrone the Chess King. The combined efforts of Harry, Hermione and Fred caused the game to shift in their direction. When the news of Ron's possible defeat spread around the common room, Ginny and George had come over and stood behind Harry to add their support to the team. Lastly, Astrid had climbed onto the back of Fred and Hermione's chair so she could watch the game too, and she had offered her share of insightful comments.

Now Fred and Hermione were using the victory as an excuse to hug. Astrid had jumped into George's arms and he was swinging her wildly about the common room. Ginny had a goofy grin plastered on her face and Harry smiled smugly at Ron.

"You know, I think I would feel worse if it hadn't taken six people to beat me," Ron said, laughing at the celebrating crowd.

"Picture time!" Colin exclaimed, running over to the group brandishing his camera. "I need to capture this momentous occasion of Ron being beat in Chess on film!" Ron and Harry both glared at the younger boy, but Hermione seemed to agree that a picture was in order.

"George, get over here and bring Astrid with you!" she instructed. George and Astrid spun their way back to the group.

"Everyone gather around Ron!" Colin called. Ron begrudgingly turned his chair to face Colin. Ginny sat on the floor at his feet and George and Harry knelt to either side of him. Astrid dragged Harry's chair from the other side of the table and positioned it directly behind Ron's. She stood up on it and rested her hands lightly on his head. Fred and Hermione stood on either side of Astrid, slightly between her and Ron.

"Now everyone say 'Team!' on the count of three, and Ron, could you try to look mad?" Colin asked. Ron nodded at the boy.

"Okay. ONE… TWO… THREE!" Colin called. Ron scowled at the camera and everyone else shouted, "TEAM!" Colin snapped the picture.

"This is going to be great you guys!" Colin exclaimed, "Thanks!" Ron rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

"Bloody Hell, we've got detention in about a minute!" Harry swore, looking down at his watch. Hermione and Ron exchanged a panicked look and Astrid looked positively elated.

"You mean you guys got detention with me?" She asked.

"Yeah!" Ron shouted as he headed for the door with Hermione and Harry close on his heals. Astrid chased after them.

"WAIT FOR ME!" She cried Her small legs couldn't carry her fast enough to keep up with the three older students. Instantly, Hermione, Harry and Ron all slowed down for her. She caught up with them and Ron crouched down.

"Hop on," He instructed, indicating his back. She giggled and clamped her arms around his neck. He stood up and grabbed her knees, pulling her onto his back. The three friends resumed their sprint towards the Entrance Hall.

"STOP!" Astrid whispered when they reached the top of the last staircase. Ron slowed down. "Why?"

"I need to get down. Draco and Keiran will kill one of us if they see me this close to a Weasley!" Ron rolled his eyes and crouched down to let the little girl walk again. The three friends and Astrid quickly ran down the stairs to meet Hagrid and Astrid's brothers in the Entrance Hall.

"It's about time you all decided to show up," Draco muttered as the four Gryffindors took the last steps into the Hall.

"Right then. Ternight we'll be feedin' the beasts tha seventh years'll be learnin' 'bout in me next classes," Hagrid announced.

"Which are?" Ron asked warily.

"Yeh'll see," Hagrid replied, "I'm gonna hafta split ya inta groups of two. Each'll go in to a different group of animals and feed them." Draco and Keiran instinctively edged closer to each other. "So I suppose it'll be Ron and Astrid, Harry and Keiran, and Hermione and Draco." Everyone missed the panic-stricken look Astrid shot at Harry, since they were all to busy glaring at one another.

"Right then," Hagrid said. He lumbered out of the Entrance Hall and down towards his hut at the edge of the forest. Draco, Ron, Hermione and Harry all had to walk quickly to keep up with him, and Astrid and Keiran were forced to jog to keep up with the rest.

"What are we feeding?" Harry asked. He jogged up next to Hagrid. Hagrid looked around nervously, making sure Ron was out of earshot.

"Some of Aragog's children," Hagrid confided in him.

"Ron is going to," Harry began.

"Yah. That's exactly why yer not ta tell 'em," Hagrid replied. Harry smiled at the half-giant and then slowed down to be with his friends again. He was slightly amazed at Hagrid's insistence on keeping the secret from Ron. Hagrid wasn't notorious for his secret keeping abilities.

"So what are we dealing with?" Hermione asked when Harry got back to them. Harry looked directly at her and mouthed the word "spiders." Hermione's jaw dropped and she looked furiously at Ron and then back at Harry. Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"Should we warn Astrid?" Hermione mouthed. Harry shrugged again. Hermione rolled her eyes at him and immediately slowed down to fall instep with the twins.

"Astrid," she whispered, looking down at the little girl.

"Yes" Astrid asked.

"We figured out what we're dealing with. We've got to feed Acromantula," Hermione hissed. Astrid looked up at her, slightly panicked. "Acromantula?"

"Yes. That's not the worst part," Hermione replied. Astrid's eyes grew wider.

"Ron is horribly afraid of spiders," Hermione said. Astrid clamped her hand to her forehead.

"So I've got to go feed gigantic spiders with a big guy who is afraid of spiders?" Astrid asked.

"Terrified would be more like it," Hermione almost laughed.

"Hermione, its not funny!" Astrid cried. Hermione smiled at her and went over to join Harry and Ron who had stopped in front of Hagrid's hut.

"Alright. I've got these steaks 'ere for you ta feed the creatures," Hagrid said. He pointed as three piles of bloody lumps of meat.

"Are those cows?" Ron asked suspiciously. Hagrid nodded at them and pointed to three marked paths into the woods. "Each group 'ill go down tha path and feed tha creature at tha end."

"What exactly can we expect to find?" Ron asked, quite warily.

"Three of Aragog's kids are lettin' us study 'em," Hagrid replied. Ron turned white, and then an odd pale green color. He took a few steps backwards.

"So, yer not s'posed to use magic. One of you can carry the meat and the other can light the way. Here 'r some lanterns." Hagrid handed lanterns to Astrid, Hermione and Keiran, and looked expectantly at the three teenage boys. Ron, Harry, and Draco all headed over and each picked up a leg of cow. Then they followed their partners down the paths into the forest.

*****

"That was the most disgusting detention I've ever served!" Hermione exclaimed. She flopped down onto a couch next to the fireplace after changing into her pajamas. Harry and Ron were both in flannel pajama pants and t-shirts. Ron sprawled out across the floor in front of the fire and Harry curled up in an armchair.

"At least you didn't have to serve it with little Malfoy," Harry said.

"How was he?" Ron asked curiously.

"He's a terror. He told me the Dark Lord was going to eat my spleen for defeating him so many times," Harry replied.

"Eat your spleen?" Hermione asked.

"What's a spleen?" Ron queried.

"Did he say anything besides that?" Hermione questioned.

"Not really. He was more content to stand there and watch me work. Aragog's son did not like him at all though," Harry said.

"That's saying something. If a bloody spider doesn't like you!" Ron exclaimed.

"It kept muttering something about the new darkness," Harry said.

"That's only slightly odd," Hermione said.

"A new darkness?" Ron asked.

"From what I could tell, that's what the spider was saying," Harry replied, "how was Malfoy?"

"Which?" Ron asked with a sly smile.

"Malfoy, git!" Harry exclaimed, glaring at his friend.

"He was a part, as usual," Hermione said, "but he really needs some new material, the whole mudblood bit is getting a bit old."

"Did the spider react oddly to him?" Harry asked. The wheels turning in his head were visible. Obviously, the spider's statement concerning Keiran was bothering him.

"No, it was just happy to have food," Hermione replied.

"What about Astrid?" Harry queried.

"I don't know. We had issues," Ron half laughed.

"Issues?" Hermione asked.

"She's afraid of the dark when she's not familiar with her surroundings, and then the entire fact that we were working with spiders," Ron replied.

"So how did you guys get through it?"

"Very quickly. We practically ran down to the spider, pitched the meat over the edge of the enclosure and ran back out of the forest," Ron laughed. Hermione and Harry had to laugh at him too.

"So you wouldn't know if the spider said anything about Astrid?" Harry asked.

"I didn't get close enough to hear it speaking. I got to the point that I could comfortably throw the meat over, and then threw it, waited till I heard it hit the forest floor and then hurried back out of there."

"You know Ron, that's only slightly pathetic!" Harry laughed.

"Shut up. Imagine being a little kid when suddenly your teddy bear had too many legs and was black instead of brown and had beady red eyes!"

"Is that the sign of a bad guy in the wizarding world?" Harry wondered.

"What?" Ron and Hermione both asked. Neither were quite sure where his line of questioning was headed.

"Red eyes. You know who has red eyes, the spiders have red eyes," Harry said.

"The basilisks eyes were green and it was nastier than the spiders," Hermione said.

"That's what you think," spat Ron.

"Calm yourselves!" Harry insisted, "You don't want to wake the entire population of Gryffindor tower!"

"Astrid did make a rather interesting comment tonight," Ron said, forgetting his argument with Hermione.

"Which was?" Harry asked, his thoughts instantly back to the spiders comment about Keiran.

"She says she feels a little out of place hanging out with us all of the time. She wants to try to find some friends in her own year," Ron replied.

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said. "I told her we'd still be there for her if she needed us and as her prefects, she should come to us if she has any trouble with anyone."

"She's a ridiculously brave little girl," Hermione said.

"First Malfoy in Gryffindor. I'd say so," Harry replied.

"And on top of it all, she's a pretty cool little kid. She just needs to learn to stop the comments about the number of brothers and sisters I have every once in a while."

"Would that be brothers and sister?" Harry wondered.

"How about just siblings," Hermione suggested. Ron frowned grumpily at the two of them.

"We love you Ron!" Hermione said, smiling broadly at her friend. He teasingly glared at her. She jumped up from her spot on the couch and jumped onto Ron's back. Harry sprang from his chair and jumped onto Hermione, enveloping them both in a bear hug.