Not mine. JKR, Princess Bride, and The Golden Girls. Yes, the Golden Girls. Astrid is mine. I got an idea from Queer Eye too.

*French* just so you don't have to machine translate half the chapter.

Sorry about the wait

Everyone worship Natalie for betaing this.

Review please. I love those of you who have reviewed.

That being said

*****

"How is this fair?" Ginny asked, clenching her hands into tight fists by her sides.

"How is what fair?" Hermione countered. The pair walked from their suite of guest rooms toward the classroom reserved for their lessons.

"I have to go to class with three of my brothers taught by another of my brothers! There is no escaping them!" The exasperated redhead held her palms towards the ceiling and shook them to illustrate her frustration.

"Hey," Hermione objected, "I happen to be quite fond of a couple of those brothers."

"And I'm quite fond of my gorgeous boyfriend."

"My cousin," Hermione interjected.

"I was getting to that part," Ginny insisted. She tugged at the strap of her bag, adjusting the load on her shoulders.

"Do we have Bill's class first?" Hermione questioned, partially changing the subject.

"Yes," Ginny replied.

"Well, you have to admit, he could probably teach us something really useful charms and such," Hermione said.

"Hopefully," Ginny muttered. She still didn't look entirely pleased about the prospect of the class.

"You'll get to see him at lunch," Hermione offered.

"And Calliope will be there. Braeden says she's been trying to get in his pants since they were third years," Ginny cried. Hermione tucked a strand of frizzy brown hair that had escaped from her braid behind her ear.

"She hasn't yet though has she?" the ever logical Hermione asked. "And besides, it looks as though she's got her sights set on Malfoy." Calliope had indeed spent most of the morning following Malfoy around like a stupid puppy. Malfoy had looked slightly put off to begin with but then seemed much more accepting near the end of the tour.

"O thought I'd never say this but poor Malfoy," Ginny laughed. "That girl's a pain!"

"Not more than he deserves," Hermione countered. "If she gets too annoying, he can always just whack her with his cast."

"That wouldn't be very nice," Ginny objected. "Absolutely hilarious, but not very nice." Hermione shrugged. She stopped at a classroom and pushed open the door. The rest of the Gryffindors and Draco already sat inside. Both Sanguinis and Bill were conspicuously absent. Hermione and Ginny hurried over and took seats behind Harry and Ron.

"What do you think he'll teach us?" Harry asked as soon as the girls took their seats.

"Hopefully something cool, yet useful, that no one else in the school will learn," Ron replied.

"Not asking for too much there are you Ron?" Ginny joked. Ron shrugged at his little sister.

"Well, it is Bill after all. He just may come up with something," Ron said.

"If the man is as original with his lessons as he is with his Christmas present, I'm charming my eyes to look open and catching a nap," Ginny declared.

"Charming your eyes to look open?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes," Ginny replied. "It's how the entire fourth year has made it through History of Magic ever since Jae found the charm back in second year. We take turns being the one person awake to take notes and answer questions, and everyone else sleeps."

"Brilliant," Harry said, a look of enlightenment dawning on his face. He turned to Ron.

"Absolutely ingenious," Ro agreed.

"Teach us that charm later," Harry muttered. Bill swept into the room with Sanguinis close on his heels. Bill stormed to the front of the room and spun sharply on his heel to face the class. He pulled his freckled face into a deep scowl.

"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class," he muttered in a silky smooth voice several notes lower than his own regular speaking voice. The Gryffindors and Sanguinis instantly erupted in howling laughter.

"Well how was that?" Bill asked, flashing a smile at the class.

"Perfect!" Fred howled.

"Absolutely fantastic!" George agreed. Bill smiled again and lowered himself into the chair behind the desk situated in the front center of the room. Still grinning like the Cheshire Cat, he closed his eyes. Slowly he faded until all that appeared before the room was an empty desk and chair. Bill's voice issued from just above the center of the desk.

"When I was told about this teaching job, the fact that you all range from fourth to seventh years and include two of the smartest fifth years."

"Why thank you," Ron interrupted.

"Not you," Harry laughed, jerking an elbow into his friend's side.

"Your age range posed a huge problem," Bill's voice continued. "So there were two logical choices. I could either choose something so basic that you'd be bored the entire time, or I could choose something you'd never be able to do."

"You chose the second," Fred guessed. Bill slowly dissolved back into view.

"Yep," he admitted. "I'm going to teach you charmed invisibility. Now who can tell me the difference between charmed invisibility and transfigured invisibility?" Hermione's hand shot into the air.

"One is charms, the other is transfiguration," George blurted out.

"Yes, Hermione?" Bill ignored his younger brother.

"Charmed invisibility can be reversed with a finite incantatem. The person is still fully audible as far as footsteps and such. Only one wizard today can do transfigured invisibility and that's Dumbledore. It's highly advanced magic that even disguises all noise," Hermione explained.

"Thank you textbook Granger," Bill joked. Hermione scowled at him. Ginny tentatively raised her hand.

"Yes Gin?" Bill asked.

"Have you seriously thought through the logic of teaching the twins invisibility?" Ginny questioned.

"I didn't master this particular skill until last year. I'm, really not worried about the twins," Bill laughed. The twins shot identical glares at their oldest brother. Bill slowly faded back to invisibility.

"Cut the crap, Weasley," George spat. "Teach us something!" Fred turned an incredulous look on his brother. George shrugged slightly and turned back to the place where his oldest brother was supposed to be. A piece of chalk slowly hovered up from the chalk tray and began scratching across the board.

"The real key to this," Bill began from somewhere near the floating chalk, "Is wandless magic. If you can't do wandless magic, you're going to find this very difficult. Can any of you do wandless magic?"

"I can float things," Hermione announced.

"Only involving spoons," Harry laughed. Draco simply raised his hand.

"You can do summoning charms too," Ron insisted, elbowing Harry.

"But remember, with a wand, Harry could probably summon something from Hogwarts here," Bill laughed.

"He's summoned me," Ron said, smiling at his brother.

"Really?" Bill asked. Ron, Harry and Hermione all nodded.

"Invisibility?" George asked.

"Right," Bill said, suddenly reminded of the task at hand. "Invisibility." The chalk floated towards the board and resumed scratching. Bill hadn't reappeared for the class since just before George had requested to be taught. He began scratching out a fairly complex incantation.

"And we're supposed to be able to do that?" Ron asked, incredulity showing in his voice.

"No, I think that was the point of picking something too hard for all of us."

*****

"This has got to be the funniest thing I think I've ever been able to do!" Fred cried, looking down at his hands. Disbelief showed in his sparkling blue eyes. The flesh and bones from his wrists to where his fingers should have been was completely nonexistent.

"That's not cool, it's creepy," Harry's voice objected from just to Fred's left.

"I agree," Hermione's voice declared from just to Fred's right.

"And I personally can't stand the fact that the pair of you can be invisible and I can't!" Ron exclaimed. "And Fred? What good is having invisible hands and arms?" Fred willed the rest of his right arm to go invisible.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Fred asked. Hermione immediately squealed.

"That was my bum, Fred Weasley!" She slowly faded back to visibility. Fred's head suddenly jerked forward.

"Ow!" He cried. An evil laugh emitted from the invisible Harry. Hermione pulled out her wand and fired a finite incantatem at the laugh. Harry quickly appeared before them all.

"No more smacking my boyfriend," she declared. Harry looked down at his feet like a child who had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. He nodded solemnly before cutting his green eyes back towards his friend.

"What class do we have after lunch?" Ron questioned.

"Transfiguration with Tonks," Hermione replied.

"Do you think she'll teach us something as bloody useful as Bill did?" Fred asked. He caused his right hand to flash quickly between visibility and invisibility several times.

"How is having invisible arms useful?" Harry questioned

"DON'T demonstrate!" Hermione pleaded. Fred smiled evilly but kept his hands visible and away from his girlfriend's bum.

"Do we get to practice before the match?" Harry asked.

"Are you kidding?" Hermione questioned. "Even if Oliver couldn't book the field, he'd have you flying about our bedrooms and common room chasing snitches."

"We have Transfiguration and DADA after lunch, and then Oliver booked the field from 6-10 tonight. The Beauxbatons team has it from 1-5," Ginny said, approaching the group from a door on the right side of the hall.

"Four hours?" Harry cried. "The man has lost it!" Ron and Hermione exchanged a look around Harry and Fred. Ginny simply shrugged. The quintet stopped in front of a pair of massive stained glass doors.

"Is this where we're supposed to be?" Fred questioned. Sounds of voices, laughter and clinking dishes sounded from inside.

"Sounds like it," Harry said. He reached for one of the door handles and pulled the massive door open. The door opened to reveal a hall comparable in size to the Great Hall at Hogwarts. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with stained glass windows. Rather than four long tables with one head table, the room was filled with hundreds of small circular tables and chairs.

"Merlin!" Fred exclaimed. "How are we ever going to find the?" Harry and Ron's attention had drifted to the stained glass windows where tiny multicolored figures acted through what the boys assumed was the history of Beauxbatons. The figures movement caused a rainbow of light speckles to dance across the entire hall.

"Why don't the windows in our great hall do that?" Ron wondered aloud. Hermione thumped him soundly on his shoulder.

"Our Great Hall doesn't HAVE windows!" she reminded him.

"Where are they?" Ginny asked.

"You're the one with a Braeden centered radar," Harry joked. "You tell us."

"If we could do a little more moving and a little less standing around looking stupid it would be nice," Fred suggested.

"Where are we supposed to go?" Harry asked.

"You could always summon someone," Fred joked. Harry reached into his pocket.

"KIDDING!" Fred insisted.

"Guys! Over here!" someone called from the far left corner of the hall. The five friends turned to see Katie and George standing next to each other jumping up and down and waving their arms furiously.

"Leave it to my brother to make a scene," Fred muttered. The five began walking over to the table where George and the chasers sat with Braeden and several unfamiliar people.

"You have no room to talk, Fred Weasley," Hermione admonished, whacking her boyfriend on the right arm that he had conveniently made invisible, attracting stares from everyone at the tables they passed.

"*Where are Malfoy and Sanguinis?*" Hermione asked as they approached the table.

"She asked about Malfoy and Sanguinis," Braeden translated for the English speakers.

"Something about that seems slightly wrong!" Angelina announced. "The Beauxbatons student shouldn't have to translate what the Hogwarts student said for the rest of the Hogwarts students." Hermione and Braeden both shrugged while Braeden translated Angelina's statement for his friends.

"*So who are these people?*" the lone Beauxbatons girl seated at the table asked. She tucked a piece of curly strawberry blonde hair behind her left ear.

"Malfoy and Sanguinis are off with Calliope," George finally answered Hermione's original question. Braeden stepped over next to Ginny and slid his arm around her shoulders.

"*Braeden, don't you think it's a little quick to be getting cozy with the English chick?*" a thin boy with curly dark brown hair asked.

"*Luc man, this is Ginny, my girlfriend,*" Braeden replied.

"*What about the rest of them?*" the girl asked.

"*You've got Alicia, Angelina and Katie, the chasers, Ron, Ginny's brother and a reserve. Harry, the seeker, Fred and George Ginny's other brothers and the beaters and Hermione, my cousin, Fred's girlfriend and the trainer,*" Braeden pointed to each person as he said the names.

"Now how about some English introductions for us," Fred requested.

"Certainly," Braeden complied. "You've got Genevieve, Luc and Alexandre, our chasers, Giovanni and Marius, our beaters, and of course you've met our darling seeker, Calliope."

"*Offer them seats,*" Genevieve admonished.

"*They can have mine,*" Alexandre declared. He jumped up, grabbed his mostly full plate and headed off to the other side of the hall.

"*I hardly think all five of them can fit in once seat,*" Giovanni called to Alexandre's retreating back.

"*Don't be daft,*" Genevieve laughed, smacking Giovanni playfully on his arm. "*Ginny can always share Braeden's.*" Braeden didn't hear the chasers comment, as he was busy locating chairs for Hermione, Harry, Ron and Fred.

"Do any of you speak French?" Genevieve asked in broken English.

"*Me,*" Hermione said. "*Malfoy does also, but don't try to let the twins convince you they can.*"

"*Yes, Calliope said they made a statement about beauty, toothless rats, and last Thursday,*" Genevieve laughed.

"*Yes, those are our twins,*" Hermione said.

"*Quite glad our twins aren't like that,*" Genevieve quipped. She took a sip of the contents of her goblet.

"*You guys have twins?*" Hermione questioned.

"*Vieve and Gio are twins,*" Luc explained,.

"Someone care to fill us in on what's being said?" Ron asked.

"Basically just a revelation that Genevieve and Giovanni are twins," Braeden explained.

"This language barrier thing sucks sweaty donkey bollocks!" Fred announced.

"Sweaty donkey bollocks?" Genevieve questioned in her shaky English.

"*Definitely a Fred-ism,*" Braeden laughed. He pulled up the last chair. Fred and Hermione took the pair of seats between Marius and Luc. Ginny sat between Braeden and Genevieve. Angelina sat next to Genevieve with Katie on her other side. George sat between Katie and Alicia, who sat next to Luc. Harry and Ron slid into the chairs between Giovanni and Marius.

"So who was that other guy?" Harry asked

"Alexandre. Our third chaser and Calliope's best friend," Braeden explained.

"*What's up with the windows?*" Hermione asked. "*Do they show the history of Beauxbatons?*"

"*Do you really think Beauxbatons is old enough to have this much history?*" Maruis asked, looking around at the windows surrounding the group. "*In fact, they show the history of the magical world.*" Hermione quickly translated for the benefit of her friends.

"*Hey wait, are you Harry Potter?*" Genevieve asked. Hermione and Braeden both began to translate, but Harry held his hand up to stop it.

"Did she just ask if I'm Harry Potter?" Harry questioned. The two Granger's both nodded.

"Then yes, I am Harry Potter," Harry replied. He pushed his bangs off of his forehead to show his scar to Genevieve.

"*Wow! I've got something to show you then!*" Genevieve squealed. She sprang to her feet and turned to Harry. Hermione quickly translated for the girl. Harry stood up too. Genevieve took off across the hall. Harry turned to Hermione and shrugged.

"I need translation," Harry said. Hermione stood and followed her friend and the French chaser across the hall.

"What is it?" Harry, then Hermione asked when they caught up with Genevieve. Genevieve wordlessly pointed to a section of one of the windows. Harry and Hermione stepped closer for a better look. A tall black glass figure pointed a wand and shot a green glass spell towards a tiny glass baby with messy black hair. The spell bounced off of the baby and caused the wizard to fall to the ground in shards. The entire frame froze for a moment before the wizard rebuilt itself.

"*You,*" Genevieve finally said. Harry smiled at the tiny baby.

"That's got to be one of the," he paused for a moment. "Most interesting things I've ever seen."

"*Thought you'd think so,*" Genevieve responded.

"Hey guys," Hermione quickly repeated her sentence in French. "There is a little blonde kid over at the table and it looks like the Beauxbatons team is finishing their lunch."

"*That's Allegra. She's the team manager,*" Genevieve explained.

"Allegra?" Hermione questioned.

"*Calliope's little sister,*" Genevieve called over her shoulder and she headed back towards the table. Harry and Hermione followed her closely.

"Wow that family likes happy names," Hermione laughed.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Calliope has a little sister named Allegra," Hermione explained. Harry clamped his right hand to his mouth to keep the laughter from escaping.

"*What's happening?*" Genevieve asked as she approached the Beauxbatons' team table.

"*Practice!*" the tiny girl announced.

"Hermione, Harry, this is Allegra Lestat, our manager," Braeden said.

"Hi!" Allegra said, waving brightly at the pair. "I'm quite sorry but I must steal your lunch companions away for their Quidditch practice," Allegra's accent hung thick in her words.

"You speak English?" Fred asked, mouth open wide to express his disbelief.

"Of course," Allegra chirped. "Mother and Father insisted we all learn, so I did. Calliope rebelled though."

"Calliope is your sister?" George asked. Grey-green eyes flickered downwards and Allegra nodded slightly.

"*It's okay kid, we don't hold it against you,*" Braeden insisted. Allegra's face brightened visibly as she smiled up at the keeper.

"*I must go pry my sister from the new boy's arse. Head down to the pitch so Coach doesn't get mad,*" Allegra babbled. "It was nice meeting you all." With that, Allegra turned on her heel and hurried off to her sister's table, dirty blonde hair streaming behind her.

"And that's our little Allegra," Braeden laughed. Luc ran a hand over his curls.

"*I'd date her if she wasn't 12," he declared.

*****

"Welcome to Transfiguration with Professor Nymphadora Tonks," Tonks announced, looking out at the eleven students seated before her. "You can call me Tonks."

"What do you know about Transfiguration?" Draco challenged. He crossed his left hand across his body and grasped the cast covering his right elbow. Tonks chewed twice on the piece of gum caught between her teeth and took the top of her nose in her right index finger and thumb. She closed her eyes and filled her cheeks with air. When she opened her eyes again, the person standing before the class was about four and a half feet tall. She was exceptionally pale, with sparkling brown eyes and almost white blonde hair. Her four-inch long hair stuck out from her head in corkscrew curls in every direction. Her thin nose could have been transposed with Draco's own. She winked one of her brown eyes before turning into Tonk's usual pink-haired blue-eyed form.

"Any more questions, Draco?" she drew the name into four syllables rather than two. Draco shook his head and leveled an icy glare on the teacher.

"So what would you like to learn about transfiguration?" Tonks asked, folding her hand sin front of her and leaning against the desk.

"Animagi!" Fred and George chorused.

"Are you daft?" Tonks asked. "If I taught you lot the animagi transfiguration it'd look like a reunion of the wives of Henry VIII by the time the ministry finished collecting my heads!"

"Just because!" Hermione spoke up, rising her seat. Then she fell back against the chair. "Nevermind."

"Any other requests?" Tonks asked. "What did Bill teach you?"

"Invisibility!" The class chorused.

"Oh. He mentioned something about that. Go ahead then, let's see," the older girl urged. Harry and Hermione quickly faded from view while Fred's hands disappeared.

"So some of you did manage it! Fantastic!" Tonks crowed. Proud smiles appeared on Harry and Hermione's faces at they faded back to visibility.

"I know!" Tonks decided. "Let's change lead into gold!"

"You need a philosopher's stone," Harry, Ron and Hermione chorused. Tonks stood and walked towards the chalkboard.

"Suppose there was another way," she proposed.

*****

"No, you don't understand. Matter can be neither created nor destroyed. Simply transfiguring lead to gold would leave you with spare protons and electrons. It CAN'T HAPPEN!" Hermione screeched.

"Hermione dear, Theoretical Alchemy here, not Muggle Chemistry. Calm yourself," Tonks instructed. Hermione exhaled deeply and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her flushed face was a perfect indicator of how immersed she had been in her subject.

The door of the classroom banged open and instantly a thick black fell over the room. Three chairs clattered backwards, crashing on the floor in the inky darkness. Seconds after the chairs fell; spells began flying across the room, cutting bright streaks through the blackness.

"Stupefy!" a male voice shouted.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" came a female voice. The male voice shouted another spell followed by two more from the female voice. A different female voice fired off several spells of her won. Harry felt a cool hand on his left ankle.

"What should we do?" he heard Hermione's soft slightly panicked voice ask.

"We could go invisible," Harry suggested.

"And leave me here as bloody wand fodder?" Ron queried. "I think not!" His voice sounded from just to Harry and Hermione's right, closer to the wall than the first pair. Spells still whizzed overhead, sending dim flashes of light raining down over the students. A table rocked hard on the floor, followed by the soft thud of a body falling. Two more spells and the rattling sound of the unbalanced desk ripped unceasingly through the room.

"Stunners on three," Harry finally said, speaking normally above the shaking desks. "All three towards the back wall. One. Two. Tree." The boy didn't wait for visual confirmation from his friends, as he couldn't see either of them. At the word three, the trio of friends scrambled to their feet. Ron backed against the wall. Hermione stepped in front of him, allowing him space to fire over her head. Harry stood in close to them.

"STUPEFY!" the trio roared. Stunners ripped from the tips of their wands. Two fell useless against the back wall, while flashes of light from the back right corner ceased. Instantly the other attacker turned his attention to the trio. Harry hastily shoved Hermione to the floor. Ron caught his right foot on her right shoulder as he attempted to dive out of the way. He fell to the floor, pulling two desks with him in a cacophonous crash that echoed over the spell-caused noise. Harry quickly fired off two more stunners before stepping back against the wall, crouching down and fading into invisibility. He slowly began crawling around fallen desk, bags, and scattered books. He crawled past a barely visible fallen Ron before quickly jumping to his feet and firing off two more spells.

"Stupefy!" a voice from the front of the room roared. The spell caught Harry in the back of his neck and he pitched forward, smashing his face into a desk.

"We need to drop something on his head," Fred hissed to George, when Harry hitting the desk reached their ears. Angelina had fallen between the pair, victim to one of the earliest spells. The twins sat crouched to either side of her body. Katie and Alicia took cover in the next row, all four occasionally popping up to fire a spell or two at the male attacker on the back wall.

"I've got a better idea," George said. "Where is everyone else?"

"At least two down in Ron's direction, the five of use are here. Somehow I bet Hermione and Ginny are sitting around Harry and Ron's fallen arses," Fred explained. "And the girls are smart enough to stay down. Who really cares about Malfoy and Sanguinis?"

"Good point. Do you remember the product we were testing just before coming here?" Before George could finish outlining his plan, the lights flashed on.

"Nobody move!" Bill roared form the doorway. He quickly surveyed the room, casting a quick restoring spell in Bella's direction. She climbed to her feet and joined Bill in his silent survey. Bella finally broke the silence.

"Ron?" she asked, eyes falling on the youngest Weasley boy who still lay on the ground entangled in the pair of desks. "What happened?"

"I was trying to dive over Hermione and I fell," Ron admitted, turning as red as the house crest on his robes. Bella smiled and nodded while Bill flat out roared with laughter at his youngest brother.

"Points to all of you on the floor," Bella said. "Smart idea in an attack, although serious attackers will have someone firing spells at ground level. We just didn't have enough man power for that because Oliver is off spying on the Quidditch team." The seventh years all nodded. William had sought refuge under a desk a few meters closer to the door. Ginny was under a desk next to the catastrophe that was Ron.

"Ron, despite the fact that you did it completely by accident, your desks would serve as shields, which is quite a good idea," Bella said, smiling down at her youngest brother-in-law.

"Can I move now?" he questioned.

"Certainly," Bella replied. She turned to the resident Gryffindor bookworm. "Smart idea Hermione, being against the wall and all. You don't have to worry about being attacked from the back, however you will need to watch for spells that would attach you to the wall." Bella turned completely to the other side of the room.

"And Mr. Malfoy. Absolutely brilliant!" she announced. The entire class followed her gaze towards the ceiling. Malfoy smirked down at the room from a perch atop a bookshelf. "How did you get up there?"

"I climbed," Draco replied. "One armed."

"Impressive," Arabella admitted. Bill and Tonks nodded their agreement while the Gryffindors simply scowled.

"Where is Harry?" Bill asked. Blue eyes quickly scanned the room for a glimpse of the Boy Who Lived. Bella and Hermione began a slightly panicked visual search. Tonks simply fired a Finite Incantatem at a desk one over from Ginny's. Harry slowly faded into view.

"How did you know?" Bill questioned.

"Blood smudged on the book and the thought that his new skill is invisibility," Tonks shrugged. Harry lay face down in a pool of quickly congealing blood, slumped over the desk, completely unconscious.

"I think I hit him with a stunner," Tonks said.

"Way to go Tonks, kill our seeker why don't you? Especially since our spare is broken!" Fred cried.

"I am not a spare!" Draco insisted indignantly, still sitting on the bookshelf. Bill quickly revived Harry.

"By node hurts!" came Harry's first sentence. He stood slowly and clamped his hands to his swollen, still bleeding nose.

"Tonks stunned you and you planted your face in the desk," Bill explained.

'Dat's nice," Harry mumbled. "Herbidey, care to heal me?" Blood had begun to trail through his fingers. Hermione jumped up and grabbed her wand. She closed the short distance between herself and her friend.

"Let's see," Hermione said, pulling Harry's hands away from his face.

"Are you sure you dow what you're doi-g?" Harry jokingly asked.

"Of course!" Hermione and Draco chorused. "Merlin knows I've (she's) had enough practice!" the twins laughed uproariously at Hermione and Draco's unison speaking, warranting a glare from Draco. Hermione simply shot an evil look up at the Malfoy. She then quickly cast several spells on Harry to mend his nose and stop the bleeding, as well as clean the bloody mess.

"Good thing I wasn't wearing my glasses," Harry declared. He sniffed twice; experimentally testing his nose to make sure everything was in proper working order.

"Fantastic," Bella said. "Take your seats. Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts!"

"Can someone get me down?"

*****

"How was practice?" Angelina asked as Genevieve crashed into the chair next to the tall chaser.

"It sucked sweaty donkey balls," Genevieve declared. "*Did she ask about practice?*"

"*Yes,*" Braeden replied.

"She used my phrase!" Fred exclaimed. Braeden slid into a chair next to Ginny. Luc and Marius fell into chairs between Braeden and Hermione and Giovanni took a seat between Katie and Alicia. Allegra bounced into the seat between Luc and Marius.

"*You guys look about like these guys after practice, only they usually fall into a pile in the common room floor,*" Hermione laughed.

"*How many of you are in the same house?*" Luc questioned.

"*All of us,*" Hermione said, waving her hand around the table to indicate everyone seated.

"Your entire house team made the school team?" Braeden questioned. All of the Gryffindors nodded sagely.

"You all must be fantastic!" Allegra squeaked.

"How many of you are seventh years?" Braeden questioned. The chasers and the Weasley twins raised their hands. Allegra began babbling French in a furious translation of the conversation.

"Wow," Braeden said.

"Which houses are you all in?" Alicia questioned.

"Luc, Genevieve, Allegra and I are in the same house, as are Marius and Giovanni. Then Calliope and Alex are in the third house," Braeden explained.

"Does Allegra play Quidditch?" Ginny questioned.

"Yes!" The little girl exclaimed. "I'm the house seeker and will be the school seeker when Calliope graduates!" Braeden muttered a translation for his friends.

"*Don't get cocky,*" Luc warned.

"*Luc, you know our seeker stinks worse than your robes after Quidditch practice. And Allegra and Calliope have yet to compete so Allegra may in fact be better than Calliope,*" Marius said. Luc gave an experimental sniff at his robes.

"You guys are practicing after this meal?" Braeden questioned.

"Yes," Angelina responded. "From after this meal until Captain Blood says stop."

"Wouldn't he be Coach Blood now?" Katie asked.

"Captain, coach, whatever. The boy is evil," Angelina declared.

"Why wouldn't you know captain from coach?" Allegra questioned.

"He was captain of our house team from third year until fifth year, and now he's our coach," Katie explained.

"Wow your house really dominates the school team," Allegra said.

"*Look at that. It's simply revolting!*" Genevieve declared. She nodded to where Calliope, Draco, Alex and Sanguinis sat. Draco had his left arm around Calliope's thin shoulders. She had both elbows on the table, fingers intertwined. Her chin rested on her fingers and she looked up at Draco, captured by every word he spoke as he babbled away in French.

"Gag me," Allegra agreed. She shook her Calliope-like blonde hair away from her face and turned back to her meal. Marius reached over and clamped both hands over Allegra's ears. Luc watched until the girl's ears were satisfactorily covered.

"*Calliope is the school broom,*" Luc said. "*Everyone's had a ride.*" He raised his eyebrows twice in quick succession. Braeden quickly translated for the Hogwarts students, and Marius let go of Allegra's ears.
"*I heard that Lucien Dumas!*" Allegra cried. "*Not that I don't agree with you. But still, she is my sister*."

"*We don't hold it against you,*" Luc said, dropping an arm around Allegra's shoulders. Ginny spooned the last bit of her desert into her mouth and leaned over to drop a kiss on Braeden's nose.

"I've got to round the team up for practice now. Will I see you afterwards?" she asked.

"Certainly," Braeden said. "We've got to have Valentines Day before you go back tomorrow! Meet me just outside here at 11." Ginny smiled sweetly at her boyfriend and kissed his nose again. Then she stood, collected her bag, and headed off for Calliope and Draco's table.

"Practice in five," she called over her shoulder to the teammates she was leaving. Braeden smiled stupidly after her.

"*Tonight, on your date, speak French,*" Luc advised. "*It is, after all, the language of love."

*****

"Well team," Oliver looked at the group of teenagers surrounding him. "As it's the last practice before the match that could make or break the series, I thought we'd have a little fun."

"Who are you?" Angelina asked. "And what have you done with the real Oliver?" Katie and Alicia laughed while Fred and George tried to wipe the looks of disbelief off of their identical faces.

"I'm serious. I think it should be fun, so I've arranged a team for the lot of you to scrimmage."

"Scrimmage?" Katie squeaked.

"Yes, scrimmage," Oliver replied. "So with out further ado, I introduce your practice team!" Oliver quickly charmed his voice to a magnified level. "Beaters Ginny Weasley and Ron Weasley, chasers Tonks, Arabella Weasley, and Hermione Granger."

"HERMIONE!!" Harry and Fred chorused. Oliver smiled and nodded at the boys.

"Seeker Bill Weasley! And keeper, ME!" Five figures dressed in silvery robes rocketed onto the pitch. Oliver quickly charmed his robes to the same silvery color and hopped on his broom to join them in the air. A seventh figure jogged onto the pitch clutching a broom tightly in her hand.

"Hermione," Harry and Fred laughed.

"And your referee!" Oliver boomed from his position in the air. "Draco Malfoy!"

"What do we do?" Angelina asked, instantly turning towards the twins for advice.

"Play Quidditch. Draco will probably call for them, so don't do anything too dirty," Fred said.

"Win," George added.

"CAPTAINS!" Draco roared from the center of the field.

"Go twins," Alicia instructed.

"Nah," Fred said.

"We don't wanna," George added.

"Go Lina," Fred said. Angelina grabbed her broom and headed off towards Malfoy. Bill spiraled down from the sky to land neatly next to the seeker turned keeper turned ref.

"Shake hands," Draco commanded. Bill's team landed neatly behind him, and Hermione mounted her broom on the far left. The remainder of the Hogwarts team gathered behind Angelina. Oliver raised a quizzical eyebrow at the twins before glancing at Angelina. The pair simply shrugged and mounted their brooms. The rest of the team followed suit as Angelina and Bill shook hands.

"I want a good clean game. There are a few modifications to the rules of this game. Avoid the referee at all costs," Oliver called from the back of his team. "I don't want him permanently broken."

"WILL YOU LOT QUIT CALLING ME BROKEN!" Draco roared.

"Sorry," Oliver muttered.

"On the sound of my whistle," Draco said. He leaned down and opened up the crate. The bludgers sprang out and hovered just over his head. The snitch circled Bill's head once, then Harry's head once, before taking off into the upper levels of the pitch. Draco picked up the quaffle and flung it straight into the air, blowing his whistle as loudly as he could at the same time. Fourteen brooms shot off of the ground. Hermione chose to hover exactly 2 meters from the grass. Tonks grabbed the quaffle practically out of Alicia's hands and rocketed towards the Hogwarts goal before the seventh year chaser could fully process what had happened. Tonks serpentined between Fred, George and Harry before the boys could do anything to stop her. Harry continued his flight upwards to observe the field from above. The twins chased after their younger siblings to try to steal the pair of bludgers that Ron and Ginny commandeered. Tonks did a quick vertical roll that took her under Katie's broom before slipping past Angelina to fling the quaffle through the right goal while William arranged himself in front of the left.

"Goal!" Draco declared. William retrieved the ball and threw it out to Katie. Katie caught the ball but was almost immediately removed from her broom by a well-placed bludger courtesy of Ron.

"RON!" Oliver screeched from his goals. "DON'T KILL HER BEFORE TOMORROW!" The quaffle tumbled from Katie's fingers and Tonks immediately scooped it up and shot back towards the Hogwarts goal. Fred aimed the bludger at the woman. She dodged the bludger but had to pass the quaffle off to Arabella. Bella easily caught the ball and sped towards the Hogwarts goal. She looked to her right for the third chaser, but Hermione still hovered mere meters from the ground, clinging to her broom with a death grip. Bella gave a small, barely noticeable shrug before flying the quaffle around Angelina and faking right. William bought the fake and Arabella flung the ball through the center goal.

"GOAL!" Draco cried. "The score is 20-0 in favor of Oliver's All-Star team!" William retrieved the ball again. He flung it to Angelina.

"COVER ME!" she screeched. Fred was in possession of one of the bludgers. He cracked it down field directly in Angelina's path, causing Ginny to flit out of the way. Angelina flattened herself against the broom handle, quaffle tucked under her right arm. She shot down the field in a blur of red practice robes and dark brown braids. Ron all but had to jump off of his broom to get out of her way. Tonks attempted to catch up with her, but the metamorphmagus was no match for the seventh year.

"GOAL! Hogwarts!" Draco cried before Angelina had fully stopped. Oliver tossed the quaffle to Tonks, who instantly started down the field towards Sanguinis. Fred ad George both cracked bludgers at the girl, but both balls missed their marks by margins that could only be blamed on Fred and George's bad aim. Tonks skillfully dodged Alicia and sped into the scoring area. She flung the ball at William. He blocked the shot so she grabbed the rebound and fired it back at the keeper. This time the Quaffle slipped through William's fingers and into the center goal. William retrieved the ball and passed it to Angelina. Angelina tossed it to Alicia who quickly threw it off to Katie. Katie passed it back to Angelina. The tall girl bobbled the ball momentarily before losing control of it completely. It spiraled towards the pitch and directly into Arabella's waiting hands. The auror sped directly for Katie and Alicia causing the two girls to careen out of the way. When she approached the scoring area, she committed to the left goal. William mirrored her action. At the last possible second, Bella pulled her broom straight up to avoid entering the scoring area. At the same time she flung the ball wildly to her right. In a move more typical for blocking goals than scoring them, Tonks punched the Quaffle and it sailed through the right goal.

"40-10! Oliver's All Stars!" Draco cried. William pitched the ball out to Alicia. Alicia grabbed the red leather ball and hunched over her broom handle. She sped towards the other goal, narrowly dodging one of Fred's bludgers gone awry.

"What is wrong with them?" Bill asked, pulling his broom up even with Harry's.

"They don't appear to be on their game at all," Harry replied, watching as George nearly fell off his broom attempting to dodge a well- placed bludger from Ginny. The seeker shook his head and shrugged.

"For the sake of a couple of their futures, they better be on their games tomorrow," Bill muttered.

"Surely Oliver won't kill us if we're bad!" Harry cried.

"No," Bill replied, "But a certain set of twins and an Angelina have scouts from the Cannons, Puddlemere, and Holyhead coming to watch them."

"Three teams?" Harry asked, jaw dropping with disbelief.

"Yep! The Cannons want the twins. Holyhead wants Angelina, and Puddlemere is looking at Angelina and one of the twins, not sure which though," Bill explained. Harry shrugged, scanning the field for the snitch.

"What will your mum say if the twins decide to play profession Quidditch?" Harry questioned.

"GOAL!" Draco screeched. "70-20!"

"She's only going to be happy if they follow in Percy's footsteps minus the whole eloping bit. Their best bet will be to ignore her," Bill laughed. The conversation paused as the pair of seekers watched Alicia drop yet another quaffle and George aim a bludger at Arabella that almost his Angelina, who was most certainly flying behind him. Harry's grip on his broom tightened as he imagined Oliver's rage at their miserable playing.

"I think Oliver may very well be having a coronary," Bill echoed Harry's thoughts. He pointed down at the young coach. Oliver had a hand on each side of his head. He alternated between watching the game and closing his eyes to keep out the sight.

"Uh-oh," Harry muttered, pointing to the stands just behind Oliver's goals. Two people sat on the first bench.

"Who is it?" Bill questioned.

"Looks like Calliope and Alexandre, the Beauxbatons seeker and a chaser," Harry explained. The conversation paused as the pair of seekers watching Tonks fling another goal past William.

"Where did she get to be so good?" Harry questioned.

"As spastic and clumsy as Tonks is, she's always been a bloody good chaser. Slytherin held the house cup for the six years she was eligible to play, mostly because of her. Several professional teams including Falmouth and Puddlemere recruited her but she opted for auror training instead," Bill explained.

"Tonks was a Slythrein?" Harry questioned, ignoring Bill's comments about Puddlemere and Foulmouth.

"Certainly," Bill replied. Harry froze as he spotted something glimmering near William's goals. He immediately pulled his broom in a fast but shallow dive. Alicia, in possession of the quaffle, passed the ball off to Katie. Harry buzzed past Kate with Bill right on his tail. Katie didn't see them coming. Their speed and the element of surprise caused her to drop the ball. It spiraled quickly towards the pitch. Angelina raced towards it. All four Weasley beaters remained frozen in the air as they watched decent of the ball.

"HERMIONE!" Fred finally screeched. The girl finally looked up in enough time to throw her hands in front of her face. The quaffle smashed into her arms, pitching her off her broom, two meters to the ground.

"Hermione," Fred said again, though this time the name sounded more like a desperate cry than a warning shout. He lowered his broom towards his fallen girlfriend at a high rate of speed.

Neither Harry nor Bill noticed the commotion going on with Hermione. The pair chased after the elusive snitch. The ball wove in and out of the goal posts several times before pausing as if to decide which way to go next. Harry took this moment to close his hand around the tiny gold ball. He pulled his broom to a stop and waved the snitch over his head.

"I've got it!" he called. Only then did he notice the huddle of people on the pitch. In fact only Bill and himself remained in the air.

"What did we miss?" Bill asked, sliding to a halt next to Harry. Harry pointed towards the huddle with the snitch.

"Who is it?" Bill asked.

"Hermione!" Harry finally realized. "My best friend's knocked out and here I am worrying about the snitch!" Without releasing the tiny ball, Harry shot towards the group.

"INCOMING!" he shouted as he drew near. Angelina and Katie parted, allowing Harry to land his broom just next to the core of the group. Fred sat on the pitch with Hermione gathered in his arms. Ron and Oliver both crouched next to her. Harry tumbled to his knees next to Ron.

"I'm perfectly fine!" Hermione declared, glaring up at her boyfriend, two best friends, and coach. She struggled to release herself from Fred's grip. Harry held the snitch out to Oliver.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Oliver asked, absentmindedly taking the ball from Harry.

"I'm perfectly fine," Hermione insisted again. She shoved Fred away and sat up on her own. "See. Fine! I'll probably have bruises in the morning but I'll deal!" Oliver looked down at the tiny ball struggling in his hand.

"Oh my, I've caught the snitch! What's the penalty for a snitch nip, Malfoy?" the coach asked in all seriousness.

"Oliver, I caught the snitch. I handed it to you. The game is over. We win, 170-90," Harry explained.

"Yes, about that," Oliver said, springing into coach mode. He jumped to his feet and turned to face his gathered team.

"Weasley!" he barked. Before the six gathered Weasleys could request specification, Oliver added, "Ron!"

"Yes sir," Ron said, standing up to face his coach. He straightened his robe and dusted himself off.

"Get ready because you're starting tomorrow," Oliver said. Ron tried to control the smile threatening to break across his face.

"But sir," William began.

"Sanguinis!" Oliver shouted. "My grandmother could keep better than that and she' s a quadriplegic! No wait." The coach paused. "She's DEAD!" Sanguinis took a step back, startled look shining in his blue eyes.

"If we had a full reserve team, I'd play them all except seeker tomorrow! Harry, good job." Harry nodded his thanks.

"Seriously guys," Oliver continued his ran. He tossed his broom to the ground in attempt to emphasize how serious he was. "You are supposed to be the best players in Hogwarts, but right now I think I'd have more luck playing Harry's fan club!"

"I have a fan club?" Harry asked, looking up at Ron.

"If you do, Colin Creevey's president," Ron whispered with a smile. Hermione shook her head at the two boys.

"Chasers!" The three girls jumped to a semblance of attention. "You lot flew better when I recruited you as second years than you did tonight! Please, keep your hands away from the butter tomorrow at lunch." The three girls nodded and looked at their shoes, properly apologetic.

"Fred and George!" Oliver turned on the remaining members of the team. The twins jumped to their feet and held their arms tightly to their sides. They stood with their feet together and backs as straight as they could get.

"Now is NOT the time for joking!" Oliver shouted. "You both played dismally! Your LITTLE SISTER outplayed you!"

"Hey!" interjected Ginny.

"No offense, Gin," Oliver said.

"None taken," Ginny replied.

"Back to the point!" Oliver said. "If I didn't have to play Ron as keeper tomorrow, I would play him and Ginny instead of you lot!"

"You don't have to play Ron as keeper," George said. Fred jerked an elbow into his side, which effectively silenced the boy.

"Did you miss Sanguinis's dismal performance. Playing anyone but Ron at keeper would be a recipe for disaster! Tomorrow may very well determine the course of some of your LIVES!" Oliver cried.

"Don't' you think that's a little overly dramatic there Wood?" Fred asked. "I mean really, the match is important, but lives?"

"Yes, lives," Oliver replied. Fred raised his eyebrows at George who only shrugged in response. "Now I was watching the Beauxbatons team practice earlier. They're good, but they're not unbeatable. However, if you all play like you just did, it will be a repeat of Durmstrang. It seems as though all of the Quidditch skill in the Granger family went to Braeden," Oliver flashed a quick smile at Hermione. She leveled an evil glare on him. "The boy is, there is no other word for it, good. I've only seen three others comparable to him at this age, and two of them are on the team." All three keepers beamed proudly. Oliver didn't bother to say which two he was referring too.

"Was the other our coach?" Fred asked.

"That's beside the point," Oliver spat. "Granger is a very skillful keeper." He held his hands out to his sides, palms to the air and shrugged a bit. "But he's no match for our keepers if they're playing to form. They do, after all, train with a professional."

"Pep talk, not brag about your Quidditch skills time," Fred reminded the coach. Oliver glared down at the boy.

"Their chasers are okay, but there seems to be some sort of resentment or animosity between one of them and the other two," Oliver explained. "It's like the boy with curly brown hair and the girl against the other boy. The real thing you're going to have to watch for is the combo of one of their beaters and their girl chaser. It seems as though they're telepathic. I've never seen anything like them except maybe the Weasley twins."

"That's because they're the D'Angelo twins," George muttered.

"That explains it then," Oliver said. "So be sure to watch for that. And Harry, their seeker is not the greatest. She flies a Nimbus 2001, which isn't a bad broom but no match for the Firebolt." Ron, Hermione and Harry all cast sidelong glances at Malfoy.

"Any questions?"

"Is this it?" George asked.

"Nope," Oliver said. "Run five laps for sucking. Then that's it," Oliver said. The nine team members looked at him, disbelief evident on their faces. "I'm serious guys. And all of you have to run. That includes you Draco. Win as a team, lose as a team!" With that, the coach turned on his heel and walked from the pitch.

"This bloody sucks," Ron grumbled as he started off around the pitch. The rest of the team nodded their agreement and followed him.

*****

"Are you sure you're okay?" Harry asked, flopping onto the bed next to Hermione. He stretched out over the end of the bed and placed his hands on the edge, one on top of each other. He rested his chin on his hands and looked up to the head of the bed where Hermione sat. Ron was sprawled across Ginny's bed in the room the two girls shared.

"I'm fine, Harry. I wasn't that far off the ground and it just hit my arms. When I fell I landed flat on my back and I'm perfectly okay," Hermione assured him. Harry blinked his earnest green eyes twice before turning to look at Ron.

"What did you think about practice?" he asked.

"I get to play tomorrow! William doesn't! I'm bloody happy it sucked!" Ron cheered. He had his left arm flung over his head and his right foot hung off the edge of the bed.

"What if we're that bad tomorrow?" Harry questioned.

"Harry man, I'm playing. We won't be that bad tomorrow," Ron joked.

"Don't be cocky," Hermione scolded.

"I'm not as cocky as Allegra was," Ron said.

"That kid is amusing," Harry mumbled.

"She reminds me of Astrid," Ron admitted. Harry and Hermione nodded their agreement.

"Speaking of Astrid, I've done some research on animagi transformation," Hermione announced. "And don't ask. That segue made perfect sense in my head."

"She was there when we came up with the idea. It's reasonable that she would remind you of it," Ron said. Hermione ran a hand through her bushy brown hair.

"Thanks. Anyway. I used Astrid's pass and got a couple of books out of the library. I don't know if we're going to be able to do this," Hermione said, looking down at her feet.

"Hermione, has that ever stopped us before?" Harry questioned, moving so he could look over his shoulder up at his best friend. Hermione gave a small shrug.

"Hermione, if someone as stupid as Rita Skeeter could do it, then why won't we be able to?" Ron asked.

"And if my father taught Sirius how to do it, then I'm certain you'll be able to teach me and Ron and Astrid," Harry added.

"Well we've got one problem already," Hermione said.

"What's that?" Ron asked. He moved his arm away from his head and rolled over on his side to face his friends.

"We need a practice area, and a really big one at that," Hermione said. "If one of us turns into something particularly large or dangerous, we need a place big enough for that. We also need it to be inaccessible to everyone else, and so out of the way that if we accidentally tear up something, it won't be too much of a problem. Then there is the issue of the ghosts. What if they catch us and turn us in? I mean we can't very well do the entire transfiguration under the invisibility cloak."

"Hermione, you're rambling," Ron cut his friend off.

"She's right though, where are we going to find a room that meets all of those specifications?" Harry questioned.

"There is an attic to Gryffindor, but I think Leah practices dance up there, and it isn't really that big," Hermione said. She pulled her knees tighter to her chest and sank deeper into her pillows.

"Empty classrooms are out of the question," Harry said. "What about Fluffy's lair."

"Are you kidding?" Ron asked. He sat straight up on the bed and looked at his best friend. "Every since you and Jason and Sawyer charmed that bed in the corner, Mandy and I haven't been able to go back because it's constantly occupied!" Harry suppressed a laugh.

"Taking over for the astronomy tower then?" Harry questioned. Ron nodded.

"We could always try to do it right under everyone's noses and hope we don't get caught," Hermione suggested.

"I personally don't see how you're the boy who lived," Ron jokingly declared. "You're so bloody thick. And you!" he pointed to Hermione. "You're the school genius! It seems as though the two of you would think of this!"

"Think of what?" Harry questioned.

"Nothing except the rather large room way under the school that only Harry can open!" Ron exclaimed.

"The Chamber of Secrets!" Harry and Hermione chorused.

"Yes," Ron said, nodding slowly at his friends, shooting them disbelieving looks the entire time.

"Ron, you're bloody brilliant!" Harry cried. He ran his hand through his wet black hair, flicking water over on Hermione.

"Don't you know any drying charms?" Hermione asked, eyeing her friend's soaked black locks.

"They make my hair stick up everywhere," Harry replied with a smile. "Besides, this is more fun." He shook his head rapidly, flinging water towards Hermione and almost to Ron.

"You are insufferable!" Hermione announced, wiping a drop of water from the tip of her nose.

"You love me anyway," Harry said. Ron shook his head at the pair.

"Do you think the chamber will work?" Ron asked.

"Of course. I'll just talk a first year into harassing Moaning Myrtle so she keeps her bathroom flooded," Harry laughed.

"Perfect!" Hermione cried, clapping her hands together.

"Do you really think we should let Astrid in on this?" Ron asked.

"Why not?" Harry questioned. He rolled over so he lay on his back, legs, head and arms hanging off of either side of the bed. His hair fell from his head in a puffy black halo and his face slowly reddened as blood rushed to it.

"She's You-Know-Who's heir's sister!" Ron cried.

"She's one of our closest friends!" Harry countered. "If we can't trust her, who can we trust?"

"This coming from a guy who looks like he took lessons in sitting from Sawyer Lewis, nappy boy extraordinaire," Ron laughed.

"Shove it, Ronald," Harry spat.

"What do you guys really think about the whole heir thing?" Hermione questioned.

"It's scarier than shit," Harry announced. "Because not only am I going to have to kill Voldemort, I'm quite likely going to have to kill the brother of a close friend. Not just the brother but the TWIN brother. Believe it or not, I don't fancy the idea of killing people!"

"Maybe," Hermione began.

"Hermione, seriously," Harry held his arms above his head and pushed them towards his waist to lever himself into a sitting position. He spun to face Hermione and folded his legs beneath him, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fists. "We're in a war. People die in war. For people to die, people must kill. It's the most fucked up thing I've ever heard of, but it's the way things work. And for some reason, big bad wizard has it out for me. I think he needs my head for his trophy wall or something." Harry sprang from the bed and paced towards the wall. He stared at the floor and clenched his fists by his sides.

"Harry," Ron began.

"I don't want to kill Keiran. I don't think killing Voldemort would do anything to my conscience, but Keiran is a kid. He was six years old when a choice was made for him that determined the rest of his life. Killing him for a choice his father made for him has got to be the most ridiculous thing I think I've ever been faced with."

"If you're going to discuss ridiculous, then lets talk about the bloody big snake during second year," Ron muttered.

"Harry, maybe you won't have to kill Keiran," Hermione said. Harry turned on his heel and paced back towards the door. His hair had dried considerably and stood on end more than ever from drying as he hung upside down from the bed.

"But if I don't, who will? One of you? Ginny? Sawyer or Jason? Astrid?" He turned to face his friends as he said the last name. "Point being, I can't ask any of you to do it. Could you imagine if Astrid had to kill her own twin brother?"

"Harry, come here!" Hermione commanded. Harry walked over and stood by the bed next to his friend. "Sit," she said, pointing to a spot just in front of her. Harry turned around and sat on the bed.

"Put your feet up there," Hermione instructed, pointing to the end of the bed. Harry did as he was told, putting his back completely to Hermione. She placed a hand on each of his shoulders and pulled him backwards until his head rested in her lap. She placed three fingers at each of his temples and began moving them in small circles. Harry closed his green eyes. Hermione began speaking softly in a stead voice, directly at her friend.

"We're all in this together," Hermione murmured. "No matter what, we will be here for you. The world is too big for one boy's shoulders but together maybe, just maybe, we can carry it together. Worry solves nothing. It will get you as far in life as letting the Weasley twins sit for exams in your place. So lets not worry, but practice, prepare, and be ready when the time comes." Hermione extended her thumbs down to massage just below Harry's eyes. A small smile pulled across Harry's lips.

"Well said," Ron whispered from Ginny's bed.

"What's our plan?" Harry questioned, not moving under Hermione's touch.

"Hermione will research, you will both master the spells, and I will be the side kick," Ron supplied. Harry's smile grew slightly.

"I'll see what I can find on previous defeats of dark wizards. You know, methods, theories, spells and such. I'll also study muggle wars. And we can start on the Animagus transformation as soon as we get back to school," Hermione offered.

"Harry, we should train harder to get in top physical condition," Ron suggested.

"Yes," Harry slowly agreed. "And I must sharpen my wandless magic skills." Hermione's hands continued their work on Harry's slightly more relaxed face.

"And guys?" Hermione asked, her voice sounding small and scared.

"Yes?" Ron and Harry chorused.

"I know I've got Fred and Harry, you've got Hannah, and Ron, Mandy," Hermione began. She moved her hands from Harry's face and clenched them into nervous fists just above his head.

"Hermione, you have nothing to worry about," Ron assured her.

"Hannah could never begin to take your place," Harry agreed. "Remember, worry will get you no where." He sat up and wrapped his arms around Hermione's shoulders. He ran his hand across her hair several times. She settled her head onto his shoulder and wrapped her arms comfortably around his waist.

"Incoming!" Ron shouted. He jumped twice on Ginny's bed before springing onto Hermione's. He stretched out next to his friends. Hermione pulled away from Harry and curled up next to Ron. Harry laid next to Hermione.

"I don't know what I would do without you guys," Hermione said.

"Study."

*****

"We're seventh years!" Katie said, leaning back against George. The pair sat in the floor in the pseudo common room Beauxbatons had provided the team. Fred and Alicia curled on opposite ends of the slightly uncomfortable couch.

"Really, what tipped you off?" Fred asked, quirking an eyebrow at his brother's girlfriend. George tightened his arms around Katie's waist.

"We won't be coming back to Hogwarts next fall," Alicia muttered.

"Yes, Alicia, that's typically what happens when one finishes all the required time at a place," Fred quipped. He spoke as though Alicia was a particularly dense first year.

"Where's 'Lina? We can't have this conversation without 'Lina," Katie insisted, struggling against George's grip to scan the room for her friend.

"She left earlier to meet a Beauxbatons player," Alicia said, not moving from her spot. Katie re-settled herself against George.

"Do you all remember the first time you ever met me?" Katie questioned.

"I certainly do," Alicia replied. "You were sitting in a compartment all alone and I didn't have anyone to sit with."

Katie giggled. "So you said. Then Angelina came in a minute later and we had a conversation about eye candy." Fred kicked Alicia lightly on the bottom of her foot.

"You were on a search for eye candy even then?" he asked.

"Certainly! Wood helped me with the barrier and I thought he was the cutest thing I'd ever seen! And he was 13 with a racing broom!" Alicia laughed.

"So we spent the first half of the train ride talking about boys. Then we were interrupted when a certain pair of red-headed twins pitched a bag of dung bombs into our compartment." Katie reached behind her and tickled George's side. He released a slightly girly squeal before pushing her hand away.

"Weren't very original back then were we Gred?" George asked.

"Indeed we were not, Forge," Fred replied.

"When did we first meet?" George questioned. Fred smiled mischievously and adjusted the pillow under his head.

"I believe it was when the bird and the bee chose to pollinate the same flower," Fred finally replied. He opened his mouth to continue but Alicia cut him off.

"What exactly are you talking about?" she asked. She tucked a strand of chocolate brown hair behind her ear and dragged her fingernails across the tip of her nose, leaving an angry red mark.

"Dad's attempt at a sex talk," George finally explained.

"He had us so confused by the time we were finished that George was certain Ginny had been hatched and I thought mum picked Ron from under a toadstool in the center of a cabbage patch owned by a Mr. Stork," Fred continued. Both of the girls laughed outright at the boy's explanation.

"Bill finally had to explain it all to us," George finished the story. "We only hope mum did a better job explaining things to Ginny because Bill insisted he wasn't going anywhere near that one."

"What are you two planning after Hogwarts?" Alicia asked; nodding at the twins after her laughter finally subsided.

"Our joke shop," Fred replied. "We'll probably get a flat in London, apparate to the Burrow to eat and then apparate to Lee and Marissa's every night to laugh at him struggle to eat her food while our stomachs are full of mum's good home-cooking."

"And then I'll apparate to see you," George said, nestling a kiss onto Katie's ear.

"Hermione will still be at Hogwarts if we're even still together so I'll only have to worry about that on Hogsmeade weekends," Fred said. "What about you girls?"

"I've got a job with the ministry lined up," Alicia said. "In the Magical Games and Sports Division, Quidditch Department."

"We're getting a flat in London," Katie said. "But I don't know what I'm going to do for work. I don't particularly excel in anything, I mean, like a subject or anything. And without you guys, I'm afraid I'm not that great at Quidditch."

"Oh Katie, you're loyal, dependent, a great friend, a hard worker, eager," Alicia began holding up a finger for each of Katie's good traits that she listed.

"Learn to catch a Quaffle in your teeth and I hear the Menagerie is taking applications for Golden Retrievers," Fred quipped.

"You are not funny Fredrick Bayard Weasley!" Katie screeched, while Alicia planted her heel directly on Fred's shinbone.

"What's Angelina doing?" George asked, trying to ignore his brother's statement about Katie.

"What's Angelina doing where?" A familiar voice asked from the doorway. Angelina stepped over to the chair opposite Fred and Alicia's couch and took a seat. Her lips were slightly swollen and her face had a dark flush to it.

"Uh-oh, Angelina looks as though she's been thoroughly snogged!" Alicia cried in a rather sing-song voice.

"Just because I have a thing for Quidditch playing twins doesn't mean anything," Angelina muttered looking down at her feet.

"Go 'Lina!" Alicia squealed. "Giovanni is hot!"

"Italian too. They live on the border so their parents decided to send the twins here. Their older sister and younger sister go to the Italian school though," Angelina explained. "So what is Angelina doing when?"

"After Hogwarts," Fred prompted. Angelina curled her long legs under her in the seat.

"Flat in London with the girls and hopefully a position as a reserve for a pro Quidditch team," Angelina said.

"And if that falls through you can always be a Golden Retriever with Katie," Fred laughed.

"WHAT?" Angelina asked, shooting inquisitive glances from Katie to Fred to Katie before finally settling on a suspicious look at Fred.

"Add that to the dictionary of Fred, right next to sweaty donkey bollocks," George finally offered in way of explanation.

"You know guys, we're seventh years," she muttered, pulling her tiny braids back and tying them into a ponytail using two of the braids.

"We've been over this," George replied.

"We're not going back to Hogwarts next fall," Angelina tried.

"That too. As well as the fact that Alicia has been searching for eye candy since she met Oliver Wood before she actually got onto platform 9 3/4 for the first time," Fred added.

"And Fred and I were bloody original as first years," George finished with a laugh. Angelina smiled softly at her best friends.

"Okay, here's one," she said. "There is a war going on and we most certainly aren't going to be under Dumbledore's protection."

"Way to kill the mood there 'Lina," Katie only half joked.

"I'm serious though," Angelina insisted.

"We should all get a flat together!" Alicia suggested. "There is power in numbers.

"Are you sure you want to live with George and Katie over there?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow at Alicia.

"I've lived through Angelina and George, I'll live through George and Katie," Alicia shrugged. She rolled over onto her back and stretched her feet into Fred's lap.

"What about Lee and 'Rissa?" Angelina asked.

"They'll be married!" George spat the word out as though it tasted bad.

"We're too young for that" Katie said, shaking her head.

"Come on guys, it's not as they'll be really dead!" Alicia insisted.

"Just socially dead," Fred quipped. The quintet broke into roaring laughter.

"We should do something," Angelina said when the laughter finally subsided.

"What?" Fred asked. Angelina shifted her weight to the other arm of the chair.

"Something symbolic, to make sure we remember each other forever incase something were to happen," Angelina explained.

"You mean like a tattoo?" Alicia queried, looking over at her friend.

"Yeah," Angelina said.

"We're not death Eaters here 'Lina," George reminded his ex-girlfriend.

"We should get piercings like Bill's," Fred said.

"I don't much fancy having an earring in just one of my ears," Alicia said, touching her left ear thoughtfully.

"I saw one this summer that was just for one ear!" Katie said. She pinched part of the upper cartilage of her left ear between two fingers. "They had an earring here!"

"Weird!" Alicia exclaimed.

"No," Katie objected. "It was hot!"

"I like it!" Fred and Angelina chorused.

"How do we do it?" George questioned.

"BILL!" Fred screeched. The oldest Weasley brother appeared in the doorway of the room Bella and Tonks shared.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"We want piercings. Where did you get yours done?" George questioned.

"Needle and an ice cube when I was visiting Charlie on the dragon preserve during the Sirius Black mess," Bill said. "Charlie has one too, but he always charms it invisible around mum."

"We want this pierced," Katie said, indicating her upper cartilage.

"It's going to hurt," Bill warned. He began rolling his t-shirt sleeves up to his shoulders.

"You're going to do it?" George asked, sounding slightly panicked.

"Now?" Fred squeaked. He swallowed hard.

"Certainly. As long as you promise not to show mum until I'm there. I need a good laugh," Bill said. He began rolling his left sleeve up. Slowly a thin band of dark black barbed wire appeared tattooed onto Bill's bicep.

"Merlin Bill, when did you get that done?" Fred asked, eyeing the tattoo. Bill ran his fingers across the ink before flexing his muscle, causing the tattoo to ripple and stretch across his well-defined bicep.

"Hogwarts graduation," Bill replied. "I hide it from mum."

"That's hot," Alicia breathed.

"Charlie's is cooler," Bill admitted. "He's got a dragon across his shoulders breathing fire down his left arm to his elbow. The tail starts at his right elbow. It's got to be one of the coolest things I've seen."

"Charlie has a tattoo too?" George questioned. Bill nodded.

"Hides it from mum too. The day he shows his is the day I'll show mine, because mine looks like marker compared to his." Bill sat about conjuring earrings from solid metal rings.

"Do me a favor and don't mention it to mum," Bill requested.

"And if we do?" Fred asked, raising one eyebrow.

"I'll tell her the pair of you got your dicks pierced and she won't believe you didn't until you show her," Bill said, not missing a beat. The twins' faces twisted into identical expressions of horror and disgust.

"Thought you'd see it my way," Bill laughed. "Now who is first?" The three girls looked at each other.

"I'll go," Angelina finally volunteered. Bill patted the stool in front of him that he'd created from a cushion. Angelina stood and walked over to the stool. She carefully sat, facing Bill. The man picked up a piece of ice from the cup and held it to Angelina's left ear.

"DAMN that's cold!" Angelina shrieked. "How about you forget the ice and just pierce it."

"The ice numbs it," Bill reminded her.

"The Durmstrang match landed me in the hospital wing with a cut on my arm that it took Madame Pomfrey 45 minutes to heal. I sat and watched her. Calmly. I think I can handle you sticking a needle through my ear," Angelina said, looking up at Bill with honesty shining in her chocolate eyes.

"Okay," Bill shrugged. He placed a piece of cork behind her cartilage at the appropriate spot. "Breath in," he instructed. Angelina did as she was told. "On the count of three, breathe out. One. Two. Three." On three, Angelina blew the air out of her lungs and Bill shoved the needle through her cartilage and into the cork. He pulled the needle away and slid one of the earrings through the new hole, closing it off with a red and gold marbled bead.

"That didn't hurt!" Angelina announced. She jumped up and headed towards the bathroom to examine her new piercing.

"I'm next," Alicia declared. She rolled off the couch and hopped onto the stool. "If Angelina can take it without ice, I can too," she told Bill. Bill picked up another needle and another piece of cork. He placed the cork behind her ear in the same place he had Angelina's.

"Breathe in," he instructed, and when she did, "On the count of three, exhale. One. Two. Three." She exhaled and Bill repeated the piercing process, placing an identical ring and bead in Alicia's ear after he pulled the needle through. She jumped up and joined Angelina in the bathroom.

"My turn," Katie declared. She removed herself from George's grip and took her seat on the stool. "No ice, breathe in, three, breathe out. I think I've got it," she said before Bill had a chance to deliver his instructions.

"Okay," Bill replied, moving a third piece of cork into position. Katie took a deep breath.

"Three," Bill announced. Katie, though surprised, exhaled and in about 15 seconds, she joined her friends in front of the bathroom mirror.

"You first," Fred said, looking at George. The pair turned to look at the empty stool in front of Bill.

"Why?" George asked.

"Because I was born first. Its your turn to be first," Fred explained. George glared at his brother but stood up and sat down on the stool.

"May I have the ice?" he requested in a small voice. "Or better yet, a numbing spell?"

"No numbing spells. You gotta have at least a little pain if you're going to have a piercing," Bill said, placing the cork behind his brother's ear.

"Chicken!" Fred hissed from the couch.

"Why pain?" George asked. "Why pain?"

"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something," Bill quoted.

"Chicken," Fred muttered again.

"Okay, ice then," George said.

"The girls didn't have ice," Fred pointed out from the couch. Bill slammed the needle into his brother's ear with such viciousness that it went straight through to the cork. He pulled the assembly away and put the ring through the slightly bloody hole.

"Was that it?" George asked,

"Yep," Bill said, clipping the bead in place.

"That wasn't bad!" George said. He jumped up and followed the girls. A moment later, all four returned. Fred shakily took a seat on the stool.

"Just do it," he muttered to his brother. Bill shrugged and quickly pierced Fred's ear. After the earring was in place, Fred stood up to join his friends.

"Wow," he mumbled. He clasped a hand to both sides of his head and swayed once before tumbling to the ground.

"Holy hell, he fainted," Bill said, poking Fred easily with his toe. The three girls and George rushed over to the fallen beater and crouched around him. Bill quickly melted the ice in the glass he had intended to use for numbing.

"Who wants to do the honors?" he asked, holding the freezing water out to the group.

*****

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked, running her fingers tentatively over the thick black blindfold obscuring her vision.

"You'll see," Braeden said from a spot slightly in front of her. He held her hand in one hand as he led her along the corridors of the palace. In the other hand he held a picnic basket.

"How much longer?" Ginny asked.

"We're almost there," Braeden replied. He pushed open the back door to the castle and led Ginny out into the advanced herbology students rose garden project. He pulled her along the stone wall until they reached the far right corner. Here the roses climbed the wall in a blanket of solid red blossoms. A series of trellises formed a pseudo third wall of roses. Braeden led Ginny to the bench and helped her sit. She sniffed twice.

"Smells like roses," she announced. Braeden untied the blindfold and allowed it to drop from her eyes.

"That's because it is," he whispered. He lowered himself onto the bench next to her. She looked around at the three walls of roses, and then up at the clear black sky.

"How? It's February," she asked. Braeden shrugged.

"It's magic," he replied. "Advanced Herbology project." He opened the picnic basket and pulled out a box made of chocolate. He lifted the lid to reveal a thick chocolate substance on the inside.

"Pudding," he explained. "I tried mousse, but honestly, I'm not much of a cook. So we have pudding." Ginny smiled sweetly at him. He reached in the basket again and produced a smaller, octagonal white chocolate box. Removal of the lid revealed raspberries.

"They were to go with the mousse. I'm not sure how well they'll go with pudding, but we'll see," Braeden shrugged. He picked a raspberry from the box and swirled it in the pudding before lifting it to Ginny's lips. He accidentally dripped chocolate on her lower lip before feeding her the raspberry. She reached to brush the chocolate away, but he held her hands away from her face.

"I'll get that for you," he whispered. He leaned over and licked the pudding from her lip before pulling her into a soft kiss. Ginny pulled back after a moment, and chose another raspberry. She dipped it in the pudding before popping it into Braeden's mouth. He chewed thoughtfully.

"Not bad," he said after a moment.

"No," Ginny replied. "Not bad at all." Braeden reached back into the picnic basket and pulled out the third and smallest chocolate box. He placed it next to the raspberries.

"Why don't you see what's in that one?" he asked, feeding her another berry. She quickly opened the top of the box to find a silver ring lying in the bottom. He carefully plucked the ring from its chocolaty home and took Ginny's right hand. He slid the ring onto her ring finger. The band formed two hands holding a heart. The heart wore a crown.

"A claddagh," Ginny said, looking at the ring.

"Yep," Braeden said. "So I'm assuming you know the legend."

"Of course. My mum's part Irish, how could I not?" Ginny asked. Braeden smiled softly at her. She stood up and walked over to just in front of where he sat.

"Thank you," she said. She sat on his lap, facing him, one leg on either side of his. She placed her hands on the back of his head and locked her fingers in his soft blonde hair. His brown eyes widened and darkened to almost a black color. Ginny leaned down, red curls creating a curtain around their faces, and captured him in the most breathtaking kiss of his four years of kissing experience.

*****

"*So how did you break your arm and lower your bone density?*" Calliope asked. She and Draco lay on a blanket in the Beauxbatons' Astronomy Tower.

"*Mudblood Granger screwed up a bone healing charm,*" Draco replied. Calliope ran her fingers over his shirt and down his chest.

"*I mean how did you break your arm originally,*" she said.

"*I fell out of a tree,*" Draco lied. Calliope propped herself on one of her elbows to look at the boy lying next to her.

"*What were you doing in a tree?*" she asked. Draco tucked his good arm behind his head as a makeshift pillow and blinked twice.

"*Saving a first year,*" Draco replied. "*The twit climbed up, couldn't get down, and was holding on so tightly that a levitating spell wouldn't work so, as a prefect, I had to climb up and pull his ass down. He got out okay, but I fell. Then mudblood came along and screwed up the spell.*"

"*Interesting,*" Calliope whispered directly into his ear, causing a delightful shiver to course through his body.

"*Yes,*" Draco agreed, almost jumping when Calliope took his earlobe between her lips and sucked gently. He removed his hand from under his head and twisted it through her hair. "*It was very interesting indeed.*"

"C'est gentil. Maintenant soyez quiet et embrassez-moi."