A/N: I'm happy to say, the fic is finished. 17 chapters plus epilogue. I'm quite happy with it! I may speed up posting a bit, now that it's all written, so keep checking back for updates. And, as always, don't forget to review. :)

Chapter Thirteen: The Vial

Uncle Re and Malfoy were already inside the office, Malfoy dressed in impeccably clean clothing. Harry shot Malfoy a confused look. Malfoy sneered back.

As it was the day after the full moon, Uncle Re had dark circles under his eyes, and he leaned heavily on a cane as he let Harry into the room. "Go on, sit," he said.

Harry took a seat next to Malfoy and tried not to look too guilty.

Uncle Re hobbled back to his own seat. "Now, then. All Minerva told me was that you both needed detention, and that I was to assign to you anything I needed. What I'd really like, firstly, is to know what happened."

Both Harry and Malfoy launched into their versions of the events at once. "Well, I was in the hallway -"

"In Potions, Weasley had a note about a dragon -"

"- going down to visit Papa -"

"- and illegally sending the dragon out of the country -"

Uncle Re held up a hand. "Alright. One at a time. Mr. Malfoy, you first, please?"

Malfoy sniffed loudly and started over. "In Potions, yesterday, Weasley had a note about illegally transporting dragons. Well, I wasn't going to let him get away with breaking the law. So I went down to search the castle when he showed up, at the bottom of the main staircase. I told him about Weasley, and he attacked me! Just out of the blue! And of course I had to fight back, Professor."

"Hm," Uncle Re said, turning to Harry. "Now you."

Harry cleared his throat and attempted to meet Uncle Re's gaze while lying through his teeth. "I was going to ask Papa about - about something that he told me. And, I know that it was after curfew, which was wrong of me. But, on the way, Malfoy was there. He insulted my House. I defended myself."

"You defended your House with your fists?" Uncle Re asked, giving Harry a disappointed frown.

Harry flushed and looked away. It was all the answer he needed to give.

Uncle Re turned his frown on Malfoy. "And you, Draco. If Mr. Weasley really was smuggling dragons… don't you think that maybe alerting a teacher would have been a better way to handle it?"

Malfoy started to fume, his face burning red in anger. "If any of you would bother to listen to Slytherins in the first place, maybe I'd have thought of it, but we always end up having to take things into our own hands."

"Now, that is a falsehood," Uncle Re said. "Any allegations of illegal behavior you give will be followed up. As… unlikely as they seem."

"Well, the dragon's already gone, I'll bet. And it's Snape's fault, here. Plus, he attacked me!" Malfoy sulked.

Harry looked away. Uncle Re seemed to notice how uncomfortable Harry was. "There may be one other explanation, Draco. Had you considered that maybe the letter was faked?"

"Why would he do that?" Malfoy demanded.

"To get you out of your dormitory where you could be found after curfew… and thus lose points for Slytherin. I have the feeling you were simply the victim of a prank. And I've seen a few in my time, trust me. As for you, Harry…" Uncle Re sighed. "You should know better than to think with your fists, and you shouldn't be wandering after dark. In addition to it being against the rules, it's also quite dangerous. There are… things lurking in the halls."

"Everyone keeps saying that!" Harry exclaimed, finally losing his temper. "There are dangerous things lurking, there are things that would wish to kill me! Why is this true? Is it me? Or are they after anyone?"

Uncle Re sighed. "You'll have to wait for your father to answer that, Harry. It's not my place."

"Can we just get on with the detention?" Malfoy snapped. "I want to finish my homework eventually. You can have your little family issues later."

"Yes. You're quite right," Uncle Re admitted. "Now then… As you can see, I've been… ill lately. My classroom is also in serious need of a cleaning, especially after the fourth year Hufflepuffs blew up a kappa there today." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "And Professor Quirrell seems to have made himself scarce, again. Therefore, I've decided to borrow a page from Mr. Filch's book."

Harry cringed. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Malfoy doing the same. For just a moment, he wondered whether or not Filch truly did want to chain students in the dungeons. It certainly kept some students in line, whether or not the rumor was true.

Uncle Re rose and hobbled to the door down into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Next to the door frame were two buckets. "You'll be cleaning the classroom. No magic. As soon as it meets my inspection, you may both leave."

As one, Harry and Malfoy groaned loudly. "Cleaning like Muggles?" Malfoy asked, whining. "That's house-elf stuff!"

"If I weren't ill, I'd simply do it myself. However, I have other things to be doing. Papers to be grading… and tonight, I have to pick up a package in Hogsmeade for the seventh year class. In fact…" Uncle Re glanced at his watch. "I'll be leaving for my errand shortly. Mr. Filch will pop in to make sure you're on task. He's been ordered not to remain."

Suppressing a sigh, Harry picked up his bucket and headed into the classroom to get to work. He didn't even know how to clean like a Muggle. It would be a long night.

------

About twenty minutes after Uncle Re left for Hogsmeade, Malfoy spoke for the first time. "D'you think he'd notice if I didn't scrub the floor underneath the desk?" he asked. "Cause… I won't tell him that you didn't wipe down the cabinets, if you won't tell him about the desk."

Harry sighed and started wiping down the cabinet fronts. "We should do all of it." After all, they had both broken the rules. Harry simply had to remind himself that he was doing it for his friends.

"He wouldn't look under the desk, I'd wager," Draco murmured, but he pulled the chair out and crawled underneath anyway.

Little bits of green ooze were encrusted on everything. Harry thought back to what Uncle Re said: some Hufflepuffs had blown up a kappa? He'd never seen a kappa before. He wondered if the whole kappa was green, or if only its guts were. Frankly, Harry thought the punishment was a bit unfair… after all, when would they be stuck in a situation without magic? Magic was in their blood. As much as he hated to admit that Draco Malfoy was right about something, he did sort of think that scrubbing like a Muggle was beneath him.

With a sigh, Harry wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and opened the cabinet door. Whomever closed it last had done a poor job of it - as soon as the door opened, a glass jar toppled out. It shattered on the ground.

From beneath the desk, Harry heard Malfoy yelp in pain. "Merlin, Snape, watch it! You scared me out of my skin! Hey - what's this?"

Harry left the broken glass on the floor. "What did you find?" he asked, crouching down next to the desk.

Malfoy was rubbing the back of his head and staring at the side of the desk. "It's a secret lev-" He cut himself off, and glared over at Harry. "And why should I tell you?"

"If you do not, I will tell Uncle Re that you were snooping around in his desk." Harry made sure that Malfoy saw his smirk. "And… I am his favourite nephew. He will believe me."

For just a moment, Harry thought about backing up. Malfoy's eyes flashed dangerously, and the bruise on Harry's cheek was a painful enough reminder of how hard Malfoy could punch. But then, suddenly, Malfoy let out a barking laugh. "Alright, then, Snape. I suppose there's some of your father in you after all." Malfoy scooted to the side and pointed into a dark corner. "There. It's a lever. Looks like there's a compartment beside it. I hit it when you shattered whatever that was."

"Well?" Harry said. "What is in the compartment?"

Malfoy snorted and pushed past Harry, out from under the desk. "Not a chance. I'm not putting my hand in there."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You are afraid of a dark hole?"

"No. I'm afraid of a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who seems to be keeping secrets. His office was well-warded. You were late; you didn't watch him take them all down." Malfoy shuddered. "If I stick my hand in there, it might not come out in one piece."

"Fine. I will do it." Harry glanced across the top of the desk. He grabbed a quill from the cup in the front - it was one of Quirrell's, so Harry didn't mind if it was destroyed - and crawled under the desk.

The compartment was hidden away near the back, on the side. It must be behind the drawer space on the inside, though it couldn't be very large - the drawers certainly seemed the same size. Harry couldn't remember Uncle Re poking around under the desk, but he supposed his uncle wouldn't be open about whatever it was he had hidden. Steeling himself for a jolt, Harry poked the tip of the quill into the compartment.

Nothing happened. Malfoy seemed to be watching from over Harry's shoulder - he gave a loud sigh of relief. Harry shot a look at the Slytherin, and Malfoy merely sneered back. "What?" he said. "I didn't want to explain to the nurse. She'd probably blame it on me."

"Well, everyone knows that Slytherins like attacking Gryffindors," Harry shot back. "She would not be blamed for giving you another detention." Ignoring Malfoy's reply, Harry took a deep breath and reached into the compartment.

As he'd guessed, it was a small compartment. It seemed to be deeper than the opening let on, and was packed with several vials. Harry pulled one out and held the contents up to the light of the window behind them.

"What is this?" he asked Malfoy. The vial was about half empty, the remaining contents appearing to be liquid metal. Harry shook the container - the liquid was thicker than water, and looked to be almost the consistency of pumpkin soup. Harry thought back to the project he'd done in primary school on alchemical ingredients, when he'd wanted to be a Potionsmaster like Papa. "It looks like… liquid mercury?"

Malfoy snorted. "Liquid mercury? What would you use that for?"

Harry sighed. "For… for potions. Papa has some…" Harry looked more closely, and shook it again. "But it is thinner than this."

"S'not a potions ingredient," Malfoy said softly. "If it is what I think it is… it's very illegal."

"You seem to have a talent for finding illegal things," Harry said darkly. "Oh. Wait. You didn't find that dragon at all."

Malfoy glowered. "I don't know why you're protecting that mudblood-loving Weasley… but I know the dragon was in Hagrid's hut. I saw it. If I'd got Professor Dumbledore to see, Weasley'd be expelled for sure. And Hagrid would be fired."

"My friend happens to be a mudblood, and she is smarter than you could ever hope to be," Harry snapped. "Why do you want Ron expelled? He has not done anything to you!"

"His dad sent the Aurors after my father for no reason! Said we had cursed Muggle things around! Well, I'll bet he's the one with the Muggle things. When Father told me about what the Aurors did - I'll get him back for that, Snape. You'll see." Malfoy crossed his arms and snarled. "And if you get in my way, you'll get it, too."

Harry rolled his eyes. "It is a blood feud, is it not? How many generations?"

At least Malfoy looked a bit embarrassed. "Twelve," he muttered.

"Blood feuds are outlawed in Greece," Harry said haughtily. "They have been since the second Trojan War. Two entire families were wiped out, just because a woman left her husband two thousand years ago. It is stupid."

Malfoy was starting to look angry again. "It's not stupid," Malfoy growled. "It's my duty to get them back for their breach -"

It was time to change the subject, before Harry ended up with another bruise. "You said that you know what this is?" he asked, shaking the vial around.

"Yeah," Malfoy said. He took the vial from Harry to examine it more closely. "I think it's unicorn blood."

Harry jerked back. "Unicorn blood? That is - but why would Uncle Re have -?" He cut himself off abruptly. And then, he narrowed his eyes as something else clicked. "And how would you know what unicorn blood looks like, Malfoy?"

Malfoy didn't answer. He handed the vial back, and pointed toward the compartment instead. "What else is inside?"

"More vials." Harry reached in and grabbed several. All of them were full of the same liquid, half a dozen in all.

"That's… that's a lot of unicorn blood," Malfoy said softly.

Harry put them all back and pulled on the lever. The compartment shut with a click. "Uncle Re will be back, soon," he said. He crawled out from under the desk and headed over to clean up the broken glass.

"I won't tell anyone," Malfoy murmured. Harry didn't know whether or not to believe him.

They didn't speak for the rest of detention. When Uncle Re arrived back with a fresh Kappa, Harry had trouble meeting his gaze.

------

As soon as Harry entered the Common Room, Hermione and Neville grabbed his arms and started dragging him toward the staircase. "What is happening?" he asked, bewildered by the rough treatment. Fred, George, and the temporary Gryffindor Seeker, Lee Jordan, were hunching over a pile of candies in front of the fireplace and staring at the other trio.

"We know who Flamel is," Hermione hissed, glaring over at Fred, George, and Lee until they went back to their horde.

Neville nodded frantically. "Ron's upstairs… Seamus and Dean are off at the library. You'll never guess where we found it, Harry!"

Until they were safely inside the first year boys' dormitory, they wouldn't say another word about it. Ron was perched on his bed, with a pile of thick books open around him. "Harry!" he exclaimed. "Glad you're back! Just in time! Did they tell you?"

"You found Flamel…" Harry said. "In one of those books?" Hermione perched on the edge of Seamus' bed with Harry; Neville sat next to Ron.

Ron grinned, and the others giggled. "Not at all. We were having a terrible time of it. His name didn't show up anywhere. Most of Dumbledore's biographies focus on Grindelwald."

"I thought my eyes were going to fall out from all the reading," Neville complained. "And that was after we'd all finished our homework!"

"I'm not done with mine, yet," Harry pointed out, "so maybe you could hurry up?"

"Well, you said we could have some Chocolate Frogs," Ron said.

Neville nodded. "After we couldn't take it anymore, we did."

Hermione pulled a Chocolate Frog trading card out of her pocket. Harry frowned and looked over to Ron and Neville. "Flamel has a trading card? But I thought that there was a full list when you wrote to the company, and I have never seen -"

"No," Hermione said, cutting Harry off with a giggle. She handed the card to Harry "It's another Dumbledore…"

"So?" Harry muttered. "Granpa looks silly in this picture."

Hermione turned the card over in his hand. "How is your English reading going?"

Harry scowled and peered down at the card. It was slow going, but Hermione pointed out the correct line. "The twelve uses of… dragon's blood… with partner Nicholas Flamel," he read aloud. Then, he dropped the card and smacked himself in the forehead. "It was here? All that time? It was here and we never -"

"I know! It's enough to make me want to cry!" Hermione said. "But then we went down to the library to get books on alchemy. We left Ron to find out what else Flamel was known for, while Neville and I waited for you to get back."

Ron nodded. "And I've found it, I think," Ron said, pointing at the largest book. "A biography said he was most famous for being the only man to successfully make a Philosopher's Stone."

Hermione let out a gasp and rocketed to her feet. "A Philosopher's Stone! Oh, Ronald, do you know what that is?"

"Well, I had to look it up," Ron admitted.

Neville frowned. "If you don't mind, I don't know what it is." Harry didn't either - but he wouldn't admit that to Hermione.

"It's used in a draught that makes the drinker immortal! So that means… oh, it couldn't, could it?" Hermione sat back down, eyes wide.

Ron shrugged. "I expect it does. I think the only known Philosopher's Stone is up in the third floor corridor."

"No wonder Hagrid wanted a dragon to guard it," Neville said. "You just make the potion, drink it, and you're immortal?"

"You have to keep making it," Hermione said. "Eventually, if you don't, you start aging like a normal person. All it does is halt aging."

"I wonder who's after it?" Ron asked. "All it does is stop aging for a bit? Nice, but… is that all it can do?"

Hermione frowned. "It's also said to restore health. It can bring one back from the brink of death… supposedly. Since there's only one in existence, it's hard to experiment."

Neville lowered his voice. "I wonder if it's… if it's You Know Who after it. I mean… my grandmother thinks he's not dead. She thinks he's going to come back, and if he got his hands on the Philosopher's Stone, he could be back to full strength…"

Ron shuddered and Hermione looked concerned, since she didn't know what it was like to grow up with Voldemort used as a bedtime threat. Harry thought it sounded quite frightening, too… but Voldemort wasn't the only person Harry knew of with an incurable sickness.

"What is unicorn blood good for?" Harry blurted into the awkward silence.

Ron pursed his lips. "I don't know. But it's really illegal, I know that."

"But unicorn hair is used in wands, and unicorn horns in potions and things," Neville said. "Why's the blood so illegal?"

Hermione snatched a book off of Ron's bed and started paging through it. "Unicorn hair and horns can be donated," Hermione explained. "Or, at least, that's what I've read. They can be taken without harming the unicorn at all. But unicorn blood…"

"Unicorn blood can only be taken by killing a creature of pure goodness. There is a curse associated with taking unicorn blood," Harry said softly. "I just do not know what the blood can be used for… why someone would go so far as to be cursed."

"It has some similar effects to the Philosopher's Stone," Hermione said, reading an entry from the book on her lap. "It can… bring one back from the brink of death. But the curse… if someone drinks unicorn blood, they live a half-life. They start to lose their humanity." Hermione closed the book and looked over to Harry. "Why do you ask?"

Harry had been meaning to tell them about the vials, but if he was right, Uncle Re was in very serious trouble. "Oh, nothing. Just… just something Professor Lupin said at detention," Harry explained as vaguely as possible."

Neville and Ron exchanged glances. "What if You Know Who is drinking unicorn blood to survive until he can get the stone?" Ron asked.

"He could attack at any time!" Neville exclaimed. "Except… except, he has to be killing unicorns, so he bodies must be somewhere…"

"I'll ask Hagrid," Ron murmured. "I'm staying over Christmas break because Mum and Dad are visiting Bill. I'll ask him then."

It sounded crazy to Harry. Voldemort, lurking around Hogwarts? Everyone knew Voldemort was afraid of Granpa. He wouldn't be stupid enough to be within sight of the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

But if someone was killing unicorns in the Forbidden Forest… Harry knew Uncle Re went collecting specimens for class, there. And Uncle Re was already cursed to be only half human. He was a werewolf. What if Uncle Re was using the unicorn blood, instead? What if Uncle Re was trying to cure himself of the werewolf curse using the Philosopher's Stone? Papa didn't trust Uncle Re; he was only around because he'd been close to Mater, but Harry didn't know anything at all about Mater's friends. He didn't think Granpa would let a Dark Wizard work at his school, but if Uncle Re had killed the first unicorn while he was a wolf, and now had to keep killing them to stay alive until he could cure himself with the stone…

To Harry, it didn't sound that impossible. After all, every wizard knew that werewolves weren't entirely human.

------

For the rest of the week before Christmas Break, while the others tried to decide how Voldemort might attack the school, Harry watched Uncle Re very closely. In the mornings, he sat beside Auntie Min and breakfast and had a bowl of cornflakes and beans. Between breakfast and lunch, he taught two classes. Sometimes, Harry caught sight of Papa pulling Uncle Re aside after meals, but they always looked awkward when Harry approached them. At lunch, Madame Pomfrey would keep loading Uncle Re's plate until he fled the hall. And, at dinner, Uncle Re would sit between Hagrid and Auntie Min, and he seemed to prefer bread pudding for afters - except for the one evening when Madame Trellawney, the Divination professor, tried to sit beside him. That night, he spilled pumpkin juice over his front and fled the hall. Considering Trellawney's appearance, that of a spindly beetle, Harry couldn't blame him.

All in all, he didn't behave like someone cursed by unicorn blood. In fact, he acted more normal than Papa. Whenever Harry interrupted his conversations, Papa would either growl and send him away - or clam up, as though he'd been talking about Harry behind his back. It was especially bad when Papa was speaking with Uncle Re or Auntie Min.

However, after Ron spoke to Hagrid, there was no doubt in Harry's mind that Uncle Re was the culprit. Hagrid revealed that a unicorn died on the night of the full moon, and wasn't the first such creature to die.

Without any new leads and stressed by the loads of end of term homework, Harry was very happy when the weekend came around. Most of the students in his dormitory began packing earlier in the week, except for Ron, who was staying for the holiday. On that Saturday morning, mere hours before the train pulled out of the station, he finally opened his trunk. Harry was a bed over, trying to decide whether or not he'd have time to read ahead in the History of Magic textbook. "Harry," Ron said abruptly, "what if he comes during the holiday?"

"What?" Harry asked, glancing up. He tossed the textbook into the 'leave' pile. "Who comes where?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "You Know Who, of course. Come here. Like we've been talking about all week…"

"Oh," Harry sighed. "That." He tried not to look guilty, but he was fairly certain he failed at it.

"You think we're all mental," Ron said. He shrugged. "Maybe you're right. But, if not… if You Know Who really is out there, in the forest… what then? What if he attacks while you're all celebrating Christmas, and I'm here alone, with my brothers?"

Harry tried to give a reassuring smile. "Granpa would not leave the castle unprotected. In fact… I am probably in more danger for Christmas than you are." Especially since Uncle Re would be spending most of the holiday with them, as he had no blood relatives of his own left.

"Somehow, that doesn't reassure me," Ron muttered. Nevertheless, he went back to cleaning out his trunk, which looked to sorely need it.

------

After most of the students headed home on the Hogwarts Express, the few remaining over the holidays gathered in the Great Hall with the teachers for dinner. Harry found a seat between Ron and Percy, and across from two upperclass Hufflepuffs that he didn't know. Papa and Uncle Re sat side by side, while Hagrid passed a bottle of Firewhiskey among the professors.

Ron leaned over to whisper to Harry. "They look like they're celebrating, don't they…? I wonder what they do when spring term's out…"

"They drink themselves into a stupor and play Exploding Snap," Harry whispered back.

Ron giggled, then cut himself off with a blush. "You're not serious, are you?"

Harry shrugged. "If I were joking, would I tell you that?"

"Wanker," Ron replied, and Percy reached around Harry to smack the side of Ron's head.

After dinner, Harry and the Weasleys returned to the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry finished his packing while the twins and Ron sat around in the dormitory. "You'll write?" Ron asked. "Cause if, you know, anything happens, I'll be sure to write you. If I'm not dead."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I am sure you'll be here, in one piece, when Christmas is over. I am not worried."

"You're not thinking our gift would kill you, are you?" Fred asked. Or, it could have been George. Harry wasn't sure.

The other twin picked up the thread of the conversation. "Maim, maybe. Never kill."

"Oh, bugger off," Ron snapped. "Why've I got to be stuck with only you lot for company?"

The twins exchanged amused glances. "Well, Perfect Percy the Prefect is downstairs with him homework… you could be hanging with him instead…"

"Don't remind me," Ron muttered. "He's boring as -"

The dormitory door creaked open, and Ron cut himself off, lest Percy be the one on his way in. Instead, it was Papa. The twins cringed a bit under the professor's glare. "Misters Weasley," Papa said, greeting them. "Have a… Happy Christmas. Now, Harry, it's time to go. If we don't leave immediately, our guests may arrive home before we do."

Harry frowned as he levitated his trunk. "Guests?" he asked. "But I thought just one student…"

"Remus is a guest as well, remember."

Actually, Harry had forgotten that the werewolf would be staying with them. He'd been so busy following Uncle Re's every move that the chance for prolonged observation had slipped his mind. However, he still felt a need to defend himself to his father. "He is family," Harry said. "He does not count as a guest." Harry turned to wave to his friends. "Happy Christmas. I will see you soon."

Ron and the twins waved goodbye, and the dormitory door closed. "There are… two guests. Not merely one," Papa admitted, after the students could no longer hear the argument.

Harry scowled. "We will have the whole of Slytherin House if you keep inviting others."

"That is a severe exaggeration," Papa said, returning Harry's scowl. "And, for your information, only one of our two guests was in Slytherin. As for the non-Slytherin, I'm doing a favor for several old friends."

As they marched across the Common Room, Harry waved to Percy. "Who are the guests?" he asked. "You did not tell me names when you mentioned it before."

Papa gestured for Harry to precede him through the potrait hole. "It is a… bit of a surprise."

"I'm not fond of surprises," Harry muttered. He would've pestered Papa a bit more, except that Uncle Re was waiting in the hall.

"Hello there, Harry," Remus smiled. Harry allowed himself to be hugged, but pulled away much more quickly than normal. After all, if Uncle Re really was cursed by the unicorn blood, Harry didn't the curse brushing off on him… if curses could rub off. He wasn't very knowledgable on that point.

Uncle Re frowned and seemed ready to make a fuss of Harry's reaction, but Papa set a hand on Harry's shoulder and steered him toward the Headmaster's office. "We're late, Remus," Papa pointed out.

"I doubt your guests would mind all that much," Uncle Re replied. "Neither is Muggle-born. They won't destroy your magical possessions with curiosity."

Papa snarled. "You still think that was an accident, don't you! They put her up to that, they did!"

"Who destroyed what?" Harry asked.

Both Uncle Re and Papa immediately looked gloomy. "It was nothing," Uncle Re said. "Just… something that happened a long time ago."

It was the same expression Papa wore whenever he remembered Mater. Harry huffed. "You never tell me stories about Mater," he whined.

Papa looked pained, and Harry knew he'd won. "I had a dicto-quill, seventh year of school. It was a birthday gift, from my father. I… set it up in class to take notes, so I wouldn't have to pay attention. Not exactly an original scheme, but I spelled the quill and myself with a do-not-notice charm so Professor Flamel wouldn't see that I was sleeping in class. I already knew most of the potions material."

"Worked wonders," Uncle Re said, a smile creeping onto his face. "Except for one thing… the avoidance spell only worked on one person at a time, so the rest of the class could see what he was up to. And, your father being Slytherin and your mother being Gryffindor…" Uncle Re merely shrugged.

"That's one explanation for it," Papa snorted. "I still think James and Black convinced her to -" He cut himself off abruptly. "Well," he said, trying to cover his slip of names, "your mum had never seen a dicto-quill before, being Muggle-born. She was sitting in front of me. She took it while I slept and was experimenting with it. But, when I woke up and noticed my quill was gone, I gave a shout, and she dropped it…"

"… right into a half-finished potion," Uncle Re broke in, a devious smile crossing his face. "The ink and feather combination mixed with whatever it was we were making that day, and set off an explosion so violent that it burned Severus' eyebrows off." Uncle Re dissolved into laughter.

Harry couldn't blame him, even though Papa seemed less than amused. Harry was trying to hold back his giggles. "Her eyebrows were only protected because she'd turned to yell at me for startling her. And I still think J- her friends wanted the quill for their own nefarious purposes."

Uncle Re waggled his eyebrows. "You wouldn't be wrong, there."

Harry followed Uncle Re and Papa up the stairs to the Headmaster's office. The only working floo stop in the building was there. Uncle Re and Papa went on to argue about something else, as was their normal routine. However, they left Harry with a bit of information to consider - James had been in Gryffindor, in Papa's year, and was friends with someone named Black. Suddenly, Harry didn't want to leave. He wanted to run down to the library to solve his mystery, even if the information did nothing to help him.

Instead, he followed Papa and Uncle Re through the fireplace to greet the guests he didn't want for Christmas.

They were waiting for them on arrival. Two very familiar faces were in the entry hall, surrounded by luggage. Harry let out a loud gasp and started to choke on the fireplace dust from their Floo trip. Papa turned to him with a curious expression. "You recognize them? You were only six the last time you saw them…"

Charlie Weasley smiled and waved cheerfully. "Hullo, Harry!"

"It's been a long time," Dina winked, stepping over to ruffle Harry's fringe. Her thumb brushed over the itchy part of his forehead and Papa shot her an annoyed look. "Thanks for taking me and Charlie for the hols, Professor. When his parents decided to head to Egypt, we weren't sure where we'd bunk…"

"I suggested we pop in on her parents, but we decided that wasn't such a great idea…" Charlie said, side-stepping Dina's swipe in his direction.

Papa rolled his eyes. "As I've told you before, you are always welcome here. Now, as I'm sure you've brought a plethora of pictures of your Romanian adventures, why don't we adjourn to the study…"

Dina followed Papa and Uncle Re stepped up to Papa's other side. Charlie leaned over to whisper to Harry. "Delivery complete, mate. You can tell Hagrid that his dragon's happy on the preserve." With another wink, Charlie tossed an arm over Harry's shoulders and herded him in the direction of the others.

Maybe Christmas wouldn't be so bad, after all.