Chapter 22: - Return to the fold

The friends were allowed to spend the next hour talking while madam Pomfrey forced Miriam to drink her medicine and magically mended Frank's ankle, which he had only sprained. While the six friends talked Miriam's grandfather, Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey and professor McGonagall discussed Miriam's future at Hogwarts. It turned out that Miriam's mother had never wanted Miriam to come to Hogwarts and after the incident that had led to Miriam's hospitalisation she was clamouring for either Miriam's removal from the school or for Miriam to be resorted into Slytherin house as she claimed that it would be better for Miriam's condition if she was closer to her brothers. However Miriam's grandfather thought otherwise.

It turned out that despite the high reputation that Miriam's parents had within the wizarding community it was in fact Miriam's grandfather that currently held all the wealth and titles that the Artemis family was renowned for, and so the old wizard had come to see his only granddaughter and to offer his support for Miriam's wishes to remain at the school.

"He's really good" Miriam said affectionately as she looked at her grandfather who was standing with the two professors across the aisle and he gave her a little wink and a wave coursing McGonagall to turn and look at the six friends very critically.

"I'm surprised your folks aren't up here right now I know my mother would be," Frank said looking towards the hospital wings doors as though his mother was going to burst through them any minute "She'd probably wouldn't let me out of her sight if I had....." Frank trailed away knowing he'd said too much.

"If you had what I've got" Miriam said finishing Franks sentence and lily was relived to she that Miriam smiled "Believe me if my father had his way I wouldn't be allowed to do anything he'd cast me in a permanent cushioning charm if he could just to make sure I wouldn't get hurt!"

"But-?" Amy said looking a little confused "But you do loads of stupid things!"

"Thanks!" Miriam scoffed still smiling

"I think she means if your parents don't let you do anything how come you're so good at flying and you told me you help your brother practice Quidditch over the summer?" Lily said

"Well what they don't know won't kill them right?" Miriam said smiling even more broadly "But if mother knew she'd kill Jedidiah and maybe even Thaddeus just to make sure she's covered all the angles" The six friends laughed again,

"No Minerva we've already been through this!" Lily heard Miriam's grandfather say,

"Mi what's that thing your Grandfather's wearing around his neck?" Lily asked as she looked over her shoulder at the adults,

"What? Oh that," Miriam said sounding slightly board "That's the Artemis family crest it's been passed down from father to son for years, when Grandfather pops his clogs dad gets it and then Tad after him....Why?

"Nothing really I was just curious that's all why does he wear it around his neck though?" lily asked still looking at Miriam's grandfather, but it was Frank who replied,

"Remember our little talk in the Owlery" Frank said in a hushed voice that also conveyed a warning,

"What have you been saying Longbottom?" Miriam demanded

"Nothing!" Frank said holding his hands up "Just – You know – the truth" Frank said cringing away from Miriam's stare,

"Thanks not only am I a freak but you've told them I'm aristocratic freak"

"Royal freak" Frank said diving across the other side of the bed as Miriam swung her pillow at it "I only told them the truth, it's not like they can't read about it!" But Miriam didn't look like she appreciated it either way. And unfortunately the adults had seen what had happened also.

"Mi" Her grandfather said his voice sounding tired as he raised one of his bushy eyebrows,

"Miss Artemis please don't agitate yourself" Madam Pomfrey said as she came bustling over to her bed,

"I do believe that you five have had enough excitement for one night" Professor McGonagall said as she too headed over towards the group and began to Shepard them towards the doors, Lily, Frank, Alice, Dymphna and Any quickly said their goodbyes before they headed out of the Infirmary. Lily took one last look over her shoulder as McGonagall closed the door and she was pleased to see Miriam smiling.

McGonagall led the group of first years back down the corridor that they had walked three times that evening, but now after seeing Miriam and knowing that she was improving greatly the five friends felt almost joyful. Almost that is and not completely because as McGonagall reached the fat ladies portrait and gave her the password she turned to the first years and said,

"Mr Longbottom a certain book disappeared from my office the same day as my map, I would like it back please"

"I – I don't know what your talking about Professor" Frank sad innocently, "may be if you described it to me I could perhaps remember seeing it"

"No Mr Longbottom I must have been mistaken" McGonagall said glaring at him as she allowed the girls to climb through the portrait hole,

"I shall inform you all of your punishments soon", Lily heard McGonagall say as Frank climbed through and lily knew that the first years would soon be regretting Franks decision of stealing the professor's book.

Despite the fact that it was well past 2am when the first years climbed into bed they still had to get up at the normal time of seven and be washed and changed and down in the Great hall for breakfast at eight. Naturally Lily, Alice, Frank, Dymphna and Amy were all exhausted from the night's escapades, and Lily's legs still hurt her from all the running that they had done. Sleepily Lily helped herself to scrambled eggs as the rest of her dorm mates settled down next to her at the Gryffindor table, all of them dreading the fact that they still had an entire day of lesions to get through before they could return back to bed,

"Where did you two get to last night?" James asked as he sat next to Frank and Remus

"Yeah" Sirius said as he piled bacon, eggs and sausages onto his plate "Creeping out late at night makes me think you guys were up to something?"

"What are you talking about?" Frank asked faking his innocence

"They may as well know seeing mum and dad will soon find out from MG we -" Alice said as she pointed to the rest of the girls and Frank "- went to see Miriam last night and yes we got caught all right!"

"Oooh naughty sis" James said revelling in his sister's miss fortune "Mum'll be Fuming"

"So...err...how was she" Sirius said hanging his head a little,

"Loads better mate" Frank said cheerfully "You didn't kill her anyway, and I doubt you knocked any sense into her either"

"Yeah!" Sirius said trying to sound happy that Frank could make light of the situation but Lily just glared at him knowing too well that if it hadn't been for Sirius, Miriam wouldn't have been in the hospital wing at all,

"So what time did you two get back then?" Peter asked Remus a little timidly,

"Vot are Vou talking about Pete, Remy didn't come Vith us!" Frank said stuffing fried kidneys into his mouth,

"But – Where did you go then?" James asked accusingly as the rest of the first years turned to look at Remus,

"I...Well...I" Remus stammered as he started to flush red around his collar,

"May I have your full attention please?" Called a voice from the teachers table, and every head in the Great hall turned to see Professor Dumbledore standing up at the centre of the long teachers table, immediately everyone fell silent, and lily was sure she heard Remus breath a sigh of relief.

"Thank you" Dumbledore said lowering his hands "I know that it is very rear for me to make announcements during term but I have several important notices to convey to you all, The first is that it has come to my attention that despite my expressed wishes the number of students that are venturing from their common rooms outside of curfew has increased" Lily heard Dymphna gasp and James and Sirius both shot the first year girls very dirty looks, "This has I said at the start of term must stop. This is purely for your own safety as much as for your teachers' peace of mind, for those of you who are still unsure what your curfew times are please check with your house perfects. Curfews apply for all and means that you must be in your house common rooms at that time" lily shifted in her seat trying to act as innocent as she could at Dumbledore's words

"Also on an unrelated topic" Dumbledore continued "Professor Kettleburn has reported that a number of Nifflers from his care of magical creatures classroom has gone missing, this may however be purely coincidence or that the Niffler cages are not properly secure enough to contain the animals, but it is requested that if any of these creatures are seen wondering" Lily noticed that Dumbledore stressed the last word "then if you could kindly return them to Professor Kettleburn he will be eternally grateful. And finally on a topic that most of you will already be aware of and I hope are looking forward to is this Fridays Halloween celebrations" here there was a slight applause and excited whispers where passed between friends, "However what you do not know is that the esteemed Mr Amadeus Artemis" at the mention of Miriam's grandfathers name Lily could hear even more hushed excited voices "has kindly offered to provide the entertainment for the celebrations and even though he was unable to stay for breakfast as his business elsewhere demanded he leave early this morning I believe that a thank you is in order!"

Dumbledore clapped and the rest of the school followed suite, but it wasn't until Jedidiah Artemis stood up at the Slytherin table and started to bow and making elaborate flourishes and hand movements for each bow that the entire school burst into a raucous applause and even wolf whistles. Lily could see Ludo Bagman and some of the other fourth year Slytherin boys toasting Jedidiah with their pumpkin glasses and slapping him on the back,

"Show off" Frank said smiling pleasantly "What do you think he was up to last night?" Frank asked as he still clapped Jedidiah's continued antics,

"Thank you, Thank you your too kind" Jedidiah called out as he started to blow some of the older girls kisses which Lily notice had made some of the older Gryffindor girls become a little giggly.

"I don't know?" Lily said a little irritably "But whatever it was it's put him in a really good mood" lily said this as Jedidiah finally jumped on top of the Slytherin table knocking cups and plates to the floor in the process as he still continued to bow and blow kisses to his adoring fans, the fourth year boys cheered again and the girls next to them protested at the disruption to their breakfast, Lily assumed that the fourth year Slytherin girls were just as annoyed at Jedidiah as she and the first year Gryffindor girls were with James and Sirius.

"Master Artemis!" Professor Vindictus Viridian the head of Slytherin house called angrily as he headed over to the Slytherin table his face like thunder as he grabbed Jedidiah by the scruff of his robes and pulled him off the table, scattering even more plates and cups to the floor in the process before he marched Jedidiah out of the hall accompanied by a standing ovation from the fourth year Slytherin boys, as they whooped and cheered Jedidiah's continued antics until the huge oak doors of the great hall slammed closed behind Viridian and Jedidiah.

"What's happening with that lot?" James asked smiling as the students in the great hall settled back into normality

"Dunno?" Sirius said smiling "But for an Artemis Jed's pretty cool"

"Cool yeah!" Frank said smiling even broader "But as insane as his sister!" all the first year boys nodded in agreement and received very stern looks from Lily, Alice, Dymphna and Amy for doing so.

With the prospect of the Halloween feast to look forward to Lily found that the days leading up to the celebrations just flew past. In what felt like now time at all Lily found herself sitting at her usual place at the Gryffindor table with the other first year Gryffindors on the Friday morning of Halloween, when to everyone's utter surprise and pleasure Miriam walked into the great hall as though she had only just came from Gryffindor tower,

"What the?!" Frank said his mouth dropping in surprise, as Lily, Alice, Dymphna and Amy ran to hug Miriam.

"Surprise!" Miriam said holding her arms wide and ginning at the shocked looks on her friends' faces as she hugged them all in turn "Madam Pomfrey wanted me to spend the rest of next week in the hospital wing for further observations!" Miriam said in disgust as she settled herself at the Gryffindor table between Frank and Lily "But I told her I wasn't going to miss my first ever Halloween feast for anything, so as long as I don't overexert myself she's agreed that I can go free!" Miriam said beaming at her friends,

"You wait till father hears about this" The first years heard a voice call from across the room Lily, Miriam, Frank and Alice all turned to see Thaddeus and Jedidiah Artemis, Miriam's older brother's each followed by their own best friend come scurrying over to the Gryffindors. Jedidiah insisted on taking Miriam back to the hospital wing but Miriam refused to budge.

"She's as stubborn as you mate" Ludovic Bagman said cheerfully to Jedidiah as he helped himself to a pile of toast,

"You are looking a lot better" Lucius Malfoy said to Miriam flashing her a pearly white smile, which Lily thought made him look even more handsome, "Besides if Pomfrey really did think it necessary to have kept Mi in she'd be rushing after her now, wouldn't she?" Lily distinctly saw both of Miriam's Brothers turn to look at the entrance to the great hall, Ludo and Lucius laughed.

"She'll be fine, don't worry about her" Ludo said thrusting some toast at Jedidiah "Besides if you're that bothered we can follow her around all day!" At this Miriam tried to protest and so did Lily, Alice and Frank, the four friends hadn't seen each other properly in weeks but at Ludo's words Jedidiah gulped and complained that he couldn't do it even if he wanted to because as they both had Quidditch practice all day.

"You'll need it!" Calvin Skinner the Gryffindor Quidditch captain called from a few places away at the Gryffindor table "Gryffindor's going to thrash you this year Artemis"

"In your dreams skinny boy!" Jedidiah retaliated "Slytherins in top form this year"

"Yeah right from what I head Johnson can't hack it anymore!" Calvin called and at this many of the other Gryffindor Quidditch team laughed "I heard Johnson's not even turned up to any of your other practises this term"

"Damn right Johnson hasn't" Jedidiah said smiling

"Because unlike you losers" Ludo said joining in "We haven't had any other practice matches or training sessions yet, today's our first!"

"What!" Calvin said in surprise "N-not one?"

"You see that's how good we are" Ludo said grinning broadly "And even if the rumours about Johnson are true who do think is really in charge of the Slytherin team anyway"

"Figured as much!" Calvin called down the table as she glared at Jedidiah "Your family always manages to take over everything!"

"I'd watch what your saying if I was you" Thaddeus said grimly in a low voice that was only heard by Calvin and the neighbouring Gryffindors, unlike Calvin and Jedidiah's conversation which had been heard by the entire hall. Calvin now dissuaded from his bating stabbed his fork into his food and pretended that he hadn't heard Thaddeus' words.

"Does it always have to be this competitive?" Lily asked trying to break the silence that had fell on the group,

"Yep!" Jedidiah and Ludo both chorused together looking utterly blissful.