Someday, I will own something of great value. This will not be Harry Potter, as J K Rowling already owns it.

Thank you to all my reviewers. Although, today, Athena Diagon Cat gets the commendation, for reviewing my chapter like, 15 minutes after I put it up. How do you do that, are you online 24/7 or something? It's incredible.

Draco Gets Bashed

Ryua was wandering bored around Hogsmeade. Her back had finally healed up, although she was disgusted to find she'd likely have raised scars from the untreated spells for a very long time. Oh, well, they didn't hurt anymore, at any rate, and she could move freely again, both on the ground and her broom. She did wish she could have found Hermionie, or Pansy and Millicent for some company right now, though. Maybe she'd go see what Draco was up to.

The twins had always been able to home in on each other, at least in a general sense. Once she passed the last of Main Street, Ryua had guessed Draco must be up at the shrieking shack. Sure enough, he was there, along with Crabbe and Goyle, and for some reason, Ron. "Suppose you'd love to live here, wouldn't you, Weasley? Dreaming about having your own bedroom..." Ryua groaned. You'd think, that after three years, he'd be able to come up with a better insult than that... It still seemed to get Ron riled up, however. The lone Gryffindor flushed as red as his hair and tensed for a fistfight, then seemed to calm down. Seeing this, Draco switched tactics and started in about the poor hippogriff again. Ryua had gotten tired of this about two hours after Buckbeak had ripped his arm open, and was just about to go down and shut her brother up when- SPLAT!

The look on his face was absolutely brilliant. Hmm, maybe he should dye his hair mud brown permanently. It'd reflect the merde-for-brains interior... Crabbe and Goyle, when drenched with green slime, looked more terrified than Ryua had almost ever seen them. As the three of them thundered past, she sent a quiet impedimenta jinx after them to slow them down. "Harry, where are you? That was absolutely brilliant!" When Ron just stared guiltily at her, apparently torn between confusion and terror that she knew Harry was there, she said, "Oh, come on, you two, I've known about that cloak since the first year."

"You have?" Ron asked, in a squeaky sort of voice.

"Yes. Harry, I assume he's gone off to the school by now? And Hermionie were out of bed climbing the Astronomy tower one night. Draco got caught, and just a while later, the two of them came down a staircase I hadn't seen anyone go up. When I went up, the cloak was just sitting there, plain as day. It's good to know he got it back alright."

"Oh, right. So, it was you who found it. We'd thought it was Dumbledore, he gave it to Harry, well, from his parents anyway."

"Uh huh. Almost kept it too. It's a beautiful thing, I'll have to get one someday. I've got a lethifold, but it only helps in the shadows, can't do anything like what Harry just pulled off..." Ryua broke off with a grimace. "Oh, first four, Draco saw Harry, didn't he? I doubt he believes it's really him, but he'll try to get him in trouble anyway. Come on, we'd better get back and see what we can do about it..." and she ran off along the path back to the main road to Hogwarts, Ron following. With luck, they could get there before Snape expelled him, or confiscated that fantastic cloak.

Ryua and Ron ran full tilt down the stairs leading to Snape's dungeon office, just in time for Ron to burst in saying he'd given all of Harry's incriminating goods to him ages ago to the glowering Potions master. Hopefully, he won't be asked to identify it all... Luckily for Harry, Professor Lupin was there too, and quite forcefully steered the boys out of the office at the first chance possible, Ryua trailing behind just out of sight. She was also, unfortunately, just out of hearing range, so she couldn't hear what was going on between them. When Lupin left, however, she came up to congratulate Harry on his prank.

"That really was brilliant Harry. Draco deserves to be taken down a notch every now and then."

Harry must have been worried she was going to curse him for it, because an expression of relief crossed his face. "Well, it was too perfect of an opportunity to miss... Hang on. How do you know it was me? You weren't there, were you?"

"Yes, I'd gotten bored and was coming to see what Draco was up to. Slowed them down going through the trees too. And, yes, I know about your cloak."

"She's the one who gave it back to you, mate, when you left it in the Astrology tower." Ron said as they cheerfully meandered along corridors.

"Really? Well, thanks then."

"So, that's how you've been getting to Hogsmeade, eh? I assume those muggles didn't sign your form..."

"Well, mostly..."

"Mostly? First, an invisibility cloak, then playing pranks on innocent (well, maybe not so innocent) bystanders, and now, dark secrets? Why the hell aren't you in Slytherin?"

To her surprise, Harry paled just a little before answering rather too cheerfully, "Runs in the family, I guess... yeah, it does. My mother's muggleborn, can't get into a pureblood house."

"So was Tom Riddle's, and he's the most famous Slytherin in the past century." They both stared at her. "What? She was. It's right in Hogwarts A History under the prefects section. Not that he lets it be common knowledge...

"You've got a sense of honor, a clever mind, an incredible work ethic, you read those insane books, and you've even been known to be nice on occasion? Why the hell are you in Slytherin?"

"Runs in the family."