Chapter 24

Dumbledore, Hermione, and Draco all sat around the kitchen table, eating bacon and peanut butter sandwiches. Hermione had to admit that it was rather strange watching the normally very neat and collected Professor chomping down on a sandwich that was most certainly not good for his cholesterol.

After Hermione had finished swallowing her first bite, she asked Dumbledore a question that had been troubling her for the last half-hour.

"When Natalya Malfoy told us about her relationship with Lucius Malfoy, she mentioned Luc, but said nothing about Pandora. Why?"

Dumbledore put down his sandwich and folded his hands. His blue eyes studied her closely.

"I gather you both know much about Natalya. You probably don't know that she was probably mentally inadequate. I remember teaching her. She was very spontaneous, full of laughter, and also a bit eccentric. A result of centuries of in-breeding and narrow minded prejudices," he said tiredly. "Unfortunately, your brother is the result of your family's folly."

"What should I do?" Draco asked finally. "I really don't want to have anything to do with Luc, but he is my brother, after all."

"Well, let's not worry about it for now. Next week is Harry's birthday," Dumbledore said. "And I'm going to have Pandora start staying with you normally, so she can get used to having people around her. I suppose you two have opened my eyes to the fact that she needs a normal life."

Dumbledore went off to discuss details with Mrs. Weasley, leaving Draco and Hermione to talk.

"Well," Hermione said finally. "We've met your sister. What do we do now?"

"I don't know," Draco replied, taking a big swig of his milk. The peanut butter seemed to cling to the back of his throat, making it hard to talk. Even after trying to wash it away with milk, the lump in his throat remained.

"Well," Hermione said cautiously. "Let's go talk to Ron, and see how he's doing. Maybe he'll enlighten us on what's going on between him and that guy from Durmstrang."


Ron was lying on his bed writing when Hermione and Draco knocked on the door.

"Come in!" he yelled, and they entered cautiously. As soon as he saw them, he jumped up, casting his letter onto his desk carelessly.

"Hey," he said. "What's up? I haven't seen you guys in forever."

"That sounds so odd," Hermione laughed, taking a seat in one of the chairs at his table. "We're staying in the same house, and we scarcely see each other."

"I know," Ron said with a slow smile. "It's awkward. How are you two doing?"
"Busy," Draco replied cryptically. "Chasing after dead people."

Ron grinned. "You two seem to do that a lot, don't you?"
"Yeah," Hermione said with a grin. "We do."

"How are you, Ron?" Draco asked. "We've been worrying about you. Harry wrote saying that the two of you had broken up."

Ron seemed a little disconcerted by this, but then waved it off carelessly. "Yeah, we've been over for a while now."

"Are you seeing anyone new?" Hermione ventured.

Ron nodded. "He goes to Durmstrang."

"What's his name?" Draco asked, interestedly.

"Uh," Ron looked at the ceiling. "I'd rather not say."

Hermione adopted a hurt look. "You don't trust us?"

Ron shrugged. "It's not that I don't trust you. I know that you talk to Harry a lot, and I don't want him to feel hurt."

Draco smiled. "That's funny. Harry was feeling the same way when he wrote."

"Really?" Ron asked, looking relieved. "I was so worried that it was still a sticking point. I mean, I want to be friends with him and all, but you know."

"Yeah, we know," Hermione said, patting him on the back. "What's his name, huh?"
"Okay, fine," Ron relented. "His name is Lyall."

"Is he cute?" Hermione asked quickly, grinning.

"Yeah," Ron said, turning bright red, and then noticing her smile, laughed gently. "Sorry, he doesn't really swing your way."

"Darn," she said jokingly, wrapping her arm around Draco's back. "That's disappointing."

"Hey!" Draco said. "What about me?"

"What about you?" she replied innocently. "Just kidding!"


"I have an announcement," Mr. Weasley said that night at dinner, hitting his fork against his water glass. "Everyone be quiet." A hush fell over the table. "That's better," he said, pleased. "Now, I have two good pieces of news."

"Pieces?" Ginny said skeptically, while Fred tried to shoot peas at her through his straw. "Is news considered to be in pieces?"

"Quiet," Mr. Weasley said. "It doesn't matter. Fred stop that." Fred put down his straw for the time being.

"Let your father finish," Mrs. Weasley said angrily.

"Like I was saying!" Mr. Weasley yelled. Everyone was instantly silent. "Good news. First off, Monday is Harry's birthday. We're going to pick him up on Sunday, so that he can spend his birthday with us." Everyone cheered loudly, Sirius the loudest.

"I have more good news," said Mr. Weasley said loudly.

"Is Hermione pregnant?" he asked mischievously. Everyone glared at him.

"Of course not," Mrs. Weasley said. "What is it dear?"

Mr. Weasley was turning bright red, and staring at the ceiling as if it were about to fall down.

"The good news is that Professor Dumbledore's daughter is going to be staying with us," he said, and then sat down while the table interrupted into noise again.

"Dumbledore has a daughter?" Ginny shrieked. "How come he didn't tell us?"

"Was Dumbledore ever even married?" Fred asked. "Who'd marry him? He's a workaholic!"
"No, Dumbledore's never been married," Mr. Weasley said calmly. "And Professor Dumbledore doesn't have to tell you everything, Ginny. If it makes you feel any better, your mother and I have known about her since her birth."

"Who's her mother?" Ron asked.

"None of your business," Mrs. Weasley said. "If the Professor wants to tell you, he will."

"How old is she?" George asked.

"She's our age," Draco replied without thinking. The Weasley children fell silent, and stared at him.

Ginny looked furious. "How do you know?"
Draco paled. "Uh, I met her."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ron demanded.

"It wasn't really my business to tell," Draco said, staring at his plate. "I figured you'd meet her eventually."

Ginny snorted loudly "Why doesn't anyone ever tell me anything interesting? It's because I'm younger than the rest of you, isn't it?"


A/N: Yeah for updating! Wohoo! Okey dokey, I'm good. Just very tired and stuff. It was a long weekend.

I have a major sunburn all over my back and it hurts like... yeah. Am I allowed to cuss in author's notes? Since it's technically not the story, I'm not going to push my luck.

Thanks to everyone who reviews faithfully, I love you. Everyone else... please review. It doesn't take much time, and it means a lot to me to know what you think about my writing and the plot line.

Thanks in advance, you guys rock.