Chapter 39: 2nd Year Ends

Hogwarts was again in high spirits. Not only were the heir's victims being unpetrified, but McGonagall mentioned there wouldn't be any final exams this year with the exceptions of N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s. Those tests needed to happen anyways. OWLs determined what classes you took 6th and 7th year. NEWTs were needed for post-grad job placement.

"Who wants to bet Hermione will be disappointed to hear that once she's unpetrified?" Hannah jokingly asked as Harry and Susan laughed. They knew it was very likely a possibility with Hermione.

"Is it wrong I'm glad to hear about Lockhart's misfortune?" Ernie asked from nearby after swallowing a bite of lunch.

"No. It isn't. Talk about embarrassing though. He got caught by some of Hogwarts basic defense charms as he tried to sneak out and Apparate from the castle," Cedric said with a shake of head.

"I heard he doesn't even remember his own name," Lilly Moon said with a giggle.

"Why did he try to run anyways?" A fifth year asked.

"Turns out the other professors suggested he track down the heir himself. They even used his own boastings against him," Cedric said with a chuckle as the others joined with their own laughs.

It was at that moment the doors to the hall opened loudly. Everyone looked to see who it was. "Hagrid!" Harry and a few others greeted him.

"I'm Back!" Hagrid said with a hearty laugh. He made a stop at the Hufflepuff table to give Harry a proper hello before getting to the staff table. He came back as soon as he could and didn't have anything to eat yet. He understandably wanted to get away from Azkaban as quickly as possible.

[-] [-] [-]

"Awwww… I was so ready for them too," Hermione said with a frown once she got the news about no exams. The others chuckled and she looked to them curiously.

"Sorry… It just seems very fitting you would be upset at missing exams," Harry said.

Hermione decided to let it slide this time. Harry was lucky he had such wonderful eyes.

"I would rather we had them, but they weren't graded," Luna said from her bed next to Hermione.

"Exactly! That way we can review the material and know how well we did this year at least. See! Luna gets it," Hermione said with a triumphant smile.

"I wanted them to not count, so I could have fun making up answers. I've always wanted to do that on a test, but I would never dream of it when they're graded," Luna said.

Hermione looked to her in shock.

Harry and the others laughed and Hannah said, "I agree. Luna does have the right of it!" She gave an extra giggle to that.

Hermione looked to be in thought. She then blushed quickly. There was a part of her that really liked Luna's idea. She still changed the subject. She didn't want them asking her about her blush. "Too bad about Professor Lockhart. I mean. I wouldn't want him as a professor again, but to lose your memory?" she said in sorrow.

"I don't feel sorry for him at all," Harry said.

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"I overheard one of the professors talking about how fitting it was considering. It turns out he got his fame by asking others what they did and using a memory charm on them afterwards. That way he got all the fame and glory without doing any of the work," Harry said.

"I think I heard there will be an article about it in the next Daily Prophet. Someone heard about Lockhart's fate and another person recently broke the memory charm. They aren't perfect, you see. It will probably remain a mystery who all he stole from, but his name is ruined now," Susan said.

Hannah gave a scoff. "He'll probably still have fans. It is sickening at times how a handsome face and a dazzling smile can cause certain witches to forgive a lot," she said.

The group visited a good bit before they had to leave. Harry paused and said to Luna, "I promised Myrtle I'd tell her when you woke up, Luna. She was very distraught to hear you were attacked. She ended up being a very big help in taking care of this business."

"Ohhh! That's good to hear. I'm glad she helped. I've told her a few times always staying uninvolved with mortals would come back to haunt her. She just laughed… Maybe it was my wording," Luna said.

"Probably. She was a big help though," Harry again emphasized.

"I'll be more than happy if she visits," Luna told him with a smile as they left.

[-] [-] [-]

Harry walked to Professor Snape's office during his office hours. He knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Enter," Professor Snape replied.

Harry entered and closed the door behind him. Professor Snape looked to him and used his wand to lock the door. "I suppose this will become an annual event," he said.

"So long as the dark lord isn't defeated for good anyways," Harry said.

"I guess congratulations are in order for saving the youngest Weasley and solving the case of the Chamber," Professor Snape said.

"Something I shouldn't have needed to do in the first place. Professor Dumbledore knew who it was the whole time. Has he yet taken up my advice?" Harry asked.

"What would that advice be?" Professor Snape asked.

"To stop keeping everything to himself," Harry said.

"He has always been secretive," Professor Snape said.

"What did he tell you happened in the Chamber?" Harry asked.

"Ginevra Weasley was influenced by a heavily enchanted diary belonging to a certain dark lord, but given to her by Lord Malfoy as a ploy against Arthur Weasley," he said.

"That's all he said? That's isn't much more than I gave as explanation to the Weasleys… I was sugarcoating it and he was aware of that. I said enough he would understand what it actually was or had a very good theory that was almost 95% confirmed by this point. It seems he didn't tell everything I said to the Weasleys either," Harry said.

"I'm guessing you will fill in the blanks," Professor Snape said.

"May I sit down, Professor?" Harry asked.

Professor Snape nodded. He figured he might get himself a drink. It seemed this would be a difficult discussion.

"Ginny wasn't alone in the Chamber," Harry started.

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes as he put in a little more in his glass.

"The diary took form. It was absorbing her life force and it was nearly physically manifested when we arrived," Harry said.

"That is… troubling," Professor Snape said. "Who are you all referring to when you say 'we'?"

"To get around the basilisk's death gaze, Myrtle and I set up a voluntary possession," Harry said.

"That is fascinating… And something important that was left out of even my provided explanation," Professor Snape said.

"It was a bit of a gamble she came up with using the knowledge she had from spending most of her non-crying time in the library over fifty years. She was the one who died last time. Professor Dumbledore was just the Transfiguration Professor back then, but he would still know she was the one who died last time. There's also no way he wasn't aware of her as a ghost, considering how infamous she was," Harry said.

"This is true… Yet he didn't even think to approach her. The Headmaster carries some influence over the ghosts of Hogwarts. It was a security measure put in place early on, even if it is rarely used," Professor Snape said.

He frowned in thought. He didn't understand why the Headmaster hadn't done anything sooner. There's also the fact he knew who opened it. Sure, there were details that needed to be figured out, but still he hadn't even mentioned anything to the staff or even him personally.

"Does he really trust my resolve that little?" Professor Snape wondered. He would correct that mistake. He was slowly moving on, but it didn't change the fact Voldemort killed his only true friend and the one he loved, misguided as his definition of love may have been at the time.

Harry seemed to be weighed down by what he was going to say next.

"It seems you're worried about something. You could say it to the Headmaster if you feel I am not adequate enough," the Potions Professor said. He wouldn't lie to himself and say he and Harry were close. They were not. They didn't hate each other and were mutually aligned, but that was far from a meaningful relationship beyond professor and student.

"It isn't that… It's not easy. It's also hard to believe," he said. After a moment of collecting his thoughts, he said, "First of all, having been through a voluntary possession… I have the knowledge Myrtle had. That is how I know what I am going to say. She read a lot of books later removed from library for having 'dangerous' information."

Professor Snape took a swig of his drink. "I will at the very least entertain your idea. Most likely I will look into it as well. When it comes to the Dark Lord… Nothing is off the table, or too out there and should be at least considered," Professor Snape said.

"Okay…" Harry readied himself. "I believe the Diary was a near complete Horcrux," he said.

Professor Snape's eyes widened to that. His mouth hung open. He then shook himself back to attention and took a gulp of his drink. He narrowed his eyes. He hated to say it, but it made sense. "That could easily explain his seeming immortality. Many knew the Dark Lord was obsessed with immortality," Professor Snape said.

"That's what I'm thinking using the knowledge I gained from Myrtle," Harry said.

The professor thought about Harry's words. "What do you mean near complete?" he asked.

"The diary was too independent. A complete horcrux would not act on its own. It also wouldn't be in the form of something like a diary. I'm pretty sure he would choose something grander," Harry said.

"It could have been an experiment. Perhaps at the time of the diary's creation he wasn't aware of how to properly create one. It is rather… unsettling… he accomplished something like that during his years at Hogwarts," Professor Snape said.

"I agree on that. I also don't think it is outside of the realm of possibility. As you said… with the Dark Lord, nothing should be wholly discounted," Harry said.

"Are you sure Professor Dumbledore would have come to this conclusion as well?" Professor Snape asked. He didn't want to think the Headmaster would keep something so vital to their efforts secret, but he could very well do that.

"I may have avoided saying certain words, but I was very descriptive in what happened in the Chamber. I told him all I could about the shade the diary formed and how it was defeated and the way it died," Harry said.

"How did you defeat it? I've never looked in detail for something so foul as a horcrux, but I am aware they are difficult to defeat," Professor Snape said.

"I used Basilisk venom to destroy the diary. I stabbed it multiple times with a fang," Harry told the professor.

"That would do the trick," Professor Snape admitted.

"I umm…" Harry started but trailed off.

"Yes?" Professor Snape asked.

"I believe he would have more than just one proper horcrux," Harry said.

"Really?!" Snape asked with wide eyes. Making one was both impressive, but just as terrifying. Making more than that? He discounted the diary to an extent since it wasn't a true horcrux. That was extra troubling.

"I may be over thinking it, but I don't see him settling for just one. When I saw his smoke form back in first year… It was so very inhuman. That is, in a way, a sign of having more than one. You strip away literal pieces of yourself every time you make one," Harry said.

Professor Snape took another large gulp of his drink. He then sighed. "I can see where you are coming from… It also lines up with his ego. One horcrux is for lesser wizards. Multiple is what a true wizard would create. A true 'Pure-blood' heir of Slytherin would make. Why settle for just one anchor? One can be found and destroyed much easier than multiple," the professor said as Harry nodded in agreement.

"I have no idea how many he would make though. I have no idea what all they are either," Harry said.

"This is something that should be shared with the headmaster I feel," Professor Snape said.

"You can share this theory with him if you want. I just didn't want to tell him, because I feared what he would do to me if I told him everything. Look at all he did to cover up the Chamber incident. I noticed it wasn't until after he was removed things actually started getting done about it, even if they were bare minimum," Harry said.

Professor Snape sighed again. "I will be careful with the information. I will first see if I can get him to tell me his own ideas on the matter. If he mentions Horcruxes to me, I will float the idea of the Dark Lord possibly making multiples. It could be he already thinks that as well. He may even have a possible number in mind by this point," he said.

As they were there in silence for a moment, Harry decided to break the tension. He had had enough of serious and scary discussions for the day. "So… Have you figured out where I'm living yet?" he asked with only a slight smile.

Professor Snape blinked at him and almost chuckled as he said, "I shouldn't be surprised you figured I would look into what happened to you."

"I figured it only made sense," Harry said.

"I will admit I am looking into the matter with equal parts curiosity and out of concern. The way I see it… If it takes me a good while to find you, then it is full proof Dumbledore was wrong in thinking you had to stay with your aunt and uncle. It also means it is less likely anyone else would be able to find you," he said with a hint of amusement. It was probably the drink settling in that caused him to loosen up a bit.

"I can see where you're coming from. What will you do if you find me?" Harry asked.

"Reassess the situation. Though… there probably isn't any fear of anyone else finding you unless the Dark Lord returns to full power. If that happens… It might be too late even if Dumbledore had been right about you needing to stay with your aunt and uncle this whole time, despite my personal thoughts on the matter," Professor Snape said. He left out what they were. He didn't feel like given Harry any clues on how far the investigation was.

Harry stood up and gave a slight nod as he said, "Thank you for your time, Professor Snape. Thank you again for brewing up the Restoration Draft."

"That was merely my duty as Potions Master and Professor at Hogwarts. Until next year, Potter," Professor Snape said realizing their meeting was over.

[-] [-] [-]

"Not going to lie," Justin started as he sat next to Harry at the closing feast. "I really like the whole yellow and black décor," he said.

"You and me both!" Ernie said from the other side of Justin.

"I kind of like it too," Harry admitted.

"Maybe all of your adventures should earn us house points," Ernie said with a teasing grin.

"I'd prefer not to have big house point worthy adventures every year," Harry said.

"Then it'd be a boring year," Ernie said.

"It's probably impossible for you not to have some big end of year adventure, Harry. Best make full use of them in the future," Justin said as everyone at their table laughed in agreement. Harry joined in after a couple of seconds, before they went back to their meals.

Harry was surprised when the Weasley Twins approached him after the feast. He was surprised because of how serious they actually looked. "What's going on?" Harry asked.

"We've been thinking," Fred started.

"About something other than pranks," George added.

"About how to repay you," they said together.

"It isn't money… But to us it was worth more than any number of galleons," George said.

Fred handed Harry a piece of paper.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"The Marauders' Map!" the twins said together.

Harry had a double take at those words. "It can't be…" he thought.

"This is the key to our success in never getting caught after curfew. To get it working, you have to tap your wand to it and say, 'I solemnly swear I'm up to no good'. Go ahead and try it," Fred said.

Harry gazed in wonder as a map of Hogwarts appeared on the paper. He could even pan around it and zoom in and out. He squinted as he looked at all of the footprints and saw the names. "That's us…" he said in awe.

"Very handy feature, that. Always makes it easy to know who is around the corner. When you are finished with it, say 'Mischief Managed' to clear it. Wouldn't want certain sticklers for the rules to find and use it," George said.

"To think, we liberated the best way to avoid pinheads like Percy from Filch's office," Fred said.

Harry couldn't help but say, "You do realize I am likely to be a Prefect my fifth year, right? I'm not only the top guy in Hufflepuff, but also our year."

"Yeah. But you aren't stuck up like our poor misguided older brother. Bill was a Prefect and Head Boy. He wasn't a Pinhead though," George said with a grin.

"Cedric's likely to be one next year, but he isn't a Pinhead either… Even if he is far too good at Quidditch for our liking," Fred said with a slight frown.

"Not all Prefects are Pinheads. Just like how not all Pinheads are Prefects. Though a good number of them are," George said.

"Besides… The things you've already gotten up to before the end of your second year? Well… You'll probably put this to better use than even we did," Fred said.

"My less than handsome twin, except on opposite days, is correct. We know all of the secret passageways it shows by heart now. We stopped using the footprint feature this year," George said.

"Wasn't challenging enough using that feature. Our skills of bringing humor and laughter to these halls has evolved past the need of such a handicap," Fred said matter-of-factly.

Harry grinned as he looked at the title again and saw all of his father's friends' names. He hid the frown he had for the most likely traitor's name. It was nice to have something else that was a part of his father's past. He wondered what Lupin would say when he showed it to him over summer.

"Thanks, you two," Harry said with a smile.

The twins looked serious to each other and turned to him. "We are the ones thanking you. You saved our sister's life. That is worth more than the Marauders' Map and we value that more than galleons," they said together.

"I still thank you for the gesture. Be there for Ginny this summer… Don't just act like this year never happened," Harry said in concern. He wasn't sure if they would heed his advice, or if they would even need to hear it. He just knew Ginny needed all the support she could get after everything that happened to her this year.

"We will be," they said again together.

The serious mood could only last for so long with the twins though. Soon George smiled as he said, "So long as she doesn't threaten us with her Bat Bogey Hex or something equally terrifying."

Fred was giving an exaggerated nod to that. "She may be the youngest… But she is the fiercest," he said sagely.

"There's also the fact she's a girl," George said.

"What does that have to do with it?" Harry asked curiously.

"Almost every Weasley witch married into the family. It is rare for a witch to be born as a Weasley. We don't know what that means, but dad is always saying it is important to know. He isn't just saying it to say it either," Fred said.

"Huh. That is interesting," Harry said.

"We essentially give him a grave warning about Weasley witches, yet he just calls it interesting," George said.

"Really… It's a wonder he wasn't sorted into Gryffindor," Fred said with a shake of his head.

"Oh. I could have been in any house. It's for my beliefs I was put in Hufflepuff," Harry said.

"What kind of beliefs put you in the house for all the rest?" George asked.

Harry didn't look impressed by those words. He wasn't going to ruin the mood though. "One that is important to me. Loyalty… to those who deserve it," Harry said.

The twins blinked to that. Everyone always figured Hufflepuff loyalty was just a thing because they had little else going for them. The way Harry talked about it… that seemed impressive. Admirable even. "That is something to think on," Fred said as he rubbed his chin.

"Think on it all you want. I'm going back to my house for now though. See you two later," Harry said as he parted from their company. The twins nodded to him and soon headed back as well.

[-] [-] [-]

"I'm honestly surprised you're sitting with us, Luna," Hermione said as she shared a compartment with Harry, Hannah, Susan, and Luna.

"Ginny is back to how she should be. She no longer has those black Wrackspurts around her either. She needs to be with her brothers for now though. I'll try talking to her again over summer," Luna said.

"I hope it goes well for you both," Hermione said with a smile. She was pretty sure both girls needed it. Luna needed it so she wouldn't feel her best friend threw her away once school started. Ginny needed it, because she really needed friends after this year. Everyone did to an extent.

"Thanks," Luna said giving Hermione a big smile and hug.

The door to the compartment opened at that moment. Harry looked and saw Draco, Pansy and Tracey together. Harry looked to Draco and said, "Sorry to hear about your father's dismissal from the board."

"You don't need to talk around it with me. I know you were there when it happened," Draco said.

Harry wasn't sure what to say here. He sighed. "It was his own doing," he stated.

"I agree with that. He should have had a plan besides something as obvious as blackmail," Draco said.

Harry relaxed a little and nodded. He also motioned for them to enter, which they did as Hannah and Susan made room for them. "He should have waited until after the crisis and then acted," Harry said.

"Yes. And used the fact Dumbledore took so long to deal with it against him. People usually shore up when there is a crisis. They reach out for the familiar. They don't want to rock the boat," Draco said.

"After the crisis has passed, people are more willing to re-evaluate the situation. Find out what caused what and all of that," Tracey said.

"He could have even used Dumbledore knowingly hiring a fraud for such an important class as more evidence against him. He would just have to omit Lockhart was the only one wanting the job," Pansy said.

Draco sighed. "It hasn't been easy… but this year… I've come to realize my father isn't as all knowing as I used to believe," he said.

Harry nodded to him. He then thought how to change the subject. He had an idea as he looked to Luna. He suddenly remembered something she mentioned to him. Harry was pretty sure Draco would realize what it could possibly mean to Pansy as well.

"Luna…" he started.

"Hmmm?" she asked.

"You mentioned something about Wrackspurts that I'm curious about. A couple of things really," he said.

Luna seemed to smile even brighter. "I'm always willing to talk about Wrackspurts," she said.

Draco appreciated the change of subject, but was thinking maybe it was time to leave. However, that inkling he always got around Harry came back again. He wanted to see where Harry was going with this. It couldn't be merely a simple change of subject.

"You talked about how they change colors," Harry started. Luna nodded eagerly. "After the holiday break, you said they told you befriending Hermione and me was a good idea," he said.

She thought back to that for a moment and nodded again.

"What exactly did you mean by that again?" he asked.

Luna was in thought on this. She looked around the compartment. It was a bit of hard thing to say with others here, now that she thought on it. She then titled her head at a small angle when the Wrackspurts were getting excited. That seemed to happen a lot around Harry, but she knew to trust it.

"I was saying if you pay enough attention to them, despite few people being able to see them, you can hear them in a way. They give hints about things. More like… feelings than actual words. But their reactions and behaviors all have meaning of some kind. You have to really be careful though. They don't always communicate with you properly. Sometimes you have to really focus on them and be in the right state of mind to understand them," she said.

"What do these… Wrackspurts… appear like?" Pansy asked. She seemed extra keen on this.

Luna blinked in surprise to her words. She had never really had much interaction with Pansy. "Like tiny little lights. They buzz around. Change colors. They can even get really excited at times. They can be confusing. They can be overwhelming," she said.

"Who else do you know for sure can see them?" Pansy asked carefully.

Draco was very interested now as well. He was starting to see why Potter was around Luna, one of the reasons at least. She was far from boring and there might be something much more to her. He also thought he understood why Harry chose this topic to change to.

"Daddy told me what they were when I was little. He's never really seen them from what I can tell though. Even when they were at their most excited at times," Luna said.

"And these… Wrackspurts tell you things? Such as when something important is happening or something is wrong?" Pansy asked.

Luna was looking to her with discerning eyes. This wasn't at all what she thought of when it came to talking about Wrackspurts. She could tell, without the Wrackspurts' help, Pansy was asking her out of sincerity. This was not a lead Luna on and then laugh at her discussion. Harry also wouldn't have mentioned the Wrackspurt thing in front the Slytherins, unless he had a good reason.

"They do. Not exactly in words, as I said. But they do… Even when it comes to bad stuff," Luna said.

Pansy seemed excited now. Luna thought she seemed to be listening to something herself. Pansy stood up right in front of Luna. "You aren't seeing or hearing Wrackspurts at all. They don't actually exist," she said.

Luna narrowed her eyes. "Was I wrong about this?" she asked herself.

"It's the essence of magic communicating with you," Pansy said. She couldn't help the excited smile gracing her lips.

"The essence of magic?" Luna asked in awe.

Pansy nodded fervently. "Yes. Magic is communicating to you directly! You just don't have the training or experience to listen properly yet," she said.

"That's… wow," Luna said.

"Perhaps you should tell her why you are saying this, Pansy," Draco told her.

Pansy blushed for a moment. "Sorry… The Parkinson family are gifted in listening to magic. It is very difficult to listen to magic. It is possible to do so with enough training, but some are exceptionally gifted in listening to magic. Magic's communications take on a different form for these people, until the learn how to listen properly," she said.

"Really?" Luna couldn't help but ask. She didn't like learning Wrackspurts possibly weren't real, but she was a Ravenclaw. Ravenclaws worth their blue and bronze were always ready to learn and at least consider other possible theories. Luna was different, but she was very much a Ravenclaw.

"It can be overwhelming for them though. It can be… unpleasant… It could lead to actual insanity in cases. The person has to either block out magic's attempts, or learn to listen to avoid such a fate," Pansy said.

"Why would someone want to stop such a gift?" Luna asked.

"They have their reasons… I can help you listen. If you want," Pansy said.

"I'm not saying no, but why do you want to help me?" Luna asked.

"It has always been a goal to find someone outside of our family gifted in such a way. We wish to help them, while also learning from them. That way they can better hone their gift, and we can learn more about listening to magic ourselves," Pansy said.

"Being able to listen to magic can be a very powerful and important tool and gift," Draco decided to further explain.

Pansy wanted to teach just for the reasons she said. Draco had a feeling saying more, like he did, would put Luna at ease. Sometimes people are more comfortable with help when they know what you want to gain from it and why. It can be terrifying to come across someone seemingly helping for just the sake of helping. It was even more terrifying if that person was a Slytherin.

Pansy gave a nod to his words. She realized what Draco was doing.

Luna was in thought. She was staring at nothing in particular with her large silver eyes. She had so many thoughts going through her head. She sighed. "I want to say yes. But it is a bit much to swallow at the moment. I will give you my official answer over summer. I need to… process," she said.

Pansy seemed a little deflated, but then seemed to perk back up. "Okay. I understand. It is a lot to learn something you believed true from childhood might not actually be what you thought. I do hope, if you decide to try and just train yourself, you will at least exchange notes with me on the matter," she said.

Luna was relieved hearing that. She gave a nod. "I will do that at the very least. I do like the idea of training. I just need some time to give an answer," she said.

"Well. This has been rather interesting as a train ride back goes, but I feel Pansy and I should make our way out. What do you want to do, Tracey?" Draco asked.

Tracey was in thought for a moment. She was weighing her options. What happened with Draco's father was already known to most. He was making peace with Harry, but if she stayed here after he left. It might seem like she was choosing a side. It could also mean Harry and Draco worked things out really well and thus no sides needed to be taken.

Tracey looked to Harry.

"It is up to you, Tracey. There are things we could talk about, but they could wait until summer and there might be more information by then," Harry said.

He knew he was both helping and not helping her. If he had hinted there was something they needed to discuss, she would stay. They did have a lot to talk about, but part of him felt it was better to talk about it in the safety of the Rust District.

"I think I will accompany you two then," Tracey said as she looped an arm through Pansy's other side and grinned at her friend.

It might help Pansy to be with her. Pansy was acting fine with Luna's words, but Tracey knew better. Pansy could and would wait, but learning about Luna's gift was extremely important. It was a promise of achieving her family's goal. A goal they had for generations. Hearing a most likely yes, but no for now answer did not help.

With that, the three Slytherins left the compartment together.

[-] [-] [-]

As the train came to a stop, Luna looked like there was something she really wanted to say. "What is it, Luna?" Harry asked.

She blushed a little before she asked, "Could I… visit sometime over summer?"

Harry gave her a smile. "Of course, you can," he said to her as she smiled brightly. "Any of you can, if you want," he said as he turned to the others in their compartment.

"I'd like to come. I was hoping to get a chance over summer," Hermione said. She had… plans… she wanted to implement. Especially for Harry's birthday.

"Are you sure about that? Your parents would allow it?" Harry asked her in question.

"I'll figure something out," she said without elaborating.

Harry wasn't sure about it, but he would trust her on that. They were her parents. She would know what to do. It seemed she had a certain level of freedom during the summer holidays anyways, based on last summer.

"If I get the chance, I'll let you know via owl post. I would like to see the Rust District," Hannah said.

"Same for me pretty much. Though, my aunt might ask questions, so might not be the best idea for me," Susan said.

She was intent on keeping Harry's secrets. Her aunt might do something if she learned about Harry's situation. She might not even have a choice in the matter, if she learned what Harry's living situation was like.

"Whatever the case. I hope everyone has a good summer break," Harry said to them as they got ready to disembark. He was rather eager to get home this year in particular. He had a lot he wanted to and needed to check up on. He really hoped there were leads on at least one of the plans.

"Do you think we'll have a better DADA professor next year?" Hannah asked as they left with their stuff.

Harry chuckled. "Not sure how high the bar is after what we've had. Part of me thinks it can only get better in that regard. Another part of me thinks there is always a way for things to get worse," he said.

"That doesn't sound like a fun way of looking at things," Hermione said with a frown.

"It is one of those hope for the best. Plan for the worst. Kind of things," Harry said.

Hermione couldn't really fault him there. She gave a smile to him before giving him a quick hug and making her way over to her parents. Hannah and Susan did the same.

Luna was blushing a little. Harry seemed to know what she was thinking. He gave the girl a quick hug. She felt really warm and grinned broadly after she returned it. "See you later, Luna," he said to her before going to his retrieval party.

"Later…" Luna said under her breath. She quickly went over to her dad now that she saw him waiting for her.

"Moon Flower!" Xenophilius said joyfully to his daughter.

"Daddy," Luna replied with a smile.

"Did you have a good year? I was worried when I got the news, but then I got news saying everything was good," he said to her.

"It was tough at first. A lot of people not ready for the truth. It was really good by the end, despite everything," she said.

"Good to hear about the end of the year! Sadly… too few are open minded enough for the truth we share," he said as he shrunk her trunk and took her hand. It was odd realizing her small hand had grown over the school year.

Xenophilius was worried his little girl was actually growing up now. He just gave her a big smile and listened as she talked about the parts of the year not in her letters. He did notice there was less of the naive and wonderful daughter in her silver eyes. He figured it only made sense. Time was marching onward, even if he didn't want it too. The year had also been hard on her. It was only natural daughters grew up, even if their fathers wished they never would.

[-] [-] [-]

Harry was happy to see Lupin in his retrieval party, for lack of a better term. "I got something very interesting this year. It was given to me by a couple of well-known trouble making pranksters. It is also something you should be very familiar with… Moony," Harry said to him.

"Oh. I look forward to this," Remus said with a chuckle.

"Yes. It seems there was a reason they were always able to sneak around Hogwarts without getting caught," Harry said in a leading manner.

"Now you will have to tell me before we get back," Lupin said curiously.

"It is most peculiar. To think… the trusted Prefect of my father's friends helped create something perfect for managing mischief," Harry said grinning to him.

"Oh no… That thing still exists?" Lupin asked in surprise.

"Yep. It was snatched from Filch's office by the Weasley Twins," Harry said.

"And they gave it to you?" Lupin asked. Harry nodded. "Why?" he asked further.

Harry was solemn for a moment. "I do wish it was under better circumstances. It was their way of thanking me for saving their sister this year," he said.

"Then it was probably given to you in full faith. Something like that item would be more or less priceless for a couple of school boy pranksters. In the Weasley family though, nothing is more important than family," Remus said.

"I felt the same way. I can tell you details later, if you want to hear them," Harry said.

"I would like that. There is also much to show you regarding a certain project as well," Remus said.

"I really look forward to seeing it in person," Harry said eagerly.

"I suppose we can talk about your exploits over tea this evening then," Remus said. Harry nodded to that plan.

Remus didn't know it at that moment, but Harry's tale would be why he made a decision he was tossing around after getting the offer. It would be just for a year, but the students in the future would look back on it as one of their best years for Defense Against Dark Arts. It would be one of the most useful, if nothing else.

A/N: Not the best chapter title, but I couldn't really think of one for this chapter. Anyways, this ends 2nd year at Hogwarts.

Hopefully everyone is enjoying the story. I will say I have the Harem plans finalized in my head now. I may have said this before, but felt I would say it here. It won't be more than three girls. I'll probably have enough trouble with just three of them.

For me, I don't think more girls will be easy in a fic that actually has a lot of story in it. If it was mostly smut, that would be different. It might be me, but I've noticed large harem stories usually don't have much focus on the girls outside of mature content sections. I actually want to also focus on the girls outside of their sexy fun times with Harry.