Magic Mirror in the Hall

Sunday, Dec. 1st

"What if he's sick or something?" Dudley asked as Harry, Hermione, and he trudged out to Hagrid's house. No one had seen the giant man in a few days, and Harry was a little worried that something might have happened to him. Very few people actually checked on him after all.

"Then he shouldn't just hole himself up and not tell anyone." Harry replied, "We need to at least make sure that he sees Madame Pomfrey if he's sick."

It turned out that he wasn't sick, Hagrid happily answered the door when they knocked and let them in. It was strange that the large man had such a huge fire going in his hearth, the cottage was so hot that the three first years had to remove their outer robes to keep from overheating almost as soon as they went inside.

"What can I do fer ya, Harry?" Hagrid said once he'd sat down with tea for his guests. Hot tea they weren't likely to be drinking any time soon.

"We were just making sure you were okay Hagrid," Harry replied, "we haven't seen you in the Great Hall for meals in almost a week now."

"Well, I've been a little occupied." The man answered, glancing towards his roaring fire nervously as he did, "Not had much chance to leave in a while besides takin' care of the animals."

"Are you sure you aren't sick?" Hermione asked as she fanned herself, "You don't normally keep your house this hot."

"Yeah, are you okay?" Dudley asked as he edged over to the fire, it was almost coming out of the hearth it was so big, "This doesn't even look safe does it. Wait… it can't be."

"What's up?" Harry asked at the same time Hagrid said, "Get away from there now, you'll hurt yourself!"

"Is that what I think it is?" Dudley asked as he backed away, pointing into the fire at a smooth black stone that was barely visible through the flames.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, edging closer to the fire to try and see.

"It looks like an egg." Dudley replied as he watched Hagrid's reactions. They had all found that their giant friend was pretty much incapable of keeping his emotions off his face when he was talking.

He did not disappoint. Hagrid's face covered the range from shock, to fear, to embarrassment, to anxiety as he stumbled over his attempts to answer Dudley's seemingly innocent question.

"An egg in the fire? That's not how you…" Hermione was going to say that you needed water to boil an egg, but now that she could see it she could tell that this was no chicken egg. "Hagrid! Is that real?"

"Yep," Hagrid answered proudly, obviously deciding that any attempt to hide it was doomed at this point, "it's a real dragon egg! Won it in a card game at the Hog's Head!"

"What are you planning to do with it?" Harry asked, squinting as he gazed into the hearth to see the egg as well.

"I'm gonna raise 'im." Hagrid said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You live in a wooden house!" Hermione shrieked, "What happens when it burns down and the dragon starts wandering in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Tha' won' happen Hermoine." Hagrid insisted, "I kin raise a dragon jus' fine! I raised Fluffy from a pup didn' I?" He covered his mouth after he spoke, realising that the children were not supposed to know about his cerberus.

"Fluffy?" Harry asked, "Is that the cerberus' name? I figured he was yours." At Hagrid's shocked expression Harry explained how he had come to know about the giant dog on the third floor.

"Yeh shouldn'ta been sneakin where ya weren't meant tah be, Harry." Hagrid said after he had been filled in, "But Dumbledore changed all the wards around the door, so yeh won't be gettin' in there again."

"You don't have to worry about me going back there," Harry insisted, "I was scared half to death. But seriously Hagrid, Hermione is right. What are you going to do when that dragon hatches and starts breathing fire everywhere?"

"S'like I told the man at the pub, I'm good with bigger critters. Raised a cerberus, and an acromantula. Dragon's just the next thing, S'logical." Hagrid's bravado wilted a little under the incredulous looks of the children, "Maybe I should see 'bout gettin' in touch with a dragon reserve, just in case. Shame there's none in Britain… but I don' need to be worryin' about that till the little tyke starts breathin fire an' all. Most don't fer the first few months or so."

"We should tell Ron. You should tell Ron." Dudley said out of nowhere, looking at Harry.

"Huh? Why?" Harry asked, he was still a little annoyed at his Slytherin friend since finding out that he'd been beat up by his house's Quidditch captain after the first game. When asked why they hadn't heard about it, Ron had gone off on him about being able to protect himself and the two had been at odds since. Dudley had been going out of his way to hang out with Ron and his two friends in Slytherin, Daphne and Tracy, sometimes, to try and help the two reconcile. Harry didn't understand why Ron was so angry in the first place, they were just trying to make sure he was okay!

"If you weren't so stubborn and hung out with him again then you'd know that one of his brothers works on a dragon preserve." his cousin replied, "I think its in Romania or something. We could ask Ron to get in touch with him and see if they could take Hagrid's dragon. But not before he's too big to handle." Dudley was quick to add the last when Hagrid's face fell at the thought of losing his new pet before he'd even met him.

"Suppose that would be best." Hagrid said as he watched the egg sit in the flames, "But don' be writing before its time."

"We won't Hagrid, not until it's getting to be too much for you," Hermione promised, "But do any of the professors know about this?"

"'Course not, dragons are illegal in Britain. Can't be telling the headmaster, might get him in trouble."

Hermione gaped at the man, of course dragons were illegal. At least some of magical Britain's laws had to make sense, though she wouldn't really know since there were basically no books on them in the library.

"Someone should know." She asserted, "Just in case something goes wrong Hagrid."

When he seemed reluctant to agree, Harry offered to tell Dumbledore during his next special class. That way no one else would know but the headmaster and Professor Mcgonagall, who would be able to come help if the need arose. Hagrid eventually agreed to that. After all, if Dumbledore didn't think he should do it when he allowed a cerberus in the school then it probably was too dangerous. Plus, they all knew how much the headmaster seemed to let slide as long as no one asked first, and in this case they already had a plan for getting the dragon out when the time came.

"What are you gonna name it?" Dudley asked, drawing the conversation back to a more amicable atmosphere.

"I was thinkin' 'Norbert' if its a boy." The big man replied, "Haven't given much thought tah if its a girl."

Harry and Hermione ended up pulling Dudley out of Hagrid's house to work on a transfiguration essay an hour later. He and Hagrid had talked about dragons and other borderline-monsters for almost the entire time, a recurring theme of his visits with the groundskeeper. His exuberance for Hagrid's creatures was leaving the other two worried that Dudley was going to try for a career in dangerous animals or something. From what they'd heard so far it sounded like Auror, his original plan, was a much safer job.

o0-0oo0-0oo0-0oo0-0o

Saturday, Dec. 14th

"Furthermore, due to the intensive nature of the practical work associated with this venture, the board has agreed that a year's credit of muggle studies coursework will be awarded for any participants that do not cause excessive issues during the camp. This credited year will be whatever the next sequential year of schooling would have been for each student in question. We look forward to seeing many of you this summer." Professor Flitwick concluded his speech to the school, sans most of the first and second years. It hadn't escaped the charms teacher's notice that the majority of the first years that did attend were the ones closest in Harry Potter's friend group.

There was a lot of restless murmuring in the audience after Flitwick had finished his speech concerning the course for wandless magic. The loudest murmuring was coming from the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables; neither group liked the idea that muggleborn somehow had an advantage, though each for different reasons.

"Harry, Hermione!" The Weasley twins called from a few seats away, "Would you be our muggle-raised buddies? I'm sure the school would make an exception for you!"

Harry laughed, "The headmaster already asked us to come and help out everyone at the end, when the casting starts, but we had some other plans for the rest of the summer. Why not ask Lee Jordan?"

"Cause he's partnering with Katie Bell, lucky sod." The one Harry thought was George responded, "And Alicia is taking Angelina. It's no fair that it's one-to-one."

"It just makes sense," Hermione returned, "most of the teachers and counselors at the camp will be muggleborn, or parents of, but not all of them. Keeping the ratio like that is just to protect secrecy."

"If you don't get in this year, it might be easier next time." Neville offered from between the two pairs, "My Gran said that if it went well they would reach out to muggleborn that went back to the muggle world and see about making the camp a fixture."

Draco Malfoy sat as one of only two first years from Slytherin House and the only one actually at the table, Weasley was sitting at Hufflepuff with the Dursley mudblood. Draco's father had finally made it back from South America, and was in his seat at the head of the special table the Board of Directors had placed for themselves to attend this seminar.

At first, Draco had been convinced that at any moment his father would stand up and end the charade. After all, it was ridiculous enough to be taught by mudbloods, but to spend a month and a half learning muggle activities from actual muggles? That was beyond the pale, and his father would surely insist that such wasn't necessary. Draco himself had already figured out that he could just get his family to take an extended vacation and minimize magic use while abroad and probably achieve the same result, so why was his father letting this continue? He squinted as he tried to make out his father's features over the distance, he seemed to still be a little off-colour from whatever disease he'd suffered. Perhaps he was simply too weak to voice his protest.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Lucius Malfoy stood up and cast a Sonorous voice amplification charm on himself. Normally he would not have needed to do so for his voice to carry, Draco frowned before realising that his wish was about to be answered and smiled again.

"The Board has decided that the second-year age restriction will be rescinded in light of the muggle-raised-partner requirement. Any young witch or wizard who has completed a full year of schooling will be allowed. In addition, children of those in the Department of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts, as well as the DMLE's Muggle Liaison Division, will count as 'muggle-raised' for the purposes of this camp." He said, his magnified voice echoing through the Hall. It was no large concession as far as he was concerned, the Weasleys were the only children from the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts department. And if one of them caused an incident? All the better. The Muggle Liaison Division hadn't been staffed in eight years, he'd personally seen to it's systematic defunding.

While twin Gryffindors were dancing jubilantly at the news that they would be able to go to the wandless camp, Draco Malfoy was seething. It was painfully obvious to him why those two announcements had come together. He was to convince Ronald Weasley to partner with him and go to the camp that way. Perhaps he could convince his father that wasn't necessary over Christmas break, but it was too late to reinstate the restrictions now…

Those jubilant Gryffindors were not so happy after the students left for bed. They were pulled aside by their Head of House and informed that their "Wandless Camp Privileges" were directly attached to them staying out of detention, as well as keeping a positive point total in the House Cup. Neither twin felt that they'd make it until Summer under those rules, which meant alternative solutions were required. Ron had apparently been invited to spend time with Potter and Dursley over Christmas break, maybe they could get in on that?

"Hey Ron," Harry called as the Slytherin turned to head for the dungeons at his approach, "wait up for a minute."

Ron stopped, there was hardly anyone else in the hall at this point since the older years had left the seminar first, "What's up Harry?"

"Can we talk for a minute?" He asked, indicating a classroom nearby, "In there? Don't wanna be overheard."

Ron only agreed because Dudley was there. Harry's cousin had understood that Ron didn't need to be saved all the time, that sometimes when crap happened he could handle it himself. Harry had called that selfish and insisted that Ron be more open. Ron reckoned that it probably wouldn't have affected him so much if Harry wasn't just so much stronger than him. He got better grades in every subject, and flew better; he was even a better Slytherin than Ron with his snake familiar, and constantly being helped by him made Ron feel looked down on.

"Do you stay in touch with your dragon tamer brother at all?" Harry asked without preamble.

"Charlie? Sometimes, he never comes home but he writes from time to time, why?" Ron furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to think of what his friends could need with his least-seen brother.

"Do you think you could write him a letter soon?" Harry pressed, "You could borrow Hedwig for it if you want."

"Harry, c'mon man." Dudley hissed from behind him.

"Oh, right." Harry blushed, embarrassed, "Ron, I'm sorry about you getting beat up after the Quidditch game because of me, and I'm also sorry for… how I was after. I shouldn't treat you like a kid, and Dudley helped me see that that's what I was doing."

"S'no problem mate," Ron replied, offering his hand to Harry in reconciliation, "if I need you, I know I can ask. I promise. Flint has left me alone since the night of the game, and the only bad part that came of it was I landed on my wand and broke it. Snape was even in a bad mood over whatever hurt his leg and gave Flint detentions. Maybe I'll even get my own wand now instead of an uncle's, since the spellotape isn't making it work. But why were you asking about my brother?"

"Would you believe us if we told you we knew where a just-hatched, illegal, dragon was in Britain?" Harry asked, filing away the information that Ron's wand was broken. They weren't that expensive, and Christmas was coming up… and it was still his fault it was broken, "Also that a friend of ours needs to be able to get him out without getting in trouble? He thought it would be relatively safe for a month or two, but apparently it's a breed that starts breathing fire really early."

Ron just slapped his face with his hand and groaned, "Where did Hagrid get a dragon egg then? Yeah, I can write to Charlie about it. Bloody hell."

"Language Ronald." Hermione piped up, causing Ron to groan again.

"You're like my mother," he complained.

"Hopefully that's a compliment now." She returned, a little worry in her face.

"Yeah, all good at home now I guess." He said, throwing on a convincing smile, "My mum even decided to let me stay with you guys some over Christmas, though knowing her she'll insist you come over this summer or something to make it square."

"That could be cool." Harry answered as he started the group heading back out of the classroom, "I've never been in an actual magical home before. The only magic we have at home is potions, and that's only been for about a year."

"Did your mother ever decide about your sister coming for a few days?" Hermione asked before they broke apart, "Tina mentioned in her last letter that she was really hoping to have a friend in her year before getting on the train."

"I'll write home and ask again," Ron said after thinking about it, "last I heard my parents were still back and forth over Ginny."

"Thanks," Harry replied, "could you write that letter to your brother tonight and we can give it to Hedwig in the morning? Norbert is only breathing about a foot in front of himself at the moment, but it'll start getting bigger soon."

"Norbert?" Ron snorted.

"It's Hagrid." Hermione offered by way of explanation as they made they separate ways.

"So," Harry asked once they were on their own heading up the stairs, "why does Tina write you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"She mostly asks for essay prompts from our charms and transfiguration classes." Hermione answered, "I assume she's studying ahead and doing practice homework. She'll probably be in Ravenclaw with Padma."

Harry frowned as he thought about that. The Tina Polkiss he knew was smart, but wasn't really big on studying all the time. She had a tendency to cram for tests and such because she let time get away from her. He eventually shrugged the thought away, it didn't matter what House Tina was in except at feasts and Quidditch games.

o0-0oo0-0oo0-0oo0-0o

Tuesday, Dec. 17th

Harry and Hermione crept quietly through the halls of Hogwarts as they followed the Marauder's Map to an unused classroom on the second floor. Harry had noted the headmaster spending inordinate amounts of time in the room over the first couple weeks of December. But he hadn't returned in the last two nights, nor this night it seemed.

Hermione had raised only a token resistance to checking the classroom. Technically it wasn't off-limits, so the only trouble they would get in was breaking curfew. A risk that was barely worth it, but still minimized the threat of being stopped by a ghost or portrait; and that was worth it to try and verify Uncle Vernon's new theory about the third floor corridor. Namely, that it was supposed to be some type of test, not a set of defenses or obstacles at all. Harry had agreed instantly upon reading his uncle's letter, but Hermione had taken a little prodding. In the end, she did agree that a troll or cerberus shouldn't pose a threat to a dark wizard, especially one that was after the Philosopher's Stone of all things. If two first-years could knock out a troll with a levitation spell, surely an adult wizard could do it by himself.

The classroom was well out of the way, no one but the Weasley twins would stumble on this by accident, and they found the door locked. However, just like the third floor corridor back in September, a simple Alohamora unlocked it.

"A mirror?" Hermione asked as they checked the room from the door. They had expected it to be empty, but they were looking for any signs that an animal had been kept there recently. According to Vernon, another magical creature or monster would mean that they weren't taking security seriously, or weren't actually trying to protect the Stone in the first place.

"Mirror, Mirror in the Hall." Harry joked, affecting an imperious voice as he stepped into the room with the giant mirror in its center after verifying it to be otherwise empty.

"Magic Mirror, Harry." Hermione corrected. She happened to really like Snow White, despite the less than stellar role model the titular character was.

"Sure, sure… Magic Mirror in the Ha-" Harry abruptly cut off as he stepped in front of the mirror, mesmerized by what he saw there.

"What is it, are you alright?" Hermione asked worriedly, she didn't dare step in front of the mirror unprepared as well incase it was some kind of illusion trap.

"My parents…" He murmured as he glanced behind him and back to the mirror a few times.

"What do you mean?" She asked as she slowly stepped around. Keeping her eyes low to avoid staring at whatever held her friend transfixed allowed her to spot an inscription at the mirror's base, "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi." She sounded out the inscription as Harry reached out to touch whatever he saw reflected there. Upon glancing up, Hermione was greeted with the image of Professor Mcgonagall, causing her to shriek and turn around in fear only to realize no one was there.

"What do you see?" Harry asked, checking to make sure the door was closed so no one would hear. He thought he'd heard it open again behind them, but obviously it was a trick of the castle or something.

"My parents are there," Harry elaborated, "with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. You're there with your parents, and we're both getting Healer certifications…"

As he spoke, the image that Hermione saw in the mirror blurred, then reformed as something totally different. Originally she'd seen Professor Mcgonagall making her and Harry Head Boy and Girl. Now though, it was like Harry's vision, except for two things. Hermione didn't see Harry's dead parents behind him, only his aunt and uncle, and they weren't getting magical Healer certificates but rather their Doctorate Degrees in Medicine!

"Erised… desire?" Hermione thought about the inscription on the mirror, "Harry, look down at this. I think this mirror is enchanted to show you what you want to be or something. 'I show you not your face but your hearts desire.' That must be it."

"You never answered, what do you see?" Harry asked as he looked back at the mirror. His eyes were zeroed onto a spot that was empty when Hermione looked, convincing her that he was staring at his parents.

"Pretty much the same as you." She replied, deciding that she liked the second image in the mirror more than the first, "Except we're getting our non magical Doctorates rather than magical certifications… and your parents aren't there. But mine, and your aunt and uncle, are."

"That sounds wonderful," Harry said dreamily, "do you think this mirror shows the future?"

"It can't." She answered, "Not if you see your parents there. There's no way that magic to bring back the dead could be a good thing. But I think I was right about it showing what you want. What could you want more than for your parents to be there when you finally achieve your dream?"

"Yeah, that makes sense." He said as he wistfully reached for his mother's hand again, only to come upon the reflective glass instead.

"I think we should go Harry," Hermione looked at him with worry. It was clear that he had an unhealthy attraction to this mirror, "the headmaster could still come back or something."

"Indeed, he could." The jovial voice of the headmaster came from behind them, causing the pair to shout as they quickly spun around to face the sound. The old man faded into view after a moment as a silvery bedsheet slid off him into his lap where he was seated in a chair backed against the wall.

"Headmaster, we didn't know you were here." Hermione began to fill the void with words as she calmed down after the fright she'd received.

"No, I assumed not, that wouldn't have made much sense." He answered with a kind smile, causing Hermione to giggle and her tension to leave, "I'm sorry to have startled you two, but tonight was the night I intended to move the Mirror of Erised to its future home on the third floor corridor."

"This is the 'last protection' you were talking about?" Harry asked as he glanced back at the mirror, and his family.

"Yes," Albus frowned as he considered how much to explain to satiate their curiosity, "the Mirror will be the final, as well as the first, defense. For starters, anyone using magic to look for the artefact on the third floor from outside the castle will have to look past the Mirror first."

"And they'll see themselves already having the Stone, because that's what they really want?" Harry asked in understanding, causing Albus' eyes to widen in mild alarm. They knew what the artefact was?

"Indeed, I can't explain how the second line of defense will work as that would defeat the purpose. But I'm glad you understood the first." The headmaster smiled wanly when Harry turned back to glance at his missing family in the Mirror again, "As I said, I intended to remove the Mirror tonight. Originally I was going to place a few more enchantments on it, but Mrs. Dursley indicated that she wanted it in place as soon as possible and many of the other charms were just fluff to be honest."

"Sorry to go snooping sir," Hermione explained, "but Mister Vernon wanted us to find out if your 'last defense' was another animal, if we could. He figured if it was then you weren't really taking things seriously. We'll let him know he has nothing to worry about."

"I understand, and I hope your fears are allayed." Dumbledore fought to smile after hearing how little Vernon Dursley seemed to think of him, "There are certainly more protections than merely a few dangerous beasts. Now, why don't you two head back to Gryffindor Tower before someone less accommodating than myself finds you out at night. Oh, and don't forget to meet me at Hagrid's this Saturday to see off Norbert the dragon."

Albus sighed as he watched the two first years retreat out of the classroom, fingering the Invisibility Cloak in his lap, the Potter Invisibility Cloak… He had thought about offering it to Harry during that encounter to try and earn more trust, but was confident that Petunia Dursley would not react well if she wasn't informed about it beforehand. Especially if the Dursleys already thought that he was planning out some kind of elaborate test for Harry. True, the defenses around the Stone were more to delay than to thwart, but how is one expected to adequately protect against Voldemort himself? As it was, he needed to get in contact with Remus about the Cloak… the heirloom would have more sentimental value coming from the werewolf than from himself.

Sentimental value that was apparently crucially important. When he had realized that the muggle girl Harry was becoming close friends with was actually muggleborn he had let it go, but now he had a new worry. It was clear that, despite her amazing skill at magic, Hermione Granger was still tied to the muggle world too tightly. It would be a disaster for Britain if she somehow pulled Harry away from magic before he accomplished his destiny. One that would certainly kill any chance of Harry becoming a Healer like he wanted.

"Neither can live while the other survives…" The headmaster mumbled as he shrank the Mirror of Erised for transport. No, regardless of how much he deserved the chance; Harry Potter would never be able to grow up to be a Healer. With the whispers Albus had heard about movements in the magical criminal circles, Harry Potter would be lucky to grow up at all before Voldemort returned and destiny called.

O0-0oo0-0oo0-0oo0-0o

Saturday, Dec. 21st

"No offense Hagrid, but if that's a 'Nortbert,' I'll eat my boots." Charlie Weasley stated as he watched the giant man struggle to 'affectionately' say goodbye to his pet of two weeks. The dragon was thrashing and scratching him, and attempting to set the big man's new, fire retardant, coat ablaze.

"What do you mean?" Dudley asked. He, Hermione and Harry had been allowed to accompany Ron both to meet his brother, and be there for Hagrid when his pet was taken. It was good that Charlie was planning to come when he did, Norbert had managed to light the cabin on fire yesterday and it took Hagrid and Dumbledore together to put it out.

"That's a female." The rugged redhead answered, "A male would be more okay with being pampered like that. You can tell the females from birth because they are more vicious, they'll rip your hand off two hours after hatching."

"You mean Norbert's a girl?" Hagrid blubbered as he managed to get the dragon's head under his meaty head to be pet for a moment.

"Yep, I guess 'Norberta' is more appropriate, but we've gotta get going soon. We need to be over the Channel before daybreak." He waved his two companions over to begin prepping the dog sized dragon for transport via broomstick.

"Your brother is awesome." Dudley said to Ron as they watched him fly away while they comforted Hagrid.

"He's alright. Sucks that he and Bill both up and left the country for work, we never see either of them anymore and they were the coolest part of the family. My parents are actually planning to go visit Charlie over Christmas this year, but whatever Mrs. Tonks said to them made them decide to let me stay with you and Harry during that time instead of reworking their schedule."

"He looks like a magical Crocodile Dundee." Dudley declared with a grin, causing Harry to laugh at the idea.

Ron frowned, not getting the joke, "What does that mean? What's so funny?"

"It's actually pretty cool Ron," Harry explained, "he's a character in a muggle movie. He's a hero who deals with dangerous animals in Australia."

"Could you three stop for long enough for Hagrid to calm down?" Hermione asked, exacerbated, as she stood beside Hagrid and consoled him. The giant man had taken a seat on the lawn, but his head still rested a full two feet over Hermione's, standing.

After spending a few minutes worried that his cries would be heard all the way at the castle, Harry had a brilliant idea, "Hagrid, maybe you could take some time this summer to go visit Romania? I'm sure Norbert, er, Norberta would love to see you again."

Hagrid thought about that for a while as he fought back sniffles, "Poor girl's gonna be missin' her daddy won' she?"

"Yeah, I'll write to Charlie about it later, after he's had a chance to get everything settled, and ask him if you can do that." Ron offered, anything to keep Hagrid from using his robe as a handkerchief like he had Dudley's.

Mister Filch was in the entry hall when the four students returned to the school and was about to yell at them not only for being out after curfew, but also for tracking snow and mud onto the stone floors he had just mopped. He caught himself when he saw Dumbledore and Mcgonagall behind them, and turned and stalked off to find somewhere else to patrol.

"Thank you for helping facilitate that situation Miss Granger, Mister Dursley, and thank you, Harry, for your suggestion that settled Hagrid. Ten points each for your houses seem in order. For you as well Mister Weasley, thank you for helping us get in touch with your brother in such a timely and discreet manner. Now, I have some paperwork for an upcoming Wizengamot meeting I must attend to, good evening, all."

"It was a good thing you did for Hagrid." Mcgonagall said once the headmaster had walked away, "Both in coming to us to keep him out of trouble, and also in helping him find a way to begin to get over his grief. I certainly think that he deserves a vacation. Merlin, I don't think he's ever taken one, and Romania is as wonderful a destination as any." She smiled as the four children warmed themselves by the fire near the entry before asking, "Do any of you have any special plans for Christmas?"

"Parvati and Padma are visiting my house for several days after the holiday." Hermione replied, "They want to see what a non magical home is like," she grinned, "and also to see if a few days to a week away from magic is enough to get wandless casting."

"I see," Minerva wondered the same, "please let Professor Flitwick know if that is the case, and I hope you all manage to have some fun as well."

"We're gonna be staying at one of my parents' properties," Harry offered, "and invite some friends over. We'll be able to fly brooms there and stuff."

"Yes," Mcgonagall sarcastically agreed, "you have to make sure you stay in top form if we're going to win the Quidditch Cup this year."

Harry laughed, and the Professor left the children to split up to their dormitories after finding them that they had an early day to make the train home in the morning.

"Do any of the rest of you think it's weird that the headmaster talks to Harry like he's an adult or something, and the rest of us like students?" Ron asked now that both teachers were out of earshot, "Like, why does he call you by your first name?"

Harry didn't have an answer for that. Though he thought he remembered specifically correcting that very thing the first time he'd spoken with Dumbledore, "I don't know, I'll bring it up next term when I see him. I didn't notice before, but that is creepy."

o0-0oo0-0oo0-0oo0-0o

The train ride back to King's Cross station the next day was much less action-filled than their first trip aboard the Hogwarts Express. With seven people already crammed into the compartment and chatting away, the odds of someone like Malfoy trying to start something were right at nil.

The meeting at the station was almost a scene, though. Petunia, with Remus behind her, got to the group of children first, giving all three of hers a hug before hugging Ron as well. Molly Weasley saw this, and angrily started across the platform before her husband restrained her. He wasn't fast enough to keep the group of children, plus squib and werewolf, from realizing what almost happened though. Petunia decided to toss it up to innocent jealousy and even apologized to her redheaded counterpart. After all, if Harry or Dudley had hugged Remus before her she might have fired him.