This story has really strayed from where I originally tended to take it. I guess that's why professionals' say rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite before publishing. Oh well, I'll just have to make it work. Thank you all for sticking with me through this story. I apologize for the long wait. I had to rearrange a lot of chapter notes and ideas for this story. Enjoy!

Harry yawned and stretched as he sat up on his father's bed. Last night's memories rushed to the front of his brain and Harry blushed, knowing his friends were most likely waking. He glanced over at the other side of the bed: empty. Standing, Harry dressed for the day in lounge robes and exited his father's room.

Ron was fixing the couch, folding the blanket and laying it over an arm of the sofa. Draco walked out of the bathroom – his hair perfect and robes smoothed. Hermione came out of Harry's room also ready for the day, her bushy hair betraying the long brushing it had received. Everyone made eye contact, then blushed and looked away.

"Children," Severus's voice sounded from the dining table.

Everyone shuffled their way over to Severus, standing with heads sown and arms behind their backs. Severus eyed everyone from where he sat at the head of the table, his eyes narrowing. "Shoes, Mr. Weasley?"

"Oh, sorry," Ron ran back to the couch and slipped on his shoes.

"I hope you all understand just how dangerous and idiotic your little escapade was last night," Severus scolded. "In all my years of teaching, never have I seen such reckless behavior in my students. Your parents have all written back and none of them are pleased, but they have all accepted that you four have been punished for your crimes. You will never act in such an imprudent way again, are we clear?"

"Yes sir," everyone chorused.

"Sit down at your respective seat."

Everyone looked for their addressed letter, Harry sitting down at his father's right side as usual. Hermione sat next to him, opening the letter that rested next to her plate and blushing, a teary expression taking over her face. Ron sat across from Hermione on the other side, opening his letter and wincing, biting his lip. Draco sat at Severus's left next to Ron, hesitantly picking up his letter and opening it. His eyes scanned the letter, then the blonde set it face down and looked away. Harry did not have a letter, but he could feel his father's stern eyes on him, and he avoided looking at the man.

"I am sorry about last night," Harry offered, staring intently at his empty plate.

"We all are," Hermione said, inciting nods from the other two boys.

"I would hope so," Severus snapped. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I accept your apologies. Now, let enjoy breakfast."

Platters of scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast appeared. Severus dished up some eggs and passed it to Harry, who helped himself and passed the dish along, repeating with the other two platters until everyone was served. Mugs of orange juice appeared for the children while Severus had a morning cup of coffee. Everyone ate in silence, occasionally glancing at one another as if hoping for someone to break the silence.

"So . . ." Harry began after eating his fill. "Are we all free to go after this?"

"Yes," Severus answered, opening his paper to read.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but Harry frowned.

"I thought you said Sam had some kind of punishment for us?"

Ron choked on his dry toast, Draco spluttered his juice, and Hermione's fork clattered on her plate.

"That's what he told me," Severus said. He paper did not move. "However, I have not seen him, so as far as I'm concerned, you four may leave."

Harry frowned, looking over at Draco, who shrugged and finished his juice.

"Err, if it's okay," Harry pushed his chair back, everyone following his lead, "I think we'll go now."

"Do not forget your wands and stay out of trouble," Severus said.

"Yes, Dad," Harry said.

"Yes, sir," he other three chorused.

Harry went back to his father's room, knowing he had left his wand on the nightstand. Except his wand was not there. Looking behind the nightstand and under it, Harry frowned, sure that that was where he put it. He crawled under the bed but did not see his wand. In the bed? Harry moved the blanket around and lifted the pillow. His wand was not there.

"Dad!" he called out. "Have you seen my wand?"

"Mine, too!" Draco's voice yelled.

That was a strange coincidence, Harry thought, exiting the bedroom. Ron was looking under the couch, feeling around. Harry walked toward the study, pausing to glance in his own bedroom. Hermione was looking under the bed, but her attention didn't seem to be on searching for her wand. Instead, her hand was touching the golden, blue-dappled egg. Harry looked into the study.

Draco was digging through his father's desk.

"I don't think Dad would have put it in his drawers," Harry said. "You better shut those."

"Where else would it be?" Draco slammed the drawers shut. "I put it on the desk when Uncle Sev changed the bed back. It was right here. I don't misplace things, I know it was right here."

"I think I know what's up," Harry said, dragging Draco by the arm out to the dining room. Severus had set down the paper and was sipping his coffee contently, watching the children. "Ron," Harry called, waving the boy over to him. Hermione curiously paused by the boys as well.

Severus raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Are you playing a trick on us?" Harry asked, crossing his arms. Draco frowned at his uncle. Ron looked surprised and Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"No," Severus said, setting his cup down. "But he might be."

Severus pointed and the four followed his finger, looking behind them at the fox sitting on the couch, four wands in his mouth. The four gasped and Harry stepped toward the snarling fox warily, reaching out.

"Sam . . . can we have our wands? Please?"

Harry's fingers brushed the smooth wood of a wand when Sam leaped off the couch, running for the door which opened and shut behind the fox. Harry spun around in time to see Severus set his wand down.

"Hey, you helped him get away."

"I guess I did," Severus said. "But if I were you four, I'd be trying to get my wand back before the fox breaks it. Which he has threatened to do in the past."

Eyes widening, the four children rushed out the door, running down the hall and following the white tips of the three-tails. They ran up a flights of stairs before nearly colliding with a professor.

"Professor McGonagall," Hermione greeted, glancing around the professor. The four tried to move around her, but Minerva stopped them, clearing her throat for their attention.

"There you four are," she scolded, "I hope you learned a very valuable lesson about the importance of following school rules, and I am not finished."

The four groaned impatiently as they looked around Minerva, trying to see which way Sam went.

"Going down that chamber without so much as a second thought was exceedingly dangerous and you four should have been expelled. You are very lucky the Headmaster allowed Professor Snape to handle your punishments or you would all be on the train going home this instant."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione nodded, slipping around the teacher.

"That's all very nice," Draco added.

"We certainly learned our lesson," Ron said.

"Okay, bye." Harry finished, and the four ran down the hall.

"Are you sure Severus punished you?" Minerva asked, watching the children run away. She called out, "You're not acting very chastised." She huffed and continued down the stairs. "Where is that man?"

The four kids turned the corner and looked around. Sam could have gone anywhere. Hermione glanced in the Great Hall, noting that some students were still finishing up breakfast. Hermione closed the door. Draco checked several other doors but saw no sign of the fox in the empty rooms. Ron shouted in alarm, pointing toward the main entrance doors.

Sam was standing at the entrance, watching the kids, wands still caught in his jaws, his ears alert. When everyone spotted him, he flicked his three tails, ears flattening, and slipped through the ajar door.

The kids ran after him, running outside into the chilly fall air. Sam ran across the grounds, pausing at the top of a hill, where he dropped the wands at his feet. The kids panted as they approached the fox, finally glad to have caught him.

"Very funny, Sam," Harry said, reaching for the wands. "Now give us our wands."

When his fingers touched the wood, the wands vanished in a puff of air. Harry yanked his hand back, realization hitting him.

"An illusion! Where are our wands?"

: Hidden, Sam barked, sitting down, curling his three tails around himself. Only I know where they are.

"Then take us to them," Draco glared, crossing his arms.

: How about instead, you drop down and give me twenty, Sam growled, teeth bared and ears flat.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, wondering if Sam was serious. Draco and Ron blinked.

: Now, Sam barked, standing once more.

Hearing the seriousness in Sam's tone, Harry and Hermione lowered themselves to the grass, glad they weren't in school uniforms.

"Twenty what?" Draco gave Sam a sideways look.

"I only have four sickles," Ron said, digging through his robe pocket.

Sam tilted his head at the boys, his ears lifting in amusement.

"Psst," Harry hissed and motioned to the ground, raising himself up in a press-up stance. "Like this."

"We're doing press-ups," Hermione said.

"I'm not getting on the ground," Draco said.

Sam snarled and took another step.

Draco and Ron both dropped down by Harry and Hermione. Sam snorted and sat once more.

: Twenty. Go.

They all began doing press-ups, their arms starting to shake by number eight as they were not used to performing such exercises daily. Even with Harry's Quidditch practices, workouts were never more intense than a brief stretch and warm up. Twenty press-ups later, all four fell into the grass, the morning dew damping their robes.

: On your backs, Sam ordered. V's, go.

Harry blinked, trying to remember what V's were. He had a few yoga lessons with Sam, but the fox didn't name what he was doing, and Harry just copied him. Hermione saved them all as she rolled on her back, slowly raised her legs up to the sky, lifting her hips off the grass. She then reached for her toes, held the pose, then lowered her legs and arms back down, never touching the grass. The boys copied her, repeating the V's until Sam spoke once more.

: Roll back over, plank.

Everyone held a plank pose, the shaking in their arms slowly spreading over the rest of their body as they held the pose for a long minute. Harry looked up at Sam, wondering when he'd let the out of the pose.

: Downward dog.

Everyone pushed up into a downward dog, Harry glad to get some weight off his arms and chest, throwing his weight back and forth between his toes and hands as he held the new stance. Sam walked under everyone, adjusting them as he saw fit by nudging their legs out or hands forward. After another long minutes, Sam spoke.

: Up. Mountain pose.

Everyone stood tall, holding their hands at their side palm out. Sam paced in front of them, eyeing everyone. A smirk spread across his lips as he flicked an ear at the kids.

: Time for a mile run.

Later that same morning, the four kids collapsed on the sofa in Severus's quarters, Sam trotting contently over to Severus, who stepped out of his lab to greet Sam with a smirk.

"Long morning, children?" Severus asked. "Did you get your wands back?"

"No," Harry said through pants. "Sam said we had to come back here for one more exercise, then he'll give us our wands back. Please Dad, we're tired. We ran around the entire Quidditch pitch twice, did a whole bunch of press-ups, and even marched all the way back here. We get it, we won't ever touch that dragon tooth again. Can you make him give us our wands back?"

The other three nodded, still rubbing their arms and stretching certain muscles that should not be hurting right now. Sweat dripped down their brows and they chugged the glasses of water that appeared before them.

"No," Severus said, crossing his arms as he stopped in front of the sofa. "I want to explain something to you four. That tooth is pure dark magic. However, it can be used for good as long as you can resist the temptation the tooth offers and learn to control it, which is something Sam has mastered. What you did was very reckless and dangerous. Sam has informed me that while he has hidden the tooth far away from the castle it may try to reach out to one of you again in an attempt to be used for evil. You are to inform him if anything like that ever occurs. This is no joking matter. You have awakened a part of the tooth that had for years been dead. Do not give in to the temptation of using it for such silly adventures like the one you had last night. Understand?"

: This is very important, Sam added, sitting next to Severus. I know it will try again to get to you. The magical part that has reawakened is destructive, addicting, and very deadly. It is the magic that you read about in that book you found. After years of being under my control, the tooth has absorbed some light magic. I cannot allow it to turn back to what it was.

"We understand," Hermione said.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I had it," Harry said. "And for using it."

: You are forgiven, Sam smiled at Harry. All of you.

"And," Severus reached into an inner robe pocket and pulled out four wands. "You may have your wands back. I hope you all learned your lesson from Sam."

"I learned it last night from you," Harry said, taking his wand.

"And I would have taken a second smacking over Sam's labor any day," Draco muttered.

"Is that so, Draco?" Severus raised challenging eyes at Draco, holding the wand away when Draco reached for his.

"I think you misunderstood me," Draco said. "What I said was I learned a very valuable lesson from Mister Ishimuri-san. Arigatou." Draco gave a small bow toward Sam.

: Gaki, Sam said, giving an ear an amused flick. Draco grinned, knowing that word well.

Severus allowed Draco to take the wand.

"You four are free to go now," Severus said. "Lunch is in a couple hours. Do whatever you please until then but stay out of trouble. Professor McGonagall already thinks you weren't punished hard enough. Do not make me reapply last night's discipline."

Everyone blushed.

"I think I forgot something in Harry's room," Hermione suddenly said, jumping up and making her way over to Harry's room.

"I'll help you find it," Draco offered.

"Yeah, me too," Ron said.

"Me three," Harry said, following.

"Wait," Severus frowned. "You're all going to Harry's room? What on earth are you looking for? The door stays open!"

The kids entered Harry's room, watching Hermione crawl under the bed and pull out the shiny egg still wrapped in the girl's cloak. They all sat in a circle facing each other.

"It's really warm," she said. "It was shaking this morning."

"What if it hatches?" Draco asked. "In Harry's room? We won't be able to hide whatever it is from Uncle Sev. Anything babi is loud, whiny, and smelly. He'll notice that."

"We have to sneak it out before it hatches," Hermione said. "I think it'll hatch soon."

"And take it where?" Ron asked.

"I'm sure it'll be okay in Gryffindor Tower."

"Are you crazy? What if it's something really dangerous? I mean, has anyone considered how the egg ended up in the chamber in the first place?"

"Who cares, Ron? It's safe now."

"I'm sure it was safe before," Draco said. "Ron is right. We can't leave that monster just anywhere. What if it's a creature that needs constant supervision?"

"There's four of us," Hermione said. "We'll work it out."

The golden egg shook in Hermione's hand. She hissed and dropped it. "It's hot," she said.

The egg rolled away a bit as it continued to shake. Then a crack appeared.

"Oh no," Harry said. "Quick, grab it. This cannot hatch in my room."

Hermione threw her cloak over the egg and scooped it up, cradling it. Harry peeked out in the living room. Sam was asleep in his dog bed. Severus was nowhere to be seen. He waved his hand, motioning the others to follow. They slowly inched their way to the door, hushing each other at the slightest noise.

"Going somewhere?" Severus asked, stepping out of his bedroom, leaning against the door frame. He narrowed his eyes at the children. "You seem like you're up to something."

"Nothing, Dad," Harry said. "We're going back to our tower."

"And you?" Severus pointed at Draco.

"Who says a Slytherin can't go into the lion's den?" Draco answered.

With that, the children ran out the door and away from Severus's quarters, leaving a dumbstruck Severus behind.

The four made it to a secluded corner of a hallway in the dungeons when Hermione yelped in pain and dropped the egg as it burned her once more. The egg hit the ground with a sickening crack, but it seemed okay as it rolled away a bit. The blue dapples glowed against the gold shell of the egg. The crack began to spread, growing into more cracks, expanding like a spider web. Then, the shell exploded, pieces flying everywhere. The kids shrieked as they were showered with eggshell bits. In the shattered egg's place was a small griffin.

The children awed.

The puppy sized animal shook its head and blinked up at them with bright amber eyes, its black tipped beak opening slightly. It pushed itself on it's four large paws, wobbling unsteadily before falling on its face with a grunt. It sat up, shaking it's tail off its head, its tiny wings stretching out.

"Well," Draco wiped shell off his robes. "Griffins are known for dramatic births. I guess this is what they meant."

"She's beautiful," Hermione said.

"She'll fit right in with Gryffindor Tower," Ron said.

"Who says it's a girl?" Harry frowned. "Maybe it's a boy."

"Who's checking?" Draco said.

"Not it," all three boys said simultaneously.

Hermione huffed. "Girls must do everything, huh?" She stepped closer to the griffin, reaching out a hand to it as she spoke softly to it. "Hi, there. Aren't you cute? I'm Hermione. What do you think, hmm?"

The griffin sniffed at her hand before trying to stand once more, cooing at her. It managed to find its balance, but when it attempted to take a step, it stumbled and fell into Hermione's arms. The boys laughed while Hermione picked up the baby and cradled it as so, scratching it behind an ear. The griffin purred, closing its eyes.

"Congratulations, guys," she said, turning with the griffin in her arms. "It's a boy."

The three circled Hermione, smiling down at the griffin gnawing on its own tail.

Totally a surprise to me as well. Like I said, different direction with the story, but I hope you are all enjoying it.

Ishimuri-san – Mr. Ishimuri. Otherwise, a polite way to address someone.

Arigatou – Thank you (informal).

Gaki – brat.