Disclaimer: As always I don't own anything...and beta'd by my better half.

Sirius was slowly regaining his strength, years of starvation had left his body weak but thanks to Miss Parkinson and Hagrid he was beginning to regain some of his former condition. It wasn't too bad being a dog, Hagrid gave him plenty of food and Fang was kind enough to curl up with him to keep him warm. His tail wagged hearing the sounds of the kids coming to see Hagrid and him; Miss Parkinson had spent a few evenings working the matting out of his fur usually joined by the girls who he'd discovered from listening to the others were Harry and Draco. It was weird though, Harry still had James' hair but his face…him and Draco looked like if Narcissa and Lily had managed to have a kid.

His tail thumped on the floor, as his favourite visitors came through the door, he could smell roast beef and with more effort than he'd had liked he tried to get his legs under him. He nearly fell but a strong nose steadied him and he gave a doggy grin to Fang, he'd intended to run to the kids but with the amount of effort it had taken just to stand he wasn't stupid enough to try.

The happy and excited coos from the delighted children reached his ears and especially when they noticed he was standing, sure he was moving like a new born foal. Miss Parkinson was the first to reach his side but Harry was on her tail.

"Mr Snuggles!" She beamed at him, "You're getting stronger! Soon you'll be well enough we can play ball and take you for walkies!"

…when had Miss Parkinson named him that? A doggy grin broke across his face at the thought of how much James would be ribbing him for his new name, he huffed and let the girls guide him back to the warm sheepskin by the fire. Fang was soon slobbering over their shoulders and the group was handing the delicious smelling meat to both of their doggy friends.

Narcissa wasn't sure how she'd ended up becoming quite fond of Augusta Longbottom, but the old witch had a dry sense of humour and an indomitable spirit. She'd been invited over again not long after their meeting with Madam Bones and she found herself enjoying the Longbottom Matriarch's company.

The Longbottom's Manor wasn't like the other pureblood estates that she'd been to. The Malfoy's was pretentious, a huge marble mansion with pure white peacocks strutting around much like their owners tended to. It was designed to scream wealth and while it did do as it intended, she'd always found it cold and impersonal. She suspected it had something to do with the family magic, which would have partly explained the feeling of always being out of place within the Malfoy estate.

Every visit to the Longbottom's had resulted in her sitting in an informal drawing room, it was clearly one of the most used rooms, while large it was cosy with plants on various surfaces and often accompanied by a photo of a beaming round faced boy. One which was pride of place beside what was clearly the Matriarch's chair, it was larger and in it her grandson was engrossed in what he was potting up before turning and beaming. Narcissa had commented on how nice it was to see and when the older woman had looked quizzical, she'd told her how Lucius would never have had any photos of his son looking less than the perfect pureblood heir.

"Do you have any plans for Christmas?" Augusta had asked, Narcissa had suspected the older woman had been wanting to ask for a while but propriety had held her tongue this long.

"Molly is insisting that we have Christmas day with her," She'd smiled, it was clear that she was looking forward to the celebration, "She wants us to stay for the holidays but…" Augusta nodded, there wouldn't be room for them all in the Burrow. "I'm thinking I'll book a room or two in the Leaky Cauldron." She didn't add that she was going to run out of money soon, she still had some but not enough to rent somewhere permanent even without presents for the girls.

Augusta didn't ask why Narcissa hadn't got her own place, the elderly witch had heard rumours that Lady Malfoy had been cut off from the family and her ties with the younger mother had cemented it in her mind. "Perhaps the three of you would like to stay for the holidays?" She smiled, "I'm sure Neville will enjoy having company, he never complains but I'm sure he must get lonely with it just being the two of us."

McGonagall was worried, she sat at the head table, with her eyes narrowed behind her horn-rimmed glasses, staring at the Gryffindors. Snape followed her eyes and scowled, the twins had their heads close together talking in whispers as though that wasn't bad enough they had been joined by another troublesome twosome. Harry had never (especially since changing) looked so much like his father, adding in Draco…all of the teachers were reminded of another troublesome group. They were plotting, that much was clear but none of the room knew what and judging from the looks from the students all of the residents of Hogwarts were weary.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Harry glanced at Draco.
The blonde nodded with a grin, "I agree dear sister."
"So are you two in?" The duo looked at the Twins.

"For causing mischief and mayhem?" The Weasley's grinned "Always!"

"Here's what we're thinking." The girls smirked.
"It's not festive enough around here." Draco continued.
"Everyone should be dressing like it is." Harry added.
"If you're naughty,"
"you sing."
"If you're good…."
"Well we'll leave that up to you."

The twins beamed, "That sounds like an idea we can definitely get behind."

When nothing happened immediately, the Professors were lulled into a false sense of security but like all great plans it had taken time to enact. Just over a week later, breakfast started as a quiet affair but it was doomed not to remain as such…

About half an hour into the meal clothes magically changed, a gloriously clashing combination of colours that had Dumbledore beaming and Snape glaring. The Professors hadn't been excluded and every person was dressed in a garish combination of red, green, blue and yellow, Santa hats were perched on every head and they rained orange and purple glitter down onto the person wearing them. They equally included conspirators beamed at one and other and high fived, internally they wondered how long it would take for the students and teachers to discover the other part of their present to the school…

"WEASLEY! WEASLEY! POTTER! MALFOY!" Professor McGonagall stormed towards the innocently laughing group. "NEVER IN ALL MY YEARS!"

"Scatter?" Fred said.
"Scatter!" Harry confirmed.

The giggling girls turned and with their twins right behind them bolted.

"Remember kiddies. If you're good…" George yelled as he dashed through the doors.
"Good things will happen." Draco finished as she skidded out of the room.

The door banged behind the group as loud laughter broke out from the students in the hall.

Narcissa sat on her new bed, she wasn't sure how she'd come to living in the manor in the run up to the holidays, Augusta had insisted that she moved in earlier so as to give Molly time to get the house ready for her children to return home. Narcissa suspected that the elegant woman hadn't be entirely truthful in that it wasn't just Neville being lonely.

However the blonde was enjoying just talking or exploring the grounds with the elder woman, she'd never had a particularly close relationship with either her mother or grandmother and she imagined that the relationship that she was forming with the Longbottom Matriarch was what that should have been like. Both Amelia and Andromeda had been over several times and some of that time had been spent plotting but others had been spent talking about the kids.

Narcissa had approached the Greengrasses and Parkinson families, while Augusta had taken the McMillians and Abbots. Andromeda had suggested that they got several of the Pureblood families on side for getting Sirius a trial as although Fudge had removed the Kiss on sight order that didn't automatically guaranty him a trial. Their theory was that 'even if everyone knows he's guilty' it was the principle of the thing which would get other families on their side as if an Heir to an Ancient and Noble family could be thrown into Azkaban without a trial what was to stop it from happening to one of theirs. So far the tactic seemed to be working as those families were talking to others and the witches had almost gotten to the point where they could guaranty that Sirius would at least get his much needed trial.

"I can justify keeping him safe and in the Ministry until we can give him his trial." Amelia's expression didn't change, "Only issue is finding him."

Andromeda looked thoughtful, "What about Remus Lupin?"

Filch glared at the Ravenclaw sixth years that he'd caught bullying a little second year, the little waif was one of the few that was kind to Mrs Norris so he was even more incensed than usual.

"Why should we listen to a bloody Squib?!" One had sneered before the oddest thing happened as she started to sing, "Silent night, holy night..."

The other had apparently not been put into Ravenclaw for pure intelligence as she'd sneered the same thing and like her comrade had burst into song. Filch had heard rumours about a second part to that damned glitter prank. Did those brats not know how difficult it was to get rid of glitter?

It wasn't until later that Filch realised the trigger for the second part, the insulting of himself and a rare smile broke across his face as his brain put the clues together for what the nuisances had considered as being Naughty.

McGonagall had noticed a spate of students singing carols and suspected that it was what the foursome had alluded to. Initially she'd assumed that it was the Nice part…that was until she'd witnessed an older Hufflepuff student calling a first year a 'Mudblood', she had been in the process of taking points when the boy had burst out in song, a lovely Muggle carol that she'd heard Lily humming a couple of times.

The part that had terrified more students was Professor McGonagall losing her composure for a moment and letting loose a full bellied laugh of pure amusement at the ingenuity of the children.

It wasn't until she was alone again, after assigning the singing student a detention that she gave in "Ten points to Gryffindor and Slytherin."

The student population very quickly came to learn that using a slur of any kind would result in them breaking out into a seemingly random carol and that any Professor which heard would automatically take points off of the singer or at least assign a detention. After the first couple of days the number of students calling using them had dropped dramatically and by the end of the week it was non-existent, but the majority were also getting into the spirit of the season, some had taken added baubles to themselves and a few particularly inventive students had had helped the younger ones to create magical presents for each other.

Several of those more generous students had woken up to find a pretty box sitting on the end of their beds. Opening it cautiously had resulted in an explosion of confetti which arranged itself in the air to simply say congratulations, they discovered that it contained a potion vial and a note explaining that their good deeds had gained them the antidote.

To the pranksters amusement some of them didn't take the antidote preferring to remain in their festive wear.

Harry was sprawled across the ruby bedspread looking over at her new sister, occasionally she was aware that it was strange how the two of them had clicked together after the accident but more often it was difficult to remember how it had been before. Draco was reading the latest letter from Narcissa out loud, but her forehead had crinkled and she looked over at Harry in concern.

"Do you ever think it's weird?" Harry asked.

Draco had put the letter down and focused on what her sister was saying, her brow remained furrowed, "What do you mean?"

Harry bit her lip, "I mean, I don't remember what it was like being a guy or us not being like this."

Realisation dawned on Draco's face and she nodded, "Do you think we should ask an adult about it?"

Her sister shook her head, "Nah they won't tell us, if they even know. I…" She bit her lip again, eyes widening slightly, "we know ourselves more than they do even if they claim they know from a magical perspective."

"That's true…it seems as though we have a twin bond that much is evident, I'm just wondering how deep it goes." Draco frowned deeper, "I know what you mean about not remember what it's like to be a boy, academically I know but I don't remember what it was actually like in terms of emotions and how I felt. I just think I always felt like this but…" She scowled at the wall, "I know from other people's reactions that I wasn't."

Harry nodded in agreement, grabbing Draco's arm a slightly mad grin on her lips, "I've got an idea." She pulled out her cloak which had been folded in her trunk most of the year, rolled eyes were her response but the blonde went along with her plan. The corridors were thankfully empty as the two invisible students snuck along, Harry got an incredulous look when she pushed open the door to Myrtle's bathroom but she grinned and led the way over to the sink.

"-Open-" She hissed, Draco stared at her sister as the sink slid away to reveal a dark hole down into somewhere. "-Stairs?-" Slowly stairs clanked into place sounding creepily loud within the silence of the bathroom. Draco's jaw fell open, she could guess where they were going but despite her misgivings she followed the younger down the steps into the dark tunnel, one section that they walked through had clearly had a cave in not long ago. "Lockhart." Harry had said by way of explanation. Then with a grin on her face had pointed to the shed skin not really pausing before dragging the increasingly reluctant blonde on to the huge ornate doors which guarded the main chamber. Again she hissed the password and stepped into the huge circular room.

Draco's jaw fell if anything further giving her an increasingly gormless expression as she stared at the beast that her sister had slain the year before. "-It's massive-" she didn't realise how it sounded, "-you could make a fortune from selling it -"

Hermione had initially been worried when Professor Vector had announced that the class would be working in pairs especially when she'd decided that they would be working with someone of a different house in order to breed inter-house cooperation. When her own name had been called followed by Millicent Bulstrode her heart had fallen, resigning to doing the work alone while dodging insults and slurs about her parentage. However to both her own shock and embarrassment, Millicent had first of all apologised for what had happened at the duelling club the year before suggesting that they went to the library to plan. As it had been the last lesson of the day the pair had agreed that it would be better to head straight there.

They'd been deep in conversation discussing who would research which part and what angles they'd take the project. Hermione had without thinking led the other girl through a few secret passages, they'd come out in an out of the way corridor near to the library when they'd heard shouting. The two wild haired girls looked at each other before rushing down the passage towards the noise, a group of fourth years were crowded around a curled up figure on the floor. Ravenclaws by the uniforms, the whole group were girls and judging from what they could see of their victim, she was a girl as well.

Hermione didn't hesitate her wand in her hand a stunner leaving her lips, she hadn't expected backup and had no qualms with taking on the group alone. She'd been bullied enough that she'd never not help if she was in a position to so the thought of not doing anything never crossed her mind. However her spell hit its mark just as another spell hit the girl standing next to her own target who toppled over landing with a thump as the stunned target fell onto her. The other two girls had turned drawing their wands but the two younger girls were faster and they both keeled over not having expected the interruption. Hermione was surprised to see Harry's rival, Cho was one of the initial ones downed.

Millicent grinned at her, "We make a good pair! Bodes well for our project." She'd winked before heading over to the shaking body. Hermione had found herself agreeing and joined her.

The little blonde hadn't expected anyone to help especially when she'd been silenced but her watery blue eyes had widened seeing her rescuers. A Lion and a Snake. She'd giggled silently amused that her rescue had come from such an unexpected source, usually those two houses would be more interested in cursing each other than someone else but she was thankful that they hadn't.

Seeing the girl trying to laugh, Millicent had cast a quick 'finite' crouching down beside her, her own huge hobnailed boots probably stepping on a couple of the tormentors. "Are you okay? Miss?"

The little second year nodded, "I think so, I'm Luna," She'd smiled up at her rescuers, "They hadn't gotten fair before you came by." She shivered pushing blonde hair out of her face and rubbing watery eyes.

Hermione frowned slightly at the shiver, slipping off her robe and wrapping it around the shaking girl. She glanced worriedly at Millicent, she wondered if Luna was going into shock. "Perhaps we should take you to Madam Pomfrey? Just to be safe." She knelt beside the blonde, who was frantically shaking her head, "I'm Hermione and this is Millicent."

Millicent was frowning, "Madam Pomfrey would probably be a safe bet…" She trailed off noticing that Luna was bare footed, "What happened to your shoes?" Seeing that the girl was still shivering she pulled her scarf out of her bag and placed it around her neck.

"They hid them..." Mrs Norris' yowl cut off whatever else Luna was going to say and the two third years froze glancing at each other. Where the cat was, Filch was never far behind.

"AH HA!" The elderly squib stomped around the corner his expression furious when he saw the tears trickling down the child's face. "What happened here?" He snapped scowling at the heap of Ravenclaws, plus the robe and scarf adorning the little blonde, he'd initially though that he might finally have enough evidence to help the second year more but it seemed that once again he'd arrived too late. However judging from the clothing that she was wearing…she might finally have more protectors than an elderly grumpy squib and as the little moon girl explained seeming delighted to see him a rare smile broke across his face as he stomped over to the pile. "Detention all of you for the whole of January!" A thought crossed his mind, "Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for the spells to wear off. I'm just a lowly squib after all." That group liked to torment him when they couldn't find Luna so he'd take this victory while he could. "You three come with me."

Millicent and Hermione looked worried but Luna grasped a hand each and skipped after the caretaker. The two exchanged a glance before shrugging at letting the increasingly bubbly second year pull them along. The room that Filch took them to wasn't his usual office; this one was more of a lounge than an office although it did have a desk but unlike what the two had heard of the Caretaker this one had pictures of a smiling Filch with what appeared to be family members. One even had a little girl running to him excitedly waving a Hogwarts letter before being caught by a much younger Filch.

"Tea?" He asked, "You've all had quite the shock."

Neither Draco nor Harry was sure how their things had come to be in such disarray yet they had, clothes were strewn across their bedroom and random socks seemed to have found all manner of places to hide. In the end the two crammed whatever they found into one of their trunks figuring that it didn't really matter who had what as they shared most anyway. They'd spent so long trying to finish their packing that when they were barely in time to join their friends for breakfast, the two of them were mildly confused when Millicent Bulstrode had dragged a little Ravenclaw over and plopped her down next to Hermione. Before sitting at her other side, the two third years had then spent some time alternating between piling food onto her plate and glaring at the Ravenclaw table.

Draco and Harry exchanged looks wondering what they'd missed this time, Millicent being on speaking terms with Hermione was one new thing, that the bigger girl was confident enough to sit at the table another and the Ravenclaw was a whole other thing.

"Don't worry you're pretty heads over it." Pansy smirked at the pair, she had been filled in that night by Millicent and hadn't been surprised that the Bulstrode Heiress had joined their little group. Pansy liked to be in the know and personally felt that the two would be good for each other as she'd pieced enough together of Hermione's childhood to know it mirrored Millicent's with the pair both being outcasts and often times bullied for being different, that they'd adopted Luna didn't shock her at all. Personally she would have been more surprised if they hadn't.

Harry and Draco's brows crinkled, knowing for a fact that Pansy was thoroughly enjoying knowing something that they didn't but neither of them had a problem with the extra two sitting at their table.

All too soon for Ron's liking (going by the loud complains about not having enough to eat) they were headed down to the train. Harry had smirked, making Ron shiver ("Do you have to do that mate you look like Malfoy?") before he'd grabbed Neville's arm as the round-faced boy headed past them looking for somewhere to sit and pulled him into the compartment. Pansy had jokingly said they wouldn't have room for Harry if Neville was in too and when the boy made to leave she'd shook her head pushing him into her seat before dumping herself down onto Ron's lap.

"….Oi! Parkinson. Ger'off me." He'd pushed her off onto the bench beside him the tips of his ears turning bright red as the whole compartment burst into laughter that lasted as they pulled out of the station home-bound for Christmas.