I want to thank all my reviewers and followers. You guys are awesome

I do not own Harry Potter, DC Comics, or Smallville.

Amelia Bones was having the day from Hell itself. She'd just received word that Simon Hellar was now dead. Supposedly the teen was so remorseful he had covered himself in Hephaestus' Flames and set the powder alight. There was now a metal slab in the Ministry Morgue that contained the incinerated remains of the accused rapist. He was the final suspect in the Tonks Rape case, the others dying by equally gruesome means. Carrow had overdosed on Skelegrow resulting in massive bone growth and tissue calcification, essentially everything but his skin and nervous system had become bone. Stoates had somehow fallen off the moving stairs and plummeted more than a hundred feet only to be impaled on one of the spears the Hogwarts armor carried. Somehow it had gone in his rectum and out the top of his head. Cavelish was the worst, somehow the young man's Runes project ran amok and he had been trapped in a room with four Bludgers that kept hitting him at full speed. He had been attempting to make a Bludger that would shed some inertia before striking so players were not hurt as often.

She wasn't naïve enough to believe any of the deaths were accidents. In fact she was quite certain each House had taken care of their own. Normally she would have investigated these obvious murders, but the Families refused to file the charges. In fact, Lord Carrow had been adamant that he himself would pay for the defense of anyone who was brought up on charges regarding these deaths. Amelia was not quite sure if she would have investigated very hard anyways. As far as she was concerned this was justice served.

Others in the Ministry were not of the same mind. Madam Umbridge wanted Harry Potter brought up on charges for assaulting Purebloods. The woman had ranted in her simpering voice for a full half hour on how that Half-Blood abomination should be punished for his crime. The woman was even convinced Potter had somehow murdered the 'poor innocent men' in order to cover up the fact that they were falsely accused. Amelia had to restrain herself from cursing the slaad-spawn back to whatever blasted dimension she came from. However that would have been the end of her tenure as Director of the DMLE. Instead she was forced to listen to the rant until Fudge summoned the foul toad for something or other.

So it was with the hope that perhaps the letter from her Niece would brighten her day that she opened the letter from Susan. The first few paragraphs were heartening. Susan was enjoying the hospitality of Hufflepuff House. She was getting excellent scores across the board from her instructors, even in Potions. She had even made friends in other Houses. All this just made Amelia's day a bit better.

Unfortunately the letter took a turn for the worse. Susan started explaining her concerns for a fellow student. How he had to be treated for flogging scars. How his clothes were all horrendously oversized. The more Amelia read the more livid she became. Child abuse was not common in the Wizarding World. Magicals innately understood harming a child was a good way to be on the wrong end of deadly accidental magic. Even Muggleborn parents seemed to know this. When Child Abuse was discovered it was prosecuted heavily, many of the Pureblood privileges just did not exist when it came to these allegations. Amelia had read enough in the letter to actually file a complaint and even started pulling the paperwork to do just that. It wasn't until quill touched paper that she saw the name of Susan's abused friend: Harry Potter.

"Oh bloody hell!"

Harry had volunteered to help Hagrid bring in Christmas trees for the Great Hall. He still wasn't sure why they started decorating at the end of November, but he saw no reason not to help. After all he enjoyed Hagrid's company. The gentle giant was one of the few beings around who was even near his new found strength and durability. They made quite a sight as they were walking back to the castle. Older students were used to seeing Hagrid carry massive thirty foot trees on his shoulder. Seeing Harry do the same was just mindboggling.

"So, Hagrid, is that your Cerberus in the third floor corridor?" Harry was playing out a hunch after the long talk with the Gamekeeper. Seeing the furtive glance, Harry knew he hit pay-dirt. "I stumbled upon it by accident. Though you know kids, tell them not to go somewhere and they will go there."

"Fluffy won't hurt the kids none. He's a sucker for kids. Puts on a good show for 'em though, all growl and no bite. 'Less they're mean enough to try'n hurt him." Hagrid defended one of his favorite pets. The large three headed dog was actually very friendly, provided you were Hagrid or a child. "I've been feeding him proper every day: one cow, one sheep and a bushel of bananas. Oh, Fluffy just loves 'is bananas."

"Well, I'm glad of that." Harry chuckled. "Still, why would anyone put Fluffy in a school? I mean the forest, I can understand. Keep predators away from the Unicorns."

"Cerberi are the best guard dogs in the world, 'Arry." Hagrid beamed with pride. "Even as much as he likes kids, he won't let any of them past him."

"So he's guarding something?"

"I shouldn'a said that." Hagrid muttered to himself. "Never you mind that, 'Arry. That business is between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel."

"Flamel?" Harry quirked an eyebrow as he looked to his first adult friend.

"I shouldn'a said that." Hagrid muttered to himself as he realized the hole he managed to put himself in. "Just forget I said anything, 'Arry. It's not business that students should be involved in."

"Alright, I'll trust you." Harry flashed a genuine smile. "Now, do you got any more of that treacle fudge? It's the only candy I can get that the others don't try to snitch a few pieces of."

"Just made up a batch and some rock cakes, too." Hagrid beamed as finally someone liked some of the same sweets he did. "Join me for tea tomorrow and I'll give yeh some."

"So we just have to discover who Nicolas Flamel is and what he is hiding in Hogwarts." Hermione concluded after Harry told the study group his conversation with Hagrid. "That should not be too hard considering the minds we have here."

"Oh, I know who Flamel is, Hermione. My first chocolate frog card was Dumbledore, and it listed the Alchemist Nicholas Flamel. Looking through the cards that Ron left me: I have both Nicolas Flamel and Perenelle Flamel." Harry laid the cards down on the table with a grin. "They are the creators of the Philosopher's Stone: The ultimate goal of the Alchemical Art, able to create gold as well as the Elixir of Youth."

"Then why bring this our attention if you already know?" Su Li never even looked up from her text-book. She was having a spot of trouble with her Transfiguration. It seemed every hedgehog she transfigured from a rat was blue. She was attempting to see what she was doing wrong.

"Well, I know what is being hidden: The Philosopher's Stone." Harry replied honestly. "As for who would want it, I haven't a clue. The gold it creates is all well and good, but from what I have heard I am from a relatively poor Pureblood family and I have a pile of gold in my Vault as tall as I am. So I can't imagine it's for the gold. As for the Elixir of Youth, it's a complex potion that only a very few people know how to make, and our esteemed potions professor is not among that elite few."

"A poor Pureblood family and you have a pile of Gold?" Hermione blinked twice as she tried to process that. In her mind she was estimating the actual wealth of the young man and it was staggering. "Hmm, could it be from a poorer family?"

"That is a possibility, though most of the poorer families would not have a Gringotts account. So leaving it there would make it safer from them." Daphne Greengrass replied. "The Weasleys have a vault until the end of time thanks to a deed Percival Weasley the First performed for Goblinkind. And while they are arguably the poorest Pureblood family, they would not steal from another."

"Of course we wouldn't." Ron Weasley defended his family honor as he floated around the table. "Besides Bill works for Gringotts as a Cursebreaker. We'd have to be completely barmy to risk his life like that."

"We can eliminate the staff as wanting the Stone. If Dumbledore suspected them, he would not bring it here." Padma spoke up.

"Well at least not the older staff." Parvati spoke up. "Professor Burbage is new. And Professor Quirrell took a yearlong sabbatical before coming back to teach Defense."

"We'll leave them as possible accomplices." Susan nodded as she jotted down the names. "Neither of them is exactly poor and I doubt either wants the Elixir. So it has to be someone who needs the Elixir."

"Voldemort is not quite as dead as people would like to believe. He believes he can use the Stone to create a new body for his spirit to inhabit." Hermione was staring straight ahead, her eyes slightly blank as if staring at something far away. A moment later she shook her head. "That was decidedly unpleasant."

"That was not news I wanted to hear, Hermione, especially with the spacing out." Harry grunted. "So it's Voldemort. That complicates things."

"Wait, why are you just taking her word like that?" Lavender Brown was one of the few that did not flinch at the name Voldemort, mostly because her Parents were a little too liberal in using the name to scare her into being good. Eventually the fear wore off.

"Simple, every time she has spaced out like that, she has known something that not many knew. For instance my full name, which even I didn't know until I got a copy of my wizarding birth certificate." Harry explained. "It's not the Sight, Professor Trelawney was very clear on that when we asked; so no asking for sweepstakes numbers."

"Aww, but Momma wants to buy her Boy Toy some pretty things." Tracy playfully teased. She truly enjoyed making Neville and her future sister wife blush. "Hmm, well, I suppose if Harry isn't quite normal it makes sense his best friend isn't either."

"Hey, Harry is a sweet guy and Hermione is a good person don't you dare…" Susan turned on Tracy with a look that likely could have scared a Dementor into committing suicide.

"Bones, I wasn't saying anything bad. Is anyone in here normal?" Tracy stopped the tirade and threats before they started. "Su Li knows more martial arts than I've even heard of and I'm an avid Bruce Lee fan. Neville here doesn't really need Herbology classes. He could probably sit his Newts right now. You can out duel fourth years thanks to your Aunt's Tutoring. Normal is not anything to be proud of. In fact I would be ashamed to be what most people consider normal."

"Oh…sorry." Susan muttered under her breath as her rant was derailed. "I just…it sounded bad."

"We understand Susan, you get very overprotective of Harry." Daphne smiled just a little as the redhead blushed. Brushing her heavily charmed golden hair behind her ear she continued. "Back on topic. You-Know-Who is after the Stone. Even if he can't figure out the Elixir, I'm sure he knows tons of rituals he can use it in."

"So what is the plan?" Padma was in many ways the typical Ravenclaw. She never acted without a semblance of a plan.

"Well, we leave some monitoring charms on the third floor. At the same time we watch the Staff and see who arouses suspicion." Harry said after a few moments contemplation. "If someone goes after the stone, you notify the Staff we can trust. Meanwhile I will stop the thief."

"Why you alone?" Neville asked as all the girls nodded. "We're your friends. We want to help."

"Harrel James Potter, you will not be leaving me behind." Hermione pulled out the middle name as she glowered at her best friend.

"Can any of you kill a troll by kicking it in the head? Can any of you take a Bludger to the stomach and not sick up? Can any of you walk through flames?" Harry countered when he saw most of them shaking their heads. "I'll definitely take Ron with me. But anyone else coming might be in grave danger and I wasn't going to speak for any of you. If you want to come, the rule is: Stay back and try not to get splattered with blood."

"That sounds like a really good rule. I'd hate to get Dark Lord blood on my robes. It'd never come out." Hannah tried to lighten the mood a bit. When she saw everyone snicker or in Daphne's case suppressing the same, she just grinned. "Now that the tension is over. Does anyone remember the incantation for blessing water? I have the acorn, white oak and the silver chalice, but I forgot the incantation."

"Oh, that's just a plea to whatever God or Goddess you worship." Hermione responded. "Any wording that asks for their protection and blessing on the water."

"I knew that was a trick question." Parvati muttered as she began scribbling down a few notes on scrap parchment. "Thanks Hermione."

"Mr. Potter, I would like you to stay after class for a few minutes. We need to speak privately." Professor Flitwick was making his rounds among the student as he spoke to Harry. Seeing the hidden glee in Malfoy's eyes as well as the concern on quite a few of his year-mates' faces, Filius quickly amended his statement. "You are not in trouble, Mr. Potter. I just wish to have a discussion with the son of one my best students."

"Of course, Professor." Harry nodded even as he released a breath he did not know he was holding. "I'll be here."

"Good, good. By the way Two points to Gryffindor for your excellent solution, Mr. Potter." Flitwick motioned to the Newton's Cradle that was working without strings. "Sometimes the best answer is the simplest."

"Thank you Professor." Harry smiled as he regarded his midterm practical. They were to use any charms they had been taught to simulate an example of physics in action. He'd gone for efficiency and used a series of tethering charms coupled with levitation charm to start the process.

An hour later, Harry was alone with the diminutive Head of House for Ravenclaw. Harry knew the Professor had Goblin blood in him, but aside from his stature he really just did not see any resemblance: where the Goblins were gruff and curt, Professor Flitwick was polite and gregarious. He wondered if perhaps the Bankers in Gringotts just hated their jobs.

"Well, Harry…if I can call you Harry…" Professor Flitwick settled into his desk seat. He had an office he could have taken Harry to, but his next class was NEWT Charms and he needed some time to get the classroom ready after his discussion with Harry. "Your mother Lily was one of my finest students in Charms, not the best as that honor actually belongs to William Weasley, but she is in the top ten in my Charms class. I am glad to see that you are beginning to live up to her legacy there. Oh don't get me wrong, before Halloween your grades were still well more than satisfactory." Filius smiled warmly. "However your change since the Troll Incident has convinced me that you might be capable of living up to your mother's legacy where she truly excelled: Dueling."

"My mother was a Duelist?" Harry's eyebrows climbed his forehead as he processed this.

"Oh yes." Filius smiled in fond memory. "Not to be immodest but I am one of the greatest Duelists of the current age. I fought Grindelwald to a draw four times despite the fact his power dwarfed my own. I have defeated Headmaster Dumbledore in friendly Regulation duels. I faced Voldemort twice and walked away uninjured. Moreover I have taught some the best warriors of this century. Among those duelist were your Mother and Father."

Harry's eyes widened as the tiny professor listed his accomplishments. One of the cards Ron did not have in his collection was a Filius Flitwick card, so this was news to him.

"Your Father was an excellent duelist both in regulation duels and in actual combat. He used transfiguration with a skill only exceeded by Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore." Filius smiled. "Your mother was on a completely different level. She used Charms, Transfiguration and even Banished Potions to make herself almost a Boogeyman among Death Eaters. Another two decades of experience and Lily could probably have taken Headmaster Dumbledore in his prime, let alone me in mine."

"Wait, I thought you beat Dumbledore."

"In friendly regulation duels, Harry." Flitwick chuckled a little at the memories of his marginal wins over the Headmaster. "If it had been true combat, well the only way I would be teaching this class is the same way Binns does."

"Oh."

"Now, I merely wanted to extend to you the chance to train under me in dueling and combat magic." Professor Flitwick smiled warmly. "If you perform well, we can move on to advanced dueling and even some goblin blade fighting. I am offering this because you show potential, and you have a habit of saving damsels in distress. It might not seem that way from the propaganda that is History of Magic, but all those of Goblin blood admire Heroes."

"Wotcher Harry!" Nymphadora Tonks called out as Harry was leaving the Charms classroom. Sporting an electric blue ponyhawk, she managed to look even more extreme than usual. Of course she did not admit to any of her friends that she was wearing it because of a bet lost to the Boy-Who-Lived. How was she supposed to know that Harry could chew rock cakes? She had shattered a tooth the last time she had tried that particular delicacy of Hagrid's. "Getting in trouble with Professor Flitwick? What did you do? Don't tell me you brought up Return of the Jedi."

"Why would I bring up Return of the Jedi?" Harry quirked an eyebrow as he tried to think of a reason. He knew of the movie in only the sense that Dudley had seen it. "No, Professor Flitwick just offered to teach me."

"It's taken you this long to figure what the Professor's are doing?" Tonks playfully teased. When she got the glare she raised both hands in surrender. "You mean like extra Charms tutoring?"

"No, he's offered to teach me Dueling, Combat Magic and Blade Fighting." Harry said after a moment. "He said that I could have the same potential my mom had."

Nymphadora gawped for a moment. She couldn't help it. The rumors were that once a year, Professor Flitwick taught a very important class in Auror Training. Once all the hopefuls had completed two years of intensive training and the cadets were feeling invincible, Filius Flitwick would beat that out of them. One tiny Professor against a full class of soon to be Aurors and he left none able to walk out under their own power. After they were patched up, he would do it again, this time with six Senior Aurors on the trainee's side. Again, there was not one Auror mobile under their own power when Flitwick was done. Filius Flitwick was not a being to be trifled with.

"I kinda asked if I could bring friends." Harry said after a moment. "So, are you willing to train with me?"

"What?"

"I asked if you wanted to train with me. I'm inviting Su Li, Susan, Neville, Tracey and Hermione. I really want you to join us, especially if you insist on becoming an Auror." Harry said not quite getting why Tonks was being so quiet.

Nymphadora had a firm rule when it came to dating. Once you reach adulthood your significant other should be at least half your age plus seven. Before then you could get away with dating a little younger, like her suggestion to Hestia. Still regardless of her firm rule, Tonks grabbed the collar of Harry's robes and pulled him in for a kiss that curled Harry's toes.

"In case you didn't understand that is a yes, Harry." Tonks said as she released the younger preteen who was not a little thunderstruck. "But that is the last one of those you get from me until you're twenty one."

"Twenty one?" Harry was still in a bit of a daze. He had been feeling the effects of accelerated puberty and a kiss from the gorgeous Hufflepuff had the usual effect on his mind.

"Yes, Twenty one, according to the Marauder Rule of Dating: Half your age plus seven is the minimum age the younger person in a relationship with an adult should be." Tonks explained matter of factly as she straightened out Harry's robes. "For minors it's sliding scale. The oldest girl allowed to actually snag you is fourteen currently. I'll have to dig out the full rulebook to see if there are exceptions."

"There are rules on dating ages?" Harry quirked an eyebrow. "An actual rulebook?"

"Well, the rulebook is actually the Marauder's Rules for Life and Pranking." Nymphadora chuckled as she recalled the title. "It was given to me when you were born actually. I really should make you a copy, your Dad wrote a good quarter of that book and your mother probably revised the whole thing once they married. Sorry I didn't think about it before, but it's been years since I read it."

"I-I would appreciate that." Harry had to ruthlessly suppress the urged to tear up. Harry didn't cry often and for good reason. Any time he had cried at the Dursleys it had been worth a whipping. If he cried in front of Dudley in the street it was a beating after a long game of Harry Hunting. It had been conditioned into him that crying brought pain.

Daphne Greengrass flicked her wand at the door and activated the plethora of locking and warding schema she had placed there on the first day. With a sigh of relief she released the numerous and complicated glamours that covered her body. In moments the golden hair on her head became the lustrous black she had been born with. Her alabaster complexion dissolved to reveal pale orange flesh. Her icy blue eyes were replaced by vivid purple. As the charms released she also grew to nearly the same height as Harry himself.

"Ah, that feels so much better." Daphne sighed as her body became normal again. She hated the necessity of hiding her heritage. It wasn't just the human supremacists she was hiding from, but from her own people. Well, not exactly her people so much as the Council of Regents that was supposed to raise her and her sister. She would not be the pawn for their ambitions, even if they would make her queen. "We almost lost Draco today. The blonde ponce is better than Nott, but still, he pinched my ass."

Even as she was speaking, she moved to her closet and retrieved a squeeze bottle of mustard. Opening the top she squirted the hot tangy condiment right on her tongue. He sister might have been the one to discover the drink, but Daphne was just as hopelessly in love with it.

"Do you want me to warn him off?" Tracey asked carefully. She remembered what happened to the muggle boy who had pinched Daphne's ass in the mall. Nobody had seen her do it, but the boy had been thrown through a plate glass window more than twenty feet away.

"No, I am going to have to ask Cormac to do it." Daphne groaned in irritation. "I love the Greengrasses, but I can't believe I have to marry that stuffed shirt. Worse, so does Kori. I got us off Tamaran because those bastards were trying to twist our lives into some horrific little tragedy."

"He can't be that bad, can he?"

"He's worse. He rests on the laurels of his grandfather and is a braggart to boot." Daphne floated up off the ground, enjoying one of the wonderful abilities her species was known for: flight. Folding her legs into a lotus position she just hovered as she spoke to Tracey. "He claims he can out fly Harry any day of the week. I have been flying on my own power since I was four and I wouldn't make that claim. He claims he goes Nundu hunting with the Head Auror. Nobody goes Nundu hunting unless they want to die. I doubt I would go Nundu hunting without Kori and a dozen Tamaran Elite Guard with me. X'Hal, I doubt a Daxamite raiding party would go hunting a Nundu. They are the type of thing one hears in horror stories of Apokolips."

"Well, not to rub it in your face, but I am glad I am betrothed to Neville. He might be a bit pudgy and self conscious, but I have seen pictures of his parents." Tracey chuckled softly trying to get her friend to calm down a little. "Even if I have to share him with Hannah I am going to be a happy witch."

"The only way I am going to be happy is if I can kill the Clorbag on the honeymoon." Daphne muttered lightly. "Preferably by impalement on his own hubris."

"So this is your sundeck?" Hermione Granger looked around the rather large addition to Hogwarts. "I can't believe the Castle made you a sundeck of all things."

Harry had taken the advice of both Poppy and Ron seriously. Laying out in the deck chair in only a set of trunks he was reading his history homework. Actually he was revising it to see if he was correct about a small change he had mentally. Looking up from the book he smiled at Hermione who was dressed in a conservative one piece. He had no clue that the girl was used to wearing far less at the beaches of the French Riviera.

"Yep, and it seems that only me or my friends can even see the doors. Ernie walked right past the door talking about how he had to find this sundeck." Harry chuckled softly. "Think the ladies will mind having study group here once in a while? It's heated and protected from the elements."

"Oh, I am sure that they will make a request to that effect. Lavender and Parvati have asked me for a catalog of swimsuits to peruse." Hermione set her book bag by another deck chair and stretched out. "Oooh, that is a really good cushioning charm. It's almost more comfortable than my bed."

"Hermione, you have a good memory, right?" Harry asked as his friend retrieved her potions text so she could read ahead. Seeing the girl nod he continued. "Is it normal for someone to perfectly recall every word on a page at a glance?"

"At a glance? No, not normal I would say. I can remember the general information at a quick read through. If I do a thorough read I can memorize word for word, but not at a glance." Hermione's face was registering a little shock. "Are you memorizing everything at a glance?"

"Yes, though I do have to think it through to actually understand it. I read History of Magic by thumbing the pages and I can recite the whole thing if you want." Harry replied looking back to the book. "But to understand the references? Not unless I revise it at a slightly slower pace."

"How slow do you have to revise it to understand it all."

"Well, pages this size, about a second or so." Harry said holding up the massive book. "More if the pages involve diagrams of wand movements like our charms books have. Perhaps two seconds for those?"

"You mean to tell me you can perfectly understand our entire curriculum for first year in just a few hours?" Hermione blinked twice and shook her head before grinning widely. "Don't take this the wrong way but I kinda hate you a little right now."

"Yes and believe me I understand." Harry chuckled. He could tell that Hermione was envious. "To be fair however, there is still the Professor's perspectives and experience to factor in. Only a tenth of what we need to know is in these books."

"Well, I'm still going to be insanely jealous. Are you going to use your new ability to read through the library?" Hermione asked playfully.

"A little. Many of those books are highly specialized or have magic that is fairly useless." Harry shrugged.

"There are thousands of tomes on older less efficient spells in there. The early versions of Stupefy for instance. Did you know the first version required eight minutes to sing the incantation and you needed to be powerful. Like Dumbledore powerful."

"Oh, I was hoping ancient magic was somehow…"

"Some of it is. The Unforgivables are some of the oldest magic around. Supposedly predates even Japanese Kido." Harry replied. "Most magic has evolved over the centuries to be faster, more efficient and to be easier to cast. Progress is not stagnant when it comes to spell development."

Harry Potter was beginning to question if perhaps accepting Professor Flitwick's offer was his wisest move. The reason for his doubts: He was currently dodging the combined fire of said Professor, Tonks, Hermione, Susan, Neville, Tracey and Su Li. Sure they were just paintball spells, but for every ten that hit he had to do a single circuit of the school halls. His only luck is that this came after the pint-sized sadist made the group perform a lap around the Black Lake at a full run and an hour of calisthenics. Harry himself was practically fresh as a daisy, but the others were tired and their aim showed it. Well, except for Flitwick, the man seemed to be energized by the run around the lake.

"Tell me again why am I the only one doing dodge practice?" Harry asked as he sidestepped another red ball that came from Tonks' wand.

"Because my boy, you have far superior physical stamina and speed than the others." Filius smiled as he released a pair of paintballs. He'd guessed correctly and Harry had literally dodged into the path of one while avoiding the other. "So while the others are training their speed and stamina up to the levels I deem appropriate they will work on their aim whilst you work on evasion. Something you most certainly need to work on, Mr. Potter. Given the bursts of speed you display I should not be able to hit you as often as I am."

"Plus, it's cathartic." Hermione said after she shot off a trio of paintballs managing to hit Harry for the first time, mostly because Neville, Tracey, and Susan had fired at the same time creating a wall of paint as it were. "You completed your lap of the Black Lake in four minutes. Four minutes, Harry and that lake has roughly an eleven mile circumference!"

"So I'm being punished for having weird powers?" Harry asked as he tried to evade the spray of pellets from Tonks and Su Li only to earn a few more splotches of paint.

"Nah, we just like you humble." Tonks chuckled. "Plus we're getting paid a sickle a hit."

"What!? They're being paid?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter. I needed a method of motivating them." Filius smiled as he scored another hit. "Now you have another thirty minutes of dodging practice before we're done for the night."

"Bugger!"

"Language!" Hermione, Su and Susan chided at once even as Neville, Tonks and Tracey snickered.

"So are you all packed?" Nymphadora was bouncing on her heels as she greeted Harry at breakfast. It was the beginning of the Christmas Hols and the Hogwarts Express was leaving Hogsmeade at nine. That left only ninety minutes given the carriage took a half hour to make it to the station. "Da's been looking forward to this since he got my owl back. He's probably baked dozens of different kinds of cookies to impress you."

"Yeah, I'm packed." Harry replied with a slight smile. He'd never really been allowed to participate in any Holiday as anything other than a servant. It would be nice to see what other families did. "You're sure this is okay. I'm not an imposition?"

"Harry, my mother practically demanded I bring you home after she heard." Tonks chuckled. "And we have invited the others for Boxing Day. So you don't need to worry."

"Sorry, it's habit." Harry mumbled before starting on his eggs. "So, how hard was it to get Professor McGonagall to agree to let me go?"

"Oh, we just had to invite her over to Christmas Dinner." Tonks chuckled softly. "Mum was one of her favorite students aside from your folks."

"Oh, well too bad we can't invite Hagrid." Harry mused for a moment. "Though, I don't suppose he fits in normal size places very well. So, is there a chance I could bribe you to take me to Diagon Alley so I can do some Christmas shopping. I mean I could owl order some gifts, but they are all books and I was hoping to give some personal gifts."

"Yeah, we can do that tomorrow, no problem. You might also need new school robes. I think you've already hit the limit for what the resizing charms can handle." Tonks observed before she started making a sausage and egg sandwich. "I need combat boots if I am going to continue training with Professor Flitwick."

"Ah, Mr. Potter, saying farewell to new friends?" Albus Dumbledore was certainly dressed for the holidays, if you considered Jade and Crimson with Neon Yellow trim to be Christmas colors. The man's robes almost hurt to gaze at. "Fear not there will be plenty to do around the Castle."

Harry almost responded but saw Tonks give a shake of her head and he held his tongue. It was better to ask forgiveness than beg permission in some cases. Harry was wondering perhaps if he did ask the Headmaster, that he would not only be refused permission to leave but the leave McGonagall had given him would be rescinded. "I am fairly sure I will expire of boredom, Headmaster. If I do not get a chance to speak with you I wish you a Happy Christmas"

"Happy Christmas back to you Mr. Potter and you as well Miss Tonks." Albus smiled in that disturbing grandfatherly way before heading off to his office.

"Smooth, Harry." Tonks grinned as she turned back to her breakfast. "If I didn't know better I would think you are staying."

"While I love the Castle, it just wouldn't be the same empty." Harry shrugged. "Now are you going to be sitting with us Firsties on the express?"

"Actually as Prefect I have to Patrol." Nymphadora rolled her eyes. "However I have a friend who is dying to meet you and she'll be taking my place. Provide your Best Friend or your little Harem doesn't run them off."

"Harem?" Harry's wide eyed expression spoke of mild panic. He had been avoiding older girls just so he wouldn't end up as a Boy Toy.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed how some of the girls look at you." Tonks chuckled at her young friend's confusion. "Some of the guys too, but it's pretty obvious you do seek for the home team. Aww, cheer up. It could be worse. You could be like my cousin Draco and only have one girl after you."

"Pfft! He doesn't even have that. Pansy fawns all over him so that nobody tries to court her." Harry chuckled. "Pretty sure he knows it too."