Chapter Six: Shocks to the System

"Forty points from Gryffindor for tardiness." Snape droned out; Draco looked like he had been slapped, again. Harry put a hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention, and shook his head, motioning to a very large back table. Draco hung his head but followed, shuffling after him.

"Today, against my own better judgment and vocal opinion," Snape intoned with a long suffering sigh, "the Headmaster has deemed it prudent for you all to learn how to brew the De-Aging potion—"

THIRTY MINUTES LATER

"—It must bear repeating, DO NOT BOIL THE POTION!" he waved his wand and the instructions appeared on the board. The class copied them down and began to work.

FORTY MINUTES LATER
*KABOOOOOM!* *KURPLUSH!*

*KABOOOOOM! **KURPLUSH!*
*KABOOOOOM! **KURPLUSH!*

Three cauldrons erupted simultaneously, differing in timing by mere seconds. None of the three cauldrons belonged to Neville. It was actually Hermione's, Gwen's, and Julie's that went off. Which meant completed De-Aging potions spewed up and out of them.

Most people had managed to duck and cover.

"Is anyone injured?" Snape demanded.

"Uh, Professor…" Hermione raised a hand timidly, "I think Harry and Draco were splashed…"
Indeed, there in Ground Zero of the spill, lay two piles of robes and two young boys were caught up in them.

Gwen approached her charges, helping Harry from his robes as Kevin helped Draco. The boy's glasses didn't fit him either and so all he saw was a red and white blur that began talking softly to him, "Harry, Harry; do you know who I am?"

"No."

She laughed, muttering a few words and then putting a pair of glasses on his face; his vision cleared and his little heart stopped, "Mum?"
She smiled sadly, "No Harry, I'm not your mom; I know we look a lot alike but I'm not her…I'm Gwen Tennyson and I—" she paused, thinking, before smiling, "Vernon Dursley beat you and so this time you were taken from them. You're at a school called Hogwarts, a school for very special people…you're very special yourself Harry…"

"No I'm not," he said firmly, "You've got the wrong kid…"

"Oh I know we've the right kid, Harry; this's a school for people who can do magic."

"Magic isn't real Ma'am," he told her politely and yet firmly.

"Oh it's very real," she grinned, opening her hand and conjuring a Hershey bar in front of his very eyes, "and you can do it, so could your parents—"

"Then—?"

"Later Harry," she saw the question in his eyes, "Not here okay?"

He nodded, "And you know me how?"

"Well, after you were taken from the Dursleys you were given over to me and Kevin," she motioned to the dark teen who was talking with Draco, "so we could take care of you…"

"And why don't I have any clothes on?"

"Magic accident," she explained away, picking up his robes. She pocketed his wand, seeing Kevin do that same with Draco's, and bundled him up in the black cloth. "We'll get you some new clothes but we have to go talk to the Headmaster first." She scooped him up, settling him safely in her arms, "By the way, how old are you? The Dursleys wouldn't tell us…"

"Six Ma'am…Dudley isn't here right? He can't do magic right?"

"Nope, he's with his mom and dad; they only took you away." She saw Kevin pick up Draco in much the same way as she had Harry and turned to Ben, "Can you grab our stuff?"

The brunette nodded, "Sure. Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore."

"That's a funny name," Harry stated as they started on their way, "is he a funny person?"

"No, he's a teacher; a very powerful wizard."

"Is he mean?"

"Not at all, he's very nice and very gentle and he cares about you very much."

"Oh," Harry's nose scrunched up and he snuggled closer to her as he saw the paintings moving, "Do you have a disa-dis-a-bill-lit-tee?"

"No, why?"

"You sound weird."

"Oh, my friends and I come from America…"

"Are we in A-mer-ra-ka?"

"No, Harry," she chuckled at his inquisitive nature, "we're in Scotland, only Kevin, Ben, Julie, and I come from America."

"Then why are you here? Aren't there magic schools in A-mer-ra-ka?"

"I'm sure there are but we came here to take care of you."

"Oh, do we live here then?"

"Most of the time we do, but during the holidays and the summer we take you home to America with us."

"Why are you letting me talk so much?"

"You're asking questions and I wanna give you the answers."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"The Dursleys don't like it when I talk; they say I should be cleaning instead."

"Well you're allowed to talk here and we won't make you clean anything aside from your own messes, but we need you to stay quiet when we're in classes deal?"

"Deal." Harry nodded, before frowning, and asking, "The boy Kevin's carrying? Why is he here? Can he do magic too?"

"Yeah he can Harry, his parents just died so he's really scared because people don't like him because of what his parents did…"

"Were they bad?"

"Yeah, but he isn't."

"Oh okay."

"Here we are." They had come to the gargoyles that guarded the Headmaster's office entrance, "Pixie Stix."

The entrance opened and they stepped into the rising spiral staircase, stepping off when it came to a stop.
"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione knocked on the wooden door.

"Come in Miss Granger, come in," a voice called and they did as told.

"Professor," Gwen spoke calmly, "there's been an accident in Potions; Harry and Draco have…" here she trailed off, gesturing to the children.

"I see," he replied before smiling and asking softly, "Harry, how old are you?"

"Six Sir." Harry replied obediently, curling further back into Gwen's hold.

"I see," Dumbledore turned to Draco, "and how old are you Draco?"

Draco, shy and scared, turned and hid his face in Kevin's robes, holding out a little hand.

Dumbledore chuckled, nodding, "Very well then, I assume you need to do some shopping…wait a minute," he fished out a leave of grounds pass and signed it with a flourish, handing it to Julie, "there's Floo Powder on the mantle…"

"Thank you Sir." They chorused before trooping off to the fireplace.

"Hold on tight Harry," Gwen warned as she grabbed a handful of the glittery green powder.

Throwing the powder into the fire, the flames turning emerald, she stepped in, much to Harry's fright, and shouted, "The Three Broomsticks!" before they were whirled away with a roar.

Madam Rosmerta was waiting for them, helping them from the fireplace. Julie appeared next, doing much better this time than the last, and Ben came after her. He was holding a bawling, shivering Draco.

"Where's—?"

"Made a detour to Gringotts…" Ben replied automatically as he tried to soothe the distraught child he held.

Instinctively Gwen gave Harry to Julie and took Draco from Ben. Apparently the little boy had become quite attached to Kevin and so she would probably be the only one to be able to calm him at this point. She shrugged off her robes and cuddled him close. He calmed slowly, sensing that he was okay with her.

Madam Rosmerta treated them to lunch as they waited.

As soon as Kevin came through the hearth Draco was handed back to him and Harry was passed back to Gwen. And then they were released upon Hogsmeade.