Ron, with his long legs, caught up with Harry easily. Hermione, though, started to regret all the hours spent in the library. She was huffing behind the two boys, feeling a sting in her sides.

"Could you be so kind and wait up for me?" she yelled to the boys, way up ahead.

Ron smirked to himself but slowed down a bit. Harry didn't look back but stopped all together. They were near Greenhouse Three.

"You remember the Mandrakes?" he asked the other two.

Hermione still wheezed and could only nod. Ron on the other hand laughed, shaking his head.

"Well, how could we forget? Honestly, I think it would be easier to forget ... come to think of it, we went through a lot of adventures together. Remember the troll? Hermione?" he asked, grinning cheekily at the glaring witch. Hermione agreed with Ron. They hadn't had much quite time but she would be damned if she told him he was right.

Harry chuckled softly, feeling how his heart was lightened considerably. He knew he could always rely on his two best friends. Turning around, he went to the Greenhouse. Of course it was locked but he pressed his nose flat against the glass panes and looked inside. The neat rows of plants in lash green or the fiery glimmer of colour winked at him through the fog encircling them. Suddenly he could understand Professor Sprout, It must be nice to be in there amidst this sea of beauty, talking to the plants and never having to watch the words coming out his mouth. Hagrid must feel the same way with his animals.

Ron and Hermione watched Harry anxiously. They had tried to find him all day but he had avoided them successfully. Now they shared a worried look behind his back. Hermione nodded towards Harry and made little shooing motions with her hands, clearly wanting Ron to talk to Harry. Ron shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. If Harry wanted to talk he would come to them.

Harry turned back in time to see Hermione roll her eyes at Ron. He smiled. His two best friends couldn't stop bickering if their lives depended on it. Again Hermione made shooing gestures towards Harry and now he understood.

"Hermione, I'm ok", he said, watching with satisfaction the way both Hermione and Ron jumped in surprise. Grinning evilly, he walked over to them again and sat down on the grass. Ron let himself fall beside his friend, stretching out lazily. Hermione sat down graciously with her legs tucked beneath her.

"You're sure?" she asked quietly. "It certainly comes as a shock, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded, sighing heavily in the process. He felt guilty for what he had thrown at McGonagall and Dumbledore. Sure, he kind of understood, now that he was thinking more calmly again, that he had been safe at the Dursleys because of the blood protection. A small part in him, though, was not yet ready to forgive his Professors betrayal.

A soft hooting sound from above made him look up. Hedwig was soaring towards him. She landed on his shoulder lightly, without scratching him, and stretched out a leg. Tied to it was a letter which he untied with one hand while simultaneously stroking Hedwig's feathered back with the other.

"Thanks, Hedwig. You're a good owl", he said affectionately.

Then he opened the letter and his heart stopped beating for a second. The letter was no letter. It was an old photograph, showing his parents. Lily and James Potter were both laughing happily into the camera. James was clutching his little son to his chest and smiling lovingly at his wife. Behind them were Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore. They, too, were smiling as if they hadn't a care in the world.

Ron sat up, noticing the vacant expression on Harry's face, and Hermione was scooting over to peer at the photo.

"Oh my God, they all look so young", she whispered.

"Yes, quite", said a voice behind them.

They all whirled around, coming face to face with Pomona Sprout. She smiled at her students and sat down beside them.

"I took that photo. It's my favourite", she said, reaching over and plucking it out of Harry's hands. Harry was sorry to let it go, as it was prove of his parents' existence. Professor Sprout smiled as she realized the pained expression on Harry's face.

"I'll give you a copy of it later. But first I think I have to apologize for my reaction when the goblet spat out your name ..."

"I swear I didn't put my name in! I don't want eternal glory!" said Harry, trying to convince her.

"I know. James certainly would be proud of you but Lily would be worried sick for you." Professor Sprout smiled, envisioning her former student's reaction to the news of their son's adventures. Then she grew more serious again and said: "Try to understand Minerva. She would have adopted Lily on the spot but Lily was a grown woman and married when her parents died and she never thought it important to make it official, feeling like Minerva's daughter for a long time by then. And Minerva would have gladly died to spare Lily for that fate or you but, alas, she wasn't there when You-Know-Who came. It broke her heart to leave you at the Dursleys door, having to trust Petunia to take you in and not sent you to an orphanage. Her marriage with Albus nearly broke apart from the strain."

Pomona watched Harry closely while she spoke and saw the surprise in his face. She smiled, knowing and recognizing the slow dawning that his teachers were humans too with feelings and a history of their own. 'I have to find out why students never see us as humans but some sort of aliens', she thought wryly.

"But why couldn't I live with McG ... my godmother and her husband? They are really strong ... I mean Dumbledore's the only one Voldemort ever feared", said Harry and didn't even notice Professor Sprout's convulsive jerking.

After calming herself again, Professor Sprout tried to answer Harry truthfully.

"Because death-eaters were still at large and freely walking around. They were cornered and knew that You-Know-Who had died. Terrified people are known to commit horrible deeds before they are finally brought down. It took us, the Wizarding Community, a full year to catch most of them and try them. Some convinced the Ministry that they never had been real followers of the Dark Lord. Some escaped to other countries. And some died fighting or killed themselves instead of facing imprisonment. Those were still dark times. The death-eaters searched for You-Know-Who and stopped at nothing to get information. Now think, what would have happened had you still been in the Wizarding World. You were safer at your aunt's."

Harry sat there quietly, trying to grasp and understand this information. Perhaps McGonagall had acted for his good but he resented the Dursleys and knowing he could have escaped them and lived with his godmother at Hogwarts ... it was almost too much. Hermione scooted over and leaned her forehead against his shoulder, comforting him silently. And Ron was Ron.

"Still Dumbledore could have kicked their butts!"

Harry chuckled and felt the vibration of Hermione's chuckled against his shoulder and through his whole arm.

"I think I better go and check on McG ... my godmother ... this is so weird."

Harry pushed Hermione softly away and got up.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Think nothing of it. Minerva is one of my best friends. Tell her she owes me", said Professor Sprout, winking at Harry.