"So what really happened to your broom"? Hermione asked as she dabbed a cut on forearm. Harry had not notice his light bleeding when he had blocked Johnson. It was much more artistic than actually damaging. He hissed as she once again touched his arm with a wet clothes. "Oh be quiet, if you had not done something so stupid, such as blocking Angelina like an idiot".

Draco smirked as Harry scowled at Hermione's words and painful fruition. "I'd also like to hear what happened to your broom." Draco said, clearly unsettled with agreeing with Hermione. "Seeing as a regular broom, maybe such as a Cleansweep 7, has very effective and not easily undone, Anti-Tamper wards. Nothing short of extremely dark magic could do anything to a brand new Nimbus 2000. So that leaves a couple questions". Blaise and Theodore nodded in agreement with Draco.

Harry's jaw clenched as Hermione tightly wrapped a clean cloth around his arm. "Thanks Hermione, that should be good until I get to the Hospital wing." Harry said gingerly poking at his arm. "Well, you'd have a much better idea of how my broom went all screwy Draco."

Draco nodded. "I'll write to my father about it. At the very least I'm sure he'll be pleased to know that Slytherin won our very first game of the season." Draco said rather smugly, sparing a glance at Hermione.

"Well, I can figure when I'm not wanted. I'll be in the Library" she said as she hurried off down the hall. A few meters away from the group she stopped and turned back. She rushed into Harry nearly taking him off his feet. "I'm glad your ok" she said holding back tears. With that she ran off towards her Sanctuary.

Everyone else stared at Harry. Harry knew their minds raced with questions. "Don't look at me, I just saved her life is all" Harry said with a stupid smile.

Harry walked the halls of Hogwarts alone. After Quidditch match the Slytherin team celebrated by what Flint described as getting loud and spilling drinks. Harry just wanted be alone. He snuck out of the common room as Flint was trying to unsuccessfully to hit on Severon. The last thing Harry heard was the resonating sound of a slap.

Even with winning his first ever Quidditch match Harry still was not in a happy mood. Someone in Hogwarts was trying to kill him. He was eleven. The more he walked, the more he thought, the more he thought, the angrier he got. He didn't care where he went as long as he was alone. He knew from what he read and what Hermione told him from what she had read. He was very unsafe in the circles that followed the Dark Lord.

He dug even further into the subject and found that Lucius Malfoy was an inner circle member of the Dark Lord. He had been a Death Eater. Harry knew better than to bring this up with Draco. He would wait until he saw Mr. Malfoy again. But he would have to be very smart about it.

In his thoughtless wondering, Harry found himself at the Library. Thinking of no place better or worse, he went inside. Wandering through the stacks with no real purpose he started thinking of what would happen if a certain someone tried to kill him again. Without a certain goal, Harry headed towards the 'Protection' section of the Library. Grabbing a few books with no particular care as to what they were Harry then searched for a secluded section of the Library. Finding a rather pleasant rounded corner with many windows, Harry sat down and laid the books out in front of himself.

To his surprise most seem to be by the same author. "Dark or Evil", "Defensive Theory in a practical setting", and "Shield to Sword, a guide to successfully turning protection magic into offensive magic". They were all written by the same author. None of Harry's books were written by this guy, so Harry started to what else had Derek Adom written and why had Harry not heard of him.

.

Harry was half way through the first chapter of "Dark or Evil", when he decided to check it out. The book started to outline the key differences between Dark magic and Evil magic. Harry was surprised to find so many opinions by many ministry officials saying that Dark magic is not evil. He found it hard to put the book down, but knowing he'd have more time, Harry started on the other books.

"Defensive Theory in a practical setting" had little to do with magic and more to do with defending oneself with anything but magic. Harry had many experiences with being attacked physically, be it Dudley and his gang, Petunia and quick rasp to the head with her large wooden cooking spoon, or an angry Vernon coming home from a bad day at work. That was the worst. Harry had tried to block out the time Vernon failed to fix Dudley's week old mountain bike.

Harry's hand light trailed over the spots were the bike chain had scared him. But that was the past. He had considered being the better person about but with all that he had learned about the Magical World, he already was the better person.

Harry had read though a little of the each of the books when he decided to take them back with him to the dorm. As it got dark out the window that had previously granted him light, now did nothing but grant him a glimpse of the shimmering stars. He collected his things and made his way to leave the library, getting up from his candle-lit table.

As he walked further towards the center of the library, Harry thought he heard snickering. He stopped. He had heard snickering, now accompanied by whispering. Harry headed towards the general direction it came from. It was not particularly easy, as snickers and whispers weren't meant to be loud.

Harry turned another corner to find the Weasley twins. They were hiding behind a shelf watching as some Hufflepuff girl worked on an essay. He was just wondering what they had planned. Against his better judgment, Harry decided to confront them. He gradually snuck up behind them and watched them laugh themselves silly at the Hufflepuff. "So. What's going on?" Harry asked in a whisper. The term freaked out would most likely have done the best.

When both the twins caught their breath, after trying to hold in screams and rants while not being suspicious in a library, they both just stared at Harry like he was growing another head. Not that Harry would have been completely surprised by this. "What in Merlin's furry left one was the point of that?" they said, in flawless synchronous.

Harry raised an eyebrow and cocked his head slightly. "I asked what was going on." Harry replied simply. He leaned over to get a look at the Hufflepuff. She had not noticed them. "You know, you are going to get caught." Harry said, in a tone that reminded him of Hermione.

The twins reared their heads and looked at each other. "And why-" "-might that be-" "-young Mr Potter?" they asked intermittently. "We've thought of so much-" "-our magical signatures-" "-wiped clean-" "-our usual tactics-" "-out the window-" "-and-" "-we even added a bit of confusion to the trick itself!" they spoke in perfect 'ins' and 'outs'. Now the twins crossed their arms in perfect confidence, to the point of complacency.

Harry nodded in what he would let them believe was praise. "Yes, but, knowing as much as I know about your reputation, you'll laugh and try and make a decision on whether or not to stay and take credit." Harry said reaching for two copies of "The Phoenix, Separating Myth from Magic" and handing one to each of the twins. "What you need to properly bask in the amusement, is a credibly alibi". Harry took a seat at a nearby desk that still had a proper view of the girl. He pulled out the two chairs on both his left and right.

Hesitantly both of the twins slowly took a seat on either side. Harry motioned to the books he had given them. They opened them and leaned to look into the books. "Now you see, when it happens, your not just standing around at the most opportune moment" Harry explained. He was going to continue when a loud flash of light burst from behind a book that the Hufflepuff girl had just taken down.

Harry and the twins rushed across the library as quickly as they could without drawing attention to themselves. After a few paces down another isle they broke down in laughter. "I can see why you guys do it now. That was a riot." Harry said making sure no staff members were within earshot.

The twins grinned ear to ear. "Maybe next time, you can join us in the planning Potter." Fred said checking his watch. "But we must be off, wouldn't you agree George?" He nodded at his watch.

Rather than check his own identical watch, George took hold of Fred's wrist to check his watch. "Too right. People to be, Places to see and all that. See you later Potter."

Harry shook his head with a smile and returned to the Slytherin common room.

The very next day Harry had received an invitation from Hagrid to join him for tea and to celebrate his first Quidditch victory. So after lunch Harry extended the obligatory polite invite to his friends to join him, expecting the equally obligatory polite declines but was surprised when Blaise took him up on the offer.

Harry voiced his surprise on the walk towards Hagrid's hut. "Well, it's rather simple I think." Blaise said zipping up his jumper as they left the castle walls. "I had nothing better to do on this Sunday, and getting in good with a staff member is something most of the older Slytherins say is a must for us."

Harry simply nodded. It was less to do with the gathering or even the company, it had all to do with the implications. Harry didn't feel like arguing or discussing the matter, he just took his fortune at face value and enjoyed Blaise's company. Hopefully Blaise and Hagrid could enjoy each other's company, to some regard.

Harry decided to make a quick detour to the green houses to pick up Balthazar. Blaise was obviously off put by Harry's ever growing Orobo-Raven. Harry just shrugged and let Balthazar drape himself on Harry's neck, getting closer for warmth in the Fall cold.

Before long Harry was knocking on Hagrid's door. There was the almost automatic barking and the thud of large feet following it. "Down Fang, yah bloody menace. Down!" Hagrid shouted from behind the door.

The door open and there stood a very happy Hagrid. "Harry, great to see you, with a friend no less, well come on in. I've got a nice fire going and I'll put on some tea." Hagrid said ushering them in.

The next hour was filled with Harry regalling Hagrid with his accounting of the Quidditch match from his own point of view. Blaise was more than polite. He knew when to chime in to avoid being awkward and silent. He knew to engage Hagrid occasionally. And to Harry's shock, he seemed to genuinely enjoy petting Fang and scratching him behind his ears.

"Trust me, after what I've seen inside Hogwarts, jumping off my Broom was nothing." Harry said as he adjusted his jumper around Balthazar, who seemed afraid of Fang. "I mean who thinks its a good idea to keep a giant three-headed dog in a school?"

"How do you know about Fluffy?" Hagrid asked in a befuddled tone.

"Fluffy?" Harry returned the question

"Yeah. He's mine, bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year, I lent him to

Dumbledore to guard the..." Hagrid cut himself short and pursed his lips.

"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.

"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."

"Top secret? In a school full of children. With a potentially lethal animal behind two doors, one was undone by a pair of 3rd years" Harry argued with a very unamused expression.

"What? Third years?" Hagrid asked sounding off put. "Oh, please Harry, don't tell me it was them Weasley Twins. I've chased them away from the Forest in the three years they've been here more than I've had to chase anyone else in the ten years before they got here."

Hagrid slumped in his chair. "But having Fluffy behind a door that those two can get to isn't something I want to think about." Hagrid said trying to regain his composure. "Now, listen to me Harry, and Harry's friend, jus to be meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel"

"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid looked furious with himself. "I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that."

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid December, Hogwarts awoke to find Itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were laughing about bewitching several rainbow snowballs so that they followed Quirrel around, bouncing off the back of his turban. Harry had suggested the multicolor and a time-delay spell, so they wouldn't get caught, to which the twins were ecstatic about.

The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the common rooms and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms.

Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons. Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lion-fish, laughed lightly to himself. Even in the cold, it was still his favored class.

Draco had been even more relaxed about antagonizing everyone since the Quidditch match. Reveling that the Slytherins had been victorious, he didn't try as hard to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next. In good humor of course. They were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick. He knew Ron Weasley would not dare mock him about his skills anymore. No one would.

"I do feel so sorry," said Draco , one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they don't have a proper home to return to." He was looking over at Ron Weasley as he spoke.

While it was true that Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas, he knew that Ron Weasley was still to afraid of Harry's reaction to his home life to try and insult him with it.

Rebecca Severon had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up at once. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he'd ever had. He had convince Hermione to stay with Him and Blaise. They would continue to work on school projects and more importantly Snake in the grass, as Ron and his brothers were staying.

When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.

"Hi, Hagrid, want any help." Ron Weasley asked, sticking his head through the branches. "Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron." Hagrid said as he readjusted his footing and continued down the corridor.

"Would you mind moving out of the way." came Draco's cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley. Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose, that hut of Hagrid's must seem like".

"That's enough Draco" Harry said calmly with a smile. He had gotten quite used to Draco's antics and knew better than to indulge him in them. "Besides its not like Weasley could afford to dream that big. Hagrid is at least four times the man Weasley would need to be to do the job. I mean look at the size of the tree. Hagrid handles it like nothing, could you imagine Weasley trying that?" Harry almost didn't need to fake the laugh. He did picture Ronald trying to get a tree that size into the Great Hall.

Draco grinned. "Your right, I was mistaken to think that he knew better. But then again who am I to care" Draco said with a slight laugh.

Harry wanted this to be another confrontation. All he need to do would be to push a little further. "To think that he actually comes from a pure blood family, what is this world coming to" Harry chided with a raised chin, only to further the look of arrogance on Ron.

Ron dived at Harry just as Snape came up the stairs.

"WEASLEY!" Ron let go of the front of Harry's robes.

Hagrid seemed conflicted in the matter, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree."Fighting is against Hogwarts rules, ," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, and be grateful it isn't more" Snape sneered as he turned.

Harry's smiled turned into a sinister grin as an idea came upon him. "Professor, perhaps five points is a bit harsh" Harry said stepping forward. "I took no injury, this time, I don't see the issue as anymore than simple roughhousing" Harry now tilted his slightly a smiled.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Your point, Potter?" he asked impatiently.

"Perhaps a simple, apology, would suffice" Harry said with a sudden lightened inflection in his tone. Behind him Draco watched in delight as Harry further infuriated Weasley with such little effort.

Snape, though he would never admit it, was very surprised and proud of young mister Potter, for being so level headed when another was to come to blows with him. Also his little alternative, would be quite distasteful for the Weasley boy. "Indeed perhaps you are right" Snape said as he turned his attention back to Weasley. "Well, an apology, or, perhaps ten points"

Weasley stuttered, but finally found proper words. "Ten? You said five" he said barely holding himself back from shouting. Snape cocked his head a little, obviously not liking being challenged.

"And now I'm saying ten, or an apology to Mr. Potter" Snape said leaning into Weasley.

Harry watched in delight as Ron Weasley seem to turn several different shades of red. "Fine, ten points it is" he said with a scowl. He quickly turned and made his way down the hall.

Snape said nothing else as he continued on his way.

"Yeh really don't need to antagonize him like that Harry." Hagrid said with disapproval in his voice. "Best to keep you out o' trouble, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat." So Harry, Blaise and a begrudging Draco followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.

"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree - put it in the far corner, would you." The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

"How many days you got left until yer holidays." Hagrid asked.

"Just one," said Blaise. "And that reminds me -Harry, Draco, we've got half an hour before lunch, we'd best be off to the library."

"Of course, the library, we should be there" Draco said in a defeated drawl of a tone.

"The library." said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays. Bit keen, aren't yeh." He brushed a large amount of pine needles off his coat.

"Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Its a little, extra project that we've all been working on." Harry grinned a solemn grin.

"What for?" Hagrid asked. "I didn't think dat firs years had extra work"

"We don't, but we've taken this upon ourselves" Draco said without any tone, or arrogance he usually when addressing Hagrid

"We're just inquiring mind. And this is something we enjoy working on," said Blaise.

Hagrid laughed lightly to himself. "To think that a lot of first years working on a their own project" Hagrid said with a beaming smile. "You lot are gonna do great things, reckon my words, great things, I bet one of you lot takes top of yer year"

They had indeed been searching books for Snake in the grass ever since Harry met up with the twins. Now that Harry was on speaking terms with them, they had a in. Now they need only to exploit it. Knowing the the twins were greatly more clever and cunning than Ron, they would have to have better tactics to deal with them.

Hagrid had dropped them many hints along the line. Ever since he had dropped the name Nicolas Flammel, Harry had asked Hermione to find what she can on him. Eventually it wasn't even Hermione that explained things to Harry, but Theodore.

"Here he is." Theodore said handing Harry a Chocolate Frog card. It wasn't a Nicolas Flammel card, but it was all they had.

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for

his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of

dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor

Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

With that Hermione was able to determine that Fluffy was guarding the Philosopher's Stone. Harry started piecing things together. Hagrid's detour to Vault 713, for a secret package for Dumbledore. The breakin the day after, to Vault 713.

But Harry was divided in his attentions. They began looking into the power of the Philosophers stone and who would want it. Because how else were they going to find out why the stone was being protected by Fluffy and Dumbledore. The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, even knowing who Flamel was, it was of little help. He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time; he was missing, too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. And then, of course, so was the stone missing from any mention. Then there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.

Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles that Blaise and her had decided to search while Draco and Theodore strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves that might have any reference to the stone.

Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section. He had been wondering for a while if there was some spell or hex of some sorts that would help in his machinations, wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and he knew he'd never get one. Not without a lot of time and effort. Time and Effort that could be spent on actually working on their plan or class work rather than a hope of some sort of something.

These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"What are you looking for, boy." Madam Pince the librarian brandished a feather duster at him.

"Nothing," said Harry instantly regretting his words

"You'd better get out, then. Go on - out!" Wishing he'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Harry left the library. Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. Theodore wasn't so keen on giving up, he thought it would be best to be blunt and just ask her.

Harry waited outside in the corridor to see if the others had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks.

Five minutes later, Draco, Blaise, Theodore and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads about even if they wouldn't work.

Theodore also started teaching Harry wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. They started off with just a regular set that didn't move. Then once Harry had the essentials he mail ordered his own custom set to match the others. Draco's medieval soldiers in different types of black armor.

Blaise had a set made up of the Greek gods. Theodore set was old and experienced. Harry was very surprised to find that each piece was model after the greatest warriors of muggle history.

Harry had found that it had once belonged to his great-grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Theodore knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted. After asking why he had a set made of muggles, Theodore explained the his great-grandfather made them to be an example of the muggles instinctual need to kill each other. They went off to lunch.

"I'll look into Flamel at the Malfoy family library." Draco said readjusting his scarf . "And send me an owl if you find anything."

Harry forced himself to smile as he fussed over his own scarf. As much as he was glad for the Holidays, he was upset that he wouldn't be able to enjoy it with Draco. "Of course" Theodore said as he patted a book in hand "and you'll do the same?"

Draco smiled and nodded. He turned his attention to Hermione with a certain apprehension. His mouth opened to say something, then closed, opened again, closed again. Finally he managed to get some words out.

"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," Draco said not looking directly at her.

"Seeing as they're both dentists, I don't understand how that would accomplish anything" said Hermione snappishly. Harry smiled and shook his head. Although he understood her attitude towards Draco, he was still half way between amused and annoyed by her constant attitude.

Oddly enough Draco didn't seem offended. He smiled and hung his head slightly. "OK, never mind.

"Blaise, make sure they don't do anything stupid" Draco said pulling an air of elegance. Blaise smiled and nodded.

Draco turned to Harry. He seemed to have lost his words. "Harry walk me to the train" Draco said picking up his bag. Harry followed, he was confused. Draco wasn't so sentimental to need to say his goodbyes in private.

"Harry, you surprise me" Draco said looking ahead. "When we met, I had every image of you as a rich, pompous, Gryffindor". They took a few more steps until they reached a bench. Draco put his bag down. "I heard stories from Father that the Potters fought against the Dark Lord, and Gindlewald and generation before that. But you, you seem to be a perfect Slytherin".

Harry while slightly at a loss for words, wasn't sure what Draco was getting at. "But before any of that, you seem to not care about who I am" Draco said as he took a seat. "You didn't care that I was Draco Malfoy, of the Malfoy family, and so on. You, Harry Bleeding Potter, you thought I was funny, you like the fact that I grew up with my parents who were magic as well. You though that was the most amazing thing ever".

Harry remembered how naive he was, how much everything intrigued him. He was quickly taught otherwise. This was his world, his birthright was magic. "I've known my entire life that being a Malfoy comes with privileges and responsibilities." Draco said fiddling with his wand. "After meeting you that day in Diagon Alley, I had a sort of realization. You were exactly what my father had been droning on about."

Draco stood up and did an imitation of his father. "Now Draco, as a Malfoy you'll have to determine those who will support you, those who will oppose you, and most importantly, those who will stand next to you." Draco sat back down. "I've been surround by those supports. Crabbe and Goyle. Blaise and Theodore are great, but they'll have their own responsibilities and their own family agendas."

Harry just sat and listened. So long as no one approached them he knew that Draco would continue to be honest with him. "But you Harry, you won't have anyone telling you what to do or who you should be one day." Draco said as he returned to fiddling with his wand. "I know that you'd much rather have your own parents to tell you all that, but when the time comes and my father expects something of me, you'll see that everything comes with a silver lining, and it's not always a good thing."

"You'll be free to be what ever you want. You won't be shoehorned into be a Potter, and having to live up to what that means." Draco went on, clearly this was mostly just him thinking out loud about his relationship with Harry and what being scions of Old Blood meant to him. "What I'm getting at is, we're kids, but we're also going to be very important adults one day. When that day comes, when being Malfoy and being Potter are more important, can we still just be Draco and Harry to each other?"

Harry was throw completely for a loop. He had just sat there and listen to Draco drivel on about Family, Responsibilities, and such. He finally came out with a big question like that, Harry felt like he should have been at a loss for words but wasn't.

"Of course."

Once the holidays had started, Blaise and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork. Bread, English muffins, marshmallows, and even a Chocolate Frog once, just to see what would happen.

Harry was quite pleased On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all.

When he woke early in the morning, however, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed.

"Merry Christmas," said Blaise as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe.

"You, too," said Harry. "Will you look at this. I've got some presents!"

"What a shame, it is clear that you did not expect any." said Blaise, turning to his own pile, which was a slight bigger than Harry's.

Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Harry, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it - it sounded a bit like an owl.

"I find that a music is a magic that cannot be examined, something that cannot be explained, only enjoyed and shared, Allen Aven-Grad said that before his final concert" Blaise said scanning the almost empty common room.

Harry just stared at him. "Where do you learn these things?"

A second, very small parcel contained a note. We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.

"That's friendly," said Harry. He held up the piece and considered throwing it away. Blaise was fascinated by the fifty pence.

"Amazing!" he said, 'There is no visible difference from one of our knuts"

"You can keep it," said Harry, he want nothing from them. "Hagrid and the muggles- so who sent these?"

There were a few more parcel at the end of Harry's bed. "Well, I would guess at least one or two are from Draco and his family, one of them is from me and my family, and I would imagine the same could be said about Theodore and Pansy" Blaise said as put on a new silver chain necklace.

Harry practically dove into his present. After finding one from Draco he tore away the paper in record time. Inside was a complete broom care set.

Inside the case was everything Harry knew about Broom care and then some. It was even better than what the Slytherin Quidditch team had been using. There was polish, clippers, shine, cleaners, a little guide, four different kinds of brushes, and things Harry had no idea what they did.

After unwrapping another from Draco and his parents, Harry found a small crystalline statue of an Orobo-Raven. It was an amazing gift. The detail astounded Harry. He held it in his hand up to the light and watch it shine.

His next present was from Hermione. It seemed to be to items wrapped together. He opened the first one, and to his complete expectations it was a book. What surprised Harry was the subject. "Understanding girls and what makes them tick". Hermione had gotten him a book on girls and dating! Only after reading the note did Harry truly appreciate the gift.

'Wasn't sure how much you knew about girls so I got you this for further part of Snake in the grass'. The next box from Hermione contained candy - a large box of Chocolate Frogs.

This only left one parcel. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it.

Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. gasped.

"Harry, if that's what I think it is" Blaise said in a hushed voice, his grip crushing the box of Every Flavor Beans he'd gotten from Hermione." They're extremely rare, and really valuable."

"What is it?" Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.

"That is an invisibility cloak," said Blaise, a look of sheer awe on his face. "Put it on just to be sure Harry". Harry threw the Cloak over his shoulders and looked to Blaise.

"By the Styx, it is! Look down!" Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in midair, his body completely invisible. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.

"There's a note." said Blaise suddenly. "A note fell out of it." Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words: Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.

A Very Merry Christmas to you.

There was no signature. Harry stared at the note. Blaise was admiring the cloak.

He felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to his father?

Before he could say or think anything else, there was a loud bang followed by even louder cussing. From down the hall Marcus Flint walked in. Harry stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. He didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet.

"Good Morning Flint" Harry said in a happy voice. He glad to see Flint had decided to stay over the holidays.

Flint looked up and glared at Harry. "What the hell's gotten you in such a good mood"? Flint asked holding his foot, which he had clearly stubbed on his way to the common room.

Harry smiled a little. "It's Christmas, why shouldn't I be happy" he said, motioning to the decorated common all around them.

Flint just grimaced and glared a little as he looked around the room. Instantly the mood of the common room seemed to change. As Flint looked around at each individual item of décor, all they seemed to do was further infuriate him.

Just as he seemed to be finished glaring at everything, Rebecca Severon walked in.

"Morning" she said in a short but polite tone. "Flint" she said in a lightened tone, "ok" she said it as more of a question. He looked at her, face softened lightly, and he scanned the room again. It was obvious that there was some unspoken conversation going on between the two of them.

"Glad you're here, Reby" Flint said in a weird tone, Harry didn't quite like it. Rebecca blushed at Flint's nickname for her. "I'll need someone to clean up". He pulled his wand out of his pocket. Rebecca eyes were wide when she caught sight of his wand.

"Potter! Zabini! Take your things and get out, now"! Rebecca said, sterner than she had been the night of the Troll. Without a word Harry and Blaise started to gather all their gifts and belonging and rushed towards their dorm. Before they left thou, Harry caught sight of Marcus Flint erupting into anger and rage as he torched the common room. It was only the strained and controlled effort of Rebecca did the flames stay in the Common Room.

Harry and Blaise didn't speak about what had happened on Christmas morning. Not to each other, or anyone else. When they ventured back to the common room everything was as it was before they had rushed out. The only noticeable change was now the entire room smelt of burnt wood.

On his way to the Christmas feast Harry found Rebecca Severon sitting alone on a staircase leading from the dudgeons. She was looking out a window with a very sad, gloomy stare. Slowly and very shyly Harry walked over to her. "Hey Severon" Harry said softly, pulling her out of her vacant stare of the window.

She looked over to Harry, eyes a little wide, then scowled and looked down. "Potter" she said as she fought to find her words. "Look, it's not my place to tell you what happened there. Marcus is in a really bad place right now." She wiped a tear from her eye and continued. "He'll most likely be fine once class starts again but until then, try your best to stay away from him"

She got up, brushed the hem of her skirt, and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Like I said, not my place to tell you" Severon said with a serious tone. "But that doesn't mean you have to go find out". She placed her other hand on his shoulder and stared him in the face.

"Pot-, Harry, I'm asking you not to go poking your head into this. Marcus isn't in the proper state of mind right now. No matter how close you two are, he might not be able to think straight".

Harry nodded.