Seven Years of Unexpected

by penspencils546

When Rose Weasley marched into his train compartment with a confused Albus, shook his hand, and promptly informed him they were going to be best friends, Scorpius Malfoy realized he had very little choice in the matter. There begins seven years of questioning, astonishing, and transforming the foundations and expectations of the magical world.

15. Chapter 16 (Previously an AN)

Disclaimer: I am not Jk Rowling. Obviously.

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"Evening Harry!" Hannah called out warmly, raising her voice to be heard above the raucous laughter filling the brightly lit pub. "Ron, Hermione!" She was currently weaving her way through the spaces between the few empty tables with a deft grace that only being the Landlady of the Leaky Cauldron for more than a decade could bring to a woman. She rubbed them vigorously with a wet cloth as the broom she had charmed followed behind her, occasionally smacking against a couple particularly drunk customers as it swept dust into a pan trailing after it.

"Evening Hannah!" Harry ran a hand through his hair, letting it stick up comically from the back. "Is Neville back from school yet?" Hannah tossed her long golden hair back as she wiped some sweat off her brow with the back of her hand and laughed.

"No not yet! But I have no doubt he's being held up by some fight or prank or some other outrageous show of bravado from some Weasley or Potter spawn that he now has to discipline."

"Neither do I, unfortunately." An old weariness flooded his face as he began unbuttoning his muggle coat. "But to be honest, I'd rather pretend my children, nephews and nieces are all resting in bed right now, having been nothing but good, quiet little angels. I could do with a little less disciplining and excitement in my life right now."

"Rough day?" She smiled sympathetically as she wiped her hands against her apron. She leaned over and lightly pushed a slumping, half conscious man back into the seat he was about to slip out of.

"Not as bad as it could've been." Harry admitted.

"Speak for yourself." Ron grumbled, shoving his way past his friend and throwing his gloves on the nearest table. He began to angrily to undo the scarf around his neck, only serving to tangle it further. "Only two months back in the Auror corps and I'm starting to remember all the reasons I left it in the first place." His rough tone caught the attention of some surrounding onlookers. Hermione slid into the seat beside him, leaning over and untying his scarf carefully, but still flashing him a sharp look as she did so.

"Careful Ron." Hermione's voice dropped into a disapproving whisper. "You're the reinstated deputy. If you walk around bad-mouthing the institution, no one else's going to have any faith left in it." Ron cast her a dark look before muttering under his breath.

Harry sighed, dropping into the seat across from them, running his hands through his hair again before leaving it to rest upon his cheek. He slumped forward, closing his eyes for a few short moments. Sleep would be able to easily overtake him if he let it, but like usual he grudgingly let his responsibility drag him back up into consciousness.

"No Ginny?" Hannah remarked when she returned with her notepad and pen.

"No, she's been up late for the past week finishing an article for the Prophet." The thought depressed Harry; he could have used his wife's sassy remarks and reassuring touches beneath the table on a day like this. It didn't help that his second in command was currently making a list of all the reasons his department was a screwed up gong show.

"And then I tell the git that I don't care what the paperwork says, that I just need him to unarrest the guy and the prat keeps mumbling about protocol and and all the other fu-

"Ron!"

"What? It's after nine in a pub for Merlin's sake, it's not like there are going to be any children here drinking!"

"Ron." She hissed, "Being in a position of responsibility means maintaining a calm façade and an attitude in which – "

"Well I didn't say it to his face. Does reinstated deputy mean I'm not allowed to think it if I meet someone whose face I can't tell apart from his arse, because if that's the case, I think I finally found a reason to get out of dinner with Percy – "

"Uh… I'll get three brandies… and a couple firewhiskey shots." Hannah interjected feebly before hurrying off to another table. Ron and Hermione paid her no heed.

"People are looking to you for your leadership, and they can tell if you feel frustrated or irritated, and that doesn't –

"Drop it Hermione." Harry sighed, "Ron's doing perfectly fine as deputy. He's managing everything." Ron glared at him.

"Oh, so I suppose wanting to bang my head against the wall at the end of every day is your definition of fine?" Harry looked affronted.

"I was siding with you!" He threw his hands in the air. Ron sneered.

"Funny, 'cause you seemed to forget how to do that when that stupid Williams kid started mouthing off at me in the middle of – "

"Yeah, 'cause he was a stupid kid, and I wasn't about to waste our valuable time arguing with him about something equally stupid! All he wanted was to feel he was doing something valuable, so I gave him a small task – "

"He's too dumb to do anything right! We can't give him paperwork without him messing it up, much less a mission!"

"You didn't have to tell him that." Harry snorted.

"I didn't! I was fair! I told him to do what he'd been assigned, and that once he finished that we'd review his capabilities! But then you opposed me in front of everyone, and they all thought it was epically hilarious that Harry Potter couldn't trust his deputy to make the most basic of decisions – "

"It wasn't about you Ron, and everyone knew it!" Harry sounded exasperated. "I just gave him an honorary position doing practically nothing so he'd shut up and we could finally move on to more important -

"Well that's stupid." Ron said stubbornly. "He was walking around afterward thinking he was gonna be the next Head of the department – "

"Then let him! At least he was out of hair while we made some real, important decisions!"

"Made decisions." Ron snorted. "Sure. Why not? If you can count arguing over the most pathetic, trivial things as making decisions."

"You know what Ron?" Harry snapped, "You and your non-existent poker face and lack of tact–" Ron interrupted him with a bark of laughter. They were starting to draw more attention from the tables around them, including the drunks who were struggling to stay awake. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and sighed as the spectacle continued to unfold.

"Yeah, and your obsession with listening to even the biggest idiots – "

Hermione pressed her fingers to her temples. "Stop!" Harry and Ron froze. "Just stop both of you!" Her voice was laced with stinging anger. "We have too much to deal with without fighting with each other." Both of them sullenly stared at the table until Hannah returned, placing the large glasses gingerly upon the table.

"If you need anything else," She smiled a little tentatively, "Give me a shout."

They sipped silently for some time, until Ron, after spending several minutes restraining himself, couldn't hold it in anymore more.

"Merlin's pants, it makes no sense! People are actually paying attention to what these lunatics are saying!" He dug into his pocket and pulled out the pamphlets, throwing them on the table with disgust.

The brightly colored propaganda titles were a mix between ones that sounded as if they had been written by Rita Skeeter and a history textbook. They included "Top Ten Reasons Why the Ministry is Becoming Anti – Wizard", "The Dark Marks of Harry Potter – Secrets From the Heart of the Weasley Takeover", "Potter and the Weasels – The Muggle Lovers Who Sold Away Their People" and the simple but effective "Heroes and Leaders, or Tyrants and Traitors?"

"The Weasley Takeover." Ron shook his head, "It sounds like a joke Malfoy would've made in Hogwarts about gingers reproducing. This is all absolutely barmy! They couldn't even come up with a second H word to match the Heroes part!"

"Yes Ron." Harry's voice had become stiff and irritated. "I'm the one that read it to you."

"And you know who's listening to them? They've got all these children running after them, spitting out words about 'wizard dominance' and 'losing their world to the muggles. Children! How is that even possible? I mean old Slytherins I get, but it's not just them is it?"

"It's murder to regulate." Harry's voice dropped so they wouldn't overheard by the other tables, "There is no coherent movement. We have some people writing pamphlets, some people making speeches, but most of the attacks on muggles and muggle borns are a bunch of lone wolves, going around committing hate crimes. How are we supposed to prevent what's barely been planned in advance? There's no coordinated effort!"

"They have a sign." Ron pointed out. "Which they leave on the wrists of their victims."

"But it isn't like the death eaters, where only specific chosen ones had the sign. Anyone can do anything, and use the new symbols circulating around. It makes the movement look more organized than it is."

"I still don't understand how all these children are involved!" Ron erupted.

"Ron… they're feeling nostalgic." Hermione spoke up calmly, up until know having been deep in thought.

"Nostalgic?" Harry blinked, "For what? They weren't even born yet when the last war was happening."

"Nostalgic for the ideas." Hermione said as if it explained everything.

"Care to explain what the hell that means?" Ron grumbled.

"The truth is…" Hermione lifted her head and gazed out the window, "The public is worried. They feel that… they're not getting the full story."

"What does that even mean?"

"You're the head of the Auror department. Ron is now second in command, and has obviously had a heavy influence on the department over the years. I'm the Head of Magical Law, and Kingsley, who has always been strongly affiliated with us – "

"The best Minister of Magic we've seen in decades." Harry interjected heatedly.

"Yes Harry," Hermione stressed, "But the point is they feel the power is unbalanced… most of the power lies in the hands of a specific group of people."

"We earned it!" Ron narrowed his eyes, "It's been us that've been slaving away on our asses for decades to protect them."

"Yes, and for the longest time they didn't care, but now with all these revived movements and attacks… the easiest way for everyone to deal with their fear and discomfort is to blame the authorities. The point of those pamphlets was to create divide. Now everyone's thinking something different – some think that we aren't being strong enough, or maybe that none of this would be happening if we hadn't been so obsessed with muggle equality, and that we really have been hiding any information that didn't line up with our goals. They're starting to distrust us. And over generations, the pain of the past, that was the result of what we once promised would 'never happen again' is… being forgotten."

"Forgotten?" Harry gave a cold, humorless laugh, "Tell that to Amos Diggery and his wife. Or Dennis Creevy, or – "

"I never I said I'd forgotten!" Hermione snapped. "But the younger generation entering the workforce has absolutely no idea what it's like to lose someone like that. They have no idea what war means. For some, this whole idea of taking back their world and being told that they're too powerful to be sidelined like this – it's appealing. As long as humanity exists, it's going to find a way to create hierarchies. And for the people who haven't seen the bloodshed first hand is going to find blood purity a convenient way to put themselves on the top. Death eaters were not all purebloods – they don't have to be. And it's not like it's uncommon among young people to feel this sort of desire." Hermione glanced to the side before leaning closer and dropping her voice even lower amid the noise. "You know even Dumbledore believed in all this too, when he was the same age."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, before closing it with pursed lips. Hermione continued urgently. "And the older generation? They're terrified Harry. Terrified. They never want to go through that again, and so when they see us trying to calm everything down, they get irritated. They want to see action, and while they don't believe in hating muggles, they're beginning to want the people in control who'll do big things that make them feel safe. The idea that we're…"

"We're spending all our stupid time searching and hunting and gathering evidence to make sure we aren't throwing the wrong people in jail – " Ron growled.

"As long as I am Head of the Auror Department," Harry began, "I will never sacrifice what is right for what looks right! We won't start going around throwing innocent in Azkaban to satisfy fears."

"There's also that…" Hermione began, but stopped suddenly.

"What?" Harry demanded.

"We never did tell anyone about that last year." Hermione mentioned in a tiny voice. "When we left school to…" She trailed off.

"Well of course not!" Harry glared at her fiercely, "You can't honestly think we should've?"

"No Harry, of course not, but the thing is – "

"If we had told them everything, we would've had ten miniature Voldemort's with ten horucruxes running around by now!"

"Yes but – "

"We could never – "

"Don't go off on her!" Ron snarled. Hermione placed her hand on his arm.

"People have always been speculating. You know how cynical people are – they think that maybe we were going around learning dark magic, or worse. That we used similar power strategies as Voldemort did, because only things as equally horrid would be enough to defeat him. Of course, a large amount of people do believe in us, but the point is that the propaganda has gotten people thinking in new directions. It's created divide."

"Well," Harry grumbled, "We could just throw everyone with one of those pamphlets in jail."

"Harry!" Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation. "We can't do that!"

"Why not?" Ron snapped, examining his drink sullenly. "Make some arrests. Cut some of their tongues off – just for luck."

"If we start arresting people for listening to things, we're only making them martyrs! How can we be trusted to protect the people if we're infringing upon they're rights of association and speech! It makes us the enemy!" Ron stared at her incredulously.

"Enemy! Free speech! Well they're screaming all over the place about killing people – what are we supposed to do, wait until they actually do it? For fuck's sake, they already have!"

"Ron!" Hermione, "I am the Head of the Department of Magical Law – "

"Oh are you?" Ron threw his hands up in mock defeat, "I'm sorry, I totally forgot, especially after – "

" – And it is my responsibility to ensure the rights of the public aren't being sacrificed, regardless of the situation!"

"Merlin, I wasn't serious! Do you honestly think I'm that stupid! I mean, god, I was just – "

"Would you both just shut up!" He turned so sharply towards his bushy haired best friend that she flinched. "Hermione. We all know it's a problem, but we don't need you going off on every tiny dumb thing we say in anger!" Her eyebrows crinkled and she opened her mouth angrily, but Harry had already turned away.

"And Ron, as much as I love when my second in command explains to me all the ways the department I run is complete and utter mess as if I don't already know, if It doesn't involve any way to fix things, it's not helping!" Ron watched his best friend in stony silence. Harry continued despite it. "We'll reassess our plans on where to target the raids and which group of people we need for questioning in the office tomorrow. Let's just forget about it for now." Harry sank back in his chair. Hermione gazed at him, tight lipped.

"I'm going to step outside for moment. For fresh air." She nodded sharply.

"I'll come too!" Ron tripped over his feet getting out of his chair.

Harry groaned when they left and buried his face in his hands. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Ron and Hermione pissed with him, but he was just as pissed with them.

"Bad time?" Harry turned in his seat to meet the eyes of his godson, who was standing to the side with bright turquoise hair and a suppressed smirk. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he rocked on his feet awkwardly despite himself. Harry struggled to force a humorless laugh from his lips.

"We've faced worse. It's just something about all of this which is bringing our morale down. Take a seat Teddy." Harry pushed his cup of brandy away as Teddy did what he was told. "Now please tell me you're here to bore with details of your fiancée and future wedding, and not because I'm needed back at the office." Teddy smiled sheepishly.

"A little bit of both. I'll start by saying we caught the brother of Jacob Slynt, the man who used the – "

" – Imperius curse on an middle aged muggle so she would take out a knife in the middle of the muggle department store. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and that man is currently in Azkaban." Harry finished for him. "I remember every case that comes through the office Teddy. Please tell me the brother of this man has been placed in conformable conditions, and isn't being treated like a criminal?"

"He's been placed in the detention area of the office. But Jeremy and some of the others were all for giving a little bit of a… preliminary questioning to scare him a little." Harry fought the urge to growl. "I put a stop to it though, and apparated here to see you."

"Ron, Azalea and I will be there for questioning at 6 tomorrow. And send a patronus saying if anyone touches a hair on his head until we get there, they'll be out of a job – no questions asked. We can't just lose our heads just because we're scared. This man hasn't done anything that we know of, and we can't punish him simply for association."

"Innocent men don't run."

"Maybe, but scared men do, regardless if they deserve the punishment they think they'll get. And there's a very, very good chance he wasn't just running from us. What we need out of this man is information over any possible group efforts arising. We want to give him a reason to trust us, and ensure his protection against any of the outside threats his brother may have been tied to, even though Jacob Slynt was very likely another lone wolf."

"A little bit of a dimwitted one too." Teddy couldn't help but chirp.

"Thankfully."

"There's some other things too I've been meaning to tell you. There's been some talk among the younger Aurors."

"There usually is. Ron and I used to spend hours complaining about our Heads when we first started. It's always about how much better we'd run the place if we were in charge." Harry smiled dryly, "Can't say I necessarily feel the same way now that I have to own up to my words."

"Harry, you're a spectacular Head. And it's usually not around me, 'cause they know you're practically my dad." Both Harry and Teddy smiled softly at that. "But I've just caught whispers of you not being… tough enough. That you're going easier on the criminals, and your deputies too. They keep saying that someone like Rory Cahill would be a much better fit as leader of the department at a time like this. Some also think that… you went a little too far in the muggle protection laws you, Ron and Hermione have been drafting with Kingsley for the last couple months."

Harry shrugged. "We're having a department meeting on Friday, and I'll have to just once again explain the importance of firm action over violent crackdowns. We can't infringe upon people's rights and start throwing people in without evidence of conspiracy. And even that has to be collected legally."

"Some people in the wizarding world are calling for death sentences for the murderers."

"The murderers are the ones with connections to the larger neo – Death eater movements."

"Look, Harry, most of them are just a bunch of kids who only a have few years on their back in the office, just like me. They complain about being sent off on goose hunts to the middle of no where, but only 'cause they were expecting something a little more glorious when they joined."

"Yeah, but it's not just them." Harry groaned. "Ron's frustrated over the lack of result of all the raids, even if we do have three trails towards possible headquarters of the organization."

"We've had 8 deliberately planned attacks on muggles and muggle-borns in the last two and a half months. That's not including the spontaneous fights that broke out twice in Diagon Alley." Teddy looked shocked despite the fact that the statistic had been repeated to him many times. "That's insane – double than what we'dve had after 8 months just over a year ago. And then those stupid propaganda pamphlets…"

"Believe me I know." Harry sighed, "I wanted to put an end to this when I took the post of Head auror. After the second wizarding war, I actually thought that… people would be tired of all this hatred."

"People have short memories." Teddy admitted, "And long ones, when it comes to disgraced purebloods. By the way, most of the rookies are pissed with Ron being back."

"That's not entirely fair – the entire department was cheering when they heard that Ron accepted the position as my second deputee after Morris retired a couple months ago. The entire wizarding London seemed a little more hopeful too."

"Well, that was before they knew what a pain in the arse he was to work with." Teddy shrugged.

"Don't get me started about that." Harry rubbed his forehead "For a guy he loves spending time gorging on chocolate and chess in his spare time, he's a doer. He likes getting things done, and all the political bureaucracy and paperwork and planning drives him insane. He keeps telling me to send him on missions and raids, but I need him in the offices to make the real decisions. He's a great leader, even if he doesn't think so – he can rally support and get people to believe in things. He's so honest and forthright that he's won so many supporters… but just as many enemies. He just…"

"Doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut?"

"Yeah." Harry sighed. "But my two deputies, both Azalea and Ron, balance each other out. Azalea will likely be my successor, and she handles a lot of the internal work that bores Ron. They work really well together in dividing the work and responsibility, and I really prefer having Ron with me as my right hand man with Azalea taking control in our absence. And honestly, most of his opponents are witless lackeys with bruised egos, but it doesn't help with the unity in my office that I'm depending on. Politics is a big deal here and Ron just – "

"Doesn't want to play it." Teddy sighed. "Can't say I blame him. Only the beginning of my third year and my head is about to explode with all the underhanded deception and power plays." Harry smiled apologetically.

"Sorry for burdening you with this." He admitted. "I'm just so used to depending on you that I forget how young you are. Not fair at all, I know."

"Well," Teddy stared out at a mother and her teenage son arguing as they crossed the street. "Years of love and acceptance make up for it. I can't ever repay you for that anyway." Harry grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"You've never had to Teddy. And you never will. You belong in the Potter household as much as my other other three children. You're my son in everything name, and that's only because I don't feel right taking the title of 'dad' that – "

"Belonged to my father." There was an odd tinge to Teddy's voice. "I know. It broke my heart as a kid not to call you and Ginny 'mum and dad', but I understand now. I really do."

"Teddy, you mean everything to us." Emotion broke Harry's voice, "I wish we could erase the emptiness that losing – "

"Look Harry, don't worry about it." Teddy effectively cut off the train of the conversation. "Just let me cast the patronus to the office so they don't kill anyone until you get there tomorrow, and then I can bore you with details of my wedding." Noticing Harry's hesitation to change the subject, Teddy reached forward and squeezed his god father's arm. "I'm just really not in the mood of talking about more depressing things today. The early morning raid on McCarthy's house left me really tired, and I just want to think about how hopelessly in love I am."

Harry took a trip to bathroom as Teddy cast the patronus, cleaning up some vomit left by a drunk with the flick of his wand instead of bothering Hannah with it. She usually kept the place squeaky clean, and even small incidents like vomit left her irritated. Or as irritated as Hannah Longbottem could be. Harry caught sight of Ron and Hermione in the gardens outside, deep in conversation. When Harry returned Teddy was twisting his wedding band around his finger, a soft smile subconsciously sliding over his lips.

"We want a winter wedding." Teddy launched the minute Harry sat down.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Really? Because I remember you and Vic were talking about a spring wedding last time she was over for dinner."

"We changed our mind." Teddy nodded, "Everyone has weddings in spring and summer, with the birds chirping and the grass green and the warm sun. But we want… we want to find warmth in the cold, and create our dream wedding in the beautiful depths of reality." Teddy spread his arms out with a dramatic flair, "We want to get married with the world shining and gleaming around us, and with snowflakes glittering in our hair." Teddy sighed with contentment.

"That's very poetic Teddy." Harry smiled warmly, "I know Ginny will love hearing it. And she'll probably be irritated with me for not being as romantic as my godson."

"If that happens, just remind her of the time Ron gave Hermione half a chocolate frog for valentine's day."

"Ron is actually very romantic when he wants to be. Years of epic failure has transformed him into the King of Valentine's day. This summer he took her on a boat ride at night, and when they got back he gave her 3 finished reports on house elf laws that saved her hours of work." Teddy snorted.

"That's your son's future right there. Pigheadedness will lead his interests towards a girl too smart for him, and then he'll eventually fail his way to her heart."

"Teddy." Harry began with amusement, "I remember the last time you were married." Teddy stared at his godfather.

"Well that's good… care to refresh my memory? It seems to have slipped my mind."

"Well…You were six and Vic was four. You got married at the Burrow over Christmas, and you forced uncle Charlie to be the priest. You said that even if Vic stole your chocolate frogs, you'd still always love her. And she said that she'd always love you, no matter how many of her toys you broke with your clumsiness."

"It's really hard to love her when she eats my chocolate frogs, but we manage." Teddy looked out the window. "But… I'm still nervous."

"I was nervous when marrying Ginny too, even though we had been dating for a long time. We were so young – barely two years after the war." Harry ran his hands through his hair. "But the healing that came from confiding in and relying on each other was essential for us. For me. To move on for the past, we had to start a new future."

Teddy continued to twist his wedding band. "I love her Harry. I love her so so much… that it…"

"It scares you." Harry finished. Teddy flashed him a sheepish smile.

"It terrifies me. And it shouldn't – this is the girl who's been my best friend for most of my life! We climbed trees together and spent weekends swimming and drinking hot chocolate afterwards at Shell cottage! We went on secret adventures through the Forbidden forest and nana's closet – " Teddy froze. Harry watched with amusement as he took a sip of brandy.

"Teddy, if you still think she didn't know about that, then I may have to reconsider your spot in the Auror office." Teddy looked down.

"The Auror office…that's… that's part of the reason why I'm… so scared." Harry's eyes lit up with realization.

"Oh…" Harry looked out the window, examining the leave swirling upon the pavement from the patterns of the wind.

"I…" Teddy squeezed his eyes shut, "I promised her. I promised her that I will always be there for her. Always." He shifted on the spot. "But on the raid last week, when Jack was put in the hospital for a week… I realized that… I can't. I can't make that promise. Cause being an Auror…" Teddy attempted to form the words as he wrung his hands. "The woman was dead Harry. She was… she was only a muggle." Teddy wouldn't meet his godfather's eyes. "And we still haven't caught the person who committed it and… there's a horrid person out there, and a hundred like him in the world, just waiting to hurt more people for absolutely no reason. Victoire's so driven… so determined. She's a Ravenclaw to the bone… but she's… she's brave and powerful and… she's truly a queen. She's independent but… I want to give her everything. But as much as I want to protect the world for her… what good is wanting to if I can't even protect myself?"

Harry hated the sense of hopelessness that had become familiar over the years beginning to fill his godson. People like him became Aurors because they felt they had a duty to protect the world – to protect the people they loved. But so often, it served as a bitter reminder of how impossible that was. And with the responsibility came the guilt of every failure, the pain of every loss, and the fear of the the reality of your vulnerability.

"Teddy… I wish I could say it becomes easier." He finally admitted.

"But it doesn't." Teddy's fair faded into a slightly pale color without him realizing.

"When you decide to be an auror, you're taking on the responsibility of the world… and the difficulties. But Teddy… getting married is starting your life with someone. It's a way of telling the one you love that they will never walk alone. You'll never let Victoire walk alone, but she won't let you walk alone either. I bet if she knew you were thinking you feel obligated to protect her, she'd cast a bat bogey hex at you just to prove she doesn't need it." Teddy grinned.

"She would." He remarked fondly, "She's a Weasley woman to the bone."

"What I'm saying is that you're partners now. You have to rely on each other, and you'll need to accept that sometimes it means one of you will need each other more than the other. And vice versa. But admitting your fears and limitations to each other will only make you both, and your relationship stronger." Teddy nodded.

"I know… I'll start talking about it… being an Auror and all the stuff that comes with that. I don't regret it though." This time Teddy met Harry's eyes with stiff determination. "I don't regret it for a moment. Being an Auror."

"That's the worst part." Harry laughed softly, "You never regret it – no matter how much you want to."

Ron and Hermione returned from the garden outside, walking hand in hand and seeming altogether more relaxed.

"Back now?" Harry asked, "Ready to apologize for being a prat?"

"Not really." Ron shrugged. "You?"

"I'll pass." Harry took another calm sip of his brandy. Then they grinned at each other and Hermione shook her head fondly.

"We never change, do we?" She laughed.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Ron frowned. "Or if it's really broken, don't even try fixing it, 'cause you'll just muck it up even more."

"Take a seat." Harry said, but Ron shook his head.

"We'll go ahead," Ron pulled "I'm taking my wife home. She needs a night off from being the most brilliant witch and the best damn Head of Magical Law the wizarding world has ever seen." He flashed her a goofy grin that she blushed and attempted to roll her eyes to.

"We'll talk more tomorrow." Hermione became serious again when she looked at Harry. "We're all meeting Kingsley and the board on Thursday at 6 to present the draft revisions for the laws, and so I'll send you the reports on how similar laws have changed the public outlook in countries that've already implemented them, like Norway and Sweden, so you can start formatting all of our presentation speeches." Ron gazed at her with admiration.

"Be jealous." Ron smirked, "My wife is changing the world with reports on Norway."

When they apparated home to probably do things Harry didn't want to imagine his best friends doing, Teddy raised his glass. "To love."

"To love." Harry whispered.

Sometimes that made it so much harder, but it's also what made it all worthwhile.

---

It was dark and chilly when Harry finally left the pub, having spent another hour discussing the wedding and explaining to Teddy what to expect in his future married life. Still feeling uneasy with this combination of weariness and unspent energy simmering inside of him, he decided to take a small walk around Diagon alley in a last ditch effort to relieve himself of his thoughts.

"Wait!" An urgent, high – pitched voice called out. When Harry turned, he saw a little girl about six years old in a bright pink coat racing forward towards him. Behind her he noticed an older woman, probably her mother, sprinting after her.

"Julia!" The mother grabbed the girl's shoulder when they reached Harry, flushing red with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry Mr. Potter, we really didn't mean to bother you. She just made you something after I read her a book about you, and I told her we'd mail it, but she just saw your hair – "

"Oh no, it's no bother! My children were the exact same way – I could never keep them still when they wanted to see something or someone. Still can't actually." Harry bent down one knee and extended his hand towards the girl. "Hello. My name is Harry. What's yours?"

"Julia." The curly brunette licked her lips and backed a way in a sudden flash of shyness. She reached out gingerly and shook his hand. Harry's luminous green eyes twinkled.

"That's a beautiful name. I love your jacket. Where did you get it?"

"Ma – dam Mally."

"It's what she calls Madam Malkin's." Her mother leapt in to explain.

"Mally," Harry chuckled, 'I'll remember that."

"I…" The girl seemed to be struggling to find her voice now that she had actually met the man she had only dreamed of meeting. "I made…" Wordlessly, she pulled out a piece of paper from her jacket pocket.

It was a heart shaped piece of cream paper, colored with a rainbow of different colors. It said, To My Most Favorite Hero of All Time! Thank you for saving the world – I want to be just like you when I grow up! Below it was a hand drawn picture of little baby in a crib, with bright green eyes and a lightning scar.

"This is so beautiful Julia." Harry's heart swelled with emotion. "I absolutely love it." He spent another fifteen minutes afterwards asking her questions about drawing, complimenting her, and afterwards promised to bring Ginny to their house for a cup of tea. Before they left, he took a picture with the girl which they both signed. Harry wrote a message on the back that made the girl grab his neck and refuse to let go until Harry promised he would come to their house to play the very next day after work.

As Harry apparated home he began thinking of how it was moments like these that reminded him why it was impossible to regret becoming an Auror. But they made the thought of failing so much more terrifying too.

---

Flashback 2012:

His mother had been lying upon her bed, her legs splaying to the side at awkward angles. Drool dribbled from her mouth that hung open as she snored. His father was away that night on some business no one would tell Scorpius, no matter how much he begged. He walked on his tiptoes through the vast, slightly intimidating room, keeping his gaze trained upon the ground where he wouldn't see anything grand enough to excite his currently fearful imagination. When he stopped on the edge of her bed, he considered creeping back instead of bothering her, but the thought of the darkness of his empty bed destroyed all thoughts of that. He carefully stuck a finger out and gently prodded her. When she didn't stir he poked her again. He began repeatedly jabbing her all over her body – between her eyes, her belly, her nose, her legs, her neck, her mouth.

"Hmm?" Astoria groaned before turning over, her face twisting as she attempted to open her eyes. A rush of guilt flooded Scorpius, and he almost ran back towards his room before his mother murmured, "Scorpius?"

"There's monsters Mummy!" The words spilled from his mouth and any attempts of level headed bravery were forgotten. "They're dark and cold and – "

"Did you seem them?" Astoria asked groggily as she pushed herself up.

"No!" Scorpius's grey eyes swung open. "But I heard them!"

"What did they sound like?" Scorpius opened his mouth angrily, then twisted his jaw to the side to form a confused pout.

"Scary." He finally said with sharp nod. "I had to fight them to get out." He had added, thinking she would be impressed with his bravery (and less irritated that he had woken her up at this late hour). She did sit up straighter when she said that, suddenly alert.

"Oh." She wrinkled her eyebrows. "You fought with them?" Scorpius nodded eagerly.

"I punched them and kicked them and bit them when they grabbed on to me!" Scorpius mimed the actions as he described them. Astoria bit her lip.

"Love, did you try talking to them?" Astoria's voice was as light and gentle as her touch, but Scorpius was dumbfounded.

"They were scary!"

"So no?" Scorpius continued to stare at his mother before shaking his head slowly. "But – " Astoria silenced him with another touch on the arm.

"How about I go and talk with them? To see what they want." Scorpius grabbed her arm and clenched it so tightly she felt a stab of pain from his nails.

"No! They'll hurt you!" Astoria laughed.

"Hurt me?" She picked up her wand that was lying upon her bedside table. "When I have my wand? They wouldn't dare!" She leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially. "They'd be too scared." Despite that, Scorpius paced around the room with bated breath when his mother left to 'talk with the monsters'. He let out a breath of relief when she returned unscathed, before running and wrapping his arms around her, burying his face against her hip. Astoria leaned down and took her son's face in her hands.

"What did they say?"

"They said they were sorry they scared you. But the thing is, they were scared too."

"Scared?" Scorpius leaned away, "Of what?"

"Of you." Scorpius's jaw dropped.

"Huh?" He wrenched out of his mother's grasp. "Wha – why? How?"

"The way you looked scared them." Astoria had a knowing twinkle in her eye despite her straight face.

"Me? They're the ones with big teeth and lots of hair and black eyes – " Scorpius had forgotten that he had said before that he hadn't seen them.

"But," Astoria interjected, "You had no hair and tiny teeth and grey eyes."

"That's not scary." Scorpius crossed his arms.

"It is if they've never seen it before. Just like they're only scary because you've never seen them before."

Scorpius didn't seem to understand.

"You think they're monsters because they look different, but they think you are a monster because you look different."

"And because everyone's so scared of them," Astoria continued, feeling slightly excited, "They have no place to stay. They're very lonely and only want a nice, warm place to rest. Do you think you could let them stay under your bed?"

"They're lonely?" Scorpius whispered softly.

"Yes."

"And scared?" Water seemed to fill Scorpius's wide eyes.

"Yes, they are."

"Because nobody likes them?"

"Everyone's too scared to get to know them."

"Nobody likes them, and they don't know why, and that makes them sad?" Her son's feeble voice sent pangs of pain and anger ringing through her heart.

"Yes love."

Scorpius's tiny face hardened with determination. "They can stay under my bed forever."

After that day, Scorpius fiercely protected and loved the monsters under his bed. He'd talked to them when he felt lonely (which was often), drew pictures for them, and even made his parents buy them gifts on Christmas. Draco became a little worried when Scorpius even started leaving food, water and toys under the bed for them, but Astoria told him to let their son indulge his imagination. She probably knew that the imaginary monsters under his bed were the closest he would get to childhood friends.

And anyway, afterward it seemed fitting to him that the imaginary friend of a Malfoy was what everyone thought to be a monster.

---

Modern Day:

Scorpius had intended to draw his curtains around his bed and lay with his head buried in his pillow for the rest of the evening. There was a possibility that somewhere in between wanting to cry and falling asleep he would lose air and die of suffocation, but he told himself not to be too hopeful.

Instead, he ended up laying on his back and glaring at the ceiling. For a solid two hours. He didn't bother closing his curtains and his feet hung off the edge of the bed. His arms were crossed tightly against his chest and he could feel the tenseness of the muscles in his jaw. Inspirational sayings his mother often told him occasionally flitted through his head, but were shoved to the side in favor of more deliciously outraged thoughts.

First he began by replaying the situation in his head. He began imagining specific faces as the entire event unfolded; he analyzed every sneer that passed over Madgewick's face, the way her eyes narrowed with disgust and widened with outrage at every word that passed from his lips. He imagined Stonebrooke's face, recreating the suspicion and irritation and dislike he was now certain he had seen upon her at the time.

He imagined the faces of the professors; Longbottom and Lindsey and Slughorn – all excited and giddy and eager to watch his face turn red or for all the students to laugh and insult him in the way they longed to…

He started reimagining the faces of the Potter – Weasleys. After two hours he was absolutely certain that James' had been mocking, a smirk had been plastered upon Dominique's, Fred and Roxanne had been harbouring wicked smiles, Sara had been giggling with delight…

Finally came Al's face. Scorpius thought about Al long and hard, anger twisting every single memory with his best friend into an experience where Al's "feigned" happiness thinly veiled an obvious display of superiority and disgust. Finally, Scorpius decided that Al's face when had been full of supressed laughter and angry disbelief and embarrassment to be associated to someone like him. Occasionally, he remembered that Al had stood up for him, but he tossed those memories away too.

And Rose?

What about her? She had forced her way into her life, and every time he tried to push her away she only held unto him and their friendship tighter.

She only wants me 'cause she thinks it's the easiest way to be a rebel.

Disbelief and uncertainty began to retake hold of his consciousness.

They care about you.

Then where are they now? The Malfoy in him remarked snidely.

I sent them away. They wanted to give me space.

Give you space or give them space?

Me.

Really? Are you sure they aren't beginning to regret saying they were your friend, now that they know how embarrassing that is?

No, they'd tell me.

If they were really your friends, they'd be here asking you how you felt. If they really cared.

I told them I wanted to be alone.

No one ever wants to be alone.

Well what did they know about being lonely?

The resentment began to burn so fiercely that it singed the edges of his insides. But he kept feeding it, with anger and frustration and irritated memories and dark thoughts of all the good things he'd been cheated of. He could almost taste the flames, and their scorching heat became addictive to his his tongue.

What did Al know about empty rooms and having conversations with blank walls? What did Rose know about having no freaking idea of what to say to a father who he sometimes couldn't help but resent? What did Al and James – the great sons of Harry heroic Potter, who grew up with people bowing and congratulating them when they just walked into a store – know about getting yelled and spit at when they walked down the street? What did Victoire – Victory, for Merlin's sake – or Dominique or Louis, know about everyone wanting you to fail? What did Roxanne and Fred, both diabolical and more devious than he could ever be, know about never being trusted enough to be anybody's friend? What did they know about wondering every single day what they were?

What was he? Because somewhere in between telling himself everyone was wrong about the person they were convinced he was, he began wondering how he knew that? How did he truly know whether they were wrong?

Why was he even trying so hard to believe they were wrong? To prove them wrong, when it obviously didn't seem to make a difference.

Wouldn't it be so much easier to play the part they had given him?

What did any of those Weasleys – those loud, fearless, outspoken Weasleys – know about biting on their words every night until the bitter taste become so familiar it began to coat all of their thoughts?

What did any of them know about being hated so much you began to hate yourself? Everyone loved them – the world loved them. How could they ever have any trouble loving themselves?

Scorpius was suddenly pulling himself out of bed, buttoning his shirt and fixing his tie and and shoving his feet into shoes. He found himself swinging open the door and stumbling down the stairs and throwing himself out of the Gryffindor common room. There might have been someone who called out to him or someone who looked at him, but he didn't see anything.

He was outside, throwing one foot in front of the other, his anger propelling him forward to no destination in his mind. He marched through the grounds, but no movement was sufficient to rid himself of the fire he saw before him, around him…within him. The setting sun spilled over the sky, blazing across Scorpius's eyes.

Then he heard them.

A group of Hufflepuffs were gathered around outside, laughing together over a single comic book. There was something about the high pitched giggles that grated against Scorpius's ears. They were staring down at their book, and it might have meant nothing, but he felt as if it was directed at him. He could feel their laughter vibrating against his skin, goading him. He clenched his teeth and felt the throb of blood pulsing through his head. A couple looked up and saw him standing there and the laughter died in their throats.

"What?" Scorpius snapped, twisting his lips into a sneer. Most of them immediately looked away, but one particularly stubborn first year met his gaze with a mulish look of superiority.

"What do you want?" He spat. The others became more stiff at their friend's lack of common sense.

"For you to shut up," Scorpius's aggressive tone surprised even himself, "Do you know irritating it is to have to listen to empty-headed Hufflepuffs laughing about something equally stupid?"

"Then go somewhere else." The boy snarled. "No one wants to talk with you anyway, Malfoy!"

Within seconds Scorpius was towering over the boy, extending his hands and roughly yanking the boy up by his shirt, boring into his eyes with sharp determination.

"That's the thing…" Scorpius drawled, "I don't think I want to…"

Mother would hate this. He roughly shoved the thought to the side.

The others scattered, backing away slowly before abandoning all pretence and sprinting back to the castle. Scorpius actually felt irritated by their lack of loyalty, and truly considered calling them back to reprimand them for not standing up for their friend, before his anger took control of the limited decision – making abilities that remained inside of him.

The world around him grew blurry and nonexistent. All that seemed to matter was the growing fear in the boy's eyes that birthed an intoxicating feeling of power. He'd never done this before, never, and he knew it was wrong, horribly wrong, and that even now he began to feel nauseous, but didn't someone else deserve to feel as frustrated and humiliated and –

"Scorpius?" An incredulous voice called out. Scorpius flinched, momentarily slackening his grip upon the boy's shirt. He took it as opportunity to slide out of Scorpius's grasp, stumbling over the rocks when his feet hit the ground. One look at the boy's skinny knees and crazed eyes and regret flooded him so furiously that he couldn't remember how any amount of anger could have driven him to do such a thing.

There you go Malfoy, now you're exactly what they think you are! You feel good? Did you like it you stupid, weak, foolish –

"He just grabbed me!" The boy pointed and yelled with such a high-pitched whine that Scorpius had to resist the urge to box him over the ears. "He was gonna hit me – and hurt me, and – "

"Yeah, jus' like the centaur who was gonna stomp yer face into the dust?" Hagrid almost spat, but his anger wasn't directed at the boy. "Run along now, if you know what's good fer yuh." The boy looked affronted, but another look at Scorpius and the boy needed no more encouragement.

"What d'yeh think yer doing Scorpius?" Hagrid's massive size, usually rendered inconsequential by his loving nature, made him look fierce in his outrage and shock.

"I… I was…" The anger that had poured the rush of adrenaline into his blood was fading from his system so quickly it left him breathless. "I… I'm not sure."

"Follow me." Hagrid was suddenly gruff. Together they walked to Hagrid's cabin, Scorpius trailing after Hagrid's long, stumbling stride. When they reached inside, Hagrid practically tossed his tea pot upon the stove.

"Sit down, will yuh!" Scorpius flinched at the sound of Hagrid's booming voice, creeping towards the edge of the chair in an attempt to make himself more insignificant. Hagrid began yanking things around the kitchen, and throwing them around in an attempt to appear like he was doing something important.

"What were yuh think - ing Scorpius?" Hagrid turned suddenly with the water in the pot in his hand sloshing unto the ground as he did so.

"I wasn't." Scorpius was about to sigh, before he realized he was so tired of sighing and being upset and feeling so utterly useless. Fury rose within him again. "No I was. I was thinking of how sick I was of being hated, and ridiculed and bullied, and I figured I might as well do the things everyone hates me for." Hagrid stared at him before turning away gruffly back to the stove.

"Well it seems to me that you're lettin' them win. Madgewick and those Slytherins and all those other bullies."

"Well what do you know?" Scorpius growled. Hagrid slammed the pot on the table so hard the water soared up and splashed all over the wood.

"What do I know? What do I know? How many half giants do you see sittin' aroun' here everyday Malfoy? You think your daddy's the only one who liked making fun of us?"

Malfoy.

"Hagrid, I – "

"You know what yer real problem is Scorpius? Yuh love sitting around and feelin' sorry fer yerself." Scorpius's jaw dropped.

There were many things Scorpius had been accused of over his lifetime. It included being unable to defend himself or being a little too quiet or a little too withdrawn. It included being dumb and rude and evil. But he had never been accused of this, and when he thought about it, Scorpius never felt weaker.

"Meaning?" Scorpius asked, but the malice in his voice had disappeared.

"Yer not the only one that don't feel like you belong. What d'yeh think all those muggle-borns are feelin' every year they come to this school? What d'yeh think any of us who're half – giant or half – veela or half somethin' or another feel? Yer not the only one with articles being written about you or people thinking yer a nasty piece of work without even knowing you? You think it was easy for Harry an' Dumbledore, being laughed at fer a year just 'cause they told the truth? Or anyone who tells the truth someone doesn't wanna hear?"

Scorpius wanted to argue; he wanted to defend this whining boy Hagrid had created. This person… sounded a lot like him. What had he truly done with his life but sit around and wish he was a different person with a different last name? He supposed that he knew there were people who didn't belong, but he never believed that it was enough to reach the level of ostracism that he had faced. Especially not Harry Potter…

"But yuh know what makes them real special?" Hagrid continued, "They do somethin' with it. You think just anyone's got it in 'em to be a Hermione Granger or a Ron Weasley or a Harry Potter? It ain' all about brains or talent or even destiny. It's about taking the things you love and the things you hate an' doing something special with 'em. Whether it's Hermione fightin' for house elves, even if everyone – like me – said that it was a waste 'o time, she did it an' she made it happen 'cause she knew what it was like to be hated and mistreated for something she didn' do. She didn't sit around and cry 'cause she wanted to make things happen instead – an' look at her! She didn't become the brightest witch of her age overnight – she did it by reading and studying and practsing! And then you got Ron, who instead of sitting around and feeling sorry for himself cause he felt useless being the youngest Weasley boy, he faced all that dragon's dung spinning around in that head about being no good, and stuck with his best friend through all the crazy crap life threw at 'em. Loyalty's the hardest thing in the world, and the scariest, but he managed it. An' Harry…" Hagrid took a couple seconds to regain himself.

"He was the chosen one." Hagrid snorted so loudly Fang woke up with a whine and raised his head from his paws.

"The chosen one – that's a load of bullocks for anyone that knows a flying flobberworm about Harry Potter. Destiny may've come knocking on his door, but he didn't have to go an' answer it. Those three went aroun' practically looking for a world to save when most would've just sat at home and ignored the crazy stuff happening around 'em." Hagrid continued shaking his head, "The chosen one. Honestly."

"I'm…I'm so sorry.' Scorpius blinked rapidly.

"Nah, don't go saying that. Yer a good kid, an' it hurts to see good kids sellin' themselves short." Hagrid reached over and patted his hand. "Yer gonna do a lot Scorpius, especially with Al and Rose with you. We all get upset an' angry an' sometimes hole ourselves up in our rooms. But don't become… that Scorpius. A bully no one likes havin' around – yer not made for it, and at the end o' the day you'll feel better doin' something good rather than sittin' around and wondering why the world's so messed up. An' if you let yerself be a bully, you'll regret it fer the rest of your life."

"What… what do you think I can do?" Hagrid stared.

"Well I don't know Scorpius – that's up to you to figure out. But everyone else who's yer friend's there to help you when you ask fer it, and tell you that you can do the things you can't." Scorpius stared at his hands. They were so soft and white and… unused. The were tiny little cotton balls in comparison to Hagrid's massive, tanned calluses.

"A lot of people laugh at you Hagrid." Scorpius found himself saying, "Saying that you don't know what you're doing, going around and looking for all those monsters."

"Every creature's a monster 'till you know what it wants. Everythin' out there just wants the same kind 'o things. A warm bed to sleep in, some good food in their belly, an' usually at least one or two people to stick aroun' when life gets tough." He became a little gruff. "Everythin' out there wants someone to love 'em, no mater what they are or how they look or where they come from. They just want to be…"

"Accepted." Scorpius finished softly.

"Yeah. That." The chair creaked dangerously as Hagrid shifted, "We all want someone to love us, no matter if we're different or ugly or scary. An' it's the same if you're talkin' about dragons or hippogriffs or a pile 'o flobberworms. We're all one an' the same."

"I'm not a complete oaf yuh know." Hagrid belched loudly after taking another slurp from his cup. "I know how kids like yer dad thought about how I looked after 'em. Even Ron an' Harry an' Hermione – that I didn' know what I was doin'. But if yuh give somethin' enough love an' appreciation, it's not really a monster anymore, it it?"

"No…" Scorpius shook his head, "It's not."

---

It genuinely surprised Rose that they hadn't realized this would be a problem. In her excitement to punish the woman who had brought so much misery upon her best friend, she had failed to realize that to do so, she would have to somehow convince a group of Potter-Weasleys to work together. And it was a well-known fact that Potter-Weasleys didn't agree on anything except that Percy Weasley's cauldron bottom reports were a bore.

"That is so lame." James snorted, eyeing his brother with a disappointment. Al crossed his arms, his lips shaping into a small, unintentional pout.

"It's not lame! It's embarrassing!"

"A farting charm Al? What are you, nine?"

"You did it last year!" James shook his head dismissively.

"Yeah, only Fred and I did it on Valentine's Day, and we did it on all the boys who gave any girls flowers – "

"Just 'cause you're too much of a prat to get a girl, doesn't mean you had to punish everyone else who did." Dominique rolled her eyes, but James was too caught up in the superiority of his pranking success to pay any heed to his older cousin.

" – to use such a simple prank on one person without any larger purpose is simply an indication of lacking the ability to be creative. It's just rough! It's clumsy! Unprofessional!"

"Amateur?" Fred offered while sucking on a liquorice wand.

"Amateur!" James nodded with curt satisfaction. "You never build a reputation for your work if you don't put in your full energy, dedication, an imagination."

"That's so touching James." Roxanne was admiring flawlessly painted nails. "Simply inspiring. One would think you were talking about your job, not your obsession with irritating teachers." James was too lost in the world of shame that his brother had brought on the Potter name to pay heed.

"A fart charm? Merlin's pants, you might as well stick a 'kick me' sign on her back while you're at it."

"Fine. We could set a creature on her?" There was a peevish lilt to Al's voice.

"Cliché." James dismissed the idea with a professional wave of his hand. "It's an old tactic which only works when it is preceding or following a much larger act. We need to do this with a bang."

"You set a niffler on her!"

"Simply an anecdote to break the monotony between our major exploits." James knocked his skinny knees together, His glasses sat crooked upon his face, oddly enhancing the charm of his energetic expression. "We need something bold. Something spectacular. Something unforgettable. We have to make her feel how painful it was to… make Scorpius, and others… a joke and a show… a spectacle for other people's enjoyment." James became momentarily pensive before reassuming the façade of uncontainable energy. "I'm thinking somehow getting her on a hippogriff and taking her on a joyride around the castle. She hates anything to do with flying – imagine the entire school watching her as she screams!"

"Where would you get a Hippogriff?" Al muttered.

"Same place we could get a dragon egg or a giant named Grawp. Hagrid moron."

"Then how on earth would you get her on it?" Al threw his arms up in the air. "Would you just say, 'Please Professor, would you mind stepping on this hippogriff for minute – "

"Same way I got you on the roof in the middle of the night when you were eight." James smirked.

"That was terrifying!"

"I stayed up there with you the whole time!"

"Only to see my reaction when I woke up, and I still have no idea how you pulled that off!"

Roxanne sighed loudly. "The best way to make someone feel humiliated is by placing them in an situation that makes them feel ugly. It sucks all the self – confidence and self – worth right out of them. Force her into something absurdly ridiculous for a week and she'll feel horrid."

"Clothes?" Al's uncertainty resulted in Roxanne snapping her head up in defiance.

"Yes clothes!" Roxanne wrinkled her nose, "Do you doubt it? Cause I have some excellent fluffy pink dresses that I would love to parade you around in for the next month."

"No, I'm just wondering how on earth you'd strip her down, much less dress her up in your choice of clothing."

"Well." James remarked with a faintly disgusted look. "Personally, I would rather live in a pile of dragon dung for a couple years rather that deal with seeing any portion of Madgewick… unclothed," A shiver shuddered through him. "Her face is already enough to induce nausea."

"Well it's the only action you'd ever get in your lifetime James." Dominique was seated with her feet planted firmly upon the ground a good distance away from each other. Her sharp eyes swung through the room with a fierce, calculating look and the fiery fringe of her pixie cut hanging above them. Like James, she seemed ready to leap up to her feet at the slightest provocation, except there was a greater deal of precision in hers. "And while I love pulling a good prank as much as the next Weasley, I have important things to do in my life, and I'm not gonna jeopardize it by going to Azkaban for magically drugging a teacher. So I'm thinking banners. Big banners. Covering the great hall. Filled with exaggerated cartoon pictures of Madgewick, charmed to show her bullying little children, banning Quidditch, and stealing happiness."

"I could draw them…" James mused. "Leave her with talons, a stomach overflowing with children's smiles, and buck teeth poking out of her harpy's beak."

"Cartoons and Quidditch." Roxanne seemed uneasy, "That doesn't spell out Weasleys at all. And if James' gonna draw them, he might as well sign his name on them."

"They can't prove anything." James argued.

"All they would have to do is open your homework notes and see the exact same cartoons you spend most of History of Magic doodling."

"Nothing stopped them from looking through Scorpius's stuff." Al added softly. "There's nothing stopping anyone from looking through yours."

"And something as blatantly offensive as that," Roxanne, "Could warrant a suspension. We need to leave no tracks that someone could use to find evidence against us."

"Personally," Fred mused, "I'm more in the mood for doing something with her room. She screams every time someone leaves a quill upon the ground after class – imagine what she'd do if we absolutely covered everything in ice, paint, or – "

"Glitter." James grinned. "Lots and lots of glitter." Fred nodded enthusiastically.

"Enough so she wouldn't be able to get it out for a week."

"Or out of her hair for a month." Roxanne smirked.

Rose and Al exchanged a glance with each other. While both of them relished the thought of leaving Madgewick red faced and steaming, they didn't feel that humiliating her was enough to leave her with the same emotions of guilt and degraded self worth that made her such a horrid person.

"It's all possible…" Sara spoke up suddenly, raising her head from the three books she had been digging through, "But I don't think that we're thinking in the right direction." James narrowed his eyes.

"Well at least we're thinking."

"And I'm willing to accept that James's lack of practice in the area is making that difficult," Sara began carefully, "But none of this really communicates… the injustice of what she's doing."

"Meaning…?" Roxanne motioned with her hands for Sara to continue.

"I mean that we're thinking in terms of getting a laugh or being entertaining. We're trying to irritate her. But I think that what we're doing needs to be less amusing and more… of a statement. It needs to be directly related to what she did to Scorpius." Sara bit her lip, "That probably doesn't make sense."

"No!" Rose straightened up sharply, "It does! It has to be directly related to what she did to Scorpius. It has to do with jewelry, and her taking something from us."

"That's what I was thinking," Sara nodded, "She humiliated Scorpius by saying he took something from her. It's only equally humiliating if she's accused of taking something from us."

"You wanna frame her?" Dominique remarked with a dubious raising of her brow. "It's kinda her word against ours."

"If it was just the word of five people against a teacher's it wouldn't work. But if it's – " Sara began with flushed cheeks.

" – the word of more than fifty people against hers, it would." James flashed a musing smile at Sara, which she returned with hesitation.

"Where on earth are we getting fifty people?" Fred demanded, "Most people aren't exactly part of Scorpius Malfoy's fan club. And what in Merlin are we accusing her of taking?"

"Say everyone lost something – " Sara tapped the seat of the couch in a frenzied attempt to keep up with her thoughts.

" – And everyone wanted it back," Rose murmured with her brow furrowed in concentration. "God! Imagine her having to give the things people accused her of taking, back in front of everyone!"

"There's no way to guarantee she would have to." Fred scoffed. "She'd just say she didn't take whatever this imaginary object is, and that would be it."

"No," James nodded, "But she would if Stonebrooke said she had to."

"There's no way on earth Stonebrooke would – "

"She would if we made it worth her while." Rose pondered.

"Well," Sara jutted her chin out stubbornly. "Would covering Madgewick's room with jewelry from every girl in Hogwarts be considered worth her while?" Dominique's jaw fell open, Roxanne and Fred's necks swung so suddenly there seemed to be a danger of whiplash. Al just blinked. But James and Rose exchanged a look before whooping with delight.

"That's perfect!" Rose squealed. "Imagine her face when she wakes up and sees the entire school asking for their stuff back from her!"

"Go big or go home!" James was laughing so hard he choked, "Merlin Jati, this day is almost worth having to see your ugly face for the next 4 and a half years!"

"Jati?" Sara wrinkled her nose.

"Barjati's too long." James waved it away with his hand.

"What are you all smoking?" Fred suddenly exploded, "That's insane!"

"Which is what makes it absolutely perfect!" Rose laughed, so giddy she seemed a little drunk, "Imagine the entire school standing against Magdewick!"

"You're never going to get every girl in the school to chalk over their jewellery to help Scorpius Malfoy." Fred growled, "And if everyone wanted to take a stand against Madgewick, they would've done it today instead of laughing!"

"Well," Rose shrugged, "They just need some people to organize the movement. Which we're here to do!"

"Besides," Sara added, rejuvenated with confidence now that she knew at at least two people weren't laughing her out of the room, "We don't need people to be pro-Scorpius. We need them to be anti – Madgewick. Everyone has been humiliated or seen someone humiliated in some way by her. We just need to tap into the right emotions to convince them to give both their jewellery and their voice when we need it."

"Someone'll snitch," Roxanne couldn't help but add, despite not wanting to seem nervous.

"But," James smirked, "It's too big to punish everyone for. If everyone in the school added something that belongs to them, they're all taking a bit of the blame. Unless everyone in the school steps up and said we stole jewelry from them, which is unlikely – "

"They can't punish everyone!" Excitement crept into Al's voice. "And if we can actually get it, we can replicate it all by ten, and completely cover her room with it."

"That's a sixth year incantation." Fred grumbled, "Do any of you know a sixth year incantation?"

"Dominique's a fifth year!" Sara swung her head to face the older girl. "Do you know it?"

"Sara…" Dominque seemed amused, "You're more likely to know it than I am. I spend my life on the Quidditch pitch – I barely have time to learn the spells I need to."

"Do you?" James grabbed her arm, causing her to flinch away. James automatically withdrew his hand, but didn't relax his intense gaze, "I know you were practising some fifth year spells for the last couple months."

"I tried it," Sara seemed a little irritated, "But everything that replicated was distorted and black. It wouldn't… I couldn't do it."

"As heartbreaking as Sara being unable to do a spell three years above her is – " Fred began heatedly.

"We can get some sixth or seventh year to do it for us." Rose waved her hand in dismissal.

"No one's going to believe she took all that stuff." It seemed to be a last ditch effort from Fred to convince everyone how ridiculous the plan was.

"We don't need anyone to." Dominque scratched her chin. "We just need to make it impossible for her to oppose it, with our strength in numbers. The point is that it's humiliating to have so many people accuse you of something that isn't true. The point is to hurt her, not really get her in trouble."

"Fred," A sly smile crept over Sara's lips, "I bet that I can get most of the girls from at least one house to chalk something over. Are you saying that I'm more charming and persuasive than you?" Fred's eyes flew open, slightly irritated that now he was obligated to defend his pride.

"I could convince a girl to jump off a bridge if I wanted to." Fred grumbled, "So you should quit tempting me to try it on you."

"We'll need your skills." Sara nodded a little teasingly, "Mostly because we know James is gonna end up putting his foot in his mouth somehow."

"More likely you'll need my charm to balance your inability to talk without insulting someone." James inserted smoothly.

"Fred and Roxanne can take the girls in Gryffindor," Rose commanded, "They're some of the most popular. Sara and James will take the girls in Ravenclaw," She rose her voice to talk over their protests, "Because they balance each other out."

"Rose and I'll take Slytherin," Al leapt in with a wicked smile that made Rose's eyes shine a little brighter.

"I can take the girls in Hufflepuff." Dominique remarked. "And I can get all the boys in the rest of the houses – they have earrings and armbands and stuff that can pass for jewellery."

"All the boys?"

"Boys respond to two things." Dominique snorted. "Attraction and Aggression. And I like to consider myself very adept in both of them." James and Al exchanged a miffed expression.

"We have to collect everything we can – rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets," Rose continued, "They can be fake, diamonds, gold – I don't care if you have to hand them money to get it from them. Use any guilt trip, threats, explanations or even violence." Rose became so forceful that everyone flinched.

"Well I'd hate to be in Slytherin right now." James quipped.

"Afterwards, we'll find someone to replicate it all." Rose's blue eyes shone with anticipation. "And completely fill Madgewick's room."

---

Sometimes it truly amazed them both how much one could infuriate the other. To understand this, it had to be recognized that both Sara and James had proclaimed themselves to be completely uncaring of what anyone else in the world thought of them.

"The trick you did with the mending charm yesterday… it was interesting how you managed to put things together even though they hadn't really been broken." Sara attempted grudgingly as they crept through the empty halls towards the Ravenclaw tower, for a reason she didn't altogether understand. James laughed humorlessly.

"Yes, I'm sure you were amazed that someone as incorrigibly vain as I am managed to look away from my mirror to attempt even the most basic spell."

"I never said that." Sara muttered with clenched teeth. "The way you used the spell was interesting. Clever even, how you kinda tricked your wand. You could've just taken the compliment and shut up."

"Yes, well I never said I wish you'd crawl in a hole so I'd never have to see your face again, but the meaning was sort of implied, wasn't it?" James remarked amiably.

"Yes." Sara remarked heatedly, "And I never said being a friend involved not lying to me before humiliating me in front of the entire common room, but it was somewhat expected, wasn't it?" The mood of their conversation dropped a solid 15 degrees.

"I did everything to make that up to you." James was suddenly quiet, anger quivering beneath his words. "And instead of letting me, you took everything and threw it back in my face!"

"Did you go throw yourself off the astronomy tower? Because I made it very clear that there wasn't much else you do except not exist to make it better."

"You're such a child, you know that? It was first year – get over it!"

"Right, and mentioning what happened afterwards every week and using it as an excuse to constantly antagonize me isn't childish at all." Sara began breathing a little more heavily. "I never asked to be a part of your life!"

"You had no right!" James growled, "To parade the the things I told around like some… sort of joke!"

"Parade it around? You're such a hypocrite! You were allowed to lie to me and play with my emotions like I was some… pathetic doll – you didn't even care about me as a person, you listened to me tell you all that stuff about who I was, and the whole time you were just waiting to… humiliate me like I was nothing and – "

"I confided in you!" James growled, "Everything I did was horrible and wrong and was willing to do anything to make it up to you, but then you started insulting me in front of everyone… twisting things that I told you – "

"Like you didn't deserve it – that you were conceited and arrogant and didn't care about anything except getting what you wanted? You lied about how you felt, lied about what you were thinking, lied about being my friend, lied about how you would treat me in the future, lied about every goddamn thing you said, and after treating my emotions like they were nothing you honestly expect me to believe you weren't lying when you told me about yours?"

"You treated me like a joke." James spat.

'You made me a joke." Sara and James held each other's gaze with fierce fury. "And I guess by that time I realized nothing you said to me could ever be true!"

They heard voices faintly arise in the distance. Their anger was replaced by a look of fear and all thoughts were replaced by attempts to reach the Ravenclaw tower.

---

"Hi! I'm Sara, and this is James. We need a favor from you and the other girls in Raven – " But she broke off when James pushed past her. A winning smile spread over his face, and his eyes twinkled with the captivating charm that his confidence brought him.

"Your name's Joanna, right?" He slid his hand into hers smoothly, "I'm James. Are… are you that really smart girl with the beautiful brown hair I see sitting at the Ravenclaw table every morning?"

The first year girl's jaw dropped for a moment in shock before a glow began to brighten her eyes. She pursed her lips in a feeble attempt to contain her nervous giggle.

An 'Are you kidding me?' look passed over Sara's face.

---

"If my mother finds out that I helped a Malfoy, she'd disown me." The fourth year Gryffindor girl scoffed. She was sitting cross-legged upon the sofa in the common room, reading a Quidditch book.

"Well there's that…" Roxanne nodded before dropping her voice to whisper which no one but the three of them could hear, "Or the entire school could find out over breakfast that it was you who snitched to Madgewick last year on the five sixth year Gryffindors when they pulled that prank on her.' The girl's eyes flew open and her jaw dropped. "Pity… no one likes a tattle – tale, especially one who tattles on her own house to Madgewick for an extra mark on her essay." The girl started gaping like a fish.

"Don't be rude Roxy!" Fred slung his arm over his twin sister's shoulder, "She's going to get plenty of insults when everyone finds out! Social ostracism, nobody trusting her with anything… she's about to lead a very lonely life… it wouldn't be fair for us to be prats to her before it already happens… would it?

"Yeah you're right." Roxanne began to examine her nails with nonchalance, "I think red's my color, don't you?"

"I love red." Fred grinned.

"I…" The girl spoke up feebly, "I may have some stuff I can hand over."

"Do you now?" Fred and Roxanne exchanged a look of mildly unexpected interest.

---

She had originally refused point blank. "No way. He's a Malfoy. I'm not helping him. Not after everything they've done to the world." Rose resisted the urge to wrap her fingers around the girl's throat.

"Scorpius wasn't even born." Rose pointed out with clenched teeth.

"Yeah, but I'm not sending out the message that I support what they represent."

Rose forced a laugh from her mouth, despite the vile taste it brought her.

"You think you're any better?" The girl froze. "To Madgewick Slytherins are just the same as Malfoys. You think anyone sees you as anything but that those bullying bigots? And it's not like you, or anyone else here, is doing anything to change that opinion! If you sit around and do nothing, you'll always be the bullying bigots who – "

"I'm a half blood! By place in Slytherin has nothing to do with my blood." A look of absolute venom seeped through the girl's sharp, powerful face. "My aunt lost her arm to Fenrir Greyback. She was only 15 – she snuck out of Hogsmeade to join the fighting. But does anyone remember her as a hero? She almost died, and she's just as brave as any airheaded Gryffindor or dumb Hufflepuff, but because she was a Slytherin, no one cares! She was a hero, you hear me!"

Silence rang through the dormitory.

"She was." Rose acknowledged, "But no, no one remembers it." She replied honestly.

After Rose's gaze for a couple moments, the girl threw her pillow across the bed and marched to her trunk.

"We'll all pitch in. And tomorrow, when that vile, hypocritical woman sees what happens, the loudest voices against her will be the fifth year Slytherins."

The other girl seated in the corner of the room snorted with derision. The girls in between them, all seemed uncertain on who to side with. Their internal conflict reminded Rose of Sara and Jenna.

"Our aunt wasn't dumb enough to fight for Harry Potter." The raven – colored remarked snidely, eyeing the blonde with disgust, "Just because Madeleine's forsaking herself for those muggle – lovers, doesn't mean we all have to. Madeleine's eyes burned ferociously at the insult.

"Look Gertrude – " She spat.

"That isn't going to change the fact that if you don't side with us, then you're siding with Madgewick." Rose leapt in. "The exact same person who will humiliate one of you tomorrow, or the day after that. The same person who'll hurt people around you – "

"If they're dumb enough to get walked over," Gertrude flipped her hair back, "Then they deserve it."

"You're vile Gertrude." Madeleine whispered. Then she raised her voice into a commanding shout.

"We're contributing!"

"No." Gerturde hissed. "We're not."

Eventually, half of the girls did and half of them didn't. But Madeleine made it her personal goal to get as many Slytherins on Rose's side as possible.

And a lot of girls looked up to/feared Madeleine.

---

Al was originally pissed that Rose got to enter the girls' dormitory and do all the work while he was left to stand by the stairs like a brainless git.

"Hello." Al remarked amiably, leaning against the railing of the stairs leading to the Slytherin girls' dormitory. "How are you fine ladies this evening?"

Some of the girls rolled their eyes and pushed past him, sneering as they did so. A couple lingered back with interest, particularly a second year girl with hazel curls and a slightly plump body frame.

"Hello." A warm smile spread over her soft cheeks, and Al was suddenly struck by how little of a Slytherin she looked. "What brings a Potter like you into the lair of the enemy?" There was a teasing lilt to her voice that Al liked. He explained what they needed, and he was pleasantly surprise to see her eyes light up at their plan.

"Alright. I'll give you all my stuff." She leaned closer and whispered, "And I can probably convince them too. I'll be back with some more if you wait for another twenty minutes."

"What's your name?" He asked, and little breathlessly at her closeness.

"Alia." She grinned, before skipping up the steps after the rest of the girls. She came back down less than half an hour later with a bag full of jewellery and ten other girls who 'needed extra convincing'.

While Al was thankful to Alia for everything, he felt a little betrayed when he found an "I Heart Slytherins" sign magically charmed to his back.

People were so difficult to pin down.

---

"No."

"But – "

"No."

---

"That was so easy!" James cackled, bouncing the bulging bag full of jewelry against his thigh as they waited for more girls the first years were bringing. "I don't know what you're doing here – if you were any more of a dead weight I'd have to carry you back to Gryffindor tower."

"They were first years!" Sara growled despite her appreciation that James Potter's fan club could do something other than twitter in the library during exam time.

"I know – just imagine the girls who've hit puberty!"

Sara rolled her eyes.

---

The fifth year, sixth year, and seventh year Gryffindor girls were on board immediately. Or a select few were able to convince the rest.

"Like it or not," One of the leaders told Fred and Roxanne, "He's a Gryffindor. And because Madgewick humiliated one Gryffindor, he humiliated all the Gryffindors. It's are duty to stand up for each other, because we're one house and one family. We can insult the people inside our family, but we'll never let anyone else outside of it hurt one of us."

---

"What's Madgewick going to do to my mark if I participate in this… conspiracy against her." The Hufflepuff girl demanded, placing her hands firmly upon her hips and assuming an expression of mulish stubbornness.

"If I were you," Dominique scoffed, "I would be more worried about what I'm going to do to you on the Quidditch pitch in two weeks if you don't."

"You can't do anything to me!" The girl's narrowed eyes now resembled that of a beetle's. "Professor Hooch wouldn't let you."

"Tell that to me when you're in the hospital wing. Fat load of good me getting detention will do you then."

The girl's confident façade began to wither. "You wouldn't actually do that… would you?"

Dominique shrugged. "Maybe. That's for you to find out, isn't it? By the way, have you seen Charlie Donaldson lately?"

"Who's he?"

Dominique grinned wickedly. "He was fifth year who cheeked me last year. I put him in the hospital wing, and I haven't really seen him around since…"

The gullible girl gulped. That's a nice alliteration, Dominique thought.

It turned out not to be that hard to intimidate anyway. And many had been bullied so much that they didn't need any intimidating to be convinced.

---

The curvy fifth year leaned over so the two of them could get a very good look of what was down her shirt. "My rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets… what about my virginity? Cause if you really need it… I think I could pull a few strings." She tugged a little at her spaghetti strap as said so, keeping her heavily mascaraed eyes focused on James.

The smile fell from James's lips and was replaced by a look of sheer dread. It took all of Sara's strength not to double over in laughter.

"Sorry," She suddenly couldn't help herself after she's picked up the bag full of items, her lips twitching as she attempted to maintain a fairly straight face. "We can only take things that exist." James attempted to smother his laughter into a cough.

The girl's seductive smirk melted into a sneer.

---

The sixth year Slytherin girls' dormitory was empty except for one raven – haired girl sitting on her bed, holding a dead rat in her lap.

"Yes?" She seethed while running a finger over the rat's face. Rose eyed it before backing away slowly.

"Oh…I was just… admiring the décor?"

---

Dominique sauntered into the Slytherin male dormitory, seeming completely oblivious to all the dark, brooding looks she was receiving.

"Hello boys." She leaned against the doorway casually, crossing her arms to show off her muscles. "I need a favor…"

---

"So you're telling me," Her voice shook with annoyance. "That you expect me to just hand over my prized possessions into the hands of an air-headed pretty boy like you, just because you've got some important daddy?"

"No!" James was affronted, "I'm saying you should do it because you'll be taking a stand against the tyranny of – "

"And why should I bother?" The third year Ravenclaw was piqued, "Look, if I do my work and don't mouth off like you Gryffindors, nothing happens to me. Why would I risk her bullying by participating in your… statements? If you ask me, you lot should learn a thing or two about keeping your head down and not making too much noise. You could learn some… self – preservation skills."

"Because she'll hurt other people!" James, who had always been taught by the people around him to stand up against bullies who hurt others, couldn't even begin to fathom this level of apathy.

"I'm sorry, but that's really not my problem. I'm not about to make it my problem without a good enough reason."

"But – " Sara placed a hand on James's arm before completely shoving him aside and taking his place with a sweet smile.

"Rebecca… I heard that you're aiming for an O in potions." The girl looked mistrusting at this.

"Yeah." She attempted to appear nonchalant. "So what?"

"Well, I currently have an O in potions, and some free time on my hands after classes. I'd be willing to tutor you on anything you may need help with."

A spark lit up in Rebecca's eyes, and Sara knew she had her.

"And… I wouldn't mind helping you write your next two essays…"

"Done." Rebecca was already walking towards the stairs to her dormitory.

"So tomorrow, you'll speak up and say – "

"That the jewellery's mine, yes yes." Rebecca waved her hands impatiently, "Just be there in the library afterschool on Thursdays, Fridays, and all afternoon Saturdays and Sundays."

"All afternoon?"

"Is that a problem?" Rebecca glared.

"No." Sara sighed.

"Wait." Rebecca stopped in her tracks. "How do I know you won't cheat me out of the study sessions." Sara scowled fiercely.

"I'm a Gryffindor. I always keep my word."

"How did you know about the potions thing?" James whispered afterwards. Sara snorted.

"She was the girl whose potion blew up so badly no one could go into Slughorn's room for 2 hours. But she's also a Ravenclaw obsessed with marks. I guessed."

Eventually, Sara was booked with study sessions with different Ravenclaws at every spare moment for the next month. And after that, so was James, who despite maintaining an air of nonchalance when it came to studying, was second, third, and occasionally first in all his classes.

It infuriated Sara to no end.

---

"I hate her." A girl whispered, her eyes darting to the side with both uncertainty and eagerness. "She always hurts me, and calls me stupid and dumb… and I just feel dumb…and stupid… and useless…you know?"

"I completely understand." Rose nodded.

"No!" She suddenly glared, "You don't. I'm a Slytherin. If I'm not tough enough, people will walk all over me! They already treat me like garbage and…" She gazed at her hands helplessly. Rose sat beside the girl, debating whether or not to put her arm around the Slytherin's shoulder.

"We all get walked on." Rose said softly, "All of us… until we stand up for ourselves, or someone stands up for us."

"I've never really stood up for myself… they all think I don't belong in Slytherin, and I just want to prove that I do."

"Thinking is overrated." Rose said. "Don't waste your time with it if you have the power to do what you're thinking about. Gemma, you don't get sorted based on what you are – but what you want to be. And if you want to be something – whether that's smart or brave or cunning, you have the power to if you put in the effort." Gemma raised her troubled brown eyes to meet Rose's defiant ones.

"You're not alone." Rose added forcefully. "We're all standing together."

"I…" Gemma shook her head, "I'm too weak." Rose grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"But you don't have to be."

---

"Now this is where we part ways." Sara smiled an irritatingly superior smile that both amused James and grated against his skin. He grunted moodily.

"Because you see," Sara continued giddily, "We haven't gotten all the girls yet. And no more of them are coming down, so we have to go to them. So I, being the girl, am the only one who can."

"Well," James raised his eyebrows, "You're lucky that rule isn't based on what looks like a girl, cause then you would never be able to get in."

Sara paid no heed.

"It's so dumb." James complained, "You need me to get this done."

"No," She sighed happily, leaning closer with merriment twirling in her eyes, "I really don't." Then she skipped up the stairs with glee. James shook his head with something almost resembling fondness.

---

"Here's bag with a bunch a stuff I bought for my mom and sister," The sixth year Slytherin leered at her, "You can have it all… if you give me a kiss." He stepped forward with a pitiful smirk he probably thought was seductive. "And maybe a little bit more…"

"Sure!" Dominique yanked the bag from his grasp, pressed her lips to her palm, then slapped him across the face. The boy fell back unto his bed, his cheek flaming red and his eyes suddenly looking lost.

"Sorry, were you hoping for one on the lips?" Dominique tilted her head, "'Cause I know my knuckles would love a taste."

---

"So…." Rose rocked back and forth on her feet. "Can you do it? Replicate it all?"

"Well… how much do you need?" The sixth year Gryffindor wrung his hands as he gazed uneasily at all the bags of jewellery.

"Enough to fill an entire classroom." The boy tilted his head and thought for a moment.

"You'll get me those autographs?" He finally asked.

"From my mom, my dad, Uncle George, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny?" Rose nodded in confirmation. "Consider it done."

"Then yes," The boy nodded, "I can."

---

I'm so so so sorry. That's it. I know it's been months but... here it is! I hope that since it's super long (like 16 000 words) Next chapter will be the reaction to their prank/statement, backstory into the event that Sara/James were arguing about (that will serve the purpose of giving you all a little more depth and understanding to James' complex character), and hopefully a Quidditch game. Scorpius is also going to start developing an initiative in the school in attempts to use his situation to improve people's lives. I'll try getting this out by the end of summer. Fingers crossed.

I might delete the last chapter that was just an author's note, just cause i think it's weird having an author's note chapter just sitting there, so it might suddenly say that there is one less chapter (15 instead of 16 like it is now).

Please REVIEW to tell me what you think! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed since the chapter - please keep it up! LOVE YOU ALL!