After a restless night where the Harry and Rose being thought about Voldemort trying to steal the stone, imagined various ways Voldemort would kill them now that they knew, for certain, he was alive, they threw off the covers and climbed from bed. Spotting something glinting in the room. The invisibility cloak was neatly folded on their trunk with a note pinned to it.
Just in case.
The next days were filled with a panicked sort of fear, the Harry and Rose being expecting Voldemort to finish them off whenever they rounded a corner. They were surprised to have gotten through their exams at all given what they knew, but they managed it somehow. Some time ago, Professor McGonagall had told them that they would be wise to do their exams as separate individuals. They relented to her judgement, though hadn't been happy about it, just as they'd relented to Professor Snape, who had insisted they perform their assignments separately despite having received an explanation from the headmaster.
There were both practical and written exams. The written portion was easy enough and something they were used to from their Muggle school days. The practical wasn't too bad either. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox, which they thought they'd done fairly good at, given that they were able to concentrate on the form they wanted it to take. Professor Flitwick wanted them to make a pineapple dance across the desk. Professor Snape had them brew a Forgetfulness potion, observing them so closely it made them nervous. Throughout it all, the Harry half's scar throbbed with sharp pains.
The history of magic exam was last, and once finished, the Harry and Rose being sighed with relief. Hermione went on about the exams and how much easier they were than they'd thought, walking on to the grounds with everyone else to enjoy the day. As usual, she went on about their exam papers, wanting to go through them again. Why was beyond them. There were more important things to be concerned with, such as Voldemort. Ron and Hermione didn't seem as concerned as the Harry and Rose being were, and as they flopped down under a tree by the lake, the Harry half rubbed the scar on his forehead with a sigh of anger, unable to enjoy the beautiful Friday as much as they'd wanted.
"I wish I knew what this means, the Harry half's scar keeps hurting." The Harry and Rose being snapped. "It's happened before but never this much."
"Go to Madam Pomfrey." Hermione suggested.
"I doubt there's anything she can do." The Harry and Rose being responded. "Besides I'm not sick. I think it's a warning of danger. It happened when that figure came after me that was drinking the Unicorn's blood. It happened when Professor Snape looked at me and he doesn't like me. I think Danger's coming."
"Harry, relax. I don't think anything's going to happen." Ron said.
Before they could talk any further, a shadow fell over them as the Harry half's scar gave another sharp throb.
"P-P-Potter's, I-I w-w-wish t-to s-s-s-speak w-w-with y-you a-a-about y-y-your e-e-e-exam r-r-results." Professor Quirrell stammered.
"Okay." The Harry and Rose being said.
That was rather unusual, they thought, but stood and followed him anyway. Professor Quirrell led the way to his class room and closed the door behind him. When he turned to face them, his baring had changed completely. He looked more confident now, not as nervous. He didn't have his wand, but radiated a feeling of danger anyway.
"Tell me, Potter's." Professor Quirrell said. "Where is the stone?"
The Harry and Rose being's mouth's dropped open in shock.
"You?" They asked, feeling completely shocked.
Professor Quirrell smiled slowly.
"Me." He stated.
"How... What..." The Harry and Rose being could hardly believe what they were seeing.
"So hard to believe, is it?" Professor Quirrell asked. "But of course, who would suspect p-p-poor st-stuttering Professor Quirrell?"
"I thought Snape... Thought he tried to kill me..." The Harry and Rose being trailed off.
"No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a counter curse, trying to save you." Professor Quirrell stated.
So Professor Dumbledore had been right, the Harry and Rose being thought. They'd had their doubts, even after he told them Professor Snape wasn't trying to kill them. With no other evidence, it still seemed somewhat reasonable, but so had Professor Dumbledore's.
"But I digress, Potter's. You will tell me where the stone is. Then, I shall kill you tonight." Professor Quirrell snapped his fingers and ropes sprang out of thin air, wrapping around both of them. "You're too nosy to live, Potters. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."
The Harry and Rose being's heart pounded wildly. More time, they thought furiously. If there was more time, Professor Dumbledore or one of the others could come and save them. They hid their terror as best they could, thinking frantically of the next thing to ask.
"You let the troll in?" The Harry and Rose being asked. "On Halloween?"
"Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls." Professor Quirrell replied. "Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off, and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly."
"I saw you and Snape in the forest." The Harry and Rose being stated. Just a few more minutes was all they needed.
"Yes." Professor Quirrell idly replied. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me-as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side."
The door was flung open and the Harry and Rose being felt a wild hope. Ron and Hermione stood there, wands out and ready to defend them.
"Hey!" Ron shouted bravely. "Get away from them!"
Professor Quirrell turned with a sinister smirk and waved his hand, sending Ron flying into the wall behind him.
"Ron!" Hermione screamed.
With another wave, the door slammed and locked, then Professor Quirrell pulled out his wand and waved it around the room. Something powerful seemed to sweep through it, making the Harry and Rose being's necks tingle.
"No more interruptions, Potter's." Professor Quirrell stated. "The quicker you tell me where the Stone is, the quicker this ends."
"I'll never tell you." The Harry and Rose being responded.
Another voice spoke in the room, but Professor Quirrell's lips weren't moving.
"Let me speak with them, face to face." The voice was high and cold.
"Master, you are not strong enough!" Professor Quirrell exclaimed.
"I have strength enough... For this." The voice replied.
Professor Quirrell reached up and unwrapped his turban, which fell away leaving his head looking rather small without it. He then turned around on the spot and the Harry and Rose being stared with utter horror. A face was sticking right out of the back of his head, chock white and with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils like a snake.
"Harry and Rose Potter." The face whispered.
The Harry and Rose being felt petrified with terror. It had to be Lord Voldemort.
"See what I have become?" The face of lord Voldemort said. "Mere shadow and vapor... I have form only when I can share another's body... But there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds... Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks... You saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest... and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own... Now... Why don't you tell me the location of the Stone."
"Never." The Harry and Rose being said as they struggled to escape the ropes holding them, tumbling to the floor.
"Remove those..." Voldemort commanded.
With another snap of his fingers, the ropes binding them tight vanished. The Harry and Rose being scrambled to their feet and backed up.
"Don't be a fool..." Voldemort snarled. "Better to save your own life and join me, or you'll meet the same end as your parents... Mr. Potter's died begging me for mercy."
"Liar!" The Harry and Rose being shouted.
Voldemort's face was smiling.
"How touching." He hissed. "I always value bravery... Yes... Your parents were brave Mr. Potter... I killed your father first and he put up a courageous fight... But your mother didn't have to die... She was trying to protect you both... Now tell me where the Stone is... Unless you want her to have died in vane."
"No!" The Harry and Rose being shouted. It didn't matter that they didn't know. Voldemort thought they did. That was enough to put them in grave danger.
The Harry and Rose being sprang for the door and Voldemort shouted, "SEIZE THEM!"
Professor Quirrell grabbed the wrist of the Harry half and pain ripped through his scar, making his head feel as if it was going to split open. The Harry and Rose being shouted, and faintly, they thought they could hear something outside the room.
Professor Quirrell let him go with surprise and the Harry and Rose being stared at him, the pain in the Harry half's head lessening. He was hunched over in pain, staring at his fingers which were blistering before their eyes.
"Seize them! SEIZE THEM!" Voldemort shrieked.
Professor Quirrell lunged at them again and knocked the Harry half off his feet, hands around his neck. Pain ripped through the Harry half's scar again, and struggling through the agony, the Rose half dragged herself toward them. With a leap, she landed on Quirrell and the Harry and Rose being held on to him as tightly as they could, the pain doubling as it tore through the Rose half's head as well. Professor Quirrell was shouting along with the Harry and Rose being, who barely heard their own screams. Other voices were also shouting in the background but they made no sense. They knew only one thing, they must hold on as tightly as they could, they couldn't let go. They clutched tightly to Professor Quirrell, screaming, shrieking in sheer agony, the pain growing more and more intense before it seemed they were floating, drifting down... Everything went dark.
Slowly, everything began to fade back into consciousness. The Rose half was clinging to the Harry half's hand gently, but with a firmness of grip that was comforting to the Harry and Rose being. They were laying on something soft and rather comfortable. They blinked and spotted something glittering above them. After another moment, Professor Dumbledore's smiling face came into focus. They swallowed.
"Sir, the stone... Voldemort tried to get it from me." The Harry and Rose being said frantically.
"Calm yourself, Harry and Rose." Professor Dumbledore replied. "You need not be concerned with that. Voldemort is no longer in Hogwarts, and therefore, no longer able to obtain that which he sought."
The Harry and Rose being looked around and spotted a table next to the bed they lay in, which looked as if it was piled with half the candy shop.
"Tokens from your friends and admirers." Dumbledore responded to their look, smiling brightly. "What happened between yourself and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it."
"How long have I been in here?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"Three days." Professor Dumbledore replied. "Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round. They have been extremely worried."
"Sir, I've been wondering..." The Harry and Rose being trailed off for a moment. "What happened to the stone?"
"Given that three first year students easily circumvented the protections in place, it was decided that allowing the stone to remain in existence was too great a risk. It has been destroyed." Professor Dumbledore responded.
"But your friend Nicolas Flamel..." The Harry and Rose being trailed off in silence.
"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" Professor Dumbledore asked, sounding delighted. "You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best."
"He and his wife will die, won't they?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die." Professor Dumbledore said. "To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all, the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."
The Harry and Rose being said nothing for a moment, listening to Professor Dumbledore humming to himself.
"Sir, even if the stone's gone, Voldemort is going to find some way to return, won't he?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"I believe that he will." Professor Dumbledore began. "He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share. Not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time. If he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."
The Harry and Rose being nodded, ignoring the pain in their heads. Compared to what they'd been through, it was insignificant.
"Sir, there's some things I want to know the truth about." The Harry and Rose being said.
"The truth." Professor Dumbledore let out a sigh. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."
"Voldemort said he only killed the Harry half's mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. Why would he want to kill me in the first place?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
Professor Dumbledore let out an even deeper sigh.
"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you, not today, not now. I know you will hate to hear this, but when you are older, when you are ready, you will know." Professor Dumbledore responded.
"But sir..." The Harry and Rose being asked.
"Put it from your mind, Harry and Rose." Professor Dumbledore said firmly.
The Harry and Rose being let out a sigh and closed their eyes briefly, then opened them, deciding little would be served from attempting to argue.
"Quirrell couldn't touch me." The Harry and Rose being said. "Why not?"
"Your mother died to save you." Professor Dumbledore replied. "If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign ... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."
Professor Dumbledore became quite interested on a bird on the windowsill, allowing the Harry and Rose being to silently cry in privacy. Gently and carefully, they wiped tears from their faces and dried their eyes on the bed sheet, overwhelmed with emotion. The Harry half's parents had cared for both of them equally, that was the only explanation they could think of for what had happened.
After they took a deep breath, the Harry and Rose being asked, "The invisibility cloak... Do you know who sent it to me?"
"Ah." Professor Dumbledore faced them with twinkling eyes. "Your father left it in my possession and I thought you might like it. Useful things... Your father mainly used it to sneak off to the kitchens while he was here."
"Professor Snape doesn't seem to like me much." The Harry and Rose being said. "It started with the Harry half... But why?"
"For that, you must understand that Professor Snape holds a deep animosity toward Mr. James Potter, your father." Professor Dumbledore looked at the Harry half when he spoke. "In fact, it is similar to that which exists between yourself and Mr. Malfoy. Perhaps it would not bee quite so bad if James Potter hadn't saved Professor Snape's life. But then, of course, he would not be here as he is today, and therefore, would have no opportunity to dislike you so."
"The Harry half's father saved Professor Snape and he hates him for it?" The Harry and Rose being asked with confusion.
"Yes..." Professor Dumbledore responded in a dreamy voice. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt. ... I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace. ..."
"That sounds... Childish somehow." The Harry and Rose being replied.
"Perhaps so." Professor Dumbledore said as if contemplating deeply.
"There's one other thing I was wondering, Professor." The Harry and Rose being said. "I didn't ask you after the fact, but how did I get the stone out of the mirror, and why did it go to the Rose half and not the Harry half?"
"Ah, Harry and Rose, I do believe you are quite mistaken." Professor Dumbledore said.
"What?" The Harry and Rose being asked. "I didn't get the stone from the mirror?"
"In fact, you did. However, the mistake I refer to, is you wishing to know one more thing, when it is, in fact, two you asked about." Professor Dumbledore said.
"Oh." The Harry and Rose being blushed and Professor Dumbledore smiled. When they realized he was only joking, they chuckled a little.
"Ah, the mirror." Professor Dumbledore continued. "It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone, find it, but not use it, would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes."
"Why did it go to the Rose half?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"That, I cannot answer." Professor Dumbledore replied. "There are many mysteries of magic, some even I do not know. However, I wish to digress if I may."
"Okay." The Harry and Rose being said.
"If memory serves, Professor McGonagall informed you the room in which you stay was temporary, to be used during your first year only." Professor Dumbledore said.
"Yeah, she said that." The Harry and Rose being responded.
"As you are seen as married by the various charms and spells of magic, I believe it is a safe assumption for you to use the rarely, but ever present rooms made available and only visible to married couples, adults, Prefects, and the staff here at Hogwarts. You shall find the door to such room between the boys and girls staircases in the Gryffindor common room." Professor Dumbledore explained.
"I've always seen that door." The Harry and Rose being said. "Does that mean I can go through it?"
"Indeed it does." Professor Dumbledore responded. "Before I give permission for you to use such a room, I must ensure both of you are aware of the consequences abuse of such a room will entail."
"We won't be using it if we abuse its use, like the other room we've used?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"In fact, the consequences may go beyond that, something I do believe will be explained to you when you are older. That, however, is not a responsibility of mine, for which I am utterly delighted." Professor Dumbledore said. "And that shall settle that. And now, I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit- flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them, but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"
Professor Dumbledore smiled and put a golden brown bean in his mouth. After a very short moment, he choked, then said, "Alas! Ear wax!" The Harry and Rose being laughed.
"Can I see them, please?" The Harry and Rose being asked Madam Pomfrey, a kind, but strict woman, a few minutes having passed. Professor Dumbledore had since left.
"You need your rest, both of you." Madam Pomfrey replied. "If you could rest apart, I definitely wouldn't allow either of you to share a bed."
"I'm just sleeping, you try sleeping with half your body missing." The Harry and Rose being responded. Madam Pomfrey looked a little puzzled. "Please, Madam Pomfrey, I am resting. I'm laying down, being still."
"Very well." Madam Pomfrey said with a sigh. "Five minutes only."
"Thank you." The Harry and Rose being said as she let Ron and Hermione in.
"Harry!" Hermione said as she hurried over to them, flinging her arms around the Rose half. The Harry and Rose being flinched at the pain from their heads and closed their eyes, Hermione letting them go. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you at all, are you okay?"
"Yeah, just a bit sore." The Harry and Rose being replied. "My head hurts a bit, but I'll be fine."
"The whole school's talking about it." Ron said. "What really happened?"
"Well, after Professor Quirrell took me to his class room, he closed the door behind him." The Harry and Rose being said. "He asked me where the stone was. I couldn't believe it!"
Ron and Hermione's mouth's dropped open in shock.
"That's it right there, that's the expression." The Harry and Rose being grinned. "Of course, I didn't know where the stone was, so I didn't have anything to tell him. So I let him talk about how he'd put himself in a role no one would suspect, told him about my suspicions for Professor Snape, which were still wrong, by the way. Quirrell told me that Professor Snape had been trying to save me. Quirrell was the one trying to kill me."
Ron and Hermione gasped.
"No!" Ron said.
"Yes!" The Harry and Rose being responded. "You accidentally knocked over Quirrell at the Quidditch match, Hermione. If you hadn't, he'd have succeeded."
Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth.
"He told me he'd kill me that night after I told him where the stone was. Like everyone else, he saw me as two people, not one. But anyway, he snapped his fingers and ropes appeared around my bodies, binding them together tightly and preventing us from moving much." The Harry and Rose being said.
Ron and Hermione shuttered a little.
"I guessed, and was right about Quirrell having let the troll in on Halloween. I had to stall for someone to come and save me." The Harry and Rose being continued. "Quirrell told me that Professor Snape suspected him already and tried to stop him, but failed. I told him I saw the two of them in the forest, and that was when..." The Harry and Rose being paused.
"When what?" Hermione asked in eager anticipation.
"I found out someone was on Quirrell's side. Voldemort." The Harry and Rose being said dramatically.
Ron jumped and gasped in terror. Hermione's reaction was less dramatic, but still worth it all the same.
"Then what?" Hermione asked.
"You both flung open the door!" The Harry and Rose being responded, grinning. "My knights in shining armor!"
"Some nights." Ron grumbled. "Didn't even get a spell off before he knocked me out."
"Ah well, better luck next time, maybe." The Harry and Rose being stated, still grinning.
"What happened after that?" Hermione asked.
"Well, he waved his hand again and closed the door, pulled out his wand and did some funny thing with it, dunno what. Then, insisted I tell him where the stone was. I wouldn't, said I'd never tell." The Harry and Rose being said. "That was when I heard a voice, very strange, high, almost whispering, but Quirrell wasn't talking."
"Who was it?" Ron asked.
"Quirrell took off his turban and turned around." The Harry and Rose being said. "It was something chock white, with red eyes, the horrible face of Voldemort."
Hermione screamed.
"He tried to tempt me, tried to tell me not to be a fool like my parents, said the father of the Harry half put up a good fight, that he valued our bravery. I didn't join him, wouldn't. He was the one that killed the parents of the Harry half, I wasn't going to join with such a monster. Then he wanted Quirrell to grab me, to kill me." The Harry and Rose being said.
Ron and Hermione gasped again.
"He couldn't do it, though, not without causing himself agony. And me, too, but I didn't care. His skin was burning, he couldn't kill me if I touched him, so the Harry half grabbed him and the Rose half jumped on his back, both of us holding on for deer life. Then we lost consciousness, woke up here, and found out the Stone was destroyed." The Harry and Rose being said.
"So, the Flamel's are going to die?" Hermione asked.
"That's right." The Harry and Rose being responded. "Professor Dumbledore says that it's like going to sleep after a long day for them, and to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."
"I always thought he was off his rocker." Ron responded.
"What happened to the two of you, anyway?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"Well, when I shouted Ron's name and the door closed and locked, Professor Dumbledore hurried over to us as if he already knew what had happened. Ron was groaning and I pulled him away from the corridor across from the room. Ron woke up and we watched him waving his wand and muttering, taking down the wards around the room. It was like power was in the air, it was incredible!" Hermione said, as if eager to share.
"I'm glad you got to see something probably not many people have." The Harry and Rose being said. "You going to learn about wards next, Hermione?"
"Oh, yes. They're utterly fascinating, they can protect something as basic as a small sliver of space in a room, or something as large as a house, or even a camp sight. There's even some basic protections someone can put around a specific area that..." Hermione began.
"Harry, Rose, you did it again, now she'll never shut up." Ron said, but was smiling. Hermione swatted at him, though she, too, had a smile on her face.
"All right, you two, time's up." Madam Pomfrey said as she came over. "Out, out."
After they left, the Harry and Rose being turned over and hugged each other close, the Harry half running his fingers slowly through the Rose half's hair. They sighed in relaxation and thought about the events, everything they'd been through that school year. Gradually, the sounds around them drifted off into nothing. Surprisingly, the Harry and Rose being slept quite peacefully that night.
They felt normal enough the next morning, though Madam Pomfrey was somewhat reluctant to allow them to go to the feast. She was going to let them, though, and Hagrid came to visit them. After he sat and took a look at them, he burst out into tears.
"Oh, Hagrid." The Harry and Rose being said, the Rose half reaching out and patting his arm gently.
"It's... All, my, ruddy, fault!" Hagrid sobbed heavily as he spoke, face in his hands. "I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thin' he didn' know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"
Large tears were spilling from his eyes on to his face as he shook with grief and remorse. The Rose half reached out and patted his shoulder, the Harry and Rose being looking comfortingly at him.
"Hagrid, he'd have found out eventually even if you hadn't told him. It's not your fault, besides, weather he got past Fluffy or not doesn't matter, I did first with Ron and Hermione. And remember, this is Voldemort we're talking about." The Harry and Rose being said understandingly. "Don't beat yourself up over it."
"Yeh could've died! And don' say the name!" Hagrid sobbed.
"Voldemort!" The Harry and Rose being shouted. "I've met him and I'm calling him by his name!" Hagrid was so shocked he stopped crying. They continued much more gently. "Now, go on and have a chocolate frog, I've got a lot. It'll make you feel better, it always cheers me up."
Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "Tha' reminds me, I got yeh some presents."
Hagrid took the cover off a box he'd carried in, which turned out to be a cage with a beautiful snowy owl inside. On top of the box had been a leather-covered book, which he handed to the Harry and Rose being along with a bag and another book. The bag seemed to contain treats for the owl and the book was a guide on taking care of her, as she was apparently a female.
"Yeh'll wan' ter look at tha' first." Hagrid indicated the leather-covered book.
The Harry and Rose being opened it and stared at the pages of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at him from every page were the Harry and Rose half's parents.
"Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos... Knew yeh didn' have any... D'yeh like it?" Hagrid asked.
The Rose half turned toward him, tears of emotion streaming down her face.
"Yes." She said in a soft and trembling voice as the Harry half kept looking, blinking furiously to keep the tears from his eyes. "And the owl, too, thanks... Thanks a lot, Hagrid..."
The Harry and Rose being had been held up by Madam Pomfrey, who had insisted on giving them one last checkup. As a result, they went to the feast alone, the great hall already full when they entered. It was covered in the Slytherin colors of green and silver. Once again for the seventh year in a row, they'd won the house cup. Behind the high table was a giant banner with the Slytherin serpent on it.
As the Harry and Rose being entered, a sudden silence fell before everyone started talking all at once. They made their way to the Gryffindor table and sat, ignoring the fact that people were standing and trying to get a look at them. Fortunately, Professor Dumbledore arrived moments later and everyone became silent.
"Another year gone!" Professor Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... You have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts... Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points. In third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two. Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six, and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."
Cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. The Harry and Rose being spotted Malfoy banging his goblet on the table, turning away from the sight.
"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin." Professor Dumbledore continued. "However, recent events must be taken into account."
The room went still and the Slytherins' smiles faded a little.
"First, to Mr. Ronald Weasley." Professor Dumbledore began. "For the will, determination, and bravery to come to the aid of a friend, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."
Cheering poured through the great hall from the Gryffindor table and the Harry and Rose being clapped along with everyone else.
"Second!" Dumbledore continued after the cheering had calmed. "To Miss Hermione Granger. For the use of logic in a most intently stressful situation, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."
More cheering, louder than the first, followed.
"And finally!" Professor Dumbledore continued after the cheering had calmed. "It is quite difficult to face fire, and even more so when that fire burns hot. To Mr. Harry Potter and Mrs. Rose Potter, for pure nerve and an outstanding courage of which Gryffindor house should be proud indeed, I award seventy points."
If someone had been standing outside the great hall in that moment, they couldn't be blamed for finding cover and hitting the floor for fear of an explosion. Such was the sound that it could have easily been mistaken for such. Gryffindors were jumping from their seats, clapping, cheering and shouting in joy.
"This being said!" Professor Dumbledore called over the cheering. "And my calculations being correct, I believe a change in decoration is in order!"
He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold. The Slytherin serpent vanished to be replaced by a towering Gryffindor lion. Professor Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand with a horrible, forced smile. When he caught the Harry half's eye, the Harry and Rose being knew his feelings toward them hadn't changed. His eyes slid to the Rose half, who he gave the same glare. It didn't worry them. After all, there were much better things out there to enjoy.
The evening was the best the Harry and Rose being had ever experienced. It was one they wouldn't forget. The exam results made it even better. Of course, Hermione got the top grades out of all the first years, something the Harry and Rose being congratulated her for.
The next day, their wardrobes were emptied, trunks packed, and they were on the Hogwarts express with notes telling underage students magic wasn't allowed outside of school. A shame, really, but that didn't matter. Next school year, the Harry and Rose being planned to be back for more fun and more schooling.
Once they reached platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross station, they were led from the platform by an old man who only let them exit in pairs or three's. It wouldn't due to attract the attention of the Muggles, after all. The Harry and Rose being understood that, though found them self dreading the Dursley's company a little. They didn't know what they'd think of their new owl, something which they hadn't had before they'd left for Hogwarts.
"You must come and stay this summer." Ron said. "I'll send both of you owls." He spoke to Hermione and the Harry and Rose being.
"Oh, Ron!" The Harry and Rose being said. "Now you're getting the hang of it!"
"That's right, mate, just had to let it sink in, is all! It's sure strange, but that's my friend, the Harry and Rose being." Ron responded with a beaming smile.
The Harry and Rose being hugged him with both halves and Ron blushed a little.
"Very nice, Ron, thanks! You accept me fully now!" The Harry and Rose being were grinning widely, then they continued. "I'll need something to look forward to, so owl me quick, okay?"
"I'll do what I can." Ron replied, then Hermione hugged both halves of the Harry and Rose being, she also grinning.
"I'll see you soon, Harry and Rose being." She said.
"Good." The Harry and Rose being responded. "I hope sooner than our return to Hogwarts."
"So do I." Hermione said.
As they moved to exit the platform, people called out to the Harry and Rose being as individuals, though they were used to that by now.
"See you, Harry and Rose!"
"Bye, Potter's!"
"Still famous?" Ron said, grinning.
"Not where I'm going, I promise you that." The Harry and Rose being responded.
After the Harry and Rose being passed through the gateway behind Ron and Hermione, they heard a young girl cry out.
"There he is, mum, look! There he is!"
Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, was pointing at the Harry half.
"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point." Mrs. Weasley smiled down at the Harry and Rose being. "Busy year?" She asked.
"Very." The Harry half responded, the Harry and Rose being deciding now was a good time to start acting like the individuals they weren't. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley."
"Yeah, they were nice." The Rose half added.
"Oh, it was nothing, dears." Mrs. Weasley replied.
"Ready, are you?"
And there stood Uncle Vernon looking furious with a purple face, angry at the nerve of the Harry and Rose being to carry an owl in a station full of ordinary people. The Harry and Rose being also spotted Aunt Petunia standing behind him. Next to her was Dudley, who looked terrified at the sight of them.
"You must be Harry and Rose's family." Mrs. Weasley said politely.
"In a manner of speaking." Uncle Vernon replied. "Hurry up you two, we haven't got all day." He then walked off toward his waiting vehicle.
"See you both over the summer, then." The Harry and Rose being said.
"Hope you have a good... Er... Holiday." Hermione said uncertainly, staring after Uncle Vernon.
"Oh, I will." The Harry and Rose being responded. "You see, I seem to have lost that note stating I can't perform underage magic. I won't, of course, but they won't know that. Oh, am I going to have fun with Dudley this summer."
With a wide grin, chuckling merrily, the Harry and Rose being headed off toward the Dursley's where they stood waiting by their car.