AN:1/17/2010 I won tickets to see Harry Potter: The Exhibition, at the Boston Museum of Science. I took my fifteen year old step-daughter to see it this weekend. All the props and costumes were wonderfully inspiring. I have to say, to all my fellow Potter Geeks. If you get the opportunity to to see the exhibit, DO IT! Thank you to my reviewers and please note that the usual disclaimers apply.

CHAPTER 29:

December 19, 2011

After all the unpleasantness was over the staff and students were allowed to settle themselves into preparations for the Christmas break. The school had lost both it's potion's master, and head of Slytherin. Fortunately, there would be two weeks for the school to find a substitute. There was one other staff member who had once been in Slytherin house to take over duties as it's temporary head, that was the very quiet, and somewhat dimwitted caretaker: Gregory Goyle. Mr. Goyle took the duty reluctantly, and shyly asked Theresa and I if we would be willing to help him deal with any "female issues" that might come up within his house. Terry and I agreed, readily, Terry was going to be staying

at Hogwarts during the holidays, so she would be helping over break. When classes resumed, we'd share duty, which ever one of us was free would make ourself available to Gregory and his Slytherins.

After the children and I had been rescued, Harry had requested that McGonagall allow a small team of Aurors to stay at the school permanently to help oversee castle security. I think Minerva would've rejected the idea outright, but Neville and I encouraged the idea. I explained to her that the schools on the States all had campus security forces, the muggle universities even went so far as to have campus police. Teachers would no longer be patrolling the halls at night alone, there'd be aurors wandering the halls as well. On the next morning after the "unpleasantness" (as it had come to be referred, the staff was introduced to Hogwarts' new chief of security, a rather grandfatherly looking wizard named Reggie Blackburn. He jokingly offered to play "Father Christmas" for the students staying behind for the holidays.

The lack of a potion's master was a more difficult issue to deal with, although I do have to compliment Nott on his timing, he kidnapped Teddy and Victoire three days before the start of Christmas break. Minerva was going to search for his replacement over the holidays.

Bill and Fleur and Andromeda Tonks wanted to take the children home the saturday morning after the rescue, but the children wanted to ride back with their friends. When I offered to escort them home, their parents were willing to let them join their friends on the train. So at eleven a.m. on Monday, December nineteenth, I found myself sharing a train compartment with Teddy, Victoire, Michael Reed, Christopher Rovener, and first year Gryffindor, Lilith Arons, with Pitch's carrier in my lap.

"Professor," Victoire asked me, "Will Teddy and I have to go to Professor Nott's trial with you and Uncle Harry?"

"Possibly, if the prosecutors want to call you guys as witnesses."

"Oh bother, I'd just tell them the same thing you will. So would Teddy, right Ted?" Teddy nodded, agreeing with her.

"I'm not going to argue with you about that one, kiddo. I hate testifying."

"How many trials have you been to?" Chris asked.

I had to think for second, jogging my memory, mentally ticking off the numbers. "Twenty-one," I said.

"Blimy," Michael said. "That's a lot. What did you have to do?"

"Usually, I had to testify about evidence, or guard suspects. I've had to protect witnesses and victims, if they were in danger, sometimes, the accused has friends who might try to hurt witnesses because of what they know."

"Wow, that sounds dangerous," Lilith commented.

"It can be," I agreed. "That's why they assign aurors to protect witnesses. Sometimes, they even have to assign someone to protect the accused, if their crime is considered particularly heinous or if the victims or their loved ones want revenge."

"Do you think Professor Nott will be in danger?" Lilith asked. "He is pretty horrible."

"I'm sure that he and Dolores Umbridge have aurors assigned to them." I leaned in and whispered, "I'm just glad that I'm not one of them," with a chuckle. There was a lot of giggling after that. Theodore Nott had not made himself very popular with his students. Even his Slytherins weren't fond of him, if staff room rumors were to be believed.

"Anything from the trolly, dears?"

At 7:15pm the Hogwarts Express pulled into platform nine and three quarters at King's Cross Station. Charlie was waiting for me as I escorted the kids off the train, as were Bill and Fleur, and Harry and Andromeda Tonks. Several of the other children's parents introduced themselves as well.

After all the appropriate greetings and hugs were exchanged, Charlie and I headed to the lot where he'd parked the motorcycle. It had started snowing as we headed back to his flat. Pitch didn't seem the least bit phased by the ride.

There was a box waiting for me at Charlie's place. "Thank you for warning me that it was coming," he said, as we entered the apartment, Binks was there to greet us. Charlie had sent Leo to live at a wildlife preserve, when he grew big enough to live on his own, he didn't feel comfortable keeping a healthy wild animal indoors. Binks seemed quite happy to see his other playmate, Charlie and I immediately let him out of the carrier so he and his friend could play.

"Where's Ruby?" I asked, looking at her empty perch.

"Mum asked to borrow her to help deliver christmas cards."

"Aha," I put my nap sack down and went to inspect the box.

"What's in it?" Charlie asked.

"Christmas gifts," I explained. "For your family."

"Glin, you didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I wanted to. I love giving presents. I had a friend of mine pick out stuff from the states for them. I got some muggle stuff for your dad, some really nice smelling lotion for your mom, and a big basket of American candy for the kids."

"That's really thoughtful." He kissed me.

"Thank you." I kissed him back.

"Can we see what's in it?" he sounded like an over eager little boy.

"Sure, let's crack it open." Charlie carried the box over to the couch for me, and I grabbed a letter opener from the cup on the coffee table. Inside the box were a couple of smaller packages, one of them wrapped in bright colored christmas paper. I opened the sealed note that came in the box. I read the letter out loud. "Dear Pookie," Charlie raised his eyebrows at the old nickname. "Here's the stuff you requested. I found a red sox cap for the muggle loving wizard, and the book about baseball. I stopped at Mimi's and picked up a bottle of RoseVerbina body lotion. I went to Pinches & Pounds for all sorts of excellent junkfood for the kids. The wrapped package is for you and that gorgeous hunk of man you found for yourself. Don't open it in front of the kiddies. No peaking till christmas. Happy new year, Beautiful. Love, your honey bunny, Omar. p.s. Danny says 'hi'"

"Omar's gay? isn't he?" Charlie asked.

"How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess, love."

I looked over at the clock on the mantle, it said 8:15 p.m. "What time do you have to be at work, tomorrow?"

"Petula knew that you were coming in tonight, she told me to sleep in, I don't have to speak inront of the Wizgamot until 1:30."

"Great," I whispered as I moved in to nibble on his ear. "I can keep you up late tonight," I purred as I pulled him up from the couch and into the bedroom.

Amazingly enough, I woke before Charlie, I left him to rest after our night of rather, ahem, vigorous, ahem, activity. I wanted to make breakfast for him, I'd planned on letting him sleep while I ran out to the corner grocery to pick up breakfast stuff. I put on his p.j. top (he never wore it) and his bathrobe, and wandered out to the kitchenette to take inventory of his pantry. I yelped a bit when I saw a familiar house elf standing on the kitchen counter with a basket.

"What are you doing here, Misty?" I asked, trying to sound just curious and not scolding.

"Miss Victoire Weasley told the Hogwart's house elves what Mr Charlie Weasley and Mrs Hermione Granger -Weasley is doing for them, and although most house elves are very happy in their service to their families and to the school, we understand that there are those of us who have bad masters, and Mr Charlie and Mrs Hermione are working to make their lots better. We have prepared baskets to thank them, Tillie and Bilbie are at the other Weasley house preparing their breakfast. I was sent here to help you.

"That's wonderful, thank you so much Misty, I don't want to take you from your duties at Hogwarts, though. I think I should be able to handle breakfast. Thank you, you can return to Hogwarts."

"If Professor is sure, then, I'll thank Mr Charlie and go," Before I could warn her that Charlie was still sleeping she popped out. I heard a quite squeak, and a muffled yelp from Charlie. "Misty is most sorry Mister Charlie Weasley... please, enjoy your breakfast. Please, tell Professor, that she is a very lucky witch," Misty said with a giggle, then I heard the distinctive 'pop' that comes from a house elf departure.

"Glinda! what the bloody hell was a house elf doing in my bedroom?" he shouted.

I just chuckled and rejoined him. "She was delivering breakfast," I explained, "the Hogwart's House Elves appreciate what you and Hermione are doing for them today, they sent breakfast to thank you."

"That was nice of them." He looked confused. "Why did she want me to tell you were a lucky witch?"

"Because you kicked all your covers off in your sleep."

Charlie fell back onto the bed with a groan, and pulled a pillow over his head. "How mortifying."