Early Sunday morning, Filch was walking around to look at the papers stuck up on the wall. He was with Isaac, in a secret room behind a mirror, around the corner from the marble stair case that lead to the entrance hall. Isaac was off in a corner, sorting through some old papers he had left behind from his school days.

It was really obvious that Isaac, and only Isaac, had ever made the room his personal hiding place/office. Papers about progressive research, from the seventies, on curing lycanthropy had been neatly pinned up on the wall.

"Did you find anything interesting yet?" Filch asked.

"No." Isaac admitted. "All of its outdated."

Filch looked over at him, sympathetically, "Why don't you just stop looking through all of them, then? If it's all outdated anyway-"

Isaac looked up, his eyes pleading for Filch's understanding, "I have to make sure I didn't overlook something."

Filch gave him an understanding look, then asked, "Are you going to tell Lupin that you're still trying to find a full cure?"

"No." Isaac confessed. "I don't want to get his hopes up again."

Filch nodded and then they resumed their previous activities. Filch went over to a professional looking sketch Isaac had done of the stages of a werewolf transformation. He noted that the man at the start and end looked a lot like Lupin as a teenager.

Isaac, while he still flipped through papers, asked him, suddenly, "So how does it feel, finally seeing Natalie?"

Filch turned to him and admitted, "Well, I don't feel good about not being her godfather-"

"I wasn't trying to guilt trip you." Isaac assured him.

"I know." Filch nodded. "But it's the truth. Looking at her…" He averted his eyes and remarked, "I felt guilty about leaving before, but, when I saw her," he locked eyes with Isaac again, "it was like I finally realized how much time has went by." He looked down, and added quietly, "I just wish I had been there."

Isaac asked, "Would you mind if I tell Ashley and my dad you said that?"

Filch turned to him and asked, a little skeptically, "How I feel really still means that much to them?"

Isaac gave him a slightly shocked look, "Yes. Yes, it does." Isaac got up and explained, as he went over to Filch, "Argus, we all just didn't stop loving you and your dad because you left-"

Filch smiled, sadly, "Do you mind if I tell him that? Maybe, hearing that you said that would encourage him to finally see you and everyone else again."

Isaac did a little double take, while he felt like cold, slimy feeling suddenly crept into him, "Well, didn't Severus ever tell you that, that we all missed you and your dad. Even that Natalie really wanted to meet you?"

"Yes, somewhat," Filch reminded him, "You know that it's always been hard for Severus to express his feelings, even with us."

Isaac nodded, reluctantly. Then, he asked, "But, what about when he first came here, what happened? You were the first to see each other again? That must have meant something. Severus did tell us about it, but never in great detail about how he felt or how he thought you felt."

"Well, I was happy." Filch admitted. Isaac looked at him, as if to say, "That's not all." So Filch added, reluctantly, "Well, it was awkward and it was awkward seeing you again, but—I mean you must have been worried about coming here and seeing me again."

Isaac nodded. Then, he confessed, "But I was happy too."

"Do you think you ever could get happy enough to stop cutting yourself?" Filch regretted asking that, immediately afterwards, but a part of him was sure he wouldn't take it back.

Creases formed by Isaac's eyebrows, as he studied Filch, who looked so desperate. Isaac was going to answer him, but he felt idiotic and averted his eyes. After a short moment he looked back, apologetically.

Isaac kept stopping himself from answering, with a sharp feeling of discouragement digging into him like a knife peeling away skin from an already deep and still bleeding wound. He took hold of Filch's head and kissed his forehead. They hugged like they hadn't been separated for nearly twenty years. Isaac even repeatedly ran his hand over Filch's hair.

Isaac felt like he was lying, as he told Filch, "Maybe, if I found a way to fully cure Remus and," his voice suddenly got shaky, "Frank and Alice…"

Isaac pulled away, trembling, and plopped down to sit on the floor. He laced his fingers together, pushed his hands through his hair, and tried to keep his crying silent.

Filch sat down beside him and rested a hand on his shoulder, "Don't try to keep it all in. Just get it over with."

But Isaac shook harder and only clenched his teeth, which resulted in high pitched sounds that made Filch think of a wounded animal.

Filch braced himself for a full breakdown, one where Isaac would throw objects and bang his fists against the walls and floor. But, instead, Isaac just let out a full sob and a series of more after that, all frighteningly childlike, as Filch held him.

An hour before breakfast was officially served, Isaac and Filch climbed out of the mirror. Isaac set it right and then they joined Natalie, who was waiting in the entrance hall, near the doors. She looked anxious, but like she was trying to hide it.

Isaac and Filch immediately asked, when they were down the stairs, "What's wrong?" Before she answered, they glanced at each other, unsure if sharing concern about Natalie should feel as heartwarming as it did.

Natalie had stooped a little, like she wanted to hide under her shoulders, "I just had a panic attack."

Isaac felt anguished and guilty for not being there, while Filch was torn between feeling worse for Isaac or Natalie.

Isaac took a step closer to her and said, apologetically, "Natalie, Argus was with me."

"I know." Natalie nodded. She added, eyes downcast, "I think it just happened. I'm sorry."

Deep worry lines formed around Isaac's brow. He rested his hands on her shoulder and the side of her head, "No, Natalie, you don't have to be sorry. It's not your fault."

"Ok." she said, awkwardly. She also forced herself to smile a little.

Filch gestured to the doors, "We should probably start heading to church now. Father McKenzie's been looking forward to seeing you both."

"Yeah, and I really want to meet him too. So let's go." Natalie added, in a forced chipper voice, as she turned to leave.

Filch squeezed Isaac's shoulder, briefly, and shared a small, sad smile with him on their way out.

When they were out of the castle, they immediately stopped walking, like Natalie already had. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were sitting on the edge of the fountain, turned away from Natalie and looked at them. Ron looked as miserable as Filch was annoyed. Harry had a blank expression, as Isaac and Natalie looked at him, uncertainly.

Hermione, however, got up and smiled brightly, "Good morning!"

Natalie turned to her, a little confused, but she smiled back a little, "Good morning."

She went over and extended her hand to Natalie, "Hello, I'm Hermione Granger."

Natalie shook her hand, excitedly, and gushed, "I've heard of you, already. You're the top of your class!" She added, "So I guess I won't be much use to you then."

"Not necessarily," Hermione assured her. "You definitely already know how to do more spells than I do. It's amazing, really.

Natalie insisted, sheepishly, "Well, no, I just learned everything from my uncle. He's the amazing one."

Hermione looked over at Isaac and said, "So we really must be lucky to have you here. Both of you. I mean you taught her everything she needs to know before she even had to come here."

Isaac, who was completely surprised by her enthusiastic admiration, said, "Well, Natalie was gifted to begin with, so it wasn't completely all my doing," he eyed Natalie, affectionately, "even if she thinks so."

"Well, it's still brilliant." Hermione turned back to Natalie, "When did you complete everything?"

"When I was nine," Natalie answered, humbly.

Hermione, along with Harry and Ron, widened her eyes, "Wow! That really is something!" Then, she inquired, "What about O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s, did you have to take them?"

"Yes. My Uncle Isaac gave them to me too."

"And I'm sure you did brilliantly." Hermione smiled, encouragingly.

Natalie relished being in Hermione's favor so much that she bobbed up and down, "I did! I got the highest marks on everything!"

"I knew it." Hermione told her. "We really are lucky to have you and your other uncle here."

Filch hid an approving smile, but Isaac was in complete awe of Hermione. He went over and suggested, "Well, if you come with us, to the church Mr. Filch and my brother usually go to, I'm sure Natalie could tell you what she thinks the best ways of preparing for N.E.W.T.'s are."

"Sure." Hermione turned to her, "Would you mind?"

Natalie shook her head, smiling, "No, not at all."

"That's good." Hermione smiled back at her. "Because I really would like to do as well as you,"

As they turned to go, Ron looked like someone was making him spend an hour, alone, with Draco Malfoy, while Harry's expression remained blank.

Filch and Isaac, who was looking at the back of Harry's head, followed them. Ron kept close to Harry, with gritted teeth.

Harry could feel Isaac's eyes on him and tried to focus on looking forward and picturing more enjoyable things, but then he heard Natalie say, "…I honestly just felt like this character from the nineteen ninety-five adaption A Little Princess, Ermengarde, while I was studying for them."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, excitedly, "A Little Princess! I haven't seen that version, but I used to read the book all the time, when I was younger."

"Me too!" Natalie added, "Well, actually, I still read it, but the movie, although it was really good and it's one of my favorites, was pretty different."

"How different?"

As Natalie and Hermione discussed the differences between the book and film, Harry tried to force himself not to wonder about Natalie knowing a muggle story and continued to focus on zoning out, but Isaac had a stare like his brother, which was completely unavoidable.

Ron, however, jumped into Hermione and Natalie's conversation, "Wait, hang on. That thing, a movie, my dad's told me about it. It's from the muggle world."

Harry felt Isaac's eyes slip off him, since Isaac sent a concerned look Natalie's way. Filch glared at Ron, but he didn't notice. Hermione felt like her stomach was full of spoiled milk, just like Harry did.

Natalie nodded and went back to her fragile/girl with shattered childhood attitude, as she explained, simply, "Yes, it is. My family lives in the muggle world, so I've always just went to them."

Ron gave her a look that demanded her to tell him she was lying, but Natalie continued to stare at him a little sadly. Harry and Hermione could almost hear her thinking, Of course he doesn't believe it.

"Well, aren't you going to let her talk to Miss Granger again, Weasley?" Filch barked. "Or are you just going to keep making an eleven year old feel afraid of you?"

Ron turned around and told Filch, "It's not like she's some angel! Look at who she's related to!"

Suddenly, before anyone else could react, Hermione said, without thinking, "Exceptionally brave Aurors, Ron."

Natalie locked eyes with Hermione, with an admiring and grateful smile. Hermione impulsively smiled back. Isaac watched them, intrigued.

Ron made Hermione and Harry jump, when he screamed, "Really, Hermione? You actually think that?"

Hermione nodded, a little nervously, "Yes, I do."

Ron raised one eye brow, skeptically, "About everyone she's related too?"

Natalie saw Hermione make a face like she had been asked to cheat on a test. Hermione glanced at Harry, who was just as helpless.

But then Hermione told Ron, like it had just dawned on her, "Yes. At least about anyone of her relatives that I've ever heard of,"

Ron looked from Natalie to Isaac, "Well, I bloody well don't trust you lot," he glared at Filch, "even you."

Harry felt muscles throb in his neck and he felt like his lungs couldn't get enough air. Why was Ron being so careless?

Isaac told him, venomously, "You could have just told me that."

"Or me." Filch added, with dagger eyes.

Ron studied Isaac's arm, then gave him a contemptuous look, "So what's it feel like? Having his mark on your arm?"

"Shut up!" Natalie was desperate, shaky, and had suddenly went a little pale in a way that frightened Hermione and Harry, but made Isaac hate himself and Filch feel helpless.

Hermione put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Harry remained quiet, as he felt his heart thumping quickly and Filch and Isaac suddenly felt a strong admiration for Hermione.

Hermione gave Ron a pleading look, "You really should apologize to Natalie and Mr. Snape."

Ron set his mouth in a line and looked hurt and angry. Then, he said, "No, I'm not saying sorry for telling the truth and I'm not going anywhere with Professor Snape's lackeys." He turned to Harry, "We should probably go wait around for Lupin."

Harry admitted, like he couldn't believe it himself, "No. Er, I'm going with Hermione and all of them."

Natalie saw that Hermione felt a smile tug at her lips. Isaac and Filch were too busy being in disbelief of Harry to notice.

Ron stared at him, more hurt and angry, "Fine. But-" He averted his eyes, "I'll just go wait for Lupin alone, then."

As Ron headed back to go inside, Isaac told him, hesitantly, "You can come with us." He added, like someone who just realized he forgot his wallet at a restaurant that had to ask to use one of the phones to call someone to bring it to him, "Just apologize to Natalie."

Ron said over his shoulder, "No! I meant what I said!"

Natalie called after him, "I forgive you anyway!"

Everyone, except for Isaac, was shocked. Hermione locked eyes with her and Natalie just shrugged, with a little smile.

After Ron was back inside, Isaac turned back to the others and told Harry and Hermione, "If you want to go talk to him-"

"No. Let him sulk." Hermione decided, sharply. "He was out of line—and he's a prefect!"

Natalie promised, "Well, we won't report him. So he won't be in trouble."

Hermione gave her an incredulous look and Harry finally understood how a moment could truly make you feel like you're hallucinating.

Hermione thanked Natalie, Isaac, and Filch for not reporting Ron and then they all made their way to church. Filch glanced over a short distance and saw Mrs. Norris strolling along, trying not to be seen by the others. He shrugged at her before she disappeared behind a hedge.