"I really need to pay more attention in Herbology." Harry commented, jovially, as he clipped and pulled another thick vine from a pot.

Hermione turned to him, with a Don't give me that look, "You're doing fine, Harry."

"No, no." Natalie told Harry, "If you think you need some tutoring, it's what I'm here for. You're academical struggles are how my uncle and I get paid."

Harry motioned to himself, "So it's like a team effort."

"Yeah, except you're the part of the team that doesn't get paid."

The three of them chuckled, while the others, which also now included Professor Sprout, looked over, curiously, and share confused looks.

Professor Sprout guided Justin on how to properly cut the plant he was working with and then announced, "I'll just be gone a moment to get us all some more water." Just as she turned to leave, she added, to Justin, "Oh, and, Justin, do keep your goggles on."

"Yes, Professor." he said as he moved them from his forehead to his eyes. Susan looked at him, about to laugh, which made Justin blush and ask, "What's so amusing, Susan?"

She pointed and explained, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't. You have goggle marks on your forehead."

He touched his forehead, self-consciously, "Oh, well…"

She told him, "Oh, Justin, don't worry. It's not so bad and they'll go away."

"No, Susan, why don't you just tell him what you're really thinking, that he looks ridiculous." Ernie jested.

Susan widened her eyes, turned to Ernie, and protested, "No, I didn't—I don't-"

Ernie touched her shoulder and said, "Easy, Susan. I was just joking."

Justin added, "And, really, I wasn't offended."

Susan turned to him, smiled, apologetically, and told him, "Well, I'm sorry, anyway."

While this went on, Ginny looked over at Harry, Hermione, and Natalie, who had their backs turned to the others. She did a sideways glance at Neville, then looked back over and wondered how Harry and Hermione could be so relaxed around Natalie, her uncle, and Filch too, and if it was just as possible for Neville.

Ginny saw flashes of black and brown at the glass, above the door. They made their way down, while Ginny got a sinking feeling in her stomach, and turned out to be Isaac, followed by Filch.

Isaac spotted Neville, busily working, and stopped to stare at him with a kind of recognition that surprised Ginny, while Filch leaned over and tapped Harry on the shoulder to get his, Natalie, and Hermione's attention.

Ginny was more confused by the way Harry and Hermione seemed to understand the way Isaac was looking at Neville, like a cross between when a relative is surprised by how much you have grown from the last time they saw you and a poor man who owes loan sharks.

Isaac turned to Natalie, Hermione, and Harry, shook his head, fearfully, and then walked out. Ginny could see him start running, when he was back outside, which looked like a dark creature galloping past the greenhouse.

While she watched him go, she missed Filch give Natalie a look that Harry and Hermione missed the meaning of, but it made Natalie widen her eyes, run after Isaac, and scream, "Uncle Isaac!"

Her fear startled the others enough to make them look up in time to see Hermione lead Filch and Harry after Natalie.

Afterwards, Professor Sprout returned, without the water, and asked, "What's happened? Is anyone hurt?"

"No," Ginny explained. "Mr. Snape and Mr. Filch came by and, er," she glanced, nervously, at Neville, "Mr. Snape looked like he wanted to say something to Neville-"

"What?" Neville asked, a little nervously.

"Well, he would, I guess." Professor Sprout decided, cautiously. "He and your parents were friends, when they were at school, and with Professor Snape, Ashley, and Mr. Filch."

Neville stared at her, like he was trying to convince himself he had heard her wrong.

Professor Spout added, "Well, they did seem to drift apart-"

Neville theorized, bitterly, "Probably because they figured out the Snapes are all hyped up on blood-status-"

"Neville," Professor Sprout warned him, "that's a pretty serious accusation. I should be taking you to see the headmaster. Any other teacher would."

"Good." Neville decided. "I can tell him what Snape's been doing to all of us, all of us who aren't Slytherins and pure bloods."

"No, that won't be necessary." Professor Sprout informed him, with a shake of her head. "But, Neville, try not to say things like that in front of the other professors, especially Professor Snape."

Neville stared at her, in a way that made her feel uneasy, and then asked, "Well, can you honestly say you're happy that more Snapes are here or that you trust any of them?"

"I can't." Ernie admitted.

Hannah added, "Professor Snape can be really horrible and he does seem— No, he does favor his own house and they are all into blood-status. You must have heard them talking."

Professor Sprout nodded, reluctantly. She swept her eyes over them, apologetically, "But, regardless, Isaac, Mr. Snape I mean, and Natalie are going to be here for at least a full year. They'll be in your classes. Isa—Mr. Snape wasn't a bad kid. He might be helpful and so might Natalie."

"Yeah," Ernie remarked, bitterly, "more help for those inbred Slytherins."

"Ernie." Professor Sprout warned, nervously. "Don't get caught saying things like that either."

Natalie, Hermione, Filch, and Harry had followed Isaac to more of a secret outdoor corridor, tucked away behind an opening, along the side of the school, near the back, that Harry and Hermione had never realized led to anywhere.

Red rose bushes were planted all around the circular walls and there was a second entrance on the other side they came in on. The fountain made it feel cool and calm, for the perfect hiding place.

There was a glass statue of Genevieve, in her late thirties, with only muggle clothes on, (flats, bell-bottoms, and a blouse) in the fountain. Her wand, which was one of the places water came out of, as well as the water that shot up around her from the ground she was on, was pointed out, like she was in battle. Her hair was sculpted to look like she had just turned her head and she had a fierce expression on her face.

Isaac, his back turned to them, had been staring at it, when they ran in and stopped short, in front of the entrance.

Natalie pointed and explained, quietly, "The statue is of my grandmother."

Harry and Hermione turned and saw the same kind of longing and respect Harry had for his parents etched on Natalie and Filch's faces.

The four of them walked over and saw the same look on Isaac's face, although he also looked like he felt unworthy of even being in the presence of his mother's statue.

Hermione nudged Harry and got him to look at the gold plaque on the ledge that said,

In Memory of Genevieve Snape

March 3, 1939-November 15, 1977

Co-founder of The Muggle Guards,

mother of Isaac, Severus, and Ashley,

wife of Donovan Snape,

friend to anyone who needed help

"We were so lucky to have you."

-Her friends and family

Harry and Hermione felt hot pressure on the back of their eyes, but were just stopped short of crying because of the sentiment the plaque gave off, when Isaac looked over at them.

"We couldn't get the Ministry to display her statue more openly on the grounds. Professor Dumbledore tried to help, but, this statue got so delayed in production that by the time it was done my brother had already joined and left the death eaters."

Hermione's eyes glistened, "That's not right! You're mum was a great witch! Everyone should get to see this statue and know what she did!"

"Thank you." Isaac told her, with a sad, but grateful, smile.

"How did she die?" Harry asked. When Isaac turned to him, he glanced at the statue and added, "Was she fighting someone?"

Isaac glanced at the statue and his mouth twitched up into a small smile. Then, he turned to Harry, "No. Well, sort of. She didn't die during the battle. We-that also included," he gestured to Filch, "Mr. Filch and his father—thought that it was more respectful, that it showed who my mother was," they all looked up at the statue with him, "to have her statue look like this."

Isaac breathed, harshly, and everyone turned to see him struggling not to cry. He admitted, "She died from being hexed. It was the summer after my seventh year. Some death eaters came to my family's neighborhood…" Filch started to feel transparent, as if they would all read his mind and suddenly know about Alison, "They had come earlier, that winter, and tried to kill some of our friends, muggle friends, Fiona and Shelley Clyde, they were taking their gap year, and Margaret Macgregor, who was about thirty at the time, and her son, Anthony-"

"He was only nine." Filch shared.

Harry and Hermione looked horrified and Hermione asked, "Do you know who those death eaters were? Did they get cought?"

"Yes," Isaac told her. "Philip Brawn, Lucas Trent, and David Gideon." He added, after a deep breath, "Mr. Gideon was alright, in the end. He sabotaged both operations. That's what he was doing to try and defeat Voldemort. Voldemort had found out he was a good duelist and forced him to join him or he would kill his wife, Rachel, who was a muggle. He joined Voldemort to save her and in hope of stopping him. When Voldemort found out, he sent every death eater after him, but I found him before they could. My brother had left Voldemort around then and he knew that Voldemort had sent every death eater after him." Isaac reflected, as he, inwardly, juggled the pros and cons of Voldemort sending his followers to hunt David down, "That's how my brother got away. Well, when I found Mr. Gideon, I brought him back to my family's house and we took him to the Ministry of Magic, where they tried him and cleared him based on my brother's testimony and memories."

"Memories can be used as evidence?" Harry asked, as he recalled his own experience in court.

"Not anymore." Isaac explained. "It was eventually deemed too risky, because people can make false ones that look very real."

Hermione argued, "But they could just hire people to investigate-"

"The Ministry could do a lot of things." Isaac remarked, understandingly, with a brief smile.

Harry and Hermione recalled Fudge's stance on Voldemort not being back, the previous year, and nodded.

Harry turned to Filch, "Mr. Filch? All those things you did for Umbridge, and the threats you made, when you would go around scaring the first years-"

Filch felt like his insides had melted into a thick stew and he was numb. He strongly avoided looking at Isaac and Natalie, but mostly Isaac, who could tell, as he explained, "I was trying to stop her from getting to all of you. The more she heard I was doing, the more she felt she didn't have to bother. She was already aware of the things I said, my empty threats and empty complaints about how Professor Dumbledore runs things—I wanted to protect all of you." His voice had started to break at the end, but he steadied it.

Natalie and Hermione caught on to Filch's feelings and looked away and wished they could have stopped Harry, who felt ready to kick himself, while Isaac, who could painfully remember Filch before he bullied kids about half his age, thought, in disbelief, He really still looks up to me.

Filch swept his eyes over them, "Well, I'll admit, I must have seemed like a complete git."

Harry wanted to tell him he wasn't, but, like Hermione, the memories of the bitter, mean caretaker, with the evil cat-lackey was too much. Natalie had heard enough of Snape's accounts on Filch, although he always justified Filch's attitude towards the students and Dumbledore, to have always known Filch's description of himself was unarguable.

Isaac felt it yank on his soul, Filch's desire for his acceptance. He smiled a little and said, "Well, you're not a complete git. You only seemed like one and it was, last year, for a good cause."

Filch looked over at him and couldn't help but give him a small smile. Natalie admired it for everything it meant to Filch and how it gave her uncle purpose, while Harry and Hermione just understood Isaac's comforting abilities were at work.

Isaac turned to the kids and explained, "I know you think I should talk to Neville, but what happened to his parents-"

"It's not your fault." Harry insisted, while the others stared in agreement.

Isaac smiled, nostalgically, "You're truly Lily's son." Harry smiled, thankfully. Then, Isaac lost his smile and explained, "Well, regardless of it being my fault or not, it's too difficult for me to talk to Neville, right now."

"You don't have to tell him about what happened yet." Natalie pointed out.

"I wasn't going too." Isaac told her. Then, he admitted to Harry and Hermione, "I know you two might want to tell him-"

"We won't." Harry and Hermione said together.

They glanced at each other, before Hermione added, "Not if you don't want us too, sir."

Isaac smiled, sadly, "Thank you," he looked down, "and I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be." Harry assured him.

Isaac looked up, gave a brief smile, and Hermione nodded.

Isaac announced, "Well, it seems, most likely, that I'll be subbing for my brother tomorrow, with," he eyed his niece, affectionately, "Natalie's help and I need to go over the lesson plans." He turned to filch and added, "Mr. Filch has offered to help me."

Filch turned to him and nodded, "Right,"

Natalie turned to Harry and Hermione, "Well, we could probably head back to the green house."

Harry and Hermione suddenly became aware that they still had all their gear on and nodded.

When the three of them got back to the greenhouse, only Professor Sprout was there. She had been leaning against a back table, reflecting on something, and exhaled deeply.

She looked up, as they came in and put on a smile, "You're back, so soon. The others left, so you seem to have the whole place to yourselves. Work with what you like. I'll be in the back… sorting some things."

As she left, Harry, Natalie, and Hermione exchanged grim looks.