Harry, Natalie, and Hermione weren't surprised that, when they got back to the great hall, everyone stopped talking to watch them. Harry and Hermione gave Natalie sympathetic looks, before they took their seats, across from Ron, and she had to go to the head table, alone.

Harry informed Ron, immediately, "They all got suspended."

"Until November," Hermione added.

The Gryffindors in earshot smiled, which all the others houses saw, and passed the news along.

Ron looked like he had gotten another chance to see Malfoy turned into a ferret, "Almost two months without Malfoy, Crabbe, or Goyle, and Parkinson. It's good-"

Fred, George, Lee, and Seamus came over, behind Ron, although they had been sitting on the other side of the table. George remarked, "It would have been better, if they had all been expelled."

As everyone voiced their agreement, Harry and Hermione eyed each other, but decided against sticking up for Malfoy, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Harry and then Hermione looked over at Natalie, who, instead of taking her seat, was standing by Flitwick and Hagrid to inform them about the suspension.

"Harry?"

Harry and Hermione turned to look at Neville, who was now standing behind Ron, along with Ginny.

Neville asked, "So what's he like? Snape's brother, I mean, and their niece too."

Neville's way of asking was different from what they had expected, almost as if he had learned something along the lines of what they knew about Isaac.

Harry and Hermione glanced at Ron, who shook his head.

Then, Harry swept his eyes over his friends, as he admitted, "He's nice, so is Natalie." Harry motion to the door way, "Well, you saw how Mr. Snape saved me, and Hermione, and Natalie."

"That was incredible." George reflected and everyone nodded or mumbled their agreement.

Lee asked, curiously, "But what about him hanging around Filch?"

Harry, instantly, explained, "Well, they were friends, when they were younger."

He suddenly remembered, like Hermione, Filch had been in their school years photographs, but they both thought it was better not to mention that. All Filch needed was for it to be revealed that he came, as a kid, to work at Hogwarts. It was obvious. He was desperate to be there.

Lee remarked, "Yeah, but surely he must know what Filch is like, how he treated us, when Umbridge was headmistress. He was actually worse than Snape."

Harry and Hermione were both about to respond, when Luna and Dean came over, behind them, despite the fact the Ravenclaw table was next to Ron's side of the table.

Luna suggested, "Maybe, all those horrible things Mr. Filch did, last year, was just because Umbridge had taken over-"

"So he just wanted to save his own skin?" Seamus asked, contemptuously of Filch.

Luna replied, "Maybe, not." but no one paid her much attention other than Harry, Hermione, and Dean.

Hermione confided, "I think you're right about him, Luna."

Harry added, "I do too."

Dean confessed, "So do I."

Luna, who was surprised to have three people honestly agree with her, smiled a little.

When dinner was over, as the other students and staff walked out of the great hall, Harry and Hermione hung back, after they informed Ron they wanted to talk to Natalie. He had looked ready to argue, but just said, "Yeah, alright. Er, I'm pretty tired. I'll probably already have gone to bed, when you get up there."

Natalie waited to appear beside Hermione, until Ron had left. By then, the last of the students left too.

The three of them heard Hagrid clear his throat, behind them, and turned around. He gave them all a concerned look, "It's been an interestin' day. How are you three holdin' up?"

The three of them turned to each other and then replied that they were fine.

Hagrid smiled, without happiness, "Glad to hear it. It's nice to see you three are getting' on so well." He added to Natalie, "And when our Ron comes aroun', which shouldn't take too long, I reckon, you'll see how good a friend he can be too."

Natalie smiled for him, "Yeah. He just needs some time to get used to me. So do most people here, I guess."

Hagrid looked sorry for her and confessed, "Well, I'm glad you're here, and your uncle Isaac. He was a fine boy and a good auror, I reckon." Hagrid just remembered to add, "Your uncle Severus is good too o'course and your mum." He confessed, sheepishly, "I'm sure I could say the same thing about your dad, if I could remember him or knew 'im better now."

Natalie half-smiled, "He was pretty quiet at school, apparently."

Hagrid nodded, "Nothin' wrong with that. Sometimes it's better to be quiet."

Natalie nodded.

Hagrid said, "Well, I better be getting' to Fang, my dog." Natalie nodded, already aware that Fang existed and was a dog. "Poor thing hasn't eatin' yet. I usually feed 'im before I come here, but I forgot today. I'll be seein' you, then."

"Bye, Hagrid." Harry and Hermione said.

Natalie said, "Bye, Professor Hagrid."

Hagrid smiled at her, over his shoulder, "Maybe, people will like you sooner, after they see how polite you are."

She smiled back, "I think only the professors would care about that."

Hermione told her, "And me."

Hagrid heard the three of them chuckling, as he headed out. A few paces away from the giant hour glasses for house points, he met up with Filch, Isaac, and Lupin, who were discussing something in low voices.

The four of them nodded once in acknowledgement and Hagrid told them, "If you're lookin' for Natalie, she's in there, with Harry and Hermione."

Isaac nodded, "Thank you, Hagrid."

Then, he led Filch and Lupin into the great hall, just in time to hear Natalie say, "I stayed up late, last night, so I want to get enough sleep tonight, especially since it's my first day of actually working."

Harry and Hermione assured her it was fine with them that she wanted to go to sleep and then they all noticed Filch, Isaac, and Lupin.

Lupin confessed to Natalie, "I didn't get enough sleep, before my first day of teaching, and I deeply regretted it, by the middle of my first class."

Harry commented, "You seemed so awake in our class."

Lupin confessed, "Well, coffee helped, but I still felt very tired." He shared, "I'll be heading to bed myself." He looked at Isaac, "What about you?"

Isaac replied, "Soon, I think, but you should both go, to get a full eight hours sleep. My brother gave," he eyed Filch, "Argus his lesson plans for tomorrow, in case he didn't make it back soon enough. And I should really go over them."

"Alright," Lupin said. He turned to Natalie and they walked out together, after saying goodnight to everyone.

Isaac watched Lupin and Natalie leave, only until Harry said, "Mr. Snape?"

Isaac glanced at him, "Yes?" then looked back at the door.

Harry shared a confused look with Hermione, before he said, "I didn't get a chance to thank you for saving us."

"Me either." Hermione added.

Isaac turned to them and said, humbly, "You don't have to-"

"Yes, we do." Harry and Hermione insisted.

Isaac smiled for them, "Alright. And I should also be thanking you, for being so nice to Natalie-"

Harry and Hermione shook their heads, "You don't have to-"

"Yes, I do." Isaac told them, in so heartfelt a voice that they couldn't argue. "You've seen how she is. For the longest time, I just thought she would never be like a regular child again, but around you two, she acts like one. She is one. And no matter how happy I or anyone else has ever made her, we never had that effect on her. I don't know what it is that you two have." He looked at Hermione, "Maybe, the way you greeted her today-"

"I was just being friendly." Hermione admitted. "I, well… I saw how nervous she was, yesterday, at breakfast and I just felt bad for her."

Isaac nodded. Then, he told her and Harry, "Well, you were both a lot nicer to her than, I'm sorry to admit, I thought you would be. You even said nice things about my brother to her, after what you told Professor Lupin."

Hermione told him, "And," she glanced at Harry, "we really do know we were wrong, that your brother doesn't hate me for being muggleborn-"

Isaac smiled, but with hints of sadness, as he nodded, "Yes, well, I understand how you could think he might," he looked her dead in the eyes, "but he doesn't."

Hermione and Harry nodded.

Then, Isaac informed them, "I'm awarding-"

"You don't have to." Harry and Hermione insisted.

"Yes, I do." Isaac stated, firmly. "You'll both get nine hundred points each, for considerable character." Hermione turned to Harry, just as stunned as he was. They were both ready to refuse, when Isaac explained, fondly, "Don't bother arguing. Getting house points is just the same as losing them, you can't refuse it."

Hermione stifled an obvious crush-giggle and just shared a grin with Harry.

Filch told them, humorously, "You should both get to bed, before I have to give you detention for being out after curfew."

Harry and Hermione chuckled, but more from being surprised about being kidded with by Filch. They nodded and then headed out.

When they were gone, Isaac gave Filch a sentimental smile, which Filch relished, like Hermione when her parents rejoiced over her grades.

Isaac told him, like he would have, when they were kids, "Now, that's the Argus I know and love."

Filch lost his smile, as he told him, "Well, I was only joking around with them. I don't know how I'll be, with the other students," he confessed, bitterly, "especially their friend, Weasley."

Isaac had also stopped smiling and admitted, "I'm not happy with him either, but, unfortunately, it's not the worst these kids might do to her."

Filch shared a worried look with Isaac a moment, before he avoided eye contact and asked, "About my dad; well, I told you what time he goes to Gringotts." He locked eyes with Isaac, "Are you going to tell yours?"

Isaac nodded, "Yes. Really, I would just like to not tell either of them and, somehow, get them both in Gringotts at eleven, but I know how I would feel, if someone told Neville about my involvement with his parents. I…" He looked like he was about to vomit, but just said, "I need time and," he looked less queasy and said, "our dads will need time too, but, maybe, if we tell them now, when each of them goes to Gringotts," he added, gently, "maybe, they will eventually see each other. Your dad might let you tell us where he lives and they could write first."

Filch asked, "What if I get my dad at the fire place, in my room. He gives me enough bags of the pre-set charm to get it-"

"I know." Isaac told him.

Filch realized Snape must have told him and nodded. Then, he said, "Well, I could get him, and you could stand to the side, and then get down and talk to him." Filch's voice faltered at the end, when he realized Isaac wouldn't go for it.

Isaac shook his head, apologetically, "No. I want to do, but it's not fair to your dad." He paused a moment, considering his next words. Then, he admitted, "I tried to track you both down, that morning, when we found out you left-"

He stopped because of Filch's guilt ridden face and the way he avoided his eyes, "I'm sorry."

Isaac shook his head, "No, Argus, I'm not mad." He added, when Filch looked up, "At either of you." They shared a dismal What can you do? look, before Isaac added, "And ever since Severus started working here, I wanted to ask him to find out where you lived and where your father lived, but I didn't think that would be fair to you, your dad, or Severus. My dad agrees, but probably only out of guilt for what happened to Severus," he pressed his hand to his chest, "which I also feel guilty about-"

"Is that one of the reasons why you cut yourself?" Filch blurted out.

Isaac stared at him a moment, with a tight throat and a double knot in his stomach. He admitted, hesitantly, "It wasn't why I started."

Filch looked down, "Does-" He looked up, suddenly, "Do you cut yourself because my dad and I left?"

Isaac closed his eyes, regretfully. When he opened them, he nodded and said, "A few times, yes, but it was only after what happened to Frank, and Alice, and Ben-"

Filch paled and felt like his saliva had traces of iron in it. His voice was thin, "We wouldn't have left…"

Isaac wrapped his arms around him, the back of Filch's head cradled in his right hand. He could feel Filch shake and heard him cry on his shoulder. Isaac kissed him, twice, on the cheek.

Isaac told him, "You don't have to feel bad. Tell your dad the same goes for him too."

Ginny was sitting, with Neville, on one of the red couches, below a tiny window. She had been continuously glancing at him, since they left the great hall.

Talk of Isaac saving Harry, Natalie, and Hermione, Harry and Hermione having been seen with Snape's lackeys, and Malfoy, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle's suspension buzzed around them, but Neville was trying to detached himself.

When he finally turned to Ginny, he asked, in a low voice, "If Snape and his siblings were such good friends with my parents, why didn't my gran ever mention them?"

Ginny offered, "Maybe, she didn't know. Professor Sprout did say Snape was a Slytherin. Maybe, your dad didn't want to tell her about that-"

Neville nodded, in shock, "That he was friends with a Slytherin." Ginny watched him, sympathetically. Neville had looked away, at the floor, as he tried not to cry. When he felt ready, he looked back at her, "It doesn't make any sense. My parents were aurors and in the Order. And shouldn't Snape have been nicer to me all these years, if he was their friend?"

Ginny shrugged, "Maybe, he was just a tag-along friend and Mr. Snape and Ashley were really the ones friends with your parents."

Neville averted his eyes and nodded. He added, "But why didn't they ever bother to come and see me?"

Ginny struggled to form an answer.

On the other side of the room, at one of the other couches, although George was sitting in one of the chairs at the table next to it, Seamus asked Fred, George, and Lee, "How long could you possibly spend talking to Lovegood. Five minutes would be enough to drive me crazy."

"Well, he's crazy about her." George said. He recalled, fondly, "I remember being crazy for a girl, an older woman, actually. But, despite, the age gap, we had a special connection."

Fred informed the others, "She was twelve and he was five. He asked her to be his girlfriend and she just thought he was," he imitated her voice, "'the cutest little thing'."

George added, "You couldn't see it, Fred, but there was passion in her words."

"Yes, she wanted to passionately mother you-"

"No, she wanted to spend the rest of our lives together."

Fred chuckled, "Ok, George."

Lee pointed out, "Looks like you're brother and Dean aren't the only ones crazy over someone." Everyone turned to him and he pointed his chin at Ginny and Neville. They were close together, staring at each other intently, and Ginny had placed her hand over Neville's.

Fred turned to George, "Well, considering it will be up to us to do all the grilling, how does this sound, 'So what exactly are your intentions with our innocent Neville?'."

The four of them laughed and, before they could say anything else, the portrait hole opened. The room got quiet, but they all sighed, when only Dean walked in.

He gave them a bored look and announced, "They're coming up the stairs now." He headed over to his friends, as everyone stared back at the portrait hole.

Outside the common room, Harry and Hermione shared slightly apprehensive looks, as the portrait swung open. They climbed in, side by side, and stood in front of the others.

Harry looked at Hermione and then told everyone, "I know that most of you were ready to hate Mr. Snape and Natalie as much as you hate Professor Snape. I was too, but after spending so much of the day with them, I can't hate them."

Hermione jumped in, "Natalie's our friend, now." She looked at Harry, before she admitted, "Which is why we hope you won't say anything bad about Professor Snape to her at least."

Harry added, "We know how much of a git he can be, but he's her uncle and she doesn't deserve to hear bad things about him."

"She'll probably see it for herself." a fourth year boy with wavy, medium brown hair remarked.

Harry nodded, reluctantly, and then said, "Well, at any rate, she doesn't have to hear it from us."

The others exchanged uncertain looks and then eventually the boy who spoke before asked, "How come Ron's not friends with her, if Snape's niece is really so nice?"

Hermione answered, "He's friendly with her-"

"No, he's not." the boy argued. He shared, with the others, "This morning, I was on the second floor, and a window was open, and I heard Ron yelling at someone about Natalie being related to Snape. I couldn't see them, but it must have been him, Harry, Hermione, Natalie, Mr. Snape, and Filch." He added, "He also asked Mr. Snape what it was like having the dark mark on his arm."

The others got uneasy and Lee Jordan asked, "Was he really a death eater?"

"Was Snape one?" Fred asked.

"No," Harry lied, "neither of them were."

"How do you know?" a third year girl, with a flaxen half-ponytail inquired. "They always wear long sleeves and maybe that's why."

"I've seen the part of their arms it would be on." Harry told her. "Last year, when I had to do remedial potions with Snape, he rolled them up a lot and, today, Isaac rolled up his sleeves and he didn't have it either."

Harry waited for his fellow housemates' response and he and Hermione prayed they didn't ask about what Isaac's arms looked like. It had just occurred to them that he probably kept them covered to hide gruesome, work-related scars.

Thankfully, though, the other Gryffindors were satisfied enough and just nodded or mumbled something, before they returned to regular activities.

Harry and Hermione exchanged quick smiles and then headed to their own dorms. It wasn't that late, but it might have well been midnight by the way they felt, drained and too tired to think up lies they could remember if anyone was going to bombard them with questions.

Just as Hermione was about to open the door to her dormitory, she turned around, before Harry entered his, "Harry?"

He turned to her, halfway through the door, "Yeah?"

"Thanks." she said, with a smile she couldn't fight. "For coming with me, today, I mean."

Harry smiled back at her, "Thanks for suggesting it. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have met Father McKenzie."

Hermione nodded, understandingly. It was more than just meeting Father McKenzie that Harry was thankful for, obviously, but they couldn't risk the others, especially Neville, hearing.

There was a pause between them, as they recalled Isaac having to watch Neville's parents suffer the cruciatus curse, the Snape siblings by their half-dead father, Father McKenzie watch Ben die. It made them both tremble a little.

"I love you, Harry." Hermione said, almost in a whisper.

Harry looked like his eyes were about to glisten and admitted, softly, "I love you too, Hermione."

Hermione nodded and then turned away. Harry watched her go, for a few seconds, and then went up the staircase to his own dormitories.

On his way up, Harry felt like his chest had an anchor in it and sludge was in his stomach and throat. He recalled how Ron had sacrificed himself in the giant wizards chess their first year and how, last year, if Antonin Dolohov's spell had been verbally casted, Hermione would be dead.

Harry sobbed, softly, and had to stop and lean against the wall. He felt ready to vomit, but straightened himself and willed his dinner to stay in him. Harry continued up and vowed that, although they wouldn't know about it, whatever adventure was in store for him this year, Ron, Hermione, and just no one but him would be involved in the climax.

He did, apparently, have to kill Voldemort after all. Even if it was Voldemort, it was awful to watch someone die and, he figured, especially even worse if it was by your own hand.

Ron was either asleep or just pretending, when Harry got in. Harry really didn't care either way and just pulled off his shoes, took off his belt, put his glasses on his night stand and went to bed.