A/N: This is it: Chapter twenty! I promised it would be a big one, so hopefully it delivers! This one is for the resident 'Hilah' fans, so enjoy! I told you Lilah would be back with a vengeance! The next couple of chapters should have a strong Hilah flavor as well.

Harry was on cloud nine that night. He and Ron played a round of wizard's chess before they went to bed.

"So, how did your, erm, date with Hermione go?" Ron asked. "She looked like an angel this evening, didn't she?'

"It wasn't really a date, Ron," Harry clarified. "It's just two friends getting a couple of hours to ourselves more than anything." He smiled at his friend. "And yes, I've never seen Hermione look so divine. She's a truly beautiful girl, especially with her hair looking smooth like that."

"Well, both of you dressed up really nice," Ron replied. "Isn't that what couples do on dates?"

"She's worth dressing up for, yes," Harry said. "But I'm just eleven years old. I'm not ready to date anyone. Not Hermione. Not Lilah. Not now, at least."

"Did she kiss you?" Ron asked.

"That's really none of your business, mate," Harry retorted.

"So I take that as a 'yes'," Ron said with a silly expression on his face.

Harry sighed. "Yes, she gave me a couple of pecks on the forehead and such, and we hugged a couple of times, but I promise we're just friends. It's not a huge deal. In some ways – in a lot of ways, she's like one of the guys. Same with Lilah."

Ron smirked. "She wouldn't hug and kiss you if she didn't feel something for you, Harry."

"We've also been through a few things lately that are very personal in nature," Harry clarified. "It's not that I don't trust you, but with all due respect, you wouldn't understand if I explained to you. It's… Muggle business, and I'll leave it at that."

"No worries," replied Ron with a smirk. "Both Hermione and Lilah are Muggle-born, and you were Muggle-raised, so you three have a frame of reference that I could never have."

"Thanks for respecting our privacy," Harry said gratefully. He then grinned broadly. "Checkmate, by the way."

The next morning, Harry joined his friends at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. He hugged Hermione as he wished her a good morning, and high-fived Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean. He quickly scrawled a note to Professor McGonagall about his plans to take Lilah to Hogsmeade Station this upcoming weekend, and rolled up the parchment as he waited for the owls to deliver post that morning. He also wrote a quick note to Professor Burbage requesting a few extra days to use the portable cassette player as he still needed to sing Lilah's song.

A few minutes later, a flurry of grey and white feathers stormed the Great Hall to deliver the daily post. Hedwig dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet next to Harry's eggs and sausage links.

"Good morning, Hedwig," Harry said softly to his feathered friend. "I have a little something for Professor McGonagall. Could you please get this to her? It's rather important. I also have a note for Professor Burbage. Could you also take that to her? That's a good girl." He stroked her chin feathers, and offered her a small piece of his sausage. She pecked at the bit of sausage, but it didn't take long for her to polish it off.

"Thank you so much for a fantastic evening," Hermione said to Harry. She leaned her head on Harry's shoulder. "You know how to treat a girl right."

Ron chortled softly, and Dean and Seamus made kissing sounds. Harry rolled his eyes, and Hermione gave the other three boys a bit of a dirty look.

Hermione whispered into Harry's ear. "Don't worry about them, they wouldn't understand." Harry simply nodded in response.

At that moment, Lilah and Susan arrived at the Gryffindor table. Lilah plopped on the other side of Harry, and Susan next to Lilah.

"So, how did last night go?" Lilah asked Harry and Hermione with a bit of a giggle. "Inquiring minds want to know!" added Susan.

"It was brilliant," sighed Hermione. She kept her voice down so that the others at the table couldn't hear. "I know you've got to be giddy about going to Hogsmeade Village yourself."

A huge smile crept on Lilah's face. "As luck would have it, Harry and I are hoping to go next weekend. Do you… do you think you could teach me that beautification charm that you did for me on my birthday almost a month ago? The halo braid?" she asked in a similarly hushed tone.

"It'd be my pleasure," Hermione said with an equally huge smile. "And I'd be equally delighted if you could teach me the French braid charm you did for my birthday."

"Deal," giggled Lilah.

"I'll tell you more about last night, later on," Hermione told Lilah and Susan. "Maybe at lunch at the Hufflepuff table?" She motioned toward Ron, Dean, and Seamus with her head.

Lilah and Susan immediately took the hint. "That's fine," they replied.

"Well, I will say that you looked beyond beautiful last night, Hermione," Lilah said. "Your outfit was precious, and your hair was gorgeous! Was that a charm?"

Hermione flashed a radiant smile. "Good old fashioned elbow grease," she said with a note of pride.

Susan's jaw dropped. "You must really care for Harry, then," she whispered.

Hermione nodded. "Deeply," she said softly. "He's worth the effort."

The following Monday, Harry received a pair of notes from Hedwig – replies from the notes he wrote to Professors McGonagall and Burbage.

He opened the first note, from Professor McGonagall.

"Mister Potter,

Thank you for reaching out to me. It's my pleasure to assist you any way I can – be it academic or extracurricular. I couldn't help but notice the joy on your face, as well as Miss Granger's on Friday – it was easy to tell that you both had a wonderful time. If you and Miss Darling would like to go out this coming Friday evening, that's perfectly acceptable. I have attached two more permission notes for yourself and Miss Darling, and once again, I have attached directions to get to Hogsmeade Village.

In other, even more positive news, I have started the paperwork to have the Darlings become your effective guardians. I anticipate it will take many, many weeks – if not months, but it's safe to assume that you will be able to stay with them starting this summer. I have taken the precaution to also start the paperwork with Miss Granger's family, in the unlikely event that things do not work out with Miss Darling's family. I just want you to be taken care of during the holidays, and I know the castle can be very lonely when class is not in session.

I've also gotten a note from Miss Granger concerning the possibility of you staying with her family for Christmas. All that we need is written approval from her parents. I will let you know either way.

It's very obvious that both these young ladies adore you, Harry. They would be equally delighted to have you as a foster brother, and no matter where you are placed, I highly encourage you to keep in contact with the other family. I know there's a certain magic about the mutual friendship that the three of you share. You and Miss Granger ought to find a way to contact Miss Darling during the Christmas holiday – I know there are various Muggle means of doing so.

Keep being yourself, Harry. You're an exemplary pupil and I'm proud to call you one of my own. If you need anything, I'm just an owl away.

Sincerely,

Professor M. McGonagall"

Then, he unrolled the second note from Professor Burbage.

"Hello Harry,

Thanks for reaching out to me. You asked if Friday afternoon was a good time to return the portable cassette player and the tapes – that should be fine, but in the event that I'm not in my office, there is a silver filing cabinet by the window that you may place them in. The temporary password to open the office door will be 'tempus fugit'.

Have a terrific week,

Charity Burbage

Professor of Muggle Studies"

Harry went over to the Hufflepuff table to share the good news with Lilah.

"Hiya, Lilah!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh, hiya Harry!" Lilah replied excitedly. "How are you doing?"

"Terrific," said Harry. "I have something to tell you during our shared free period."

"Oh?" gasped Lilah. "I hope it's good news."

Harry smiled reassuringly. "It's very good news, I think. I got a note from Professor McGonagall… well, I'd like to show it to you then since maybe you'd rather want to read it for yourself."

Lilah nodded. "Sounds good to me, Harry. I'll see you then!"

"See you then, Lilah," replied Harry.

Later in the morning, Harry met Lilah at their usual spot, under the large oak tree, not too far from the quidditch pitch.

Harry saw her familiar grey knee-high socks and shiny black Mary Jane shoes sticking out on the grass from a distance, and hurried his way to join her under the canopy. It was early October, and there was a bit of a nip in the air, so Lilah wore her black and gold scarf today. She was reading her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, and didn't even notice Harry sneak up on her.

"Oh, hiya, Harry!" she said. "You startled me a little bit."

"Hello, Lilah," Harry said. "I'm sorry, I guess I didn't expect you to be, well, studying here."

"You were a little late today, you know." She smiled sweetly. "I had to pass the time somehow."

"I didn't mean to be late, Lilah," Harry replied. "Ron was chatting my ear off and I didn't want to be rude or anything."

Lilah giggled. "It's not a big deal at all, Harry. You're fine."

Harry grinned as he dug into his robe pocket. "Oh, here's the note that Professor McGonagall sent me." He handed it to Lilah.

She carefully read the letter, and returned it to Harry with a big smile on her face.

"Thank you for inviting me, Harry," she said sweetly. "And I think I understand why you want to spend Christmas with Hermione's family. I didn't know that Professor McGonagall had my family in mind as a permanent home for you. Both my parents and I would be delighted beyond description, you know. And I would be equally delighted to spend some time with Hermione outside of school."

Her smile broadened. "Professor McGonagall's absolutely right, there is a certain chemistry – a magic, if you will – that the three of us share. Even if you and Hermione just phone me during the Christmas break, it would mean the world to me. I'll give her my parents' address and phone number at lunch today so she can forward it to her parents."

"Terrific," said Harry. "I'm sure she'd love that. You know she'd do the same for you."

"Oh, I have something else to tell you, Harry," Lilah said. Her face couldn't contain her sheer excitement.

"What's that, Lilah?" Harry asked.

Lilah produced a note from her pocket. "Perhaps you'd prefer to read it."

Harry took the note from Lilah:

"Dear Miss Darling,

I heard back from Professor Hudgens in Australia yesterday regarding your friend, Dawn Finn. I have some exciting news for you: Miss Finn is indeed a witch, and a first-year student at Snakebinder Academy! He has informed me that he has reached out to Miss Finn, and it sounds like that she is interested in maintaining an 'owl pal' relationship with you. You should hopefully be getting a note from her in the next couple of weeks.

Snakebinder Academy is rather different than Hogwarts in that the students are not sorted into houses. It's a much smaller school than Hogwarts and not as tradition-steeped, but it's a quality school nonetheless and from what I gather, Miss Finn is doing quite well for herself there.

At any rate, I just wanted to share the good news. I know you and Harry will have a great time tonight at the Three Broomsticks. As a gentle reminder, curfew still applies, so please be mindful of the time. I know you and Harry are responsible children, which is why I agreed to write these permission notes in the first place. You've earned the right to relax for a couple of hours after a long week of studies.

Sincerely,

Professor M. McGonagall"

Harry's eyes widened. "That is so cool, Lilah! You were right about your friend all along."

Lilah beamed. "I was gifted with premonitions – I could see things before they happened. I couldn't always explain the whys or the whos or the whats, but it all makes sense now. Knowing that Dawn was a witch was much stronger than a mere gut feeling, it was really a magical connection!"

"That does make sense," replied Harry. "Strange things happened around me before I went to Hogwarts as well, things I couldn't explain. Like, unknowingly setting a snake free in the reptile garden when I visited the zoo with my cousin for his birthday earlier this year."

"That's why we're at Hogwarts. They can help explain the unexplainable, they can help hone our gifts," replied Lilah.

"Do you miss the Muggle world?" Harry asked Lilah sincerely.

"A little bit, but not as much as I thought I would," replied Lilah. "My very best friends walk the halls of Hogwarts. I'm very proud of being a witch, even a Muggle-born one. I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world."

"I don't miss it at all," Harry said. "I feel a sense of belonging at Hogwarts that I never did back in Surrey. I feel… accepted. You and Hermione are amazing friends. Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus are cool kids too. And I really admire Professor McGonagall, I get the feeling that she really has my back. She really, really wants me to succeed. I mean, she wants all of her students to succeed, but it seems so personal between her and me. Like, I'm special to her, you know?

"She looks at you almost like you're her own grandson, Harry," Lilah agreed. "She really, really cares for you. She may look prim-and-proper on the outside, but that lady has a heart of gold. I love Professor Sprout, don't get me wrong – she's terrific – but I would have been just as happy having Professor McGonagall as my house head. You're lucky to have her." She gave Harry a gentle hug. "And I'm just as lucky to have you as my best friend."

"And I'm lucky to have you as my best friend," replied Harry. "I can't wait for Friday evening." He smirked at Lilah. "And you don't have to dress to impress me like Hermione did. You'd look beautiful in a sweatshirt and blue jeans."

"Harry, you're worth dressing up for," Lilah countered. "I can't guarantee I'll look as pretty as Hermione did, but I promise I'll look nice for you."

"You really don't have to," Harry said. He looked into her icy blue eyes. "And Lilah, you're an incredibly beautiful girl. Please don't tell anyone this, but Hermione's a little jealous of your looks. Which is too bad, because she's truly a beautiful girl herself." He paused briefly.

"Your hair is so silky smooth – it took her hours to get hers to look like as smooth as yours on Friday. Your eyes are such a unique shade of blue. It's like they're almost silver. She's jealous of that. And her front teeth are a little weird…"

"Oh Harry," Lilah protested. "I have my imperfections too. My front teeth look fine, but my molars are a bit wonky. My lips are too thin, and I have an undersized right earlobe. At least Hermione never had any issues with getting her ears pierced. It was a right chore to have mine done!"

"I'm sorry," Harry said. "I guess I don't have to live with that, so I don't have a frame of reference. But I did appreciate the effort Hermione put in to look the way she did for our date-not-date. It didn't go unnoticed."

Lilah giggled, her silky blonde locks jiggling as her torso wiggled. "Date-not-date? Is that what you called your outing with Hermione? That's too cute, Harry."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know what else to call it. I mean, I'm not ready for real dates or anything…"

"Soiree is a perfectly acceptable term, Harry," Lilah said with a grin.

"Swa-what?" Harry asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Soiree," Lilah repeated. "It comes from French. It basically means 'evening party'. No date implied."

"I see," Harry said. "I'm not as cultivated as you or Hermione, so you kind of lost me."

"It's okay, Harry." Lilah giggled. "Du machst mich sehr glücklich, Harry."

Harry's face looked even more confused than before. "Is that… German?"

"It is, Harry," Lilah replied with a sweet smile. "It means, 'you make me very happy.' And you truly do." She gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I think Hermione knows some German," replied Harry. "I'm afraid I don't know any."

"She does," Lilah said. "But she's not fluent in it like I am. She's fluent in French, though."

Harry nodded. "That doesn't surprise me. Do you know any languages besides German?"

"I know a smattering of Spanish – I can conjugate a few verbs and ask for directions and what-not," Lilah replied.

"I know a wee bit of Spanish myself," said Harry. "Basically enough to ask where the loo is, and to order things off a menu."

"That's better than nothing, Harry," Lilah replied. She slowly stood to her feet, and packed her textbooks away. "Well, are you about ready to get some lunch? I suppose I have a telephone number and address to exchange to keep in touch with each other for Christmas."

"Sounds good to me," replied Harry.

Lilah and Harry entered the Great Hall for lunch, and headed straight for the Gryffindor table. Lilah was skipping and snapping her fingers, singing "I'm walking on sunshine – whooaa! I'm walking in sunshine – whoooa! And don't it feel good!"

Ron chortled at the sight of Lilah. "What's gotten into her?" he asked Dean and Seamus. "Lilah's a bubbly girl, but I mean, come on!"

Still humming, Lilah produced the same letter that she showed Harry outside earlier and handed it to Hermione.

"Oh, hiya Lilah!" Hermione said. "You seem really upbeat today. I'm guessing this note has something to do with it?"

"Hiya, Hermione!" Lilah exclaimed. "Yeah, you can say that."

Hermione read the letter and returned it to Lilah. "Oh, wow, Lilah! That's wonderful news! I know that had to make your day! I'm sure you can't wait to hear from your friend from down under!" She lowered her voice, barely above a whisper. "And I'm sure you're just as excited about Friday night!"

"Definitely," Lilah giggled. She whispered in Hermione's ear. "Harry said I don't have to dress up like you did – he's such a sweetheart – but I know I will anyway. He's worth it."

Hermione smiled radiantly. "You're preaching to the converted," she said softly. "I'll help you with that charm, just let me know."