A/N- A huge thank you to my mum for helping me work out how nobility titles work. There is no way I would have been able to get it all straight without her!

Chapter Thirteen

Just under a week later, Harry was with his family, walking as quickly as he could up the Malfoy path.

"My goodness Harry, slow down!" Lily said, "You're in more of a hurry than Danica is."

Harry slowed down and pulled at his shirt, unlike the rest of his family formal dressing wasn't for him. Sirius and Severus for all they complained, looked dashing in their formal black dress robes. Lily wore a blue and white mermaid gown, the long sparkling sleeves ending in a point at her fingers. Even Danica, dressed in a pale green dress with puffed skirt and sleeves; a little white silk apron over the top, looked elegant and sophisticated while he felt like a monkey wearing clothes.

Lily knocked at the door that was opened by a little house elf dressed in a pillowcase.

"Dobby. I think you should be letting your mother open the door." Sirius said kindly.

"Dobby is able. Dobby can do it!" The house elf snapped back "Dobby must look after the Potter family!"

An older house elf, dressed in white with green embroidery stepped forward, "Sorry Missy Lily. Dobby go back to your room. It is a big night. You is tired."

"I don'ts wants to!" Dobby pouted.

"But Dobby you has a new colouring book." his mother pointed out.

Dobby stomped his little foot and stormed off.

"Please makes your way through to the ballroom. The purple bedroom is set up for Missy Danica should she get sleepy." the older house elf said bowing deeply.

"Thank you Petal." Lily said giving her a quick hug.

Danica took off running down the hall way towards the sounds of music.

"I'll get her." Harry smiled, running after her and catching her just before she came through the doors, "We have to wait." he said beeping her on the nose.

Danica giggled loudly and straightened her apron while they waited for their parents to catch up. The doors swung open to revel a large party. A dance floor covered in people with music playing from a band appearing to float in the air above the centre of the ballroom.

A large buffet table was covered in food that was replenished as soon as a dish was getting even slightly empty. The whole hall had been enchanted so it looked like it was snowing; the huge windows sparkling with frost.

A loud voice announced their arrival.

"Mr Sirius Black. Professor Severus Snape, Mrs Lily Snape, Master Harry Potter, Miss Danica Snape."

They walked forward into the ball room and a few people clapped. Narcissa glided over to them in a ball gown of deep red. Her square collar and wide trumpet sleeves edged with white fur. She wrapped Lily in a hug before greeting the others.

"Hello Danica. If you pop over to the buffet Lucius will help you get the biggest piece of chocolate cake he can find." Narcissa grinned. Danica ran towards a handsomely dressed Lucius matching his wife.

"Draco is over there Harry." Narcissa smiled, "Neville couldn't make it I'm afraid, his mother is still suffering from morning sickness and struggling a lot so they chose to stay home." Her hand wandered subconsciously to her perfectly flat stomach, "But I'm sure you two and the girls can have a good time anyway."

Harry smiled and gave her a hug, "Thanks Narcissa." He walked through the dancing people to where Draco was sitting with Pansy and Daphne, each finishing a small plate of food. Daphne and Pansy were dressed in similar dresses, the white silk of their skirts falling around their chairs, hair done up with tiny snowflake pins. Draco matched his parents in blood red and white fur.

"Hello Harry." Pansy smiled and moved one seat over so Harry could seat with them easily.

"Hello." Harry said brushing Pansy's skirt off the seat she'd just left and sitting down, "I've found something, well sort of. Someone sent it to me but anyway look."

Harry held up the Dumbledore chocolate frog card.

"We've seen a chocolate frog card before." Daphne said gently, tossing her blond hair that was perfectly curled, "And Dumbledore is a fairly common one."

"Yeah we all have the answer was right in front of us!" Harry turned the card over, "See Nicholas Flamel. The philosophers stone, that's what Fluffy is guarding. I looked it up, Nicholas Flamel is over six hundred years old because of the stone, so's his wife. That has to be worth having a three headed dog to guard."

Draco took the card, "I think you're right. It can make gold as well can't it?"

Harry nodded, "It's hugely powerful. I can completely understand why someone would want to steal it."

"Who sent you the card Harry?" Pansy asked

"I don't know. It didn't say but clearly someone wants to help us."

They nodded in agreement. The doors swung open again to reveal two figures dressed in black.

"Duke and Duchess of Waterford, Lord and Lady Lestrange."

"No offence but your Aunt Bella gives me the creeps." Harry whispered to Draco who nodded.

"Us to." Pansy said picking up her lace shawl.

"We're going to go find our parents and my little sister." Daphne said waving goodbye to the two boys.

Narcissa walked over to her sister smiling and tried to give her a hug; the cold seeping from Bellatrix made her pull away quickly. Even dressed in a plain black gown and a face like thunder Bellatrix was strikingly beautiful, her dark heavily lidded eyes glinted beneath long eye lashes; her perfectly flawless, pale face framed by long black curls.

"You look lovely sister." Narcissa said, "And it's nice to see you Rodolphus."

Unlike Bellatrix her husband was average looking on a good day, which seemed rare, he was sullen with dull skin and eyes. A quick look over him showed what seemed to be a never ending layer of dirt and he nearly always had a drink in his hand. His manners were no better than his appearance.

Bellatrix gave a small giggle, not a nice one, a cold nasty giggle. She whipped off the black dress, in one fluid movement, to reveal a beautiful pure white gown dripping in jewels all of which were real, "It was my Christmas present, well one of them. I'm glad you like it. Sister."

Bellatrix never could stand being in her sisters shadow and lived to out shine her.

Narcissa marvelled at the dress, "It's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen."

"I know." Bella said nastily, "Oh you invited them." She'd spotted Andromeda standing in the corner talking to someone, "We wont be able to stay long. You understand, we have to get back for the children."

"You were welcome to bring them." Lucius said stepping forward.

Bellatrix's mouth twisted into a sneer, "We want them to be in proper company as they grow up." She walked past them and dragged her husband onto the dance floor.

Harry shook his head, "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about, I got a gift from someone, they sent the chocolate frog but they also sent me an invisibility cloak; apparently it was my dad's."

"Wow an invisibility cloak? They're really rare I've never even seen one." Draco whispered moving closer, "Who sent it?"

"Well that's the thing they only left this as a note." Harry whispered back, handing Draco the note.

He read it carefully and turned it over, "Well that's helpful." he sneered, "I know lets ask Tonks. She's training as an Auror so if it's a powerful witch or wizard she might know."

Tonks was standing, trying her best not to trip over her silky floor length purple dress. Her coordination had never been brilliant and floor length 'prettiness' didn't help, it was far from her style anyway. She was rather envious of her friend Nikka, who was allowed to pick her own dress and had gone with a knee length red under dress with a flattering sweetheart neckline that showed off her rather ample breasts, the black mesh over dress that spilt at the skirt and the long sleeves ending at her wrists made her look sophisticated rather than slutty.

Tonks pulled the rather low neckline of her dress closer together.

"Will you stop that?" Nikka laughed, "You look brilliant."

"I just don't feel myself. Worth it if Ma and Pa buy me the new broom." Tonks winked.

"Yeah, best broom there is in exchange for wearing a pretty dress for one night. Oh what a hardship." Nikka rolled her eyes and elbowed her friend playfully.

"Oh no run, run." Tonks whispered.

It was to late. A haughty looking Bellatrix and a rather drunk Rodolphus walked quickly over to them.

"Darling niece." Bellatrix said giving her two small kisses on the cheek and wrinkling her nose, "I just wanted to congratulate you on becoming an Auror. I'm glad you're following the correct side of your family."

"What's...thank you Your Grace." Tonks said biting her tongue.

"Oh please, at things like this you can call me Aunt Bella, we are family after all." Bellatrix said.

"Yes. Yes we are." Tonks said with a forced smile.

"You..look FAB!" Rodolphus said loudly making a few people around them turn to look.

Nikka blushed and crossed her arms, "Thank you. I'm going to go get some food."

"No no no! You have to dance." he gripped one of her arms managing to get a quick grope in as he did and pulled Nikka towards the dance floor.

"Excuse me but I believe that Lady DeGere here promised me this dance." Sirius cut quickly freeing Nikka's wrist and smiling, "Terribly sorry."

"I didn't see you come over here before?" Rodolphus said scratching his head and wobbling slightly.

"We all forget things sometimes. And I'm sure you attention was on your beautiful wife." Sirius said politely.

Bellatrix let out a small bitter laugh and glared at Nikka, "It was nice talking to you Nymphadora." and with that she swept off to find a handsome wizard to flirt with; if he was lucky he might even get a grope.

Tonks huffed and left the confused Rodolphus sitting in a chair so his brain could catch up. She wondered over to the food table and made up a plate of some of the amazing looking puddings; she also helped Danica get another slice of chocolate cake.

She was just tucking into a mini sticky toffee pudding when Harry and Draco came over.

"Wotcher Harry, Draco." She smiled

"Can we sit with you?" Draco asked.

"Course you can." She shook her head, "Look at that." She pointed to where Sirius was twirling Nikka round the dance floor. Rodolphus had worked out what had happened now and was storming across the room to where his wife was flirting loudly with a group of three Spanish wizards.

"Yeah I don't know why mum always invites them. They're just a pain." Draco huffed popping a chocolate brownie in his mouth.

"Not them. Sirius and Nikka. He saved her from Rod which was all well and good but he's flirting masses with her!"

"Ok." Harry said slowly, "Umm can we ask you something?"

"Sure you can." Tonks said

Harry handed her the note, "I got this as part of a gift for Christmas but I'm not sure who sent it. I know it's a long shot but do you recognise the hand writing?"

"You're kidding right?" Tonks laughed, the boys shook their heads, "Of course I recognise it. Had enough detentions signed off by him and he signs all the exam certificates for seventh years. It's Albus Dumbledore's"

Harry straightened up, "Are you sure?"

Tonks nodded and pulled something out of her small handbag, "See here. This is my certificate, mum made me bring it to show Aunt Cissy."

Tonks held the papers next to one another, it was definitely a match.

"Thanks Tonks. That's one mystery solved." Harry smiled.

"I'm going to have to go and brake those two up!" Tonks huffed, "He's way to old for her. And she has several older brothers that wont approve either." She stood up quickly and walked towards Sirius and Nikka on the dance floor.

Harry rubbed his head, "Yeah one mystery solved and a dozen more asked."