Dear Charlie Weasley ,

My name is Aurelia. You don't know me, but I'm one of Ron's best friends— as well as his only fellow Slytherin friend. Ron has mentioned several times that you work at a dragon reserve in Romania. One day, I would like to hear about that. But for now, there's a matter concerning the safety of your brothers and everyone else at school.

I assume you know Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts? Now, you'd know that Hagrid is a kind soul and would never mean any harm, but he's also kind of an idiot. I like Hagrid as much as the next guy, but he's received a dragon egg. Specifically of a Norwegian Ridgeback. Now, seeing as dragons cannot be tamed and he lives in a god damn wooden hut, this is a major issue.

I don't want to have to go to a professor about this, as I don't want Hagrid to lose his job. Even if he is lacking a brain at times. I was wondering if there was perhaps a way to get the dragon (it's still an egg at the moment, but it might not be for much longer) to the reserve you're working at without anyone having to know where it came from? Perhaps you could send a trusted person to meet Hagrid in Hogsmeade, or something. Please answer posthaste.

Oh! You probably want to hear how your brothers are doing. I don't know how much you all write to each other.

Anyway, Ron has been doing really well in his classes lately, and he's been really good on controlling his mood. He's been adjusting to Slytherin pretty well. I'm really proud of how far he's come since the sorting.

Percy made prefect, as he's probably told you a thousand times. He's doing an amazing job, I think. He's been very kind and helpful to me, and I'm not even in his house. He's currently seeing a nice Ravenclaw girl named Penelope. Don't tell him I told you that. Although the twins already know, so maybe he won't care that you know too.

The twins— well, I don't talk to them much, but they've been wreaking havoc and managing to break nearly every school rule without getting caught, so they're probably fine.

Many Thanks,

Aurelia R. R. Prince

Aurelia,

Thank you for letting me know about the dragon. I will absolutely take that off Hagrid's hands. I've got friends that were planning on visiting me soon. I guess I'll seeing them sooner than expected. Hogsmeade will work just fine. Please let Hagrid know to meet my friends at the Hogs Head around midnight tomorrow.

I'd be more than happy to tell you about working at the reserve sometime. Do you have an interest in working with dragons? I'm planning on visiting The Burrow in the summer. You should stop by then. I'd love to meet one of Ron's friends.

Speaking of Ron, thank you for looking out for him. He doesn't talk to me much, but I heard from Mum and Dad that he'd sorted in to Slytherin. I'm glad to hear he's got at least one friend there.

Percy's got a girlfriend? Fred and George must be having fun with that.

And hell, eh? I've taught them well. You should talk to them more. You seem like you've got a sense of humor yourself.

Sincerely,

Charlie Weasley

"Alright," I said as I burst Hagrid's hut, "I think you're a swell guy, but I've arranged for the egg to be taken to Charlie's reserve in Romania."

Hagrid blinked and dropped his tea cup, "How in Merlin's name did yeh know 'bout that?!"

"You're not subtle, Hagrid. But lucky for you, nobody else knows. Spend as much time as you can with the egg now, because tomorrow at midnight it's being picked up."

The poor man looked as though he wanted to cry, but this was something I had to wrap up. I had a certain dark fish to fry and this had been nagging at me for a while.

My eyes softened as Hagrid went on about how he'd always wanted a dragon. I thought about how had Tom Riddle never framed him for a crime he didn't commit, he'd've gotten to do whatever animal-centered career he wanted after school. My festering grudge against Voldemort was growing.

I glided forward and started to rub his lower back— the only part I could reach. "I think it's very noble of you to want to make sure the baby grows up okay, but… you live in a small wooden hut. On a school campus. That's no place for a dragon to grow up. You gotta make the hardest decision of any parent— you gotta let them go. Give them their best chance at life. Isn't it better for the baby to grow up in a vast land with other dragons to play with than here?"

I felt a little guilty at the blatant manipulation, but making Hagrid cry was like accidentally kicking a puppy. It just made you feel like an asshole.

The half-giant sniffled but nodded, "I suppose yer right… Do… do yeh think they'll let me visit?"

I actually didn't know the answer to that one so I shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. At very least you could ask them to send pictures every now and then?"

Hagrid seemed to light up at the thought, although he was still clearly upset. Fang came over and rested his head on his lap. It was absolutely precious.

"Okay, I've gotta go. Remember, tomorrow at midnight at the Hogshead. If you don't, I'm sorry Hagrid, but everyone's safety is my priority. I will have to go to the headmaster."

A Slytherin warning him about getting the headmaster for a dangerous creature he's picked up was probably uncomfortably triggering for him, so he just nodded.

"Thank yeh…"

"Of course," I said as warmly as possible before leaving.

I was a little ashamed at how relieved I was to tie up that lose end.

Dear Mr. And Mrs. Prince,

Sorry it's taken so long to write. School has been rather hectic lately. Hermione— one of my Gryffindor friends— has started making us study for exams already. They aren't for at least two months! Honestly, you'd think she was a Ravenclaw or something.

Snape hasn't been too terrible lately. And by that I mean he's been consistent. Consistently terrible. In class, that is. He's left me alone otherwise. I think the lecture you both gave him has gotten him off my back for now. Do you think we could make that a yearly thing?

I don't know how much Snape has told you about me, so I guess I'll tell you some random things? My favorite food is menudo. It's a spicy Mexican soup made with cow stomach. A lot of people think it sounds gross, but it's actually really good! My Abuelita (my mom's mom) makes it for me when I don't feel good. My favorite holiday is Halloween, but I didn't really get to celebrate it last time. Because of the troll I killed. Oh yeah! I've single-handedly killed a mountain troll. Ask Snape if you don't believe me. I'm quite proud of that.

Uhh, what else? My favorite color is silver because of how shiny it is. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, United States. Have either of you ever been? I love it there. It's always warm and sunny. Nothing like here in Scotland. Has Hogwarts always been this wet and cold? I wonder if Ilvermorny would've been any warmer. I mean, it was on the East Coast, so maybe not.

My favorite subjects are History of Magic and Transfiguration, although I struggle with the latter a lot. I like the subject of potions a lot too, but Snape being the teacher really kills any enjoyment I might have. My worst class is Defense Against the Dark Arts. The professor is quite possibly the most incompetent man I've ever had the misfortune of having as an educator. At least I know he'll be replaced next year. Thank God for the jinx on the DADA position.

What classes were you both good at? Was Professor Binns a ghost when you attended? Was Snape a jerk even at my age? Do you have any embarrassing stories from his childhood?

Speaking of young Snape, what was Grandma Eileen like? Snape keeps calling me "Aurelia Eileen" even though my middle name's Rosita. (Well, it's Rosita Rodriguez now.) I heard she was captain of the Gobstone Club when she went to Hogwarts, but that's it. Is she still alive, actually? I've never heard anything one way or the other.

With Love,

Aurelia R. R. Prince

I nodded in satisfaction at the letter. It definitely sounded like something a first year would write. I sent it off with a smile. I had been rather productive lately. All that was left to do was study more for exams and making sure Dumbledore stayed firmly at school when Voldy went after the Philosopher's Stone.

I waltzed in to the library with a skip in my step. I hadn't been in such a good mood since god knows when. It did not go unnoticed.

"Did Snape leave the country or something?" Asked Ron.

"Professor Snape," corrected Hermione.

"Referring to him by his title when he's not here implies he deserves to be respected," I said, annoyed Hermione knew how shitty of a father he was yet demanded we talk about him with respect.

"He's a brilliant potioneer, even if he is rather… disagreeable at times," she countered.

I ignored her and internally reminded myself that I'd accomplished a lot and deserved a bit of happiness for the day.

"I wrote to Elsinore and Marius, finally! Oh, and I saved the school from a fearsome dragon, so you're all welcome."

Everyone rolled their eyes at the last bit.

"Oh, come on! I single-handed slayed a troll, but saving the school from a dragon is too much to believe?"

Ron shrugged, "Mate, it's not that we don't believe you—"

"—I certainly do not—" interrupted Hermione.

"—but you were in the Hospital Wing for days after the troll incident. You don't even have a scratch on you."

"Perhaps she's raised her skills," said Harry.

I lightly flicked his ear, "I never said I fought the dragon. All I said was I saved the school from one."

"Wait, by any chance are you referring to Malfoy?" Asked Hermione.

I mentally snickered. In a way, she was kind of right.

"Why would Aurelia be referring to Malfoy?" Harry asked, head tilted.

"Draco is Latin for dragon. It's in the school motto, Harry."

"We have a school motto?"

"Yeah. It's ' Don't Tickle a Sleeping Dragon' or something," said Ron.

"Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus," said a wild Draco. "And it's Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon."

The fun mood at the table died. Hermione and Harry glared at Draco. Ron's face went expressionless. I smiled nervously.

"Wow, Draco. It's pretty neat to have your name be in the motto."

"It is," he said, positively smug.

"Um, the school motto for Ilvermorny is 'Qui Venerunt ad Supra se Sustentet.' That means, 'To those who come, guide themselves towards prominence,' I believe."

"Really?" Hermione's intense dislike for Draco was immediately forgotten, "I like that a lot more, I think. You know, if I attended Ilvermorny, I think I'd like to be in Thunderbird."

"Oh, my mom was in Thunderbird. And really, not Horned Serpent?"

"That's the scholar house isn't it?"

Hermione nodded at Harry, "Indeed."

"Well," I elaborated, "what house you're in at Ilvermorny is a lot different from how Hogwarts sorts. They've got like, moving statues there. I'd like to think I'd be in Thunderbird too."

"I'd be in Wampus. You said that was for warriors, right?" Ron asked.

Draco was not pleased at the lack of attention he was getting.

"Aurelia," he turned towards me, "you have been spending an awful lot of time with the riffraff."

I sighed. I knew this was coming. And to think that I was in such a good mood.

"Well, you're always so busy, Draco," I pouted. "You're just so important that I can't possibly be bothering you all the time."

Harry gagged. Hermione assumed the face one makes when drinking spoilt milk. My favorite ginger seemed as though he wanted to die.

At least this seemed to stroke Draco's ego enough. The little bastard loved obsequiousness.

"That is true… We'll take a stroll by the Black Lake, sometime soon. My mother was a Black, you know."

I forced myself to smile and twirled the ends of my ebony hair, "It would be an honor to be escorted by you."

His chest puffed and I was reminded of a peacock displaying for an audience, "You'll sit by me and Pansy at lunch tomorrow, won't you?"

Ugh, there goes my Sunday afternoon.

"Of course! See you later, Draco!"

He titled his head toward me, pale locks staying perfectly in place. He scrunched his nose at the others and strutted out of the the library. You know, for how much Snape hates James Potter, it's weird how much he favors Draco. Even if he's "close" with the Malfoys.

"How can you stand him?" Harry asked, disgusted.

Ron was also repulsed, but he knew the politics of Slytherin. He'd come a long way and had nearly mastered keeping neutral in front of our other housemates. I wasn't lying when I told Charlie how proud I was of him. His temper did still flare sometimes, but with a little kick to the shin he could reel himself in.

"She can't," he told Harry, "she's just playing The Game."

Hermione's brows furrowed, "What game?"

"The one where I pretend to tolerate the local Hitlerjugend and thereby am well-liked by most of Slytherin so we all get left alone. Besides, Draco's parents are friends with Snape. I haven't much of a choice."

I had to behave, or I wouldn't get to see my family this summer. God, I really hated Snape.

"What's Hitlerjugend?" Asked Ron.

Everyone else at the table grimaced severely.

"Er— remember Grindelwald?"

The freckled boy nodded, still confused.

"Well, there was this dude who is kind of like the muggle equivalent. They were both doing bad stuff at the same time. Except, Hitler was worse. A lot worse. Even worse than You-Know-Who. Anyway, his younger followers were called Hitlerjugend. It means Hitler Youth in German."

Ron's baby blue's widened in realization. Then in horror. Someone worse than Grindelwald and Voldemort. That must have been hard for him to comprehend.

"Let's talk about something else," said Hermione.

Harry, who was very uncomfortable, nodded in agreement.

Sometimes the differences in magical and muggle culture and general knowledge hit me like a freight train.

"…So… The Game?"

"Think chess," Ron said to Harry, "but in real life."

"That's utterly asinine," interjected Hermione, ever the true straightforward Gryffindor.

"Well, it's good that you're a muggleborn, then. You couldn't play The Game, even if you wanted."

"What on Earth is that supposed to mean, Ronald Weasley?"

I groaned and placed my head in my hands as Ron explained blood prejudice to Hermione and Harry. I knew my cheerful mood was too good to last.

Dearest Aurelia,

We are utterly thrilled to have heard from you. Although, you we'd greatly prefer if you called us Grandmother and Grandfather. We are family, after all.

Listen to that Hermione girl. Now is the time to build those habits. It'll help you immensely by the time you take your O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s.

Under normal circumstances, we would chastise you for referring to your father like that. But seeing as Severus has been behaving like a child, we'll ignore it.

Severus wasn't always the way he is, if you could believe it. As a young boy, he was the sweetest thing. We blame Tobias completely— he was his father. Your grandfather, although he doesn't deserve that title. We knew he was the rotten type the moment we met him. Even Severus isn't as grotty as he was. Be grateful he died long before you were born.

We'll have to tell Tipsy— our house elf— to learn some dishes from Mexico. We had been wondering about your ethnicity ever since we saw your complexion, you know. Have you ever been to Mexico, dear? Perhaps we'll make a family trip of it someday. I hear Magical Mexico is simply to die for.

Severus told us little to nothing about you. We didn't even know you existed until a few months ago. Had we known, we would have been in your life since birth. We promise you that.

I myself was extremely proficient in both Charms and Potions. Back then, it was Horace Slughorn teaching the latter. He had some rather… sycophantic tendencies, but I've a feeling that you would have adored each other.

The jinx on the Defense Against the Dark Arts was not around in my day. Merrythought had taught for… fifty years, I believe, before she retired. Professor Binns wasn't a ghost either. I can assure you he gave just as soporific lectures in life as well as death.

This upcoming summer, do you think you would be comfortable staying at the Prince Manor with us for a fortnight? Marius and I would love to spend some quality time with you. We have twelve years to make for, after all. You aren't nearly spoiled enough, my dear.

Of course, you are more than welcome to decline. We shall happily wait until you are ready.

With all our love and sincerity,

Elsinore A. Prince

And Marius P. B. Prince

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

If you could pick me up from King's Cross in June then drop me off with my Abuelita after the two weeks, I would be more than delighted to spend some time with you.

Love,

Aurelia R. R. Prince

p.s. I have visited family in Monterrey and Tijuana, but I've never been to the magical side of Mexico.