Title:
A few days more

Sequel to:
Twenty-one days

Author:
evil minded

Date:
November, 9th 2010

Timeframe:
Fourth year at Hogwarts

Summary:
"A few days more" is the sequel to "Twenty-one days" – read and review this first or you wouldn't understand all that happens in this story.
The fourth year Slytherins and Gryffindor have survived their imprisonment in the potions classroom situated in the dungeons. How will they go on in all-day life after their survival? How will they manage to reintegrate into the castle's routine and their classes? How will they be able to go back to life at all? Watch how those who survived fight for their lives and for their peace.

Disclaimer:
Did you see Severus alive at the end of 'The deathly hallows'? no?
Do you think I would have had him died if I had written those books? no?
Then you know that 'Harry Potter' does not belong to me … nor does Severus … regrettably …
But Hereweald Hrothgar does …

Rating:
M – Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16

Author's Notes:
Uhm … alright … I have to admit … English is not my language by birth … so … please do not kill me while reading … neither for the – perhaps – sad language, nor for the subject of my writing …
Also, this is a story written for NaNo, a story written within thirty days only and even though I go over the chapters before uploading them – I do apologize if it might not have the same quality at one point or another than those stories of mine you are used to by now … thank you …

Warning:
Story contains bad language and swearing.
Don't ever use such, it's neither good manners nor proper use of language and never mind how 'cool' it might sound, it surely isn't a sign of intelligence. It won't get you anywhere and people will think less of you if you are unable articulating properly.
Story contains references to child neglect.
Child neglect is a really, really serious thing, and there are a lot of children in our world that are neglected, children that lack food, clothing, often love, and perhaps even a roof over their head – and closing our eyes, and pretending it does not exist – is no solution …
Story contains references to child abuse.
Child abuse is one of the most evil things, and there are a lot of children in our world that really would need help but have to live without hope – and again, closing our eyes and pretending it does not exist – is no solution … instead show sympathy, and understanding … and handle people, children as well as adults, which are showing any signs – whichever – of once having been abused … with understanding and with help …
What does not mean I am not as evil as I pretend to be … ^.~ … believe me – I am …

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

Previously in A few days more
"Anyone knowing the reason as to why more and more workers in the mines are disappearing lately?" Mr. Potter's voice got her out of her thoughts, and she looked over at the boy who had his hand on Mr. Pucey's shoulder, who was leaning with his lower arms on the table, his head placed on his arms. The younger boy only shook his head tiredly, and she could see the exhaustion radiating off the child – as from any other of the children, and suddenly she did know why Severus had put him into this particular class. The second year just wouldn't have managed partaking in one of his own regular classes while he would have been alone. Here, he was not – as none of them managed either, they too, at least some of them, were halfway laying over their tables, tiredly, clearly exhausted and unable to finish the class.
"Dunno." Mr. Longbottom murmured, followed by a "why?" from Mr. Nott and a "knowing Harry it's something stupid" coming from Mr. Malfoy, causing her to frown.
Why would Mr. Potter – Mr. Snape – ask something stupid?
"Well, the big, blue stone eater has changed his eating habits." Mr. Potter finally answered, and she realized that it had indeed not been a serious question but some silly thought, even though she didn't understand the meaning behind it.

A few days more
Chapter nine
A place for my students

Lunch had been a very quiet affair – because the children had been too tired for anything except of eating their vegetables, mashed potatoes and grilled chicken strips, what had used up enough concentration from some of them in the first place. He had asked them some questions about their transfiguration class, if everything had been alright or if one of them did have trouble with anything, but except of a few monosyllabic answers he had gotten no answers at all out of them and for a moment he had even been worried that perhaps something might have happened what they tried to hide – but then he had realized that they were just too tired to answer him in complete sentences right now.

So he had allowed them some peace first, before anything else.

He had provided them with the stomach soothing potion before lunch, like always, despite their meals being light meals, but he had told them to eat slowly anyway, like always, and now he was glad that they all had finished their plates. Everyone, except for Harry, but that was normal, he had soon realized, and he had absolutely no idea what he could do about it. The boy did just have a too small stomach, and he knew that eating a full meal – even as small as that meal was at the present time – was a task not easily manageable for the boy.

"I suggest it is time for a nap." He calmly said, knowing what kind of reaction he would elicit from the children with his comment. Well, he would just provide the boy with another glass of that blasted muggle yoghurt drink his son seemed to love so much.

"A nap ..." Gasped Harry, despite the boy having had trouble keeping his eyes open just moments before, his comment ending in a cough of horror.

They had stumbled over that drink two days ago, on Saturday, when the parents had visited their children.

Hermione's parents had brought a few bottles of that drink, claiming that the girl loved it, but he had been nearly shaking his head the moment he had seen the girl's face, wondering if her parents even knew their daughter, because that face had spoken about anything but like of that drink.

"Surely not, uncle Severus!" Draco called out, just as horrified as Harry was.

Well, if the girl had learned anything during the past three weeks, then it was to keep her mouth shut for once, because she had not corrected her parents. She just had given the bottles to the others later, after their parents had left, and even though Harry hadn't said anything, the way he had tasted the yoghurt drink first, and his face after the first sip – that face of absolutely being in heaven, he was sure that it was the same as with the scrambled eggs – the child had never had such before.

"Professor!" Was Ronald's part, accompanied by a "sir" from Miles, a "please not" from Adrian, an "I'm no baby" from Dean, and a "not for me" from Cameron, and he huffed at the children who suddenly seemed fresh and awake again at alone the thought of a nap.

"You will at least get into a horizontal position and rest, and that is final." He said, getting up.

The children had finished their meal and so he could lead them down into the dungeons, a thought that had him nearly smirking. He was anxious a bit though, he had to admit that, didn't know if they were amenable with the solution the castle had come up with, but well, if they weren't, then he could just hope that they would be honest enough to tell him.

Following him out of the great hall were twenty-three children, with a suffering sigh, a heavy groan, or a dark murmur, but they were following him without further ado and he even caught a comment that made him smirking with amusement, Harry whispering to Adrian a "you know, if you agree to a nap, then you'll appear being a baby, just lay down when dad tells you to, and then just accidentally fall asleep" and yes, he did know that particular tactic from not only Harry already, but from some others, too, like Theodore, and Draco, just for example.

There had been a boy in his house, a few years ago. Adam Kingsley. And Adam, too, had always told him that – no, surely, he was too old for a nap, and, surely, he would not take a nap like a baby. He had told him that he would lay at the sofa for a few minutes if he, Snape, so wished, but he would not sleep! A few minutes later Adam had been asleep, day, for day, for day, for seven years, from his first year, up to his seventh year – and the boy had absolutely never fought sleep.

The same it was with nightly rituals.

Harry would surely never admit that he slept easier – and more peaceful – if he, Severus talked to them until they fell asleep, if there was a conversation going on until they all were sleepy. In the boy's eyes it would be the same as – "telling a story" and surely he was too old for such a thing, like he was too old for being scared of sleep in the first place.

"Dad?" Said boy's soft voice got him out of his thoughts and he looked down at the child, green eyes looking up at him unsurely, green eyes that only recently had gained back some life, some of the previously owned interest and energy, and he placed a calming hand on the child's shoulder.

"You will see." He said, already knowing the boy's question as he did not lead them to any known area of the dungeons but further down another flight of steps that led deeper into the dungeons, aware of the other children looking around, curiously, too.

He led them along the corridor and then through the door to their left.

"The wards of these quarters are created around your magical signatures." He explained while opening the large wooden door. "That means that none of you will need a password, but no one except for you can enter. You may, of course, bring friends, but you will have to bring them with you, or they won't be accepted in, while they are only accepted in for this one time, not permanently. Welcome to your new common room." He then added the moment all of them stood in the large room.

It was – a very large living room. There were three coffee tables scattered around the room, equipped with a sofa and armchairs each, with thick and soft carpets beneath the seating arrangements.

Bookshelves lined two walls, one large sideboard another one and in one corner stood his old piano, even.

A fire was burning in the grate, and candles along the walls were spending light, too, as well as windows that were showing the well-lit mer city deep within the lake.

The room was kept in brown colours, darker brown for the wooden floors, and the wooden furniture, hazel brown for the sofas and armchairs, and a more cream coloured light brown for the carpets, the curtains, and the cushions on the sofas and armchairs – while the walls were held in a very, very light creamy colour. When he had been here this morning, he had wondered if he should ask the castle to add a red corner and a green corner, so that the children might feel more at home, but then he had dismissed the thought, knowing that most likely they wouldn't even use those corners then. They were no more Gryffindors or Slytherins, that much he already knew – whatever they were, they had formed a new small house.

Instead, the castle had added a few small hints of copper and black to the brown, and he quite liked the new design.

There was no sound from the children, they just stood there for a moment, their mouths open, gaping, looking through the room, but then one by one walked over to one corner or another, Harry walking over to the piano and gently hitting a few of the keys before pulling back his hand as if being burnt, looking over at him, clearly scared, but he chose to ignore it for now, while walking over to the one armchair the castle had clearly taken from his quarters to add it to the furniture here, near the fire, sitting down while he watched the children.

But he decided in that moment, that he would teach Harry how to play the piano, the boy having hit the keys experimentally, unsurely, but radiating something he didn't know how to name.

Draco was approaching one of the bookshelves, skimming through the titles, while Ronald was walking along the sideboard, running his hand over the smooth wood.

"What's in there?" The boy then asked, his voice soft, unsure.

"Take a look, Ronald." He just answered.

The boy did, slowly, as if he were still not sure that he was not in Slytherin territory but in a territory that was for all of them.

"Games." The boy said upon finding games in the sideboard.

"Here are glasses, and cups." Dean, who had followed Ronald's example, said.

"What's behind that door?" Draco asked, excitement on his pale face.

"Take a look, Draco." He said, again, getting up from the armchair and walking over to the boy who approached the door near the fireplace.

Harry, too, came over, as well as Miles, and Adrian, and the others had stopped and looked, too.

Draco stood there for a moment, but then he extended his hand and opened the door, taking a step inside the kitchen, a "whoa" on his lips. Well, for once he chose to not comment on the boy's eloquent words.

The kitchen was large, huge – the floor consisting of the same dark brown woods as the other floors down here, as well as the many cupboards and sideboards. The large table that stood in the middle and the four benches surrounding the table, were hazel brown, upholstered with thick and soft cream-colored cushions, and it was clear, that this room was meant for them to prepare any kind of food, and to eat together, to talk and to play together, and to have a good time together.

The other equipment, the oven, the freezer and the large fridge, as well as the microwave and the kitchen machine, were cream colored with small hints of copper and black. Of course, the fridge, the oven, and the other equipment didn't work with power, but with magic, and they were charmed to always hold what they needed – or not necessarily needed but liked.

He nodded his head when Draco, who had approached one of the sideboards with a bowl of fruits on it, cast a questioning look at him and the boy hesitantly took a handful of grapes from the bowl. A few of the others followed, Harry casting a questioning look at him, too, before he took a tangerine, as if he had to ask if he was allowed taking one, too, and again he gave away a nod. He was glad that the child had asked at all, because normally he never asked, only taking what was given to him.

A moment later the bowl had filled itself, and he was satisfied with the situation.

"During the week, we will of course eat in the great hall, because with classes we won't have too much time for cooking, not to mention that it is important to interact with the other students, but on the weekends, meaning Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday, we might prepare breakfast, lunch and – or – dinner here ourselves, together." He said. "With that I hope to have some of you getting a different view of food generally. Not to mention that you can come here to get a snack if you feel hungry. You will always find fruits, yoghurt or vegetables in here to – 'nibble' at." He then added, pointedly looking at Harry who always – nibbled at his food.

"I have found the bathroom, look at that." Neville called from outside and the children turned, walking over to the boy who stood in the open doorway of a room to the left of the kitchen.

"One of them." He chuckled. "There are two actually."

"The other is as large as t'is one?" Pansy asked after having had a look inside the bathroom.

It was a simple bathroom with a shower, a tub, a sink, a toilet and a few shelves for towels, washcloths, shampoo, bubble bath, oil and other things needed, kept in different shades of brown like nearly everything down here, mixed with a few small hints of blue and black.

"The other one, the girl's bathroom, is to the right of the kitchen, and yes, just as large as is this one." He answered. "It is, indeed, exactly the same, only that the blue is replaced by pink."

"This here looks like a study." Gregory's voice came from the room opposite the entrance door, and he smirked.

"You better remember that particular door, Mr. Goyle." He said. "As it is my private study down here, and I fear that one or another of you imbeciles will have to visit me in there for one or another serious talk."

"Merlin, another office we have to be aware of." He heard Harry groaning, and turning he could see the boy's pale face, remembering their conversation just this morning, knowing the child's fears.

"I do hope you remember our conversation from this morning, Harry." He softly said, piercing the boy with serious dark eyes. "There will be no need to fear that study, and as it is in our private quarters here – yes, in ours, as I will live with you down here – I won't even keep the door closed as I trust that you have enough manners to stay out if I am not in there. The door through my study, leads to my bedroom and here too, I trust that you won't wander in without my permission, and so I won't lock it."

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

They had soon found the second bathroom on the other side of the kitchen, this one kept in different shades of brown and a few small hints of pink and black, a small library with a long table in the middle of the room for them to study or to do their homework, and a small rest room like the one they'd had near the potions classroom, with a small table, a few armchairs and a large sofa that easily could be used as a bed even – and each room was held in those different brown and cream colors, together with few small hints of copper and black.

"Dad?" Harry asked, standing in a wide corridor opposite the fireplace, looking into the hallway that was lined with doors and pictures, with sideboards along the walls, and with one or another armchair standing here and there.

"You need to sleep somewhere." He said, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Your relatives might have kept you in a cupboard, Harry, but surely that is no appropriate place for any child to live in. You need a room. The school policy does allow only prefects to have their own rooms, but the castle has allowed to share a room between two students each, seeing that Hogwarts has added thirteen rooms along this corridor here."

"But then there's one student with a single room anyway." The boy whispered, his eyes large and clearly not understanding why anyone would bother with giving him a room in the first place, even if he had to share that room with another child.

"And seeing that this here has become an independent house of its own, we do need a prefect." He said, causing the boy to blink in confusion for a moment. "Normally, I would suggest you, Cameron, as you are the oldest of the group and you already have experiences as a prefect." He then started to explain. "But, as much as you have suffered from our imprisonment and my absence, I cannot do so or I would not meet the needs of the seventeen children that have been imprisoned for three weeks, I do hope that you understand my decision."

"Of course, sir." The boy answered, looking around, and clearly wondering whom he would have to share a room with.

"My next choice has been you, Harry." He said, looking down at the child, and he frowned, when for a moment he could see the panic rising in his son's green eyes, the pale face losing all remaining colour, the boy's breathing becoming short gasps, and the skeletal frame starting to shake.

"However, I have thought that most likely you would not wish being separated from Adrian, and I fear that Adrian would not be ready sleeping in a room with any other child than you, Harry." He then said, increasing the pressure his hand had on the bony shoulder. A moment later he had a shaking mass clinging to him, crying with relief, and while he enfolded the boy into a tight embrace, pressing the child's head against his stomach with one hand, he wondered how it was that this particular thought had startled Harry as much as it actually had, because down in the potions classroom, while they had been imprisoned, the boy had overtaken the role as a prefect, together with Theodore – and he'd done a damn good job.

"The same goes for Neville and Miles, it would surely not do any good to separate you, and neither Hermione and Emma." He then said, while running his other hand over the bony back of the skeleton he had clinging to him like a leech. "For another moment I have thought that Theodore would be the right choice, as you had overtaken that particular duty down in our classroom, too, but watching you during the past few days has told me that – no, I won't burden that duty on your shoulders, as being a prefect in front of the entire school might not be as easy as being a prefect for only our group has been. The prefect I now chose, will have to stand up to his or her group in front of the entire school, in front of teachers, and in front of students, the prefect will have to show loyally, as well as understanding, but authority, too. And many would not understand, neither our situation nor our place. You will have enough on your hands fighting with your own health, Theodore, and that is more important, you are one of the candidates I worry for most after all. However, I do choose Ronald." He finally said, eliciting startled and shocked looks from the children surrounding him, Ronald included. But well, he had known that this reaction would come. "I do trust that you will grow with your duty and your responsibility, Ronald, that you will grow into your new house, and into your new position, and that is final. Visit me this evening in my study so that we can discuss what will be included to your duty."

A moment later he held the prefect badge with the golden P in his hand, and waving the boy over he attached the badge at Ronald's robe.

Flashback

Leaning back and folding one leg over the other he took a deep breath.

He had known that this wouldn't be easy, but he had expected more trouble coming from Minerva – as it seemed however, it was Albus who caused more trouble, while Minerva was sitting there, strangely silent.

"I don't understand, Severus." The older wizard said, shaking his head.

"I know that you don't, Albus, how could you even." He said, and he really knew that the headmaster just couldn't understand. Not such a situation, because the headmaster had not been there. "But I ask you to trust not only my common sense, but the castle as well. I do have a reason for that."

"I fear Severus is right, Albus." Minerva softly said, and he nearly made a fool out of himself by blinking at her in shock. "I have talked with some of the children, with some of the Gryffindors, but I'm not sure if they are really Gryffindors anymore. I won't say that they have become Slytherins, they have become something in between. They have formed their own house Albus, and if the castle is amenable with it, then I think we should accept it, too."

"But creating a new home for them?" Albus asked, clearly still not understanding. "Don't you think that this is a bit too far-fetched?"

"What would you do instead, Albus?" He asked. "They won't sleep in their dormitories, neither the Gryffindors nor the Slytherins, because they don't feel as Gryffindors or Slytherins anymore, because they need to be together. Would you keep them in that classroom for the remainder of the school year? Perhaps even for the remainder of their school time? Would you have them sleeping on thin mats in front of the fire with the memory on their minds of what had happened, and of what had nearly happened there? That they have nearly died there? I needed a place for my students, Albus, where they can recover, and where they can forget about the horrors they have been through, I needed a place for my students where they can live, and Hogwarts herself has answered my needs, our needs, and has created those rooms. Hogwarts has created a new house, Albus, and so we did need a common room and dormitories too, like any other house, and I won't debate about it, it was needed."

"You are right, Severus." Albus said, with a sigh, the old face pale. "Of course, I wouldn't, we just have never had such a situation. Merlin, that would be a fifth house even. A new table in the great hall, added dormitories for them, and a common room … that is as if the castle has really already created a new house."

"The castle has indeed done so, seeing that I am holding a prefect badge in my study, a prefect badge that suddenly appeared at my desk." He huffed at the headmaster. Really, as much as he – liked – this old fool ... sometimes at least ... a little bit ... the old wizard was just annoying the hell out of him – always.

"And whom did you choose as the new prefect?" Albus asked, for once accepting his words. "And what will you call your new house even?"

"I have no answer to your second question, Albus." He sighed, running his hand over his face, tiredly. Merlin, he was getting old, because last year such a situation would not have cost so much energy from him, he was sure about that. "The colours of that new house, however, seemed to be different shades of brown and cream, with a few small hints of copper and black, seeing that the castle is adding more and more of these colors to anything that has to do with my students. Perhaps we will just have to wait for the castle to add the animal, and we will know the house's name. As for your first question, I have chosen Ronald Weasley."

End flashback

Well, if nothing had caused a startled gasp, then those words had.

Albus had looked at him as if he had grown two added heads like that blasted Cerberus Hagrid had dragged along into the castle three years ago, and Minerva had given away a startled "Severus!", her eyes as wide in shock as were Harry's when the boy was scared or startled – just the occasional owlish blinking had been missing.

Well, he could understand their shock, honestly, because Ronald of all people – that boy had never been one of his favourite students after all.

"I suggest you just explore your new rooms and then lay down for half an hour at least." He said when Harry had calmed down enough so that the skeleton in his arms wasn't shaking anymore. "You will find nametags at the doors leading to your rooms. The girls' rooms are on the right hand side and the boy's rooms are on the left hand side."

He gently pushed Harry further into the wide corridor when the boy made no move to enter the corridor by himself.

"The first room here is yours, Harry, and Adrian's." He said while opening the door, somehow knowing that the child would not open the door himself. "Draco and Theodore are just next door. Please look for your own rooms and claim them, all of you." He then added, knowing that the next emotional breakdown was about to happen, knowing that the other children would understand why he accompanied Harry to his room but not them, all of them knowing about their friend's life with his relatives.

The child had never had a room for himself, not even one to share with his cousin. This child had been denied a room at all while he had been kept in a cupboard the way one would keep a shoe box with old things in a cupboard, like one would keep hidden things in a cupboard, things no one was to see, or like one would keep things in a cupboard which they didn't know where else to put them, which they wanted to forget.

Leading his son through the room and towards the window where he could see through the lake into the mer-city with the merpeople going on with their all day business, he smiled.

Down here the water was dark, but clear and clean like the air around them, and the window showed a view as if it were part of the city itself. They could see softly glowing lights hanging in the underwater plants and corals, outside the houses of the merpeople, illuminating their doors, and many windows were lightened just as well. Some merpeople were carrying lanterns, too, and one mother was teaching her child how to properly swim, leading it through the underwater street while a beautiful pink ball of light was floating before the child, the child trying to catch it. It was an entirely normal day at the underwater city, and it was a view as if looking down into any city during nighttime, while again, like so often lately, he had to push his own anger and fury back so that he would not startle the child, knowing that, soon, he would have to visit Lily's sister or he would explode.

"You are even able opening the window to let in fresh air, Harry." He softly said. "You won't, of course, be able to see the upper grounds, where the fresh air is coming from, seeing that this part of the dungeons is surrounded by the water of the lake, but the windows are enchanted to open up to you, to let in light and fresh air and to show you what happens outside in the mer-city, while the water won't come inside, you are safe here."

Still, there was no answer from the boy, and somehow he knew that Harry was just unable to give away any kind of answer, the child fighting with his own emotions, and he could even see the strain of trying to control them on the pale face.

A moment later Adrian was in front of Harry, looking into the desperate and unbelieving green eyes before wrapping his own thin arms around the older boy's skeletal frame, and another moment later Harry slowly brought up his own fragile limbs to pull the other boy's head close, as if to say 'everything is alright, don't worry' and he huffed at the gesture, seeing that Harry was no bit taller than the boy he was comforting.

For a moment he caught his son's eyes, momentarily so very emotional, telling a life-story with only one look, but he knew that soon, too soon, they were close to impassive and lethargic again. Not really impassive and lethargic, not in the way they had been at the end of their imprisonment, but not full of life like they should be, like Lily's eyes had been, either. There was more life in them now, but not enough, and again he could feel his chest clenching painfully at the thought that no child should have such lifeless eyes as had some of these children here.

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

Harry had not roamed his new room to explore, nor had he unpacked his trunk the house elves had brought down here. He had looked through the room, had released Adrian with a final pat at the other boy's shoulder and then he had turned to lay down at the bed at which's foot his trunk stood, had turned his back on them and curling into a small ball he had started crying, so softly it had been barely audible, but he had seen the small and thin shoulders shaking with the silent sobs. He hadn't been able to resist then, that particular boy destroying all resolve he'd ever had against comforting snotty and crying children, and he had sat at the edge of Harry's bed and running his fingers through the child's black and messy hair for over an hour until the child had calmed down, knowing that it had not been tears of unhappiness but desperate and painful tears for all he had missed as a child, tears for everything he had not had, and tears for all the pain and fear he'd had to endure for ten long years.

Harry hadn't fallen asleep after crying this time, as tired as he had been, but he had calmed down and in the end the child had been laying there, holding a softly whispered conversation with him so that he wouldn't wake Adrian who had fallen asleep earlier, a softly whispered conversation about how to thank him best for the large room with such nice furniture and windows, and other things like the books in the shelves, the shelves in the first place and of course the carpets, the fire and the quills and parchment on the desks and never mind how much he had tried to make it clear to his son that he didn't have to thank him for normal things like a room, food, a bed to sleep in or clothes, school things, to belong, to be loved to be a part of the family – somehow the child had not understood what he had tried to tell him.

And - how could he even?

That child had never gotten any of those things, how could he understand now? How could he now know how to handle such a situation? How could he understand that such was normal, something every child had, something that had been denied of him for years but something that he should have had? Of course, the child did not understand.

However, most of the students had "taken a nap" even though they swore brick and stone that they had not taken a nap, anything but a nap, that they had been only resting in their rooms, looking around, reading a few books, or trying to find hidden doors. They had crawled out of their holes one by one like rats shortly before dinner, and they had gone to the great hall together.

Dinner itself had not been such a quiet affair like lunch had been, the children excitedy chatting about their rooms, telling others what they had found and how they liked their new rooms – or their new home generally.

"Hey, did you hear the squealing board in the corridor?" Miles asked, wide-eyed, and inwardly he smirked, knowing that the boy surely must have tried to visit Emma in her room.

"It's surely a board that squeals when a boy tries to get into a girl's room." Neville answered the boy.

"Why?" Miles then asked and he sighed. In Slytherin so far there had not been the necessity to keep boys out of a girl's room as the Slytherin common room automatically kept boys from being able to even approach a girl's dormitory and vice versa.

"Because ... well, because they're girls ... and well, for a boy it's inappropriate to visit a girl's room." Neville said, while trying to make out what was on his sandwich.

"It is ham with eggs, salad and tomatoes." He said. "And boys are not allowed in a girl's dormitory as the ministry – and some parents – do wish them separated out of fear they could do something inappropriate – not to mention that there might be moments when they would like some privacy. I, however, have changed that rule so that it goes the other way round too – a girl cannot enter a boy's room either, to make the situation a bit fairer. If you wish to meet, then I suggest you simply do so in our living-room."

"Oh." Was heard from Hermione while Ronald was smirking at the girl, and he could only guess the reason for that, the girl surely having had visited the boys' dormitory in the past up there in their tower.

"But why?" Miles asked, and he sighed.

"As an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy you have more important things on your mind than the other gender, but a girl with thirteen or fourteen does wish to have some privacy as their bodies change, their priorities shift, and they have become more aware of the differences between you and them." He tried to explain it to the boy in a way so that he might understand. "Not to mention the little fact that they might change in their rooms, and they do not wish you to see them without clothes. That is the meaning of privacy, they wish to be alone or amongst their friends for some activities."

"That's stupid." The boy said, shaking his head. "I don't mind Emma being in the room when I change."

"That's because you're younger." Neville said. "I would mind now if Lavender were in my room when I'd change."

"'k." The boy said, but he could hear that he had not understood anyway. But well, he didn't have to understand it completely, he just had to act accordingly. The understanding part would come later.

"There is a time for everything." He said. "There is a time for you to play around and simply be a child, there is a time for you to attend school and start learning, and there is a time for you to grow up and understand things like sexuality and privacy, Miles. You will have to accept that kind of natural order of things as you cannot change it anyway."

"And what's with that doorknob that sobs whenever someone opens the library?" Theodore asked.

"Well, I don't really know, but that's the reason as to why I have kept the library door open." He sighed while pushing his plate away after having finished his sandwich. "I have tried to solve the problem since the early morning hours but without success. I suggest that we just keep that door open until we have found a solution. I also suggest you do not listen to the ghost in the frame hanging beside the kitchen should you go for a late-night snack, I have tried to get him out of there, but apparently the castle had a reason as to why it placed the picture there, because I cannot take it from the wall."

"Whose ghost is it?" Harry asked confused. "Because I haven't seen a ghost in that frame, it's been empty."

"I don't know, it's been there last night when the castle has created these rooms, talking nonsense all night whenever I have come close." He said, frowning. "It's been gone in the morning though."

"Well, I guess it wouldn't be Hogwarts if there weren't a few things that were strange." Harry said, shrugging his shoulders and placing the remainder of his sandwich at his plate, pushing the plate away, and leaning back with a suffering sigh, clearly feeling full already.

"I fear you are right, Harry." He said, not commenting on Harry's unfinished plate. The boy had eaten well today, and if he pushed him too far, then he would only destroy what the child had 'learned' about eating so far. "It would not be Hogwarts. Are you ready for your PE lessons?"

Well, if he had thought that this particular comment would elicit happy smiles on the children's faces, then he had been very much mistaken, but luckily he had not thought so. There wasn't PE on Hogwarts' schedule so far, and except for those few on the Quidditch teams the children were not used to any physical activities – and of course such a suggestion would cause many groans, many "do we have to" and many "oh no" from most of them.

He got up anyway, after they were all finished with their dinner, and then led them back down into their own part of the dungeons, not through the door to their left at the end of the corridor this time however, but through a large double door to their right that led into a very large gym. He explained to them that further down the corridor they would find another double winged door at the right hand, one that would lead to their own laboratory, and a larger one even than the regular school laboratories, causing Harry to give away a huff and Neville to groan, murmuring something about 'of course the castle would create a potions laboratory for them, with their head of house being a Potions Master'.

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

Well, he had known that at least Harry and Draco would be very happy about the gym after leading the children in there and the two boys had immediately launched at the balance beam – he had been very glad then, that he had already laid out mats earlier in the day, just in case Harry would fall. He didn't think that the boy would, Harry was on the Quidditch team for three years after all, was an excellent flyer, he had to admit that, if he liked it or not – but he didn't trust the child's health at the present time, and surely he wouldn't allow him on a broom anytime soon.

He had known that Theodore, Adrian and Cameron would be very happy about the gym, too, Cameron having been on the Slytherin Quidditch team, too, and Adrian being a very active child as well. At the same time he had known that Gregory and Vincent as well as Dean and Seamus wouldn't be so happy about it, all of them being rather placid boys, loving a sofa and either a good book or a good game.

Ronald and Blaise both tried their best and they had definitely fun, but they were not very sportive in the first place.

Horror – this gym apparently was for Neville, Emma and Hermione, all three of them trying to sneak out of the entire thing.

Neville and Emma he could understand, both simply being clumsy and they knew it. Merlin, Emma wasn't even able to walk on a line on the floor yet, and now she was expected to climb the wall bars or to balance on the balance beam? Of course not. And the same it was with Neville, that boy stumbled over his own feet if he weren't exceptionally careful.

He had, however, thought that Hermione might have a bit of fun with this, even though it was nothing the girl could learn out of a book and ...

"Harry!" He yelled when the boy was trying to get onto his hands – on the balancing beam – and fell down, causing his heart to stop for a moment before he had himself back under control and hurried over to the boy.

"Are you alright, Harry?" He couldn't help asking, unable to keep the worry out of his voice when the boy sat there on the mat, pale and blinking in shock. "Harry? Are you hurt somewhere? Harry!"

"What ... no – no, I'm fine ..." The boy softly stammered, still looking up at him in shock. "What ... what happened?"

"You fell off the beam, child." He said, taking a deep breath while at the same time he ran a diagnostic. "Are you hurt, Harry?"

"No ... I know that I fell ... but ... but why would I ... I've never ..."

Alright, so the child was just in shock because he had fallen to begin with. Anyway, he only dared taking a deep breath with relief after he had cast a quick glance at the diagnostic and really found nothing that caused him immediate attention. And considering the boy's stunts he had done on a broom high above the earth in midair, on a Quidditch pitch, well, of course it must have been a shock for him, falling off a simple balancing beam.

"You fell, you silly child." He said, helping the child to stand on trembling feet. "And it is no wonder that you fell. Your entire system is working with limited and restricted power, and that goes for your sense of balance as well as for your strength and your condition. You have to build energy slowly, Harry, and you have to be careful in the beginning. Here drink that. Are you alright now?"

Well, the boy nodded, despite being deathly pale, and he had ended the class there.

He had them sitting on the mats for a few more minutes, drinking juice and chatting away some time, just so that all of them could get used to the room, so that perhaps even Hermione, Emma and Neville would find a reason to feel comfortable in the gym. Harry was leaning with his back against his chest, and the boy was visibly calming down.

Looking around over all the children's faces he could see the tell-tale signs of tiredness in all of them, of exhaustion, and with a pang he remembered how much all of them had been forced to go through, all the children gathered here in this room, they all had their own horror stories to tell, small tales or big ones, tales of heroism or tales of fearfulness, tales of strength or tales of weakness – but not one single tale less important than any other one.

Looking down at the small form leaning against his chest he noticed that – again – the child, his son, had fallen asleep on him, and for a moment he wasn't sure if he should feel annoyed at the child always falling asleep on him, or if he should smirk with amusement. But in the end, it didn't matter.

Harry was alive still, and that was the only thing that mattered at all. They all were alive still, even Harry, as weak as the child still was.

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

To be continued

Next time in A few days more
a tear for the black lily

Added author's note
thank you for reading - and yes, I would be glad if you took the time to review this chapter, thank you
also, of course I have re-installed the house cup – with each review, please state your house, so that your house can get a point. There won't be loss of points, only gains … may the best house with the most reviews win …

House Cup:
At the present time it looks like this:

Slytherin 93
Gryffindor 53
Ravenclaw 27
Hufflepuff 14
Hogwarts 21
Durmstrang 04
Tennessee Institute of Magic & Technomancy 01