28-29

Chapter 28 The Hogsmeade Surprise

A short narration

So far third year was uneventful and the new classes were going great. The Mutineers were thankful they had gone to the non-magical school since it made Arithmancy easier. The studies they did on non-magical Runes were also helpful. Care of Magical Creatures was fun with the new professor. There was a rumor that Dumbledore tried to hire Hagrid on, but the Board squashed it stating that he never finished his schooling and could not be a professor. Only Parvati, Sally Anne and Lavender took Divinations and from what they described about their first few classes the rest of the group was glad they elected not to take that subject. The three girls liked the class because it was a good place to pick up gossip, no one paid attention to Trelawney.

The new CoMC professor, Prima Whitfoot, was a sturdy woman who brooked no nonsense in her class. She stood a good six feet tall and had a wide girth, though you really couldn't call her fat, just large. Muscles showed that she was not afraid to take on most of the creatures she taught. Her dark brown hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail. Her matching gold-brown hawk-like eyes were sharp and the students soon learned they would not get away with anything in her class.

The book they used was 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' written by Newt Scamander. While the upper-years used 'The Monster Book of Monsters,' by Edwardus Lima.

The Ministry classifications of creatures were thus:

X: Boring

XX: Harmless / may be domesticated

XXX: Competent wizards should cope

XXXX: Dangerous / requires specialist knowledge / skilled wizard may handle

XXXXX: Known wizard killer / impossible to train or domesticate (or as Ron puts it, "Anything Hagrid likes")

Boring creatures or class X, the students were told was for self-study. Anything over XXXX class was taught but never brought to the school, much to the relief of parents and students alike. Since this was a third year class, they were being taught about smaller animals, such as; the Augury, which is also known as the Irish Phoenix, the Bowtruckle, the Chizpurfle and other XX. Then fourth year would work on XXX class, and so on, with fifth and above learning primarily from the book.

To coincide with this, Remus use the first part of his class to teach them how to defend yourself from the creatures taught in CoMC. If they learn about the Bowtruckle that week, he would tell them how to make it move from its tree or the spell to use if it attacked in droves. Not that that happened often, but it was a wild animal that would and could protect its territory. He also taught them about beings that were not taught by Professor Whitfoot, such as the Boggart for third years and the Dementors for fifth years and so on.

Defensive spells were learned at the last part of the class, and they were assigned reading to catch up. This way the classes were evenly split to give everyone an all-round education. Remus, or Professor Lupin, was thankful that the Hufflepuff Soldier had helped in the year before, or this would be more of a nightmare.

McGonagall once again had to grade the Potter twins separately, though she was glad to see that they were graded fairly. She, however, didn't want anyone accusing them of receiving special grades from a family friend.

September 14, 1993 Hogwarts

Today the Mutineers were studying at their usual table. They were getting a lot of help from the upper years, and everyone was learning well. Harry and Gary were sitting together with their 'not-girlfriends, and a few boys. They were working on their Runes' homework when a noise at the entrance of the Hall broke their concentration. It was Ron and his small group. It looked like they were arguing with Hermione. Finally Ron and Seamus stomped away, and the three girls of the group went to the Gryffindor table in a huff.

"I really hate it when they get on Hermione like that," the Gryffindor twin said with a frown. He had tried to keep a casual friendship with Ron and Seamus since they shared a room. However, he never liked the way they treated the girls. Now that she hung out with Leanne and Faye, she didn't come to their table often.

"I still don't see why you like that girl," Harry said, looking at his brother.

"She's alright," Gary argued, still looking at the frazzled girl. "She's just a little bossy. I think it has to do with her childhood. I mean, from the things Parvati and Lavender say, she didn't have many friends growing up. I guess I just feel sorry for her." He shrugged and turned his attention back to his homework.

"I still don't see it," his brother disagreed with a shake of his head. "She's always getting on me about something, like I don't know what I'm doing and only she does."

"I know," he sighed as he once again looked at the girl in question. "I've tried to get her to back off, but she just calls me a bully and runs off. I don't understand why she can't take some constructive criticism."

"I know what you mean, Harry," Daphne stated as she slid in between them. "She's really been a bit… stuck-up isn't the word I'm looking for, but since she started studying with Weasley, she like me and Tracey less and is almost cold toward us."

"I'll talk to her," the younger twin said, only to have his brother shake his head.

"No, it's normal. She has best friends now, it only stands to reason that she'll back off from others," Harry said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Harry's right," the blonde Slytherin agreed as she winked at the boy in question. "She's not hateful, just bordering rude."

"Alright, but if she starts being meaner, let me know and I'll talk to her," Gary sighed and looked once more at Hermione, then back to his homework.

"Gary, I think we can handle it ourselves, but thanks," Daphne stated as she too got back to her assignment.

The rest of Study Hall was spent in mostly silence, they munched on biscuits and drank some juice and finished their coursework. The ghosts were loads of help to the teachers to keeping the kids in line. Soon enough it was time to go to practical study, which was much louder and they worked off all their sweets. A tired group of Mutineers went to get ready for dinner, then secret training and then hopefully to bed.

It was later that night right after the twins had their nightly mental talk that Sally came to visit Harry. It was his night for training anyway, so he was expecting her. They couldn't sneak away like they used to, because of the Aurors having the map. So they only went over wand movements and new spells. The secret Mutineer study groups were still a go, because they never studied outside of curfew.

After about an hour of training Sally brought up the subject of Peter. "Well," she said casually, like she found a rock in the garden and it was grey, "Peter has been spotted near the castle."

"What?!" Harry yelled as he face morphed into complete disbelieve that she wasn't as upset as he was.

"Peter was spotted in Hogsmeade," she reiterated slowly.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked baffled as to why she was so casual about it.

"And just what would you have done?" she snapped back, her still adorable face taking on a harder look.

"Well, we would have… we might… we could have done something," he said indignantly as he folded his arms defiantly.

"No, you really couldn't have," she said with a shake of her head, causing her pigtails to bob around her cute face. She was aging with the boys and now looked to be a thirteen year old, but she kept her hair short and in her favorite style.

"Why would you say that? Isn't this the type of stuff you're training us for?" he asked a bit hurt that she said that.

"Look, by the time the Aurors got to where they spotted him— the rat was gone. They've also chased off Rita a few times. Those two are just too small to capture. The second they hear someone coming their way, they hide and run," the personification of Death explained firmly.

"What about Homorphus Charm or Homenum Revelio?" came the inquiry. Those two spells should have found the culprits. The first would revert them, and the second would be able to tell the Auror if they were hiding.

"Come on, Harry, you know the Revelio spell only works if they are in the area, and the Homorphus Charm would only work if it hit them. If they've run then neither of those would work," Death chastised.

"Oh, well damn, still I don't like that Gary doesn't know that Peter is somewhere near. How is he supposed to be on his guard if he doesn't know he is in danger?" he asked very concerned about his twin.

"You should be on the lookout anyway. Both of you know that that man knows the castle as well as you do. Never let your guard down," she snapped, now worried that training might not be enough.

"We are," Harry snarled back, "but we can be more alert if we know what's going on."

"That's why I am telling you now."

"Oh, yeah, well that's better then. Why do you think Mum and Dad are keeping it quiet? I mean, I know they don't want us to worry, but…" Harry trailed off as he sat back on his headboard, calmer now, but still miffed at being left out.

"Don't you remember what I told you when you were younger? Parents like yours don't want their kids fighting if they can help it. And you have to admit that you and your brother would've charged off to face the traitor," she said, getting more comfortable at the foot of the bed. "Besides, I don't think your parents know either," she added.

"Yeah, but, we're not kids anymore," Harry stated as he started to get huffy again. "Why wouldn't they know? Don't you tell them everything?" he added.

"No, I spend most of my time with you and your brother, I let you know stuff and you tell them. And yes, you are only children. Just because you are more powerful than most adults doesn't mean you are not a kid. You are thirteen years old. Until you're seventeen and make your own way in the world you are still a kid." She glared at the teenage boy in front of her. She knew stuff like this was going to happen, that didn't mean she had to like it. Puberty for any gender sucked for adults to deal with. The I'm-older-now-know-better-than-you attitude was really grating.

"Whatever, I'm going to sleep," he said, knowing everyone else was asleep by now, so he would tell them in the morning. He glared at Sally one more time, put his crystal on and rolled over ignoring the deity on his bed.

Sally shook her head sadly and disappeared.

Earlier at the Manor

The Hunters, with their new members, gathered around the usual table in the smaller dining room. The new members consisted of; Mayur Patil, Aric Davies, Natalie Greengrass. They now made Team Three.

"Okay, now that everyone is settled, what do we know?" James asked from his spot at the head of the table.

"I have no new news," Augusta sighed as she picked up her cup of ever present tea.

"It's okay," Lily said, with a kind smile. "There's only so much you can get from gossip."

"I know, but now I feel useless," the elderly woman said. An out of character slump of her shoulders showed just how she felt.

"Why don't you join me and Albert," the redhead offered. "We're still looking up ways to keep the kids safe." Now that the hunting teams knew how to find and cleanse the horcruxes, the research team needed something to do.

Augusta brightened and nodded her head, glad to be of help again. She straightened her shoulders and looked gratefully at the Potter mum.

"My Aurors have reported that both Rita and Peter were seen around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade this afternoon," Amelia stated out of the blue, and then she sat and waited for the storm to be over.

Just as predicted all the parents jumped to their feet and started shouting. Most of them wanted to know why they weren't informed. Sirius and Remus were about to run out the door, but a shake of James' head made them settle back down, though they both shot him a confused look.

After about five minutes of this, James used his wand to produce a large 'bang' and got everyone's attention. "Come on, settle down," he said as he retook his seat. "I know you're worried, but let the Aurors do their job, okay? Besides, didn't you hear her, they're not there now. Amelia, can you tell us what happened?"

The Head of the DMLE adjusted her monocle and looked sternly at each person there. "Shacklebolt saw Pettigrew on the map and immediately informed the rest of his team. They converged on the area, but there was nothing there, Kingsley thinks he fled. They did the standard spells to find an Animagus, but he was gone," came the report. She then took a drink of water and continued, "It was Savage's team that spotted Rita. She was almost caught, but she flew off. We now know she's some type of insect." She was just as frustrated as the rest of them, but she had faith in her Aurors.

"That rat coward will probably stay away from the castle now. Good thing he doesn't know about the new maps," Sirius said smugly.

"Do we tell the children?" Natalie Greengrass asked, worried for her daughters, and yet unsure as to whether or not to give them this type of information.

"I'm pretty sure they've already been informed. The new ghosts are adamant that everyone involved needs every scrap of information in order to protect themselves. Since we don't control them, there's little we can do to stop them from passing things on," James explained. He too was worried about the kids knowing things, since he felt should be handled by adults. He and Lily had argued with Sally all summer about it, but what could you do against a deity?

"I'm not sure I like that," Mayur said with a worried brow.

"There is little we can do. Not even Dumbledore can exorcise them. That and I like that they are spies for us," Lily said. She wasn't as concerned about the ghosts as she was about her reckless sons.

"Yes, well, if it wasn't for the Hufflepuff Soldier, I would be having a harder time this year teaching your children," Remus added, leading the topic to a good point of having the spirits in the castle.

There were nods around the table, they had all been told the stories of the Soldier over the summer and were thankful to the man… err ghost.

"How goes the library and kiosk?" James asked Sirius, moving on from the beaten subject.

The Black Lord sat up straighter. "Now there is good news. The library is almost done. It should be open by the time the kids go to their first Hogsmeade weekend, which this year falls on Halloween."

"That is good news, with us there, we can watch the kids," Mr. Patil stated, and then frowned. "Will there be added security?" he asked, thinking over the news they just got.

"Yeah, there'll be a map in the back room that volunteers can watch. Xeno is going to publish the opening, and the kiosk is going to be right inside the library. We also decided to sell the Quibbler there and the store in Diagon Alley. Now that the magazine has started publishing political news, we think more people will read it. Oh, he is still reporting on unusual animals, but they are in the back pages," the dogman said enthusiastically, he was excited. Between this new kiosk and the store in Diagon Alley, plus the money they made off the goblins, they would be set financially if there was a war, without having to deplete family funds. And although this group's function was to make sure there wasn't one, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"That is wonderful, now maybe more people will learn," Natalie enthused with a clapping of her hands. With computers in Hogsmeade, hopefully even more pure-blood families could be swayed to more open thinking.

"Yes, it is good news. Now how goes the hunt for the horcruxes?" James said, guiding the meeting along. It was getting late and he wanted it to end soon.

"Team Two has nothing new to add," said a disgruntled Wayne.

"Team One has nothing," Sirius added with a pout.

"Team Three hasn't started yet," Mayur said with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

Sirius barked with laughter, causing the rest of the group to relax a little.

"Amelia, maybe you can get Shacklebolt or Savage to talk to the Grey Lady," Remus suggested, tapping his chin in thought. "According to Augusta, Tom was seen talking to her and the Slytherin Spirit. So we know she's hiding something. I've tried to talk to her, but she just floats away. However, I've got a good thing going with the Hufflepuff Soldier, so I'll ask him to chat with her. Or he can talk to the Bloody Baron. Those two are connected somehow," he added.

The Potters hoped he did more good than Sally did. They had asked her to talk to the Ravenclaw Ghost, but the shy spirit was so frightened that she just shimmered away whenever Death approached. They talked to Harry, but he didn't have any better luck.

"We can do that. I also want some detector crystals to go to them. If Riddle put the curse on the DADA, then it is possible he hid a horcrux in the castle. They can search when the kids are asleep," Amelia said, nodding her head in agreement. She'd get on the mirror when she got home and talk to her team.

"Hey Mayur, can you stay behind for a minute, the rest of you go home. We'll meet again in a week," James said, standing up and leading everyone to the Floo Room.

Mayur did stay behind. "What can I do for you?" he asked, taking a seat in the Game Room. He always liked it in here.

"I was just wondering if the spell you spoke of could get rid of a horcrux on a living being. We have reason to believe that Riddle made a human a horcrux by accident. We can't tell you who, we're under a vow, but if your spell can rid this person of it without putting them into a coma, like the powder, we might be able to convince the person we made the vow to, to let us bring you in," James said quickly, not wanting the man to think they were withholding vital information again.

"No, I'm sorry, but the spell would be harmful to a person. It is made to rip the soul out of the item. There is no guarantee that it would not rip the person's soul out and leave the horcrux behind," Mayur said with a sad shake of his head.

The Potter adults deflated, though Sally had told them that Harry might need the horcrux to save his life, they were still hopeful that they could remove it without the powder. Having Dark magic under ones' skin could not be healthy was their reason. They didn't know it was cleanse almost pure.

"Well, thanks anyway," the male Potter said, standing and shaking the man's hand. Lily then accompanied him to the Floo room and said her own farewell. She then joined James and the two settled in front of the telly and didn't think about anything important for a few hours, just mindless shows to relieve some of their tension.

October 31, 1993 Hogwarts

The chatter in the Great Hall this morning was loud. It was the first Hogsmeade weekend for the third year Mutineers and everyone was excited. The second year members of the gang weren't happy. Ginny, Astoria and Spencer were moping, while Luna was just sitting confident that her friends would bring her back something nice. She hummed a little tune under her breath and just waited. The four younger members were sitting at the Ravenclaw table. As the meal drew to an end and it was getting closer to the time the upper years to depart for Hogsmeade the three kids got more and more glum.

"Cheer up guys. We'll make sure to bring you back something. What would you like?" Harry asked the three gloomy kids.

"I was wondering if you could take my earrings to Dervish & Banges to see if they can fix them. The Nargles have started to populate in the dorm, and I want to make sure they stay away from my head," Luna asked as she started to take off her radish earrings.

"Ummm, Luna, I don't think they do jewelry. I think they only do gizmos and tools and such," Harry said cautiously, he didn't want to offend the girl. He would have to keep an eye on the bullies in his House, because, even though he had never seen a Nargle, she was rarely wrong about someone's head being muddled. But, he truly doubted that the earrings actually did anything.

"Ohhhh, well then can you see if the shop has any instruments to help keep one's head clear?" Luna said, putting her earrings back on.

"Anything for you, little Luna," Harry said with a smile. He was sure they didn't have anything like that, but he would buy something that this quirky girl would like. "Now, what would you three like?" He turned to the others.

"The twins said they would pick me up some candy, so I'm good. I just want to go with you guys," Ginny said with a full on pout, lips sticking out, arms crossed and watery eyes.

"I know, Ginny, but you can go next year, yeah," Harry said, patting her arm.

"Daphne said she'd pick me up some new quills," Astoria piped up, and although she was unhappy that she wasn't going at least she had a sister that would buy her things.

"I don't have any siblings, so you can get me some Blood Lollies," Spenser said, perking up a little.

"Ewww," said the two depressed girls with wrinkles of their noses. It was kind of cute the way they did that together.

"Yeah I can do that," Harry said. Then put up his hand to stop the younger boy from handing him money. "I'll get this one. You can give me money on the next weekend, okay?"

Spenser just shrugged and put his coins away. "Thanks, Harry."

Breakfast came to a close, and all the third years gathered in the Entrance Hall. They would walk down as one big group, and split up when they got to the village. Everyone was dressing in their warmest clothes, it was coming to the end of autumn in Scotland and it was cold. Woolen pants, jumpers, hats, cloaks or coats, scarves, mittens and boots were mandatory wear for most of the students. Although some of the girls braved the weather in long thick woolen skirts.

After a head count they all went to the gate. Mr. Filch was there checking permission slips. He face was in its usual snarl as he looked over each piece of paper handed to him. Harry wondered how a squib would be able to tell if it was forged or not, then he brushed it off as it being unimportant.

The walk to the village was long and cold. You had to go down the same road the carriages came up at the beginning of the year. On the walk down you went by the 'Shrieking Shack', an old looking house that was three stories high with boarded windows and doors. The yard was overrun with thorny bushes and waist high grass. It was said to be the most haunted place in Europe.

"I've always wondered why the villagers are afraid of a haunted house," Padma said as she looked at the run down house in question. "They all attended Hogwarts, which has ghosts. So they know that spirits can't harm them. I never understood that."

"Don't know," Gary answered her with a shrug. "Maybe it is the shrieking that gets them. The house is supposed to sound like people are being murdered, but whenever it is investigated there's nothing there. We know why that is, but it's not like we can tell them."

All the Mutineers grew up with the stories of the Marauders, so they all knew about Remus' affliction. The staff and the Board knew, but the general population did not. This year instead of going home like planned, he ran deep in the Forbidden Forest, far away from the school with Padfoot and Prongs. That way they kept an eye and nose out for Pettigrew.

"Besides, the poltergeist can harm someone if it is angry enough. Perhaps they think it's one of those," Harry offered.

"I know that, but there are spells to counter that," Padma said pointedly. "I was just commenting on how stupid it was to be scared of ghosts." She then turned to her twin and talked about what shops they would visit.

The Potter twins shared a look and then shrugged. Each boy then turned to the girl at their side, Gary's girl being Susan. "Where are you going to visit first?" he asked.

"I was thinking of going to Gladrags to see if I can get a new winter cloak. This one is getting too short and Auntie gave me enough money to get a new one. Do you want to come with?" she asked hopefully as she sidled up closer to him.

Just because Auntie said she couldn't date, didn't mean she couldn't hang out with her crush. She would have snuck around, but now that the Aurors were there and they were armed with the maps, she wasn't taking any chances. She did curse the fact that she missed out on some quality kissing time. Oh, well there was always next year. Hopefully the rat would be caught, and the teens could be teens.

"Yeah, I can go with you. I need some new gloves. Hermione's cat chewed a hole in my left one." He lifted his hand to show the hole that was between the thumb and forefinger.

"Great," she squealed and then grabbed his hand. Parvati and Lavender giggled at Gary's cluelessness, but they were happy to see Susan got to spend some time with him.

"Parvati says that cat is a menace and that Granger won't corral it in anyway. 'He is a cat,' she says. 'That's what cats do'. Honestly people should be more respectful of other people's stuff. I understand that cats chew up stuff, but how would she feel if I brought a cat that liked to gnaw on books and lent it to Lavender and all her precious books were ruined?" Padma asked with a huff, her sister nodding that she indeed had said that.

"I know, I tried to tell her that, but she is one stubborn girl," Gary said with a shake of his head. That was one conversation he never wanted to have again.

The Patil twins snarled at the answer, but conceded that the Gryffindor bookworm was hardheaded. Susan just nodded her head, swayed their linked hands between them, and they talked about the other shops they might visit.

Harry was talking to Daphne about going to Honeydukes to get the second years some candy to cheer them up. She thought it was a good idea, along with the quills she was getting for Astoria. They would save Luna's gift for last.

There was no question that these two would stick together, since they were a well-known non-couple. They were hardly ever apart outside of classes and nighttime. And they made sure to sit together in the lessons they shared. Study Hall found them with their head only inches apart as they pondered over homework. No there was no question they would not stray far apart on another 'not-date'.

Once the gang rounded the bend to where they could see the village, everyone stopped and stared in silent awe. Hogsmeade was a small, yet quaint village. There were shops lining High Street and cottages laid behind them. The shops much like the ones in Diagon Alley looked like they just stepped out of the Victorian age. They stood about two stories tall and were wood paneled, slatted roofs and had large display windows. The cottages were tiny with thatched roofs. It was all very picturesque.

The only building that was slightly out of place was a three story white building with plain windows and no chimney. On the front of that building were the words 'Hogsmeade Library'. It did look like an effort was made to blend it with the village, in that the white was wooden paneling and the roof was slatted.

The Mutineers hadn't been told about the library, so this came as a surprise to all of them. A lot of the parents were lining the steps with big smiles on their faces. They were waving to the awestruck children. Villagers that didn't work in the shops were crowded around the front, watching to see how this new attraction would go over with the kids, after all this was supposed to be a study free time for them. Little did they know that this library was more for their use.

The whole student body moved forward slowly, and came to a stop at the bottom of steps. They all looked on at the wonder that the adults had created. It was Hermione was the first to try going up the library stairs. She was drug her two female friends behind her, but had to stop when Mr. Patil held up his hand gently and shook his head. That broke the students out of their stupor, and they all started babbling about what was going on, only to quiet down when Mr. Lovegood held up his hands.

"Welcome, students and villagers, to the opening of the Hogsmeade Library," Xeno said from his place at the top of the stairs with his spell amplified voice. "We wanted to wait until the first student weekend to show you the wonders this facility holds. Most of you have seen the magic null rooms in many of your friends' houses. This library has one too. It holds ten computers so that you may enjoy the wonders of the world. Worry not, parents, each computer is child friendly," he said with a chuckle.

"This library also has books that are not sold in the shops. You may check them out for the period of one visiting weekend to the next," Sirius said took over with a huge smile. "We have set it up in age appropriate sections. Age lines and spells are on each book and section, so don't try to read something your parents won't let you." He mock glared at the Weasley twins, who of course had mischievous twinkles in their eyes. A large groan was heard from the more studious of the students.

"And a quick bit of information," Lily said with a harder look at the older students. "There isn't a… risqué section, so don't look for one." That got a few disappointed looks. "The computers have also been protected, so that venue is closed as well."

"The spells on the books make it so you can't even have older kids get them for you," Mayur took up the explanation. "If you try and read them there will be nothing there. Remember, all you older kids that your name was the last one it was lent out to. So, if the book gets damaged you will have to pay the fines and replace the book. There is a pamphlet explaining all the rules for borrowing the books." He held up a glossy folded up piece of paper, to show which one he meant.

"Now that explanations are over, welcome to the new Hogsmeade Library," Xeno said as he opened the double doors at the front of the building with a flourish. "Oh, and if you are in need of crystals and mirrors, there is a kiosk in the front of the library for your needs."

The adults had decided to put the stand inside, since there were no other booths in Hogsmeade and they didn't want to distract from the image the village liked to maintain. There was a silencing bubble in a five feet diameter around the stall, so as to not disrupt the patrons of the library.

Some students went in the library to check it out. Most went about the other shops, because who wanted to study on a Hogsmeade weekend? Some of the Mutineers went to talk to their parents.

"So," Harry started with a lifting of his eyebrows as he stood in front of the adults, "this is an impressive achievement. Any reason you didn't tell us?"

"We wanted to surprise you," Lily offered with an innocent smile. "We knew you guys don't need to go here, but we didn't want word to get out about it before others could learn about it. This is mostly for the village and the upper-years that aren't in your group."

"Okay, I guess that's alright," Gary said, not really bothered with the fact that they were left out. "We'll just be going now. You're not going to follow us are you?" he asked with a narrowed eyed glare.

"No, we'll just be hanging around the shops and the pubs, making sure no one is threatening you kids," James answered with a chuckle.

"Good," came a chorus of young voices. And the children turned from the library to do their shopping, breaking off into groups of four or five.

"I want to go and see what the library looks like after the crowd thins," Padma said as she, her fellow Ravenclaws and Daphne went to Scrivenshaft's. This was a small shop, which only carried quills, sharpening tools and parchment.

"We can do that," Terry said as he looked at a never-out quill.

"I want to check out the kiosk. I heard that Luna made a new crystal and I want to listen to it," Mandy said, thinking of the mood crystal the little blond told her would help her build a mind-palace.

"Really? I thought they said she was too young for that," Harry stated, wondering how he could have possibly missed that.

"They put a spell on her voice to make it sound older," Mandy explained, bouncing with excitement. "That's what my mum said anyway. They did it this summer, while you guys were… well, not hiding… but keeping yourselves to mostly boys' houses." She picked up some parchment and quills and headed to the cashier.

Harry just shrugged and got some new quill knives for himself and Gary. And soon the group left and headed to Honeydukes. As they entered the candy shop Harry looked around in awe at all the candy.

There were rows, shelves and bins of all sorts of candies. Stairs on either side led to more candy on the second floor. They had never seen so many sweets in one place there were things like; Acid Pops, Bat's Blood Soup, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Blood-flavoured lollipops, Cauldron Cakes, Charm Choc, Chocoballs, Chocolate Cauldrons, Chocolate Frogs, Chocolate Skeletons, Chocolate Wands, Choco-Loco and much, much more. Candy as far as the eye could see. The kids were in heaven. Harry paid special attention to the chocolate that Honeydukes was famous for.

They spent an hour just going over their choices. Harry did remember to get Spencer his Blood Lollies and picked Chocolate Frogs for the girls. One can never have too much chocolate.

The group went to the Three Broomsticks to get some lunch and butterbeer. They sat at a simple wooden table, with plain wooden chairs to complement, in the back of the pub and just enjoyed the cozy atmosphere.

"This is great," Daphne said as she leaned against Harry's arm in the crowded room.

"I agree," the dark-haired wizard said, and then he took the chance and put his arm around her shoulders.

She sighed and snuggled into his embrace, and looked into each other's eyes and knew it was time to be a couple. With a quick peck on the lips, they turned their attention back to the people with them, who were all grinning like fools.

"It's about time," Padma stated, sending the bit of gossip to her sister mentally and winching at the squeal that sounded in her head. All of Hogwarts would know about this before dinner.

"Whatever," stated the now couple together and then smiled.

Gary and his group soon joined them. He lifted an eyebrow at his twin, who just grinned back. Susan was a bit jealous and was going to cuddle with her not-date, but there were Aurors in the building, so she just sighed and sat as close to him as she could get away with, without being reported.

The rest of the lunch, of Sheppard's pie, chips and butterbeer, was peaceful. As they sat and let their food settle, they watched and listened to the customers wonder about the library. Most seemed happy that it was there, this was a wizard village after all and they seldom saw new things. There, of course, were those that said nothing good could come of something so Muggle.

Harry and his troop soon left the comfy atmosphere of the Three Broomsticks, splitting off from Gary's bunch, and went to the library. Inside the doors you could see rows and rows of books. There were signs above each row that told what that particular aisle held, and how old you had to be to enter them. It seemed to be set up so younger year books were on the first floor and progress each floor up. There was a large counter in the front manned by a strict looking older lady. There was a door off to the side of the counter that said 'Adults Only'. Harry went up to Sirius to ask about it.

"Padfoot, what's up with that door?" he asked as he pointed to the door in question.

"That is mostly Grey books, curses, counter-curses and such. I got a lot of the parents to donate copies from their personal libraries. What they couldn't donate, we bought. Those books can't leave the room. It's a lot like the restricted section of the Hogwarts' library. We kept it by the checkout so that it can be watched at all times," the dark-haired man explained. "Why, what did you think it was for?" he asked raising an eyebrow and looking sternly at the oldest Potter twin.

"Ewww, not that, get your mind out of the gutter," Harry said as he pushed his dad's best friend away. He kept his hand in Daphne's as they followed the jokester, who was looking at the joined hands with waggling eyebrows, but he was only going to tease the young man when he was without female company.

"Do we need to have The Talk?" the older man asked. 'Okay, just a bit of ribbing,' he thought, looking that the mortified face of the oldest twin, and laughing.

"No! Just no, Dad already scarred me and Gary, thank you very much." He could hear his friends snickering at him, so he turned and glared, making them laugh harder. "It's not funny." He pouted, almost stomping his foot. Still, he held on to his girlfriend, who was also giggling at his plight, though she did throw a look at Sirius that made him hold up his hands in surrender.

"Come on, kiddos, let me show you the computer room," Sirius said as he ruffled Harry's always messy hair. He jerked his head to the archway in the back of the room and led them there.

Inside the archway were two rows of five cubicles each with a state of the art computer. The chairs were regular rolling chairs and the floor was tile. There was a telly in the corner that seemed to be broadcasting a non-magical news station. The volume was lowered as to not interfere with those using the computers, but there were subtitles.

Hermione was in the furthest cubicle, and was showing her friends the wonders of the non-magical world. Faye and Leanne already knew all this from their time with the Mutineers, but the bushy-haired wasn't listening as she went excitedly on and on about the things she thought they should know. Granted these two girls spent most of their time on the Potter computers looking up fashion, but still they did do their studies on the machines. Ron and Seamus were nowhere in sight.

"So when you said they were age appropriate, what did you mean?" Terry asked as he sat at the only available computer.

"There is a blocking program so adult stuff can't be shown unless you get the password from the librarian. And you need to prove you're of age. Even then you can't view anything overly graphic," Sirius explained and showed them what he meant by googling the word sex. A screen pulled up letting them know that this search was invalid and locked the computer.

"Isn't that going to take time to unlock?" Harry asked impressed. He wondered if his parents set up something similar at home.

"Nay, we've got a key disk for it. I just wanted to show we're not running a peep shop. We worked hard to get these programs installed, what with all you hormonal kids running around. Don't want the parents or professors getting into a tizzy over anything." Sirius then guided the kids out of the room, let the librarian know he locked computer nine. "Mandy, try and go down that aisle," he suggested to the dark haired Ravenclaw girl.

"I am not sure I trust you," she said, giving him the stink eye.

"Don't worry I didn't set it up," he said as he barked in laughter.

"Alright," she said, still cautious but she attempted to go down the aisle that was designated to fourteen and older. She got to the first book and was about to read the title when she was gently levitated back out. She landed on her bum and glared at the laughing kids. Padma giggled, but at least she helped her friend up and asked if she was okay. "Yeah, just embarrassed," she said, wiping the nonexistent dust off her pants.

"So what did Dumbledore have to say about this? I can't imagine he was happy about it," Daphne asked, waving her hand to indicate the whole building.

"Oh, you'd be right about that. He tried to stop us by going to the Board, but we showed them all the precautions we were taking and they backed us. Besides, the only thing they could do is ban you kids from coming if they felt it wasn't set up right. They really don't have any say about the shops in the village," their adult guide said, chuckling when he remembered the look on the Headmaster's face that he couldn't stop them.

"This is a brilliant set up, but we still have some shopping to do," Harry said, gently tugging on Daphne's hand and pulling her to the front of the library.

"You kids take care and be careful, yeah?" Sirius called to them as they wandered away.

"Not a problem, Padfoot, we will," Harry answered back with a wave over his shoulder.

They went to the booth in the front and got the new crystal, plus a few extra for the second years, and exited the library. They made their way to Dervish & Banges to find something for Luna. This shop was noisy as gizmos and clocks were making wheezing and ticking noises. All manner of things were moving and zooming around.

The kids looked around for about a half an hour until they came upon a watch that showed your mood. The face had words of different colors and there was only one arm, shaped like a real arm with a hand at the end. At the end of the hand one finger pointed out what mood you were in. Terry tried it on and the hand moved to the pale green word of relaxed. Harry took a turn and the hand moved to the dark grey of cautious. They felt this was the perfect gift for Luna, if only because there was a blue word that said muddled.

It was a happy group of students, of all ages, that returned to the castle that evening. Luna loved her new watch, and Ginny, Astoria and Spencer were thankful for the candy and crystal.

Too bad it wasn't as good of a day for James and Lily. After the students went back to school, Pearl Jackson had spotted Pettigrew in the village. It was her turn to man the map and she immediately call the alert to the parents and the Aurors. The Potter adults and the Aurors quickly set out to capture him as the rest of the adults fanned out to make sure he didn't get away. They spotted a rat at the end of an alley between Dervish & Banges and Dominic Maestro's.

James recognized it as Wormtail and he shouted, "Come back, you coward!" as he shot spell after spell at the quickly moving rodent. Each was a narrow miss, it was hard to shoot and run perfectly. They got closer and the Aurors were casting wide area stunning spells, but they were limited because of the pedestrians.

The tricky rodent would use all the poles, dustbins, and store signs to hide from the spells as he got nearer to where he wanted to go. As the curses rained down on him, Peter dove behind a trash bin and into the hole in the wall at the end of the alley. Behind this wall was an open field, they would never find a single rat in field like that.

They blasted the wall and ran through, wands at the ready.

James tried to summon the traitor, but nothing came. He must have hid in an animal's tunnel. "Dammit!" the male Potter shouted, throwing whatever he could get his hands on into the field, and kicking mounds of dirt as if it would reveal where the rat went.

Lily did the revealing spell but Peter was long gone. "Come on, James, let's go back to the library and see if he doubled back, or is on his way to Hogwarts," she said, grabbing her angry husband's arm and led him away.

The map showed that Peter escaped once again, but they weren't letting their guard down. Now that he had been spotted twice they knew he was after the twins.

Chapter 29 Stubborn Girls

Time skip with a short narration

The library was a huge success; everyone in the village loved it. Well, not everyone, there were some diehard traditionalist that didn't like the newfangled things cluttering up Hogsmeade, but they were the minority. There were plenty of adults keeping the place busy. Non-magical fiction flew off the shelves, and a new clothing store opened to sell what they found on the internet. The kids loved it. They really disliked wizarding clothing, and felt that jeans and t-shirts were far more comfortable, though jumpers were in season.

The elective classes were paying off, in that the teenagers were learning things that Lily and Remus hadn't taught them. Now they were all getting closer to what they wanted to do when they got older. Harry was seriously thinking about independent curse breaking, like Indiana Jones, while Gary was headed to being the first magical private eye. Both learned the value of spies and making friends with 'lesser beings'.

Winter hit and the football games were called off because of the snow, but that didn't stop the kids from going out and starting snowball wars. The Mutineers would inevitably team up against other groups of students. They didn't always win, but they had a great time trying.

Hermione looked bleaker as the holidays came closer. Gary tried to find out if she was sleeping, but she would sniff and say 'I don't know what you're talking about,' and then stomp away. Ron and Seamus were still mean to the girls, and Faye and Leanne weren't much nicer to their bookworm friend when she got snappy. Gary told Parvati and Lavender that he thought she needed someone to talk to, and they tried, but all she seemed to do was study. So they all sighed and waited for her to crack.

The Headmaster called Gary to his office a week before break and tried to get him to say in Hogwarts for Christmas, citing that is was safer there. Gary replied that he couldn't put his family on hold just because Pettigrew might be out to get him. The boy then threatened, nicely, to tell the Board that the Headmaster was playing favorites, which after the last two years would be bad. The old man sighed in defeat and wished him a happy holiday.

December 17, 1993 Hogwarts

The months flew by in a flurry of watching the map, games, studying, training, classes and homework. It was a tired bunch of children that were more than ready to go home and rest. It was the day before the train, and they were all sitting in the Great Hall, which was decorated in the usual Christmas frills.

There were twelve towering Christmas trees, festoons of holly, mistletoe, and other Christmas-oriented accents. Plus, real live fairies, which flew around the trees. A warm, dry snow fell from the Enchanted Ceiling. Elsewhere in the castle, everlasting icicles were applied to the banisters of the Grand Staircase and the suits of armor were charmed to sing carols. All and all it was very festive.

Gary was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Neville and Dean. They were talking about the Boxing Day party being held this year by the Longbottoms. Lavender and Parvati were on the other side of the table talking about girl things. Everyone was excited to be going home tomorrow and hopefully relaxing from the stress of having to keep on the lookout for Pettigrew.

They trusted the Aurors that were guarding the castle, but there were only six of them and they could only be stretched so far. So the Mutineers had been manning the maps and using the ghosts to report anything they had seen. So far that rat had shown up twice, but he kept disappearing out the tunnels, and then Forest, or the caves around Hogsmeade, which were not on the maps. They only knew that that was the direction he went. The Aurors searched the caves and came up with nothing. This man was very good hiding and escaping.

The biggest downfall of the maps was that if there were more than ten people in one given area then all the names crowded together and it was hard to pick out one individual. Another glitch was that you could only look at part of the map at a time. So if you were looking at the Forbidden Forest, then you couldn't watch the front doors or the secret tunnels. These were the reasons the students were helping, though the color coding helped a lot.

Ron and his group came into the Hall, and sat a little bit away from the other third years, distracting Gary from his thoughts. He glanced over at the group and noted that Hermione looked horrible; her hair was frizzier than ever, there were dark rings under her very tired looking eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept in months. Her book bag was packed as full as it could be, almost to the point of the seams ripping. Gary made a note to send her one of the expandable ones, either anonymously or have one of her dorm mates give it to her.

"Lavender," he said quietly, getting the girl's attention, "Still no luck getting her to sleep?"

The blonde girl huffed in frustration. "No, and she won't talk to us. We can't even get anything from Faye and Leanne. When we ask we're told 'everything is okay', even though you can tell just by looking at her, it's not." She sent a small glare at the girls in question.

"All I know is that she is studying all the time, even at night. We tried to get her to sleep. We even complained about the lights, but she just went into the common room. That and that ungrateful group use her for homework help," Parvati scoffed, sharing a scathing look to the bushy-haired girl's friends. "More like homework doing. I'll never understand why such a smart girl puts up with them." She then wrinkled her nose at the appalling manner the boys were exhibiting.

"No matter how much we try, she just brushes us off as unimportant," Lavender said softly. "We did finally get her cat to behave. It was Padma who asked Flitwick about it. He showed her, then she showed us, a spell that would pop up a spray bottle and squirt water on the cat anytime it starts misbehaving, so that's one less thing for her to stress over, not that she's thankful."

"Can you to teach me for the next time Crookshanks gets in our dorm?" Gary asked as he gave each girl a grateful smile. "Don't worry, I know how important you two are. If it weren't for you, Harry and I would've been blamed for that whole Chamber of Secrets thing last year. So don't let them get you down." He winked at them, and then turned his attention back to his two male roommates.

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Harry was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, enjoying his meal of steamed fish, vegetables and rice. He was glad that there were healthier choices now than there had been in his first year. He wasn't sure who talked to the Board about better meals, but he was just happy someone did.

Terry and Mandy were discussing what they might get for Christmas. Padma was talking with Luna about the Longbottom's ball and what she and Parvati would be wearing. The Patils didn't celebrate Christmas, but they enjoyed going to the parties held during that season. The Mutineers, thanks to their childhood, understood this and didn't try and get them to celebrate. Although, they did give them gifts on Boxing Day, so the female twins had everything the other members of the group had. Their parents understood and allowed their girls these gifts.

"Hey, Spencer, is your family going to the Longbottom ball?" he asked just before pudding popped up.

"Yeah, we're real excited about it. Mum said that it has been a rough year for the parents, so she's happy that we get to kick back for a day," the younger boy said with a bobbing of his head. His mum had been manning the map in Hogsmeade. Even on the days the kids weren't there. The parents were determined to get the escaped convict.

Harry nodded his head in understanding. His parents looked like they had had little sleep in the past few months as well. He knew from his nightly talks with them that the hunting teams were at a standstill. Sally could only tell him that Voldemort was not seen by anyone passing over. So they had no idea if Peter had found his master or not. Everyone was getting frustrated with the lack of progress.

The meal ended with Dumbledore's usual cheery Christmas message, though he did add a warning to keep alert. Gary and Harry met up in the Entrance Hall, so they could have a face to face talk. Mental talking was all well and good, but sometimes it was nice just to see someone's face and body language.

"I'm worried about Hermione. She looks terrible and I think she's going to crash soon," Gary said as they leaned against the wall just inside the large doors. They watched as Ron and Hermione passed by, arguing as usual.

Harry looked at the girl in question, noted how frazzled she looked and nodded his head in agreement. "Just keep a watch," he advised. "Hopefully, you'll know when to step in. You might have to get on Ron's and Seamus' bad side, but if you think she is worthy of friendship..." he trailed, still not seeing what his brother saw in her. "Do you have any idea what's going on with her?" he asked.

"Only that she is doing more studying than three elective classes warrant," was the reply.

"Three? Gary, she's taking all five," Harry corrected in a slightly louder voice.

"How do you know that?" the younger twin looked at his brother with a confused tilt of his head.

"Well the Gryffindor Gossips let us know that she's Divination, but she is in our Arithmancy class at the same time. One of my Housemates told me that she has been seen leaving Muggle Studies when you guys are in Runes," he explained with a sad shake of his head.

Gary shook his head as well. "Well, that at least explains why she's so stressed out. She must be using a time turner or something. I wonder how they got that past the Board. Those things are dangerous, and to give it to a thirteen year old girl, what are they thinking?" he silently berated himself for not noticing sooner, but for all he worried about the girl, he did have a full schedule.

"Don't know, but if you're right she's not using it to sleep, so, yeah, she'll be hitting bottom soon, unless she gets extra rest during the holidays. Knowing what little I know about her though, she'll spend most of her time doing homework and not relaxing."

"Yeah," Gary said knowingly, he figured that as well. He then he pushed himself off the wall and faced his twin. "I'm going to get moving. I told Lavender and Parvati that I was going to help them with CoMC homework. So, I'll catch you later."

"Yeah, for some reason Padma and Luna think I need consulting on my dress robes, so I've got to go as well," Harry said as he straightened and gave his brother a clap on the shoulder. "Good luck with Hermione. Still don't know what you see in her, but I trust your judgement."

The two parted and went to their dorms, had their talk with their dorm mates and made sure they were packed for the next day.

Meanwhile at the Manor

All the parents were gathered once again at the Potter Manor, they were in one of the larger dining rooms. They were all chattering about the kids coming home for the holidays and of course the Longbottom ball.

"Alright everyone, settle down," Lily said loudly as she stood by the head of the table. "I'm glad you all could make it, what with Christmas right around the corner. We only have a few things to discuss and then we'll let you get back to your preparations." She looked tired, her normal bouncy hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, and her face was devoid of any makeup charms. The bags under her eyes were pronounced, making the dullness of the normally bright green eyes more noticeable.

The group calmed down and gave their attention to the Potters, hoping it wasn't bad news. Though with the way this year was going so far, it probably was.

"We have a favor to ask. We need all of you to look in your Family Grimoires and see if you can find a spell that will transfer a horcrux to another object," James said with a bleak look on his face. Sirius, Frank and himself had already combed through theirs and found nothing —only ways to destroy the items. Mayur's spell was the only thing that came close and they did study it, but like the man said, it pulls the soul directly from the object, so they couldn't use it on Harry. They were hoping to not have to use the powder on their eldest son. Even though it wouldn't kill him, it would put him into a coma and they wanted to prevent that.

"Why?" Aric asked. He had no problem doing what they requested, but Family Spells were usually kept in the… well, family. So they better have a really good reason for asking.

"We have reason to believe that Riddle made a human horcrux. If we use the powder then we'd have to explain why that person was in a coma. We can't tell you who it is, we're under a vow," James answered, slumping in his seat and idly playing with his cup. It had been a hard couple of months with the opening of the library, watching for Peter, hunting the horcruxes, looking for spells, and worrying over their headstrong boys —he and Lily were exhausted.

"I don't understand. Why can't we just put the person into a coma?" Rachelle asked, many of the parents nodding with her.

"I can't tell you without breaking my vow. Needless to say, if this person goes into a coma it would draw too much attention to them. That's all I can tell you," James sighed as he ran his hand down his haggard face, which took on an earnest expression as he tried to convey that it really was all he could impart.

"Alright, James, we can see it is hurting you. We will do our best," Mayur said, looking around the table and seeing that most of the parents agreed, even if they didn't understand.

"Thank you," Lily said sincerely, making her face brightened with hope.

Remus spoke and got everyone's attention. "On to some better news, well sort of. I have talked to the Hufflepuff Soldier and he had talked to the Bloody Baron. He informed me that the Baron died going after Helena Ravenclaw when she fled the castle. It seems that Helena at some point after graduating stole her mother's diadem and ran away to Albania. When her mother became fatally ill she had hoped to see her daughter one last time, so she sent the Bloody Baron to find her. The man harbored an unrequited love for the younger Ravenclaw. Anyway, he chased her down and demanded that she return, when she refused in a rage he murdered her, and then he got so appalled over what he had done that he committed suicide. They eventually returned to Hogwarts, where, as you know, they both became their House Ghost. According to the Baron, the diadem was hidden in the jungle, and he has no clue if it is still there."

He paused to take a drink of tea then continued. "The Soldier has tried to talk to the Grey Lady, but she won't talk to him. We know, because of Quirrell, that Riddle was in Albania before the kids started Hogwarts, so it only stands to reason that he somehow picked up the diadem and possibly made it a horcrux," he finished with a half-hearted shrug and then slumped to his seat, he was just as worn-out as the Potters. Plus, he had teaching and the full moon to add to his weariness.

"Why this is good news, is because we think it's the last horcrux to be found, besides the human one they talked about earlier," Sirius added, pointing at the Potters, who just unenthusiastically nodded their heads. "All we have to do is see if one of the new ghosts can talk to the Grey Lady and then hopefully we'll be one step closer to ending Riddle for good."

"My Aurors are scouring the castle with the crystals, if it is there, we'll find it," Amelia all but promised, hoping to get some hope to the Potters. "They have found many artifacts that should never be in a school, but nothing as Dark as a soul container."

"Do they know what they're looking for?" Mayur asked, knowing that some information should not get out.

"No, I told them that Pettigrew might try and kill Gary by hiding something where he could find it. So they are searching for cursed items," the Head of the DMLE said with a shrug. Even though she hated not disclosing information, she knew there were spies for both factions in her ranks. She did make sure to caution them that they were looking for deadly things, not just schoolboy tricks.

"That is good news," Lily sighed, knowing it could take a while, since they could only work when the staff and students were in bed.

This update did garner a lot of optimistic whispers, and it put the parents in a better mood. The meeting broke up on that positive note and the group assured the Potters they would look in their Family Grimoires and libraries to see if they could find what they were looking for.

December 22, 1993 Potter Manor

Harry was sitting in his room getting ready for Sally. He had on some workout clothes and was eager to do some dueling. He was very grateful that he and the gang trained during school, and that the practical exercises kept them fit. Sally's lessons were strenuous.

His cute little friend popped into the room. "Sit down a minute, I have some news," she said as she sat cross-legged on the foot of the bed.

"What's up?" Harry said, settling at the head of the bed.

"I brought Rowena down yesterday to talk to her stubborn daughter. It is always easier to get souls to cooperate on the solstices. Anyway, it was a huge emotional scene," she said with a shake of her head and a waving of her hands. "You try and get two crying ghosts with centuries of angst to talk rationally — it was hard, I tell ya. Anyhow, after what felt like hours of hormonal wailing, I finally got them to talk about Riddle. It seems that he charmed Helena into telling him where the diadem was, and when he came for the interview with Dumbledore he hid it in the Room of Requirements. So when you boys get back to the castle you can go and get it. Make sure you bring a lead box. Then you can send it back to your parents and let them cleanse it."

"Wait, why aren't we telling the Aurors? Mum and Dad will be pissed if we do this alone," Harry asked, peering through his bangs at his longtime friend.

"I don't want them to know about horcruxes," Sally said in a final tone. "Besides, I thought you wanted an adventure," she stated tilting her head to the side.

"I do," he said and when he heard his voice crack he blushed. 'Damn puberty.' It was bad enough that he and Gary had hit a growth spurt, making them all awkward and clumsy, but the voice cracking was just plain embarrassing.

Sally just giggled and nodded. They then got to training and Harry fell to an drained sleep around midnight.

The next day, he told his brother, and reluctantly his parents. He was right, they didn't want the twins to go alone, but conceded that they didn't have a reason to be at Hogwarts. So plans were made involving a lead box and Dobby.

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The rest of the holiday vacation was spent relaxed and joyful. The Potters gave out gift certificates to the kids, the Quidditch fanatics were given a week at a summer training camp. For the ones less sports enthused, they handed out passes to museums in France and Rome. Gary gave the backpack to Hermione and signed it from Secret Santa. He also added a note that said that he was worried about her, he made sure to keep it friendly so she didn't start thinking she had a stalker or secret admirer.

The Longbottom ball was a complete success, everyone relaxed and let the worries they held onto all year melt away and just enjoyed the time with friends and families. Harry went with Daphne and, well Susan was there with her Aunt, so she did get to dance with Gary. The two young couples had a good time, and they made sure not to be around the adults where they would either be teased, or chastised.

January 4, 1994

It was the day before the kids were to go back to Hogwarts and the Mutineers and their parents were holding an informal party at the Greengrass Manor for the children. They wanted the kids to have one more day of relaxation before the stresses started again. Now that each estate was manned with a map, all of the parents felt safer letting the teens gather.

The Greengrass Manor was as big as the Potter Manor, though not as old. It had many dining areas and sitting rooms. Their game room wasn't as large, because they never hosted twenty-seven children at one time. So the kids gathered in the largest sitting room, while the parents were in one of the dining areas going over schedules to patrol Hogsmeade.

The room was done in Slytherin colors with high priced couches and chairs. There were really nice coffee and end tables in front of and next to each seat. All the furniture had a green and silver pattern that was almost reminiscent of snakes, but not quite, it was more of a swirly design. The tables were dark wood with a silver inlaid border, which complemented the seats. There was a large rug colored in the same green with a silver design. The light fixtures were also silver. All and all it felt like you were in the Slytherin common room.

"Did everyone have a good holiday?" Daphne asked politely, trying to be the good pure-blood hostess she was raised to be. She was seated next to her boyfriend, but refrained from snuggling until she knew her guests were comfortable.

"I know I did," Spencer answered. His announcement was followed by affirmatives from around the room.

"I actually can't wait to get back to school," said Harry as he put his arm around Daphne and settled further into the very cushy sofa.

"Why?" Padma asked her brow wrinkled slightly. She would have thought the Potter twins would be reluctant to go back to Hogwarts.

"My parents are being short-tempered. Mum has been snapping at me and Gary all through this vacation. I hope that they catch that rat soon, so things can go back to normal," the messy-haired teen explained with a sigh.

"I know she doesn't mean it, but she is really stressed out," Gary said, defending his mum. "At least the uncles ran interference." Sirius and Remus had spent the entire holiday at the Manor. With Sirius' jokes and pranks and Remus' calming manner, things were much better than then could have been.

"My mum is the same," Mandy said and a lot of the students nodded their heads.

"We're going to have to pay extra attention to the maps, so we can help catch the traitor," Terry said firmly. They would do anything to make their parents less worried.

"Yeah, if it will help the adults, I guess we can give up another hour's sleep," Susan said. Her aunt was also anxious over the whole Pettigrew escape. If not more so than all but the Potters.

"Just make sure you're not the one chasing him. For all Peter is a weak wizard, he is sneaky. Don't underestimate him," Harry warned sternly.

"We won't," was the chorus response.

"Keep using the ghosts like we have been," he advised, looking at all his friends and wishing all their efforts bore fruit soon.

"On to a better topic," Gary said, sitting up and putting on a jovial face. "Who has been doing the Animagus meditation?"

Instead of cheering the group up, there was a collection of moans. "I completely forgot about that," Hannah said from her place next to Susan, who was next to Gary. "With everything that's been happening this year it is no wonder." She slumped down on the couch.

"Well, cheer up. We can start when we get back to school. Maybe we can get Luna…" he stopped to wink at the younger girl, "…to make up a crystal to help us."

"Yes, I believe I can do that. I'll see if I can't make them tonight. If not then we might have to wait until Spring Break," Luna said airily, she knew she could probably create a good one tonight.

"So what animal do you think you'll be?" the normally quiet Ellie Godfrey asked.

"I want to be something small," Gary said, surprising everyone. "Like a spider or something," he made some wiggling motions with his fingers in Susan's face, making her squeal and swat him.

"I would have thought you'd want to be a lion," Parvati said with a twitter. Lavender nudged her friend, jerked her head that the clueless boy, and then snickered too. The two girls broke out in a giggling fit that lasted until Gary held his glass of juice over their heads. He wasn't as naïve as they thought; he was just scared of Madam Bones.

"When we first thought about doing this, I did. Then with all the trouble we've had catching Skeeter and Pettigrew, I thought something small would be a good thing," he stated as he put his glass back on the table and ignored the giggling girls. An insect was an obvious answer to him; he could do loads of sneaking around with a smaller form.

"I, on the other hand, still what to be something larger. Not a lion, but a dog, like Sirius, wouldn't be bad," Harry said thoughtfully, he wanted to run with the Marauders during the full moon.

"Well, unlike your dad and uncles, if we do this we are going to register. I'm not getting Auntie in trouble by breaking the law," Susan said sternly glaring at the rest of the group.

"Of course, we will," Hannah said, putting her hand on her friend's arm to calm her. "We have always done things inside the law. It is one of the lessons the Potters taught us since we were kids."

"Yeah, just because the Marauders didn't, doesn't mean we won't," Gary said compliantly. He looked to his brother for confirmation and received a nod in return.

"Actually, my mum has already talked to your aunt, and she's going to let us slide until all of the drama with Pettigrew and Tom is over," Harry said with a huge grin. "Besides, it'll probably take years of study anyway," he said, waving away the issue.

"Well, alright then," Susan said mollified, though she did wonder why her auntie didn't tell her.

The group went back to discussing what they would be if they could transform and enjoyed a few hours of fun before they all went home.

Hphphp

The next day, on the train, they all gathered in their usual compartment and noisily chatted among themselves. The car they used was crowded, though it was full of mostly first, second, third years. The upper years were with their friends, which they had more of now that inter-House relations were strong.

Luna was one of the last to arrive and she had a bag full of crystals to hand out. "These are mostly the same as Mum's crystal, so you don't have to worry about your Occlumency, or the Nargles, there is just an added meditation at the end about searching for your animal," she said as the group lined up and each took their crystal from the bag. Hugs and kisses were given out to the young girl with statements of thanks.

"Do you know if these are going to be sold?" Terry asked, looking at the purple crystal.

"Daddy says that they will be, with a warning that anyone achieving Animagus form needs to register," the blonde Ravenclaw said dreamily, basking in all the attention she was getting from her friends.

"Sounds about right," was the reply as he put his crystal way.

Harry shared a look with Gary. They knew that there will be loads of people that won't register; it was one of the downfalls of selling things like this. However, they also knew that with the maps their enemies couldn't sneak up on them that way, unless they were outside. That would make them extra vigilant.

The rest of the train ride was without incident, though there was plenty of traffic through their carriage. No one was staring at the Boy-Who-Lived anymore. They just treated him like any other student, to which Gary and the rest were glad. It was what they had been trying to achieve for years. Well, maybe a couple of the first years still goggled, but it was still there was a lot of improvement.

Young Draco showed up to ask the Potter twins how their holiday went. He didn't stay long and didn't talk to anyone else in the compartment. He was actually well behaved and didn't spout off his usual slurs. A lot of the students wondered if that was due to him changing, or by orders of his deceitful father, who was under a great deal of pressure from the DMLE. He was suspected of handing the diary to young Ginny, but they had no proof, so they were watching him.

January 9, 1994

The twins took a few days to get back into the swing of school. Their classes were getting progressively harder, which was to be expected. It was now Saturday and after curfew, and they were going to go to the Room of Hidden Things to get the diadem. They enlisted the help of the Hufflepuff Soldier to see if he could talk to the Grey Lady into showing them where it was in the room. The two boys met outside, and the Ravenclaw Ghost was floating beside them, wringing her hands. This item was the cause of much discontent in her life and death. She hated being close to it.

"Don't worry, my lady, we'll make sure it is taken good care of," Gary said, wishing he could pat her hand to give her comfort.

"What do you plan on doing with my mother's diadem when you have rid it of the foulness that Riddle placed upon it?" the ghost asked in her soft, shy voice with her pale eyes full of worry.

"We are going to make sure that all the items are given back to their owners. In this case that is Hogwarts, since your line died with you… which is most destressing to hear," Harry answered gently, this particular ghost needed to be handled delicately.

"Yes, it was foolish of me to run away," she sighed. She had gained some peace after talking to her mother. She still held the Bloody Baron in contempt; he had killed her after all. There was talk about this being a History lesson, but she was not complete won over yet. She didn't want the students to pity her, but sometimes she wanted them to know what a cad her murderer was. She was thinking about the pro and cons of both issues.

"Let's just find the diadem, and get it to Mum. The adults can figure the rest out," Gary said and paced up and down the hall three times. 'I need a room to hide things,' he thought to the wall.

A plain wooden door appeared, and Harry opened it and peeked inside. "Whoa, that's a lot of junk," he said in awe. "I'm glad you know where to go, Lady Helena," he added, looking fondly at the shy ghost.

The room was full of piles and shelves of treasure and junk. The ceiling was high and the mounds reach almost to the top. Some of the things they noticed were; broken and damaged furniture, thousands and thousands of books, chipped bottles of congealed potions, corked bottles whose contents still shimmered evilly, what looked like dragon eggshells, hats, jewels, cloaks, and much, much more.

The Grey Lady nodded and wove her way through the maze the piles and shelves made. She went towards the middle of the room, and sitting upon a shelf was the headdress. It was a golden crown that had a blue oval sapphire in the middle and what looked to be wings, made of gold, bloomed out from the jewel. Etched upon its surface was Ravenclaw's famous quote: 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.' The daughter of Rowena sighed at the sight.

"Gary, get the box out," Harry said as he levitated the curse item off the shelf. Gary hurried to comply. When he had the lead box out and open, he placed it on the floor. Harry quickly floated the ancient artifact into it and closed the lid. "Dobby," he called.

The twins' elf popped into the room. "Master Harry is calling Dobby?" he squeaked as he once more threw himself around the boy's legs. Even after all this time that still happened, much to Harry's displeasure. Gary laughed like he always did.

"Yeah, can you take this to Mum? She's expecting it," Harry answered as he pulled the elf off his legs and pointed at the box.

"Dobby can do," the little elf said and with a snap of his fingers the box and the elf disappeared.

In his wake the Hufflepuff Soldier came through the wall of the room and floated to the boys. "You need to hurry, one of the Aurors is outside the door," he whispered urgently.

"Shite, I was hoping weren't looking in this area," Harry said as his head snapped to the door. "Gary, follow my lead," he said turning to his brother. The Grey Lady and the Hufflepuff Soldier vanished through the walls.

"Okay," the other teen said with a nod.

The door opened and Shacklebolt entered. "What are you boys doing in here?" he called out.

"Auror Shacklebolt, is that you? Come and look what we've found," Harry yelled back. "Just act like a kid who is treasure hunting."

"Right, good idea," the younger twin thought back and then widened his eyes and stared in wonder around the room.

"You kids should be in bed. There is an escaped criminal running about, remember?" the tall dark man chastised. "Especially you, Gary," he added, making the teen look at the floor in mock shame.

"Sorry," he mumbled, hating to act like this, but understanding the reason.

"Yeah, sorry, but look at this room," Harry said, not acting near as contrite as his brother and waving his hands to indicate the treasure all around them.

"What is this room? And why isn't it on the map?" Shacklebolt asked, observing all the things piled up around the three. He knew the Potter twins had maps of their own, but he was under orders not to disclose that bit of knowledge to anyone. He had an inkling that their cohorts did as well, but he had never caught them with one.

"I can only guess that the Marauders never found it. The Hufflepuff Soldier told me about it, and I wanted to show Gary before we tell our friends. It's a brother thing," Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Gary nodded along, bouncing in place and looking around the room again. "Yeah, think of all the cool things we could find," he said excitedly, like the young teen he was.

"I don't think so, boys," the black Auror said, shaking his bald head. "From what I can see, some of this stuff could be harmful. I'll call Madam Bones in the morning and let her know about it. Besides, that doesn't explain why you're sneaking around after curfew. I am supposed to be protecting you two. I can't do that if you are not where you're supposed to be." He glared at the twins.

The boys took on a crestfallen look, as if they were told they couldn't have pudding. "We're sorry," came the twin response. They hung their heads giving off a perfectly remorseful image.

"Come on, let's get you guys back to your common rooms," the man sighed, grabbing each boy by the elbow and leading them out of the room. The tall Auror made sure to comment on how dangerous it was to be roaming around the castle when there was a murderer about.

Gary was dropped of first as his dorm was the closest. He waited for ten minutes before calling his brother mentally. "Did he buy it?"

"Seems like it, though I did get a long talk about making you sneak out after curfew. Like I was the Gryffindor and you were the Ravenclaw," Harry grumbled. The Auror had gone on and on about putting his brother in danger, which according to their cover story was his fault, but it was the principle of the thing. Shacklebolt didn't say anything to Gary about causing mischief.

"Sorry you got accused, I wonder why," Gary mused, feeling his brother's discontent over the bond.

"I think Shacklebolt is one of Dumbledore's people," Harry replied thoughtfully. Though Madam Bones said she trusted the man, he still came off as someone the old man could control.

"It's too bad we didn't get to explore the room. Well at least we had a small adventure, plus, we're one step closer to finishing off Voldemort," Gary said distractedly.

"Yeah, Mum and Dad will be happy about that."

"You should go to bed, you sound tired."

"Yeah, Goodnight, Gary, don't let Sally work you too hard," Harry replied, and his brother could hear the yawning in his thoughts.

"Night," Gary said and cut the link. Just when he was about to go to his dorm the Weasley twins dropped down on either side of him.

Fred draped his arm over the younger boy's shoulders and winked at his brother. "Look who was out after curfew, brother of mine," he said with a smile.

"Breaking rules and sneaking about," George said, bumping Gary in the shoulder.

"Brought in by the bobbies."

"We couldn't be prouder," the redheaded menaces stated together.

"Best not let Oliver find out you were being naughty," Fred warned with a playful smile and a shake of his finger. "If you get suspended from the team, well that might just do him in," he finished dramatically.

"Leave off, you two. It was important," Gary said, elbowing each twin.

"Oh, were you meeting the fair maiden Susan?" Fred asked with a wink and a nudge.

"Our ickle Garykins is all grown up," George said, placing his hand on his heart. Fred nodded in agreement and wiped fake tears from his eyes.

"Come off it," Gary snarled. "I wouldn't break the rules for a girl."

"Pray tell, what had you creeping around the castle in the middle of the night?"

"We found a room that's not on the map," the younger boy said with a bounce. Then deflated, "But, we were caught by Shacklebolt. Shame too, because that room had loads of treasure." He slumped in his seat.

"A room not on the map? Loads of treasure?" both Weasleys asked excitedly, jumping up like they were going to run out the portrait to see what this room was about.

"Yeah, but Shacklebolt said he's going to tell Madam Bones about it tomorrow, so we can't explore it. And don't think you can sneak out and find it yourselves, remember he has a map," Gary sighed in defeat. "That's how he caught us."

The twins flopped down at the missed opportunity and stared at the fire place. "Where is this room?" Fred asked, after five minutes passed.

"Seventh floor, across from the tapestry of someone trying to teach trolls to dance," Gary said with a tilt of his head.

"Right," they stated, then got up and went out the portrait.

"Good luck," the younger twin muttered.

Hermione sat down in the chair across from his and glared at him. "Why were you out after curfew?" she demanded, her arms crossed and her forehead crested in agitation.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked innocently.

"You were out of the common room after hours. Why?" she inquired crossly.

"And you need to know because…?" he asked openly.

"I don't want you losing us house points," she said defensively, leaning forward almost invading his space.

"What are you doing to take all five electives?" he countered.

"That is none of your business," she snapped, her hand going up to clasp the necklace he figured was the time turner.

"And what I do is none of yours," he said with a bit of a bite.

"It is if you lose us points," she rebutted, dropping her hand and taking on a stubborn look, which made Gary scoff.

"Hermione, you are not a prefect, nor are you my mother. I don't have to explain myself to you," the teen boy stated again. When the bushy haired girl opened her mouth to argue, Gary held up his hands and stated, "Look, I like you, I'm concerned about you as a Housemate, I think you're smart, and when you want to be, you're nice. But, I stand by my statement, you are not my mother, nor are you in a position of authority. When you are made a prefect you can demand answers, until then leave it to the people in charge." Without waiting for her to answer he got up and went to wait for Sally. He never noticed the thoughtful look on her face.

Hphphp

Monday passed quickly as the students attended classes, it was now lunch. There was talk among the upper years about the fifth years receiving a gory History lesson from the Bloody Baron. They now all knew why his robes were stained with blood. The talks around the table were morbid. Seventh years confirmed the story, because they had the Grey Lady in their class. She went in to just as much detail over the fact that the Bloody Baron killed her.

"It was the saddest love story I've ever heard," gushed a fifth year girl.

"What are you on about?" Fred asked, as he served himself up some beef stew. He had been in the same class as her, and he didn't remember anything romantic about it.

The girl repeated the same murder/suicide story Remus had told the adult, bar the horcrux part.

"That's awful," Hermione cried out, her face in a state of shock.

"It's romantic," the girl argued. "He swears that he loves her to this day. How is that not romantic?"

"I don't think the Grey Lady agrees with you," Fred said, giving the girl a weird look and pointing to the ghost in question, who was glaring at one of the Ravenclaw girls that was gushing over her.

"It is not romantic!" the normally shy ghost yelled and then flew out of the room. The whole room fell silent for about ten seconds and then the whispers started again.

Gary let them hash it out as he ate his stew. He looked around the Hall and saw a lot of females arguing with males. Harry was having a debate with Mandy and was shaking his head, so he figured his older brother didn't think it was dreamy either.

He looked over at the Slytherin table and saw Draco's face when someone told him how the Baron got bloody. The poor boy looked like he would lose his lunch. He noted that Daphne and Tracey didn't look much better.

Perhaps this was a lesson that should be in a novel and not in a school, but it was too late now. Gary figured it would all blow over when there was a new break up or get together. He looked a Susan and winked, she was a pragmatic girl, so he wasn't worried about her getting all dreamy-eyed over this morose gossip.