Harry Potter and the Heir of Slytherin

The next day they all went right back to the Clearwaters' again for the wedding, which was set for two o'clock in the afternoon. Everyone was looking forward to the ceremony, except Percy, who went about looking quite pale and agitated ("What if something goes wrong?" he said hoarsely), and Mrs. Weasley, who was convinced that the twins' eagerness for the wedding to begin was based on some unspoken, sinister plot.

"Honestly, Mum," said George when she surveyed him suspiciously for the fifth time that day, "do you think we're evil? We'd never try to ruin Percy's wedding day. Though the wedding night, on the other hand ..."

"GEORGE!"

"Only joking, Mum!," he cried through convulsions of laughter. In fact everyone, including Mr. Weasley, was laughing very hard at George's joke.

"Don't encourage him!" was all Mrs. Weasley could manage to say through her clenched teeth.

Whatever Mrs. Weasley may have been expecting, the wedding ceremony went off without a hitch that day. At that hour, from their location in the garden, Harry and Hermione could finally see the measure of the Clearwaters' estate. The grounds were spectacular, and as they sat in the garden, they were able to see a very large lake situated down a valley and past some meadows. If they turned around, they could see the back of the house, which could really more appropriately be called a mansion. The Clearwaters appeared to be a very old wizarding family, and they had lived on this estate as long as anyone in the wizarding world could remember.

Hermione was right, the ceremony was very much like a Muggle wedding, except for the clothes. The bridesmaids all wore matching dress robes in a rather ugly shade of mauve. The hue clashed with Ginny's hair something awful.

Harry nudged Hermione as the wedding party finished walking down the aisle slowly in pairs. When Bill and Persephone Green had nearly reached the end of the aisle, he asked, "Are they supposed to look ... like that?"

Hermione shrugged, clearly puzzled. "I don't think so. I didn't read anywhere that the bridesmaids' robes had to be ugly."

They were both apprehensive about what Penelope might look like, but when she appeared beaming, she was wearing very becoming, bright red dress robes of embroidered silk with a high Mandarin collar. At the other end of the aisle, Percy still looked pale as he watched her walk toward him. He looked as though he might keel over at the slightest breeze.

"D'you think Percy will make it?" Harry whispered. Hermione stifled a giggle.

But he did make it. The minister performed the ceremony smoothly, and after the couple had exchanged rings, he pulled out his wand. As if on cue, Percy held up his left arm and Penelope held up her right arm. The minister passed his wand around their wrists, and a very thin, luminous cord came from the end of it.

"Ooh," said Hermione, "that custom is unique to wizard weddings!" She leaned forward eagerly in her seat.

After this, the minister declared that Percy and Penelope were married, and they kissed quite briefly and self-consciously. Harry wrinkled his nose at Hermione, who laughed in spite of herself. All the guests rose and cheered as the couple walked back down the aisle, toward the house.

"Well, that went really well!" exclaimed a relieved Mrs. Weasley as they all made their way toward the ballroom and the reception.

Harry and Hermione were situated at the head table with the wedding party. They chatted happily with the two Ravenclaw bridesmaids, whom they had met the night before. Very shortly after the guests had been seated, a procession of solemn-looking House-elves carried out an enormous violet cake. As they set it on a table in the middle of the room, it began to croon a very high-pitched love song. Harry and Hermione had a very difficult time stifling their laughter at the idea of a singing cake.

"Dunno whether I'm too keen on eating that," Harry confided as a plate of cake was placed before him.

"Oh come on, Harry, it's an invaluable cultural experience!" Hermione encouraged him. They began to eat (to Harry's relief, the cake had stopped singing when it was placed before him). He was surprised to find that it was actually quite good. His only complaint was that it appeared to stain everyone's lips a dark purple.

After the cake, the main course was brought out, and everyone devoured their salmon and pickled asparagus enthusiastically. After the meal, their attention was directed toward the dance floor. A very large band, complete with brass section, began to play, and Percy and Penelope were directed to begin the first dance. Slowly their parents and members of the wedding party joined them. Other guests stood up and began to mill around and talk. After he had stood at the edge of the dance floor watching the dancers for several minutes, Harry felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Albus Dumbledore standing behind him.

"Hello, Harry! Very good to see you again." Harry hadn't noticed Dumbledore among the wedding guests. "I was sitting at the other end of the head table, so I didn't get a chance to speak with you until now. I trust that you've enjoyed your summer."

Harry nodded. "Thank you for arranging things with Mrs. Figg. I didn't realize she knew you."

"Oh, yes," Dumbledore responded with a smile. "She told me how surprised you were." He leaned forward and spoke more softly. "I hope you don't mind that we didn't tell you before. But you hadn't seen her since you began your schooling at Hogwarts, and so much has happened since then that I'm afraid it just slipped both our minds."

Harry smiled and told him that he didn't mind. As he spoke, Mrs. Figg walked up behind Professor Dumbledore.

"Hello, dear! You look very nice today! Look at the way your robes bring out the color of your eyes," she chuckled approvingly.

"Yeah, Mrs. Weasley picked them out for me."

Just then the up-tempo song that had been playing ended, and band began playing a slower one. Someone grabbed Harry's shoulder from behind.

"Hello, Grandfather, Mrs. Figg--do you mind if I borrow Harry for a moment?" It was Persephone Green. Dumbledore and Mrs. Figg smiled and began conversing with one another. "Harry," Persephone whispered, "how would you like to do me a personal favor?"

"Um--"

She looked over her shoulder. Charlie looked around, spotted her, and began to make his way toward her. "Please, Harry, you have to dance with me."

"But I don't really d--"

"You don't understand," she spoke urgently. "That Fred Weasley has been trying to distract me all night while George tried to put something in my wine. I've danced every dance so far with Charlie Weasley, who is a very nice young man, but--" she glanced backward at the encroaching Charlie a last time, "I can't take any more. I just need a break from the Weasleys, pleeeeease, Harry."

"But I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would--"

Persephone shook her head. "Already asked him. He wants to catch up with Mrs. Figg. Harry, please, you're my last hope!"

She looked down at him with pleading eyes. As Charlie made his way toward them, Harry saw that Ginny was close behind her brother, looking at Harry hopefully. He made up his mind. "Sure, alright," he answered.

Just then, Charlie walked up behind Persephone. "There you are! I was afraid I'd lost you. What would you say to another dance?" he asked nervously.

She smiled very sweetly. "Oh dear, I'm sorry, but I've just promised Harry I'd dance with him. You don't mind, do you?" With that, she swept past him, dragging Harry out onto the dance floor with her. "Maybe later ..." Charlie looked crestfallen.

"Thank you," she sighed as they began to dance. "Don't worry, you're doing fine. All you have to do is move your feet back and forth like this."

They danced for a few minutes without talking. Harry noticed something about Persephone that he hadn't seen the night before: a long, thin scar that ran from below her left ear down to the middle of her neck, just underneath her chin. He decided not to mention it, however, and to focus on his dancing instead. He was just beginning to feel that he was getting the hang of it when the crowd on the dance floor began to pass around very small vials of a bright blue liquid.

"The Levitarantella!" Persephone exclaimed excitedly. "Here, take one, Harry. You know how to do this, right?" She drank the potion.

"Um, not exactly," he replied. But he drank the potion just like she had. It tasted very sweet and light. "Hey, that's pretty good. What's in it?"

"Not too sure," she responded. "But I think the active ingredient is the same as the stuff they put into Fizzing Whizbees."

Now she tells me, Harry thought, as he noticed his feet leaving the floor.

The band began to play a very fast song which reminded Harry of a polka he had heard on a television show once. Everyone crowded onto the dance floor and formed a very large circle.

"Grab my hand, Harry," Persephone coached him. He gave one hand to her and one to Mrs. Clearwater, who was standing on his other side. By now they were about two feet off the ground. "Here we go!"

The crowd began to dance in a clockwise circle. The dance was a rather complicated succession of steps, but by watching carefully Harry was able to avoid being trampled. He looked across the circle to Hermione, who appeared ecstatic. She looked as though she were trying to take in every detail of the dance, and Harry supposed she regretted that she couldn't take notes and dance at the same time.

Percy and Penelope were pushed to the middle of the circle, and the crowd danced around and around them. Everyone was laughing giddily, even Harry, who had picked up a few of the steps by now. The crowd dissolved in a blur of color and laughter. After a few minutes of dancing, the Levitating Potion began to wear off and the crowd settled back to the floor.

"Very nice, Harry! Are you sure you've never done that before?" Persephone looked at him in amazement. Just then a scream came from near a table at the far end of the room. They both looked over apprehensively.

A very short, stocky, red-faced wizard was holding his throat as though he were choking. But it became very evident that he could in fact breathe when a spectacular red flame issued from his mouth.

"Cousin Thomas!" she exclaimed. "What's wrong with him?"

Behind him Harry could hear someone sniggering. He turned to see George giving Fred a high-five.

"Dragon Breath Drops!" George held out a handful of golf-ball sized red candies toward Harry. "We've just invented them!"

"Mrs. Figg wasn't able to get all our salamander eyes," added Fred.

Persephone overheard this. She turned toward them with an incredulous look. "So that's what you were trying to put into my drink?" She looked back at Thomas. "I set my wineglass down on that table before I came to find Harry. Thomas must have picked up my glass and finished it for me--he's been known to do that. Likes wine a bit too much, I daresay." She began to laugh. "Maybe not so much after this, though, eh?" she asked George. She, Fred, and George giggled as wedding guests backed--or ran--away from Cousin Thomas. Only Albus Dumbledore dared to approach him, and helped him out of the room, careful to keep the short man facing away from him.

"Brilliant!" Persephone exclaimed. "Pity it wasn't me though. Now I wish I'd drunk that wine after all."

"Dragon Breath Drops! Only five Knuts apiece!" shouted Fred. But Mrs. Weasley promptly made her way through the crowd and grabbed the candies right out of his hand.

"I have never ... How dare you ... When we get home ..." she began -- or tried to begin -- through clenched teeth. Mrs. Clearwater walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Molly, it's alright, no harm done," she said gently. "The boys were just having a bit of fun. This is a party, after all." Mrs. Weasley apparently could think of no reply to this, though that may have been because her mind was seized with rage. She let the boys go, and they produced more Dragon Breath Drops from their pockets, and began selling them to the younger guests and children.

The rest of the reception was relatively uneventful. The crowd saw Percy and Penelope off, and the couple waved from their horse-drawn carriage. "Going to Italy for their honeymoon," Harry overheard one of the Ravenclaw girls telling Hermione. Harry noted that Italy was a very popular vacation spot this year. He chuckled to himself as he imagined Percy and Penelope running into the Dursleys on a Tuscan streetcorner.

When they arrived back at the Burrow that night, everyone was exhausted. Especially Fred and George, who had turned a brisk business in Dragon Breath Drops and Canary Cremes, which they had also smuggled into the wedding in their pockets.

As Harry and Ron settled into their twin beds in Ron's room that night, Ron muttered sleepily, "Nice place the Clearwaters have, eh? Much nicer than the Burrow, for sure."

Harry thought about this for a moment. "Nah," he finally responded, as the ghoul in the attic commenced rattling his chains threateningly. "It's nice, but I'd much rather live here."

They both dropped off to sleep almost instantly.

***

After the wedding, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys had only a couple of days left before they were to catch the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9-3/4. They passed these days much as they had passed the days before the wedding, except that now Hermione was less interested in reading about wizarding etiquette, and took up Harry's copy of Quidditch Through the Ages instead.

We're short a Keeper this year, aren't we?" she asked Harry and Ron over lunch one day.

"Yeah," Ron answered. "I'm thinking of going out for it myself." A thought suddenly struck him. "Hermione, you're not considering trying out, are you?"

Hermione bristled. "No, but if I did, would you be surprised? As far as you know, I might make a brilliant Keeper."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Ron took a bit of his sandwich. "Ugh, corned beef! Harry, what've you got, egg salad? Trade me." Harry handed Ron his untouched egg salad sandwich eagerly, and took Ron's corned beef in return.

"No," Hermione continued, "I expect I'll be too busy this year for Quidditch."

"Why?" Ron asked. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You're not getting one of those hourglass things again, are you?"

"Of course not. I told you, I decided I was running myself ragged with that Time Turner. It's just ... I'll be busy, that's all."

Red-faced, she took up Quidditch Through the Ages again and pretended to read. Ron gave Harry a quizzical look, but Harry just shrugged his shoulders.

The morning of September 1 dawned bright and clear. "Perfect day for a game of Quidditch," Ron sighed as they walked through the barrier to Platform 9-3/4.

Fred, George, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley came through the barrier behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Now, you boys behave!," Mrs. Weasley told Fred and George sternly. "I hope you've got pranks out of your system for a while. You're very lucky no one was hurt in that--incident at the wedding."

"Oh, Mum." Fred tried not to smile, but couldn't help it. "We told you, those flames are harmless."

"Just the same!" she exclaimed. Fred and George promised to be good (though they had their fingers crossed behind their backs, Harry noticed), and loaded everyone's trunks onto the train. Mrs. Weasley hugged each one of the children in turn. It seemed to Harry that she held onto them all a bit longer than usual.

"It's alright, Mum, we'll see you again soon," Fred said in a tone that was uncharacteristically serious. They all said goodbye to Mrs. Weasley and boarded the train. She looked as though she were fighting back tears.

"She must really be worried," Ron said, waving out the window to his mother as the train rolled out of the station.

"Can't blame her, really," said Hermione.

The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione shared a compartment.. Before long, Fred and George challenged Ron and Harry to a game of Mummy Gin Rummy.

"Ginny, why don't we go see if we can find the dessert cart?" Hermione asked pointedly.

"No thanks, I'm not really hungry," Ginny answered, watching the card game with interest.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Maybe someone else would like something ..."

"Yeah, I'll take some pumpkin juice!" Fred interjected.

Ginny frowned. "Alright," she sighed as she and Hermione left the compartment.

"Wonder what that was about?" Ron mused.

"You'd better start wondering about your hand, I'm getting ready to beat you," George answered.

After a few minutes, Ginny and Hermione returned to the compartment with bottled pumpkin juice for everyone. They had changed into their school robes, and a large letter "P" was pinned to Hermione's chest.

"Hermione! You're a prefect?!" Ron exclaimed.

She blushed. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Harry asked.

"Well ... I was afraid you wouldn't want to ... you know ... hang around with a prefect." She quickly took a seat next to Harry.

"Are you joking?" asked George. "This is brilliant! We've got an in with a prefect!"

Fred nodded. "You can get us out of all kinds of trouble this year!"

They all laughed. "Don't count on it," Hermione answered.

"Don't worry, we'll still let you tag along with us," laughed Ron. "Won't we, Harry? Even if you don't do us any special favors." Hermione looked relieved, but didn't respond. They all sat in silence for quite a while, the four boys continuing their game.

"Oh, we almost forgot," Ginny said at length. "We ran into Draco Malfoy in the corridor." She wrinkled her nose.

"Yeah," Hermione said. "He made it a point to ask us if we had heard anything about You-Know-Who."

"Yeah!" Ginny responded eagerly. "Said something like, 'No news?'" She perfectly imitated Malfoy's lazy drawl. "'Don't you think that's odd?'"

Ron snorted. "That slimeball. Bet he knows something, what with Daddy being a Death Eater and all."

Just then, as if on cue, the compartment door slid open. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle stood in the doorway.

"Look, it's a weasel convention," Malfoy drawled. Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

"How was your summer, Malfoy?" George asked. "Have the Dark Lord over to the mansion for afternoon tea, did you?"

Malfoy chuckled in response. "Think you'll find out something about him from me? If I did know anything--" Malfoy's eyes flickered toward the "P" pinned to Hermione's robes. "Well, well. Look at this. They've gone and made a Mudblood a prefect."

Everyone in the compartment stood up and drew their wands at the word "Mudblood". Ron, an expression of intense hatred on his face, took a step toward Malfoy, but he was intercepted by Ginny. She stepped in front of him and faced Malfoy.

"Don't you ever get tired of being a prejudiced, hateful little worm?" she spat.

Malfoy laughed. Crabbe and Goyle followed suit, a bit apprehensively. "So, the baby weasel speaks," Malfoy snarled.

"Just beat it, Malfoy," Hermione cautioned. "No matter whether you think I'm a real witch or not, according to the school I am a real prefect. And I'll report you if you don't move on."

"Oooooh, I'm scared," he responded, but he closed the compartment door and left, with Crabbe and Goyle in tow.

Ron was fuming. "Sometimes I just want to smash his face in! One of these days ..."

"Just forget it, Ron," Hermione said as everyone took their seats again. "When are you going to learn? He's just not worth it."

"Nice work, Ginny! You really told him." Fred beamed at Ginny with approval.

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

Ginny looked down at the floor. "Oh, well, you know ... he just made me angry, that's all."

They resumed their card game, only this time all six of them played. A couple of hours later, when the food cart came around, they bought more pumpkin juice, along with Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans. Fred and George tried to sell Canary Cremes and Dragon Breath Drops to the witch pushing the cart, but she wasn't keen to buy candies from two seventeen-year-old students.

Slowly, the train made its way north. The green meadows and farms outside the window gave way to dark and wild-looking forests. The boys left to change into their school robes, and by the time they re-entered the compartment, the train had pulled into the station at Hogsmeade.

The students all crowded onto the platform, and Harry saw Hagrid leading the first-years down a path to their traditional boat ride. As he led the wide-eyed students, Hagrid turned around and waved at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They waved back as they climbed into a horse-drawn carriage with Ginny.

It was a cloudy, starless night, threatening rain. When the students entered the Great Hall, its ceiling looked as though it were painted with puffy, dark gray clouds. They all took their places at the Gryffindor table and waited for the Sorting to begin.

Next to Harry, Ginny gasped. "Look! Look who it is!" She was pointing at the staff table.

There, talking animatedly to Professor Flitwick, sat Persephone Green.

"What's she doing here?" Ron asked incredulously from Ginny's other side. "You don't think she's ..."

"She must be!" Hermione exclaimed. She looked across the table at Harry, Ginny, and Ron. "They didn't tell anyone who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was, not even us prefects."

"Excellent!" Fred and George cried in unison.

"First, a friend who's a prefect," Fred said as he clasped Hermione on the shoulder, "and now, a sister-in-law who's a teacher! This is going to be our best year yet!"

Persephone caught sight of the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione, and waved at them. They waved back excitedly.

"Isn't she amazing?" whispered a voice to Harry's right. Harry hadn't noticed that he had sat down next to Neville Longbottom.

"Hello, Neville," he answered. "You know her?"

"Yeah!" Neville replied breathlessly. "She was--is--friends with my parents. Comes over to visit my Gran every once in a while." He stared at Persephone, and she waved at him. As he waved back, his eyes took on a glazed look. Harry laughed and told an intensely attentive Neville about the wedding, and his dance with Persephone. Neville gaped in amazement at Harry's good luck.

Soon Professor McGonagall appeared, leading the first-years to the head of the Great Hall. The Sorting, and the feast after it, proceeded just as they had every year since Harry had begun his education at Hogwarts- though he had missed two Sortings inadvertently. Once everyone had finished their dessert--pumpkin cheesecake and treacle tarts--Professor Dumbledore stood up and addressed the crowd.

"Another year begins!" he started. "It is very good to see you all again. I trust that you have emptied your brains properly over the summer, and are ready to fill them up again over the next three terms.

"As always, I have a few announcements to make. Considering the- events of last term--" his voice lowered at this mention of the death of Cedric Diggory at the hands of Voldemort, "--I trust that you will not be surprised when I tell you that the Forbidden Forest is, as always, off limits. I'm afraid that, considering the danger abroad, the punishment for straying into the Forest is going to be even stricter this year. This is for your own good.

"In a related announcement, after much debate it has been decided that students in their third year and above shall be permitted to visit Hogsmeade on designated weekends, accompanied by teachers as usual." As he said this, Professor McGonagall's face tightened.

"And, finally," Dumbledore continued, "we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. Please join me in welcoming Professor Persephone Green." ("Say that three times fast" George whispered to Fred.) "It will be her very grave responsibility to teach you to defend yourselves. Considering the raised stakes this year," Dumbledore looked around pointedly, "I trust that you will all give her your full attention and respect."

Everyone looked at Professor Green, and she smiled at them all. Ron reached around Ginny and poked Harry in the side.

"Look at Snape!" he mouthed. Harry looked back up to the staff table. Down the table to Professor Green's right sat Snape. But he looked different somehow; instead of wearing his usual sour expression, he seemed to be staring absently at Professor Green. When she turned to look at him, he looked quickly away.

Harry shot Ron a perplexed look. "What does that mean?" he mouthed. Ron shrugged.

Professor Dumbledore dismissed the students to their respective houses. Hermione gathered up the Gryffindor first-years and herded them out of the Hall. As Ron and Harry prepared to walk over to the staff table and greet Hagrid, someone tapped them from behind.

"Hey, you two," Professor Green's voice came from behind them. They turned around. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "I've brought my dog Snuffles with me--" she winked "--would you two like to come and meet him?"

Harry could barely contain his excitement. He and Ron looked at each other. "Yeah!" was all they could say in response.

They followed Professor Green to her office. When he entered it, Harry barely recognized the room. Last year, Professor Moody's Dark magic detectors had been scattered all around it; the year before, Professor Lupin had kept Dark creatures in here. Interesting as they were, none of the previous contents of this room were anywhere near as fascinating as what Ron and Harry were now busily taking in. Weapons of all kinds were mounted on the walls--spears, swords, knives, funny-shaped throwing stars, and a boomerang. In addition, three guitars leaned against the wall behind the desk.

"Wow!" Ron exclaimed.

"Don't touch anything!" Professor Green warned him. "Just a second." She opened a door to an adjoining room and signaled to someone inside. A very large black dog bounded into her office, and promptly transformed into the exact person Harry had been most anxious to see--his godfather, Sirius Black.

"Harry," Sirius said as he embraced him. "I'm very glad to see you."

"I didn't know you'd be here!" Harry replied.

"No one did. Dumbledore arranged it. Thought I would be safer here now--as long as I kept my dog form around people, that is. He figured this would be the last place the Ministry would expect me to be, now that they're convinced I've fled the country."

"So you're staying? Here, at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah," Sirius smiled. "Some of the time, anyway. I'm going to be helping Dumbledore try to figure out what Voldemort's next move is." Ron grimaced upon hearing the name.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. They all jumped. Sirius transformed back into a dog instantly. After ensuring that he was safely disguised, Professor Green opened the door. Dumbledore walked in.

"Ah, I thought I might find you here," he smiled to Ron and Harry. "Persephone, I was going for a walk around the lake, and wondered if I might take Snuffles with me."

"Of course," she responded.

"Thank you." Dumbledore smiled as Sirius the dog licked Harry's and Ron's faces, then bounded to his side. "I trust that you won't keep these boys up too late? They'll have a busy day tomorrow. But I'm sure you know that better than anyone."

She laughed. "Yes, I'll be sure to get them back to Gryffindor tower at a reasonable hour." She, Harry, and Ron said goodnight to Sirius and Dumbledore. Professor Green closed the door.

"So you know he's here," she began, walking over to her desk and taking a seat behind it, "but no one else besides Hermione is to find out. You understand how dangerous things could get for him if anyone does. It's very important that you keep this in the strictest confidence. We're to mention him in conversation only as my dog Snuffles. Can I trust you to remember that?"

Harry and Ron nodded. "Of course. But listen--why didn't you tell us you were teaching here?" Ron asked.

Professor Green smiled. "I was going to mention it, but I'm afraid I forgot. At the rehearsal dinner, I was too interested in hearing all the stories of your adventures here--wanted to get a good idea what kind of mischievous troublemakers I was going to be up against." She smiled. "I was going to tell you at the wedding, but I guess I forgot, what with your brothers' little joke and all."

Harry and Ron returned Professor Green's friendly smile. As she spoke, Ron had been distracted by a luminous golden dagger hanging on the wall behind her head. She followed his gaze and turned around.

"Ah, yes," she said as she took it down from the wall, "This dagger is one of my favorites." She looked up from it unexpectedly, with an excited smile, like a child with a favorite toy. "Check this out."

She picked a piece of parchment up off her desk and held it by a corner with her left hand. With her other hand, she ran the dagger down the middle of the parchment. It split instantly and soundlessly, as though it offered the blade no resistance at all.

"Woah," Harry said quietly. He tried not to imagine what would happen if the dagger came into contact with a person's skin.

"That's nothing," said Professor Green. "Ron, will you hold up these two pieces of parchment?" She gave the two parchment halves to Ron. He held them up next to each other.

She placed the dagger between and below the two pieces, and began to move it upward. As she did, Harry gasped--the two halves of parchment mended as the dagger passed between them, like a zipper joining two pieces of cloth.

Professor Green set the dagger on her desk and took the parchment from Ron. She grasped either end and pulled it taut so that they could see that it was mended seamlessly.

"This is a Healing Dagger," she explained. "Very handy for defending yourself against Dark wizards, if you don't wish to do them any lasting harm. Just as long as they don't get it away from you ... That's how I got this." She turned her head to the right and pointed at the long, thin scar on her neck. "But that's a whole other story. I may tell it to you sometime. But not tonight. It's late, and about time you two headed up to bed."