Hogwarts Houses Divided

Like a Wonderful Adventure

Many students had been taken home by their parents, and Dewey wondered how many of them would ever return. The Great Hall was emptier than usual, but there were several empty spots at the tables that were like silent, bleeding wounds. Conversation at every table was subdued.

Dinner was mostly soup and sandwiches; not much had been salvageable from the kitchens after the blast that went through the dungeon level, so the house-elves were scrambling to make do with whatever they could find. Parents were still bringing food, clothing, bedlinens, and other essentials that the remaining students would be needing in the days ahead.

Dewey stared at his plate, when he was finished, knowing that if he left it on the table, it would be collected and cleaned as usual by the house-elves. They'd all gone back to work immediately upon waking up. Some of them had actually apologized for sleeping.

"There goes Violet," said Mercy quietly. Dewey looked up and saw Violet leaving the Great Hall. He and Mercy exchanged guilty looks, and both sighed as they rose from the table, leaving their dishes behind. Dewey knew the house-elf situation wasn't going to change overnight, but he promised himself that as soon as things got back to normal - if they ever did - he and Mercy were going to talk to Teddy about starting a S.P.E.W. chapter at Hogwarts. Dewey and Mercy and Sung-Hee hurried after Violet, catching up to her as she headed upstairs.

"So, are you staying?" he asked.

"For now." Violet's face was unreadable, which meant, he supposed, that the row she'd had with her father remained unresolved. He wanted her to go home with him; she wanted to stay at Hogwarts, even if classes weren't likely to resume for a while. He wasn't sure whether Mr. Malfoy had left yet or not. Some of the parents were staying at the school, at least overnight, helping with clean-up.

"That took guts," Dewey said. "I'd never have the nerve to backtalk my father like that."

That earned him a raised eyebrow from Violet, and then Mercy suddenly began giggling.

"What?" Dewey demanded.

Violet smiled slightly. "I think the word is irony."

"Irony?"

"Dewey, you backtalked Harry Potter!" said Mercy.

"You were willing to walk into a castle that was about to explode, but you're more afraid of your father?" Violet asked.

That silenced him for a moment, and then he said, "Well, yes. Aren't you?"

Violet's smile became a little forced. "Yes."

Sung-Hee looked down, and saw that Violet was carrying a sandwich. "This is for Teddy?" she asked softly.

Violet nodded. "You know he won't come down to eat."

The four of them entered Gryffindor Tower through the open door. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Tower had both become extremely crowded, as the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were forced to double up in their dorms to make room for the temporarily homeless Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. With four houses mingling, they'd had little choice but to forego passwords and riddles and simply leave the doors spelled open. The Fat Lady had abandoned her portrait in protest, and was rumored to be getting completely soused with one of her friends, whose canvas was drying out in a back room behind the Entrance Hall. Violet, Nagaeena, Decima, and Bernice were now sharing a room in Gryffindor Tower with three second-year Slytherin girls. Mercy and her roommates were also in Gryffindor Tower, though the Hufflepuff boys had been bunked with the Ravenclaws. But the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw common rooms had become common areas for everyone.

They found Teddy sitting in the same spot he'd been in since he was brought back to the castle, in a chair directly across from the fireplace, staring into it, waiting for Harry's firecall.

Many other students had joined his vigil. In fact, as Dewey and Violet entered, they saw that most of the D.A. was there, sitting in chairs or on the floor. Some of them were engaged in quiet conversation, and Aisha was playing a halfhearted game of wizard chess with her older brother, but most were silent.

Violet and the three Hufflepuffs walked over to where Teddy was sitting. Deana was sitting on the floor next to him, with her head on the armrest of his chair. She was dozing off. Violet shook her head at Deana, and then held out the sandwich to Teddy.

"Eat something," she said.

Teddy didn't look at her, but simply shook his head.

"Teddy," Mercy began, but Violet held up a hand and then gave Teddy a fierce scowl.

"Eat," she said, "or I will sit on your lap holding this sandwich until you do."

Teddy blinked and stared up at her.

"You would not," he said.

She stared back at him unwaveringly, and then held the sandwich out again. Slowly, he reached for it, and then took a reluctant bite.

Violet perched on the armrest opposite where Deana was resting her head. "You know sitting here brooding won't change anything," she said quietly.

"I'm not going anywhere until... until..."

"Until Mr. Potter calls from St. Mungo's," said Dewey. Teddy nodded.

Harry had promised to tell him as soon as he knew Chloe's fate. He was at St. Mungo's now, not just to stand vigil over Chloe, but because he had five wounded Aurors there as well. Hume MacDougal and Calliope Young were in particularly bad shape, and the healers didn't really have much experience treating gunshot wounds.

Everyone was silent, then. Deana woke up, and blinked at Teddy sleepily. The Ravenclaw girl's infatuation was starting to get on Violet's nerves; she had followed him around like a puppy dog ever since they returned to the castle.

Really, she thought, glancing at Stephen, who was slouched in a corner, sleeping with his head pressed at an odd angle against the wall, Stephen saved my life and I'm not about to fawn over him! He did look uncomfortable, though. She wished someone would give him a pillow.

"She'll be all right," said Mercy.

"You don't know that!" Teddy snapped. It was almost a snarl. Mercy flinched, and Dewey glared, but Teddy didn't notice. He'd feel bad about it later. He just wasn't in the mood for any false Hufflepuff optimism right now.

Everyone kept reassuring each other that wizards had survived having swords stuck through them before, though no one seemed able to cite a specific example, but Teddy had seen the glossy, vacant look in Chloe's eyes, just before Uncle Ron Apparated away with her. He couldn't help thinking she was dead already, and they just didn't want to tell him.

"Should've been faster," he muttered under his breath.

"What?" Violet asked. Teddy had been murmuring so softly, no one else could hear him.

"I should've been faster," he repeated, more loudly. "If I'd realized what was happening, or hexed that bloody goblin quicker, or before that if I'd not let Moogums lead me away, should've just... just..."

His friends were staring at him, confused; only Deana seemed to know who "Moogums" was. And then a sharp voice said, "Stop being an idiot, Lupin."

They all turned to see Ophilia making her way through the Gryffindor common room, stepping carefully across the crowded floor, between all the kids who were sitting or lying underfoot. She was moving awkwardly, her steps almost a hobble, and she was wearing looser, heavier robes than she normally did. Hugh was standing by the door, after having helped her make her way back to Gryffindor Tower from the Hospital Wing.

Having the two Slytherin Prefects in the Gryffindor common room just seemed wrong, and the older Gryffindors didn't look happy, but there wasn't much they could say about it; Ophilia was temporarily residing in Gryffindor Tower, after all. Violet was sure Ophilia wouldn't enjoy having to share a room with five other girls, but she seemed completely oblivious to the disapproving glares of the Gryffindors.

Teddy scowled at the older girl, and let his eyes flash red, along with his hair. Even his teeth seemed to grow a little larger and sharper as he bared them at her. "You know what I really don't need right now, Ophilia?" he said. "I don't need anyone telling me I'm an idiot."

Ophilia paused, and raised an eyebrow. "Fine," she said. She moved over to the mantle by the fireplace.

Ahmed Allouzi said, "You should still be in the infirmary," and then snapped his fingers at the younger Slytherins and pointed. Bernice and Anthony both fetched pillows and cushions for their Prefect. They all watched as Ophilia lowered herself slowly and stiffly to the mantle, and sat down.

"Let me tell you this, then, Lupin," she said, as she tried to settle into a comfortable position. "If you think you should have done better, then you must think your godfather is a complete idiot." There were indignant gasps all around the room at this, not just from Teddy, but Ophilia ignored them. "After all, he left you all to escape on your own, failed to save Grey, took casualties on his own team -"

"He did what he had to!" Teddy said angrily. "It's not his fault! He did everything he could!" He looked down. His anger was fueled, in part, because in those first few moments he had blamed Harry. But eventually he had calmed down, after a fashion, and now he knew that Harry wasn't to blame for what had happened. Of course Harry had to save everyone in the castle first. And then, when the goblins ambushed them, he'd been trying to keep an eye on everything at once, and against the odds they'd been facing, it was a miracle they hadn't all been killed.

"Then who in their right mind would expect a first-year to do what Harry Potter couldn't?" Ophilia asked.

Teddy stared at her, found himself unable to hold her gaze, and looked down.

"Regret is a fool's distraction," Ophilia said. She stretched her legs out, and closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Teddy demanded.

She opened one eye. "The same as you," she replied. "Waiting." She closed her eye.

Everyone fell silent again, and then Ophilia said, much more quietly, "If you want to blame anyone, Lupin, perhaps you should blame me. I brought you along, instead of fleeing back to the castle. That silly girl came running after the goblin knocked us out of the air -"

"That sounds like regret," Violet said quietly, trying to prevent Teddy from erupting in anger at Ophilia's harsh, if accurate, words.

Ophilia made no reply, and her eyes remained closed. Teddy slowly exhaled, and settled back into the chair. Conversations died, as the flames in the fireplace flickered and danced, and had nothing to tell them.

---

Teddy opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the fireplace. The fire was all but dead; only a few embers still glowed there.

All around the Gryffindor common room, students were slumped in couches and chairs, or curled up on the floor, asleep. Deana's head had slipped off the armrest and was now resting against his knee, which explained the pins and needles sensation in his lower leg. Violet was curled up almost catlike, still sitting on one armrest with her head cradled on her arms against the back of the chair behind him. Dewey and Mercy had both fallen asleep sitting on the floor, leaning against one another, and Sung-Hee was curled up with her head in Mercy's lap. Stephen was still sleeping in a corner, though someone seemed to have propped a pillow under his head. Aisha and Ahmed had both fallen asleep at their chess game, heads down on the table. A knight was rearing up, eager to trample a cowering pawn, but the move had never been made, and the pieces remained where they'd been placed.

Ophilia didn't seem to have moved at all since Teddy closed his eyes. A few snores could be heard around the room, but it was otherwise quiet.

Then Teddy let out a startled breath, as he realized Harry was standing in the middle of the room, looking at him. He jerked his head around, and saw Uncle Ron by the door, looking bemusedly down at Hugh Truncher. The huge Slytherin had slumped against the wall by the door, fallen asleep, and by the looks of him, was snoring fit to wake the dead, but someone had apparently put a Silencing Charm on him.

Harry's expression was serious. Teddy opened his mouth, afraid to ask the question, and then Deana sat up, woken by his sudden start, and Violet stirred and raised her head, and as they saw Harry they gasped too, and more people woke up. Soon eyes were opening all around the room, blinking sleepily at first, and then students sat up straight, ignoring stiff necks and aching muscles, as they saw the two Aurors.

Ophilia hadn't moved a muscle, but her eyes were open now too, staring at Harry.

"She's dead," Teddy said flatly.

And Harry shook his head. "No. Her condition is still grave, but they saved her."

The roar that went up in the Gryffindor common room was like nothing anyone expected. Harry looked around, astonished in spite of himself, as students from all houses jumped up and began cheering and hugging each other. Mercy and Sung-Hee wept as they embraced each other, and Dewey turned away as he wiped at his eyes, and then gave up as the tears flowed uncontrollably. Deana bawled as she threw herself into Teddy's arms. He put his hands on her shoulders awkwardly, looking around as if hoping someone else would deal with her, and he caught a glint of amusement in Violet's dark eyes - and something else there as well, something that looked suspiciously wet.

Ophilia didn't say anything and still hadn't moved, other than to shift and arch her back ever so slightly, but she wore a small, satisfied smile.

Hugh continued snoring silently by the door, unable to hear a thing.

Harry and Ron were smiling, but their smiles were grim. Teddy stared at his godfather, reading something unsaid in his expression, and he waited until the whooping and hollering had died down a little, before asking quietly, "Then she'll be all right?"

Harry paused. The room went silent again. He looked around, and sighed. He hadn't really meant to come and announce this to the entire school - or as much of the school as now seemed to be crowded into the Gryffindor common room - but he knew there wasn't much point in trying to take Teddy and his friends aside to tell them privately, since they'd just tell everyone else anyway.

"They expect her to live," he said. "But..." He hesitated. "The Sword of Gryffindor is a goblin-forged blade, you know. Goblin iron has properties that are inimical to magic."

Teddy thought about how weak his magic had been, since he'd been stabbed by Slipfang, and nodded uneasily.

"Most people don't survive a mortal wound like that, especially not children. Only her magic kept her alive, and she's so young... it took everything she had." Harry shook his head. "The healers say she may or may not recover physically... but they're pretty sure she'll never be able to do magic again."

No one spoke. Finally, Teddy whispered, "You mean... she's going to be a s - sq - you know?"

Harry nodded sadly. "Essentially, yes."

Expressions around the room were stunned, sad, and horrified. Teddy felt a little numb. He had been worried about whether his own magic was going to get stronger again, and now he thought about what it would be like to be robbed of his magic entirely, to never be able to use a wand again, never cast a spell. To be a squib.

"What about your Aurors?" Ophilia asked suddenly. Harry glanced at her, and his expression became even more grim.

"Two are still in hospital, but they'll live. Calliope Young didn't make it."

Ophilia's face turned a little bit pale.

"And Kai?" Violet asked. "And Gilbert?"

Harry gave her a slightly strained smile. "We found them at the hospital in Muirmouth. The Muggle doctors took good care of Kai. His sister and his father are on their way there now, accompanying Mr. and Mrs. Zirkle. That situation is going to take some finesse; there are an awful lot of Muggles involved now, so I expect Kai may remain there for a day or two, but he'll be fine."

"He's probably enjoying it, driving the Muggles spare," said Violet. Her attempt at scorn didn't entirely mask the relief in her voice.

"What happens now?" asked Teddy.

Harry's eyebrows went up. "Now?"

"With the goblins. With the house-elves. With everything."

Harry was silent for a moment. Hugh suddenly blinked and sat up, and began yelling soundlessly as he realized there was a Silencing Charm on him. Harry pointed his wand.

" - fur lookin' all blide ye - ?" Hugh stopped, and realized who was in the room.

"Those questions aren't going to be answered tonight," Harry said to Teddy, continuing as if he hadn't been interrupted. "But I think all of you should go to bed. I'll be back in the morning, to speak to a number of you individually." His gaze swept across the room.

The common room began to empty, as dozens of students groaned, stretched, and staggered to their feet. Violet and Dewey and Mercy mumbled good-night and shuffled off to their rooms. Aisha, rather than walking all the way back to Ravenclaw Tower, stumbled over to a now-vacant couch and curled up on it, and a few other students followed suit. Her older brother frowned at her, then sighed and put a blanket over her, and lay down on the other end of the couch.

Teddy waited until most everyone had either left or fallen back asleep. Harry hadn't moved from where he was standing.

"There's still so much to talk about," Teddy mumbled. "So many things happened..."

"I know," said Harry. He put an arm around his godson. "You've been through so much. I don't even know everything yet, and I am unbelievably proud of you, Teddy. But you need to get some sleep now."

Teddy nodded wearily, and staggered off to his own room. Gawain Roberts and David Harris, the two second-year boys who had been moved into their room to make room for more Slytherins, grumbled angrily as he and Colin and Edan undressed and climbed into their beds. Albus and Alfred were already asleep. It took Teddy a long time to join them.

---

The next day, professors, joined by many other volunteers, including parents and dispossessed villagers from Hogsmeade, began the task of draining the dungeons. Rumors were rife as to whether the school was going to be shut down for weeks, months, or permanently. The Ministry of Magic had sent more Aurors and hit-wizards to patrol the area and make sure there would be no more goblin attacks on Hogwarts. Rebuilding was beginning in Hogsmeade, but that too was expected to take months, if not years.

With no certainty as to when or whether classes would resume, students had little to do but help in the clean-up. More were going home every day.

Draco Malfoy sighed, as he stood in the Entrance Hall, looking down at his daughter.

"I expect you to study as you said you would," he said. "If I find out you've been skiving off just because class isn't in session, I'll bring you home, and no amount of tantrums - from you or your mother - will prevent it."

Violet nodded. "I'll study."

He looked at her, sighed again, and tried one more time. "The castle is going to be under repairs for months. It would be so much more comfortable back at Malfoy Manor. You'd have the best private tutors, and we could spend more time together. And your brother misses you, you know. He asks about Vi-Vi all the time."

Violet looked around quickly, but no one else had come near enough to hear.

"I miss him too," she said. "But if I leave Hogwarts, I'd have to stay with Mother."

Draco's eyes hardened. "No, you wouldn't," he said. "I have had enough of her preventing me from seeing my daughter. I never contested her for custody because... because I thought it was for the best. But if she's foolish enough to fight me on this, I still have enough influence to -"

"To do what?" Violet asked quietly.

The dangerous gleam in his eyes faded, as Violet regarded him solemnly.

"Violet," he sighed.

"I won't be warred over," she said. "And if you destroy Mother for my sake, I will never, ever forgive you." Her tone and expression didn't change, but there was a quiet, absolute conviction in her that shook him.

How did Pansy and I produce such a child? he wondered.

He knelt in front of her, to bring himself eye level with her again.

"You will visit," he said.

Violet nodded.

His mouth curled into the faintest trace of a smile. He reached out and grasped her shoulders gently.

"Violet," he said softly. "You know -"

"Yes," she replied, just as softly. "I know."

He blinked slowly, and then leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. Then he stood up.

"I suppose it will do no good to tell you to stay away from Lupin?"

"Father..."

He sighed. "Remember..." He tapped a forefinger against the corner of his eye, then turned and walked down the path to the main gates. Violet watched him go, until he was out of sight, and then returned to Gryffindor Tower, her new temporary home.

---

Other Aurors were interviewing all the students and staff, but Harry interviewed Teddy and his friends personally. They met in the Room of Requirement, where he gathered all the firsties who had been taken hostage by the goblins. It was the first time the fifteen of them had all been able to meet in one place and find out exactly what had happened in each house.

Harry made sure the room had a pleasant ambiance; there was a large, round table for them all to sit around, and he had brought food and drinks, including both wizard sweets and Muggle junk food - and no pumpkin juice. It made for a somewhat more relaxing audience with the Head Auror, almost like a D.A. meeting. Many of them were excited and nervous - it made them feel very important, getting to meet Harry Potter personally. But everyone was still very conscious of the four students who weren't with them.

Harry just smiled and let the kids talk amongst themselves for a while, until there was a knock at the door. Everyone looked surprised except for Harry. He opened the door with a wave of his wand, and Ron Weasley entered, followed by Gilbert and Kai. Both boys were smiling. Kai was on a pair of aluminum crutches that were obviously of Muggle manufacture.

"Kai!" shouted half the kids at once. They all bolted from their seats to surround the two Ravenclaws, talking excitedly and asking questions. Kai soaked up the attention, and showed off his crutches as if they were rare treasures.

"Yeah, Muggle medicine isn't so bad," he said. "But it takes them a lot longer to heal you up! I was glad when we finally got out of the ruddy hospital. If it were up to the doctors, I'd still be there for another week at least! And you wouldn't believe all the bloody needles and tubes and wires - look at all the holes I've got in me!"

"He was disappointed they wouldn't let him keep the bullet," Gilbert whispered to Teddy, as Kai was cheerfully rolling up his sleeves to show where the Muggles had punctured him. Teddy made a face, and shook his head.

"Don't let Mr. Chang's cavalier attitude fool you," said Harry. "He almost bled to death before Mr. Zirkle got him to the emergency room. Muggle firearms should be given all due respect and caution." He and Ron exchanged a grim look.

"We know that, sir," said Dewey quietly.

Kai grinned at Violet, who was standing silently with the others, looking at him. "Oh, go ahead," he said. "Admit it - you missed me!"

"Prat," she said.

"Why don't we all sit down?" Harry suggested. "Now that you've all had a chance to catch up, and eat more sweets than is good for you, I'd like to hear everything that happened, in your own words, from each of you."

Harry and Ron listened with amazement, and not a little admiration, as they finally heard about the Slytherins' escape from the dungeons, Teddy's liberation of his fellow Gryffindors, Kai and Gilbert's flight to Hogsmeade and back, the rescue of the Slytherins that resulted in Kai's wounding, and, much more somberly, Alduin's murder in the Hufflepuff common room.

Everyone had heard parts of all these stories before, but it was the first time everyone had heard it all.

Teddy was nervous as he gave his account of his infiltration of the goblin tunnels. With all eyes on him, he felt it hard to organize his thoughts and remember everything just the way it had happened. He tried to give a dry, factual narration, and it was almost impossible to divorce each incident from the fear, confusion, and panic he'd been feeling at the time.

When Teddy mentioned Tyrus the Foul, Aisha and the McCormacks all began speaking excitedly. "It was him!" Colleen said. "We heard one of the goblins who led us out called Tyrus!"

Now it was Teddy's turn to be amazed. The other kids who'd been in the cavern, including Deana, didn't know exactly how they got out, though they were pretty sure that the elves had something to do with it. Then they found themselves being grabbed by goblins and dragged away through the tunnels. This was the point at which Deana had managed to break away and run. The other four had thought they were still captives, until they came to a cave on the surface, near a stream in the Forbidden Forest, and Tyrus and his companions had shoved them out and told them to run.

So they had - until they ran directly into the path of a hundred juvenile Acromantulas, fleeing the blast that had destroyed their nest.

Everyone stared at Teddy again, while he tried to absorb this.

"Not all the goblins wanted to kill us," he said.

"Professor Binns has been surprisingly informative," said Harry. "Although I'm glad I'm not the one who has to take notes." He exchanged a knowing look with Ron. "The goblin way of war is to be so bloodthirsty and violent that continued warfare is too horrible to contemplate, and both sides will have no alternative but to make peace. Of course, to our way of thinking, that makes them so savage that we must stop at nothing less than their total defeat, no matter what the cost." He sighed. "The goblins consider this completely irrational, of course. And so we're both right now trying to pull back from the abyss. Slipfang's death helped us, since none of the other goblin leaders seem to be as cunning and charismatic as he was, but this uprising tore open a lot of old wounds. The goblins aren't simply going to subside and go back to the way things were, and of course, wizards aren't about to give in to a single goblin demand at swordpoint."

The children all listened, fascinated, horrified, and confused.

"So, are we still at war or not?" asked Dewey.

"A lot of goblins are still at war," said Harry. "This isn't a situation the Ministry can resolve quickly. I think we're going to have goblin troubles for some time to come."

Some of the first-years looked angry, and Teddy suspected they were all for paying back the goblins for what they'd done. But he had seen enough bloodshed, and just hoped the fighting would stop, soon. He looked at Dewey and Mercy and Sung-Hee, and knew they felt the same.

"What about the elves?" Dewey asked. "How did Slipfang enslave them?"

"And did any of them survive the cave-in?" Teddy asked.

Harry folded his hands on the table. "That's also more complicated than it appears at first glance." He looked at his hands and frowned. "Slipfang did bind some of the house-elves to his service, but it wasn't completely involuntary on their part."

"They chose to switch sides?" gasped Colleen.

"Those rotten little traitors!" exclaimed Colin.

"Wait a minute!" Teddy objected, and Mercy and Dewey both spoke up in protest as well. Harry held up a hand to silence them.

"House-elves are happy in service to wizards, when they feel respected and appreciated. It takes a long time for them to grow resentful," said Harry. "But the fault is ours. A few elves did things none of them had ever imagined. There was a free elf named Dobby -" Harry paused, as that name still brought back powerful emotions. "Dobby is now a legend among their kind. The Hogwarts elves fought for us at the Battle of Hogwarts, you know. They were so brave, so selfless. And then they went back to work, and... a lot of us who should have known better, didn't do nearly enough."

He looked around the room at the children. As teenagers, he and Ron hadn't taken the house-elves seriously. He doubted these eleven and twelve year-olds were old enough to truly absorb this, but he owed it to Hermione - and to the house-elves - to try to make them understand. To teach them the lessons that most of his peers had forgotten, as other concerns preoccupied them in the aftermath of the war. He glanced at Ron, who nodded approvingly.

"The seeds of discontent were already there. Slipfang managed to find a few house-elves where those seeds had taken root. I'm sure none of them were planning an outright rebellion. Even disgruntled house-elves don't turn treasonous, at least not right away. Slipfang used magic to bind them to his service, but they had to be willing to let him. I think he was very persuasive, and probably promised them more than he ever intended to give them, while deceiving them about just what he had in mind to do."

"What's happened to Teazle, Griffy, Lolo, and Golly?" asked Teddy.

"They're being held at the Ministry of Magic now," said Harry, as his expression darkened. "While the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures decides what to do with them."

"What?" Teddy exclaimed.

"Do you mean they might punish them?" cried Mercy.

"Some in the Ministry want to deal very severely with renegade house-elves, yes," said Harry.

Teddy shot to his feet. "They saved our lives!" he shouted, and the Hufflepuffs, the McCormacks, and Aisha all began speaking rapidly, until Harry held up a hand again to silence them.

"I am going to use all of my influence to get those four free elves exonerated," he said slowly. "You have my word on that."

"My wife is all over it," said Ron. "Believe me, the Ministry will be wishing they only had a goblin rebellion to deal with if they don't get un-arsed about this."

Teddy slowly sank back into his seat. Harry couldn't help but smile, but the smile faded quickly. "We didn't find the other elves," he said quietly. "Whether any of them survived, I can't tell you at this point. I can tell you that every one of you should be much more respectful and appreciative of everything the Hogwarts elves do for you - and if I were you, I definitely wouldn't count on things staying the same around here."

All of the firsties looked at each other, and shifted in their seats.

"All right," said Harry. "Back to Teddy - how exactly did you blow up the goblin tunnels, Teddy?"

In retrospect, Teddy realized just how amazingly stupid his plan had been, but how was he to know what tons of mining explosives would do? Harry turned pale as Teddy recounted his desperate plan to "create a distraction," his failed attempt to impersonate Slipfang, and the chaos that followed.

He described being saved by Moogums, and how he caught up to Deana in the tunnels. He felt embarrassed when he admitted what he'd done to scare the goblins away, though everyone else looked at him in admiration. Only Harry and Ron nodded gravely and seemed to realize what was going on in his head. Teddy glanced at Deana nervously as he left out the part about bashing a goblin over the head with a rock. She didn't seem to notice. She was just staring at him with such an adoring expression that it made him uneasy.

And finally, they came to their escape from the tunnels.

Teddy looked down, and his voice dropped to a whisper as he told about the ghostly guide who led them to the surface. Harry and Ron were leaning forward, as was everyone else, most of the kids with their mouths open. And then Teddy said, "It was Alduin."

The room became utterly silent. After a minute, Teddy looked up, and was unsurprised to see Mercy covering her face with her hands. Dewey was staring at the far wall, and Teddy suspected he was trying to hold back tears as well. But it wasn't just the Hufflepuffs who were crying.

The two men in the room weren't crying, but Harry was leaning back in his chair, and looked more shaken than Teddy would have expected. He shook his head, as if trying to recover from an unexpected shock. It took him a moment to clear his throat, and he exchanged a look with Ron that Teddy couldn't decipher.

"What will happen to him?" asked Dewey, not looking up.

Teddy gulped. He hadn't even thought about that. If Alduin was a ghost -

"I don't know," Harry said quietly. "Perhaps someone in the Department of Mysteries can answer that. I can't."

"Will I have to talk to his parents?" Teddy asked.

Harry looked at him, startled. Teddy was unsettled at the looks Harry and Ron exchanged. "Why would you ask that, Teddy?"

"I just thought - I don't know." Teddy looked down. "If Mr. and Mrs. Beauxjour find out Alduin stayed around, as a ghost, they might want to know about it, wouldn't they? I mean, I reckon they might want to talk to him..."

Everyone was very quiet. Then Harry clasped his hands in front of him again, and said, "There is no Mr. and Mrs. Beauxjour. Alduin was an orphan. And his name wasn't Beauxjour."

Dewey blinked. "It wasn't?"

Harry shook his head slowly, and looked at Teddy as he said, "It was Dolohov. Alduin Dolohov."

Harry had everyone's attention again, but of all the other kids in the room, only Violet seemed to recognize the name, and even she didn't see the effect it had on Teddy.

"I suppose it's fair to tell you all this, since you'll no doubt read it in the papers, when they print his obituary," Harry said slowly, not taking his eyes off of Teddy. "Both his parents were Death Eaters. His father died during the war, and his mother committed suicide soon after, rather than go to Azkaban for the rest of her life."

Everyone looked horrified, most of all the Hufflepuffs, but Harry went on. "He had no surviving family, and no one else wanted a Death Eater's orphan, so he grew up as a ward of the Ministry. They did their best for him, but..." Harry shook his head, and cleared his throat. "I'm told he asked to be allowed to enter Hogwarts under another name. Professor Llewellyn agreed to go along with this, and until now, no one else in the school knew his true parentage, except the Sorting Hat."

"It put him in Hufflepuff," Dewey said slowly.

Harry nodded. "I spoke to the hat about that, among many other things. It says Alduin was terrified of being sorted into Slytherin. He begged to be put in Hufflepuff instead."

Dewey felt as if something cold and leaden had settled in the pit of his stomach. "Why?" he mumbled.

"I believe," Harry said quietly, "that he thought Hufflepuffs would be more likely to accept him, and not ask too many questions."

Kai was looking down, feeling an enormous burden of guilt as he remembered his petty fights with Alduin, and the names they'd called each other, but that was nothing compared to the guilt Dewey was feeling.

Violet finally noticed Teddy sitting there as pale as a ghost himself, and the way Harry was looking at him.

"Dolohov," Teddy said at last, his voice little more than a whisper.

Harry nodded. "Yes," he said, speaking very gently. "His father was the one who killed Remus."

---

Harry walked down the hall with Teddy, his arm around his godson's shoulders. Ron followed a discreet distance behind them. All of the other kids had gone back to one of the two towers, and of course, everything they had told the two Aurors would soon spread throughout the school - embellished, exaggerated, distorted, and dramatized (as if there was any need for dramatization). But right now, Teddy didn't care about that.

"If you'd like to come home," Harry said, "that's perfectly all right. In fact, I think that would make your grandmother very happy, though she won't ask you to."

"What's going to happen to the school?" Teddy asked.

"I think you can disregard the more hysterical rumors," Harry replied. "There are too many of us who have too much invested in Hogwarts to let it be shut down. Half the parents of you firsties would probably come to Hogwarts and teach classes themselves, if that's what it took to keep it open. But I know the professors are just as determined to keep the school running. It will take at least a week or two to repair the damage enough to resume classes, and it's going to take a lot longer than that to reequip everyone with wands." He closed his mouth, realizing he'd probably answered at greater length than Teddy needed to hear, and squeezed his shoulders. "But there's nothing wrong with taking a little holiday, and coming home to see your family."

Teddy nodded. "I'd like to. But just for a little bit. I want to be here with my friends too." He looked up at Harry. "That's all right, isn't it?" he asked anxiously.

Harry smiled. "Of course it is."

Teddy's eyes became a dark, dark blue. He was not trying to hide his metamorphmagus abilities anymore, and Harry knew that at times, Teddy literally displayed his emotions openly, but he wasn't always sure what his godson's small transformations signified.

"I want to see Chloe too," he said quietly.

Harry's smile became a little sadder, but he nodded. "Of course. I'll take you to see her."

Teddy was still standing there, deep in thought.

"Is there anything else you want to talk about?" Harry asked gently.

"I don't know. I think I need some time to sort it all out. It's just, so much."

Harry nodded. "I am incredibly proud of you, Teddy. We all are. What you did - what you and all your friends did - I have no words." His voice was thick with emotion, but he was surprised when Teddy looked up at him as if he were about to cry.

"Everyone keeps saying that!" Teddy whispered. "That I was so bloody brave - I heard some kids saying I'm a hero!" He spoke the word almost in disgust, and shook his head. "I didn't have a clue what I was doing! I just made it all up as I went along! I wasn't brave! I was terrified!" Tears did spill out of his eyes, now, which had become pale brown, then gray, and then a dark green to reflect Harry's. "All I could think the whole time was that everyone else was counting on me, and if I screwed up, they were going to die! And I had no plan! I just got lucky! It was horrible, I get sick just thinking about it, and Chloe... Chloe..." He choked up, and Harry put his arms around him, and pulled him close, and Teddy accepted the hug and pressed his face against Harry's chest, not worrying about whether other kids walking through the hallways might see.

"I know exactly how you feel," Harry said, and Ron looked away.

---

It had been a long, grim two days. It was late in the evening when Harry and Ron finally headed downstairs, planning to Apparate home from Hogsmeade Station, or what was left of it.

"I hope Calliope's funeral won't become a huge media event," said Harry. Paying the necessary visit to inform her family of her death had been another one of the things he'd added to the list of 'Most difficult things I've ever had to do' over the past couple of days. Ron knew that Harry was still reeling from the young Auror's death. Compounded with everything else that had happened, it was the most difficult period in their lives since the end of the war.

"It's not the first time we've lost someone," Ron had said quietly.

"It's the first time we've lost a member of my team, while I was there," Harry replied grimly, and Ron nodded. They both felt as if they'd aged quite a few years that night.

They encountered Professor Sinistra on the way downstairs. The Astronomy teacher felt obligated to stay up late and help as much as she could with clean-up and defense of the school, now that she was one of the only adults around still in possession of her wand.

"Mr. Potter. Mr. Weasley." She smiled slightly at the two Aurors, whom she remembered as a pair of smart-mouthed Gryffindors who'd never showed any great dedication in her class.

"Professor," Harry replied. "You know, I never thanked you for all the help you gave us."

She waved a hand dismissively. "I did what I could. I'm afraid it wasn't enough."

"You're too modest, Professor," said Harry. He paused. "You and Miss Karait's rescue of the Slytherins, that was remarkable. You know, there's talk of nominating a few people for honors. Possibly even the Order of Merlin."

Sinistra looked away uneasily. "Oh, surely not. I'm not interested in any medals, Mr. Potter."

"Perhaps not," Harry said slowly. "But nonetheless, you might be nominated for one. And that would require a detailed account of your exploits."

Sinistra shrugged. "Miss Karait deserves more credit than me. She was brilliant, you know. Even with a borrowed wand."

Harry nodded. "You killed quite a few goblins."

"Yes, we had to, Mr. Potter." Her eyes gleamed darkly. "It was self-defense!"

"Of course. I'm not suggesting otherwise." Ron was listening silently, as Harry chose his words carefully. "Some of the other Aurors commented on the lack of marks on their bodies."

Sinistra seemed to be studying one of the portraits hanging at the bottom of the staircase.

"Usually, one finds burns, blood, bruises at least," Harry went on.

Sinistra raised her head slowly, to meet his gaze.

"Are you asking a question, Mr. Potter?" Her voice was perfectly even, her expression impassive.

The two of them stared at one another for a long moment, neither of them blinking, and then Harry shook his head. "No." He nodded to her. "Good evening, Professor."

"Good evening, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley." She inclined her head, and continued upstairs, and they continued down.

They got almost to the main door, before another voice stopped them. "Mr. Potter!"

Harry sighed, looked at Ron with an expression that said, Give me strength, and turned to face Ophilia Karait.

With her long, flowing robes, so unlike the tighter-fitting flying clothes and short cape she'd been wearing earlier, she was able to conceal the extent of her injuries, and while she moved slowly and carefully, one might not notice the stiffness in her motions or the slight limp to her gait, if one hadn't seen what Slipfang's last spell had done to her. Harry and Ron were both impressed and appalled that she was walking around.

"Miss Karait, you really should be in bed," said Harry.

"Thank you for the suggestion, Mr. Potter. I shall be soon." She strode across the floor as if she were taking a slow tour of the Entrance Hall, until she was face to face with the two Aurors. "I just wanted to give you my deepest condolences regarding Calliope," she said quietly. "Her death was very upsetting to me."

Harry nodded. "Thank you." He and Ron exchanged a look.

"We were friends, you know," Ophilia said.

The two men tried to hide their surprise. "Really?" Harry asked.

"Not best mates or anything like that," Ophilia continued. "She was four years older than me. But, when I joined the dueling club my second year, she said I had a lot of talent. She took me under her wing, so to speak."

"Really?" Harry repeated.

"You look surprised."

Harry paused, then admitted, "I suppose I am, a little."

"Because she was a Gryffindor?" And when Harry nodded, Ophilia smiled tightly, and said, "If we hadn't been in different houses, we probably would have been better friends. We didn't really stay in touch after she left Hogwarts, but I remember her sending me an owl after she was accepted into Auror training." Ophilia smiled. "She was so proud and happy." Her smile faded. "When I saw her with you and the other Aurors, I hoped we'd have a chance to talk, even for a little bit, and catch up."

She fell silent, and after an awkward pause, Harry said, "I appreciate everything you've done, Miss Karait. You're a... remarkable young woman. I'm sure you'll be very successful in whatever you choose to do."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter!" Ophilia gave him a surprisingly broad smile. "I'm so pleased to hear you say that. You see, I'm planning on applying to become an Auror myself."

Ron made a choking sound. Harry said, "You're... serious?"

She frowned at him, and put her hands on her hips. "Why would you think I'm not?" she demanded. "You don't have a no-Slytherins policy at the Auror Office, do you?"

"No, of course not." Harry tried to compose himself.

"I wanted to be an Auror even before I met Calliope, actually."

"I see."

She smiled at him, just a little too warmly. Harry frowned, and said, "Well... good luck, Miss Karait." She nodded, he started to turn away, and then he paused, as if debating something in his mind. He turned back.

"Miss Karait," he said. "I can't deny that you and Mr. Truncher's aid in the fight with the goblins was invaluable. But at the same time, you put yourselves and Mr. Lupin and Miss Forte in unnecessary danger, and posed a distraction for the rest of us."

Ron muttered something about trollish gits that Harry and Ophilia both chose to ignore. Neither of them had been happy about Hugh's leaving Deana at the top of a tree before he descended into the battle.

Ophilia's expression froze, and some of the color drained out of her face. "Are you saying we're to blame for Calliope's death?" she asked coldly.

"No," said Harry. "But you seem to have an... adventurous streak. Like Calliope did." Ophilia looked down. "You disobeyed orders. If you're serious about becoming an Auror, you'd better get used to the idea that I expect people under me to do as they're told."

Ophilia's smile reappeared. "I'm sure I can get used to the idea of doing what I'm told under you, Mr. Potter," she said.

Ron made another choking sound.

Harry's expression didn't change, though his fingers twitched, just a little. "Then I expect you'll work on your attitude, and your willingness to follow orders, instead of throwing yourself into dangerous situations."

Ophilia stopped smiling, and looked at him very seriously. "Of course, Mr. Potter. I shall endeavor to follow your example."

Harry looked at Ron. Ron looked suspiciously as if he were having trouble keeping a straight face.

Bastard, he thought silently, glaring at his friend. Ron's eyes twinkled back in amusement. He nodded to the Slytherin Prefect. "I'll... look forward to seeing your application. Assuming you get all the necessary N.E.W.T.s, of course."

"I shall," she said, sounding utterly certain.

As Harry and Ron left the castle, Ron said, "She will, you know. You're not going to escape her that easily."

"I can always reject her out of hand. I have final authority over all candidates."

"You can, but you won't." Ron sighed. "You know, I remember when I thought being an Auror would be fun." And when Harry looked at him, he shrugged his shoulders. "I know, I know. But seriously, George's invitation to help run the shop is looking better and better."

---

St. Mungo's was in the process of another remodeling project. The new theme seemed to be "bright and sunny." All the walls were yellow, and the ceilings on all floors showed a cloudless, sunny sky overhead, regardless of time of day or weather outside. It was supposed to improve the moods of patients and staff, though Teddy saw a lot of grumpy healers wearing sunglasses.

It was awfully bright. Teddy's hair was turning an incandescent blond, without his even realizing it. But that didn't match his mood, which was anxious and apprehensive.

Teddy had stayed for the last couple of days at his grandmother's house, then went to spend an afternoon with the Potters, before Harry took him to St. Mungo's. Tonight they would return to Hogwarts. Teddy was hoping he'd be able to tell his friends that Chloe was recovering nicely and in good spirits, but he had no idea what to expect. Harry warned him that she was still very weak, and that a complete recovery was still not certain.

"Her parents wanted her transferred to a Muggle hospital," Harry said, as they walked down a corridor on the ground floor. "They don't exactly trust magic. I can't say I blame them, now. But explaining to Muggle doctors how their daughter came to be impaled by a sword would have been a bit difficult."

Teddy nodded. He looked at the signs on the ward they were entering, and frowned. "Artifact Accidents" seemed like a very unfunny joke - Chloe hadn't gotten a sword stuck through her by accident.

"They'll be taking her out of here at the end of the week," Harry went on, as they reached a private room at the end of the hall. "She won't be fully healed by then, but it was as long as we could persuade the Greys to allow the healers to keep her."

"They're just going to take her home while she's still hurt?" Teddy exclaimed, aghast.

"She'll be all right," Harry tried to reassure him. "They can afford physical therapy for her. That's a sort of Muggle treatment for badly injured people," he added, at Teddy's confused look.

They stopped at the door. "I'll wait outside," Harry said, with a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure she'd be happy to have you stay all day, but if she starts fading, you need to let her take her rest."

Teddy nodded, and knocked lightly at the door, before pushing it open.

The room inside was sunlit, like the corridors. Chloe was lying in bed, shrouded in blankets. Her head seemed tiny, against the large pillow underneath it. Her hair had fanned out on the pillow like a golden halo, reflecting the light.

"Teddy!" she exclaimed. Her face lit up, but her voice was very weak. He was frightened at how small and frail she seemed.

He walked over to her bedside, and looked down at her. She smiled at him. "You came," she whispered.

"They told you I was coming, didn't they?" He stared at her, taking in her pale, gaunt face, still pretty, but without the healthy glow that usually colored her cheeks.

She nodded. "Everyone has sent cards and letters," she said softly. "But you're the only one who's come to visit."

She had cards and gifts and sweets sitting on the table next to her bed. There were red and pink cards looking suspiciously like valentines from most of the Gryffindor first-year boys, and a couple of the Slytherins. Edgar had sent something electronic that Teddy didn't recognize. He saw that Colleen McCormack had sent her roommate a basket of exotic tropical fruit; how, Teddy had no idea. Aisha had sent a special wizard chess set made of chocolate. Teddy recognized it as one of his Uncle George's products; when you captured a piece, you got to eat it.

"I'm sure they'd all like to. If you were staying longer - I mean, not that I'd want you stuck in hospital forever, but..." His voice trailed off. She was just smiling up at him, and he started to choke up. She was so pretty, and he couldn't quite banish from his mind his last sight of her; her eyes staring sightlessly at the sky, and her mouth filling with blood.

She had her blankets pulled up to her neck, so he couldn't even see the hospital gown she was wearing, much less the bandages that must be covering her wound. But he noticed that she couldn't do much more than lift her head.

Then he felt her hand touch his. He looked down, to see her clutching weakly at his fingers, and he took her hand in his, swallowing. It felt warm, and tiny. She squeezed his hand lightly. He was afraid to squeeze it back.

"You look so sad," she said.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry." He swallowed again. "I'm sorry I got separated from you, and I didn't stop Slipfang in time." Tears threatened, and Chloe frowned, and shook her head side to side.

"Teddy," she murmured. "You're really not going to blame yourself, are you? Honestly? When you saved me? You saved all of us!" She managed to squeeze his hand a little more. "You were so brave, and clever."

He shook his head. "Not clever enough."

She sighed. "Please, Teddy, promise me you won't mope or be sad. I'll be all right, really. My parents were scared to death, but the healers say I'll probably be able to get out of bed in a few days. Of course if Mr. Weasley had taken one second longer to get me here..." Her voiced trailed off, at Teddy's pained look, and then she smiled. "Tell me what's happened at Hogwarts," she said. "All these cards are very nice, but no one's told me hardly anything."

So Teddy sat down, and told her about the flooded dungeons, the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs rooming with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, about Kai, about the house-elves, about the ongoing goblin troubles. He managed to forget, for a little while, how weak she looked, as she smiled at his stories, eyes widening at times. She even put a hand over her mouth to cover a little gasp, when he told her about Alduin's ghost.

He noticed her eyelids were starting to droop, and he knew he would have to leave soon. But she still held onto his hand.

"It will be all right, Teddy," she said at last, as if reading his mind.

"You're not coming back to Hogwarts, are you?" he said.

She shook her head. "The healers say..." She swallowed. "My magic is gone."

Teddy felt the lump in his throat return.

"I know it must seem horrible to you," she said. "But... it's not really so bad." Teddy frowned, unable to hide his disbelief. She was smiling at him, trying to look brave, though her eyes lacked the conviction of her words. "I'm Muggle-born, after all. I'm just going back to the Muggle world. And I did miss my friends from school, in London. It was very exciting, to find out I was a witch, and visit this... wizarding world, where magic is real, and there are goblins and elves and ghosts, but my parents were never really very happy about it, you know. They won't say so, but I think they're glad that I won't be going back there."

Teddy just stared at her, not sure what to say.

"In the Muggle world," she said softly, "we have so many books and movies about children who stumble through hidden doorways or find magic chests in an attic or faeries in a forest, or something like that, and they get to go on these wonderful magical adventures. But they always return home, in the end. And that's what I'm doing, Teddy. Going to Hogwarts was like a wonderful adventure. And now I'm going back home, where I belong."

It felt like the lump in his throat had moved down to his chest, where it was going to burst out of him, but Chloe continued smiling at him. "Please don't feel sorry for me, Teddy. I wasn't a very good witch, after all, and I was a terrible Gryffindor."

"That's not true!" he said, so forcefully it startled her. He lowered his voice, and leaned forward, squeezing her hand. He felt tears threatening again. "There was never a better Gryffindor!" he said hoarsely. "And you'd have been a bloody brilliant witch!"

She smiled. He saw tears glistening in her long lashes as she blinked several times.

"We can still write to each other, and visit," Teddy said. "Lots of wizards have friends and family in the Muggle world."

She nodded.

Teddy ran out of words. Chloe was still smiling at him, but he could see that this conversation had taken all the energy she had. She was fading, as Harry had warned, and he needed to let her rest.

"I did like you, Teddy," she said softly. "I liked you very much. Violet was right about that."

He blinked. He felt that funny feeling in his stomach again, and his cheeks flushed.

"Give me a kiss, Teddy," she whispered, so softly he wasn't sure he'd heard her right at first. He stared at her, flustered. "Wh - what?" he stammered.

"Give me a kiss," she repeated.

A kiss good-bye, he thought. Sure. That was all right. Except he knew she didn't mean a kiss on the cheek. She tilted her chin up, just a tiny bit, to raise her mouth invitingly towards him. He swallowed, and leaned very slowly across her bed. It seemed to take forever. Thoughts raced through his mind. He'd never kissed a girl before. Of course his grandmother and his aunts didn't count. Neither did his cousins, who gave him kisses on the cheek, or even Vicky, who had tried to kiss him on the lips when he was ten and she was eight, and he'd shoved her away and told her to stop being such a brat, and she'd cried and called him names in French. So this was his first kiss. Except Ophilia, but he was pretty sure she didn't count either. After all, she'd kissed him; he certainly hadn't kissed her back!

Chloe's eyes were closed, and Teddy wondered if he was supposed to close his eyes too. He hadn't ever practiced kissing before! He hadn't even thought about how you were supposed to do it. What if he pressed his lips too hard against hers? Which way was he supposed to tilt his head? She wasn't expecting him to kiss her like he'd seen some of the older kids snogging, was she? Or - Merlin! His face turned red as he remembered seeing Harry and Aunt Ginny kissing once, with their mouths open, when they thought no kids were around. That had just looked nasty to him. She didn't want to do that, did she?

Then their lips touched, and they kissed. Chloe's lips were soft and warm, and neither of them moved. It wasn't very long, but it felt like a moment suspended in time. A new feeling went through Teddy, like a flush all over his body. His heart was doing a strange, frantic dance in his chest. He didn't breathe, even when he finally pulled away and looked at her.

She smiled at him.

"Promise you won't forget me, Teddy," she whispered.

"Never," he whispered back.

She nodded, just once, and closed her eyes again with a tired smile.

Teddy got up, and walked to the door, before turning around.

"Good-bye, Chloe," he said.

"Good-bye, Teddy," she murmured.

He opened the door, and gave her one last look, before he left the room and the door closed behind him.