Albus Potter had never been so excited in his life. He was sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, the train that he had longed to ride since he was six. He remembered the burning jealousy of last year, watching James head off to Hogwarts and reading his letters about spells and lessons and feasts and ghosts. But now Albus would be the one sending the letters.

His cousin, Rose Weasley, was sitting opposite him, flipping frantically through a spellbook the size of a watermelon. She strongly resembled her mother, Aunt Hermione, except for her flame-red hair, which hung in thick curls around her face.

“I don’t think I practiced Alohomora!� she said. “Mum said that it’s definitely taught in first year. I’m going to be behind!�

“Rose, no one’s going to have practiced. You’ll be brilliant,� said Albus. He was toying with his newly purchased wand. Twelve inches, unicorn tail core, cherry. Ollivander had been very enthusiastic about it.

“You haven’t practiced?� Rose asked, as though she had never heard of such a thing.

Albus shook his head.

“But you have to get ahead!� said Rose. “What if people like that Malfoy boy are really good?�

“I dunno,� said Albus. He didn’t want to discuss this. He was queasy enough as it was without thinking about lessons.

The countryside flew past them as the Hogwarts Express chugged on. Rose buried her nose in her book, leaving Albus to feed his barn owl, Ptolemy, who was on the seat next to him in a cage.

“Do you think you’d rather be in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff?� Rose asked randomly.

“Ravenclaw,� said Albus automatically. “Your dad says that Hufflepuffs are really boring.�

“Yeah, Ravenclaw wouldn’t be too bad,� said Rose, looking out the window dreamily. “Mum almost got put there, but the Hat decided Gryffindor in the end.�

“Mmm,� said Albus, not really listening. He was mulling over what his father had told him on the Platform. He would have to ask the Sorting Hat to put him in Gryffindor.

The door to the compartment slid open. Molly, Fred and Dominique all entered. The three cousins couldn’t have looked more different. Molly was a very tall, slim second-year who had inherited Uncle Percy’s slightly pompous features. Fred was a first-year. His hair was brown and his skin was a shade darker then the other Weasleys. Dominique was also starting Hogwarts. She was just as beautiful as her mother, even at eleven. She had already been featured on the cover of Witch Weekly.

“Hey,� said Fred, flopping down next to Albus. “Trolley witch come around yet? I’m starved.�

“Nope,� said Albus, smiling at his cousins. They all saw rather a lot of each other.

“Victoire’s down the hall with all her friends, talking about Teddy,� said Dominique, rolling her eyes in a way that reminded Albus of his mother.

“What happened?� Fred asked, evidently out of the loop.

“Nothing really, Fred,� said Molly, in a superior tone.

“I wouldn’t call snogging in public ‘nothing,’� said Dominique. “Of course, she’s always fancied him. Goes on about it all the time.�

Victoire and Dominique shared a room in Shell Cottage and it was common knowledge that the arrangement suited neither of them.

“So what’s it like crossing the lake?� Albus asked Molly, the only person present who had ever done it.

“It can get pretty intense,� she said dramatically. “Last year it was raining and storming when we crossed. Joey Finnigan fell right out into the lake.�

Albus gulped. He was looking forward to arriving at Hogwarts less and less.

The trolley finally came around and everyone bought some sweets. Albus purchased a package of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and then shared them with Ptolemy, who ate almost anything.

“Have any of you practiced spells yet?� Rose asked, her mouth full of Chocolate Frogs

They all shook their heads except Molly, who pulled out her wand, pointed it at Fred (whose hands were covered with melting Frog) and said “Scourgify!�

The effect was rather less then Molly had imagined; a lot of the chocolate disappeared, but much of it remained.

Albus and Fred both laughed, but Rose looked impressed. “When do they teach that spell?�

“Charms exams,� said Molly, her face going red in the time-honored Weasley tradition.

“Scourgify,� said Rose calmly, pointing her wand at Fred’s hands. All the chocolate disappeared instantly.

Fred hooted with laughter. “I guess she takes after Aunt Hermione.�

Rose tried not to look too pleased with herself, but there was a hint of smugness in her smile for the next hour.

The cousins discussed the Quidditch World Cup enthusiastically. The Potters had gotten into the Top Box only to witness America beat England 380-40.

“It was dismal,� said Dominique. “That idiot Zacharias Smith dropped the Quaffle twenty-four times.�

“Well, he got kicked off the team right afterwards,� said Albus. “My dad said that he went to school with him.�

While the others discussed the Cup, Molly and Rose huddled over their books and Albus clearly saw that Molly was looking up the Scouring Charm again.

As it grew darker outside the train’s window, Albus grew more and more nervous. He felt as though he had eaten twenty Peppermint Toads due to the knot of nervousness in his stomach.

He changed into his Hogwarts robes and his three cousins followed suit (Rose had changed before she even got on the train).

And then came the fateful moment when the Hogwarts Express screeched to a stop. Albus gathered up Ptolemy’s crate and he and Fred lugged his trunk down to the platform, which was crowded with children, all of them in their Hogwarts robes.

Albus put his trunk and Ptolemy’s crate in the pile of luggage that would be taken up to the castle. He looked out across the great black lake at the huge castle and his heart felt a surge of excitement.

“Firs’ years! Firs’ years! Come with me!�

An enormous figure was coming towards the students, swinging a huge lantern. Albus smiled and waved at Hagrid, who raised his huge hand in return.

“Come on, firs’ years! This way to the boats!�

Albus saw James run off towards the horseless carriages, acknowledging his younger brother with a lazy wave. Victoire, Molly and most of the other students followed him.

“Watch it,� snarled a blond-haired boy who bumped into Albus.

“Sorry,� said Albus. It was clearly Scorpius Malfoy.

Rose came up behind Albus as they reached the edge of the lake, where a fleet of small boats were assembled. “Where’re Fred and Dominique?�

“Dunno,� Albus responded. “They’re here.�

Albus clambered into one of the small boats and helped Rose in. A boy with excessively curly hair and a girl with a dark bun and glasses got in after them.

Albus and Rose nodded to the two other children, but before they could say anything the boats began to skim across the black water of the lake, Hagrid’s large boat at the head of the formation.

Albus saw Fred and Dominique sharing a boat with Rita Thomas and waved to them. Fred waved back.

Looming ahead of them was the huge castle. Towers, turrets and battlements were sticking out of it and there was a great pair of doors just barely visible from their position on the lake.

“Squid!� shouted Hagrid, pointing. All the children looked around to see a huge tentacle sticking out of the water. A few people screamed, but Albus laughed. He was finally here, finally seeing all that James had written home about.

“Watch yer ‘eads!� shouted Hagrid, as the boats floated under a stone precipice. Albus lowered his head and when he looked up again, the little boats were grounding themselves on a pebbly beach.

Albus, Rose and the two others climbed out, as did the rest of the first-years. A couple of them were wet and shivering, presumably from a wave.

Hagrid led them up to the huge double doors and knocked heavily. Albus grinned at him, his fear dissipating slightly now that he had really arrived.

The doors opened. Standing there was a very pretty witch wearing mauve robes. She smiled toothily at the assembled first-years.

“Trip across the lake alright, Hagrid?� she asked.

“Smooth as could be,� said Hagrid. “This lot’s ready fer Sortin’.�

“Come on in,� said the witch. The children all walked into the impressive hall, most marveling at the huge staircase and the many, many doors that led to strange and unknown places.

Albus waved to Hagrid as the doors closed; he would evidently be taking another route into the Great Hall.

“I’m Professor Margaret Artemis,� said the long-haired witch, addressing the group of first-years. “I teach Charms here at Hogwarts. You must know that rule-breaking and tardiness will lose you House Points, correct answers and good work will win them. Whichever House has the most points at the end of a school year wins the House Cup.�

Professor Artemis stopped as though she was waiting for “ooh�s and “ah�s. When they did not materialize she went on hastily.

“The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I myself am a Hufflepuff and I hope that you treat your respective Houses like brothers and sisters while you’re here.�

There was a rather loud snort from Fred, which set off scattered giggling. Professor Artemis’s smile tightened.

“Wait here please. When we are ready in the Great Hall, I shall fetch you.�

Professor Artemis swept off and disappeared through a large set of doors. Albus barely had time to hear the excited babble of voices before it was closed.

The first-years began whispering amongst themselves. Many were near tears, others were still comparing the four Houses.

“I just hope I’m in either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw,� said Rose, a hint of panic in her voice. “I mean our entire family’s been in Gryffindor.�

“Yeah, I suppose,� said Albus. His stomach was doing back flips and he could feel his palms sweating. He hastily wiped them on his robes.

After a few moments, Professor Artemis came out of the Great Hall again. “It’s time. Form a line.�

There was a fair amount of jostling and pushing, much of it by Alex Goyle, a big, ungainly boy who was right at Scorpius’s elbow.

They filed in through the doors. The Great Hall was even bigger then Albus had imagined. Its enchanted ceiling showed the calm, starlit night of the outdoors. Four long tables were arranged in the center of the Hall, while another table was filled with teachers and staff.

“That’s where Dad killed Voldemort!� said Albus, pointing at a carved circle in the stone floor.

“I see it!� said Rose excitedly.

The children filed towards a three-legged stool that was standing before the teacher’s table. An old, battered wizard’s hat sat on it, looking much the worse for wear. Albus recalled his father telling him that it had been set on fire during the Battle of Hogwarts. The burns still showed.

Albus scanned the four tables for people he knew. Molly, James, George Jordan and Victoire were all seated at the Gryffindor table. Albus grinned at his older brother, who gave him the thumbs-up.

A wide rip in the brim of the Sorting Hat opened and the few people still talking in the Hall fell silent as the Hat began to sing:

“It’s now been seventeen to the year

Since You-Know-Who ended his reign of fear.

He was vanquished in this very Hall,

Freeing those held in thrall.

But I must warn again

That safety has not always been

And those that now decide

That we’re in for a cozy ride,

May be the first to go!�

Here the Hat paused for a moment, as if to gauge its audience’s reaction. Indeed, most of the room looked puzzled and there was scattered murmuring.

“But now’s the time

To put me on

I’ll end my rhyme

For I see a yawn.�

The rip closed. There was a moment of silence as most people waited for the song to resume. When it did not, there was applause, although it was tentative.

“It usually just details the Houses,� whispered Rose. “But it didn’t mention them at all!�

Albus shrugged, too nervous to be very curious about the Hat’s song.

“Abbadon, Frank!� called Professor Artemis.

A burly, straight-haired boy walked up to the stool and shoved the Hat onto his head.

“SLYTHERIN!� yelled the Hat.

The Slytherin table applauded as Frank ran down to join them. It may have been the stories that his parents had told, but Albus thought that the Slytherins looked decidedly unpleasant.

It seemed to take an age before someone that Albus knew was called. To amuse himself, he counted the number of students that went to each House. Ravenclaw seemed to be having a lot this year.

Rita Jordan, a friend of Fred’s, soon had her turn. She was quickly Sorted into Gryffindor. Even from the line, Fred clapped loudly.

Directly after “Mallory, Lucas� became a Hufflepuff, Scorpius Malfoy sat down on the stool and eagerly jammed the Hat onto his head.

The entire hall sat in silence for five full minutes. And then the Hat screamed “GRYFFINDOR!�

Scorpius fell right off the stool in his surprise. He pulled the Hat off of his head and looked around, thunderstruck.

“Go to your table, Mr. Malfoy,� said Professor Artemis kindly.

A few people clapped as Scorpius sat dejectedly on the Gryffindor’s bench. James was not among them. He looked openly furious.

A few more people were Sorted, several of them going to Hufflepuff and the rest to Slytherin.

And then: “Potter, Albus!�

Albus walked slowly up to the stool. Rose whispered: “Good luck� and James whistled.

All eyes were on him, more so than the other children. The son of Harry Potter was a very interesting thing to most of the Hogwartians. Even some of the teachers looked especially attentive.

Albus picked up the Sorting Hat and placed it on his head. It was so large that it slipped over his eyes, leaving him in complete darkness. He sat down on the stool.

Well, well, said a small voice in Albus’s ear, Harry Potter’s second son. The first was an easy choice, but you, you’re a little trickier.

I want Gryffindor, thought Albus, remembering what his father had told him on the platform. Not Slytherin.

No, you’re not Slytherin material, said the Hat confidently. But you’d make a good Hufflepuff. You’re honest, fair and kind. You would make a welcome addition-

Albus felt himself break out in a cold sweat. No, Gryffindor!

Calm down, advised the Hat smugly. Do you have the nerve and courage of a real Gryffindor? Perhaps, but it’s hidden deep. Still, you seemed determined for-

“GRYFFINDOR!�

The last was for the whole Hall to hear. Feeling immensely relieved, Albus tore off the Sorting Hat and placed it on the stool amid boisterous applause. James was whooping.

He walked down to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to James, who punched him on the shoulder. “Knew you’d make it, Al!�

“Rodney, Gillian� was chosen for Ravenclaw and then the curly-haired boy was called (his name was Smithson, Robert). The Hat didn’t take very long to proclaim him a “GRYFFINDOR!�

Albus and the rest of the table clapped for him and Robert slid in next to Victoire looking very pleased with himself.

Albus examined the golden plates as “Saran, Shelby� was sent to Hufflepuff. His stomach was growling with hunger now that it had ceased acrobatics.

Scorpius was sitting all by himself looking sullen and grumpy. Albus couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for him (his friend Goyle had been immediately sorted into Slytherin).

At long last, Professor Artemis called out “Weasley, Dominique!�

Dominique ran over to the stool and put the Hat on her head. After a minute’s deliberation, the Sorting Hat yelled “GRYFFINDOR!�

The table cheered, Victoire loudest of all. Her younger sister trounced off to the Gryffindor table and sat down, her face flushed with excitement.

“Weasley, Fred!� shouted Professor Artemis. Fred came forward and put the Hat on his head.

“GRYFFINDOR!�

There were lots of cheers as Albus’s cousin joined the Gryffindors.

“Weasley, Rose!� called Professor Artemis. There were now only three or four children left.

Rose came forward, her face set in a strained expression. Albus saw that her limbs were shaking as she placed the Hat on her head in a slow, deliberate fashion.

The Hat took the longest time yet with Rose. At least ten minutes passed before it shouted “GRYFFINDOR!�

The other Houses were now looking rather upset with Gryffindor’s streak. Rose ran to the long table and sat down between Albus and James, a huge smile on her face.

The last few children were Sorted and just as “Zabini, Medusa� joined the Slytherin table, the Headmaster stood up.

He was an astonishingly young wizard, only twenty-five or thirty. His face was clean-shaven and had a boyish look to it. His robes were of a midnight blue. To Albus, he looked like a child playing dress-up.

“I’m your Headmaster, Nigel Tweak,� he said jovially. “I’m sure you’re all far too hungry to listen to a speech, so dig in!�

The golden platters immediately filled with food and Tweak sat down again.

“He’s really young,� said Albus to James, as he filled his plate with chicken wings.

“Youngest Headmaster in the history of the school,� said James, gulping down a hunk of bread. “He’s only like twenty-seven or something.�

As he ate, Albus scanned the high table. Hagrid was sitting in a reinforced seat and eating what looked like an entire hog all by himself. Beside him was a very old witch that he guessed was Professor McGonagall. When she saw him looking at her, she gave him the smallest of smiles.

On her right was Professor Artemis, who was talking with a middle-aged, short-haired wizard that Albus thought was probably John Dawlish, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. On his right sat Tweak, deep in conversation with a squat, large-nosed woman. Next to her was Professor Longbottom, who grinned at Albus.

“Sorting took forever this year,� said James, even though he was only a second-year. “You lot must’ve been in the middle.�

“I guess so,� said Albus, not about to tell James about the Sorting Hat’s instinct to put him in Hufflepuff.

When all the students had finished the feast, desserts appeared. Albus, who had a sweet tooth, dug into a large block of ice cream with fervor.

Soon, the desserts too disappeared and Albus was feeling full and contently sleepy. Tweak got up and made a droning speech, but Albus got little of it. When he was done, there was a great scraping of benches as the students got up for bed.

“Follow me,� said James cockily and the cousins all followed him out of the Great Hall and up several flights of stairs.

Fred bumped into Albus. “Check out the Malfoy kid. He looks about ready to cry.�

It was true. Scorpius was lagging along, not talking to anyone, his eyes on the stone floor. He looked very out of place.

After a few minutes of walking, they reached the famed portrait hall. Despite his tiredness, Albus felt his heart skip a beat. He had heard much about the Fat Lady and the common room--

“Password?� asked the painting. She was relaxing on a pouf and had not even opened her eyes to look at the Gryffindors.

“Godric,� said a huge seventh-year.

“Thank you,� said the Fat Lady lazily as the portrait swung open.

It was just as it had been described, a cozy, fire-lit room with red wall hangings and cushy armchairs.

“Our dorm’s on the left,� said James. “Girls on the right.�

There wasn’t much hanging around in the common room; everyone was too tired after the feast.

Albus bade goodnight to Rose, Dominique, Victoire and Rita as they tramped up their staircase to bed. Albus followed James up their staircase. There was a row of doors each with a year designation on them.

“You’ll be in first-year’s,� said James airily. “It’s a nice dorm, comfortable beds.�

“’Night, then,� said Albus, sleepily, opening the door. Inside was a very nice five-bed room that looked out of the Tower onto the grounds.

Fred, Scorpius, Robert and a black boy that Albus didn’t know filed into the dormitory; all but Scorpius looking delighted.

Albus changed into his pajamas (his trunk and Ptolemy’s cage had been brought up) and tucked into the bed nearest the window. The other boys followed his example, although it couldn’t have been clearer that Scorpius was miserable.

“Goodnight, Fred,� called Albus, as he closed his eyes.

“’Night,� he called back.

The last thought that Albus had before he fell asleep was My dad might’ve slept in this bed.

When Albus woke up it took him a moment to realize that he wasn’t at home. He was at Hogwarts. In the Gryffindor Dormitory.

Joy surged through him and he threw off the bedclothes. Then the thought of lessons came to him and his happiness turned to nervousness.

What if he was no good? What if he waved his wand, said the words and nothing happened? Rose would never let him live it down.

He looked around the dormitory and saw that everyone else but Scorpius was still asleep, for just the smallest chink of light had entered the room through the curtained windows.

Scorpius was sitting miserably on his bed, still wearing his robes, which had been bought with a Slytherin logo already on them. Albus felt a little pity for him.

“Are you okay?� he asked softly.

Scorpius looked up, but didn’t respond. His pale face had tear tracks on it. It seemed to Albus like a lost cause.

Stomach quivering like gelatin, Albus changed into his robes, stroked Ptolemy (who was asleep in his cage with his head under his wing) and headed downstairs.

The common room was empty except for a half-dozen students who were studying early. One of them was Rose, who was curled up in an armchair with a stack of spellbooks half as tall as she was.

“Hey, Al,� she said brightly. “How’d you sleep?�

“Great,� he said, sitting down in the chair next to hers. “You?�

She looked at him as though he’d just suggested purchasing a basilisk for a pet. “I was up half the night studying for our lessons! Of course I didn’t sleep well�

Albus groaned, equal parts annoyed and amused. “You don’t want to be tired for today. Why couldn’t you have just rested up?�

“Because there’s a lot to learn,� said Rose, slamming shut a thick book on charms and picking up a book about magical creatures. “And I don’t want to be behind!�

This reminded Albus of the fact that he had not read any of his books yet. His stomach, which had so recently calmed down after the Sorting, was back to its old tricks.

“What time is it?� he asked her.

She checked her watch. “Seven-forty. Breakfast is at eight-thirty, sharp. If I don’t see Fred out of bed in the next twenty minutes I’m going up there.�

Chuckling, Albus picked up The Standard Book of Spells and flipped through it. He was disappointed to see very few hexes, jinxes or dueling spells. James had bragged about being in several duels last year. It must have been a lie.

A few minutes later, Molly, Dominique and Victoire came down from the girl’s dorm. After saying good morning to their cousins, Molly and Victoire went off to their respective groups of acquaintances. Dominique flopped down next to Albus and Rose, her movements far less graceful than those of her sister and mother.

“Still up, Rose?� she asked incredulously. “There’s such a thing as too much studying you know.�

Rose muttered something about first lessons and “doing well.� Albus and Dominique started talking about Quidditch.

The common room slowly filled up. A lot of people, like Rose, were hurriedly flipping through textbooks and testing out small spells.

James, Fred and a couple of Gryffindor boys soon joined them. “Do you have enough books there, Rose?� asked Fred, looking with raised eyebrows at the small tower of paper.

Everyone but Rose laughed. She didn’t lift her eyes from her schoolbooks.

Scorpius came skulking down a few minutes later. He was carrying no schoolbag and no books. He sat down on an out-of-the-way pouf and sulked.

“Malfoy looks happy,� said James. “Reckon he’s going to start crying?�

“Knock it off, James,� said Albus. “He doesn’t know anyone here.�

“Well, with the effort he’s making he should be everyone’s bosom buddy in a couple of hours,� said Fred sarcastically.

At eight-fifteen, people started filing out through the portrait hole for breakfast. Albus realized that he was hungry. The feast seemed as though it had taken place a couple of weeks ago.

“Come on, let’s go,� said James. “I hope the house-elves made sausage.�

Albus made a mental note to visit Kreacher and nick some snacks the next opportunity he got.

The Weasleys and Potters headed out. Rose became out-and-out panicky wondering what lessons they would have first and even the usually unflappable Fred and Dominique looked nervous.

James led the way through the huge castle, several times employing secret passageways or shortcuts. It couldn’t have been clearer that he was delighted to have knowledge that his cousins didn’t.

Albus was in awe of the great castle. He had heard so much about it, read books about it, seen pictures. But nothing quite prepared him for the shock of seeing it for real.

First of all, it was so big. Albus had never seen so many doors and so many staircases. The corridors all looked the same to him, except for the subtle differences in portraits and statues.

When they reached the Great Hall, most everyone was already eating (James had taken a faulty shortcut and wasted time). The golden platters were loaded with eggs, kippers, bacon, toast and, as James had hoped, sausage.

The Weasleys all sat down and Albus helped himself to some toast and orange juice. That seemed like the safest option given his stomach’s proclivities.

The staff was already eating too. Hagrid waved a great hand in Albus’s direction and he returned the favor.

Professor Tweak was heartily partaking of some fried eggs, while talking animatedly with Professor McGonagall, who looked less than impressed with the Headmaster’s full mouth.

Albus’s interest in the staff table was diverted when the mail came. He looked for Apollo, the Potters’ snowy owl, and saw him just as he dropped a letter in Robert Smithson’s oatmeal.

Apologizing, Albus took the letter, which was from his father, his mother and Lily. They were fine and they’d already been told by Professor McGonagall that he was a Gryffindor and they were very proud.

Feeling cheered, Albus finished his toast and listened to Rose list all the spells she’d attempted.

When the breakfast plates cleared, the Heads of House began wandering through the crowd, passing out class schedules. Albus felt Rose quiver with excitement as Professor McGonagall handed her hers.

“Very good class choices, Miss Weasley,� she said, handing Robert his schedule. “Stop doing that, Mr. Potter—there you go Mr. Bungs.�

James, who had been levitating a plate and bumping it up against Albus’s head, stopped, shamefaced.

“And yours, Mr. Potter,� said Professor McGonagall, passing Albus his schedule. “Take that gum out of your hair this instant, Mr. Lane.�

Albus anxiously perused his schedule. Today he had Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic and Herbology. He breathed a little easier when he saw Herbology. Neville was his friend; he’d help him if things went too badly.

Rose handed him her schedule without a word and he gave her his. She seemed to have more or less the same classes that he did, which was good. She, too, could help him out if need be.

“I’m glad they’re giving Care of Magical Creatures to first-years now,� said Rose. “They never used to, but Hagrid convinced Professor Tweak that it was a good idea.�

Albus gulped. There was so much to learn.

Charms was first and Fred, Dominique, Rose and Albus said goodbye to their cousins and trooped up to the third floor for class. Albus’s nervousness reached an all-time high.

They encountered a group of first-year Slytherins going the same way, so they assumed that they would be having Charms with them. This prospect didn’t embolden Albus.

Scorpius hung around on the fringes of the Slytherin group, as though pretending he was one of them. Albus wondered when he would ever come around to the truth.

Charms was held in a big, airy classroom. Each desk sat two students, side-by-side, and on each desk was a small cage with a pair of white mice in it. Albus and Rose sat at one desk, Fred and Dominique at another. Scorpius had to sit with Robert Smithson. Both leaned as far away from each other as possible.

Professor Artemis was sitting at her desk, today wearing robes of palest pink. Her extremely long wand was clutched between the first two fingers of her right hand.

“Hello, class,� she said when they were seated. “I’m Professor Artemis. Welcome to Charms. A charm is possibly the most commonplace kind of spell. It can be anything from a Levitating Charm to a Repairing Charm to a Disillusionment Charm.�

She rapped herself on the head with the tip of her wand and her body slowly disappeared, head first until there was nothing but her apparently levitating wand. Most of the class gasped.

With a flourish, she came back into being. “Charms,� she began again “are useable in almost any circumstance. They are one of the most important elements of a well-rounded magical education.�

Rose was scribbling down every word Professor Artemis had said, but it was all passing rather dully through Albus’s brain.

“We’re going to begin with the Coloring Charm,� she said. “You’ve been paired up, each with a mouse. You’re going to try to turn your white mouse black. The incantation is Coloro Nero. You may begin.�

Albus was alarmed. He hadn’t expected to have to do magic so soon, but everyone was pointing their wands at their mice and muttering Coloro Nero.�

Feeling exceptionally stupid, Albus followed suit. There was a flash from the end of his wand, but his mouse still sat there, as white as ever.

Beside him, Albus heard Rose murmur “Coloro Nero� under her breath. There was a flash and her mouse was as grey as though it had been dipped in soot.

“Very good, Miss Weasley,� said Professor Artemis. “Fifteen points to Gryffindor. Try again, everyone.�

It continued for another fifteen minutes. Rose managed to turn her mouse completely black, but no one else had progressed beyond the sooty stage. Scorpius was jabbing his wand at his mouse so fiercely that Albus was afraid he’d kill it.

His own mouse was a light steel gray, which was certainly better than Fred’s (which was blue) or Dominique’s (which was chocolate brown).

Professor Artemis began talking about the theory behind the Coloring Charm and Albus’s interest began to fade. Just as he almost felt like writing Rose a note there was a terrific explosion.

A blackish haze surrounded Robert and Scorpius and the sounds of terrified squeaking could be heard from within. Professor Artemis waved her wand and the haze cleared.

Scorpius’s face was singed and his hair—his sleek blond hair—was a perfect jet-black. The mouse was still white.

There was a roar of laughter from the class. Scorpius looked about ready to kill. The hand holding his wand was shaking.

“I’ll get that for you, Mr. Malfoy,� said Professor Artemis, sweeping forward.

She tried several charms on the hair, including the Scouring Charm, but nothing worked. The hair which had been so blonde that it was almost white was now pitch-black.

“I’ll get back to you on this, Mr. Malfoy,� said Professor Artemis. “Accidental Charms are sometimes difficult to rectify, but I’m sure we’ll think of something.�

Scorpius looked resolutely at the stone floor, not meeting anyone’s eye. He looked absurd with his new hair color.

For homework, Professor Artemis gave them a sheet of paper with various shapes on it and they were instructed to color the insides of the shapes using the Coloring Charm. Neatness and shade were factors in the final grade.

Albus left the class feeling a definite sense of anticlimax. It had been easy; he’d done well.

Rose, Fred and Dominique roundly abused their work as they walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Even though Rose had gotten twenty points for Gryffindor by performing the charm correctly, she still felt that the mouse had had a little white left on him.

Scorpius walked behind the other first-years, head down. He looked about as miserable as anyone Albus had ever seen.

They arrived in the DADA classroom fifteen minutes later. This class was shared with the Hufflepuffs, who were already seated and looking nervously around them.

The classroom had large Ministry posters tacked up on the walls. The posters had curses and jinxes written on them, as well as instructions.

Albus sat down with Fred, feeling nervous about this class. This one would be harder than Charms; everyone said so.

Professor Dawlish was not in the room. There was a slide projector at the far end. Albus wondered if this would be a practical or a theoretical first class.

After they had waited for about three minutes, Professor Dawlish entered. He was stocky and of medium height. His robes were of a conservative black. He grinned at his students.

“Hello, class,� he said, leaning against his desk in what he clearly took to be a rakish manner. “I’m Professor John Dawlish, your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I’m here to teach you little rascals about the Dark side of magic and how to combat it.

“A Dark wizard or creature can and will attempt to harm wizards, witches or—Albus detected a slight sneer— Muggles. That is the simplest definition of Dark Magic. Every competent witch or wizard should know how to identify and fight a dangerous creature or magic-user.�

Dawlish turned to the slide projector and pressed a button. A picture of a pale, black-robed vampire with blood dripping from its mouth appeared. “Can anyone tell me what this is?�

Nearly every hand went up, including Albus’s. Everyone knew what a vampire looked like, even Muggles.

“You,� Dawlish pointed to a chunky Hufflepuff boy.

“It’s a vampire.�

Dawlish laughed. “No, it’s a hinkypunk, my dear boy.�

He turned around to look at the projector and jumped in surprise. There were a few snickers, the loudest from Fred.

“Terribly sorry, got my slides mixed up, this is fifth-year stuff,� said Dawlish, fiddling with the projector in an attempt to change the slide.

He eventually got the correct slide in and the lesson continued. It was mainly a one-hour lecture about the various creatures and a brief discussion of gangs of Dark wizards.

Albus was bored. He knew a lot of the material from books and was able to get five points for Gryffindor by correctly identifying a Red Cap.

No one took out a wand the entire lesson. Albus finally stopped taking notes and started playing a game of tic-tac-toe with Fred instead.

“So that’s our first lesson!� said Dawlish brightly, as the bell rang. “For homework, I would like a two-page essay on the various ways of repelling minor creatures such as grindylows. Due next Friday!

Albus made a note of it and then headed after his cousins, glad to leave the corrosive boredom of Dawlish’s classroom.

“Blimey, the man doesn’t know what he’s talking about,� hissed Fred as they left. “Kept calling dugbogs bugdogs!�

“He doesn’t seem like a very good teacher,� said Rose. “Daddy says he only got the job because he’s friends with Headmaster Tweak.�

It was now lunchtime. Albus’s stomach had settled and he was ravenous.

They met up with James in the Great Hall. He was sporting a big welt on his cheek and gulping down sandwiches.

“Parkinson’s potion went wrong, shot up in the air like a geyser,� he said when they asked about the welt. “Burned me.�

Albus told him about their first two classes between bites of ham sandwich. James nodded throughout and laughed when Dominique told him about Scorpius’s failed charm.

“What a git!� he said. “Where is he? I want to see his new mop!�

But Scorpius wasn’t in the Great Hall. Albus thought that he might have gone to send his parents an owl after DADA class.

“What do you have next?� he asked Rose.

She checked her schedule. “History of Magic and Herbology.�

Albus groaned. “Who teaches History of Magic?�

“Belinda Belby,� said Molly, pointing discreetly up at the teacher’s table. “She’s an absolute hag. Don’t cross her.�

Albus followed her pointing finger and saw that Belinda Belby was the squat, large-nosed witch he’d seen last night. She was one of the most singularly unattractive people he’d ever seen.

As they ate, James talked endlessly about his intention to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The Potters and their cousins played Quidditch together a lot, so he had already gained some expertise.

Albus wished he was a second-year so he could try out for the team too. He usually played Chaser and was pretty good at it—though not as good as James was.

When lunch was over, the first-year Gryffindors trooped up to the second floor for History of Magic. The previous lessons hadn’t been too hard and Albus’s confidence was growing.

Scorpius appeared out of nowhere just before they entered the classroom. His face had new singes on it and Albus guessed that he had been trying to restore his hair to its original color. His efforts had been entirely futile.

History of Magic was held in the smallest classroom yet. It was stiflingly hot, with the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws squashed together in such a small space.

Professor Belby was already sitting at her desk, scrawling on a long sheet of parchment. When everyone was seated, she got up and made a predictable speech about how important History of Magic was and how much fun they would be having.

The warm, cramped room and Belby’s droning voice made Albus feel very tired. Rose (with whom he was again sharing a desk) had to poke him several times to keep him awake.

“Now we’re going to begin by discussing the very earliest history of the Wizarding World,� said Professor Belby, drawing dates on the chalkboard. “Who here can tell me—?�

Albus felt Rose raise her hand next to him, but he was too stupefied to care. He exchanged bored looks with Dominique, who was covertly trying to color her nails with the Coloring Charm.

The lesson dragged on. Albus made occasional notes, but for the most part he thought about all the homework he was going to have tonight.

Professor Belby had just gotten to the role of wizards in Ancient Rome when the bell mercifully rung. Everyone practically jumped out of their desks and ran for the door.

“Two-page essay on early uses of magic, due on Thursday!� she called at her class’s retreating forms.

“Finally!� gasped Fred when they were out in the deliciously cool corridor. “I thought the old bat would never stop talking about Egypt—�

“I thought it was a good lesson,� said Rose primly. “History is veryimportant.�

No one dared question her, but Albus and Fred shared a look behind her back.

Herbology was next and it was the last class of the day. Albus did not feel nervous about it. He’d found his Herbology textbooks mildly interesting and he knew Neville would help him.

Being out on the grounds was exciting; Albus couldn’t wait to visit Hagrid and see his hut on Friday. He’d been warned to be cautious about Hagrid’s cooking, though.

The first-years had Herbology in Greenhouse One, a big spacious greenhouse that was filled with plants and herbs of all sizes, colors and shapes.

Professor Neville Longbottom was potting some Dittany when the class began. He wiped his muddy fingers on his dark-brown clothes, grinned at the class and said:

“Hey, class. I’m Professor Longbottom and we’re going to learn about Herbology in the next seven years. I think it’s a really rewarding thing to learn about and I think we’ll all have a good time.�

He went on to talk about the various plants, making the relatively dull subject rather interesting. He then got the students started planting Belladonna in long rows.

The work was easy enough and there was enough activity so that Albus and Fred could have a quiet conversation about the previous lessons.

“Artemis seems to know what she’s doing, but Dawlish—� Fred whistled. “The man can’t tell his wand from a twig.�

“Well, Rose said he was friends with the Headmaster,� said Albus, patting soil down around his plant. “That’s probably why he got the job.�

“How you doing there, Fred, Al?� asked Neville, walking over. “First day all right?�

They answered in the affirmative and he went over to check in the progress of Scorpius and Dominique, who had been partnered together.

After the Belladonna was planted, Neville instructed them to read up on its properties and write a one-page paper on them, due next Tuesday.

The sun was setting as the first-year Gryffindors headed up to the castle for dinner. Albus didn’t know if he had ever been so tired and the thought of all the homework made him groan internally.

“Neville’s a pretty cool teacher, eh?� said Dominique as they entered the castle. “He knows his stuff.�

“Yeah, Herbology’s kind of neat,� said Fred, stretching. “I dunno why everyone gave us homework, though. The spell practice for Charms, the paper for Dawlish, the essay for History and the paper on Belladonna. How can we do all that?�

Rose was about to give a lecture on the importance of homework, but they had just entered the Great Hall and she was mercifully forced to abate.

Dinner was just as good as breakfast and lunch had been. Albus started in on a pork chop while Rose and James compared their days.

“I had Care of Magical Creatures, Potions and double Charms,� said James, filling his plate with chips. “Magical Creatures was all right. Hagrid’s got some Doxies, teaching us about those.�

On Albus’s other side, Dominique was teasing Victoire about Teddy, while Fred and Molly were arguing about how good a teacher Dawlish was.

Albus didn’t have the energy to get involved in any of it. He simply ate and watched everyone around him, feeling drained and spent from the day’s lessons.

When all the food was gone, Gryffindor House headed up to the Tower. Albus was so full that he felt as though he was waddling rather than walking.

Scorpius had not said a single word to anyone from Gryffindor since the Sorting and he had not broken this vow of silence during dinner. He had eaten little and when inside the portrait hole, he sat down in a chair and stared bleakly at the fire.

Rose threw herself down on a sofa and began getting out parchment, quills and books. Fred groaned.

“Come on, Rose, nothing’s due for ages!�

She shook her head in exasperation and said: “Ages? The Charms exercise is due on Wednesday!�

Fred protested further, but Albus, tired as he was, got out his sheet of paper and his wand.

It was tedious, difficult work. Great care and control had to be kept over the charm or it would color outside the shape.

They also had to switch between black, red, blue, pink and green. By the time Albus had completed the work, it was nine o’clock and he’d accidently colored his white trainer green.

“That’s done!� he said, throwing it aside at last. Rose had finished a quarter of an hour ago. Fred was asleep in an armchair. Dominique was still working on hers, tongue between her teeth.

James walked over from where he’d been talking about the Quidditch trials with a bunch of rowdy second-year boys. “Homework, Al?�

“Just finished,� said Albus. “You?�

“Some Potions paper,� he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’ll get to it tomorrow. Wanna play Gobstones?�

Albus agreed and woke up Fred, who was also up for it. Dominique joined in as well when she’d finished her work. Rose merely scribbled her Defense essay, occasionally looking up from it to issue dire warnings about Hogwarts drop-outs.

As Albus played Gobstones with his brother and cousins, he felt relieved. He’d been so worried about his first day, so worried that he’d mess up. And he hadn’t. He was alright. He’d survived.

Just seven years of surviving to go.

The first two weeks went by in a kind of magical haze for Albus. There was something new around every corner, every hour brought something exciting, every closed door held wonders. He had never had such a good time in his life.

The lessons weren’t getting any easier, but he found that he was actually quite good, especially in Charms, where he mastered the Sneezing Spell in fifteen minutes, a feat which earned him twenty points for Gryffindor.

Care of Magical Creatures was a bit of a let-down. Knowing Hagrid, Albus had expected manticores or trolls at the very least. Instead, they were studying the physiology of the Crup, which was not particularly interesting.

Defense Against the Dark Arts continued to be a bit of a joke. Dawlish seemed mystified by his own magic and in one especially memorable class had set fire to a desk while trying to demonstrate a Freezing Charm.

Getting to class was fraught with peril; Peeves the Poltergeist was just as bad as he had been described by Albus’s parents and Vladimir, the caretaker, was notoriously quick to dole out detentions for backfiring charms or loitering students.

Albus saw rather less of James than he had expected; as they had no classes together he only saw him at meals and in the evenings and he was then usually hanging out with his Quidditch team (he had, of course, made Seeker).

Of Scorpius, he saw too much. His hair was still jet-black like Albus’s despite Professor Artemis’s best efforts. The charm had clearly been badly worded and the fatal loophole had yet to be discovered.

Scorpius spent most of his time moping around the common room. Rose had once taken pity on him and invited him to a game of Gobstones, but he wouldn’t respond and she gave him up as a lost cause.

There was just so much to see around Hogwarts! The ghosts, the feasts, the walking suits of armor. Albus felt that he’d never get used to seeing so much casual magic.

But he was getting used to it. The huge castle, at first so alien and strange, already felt like a home. He sometimes wondered if he was in a dream and would wake up soon.

One glance at his pile of homework and these musings would usually disappear with alacrity.

“So when’s your next Quidditch practice?� Albus asked James at breakfast one day in mid-September. The sky above them was grey and rainy, mirroring the glum weather outside.

“Tonight,� said James with a groan. “I think it’s going to be so rainy we won’t even be able to fly.�

“Maybe it’ll be cancelled,� suggested Albus, helping himself to kippers. This was unlikely; the Captain of the team was Jessica Hurley, who was not the sort to let a little rain ruin her practice.

James snorted. “Maybe. What’s on the agenda for classes?�

Rose leaned over. “We’ve got Defense and Charms before lunch and double Potions afterwards.

“Ugh,� said Dominique, who was seated next to Rose. “I hate Potions.�

The Potions Master, Alfred Grimpen was not the sort of teacher that Dominique liked. He tended to sit back and let his class do their work, occasionally grading papers while a class was going on.

“Oh, Grimpen’s not a bad bloke,� said James. “He gave me an E once.�

No one seemed very impressed. James’s schoolwork was quite a way behind his Quidditch skills.

When breakfast was done, the first-years trooped upstairs for Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Hufflepuffs.

“Hope he doesn’t try to teach us dueling today,� said Fred. “He hinted he might and I don’t fancy going to the hospital with boils on my eyelids.�

“He really isn’t a very good teacher, is he?� asked Rose, looking around nervously as though the man himself might be hiding behind a pillar.

“Nope,� said Albus as they turned a corner. Vladimir was seated on a folding chair reading a thick book next to a large pile of what looked like animal dung.

“Nice to see that he’s keeping up on his reading,� snickered Fred when they were out of earshot.

Dawlish wasn’t in the room when the class entered. Noisy bangs were issuing from underneath the door of his office. Rose and Albus exchanged looks of gloomy anticipation.

The door opened and Dawlish entered carrying an armful of spongy mats. “Hello class,� he said, his voice muffled by the high pile of mats. “Please form a line at the front of the room.�

Whispering, the class did so. Dawlish threw the pile of mats on the ground and pointed his wand at the desks and chairs.

They all flew into a heap at the back of the classroom, several of them breaking off legs or backs in the rush.

“Damn,� said Dawlish under his breath. Aloud, he said: “Please pick partners. Each set take a mat and spread it out.

Fred and Albus took a mat and smoothed it out on the stone floor in the empty space where the desks had been. Everyone else did the same. Scorpius was left without a partner.

“Now today we’re going to be practicing the most basic dueling spell there is. It’s quite complex for your ages, though, so don’t expect results immediately. It’s called the Knockback Jinx. It does exactly what it says it does. It will knock your opponent on his back.�

Dawlish elaborated for another half-hour on properly performing the jinx and its incantation. Albus tapped his wand against his leg, impatient to begin.

Finally Dawlish said: “The incantation is Flipendo. Miss Weasley and Miss Weasley, why don’t you start us off?�

Rose and Dominique looked at each other nervously. Both raised their wands.

“Flipendo!� said Rose. Nothing happened.

Dominique tried as well, but again there were no results.

Dawlish went through the pairs, but nothing happened. No one was able to master the spell, which, Albus was beginning to suspect, was too advanced.

“I will show you all how its done with Mr. Malfoy,� said Dawlish exasperatedly. “Watch what I do closely.�

“Flipendo!� he yelled, pointing his wand at Scorpius.

Instead of being knocked on his back, Scorpius flew across the room and into the pile of desks and chairs with a sickening crash. Everyone winced.

Dawlish ran across the room and extricated Scorpius from the wreckage. Aside from a small cut on his forehead he appeared more dazed than harmed.

“Dreadfully sorry, Mr. Malfoy,� spluttered Dawlish, wiping the trickle of blood with the hem of his robe. “Slight miscalculation there; I’m a little toogood, I suppose.�

“I’m okay,� said Scorpius, his expression dazed.

The lesson ended ten minutes after without a single student, including Rose, performing the Knockback Jinx. Albus bemoaned the four-page essay on the Jinx, which he had never even performed.

Fred thought that Scorpius hitting the pile of desks was the funniest thing he’d ever seen. “That old git,� he said, wiping tears of suppressed laughter from his eyes. “Can’t even do a first-year spell properly!�

Rose was very put out by her inability to perform the Jinx. “I mean I understood the theory,� she said as they hurried to Charms, “but I just pointed my wand and nothing happened.�

Scorpius stalked behind the main knot of Gryffindors, his face downturned. Albus could just see the glistening of blood on his head.

“Do you think he’s all right?� whispered Dominique.

“Who cares?� said Fred, who looked positively jolly. “The little prig needed it. You know I haven’t heard him say a single word to anyone outside of class.�

Charms was, in Albus’s opinion, a bit of a bore. Professor Artemis had given each student a cup of water and they were instructed to use the Boiling Charm (which had been discussed, but not taught) to make it boil.

Albus had his water boiling within ten minutes, a feat that only Rose and two or three other students had managed. Fred’s sole achievement was to make his water come up in a mini-wave that soaked him and Dominique, who was sitting with him.

After Charms was lunch. Everyone from first-year was talking about the disastrous Defense lesson and Rose had gotten out a spellbook and was trying to figure out why she had failed.

James laughed loudly when the story was told and he, like Fred, thought that both Dawlish and Scorpius had gotten what they deserved.

After a full meal of roasted chicken, Albus and the other first-years headed down to the dungeons for Potions. Albus had done fairly well in the class so far and wasn’t too worried about today.

Professor Grimpen was calmly writing at his desk when the class entered. A portly, mellow-faced man, he looked up when the door banged open and gave his class a half-wave.

“Hello children,� he said. “Please take your seats.�

The Ravenclaws were already there, several of them clandestinely putting ingredients into their cauldrons.

Albus, Rose, Dominique and Fred all sat at a table together. When everyone was seated, Professor Grimpen gave a short speech on the Wart-Eliminating Elixir, which was what the class would be making.

The instructions didn’t look too difficult. Albus set to chopping his Gurdyroots and adding Fwooper claws to the bubbling mixture.

For about an hour everyone was very busy. Rose’s potion was the ideal deep blue, while Albus’s stubbornly remained purple, but he thought it was a pretty fair effort, despite his accidental omission of Doxie venom.

When his potion was more or less complete, Albus looked around the dungeon to see how the others were faring. Most of the potions were pink or purple with very few blues. Fred’s was the color and consistency of butterbeer.

Just as Albus was turning his attention back to his own potion, there was a tremendous bang.

The contents of a Ravenclaw’s potion (which looked quite a lot like tar) had somehow sprayed into the air, drenching Scorpius. He screamed as dozens of enormous warts erupted all over his face and arms.

Grimpen jumped to his feet and waved his wand. The spilled potion disappeared, though the ugly warts (which were a nasty carrot color) remained. Scorpius was whimpering.

“I’ll take you to the hospital wing, lad,� said Grimpen. “Ten points from Ravenclaw, Miss Fawcett! What were you thinking? Never stick your wand in a potion unless the instructions say so. Class dismissed.�

He bustled out with Scorpius and the class began bottling samples of their elixirs, all talking about what had happened.

“How much can happen to one person?� asked Fred incredulously. “First he gets his hair colored black. Then he gets thrown into a pile of desks. Now this.�

Scorpius re-appeared at dinner, boil-free and scowling. Albus couldn’t blame him; he’d had a hard day.

Fred filled James in between mouthfuls of roast beef. James thought it was the greatest joke he’d ever heard and laughed so loudly that he sprayed a third-year Hufflepuff with food.

“Unbelievable,� he said. “Of course that’ll look like nothing when the entire Quidditch team gets hit by lightning in practice tonight.�

An icy stare from Jessica Hurley made James suddenly very interested in his chips.

The very thought of the homework he had made Albus want to curl up and go to sleep. But the essay on the Knockback Jinx was due in two days and he needed it to be over with.

Albus started in on his essay while James and Fred played a very loud game of wizard’s chess, which incited gambling from onlookers. The noise and the crowd made it very difficult to concentrate.

Robert, the curly-haired boy, was also working on his essay, as, of course, was Rose. Almost everyone else was otherwise occupied.

Albus wrote a sentence and realized that it was utter nonsense. The next thing he knew he was in the dark and the common room was empty.

He was laying with his face in his essay; he had ink all over his cheeks and in his hair. He swore and looked at his watch. It read 1:22.

He’d fallen asleep and ruined his essay. Growling, Albus threw the ruined parchment in the still-smoldering fire.

Albus was so tired that he contemplated falling asleep again (he was comfortably lying at full length on a sofa), but decided to get up to the dormitory. He would worry about his essay in the morning.

Just as he got off the couch he heard a noise on the boys’ staircase. He looked up in surprise.

Scorpius, fully dressed and wearing a backpack, was tiptoeing down the staircase, wand in one hand. Albus thought that he could see tear tracks on his face in the dim firelight.

“What are you doing?� whispered Albus when Scorpius reached the bottom.

Scorpius jumped and pointed his wand at Albus. “I’m leaving,� he hissed. “I hate this place. Don’t try to stop me.�

He ran to the portrait-hole and flung it open before Albus could move. It slammed shut behind him.

Albus followed, not really sure what he was planning to do. He opened the portrait-hole and climbed out into the dark corridor.

“Scorpius?�

He saw a flash of movement down the corridor. Scorpius was creeping along.

Albus gave up. He wasn’t going to get detention just because Scorpius Malfoy had decided to run off. He turned to the portrait.

The Fat Lady was gone, probably visiting her friend Violet. Albus was trapped.

Albus swore under his breath and chased after Scorpius, hoping that his trainer-clad feet were fairly quiet on the stone.

He turned a corner and just saw the edge of Scorpius’s cloak whip around a suit of armor.

“Scorpius,� he hissed.

There was no response.

Should he follow him, shake some sense into him? Probably. Albus was sure that the punishment for running away was severe and he had to feel sorry for Scorpius, despite his status as an enemy.

Albus rounded the next corridor and crept down the next flight of stairs, which was surely where Scorpius had gone, since he was presumably heading to the main entrance hall.

It was a very stupid plan in Albus’s opinion. There were sure to be defensive spells, locked doors and probably Vladimir between Scorpius and his goal.

Despite his annoyance, Albus felt a little jolt of excitement. It was very strange lurking around the castle at night, but it felt somehow right. He was finally at Hogwarts having adventures.

Hogwarts, which seemed enormous during the day, was even larger in the dark. It was only Albus’s good sense of direction that kept him going, since all the staircases and corridors looked more or less the same to him.

Scorpius had gotten a head start and was not in sight; luckily, neither was anyone else. Twice, Albus thought he heard a teacher moving around, but he didn’t see anyone. The only living thing he saw was a far-off ghost (which hardly counted as a living thing, anyway).

After about fifteen minutes, Albus found his way to the main entrance hall, which seemed absolutely cavernous in the dark. Scorpius was standing at the huge doors, apparently stumped by a lock or spell.

“Scorpius!� whispered Albus, running over. Scorpius pointed his wand at Albus’s face.

“You’ve gotta see sense; you’ll never get away. Let’s just get back to the common room before we get caught!�

“No,� snarled Scorpius. “I hate it here! I won’t stay!�

Albus heard a sound coming from the first floor and turned his head toward it. Probably nothing, but someone would come soon. He had to act fast.

“Alohomora!�

Albus turned around and was buffeted in the face by the heavy wooden doors, which were silently swinging inward. He fell to the hard stone and Scorpius bolted.

Someone was coming. Albus could hear footsteps. He jumped up and dashed out into the night, after Scorpius.

His first sensation was that of cold. He was wearing his school uniform, but it wasn’t made to protect him from mid-September Scotland.

He could just see the dim figure of Scorpius racing across the grounds. What could he be thinking? He couldn’t Apparate or magically leave the school at all.

Albus tripped on a stone step and realized that he was halfway to the Forbidden Forest already. Voices were coming from the castle, but they were subdued. It was possible that they hadn’t been discovered.

He chased after Scorpius, hoping Hagrid would see them and help them back into the dormitory. This seemed unlikely, for Hagrid’s hut was quite a way from where they were.

“Scorpius!�

Scorpius had just plunged into the first line of trees and was lost from sight, hidden by their thick branches.

Going into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night was a stupid thing to do, but if Scorpius kept blundering around in there he would get himself killed.

Albus took a deep breath and followed him into the Forest.

It was pitch-black. Albus could barely see his own hands. He remembered a spell that his father occasionally used.

“Lumos,� he whispered.

To his delight, a pencil-thin beam of light emanated from the end of his wand, illuminating the dark forest like a Muggle flashlight.

He could now see the bottoms of the huge trees and a few ferns, but no sign of Scorpius.

Albus reluctantly moved forward, shining his light and hoping to see a small dark-robed figure.

He didn’t think he’d ever been more frightened in his life, but he couldn’t help thinking of what a story he’d have to tell Fred and Rose and Dominique when he made it back. If he made it back.

After about ten minutes of searching, Albus had not found Scorpius and wasn’t entirely sure where he himself was. He started to think of all the things that lived in the Forbidden Forest.

His hand began to shake a little and his wand fell to the ground. The light went out.

Albus scrabbled on the ground in a panic, scratching his knuckles against tree roots and digging frantically in the dirt. He felt great relief when his fingers clutched a piece of wood that he thought was his wand.

“You’ve come.�

The voice was so unexpected that Albus almost screamed out loud. He lay on the ground, praying that the cover of darkness hid him.

“Of course. I got your owl. Everything well, I trust?�

Both voices were male and Albus thought he might have recognized the second speaker, but he couldn’t tell from where.

He carefully lifted his head an infinitesimal amount and dimly saw the outlines of two cloaked men standing just a few yards away. A large tree root hid him from their view.

The first man snorted. “Loki’s got everyone in order, but he wants a report about your—mission.�

“I’m working on it, okay? I’m keeping tabs on our little friend and I’m working as hard as I can on the object. It’s difficult, though. Loki better be prepared to wait.�

“Oh, he is,� said the first man. His voice was rough and low. “He wants this to go perfectly and he will wait years if he has to.�

The second man chuckled a little. “I said it was hard, not impossible. The protective spells—well, in any case, it’ll be done in a few months.�

“See that it is,� said the first speaker shortly. “If there’s nothing further to report?�

“No, there isn’t.�

“Goodnight then,� said the rough-voiced man. Albus heard two pairs of feet, neither moving in his direction. Eventually he could hear nothing but his own quiet breathing.

He did not know how long he lay there, terrified that one of the men might return. He played the conversation over and over in his head, but he was tired and frightened and didn’t get any real significance out of it.

Just as he felt he might be recovered enough to stand, he heard a thin cry. It sounded like Scorpius.

Albus jumped up and ran towards the sound of the cry, praying that Scorpius was not in the hands of one of the men he had heard earlier.

He was not. Albus came upon a deep ditch just a couple hundred yards from where he had been hidden. At the bottom was Scorpius, who had, evidently, fallen into it.

“It’s me,� hissed Albus, wishing that Scorpius would keep his voice down. “Are you hurt?�

“There was something in the forest, something big,� Scorpius said, panicked. “It—it swatted at me and I ran and it was huge and I fell—�

“Are you hurt?�

“No,� said Scorpius. “But I can’t get out.�

Albus got down on his stomach and reached his hands as far down into the ditch as far as he could. Scorpius grabbed his hands and started to climb up the sheer dirt wall.

It was a painstaking process and Albus dropped Scorpius several times. Finally, he climbed over the lip of the ditch and the two boys flopped down on the forest floor, exhausted.

“Hagrid said he set some traps for the Bugbears,� said Albus, panting. “That must have been one of them.�

“I don’t want to go back,� Scorpius whispered randomly. “I hate it here. I wrote to my dad, but he said I couldn’t come home and I thought if I went through the Forest I could find a town or something—�

“Scorpius,� said Albus, struggling to keep his voice level. “You have to go back. You’ll get killed if you blunder off into the Forest like this, not to mention those who might try to rescue you! Let’s just get back to the common room—�

“I don’t have any friends,� whispered Scorpius, apparently oblivious to Albus. “Everyone laughs at me. Everyone hates me.�

This was desperate. “Look, I can be your friend if you just come back to the common room with me right now,� said Albus. “Come on.�

He got up and Scorpius followed suit without another word, something Albus was sincerely thankful for.

“Do you know which way to go?� asked Scorpius, baffled by the dark. Albus reignited his wand-tip and the beam of light lit up Scorpius’s tear-streaked face. Albus pointed in a northerly direction. “That way, I think.�

It took a surprisingly brief walk to find the edge of the forest again. Albus saw no sign of either the mystery men or the creature that Scorpius had described.

They crept up to the castle under the dim moon. Hagrid’s hut was dark. That was a good sign. Hopefully, no one had noticed the open door.

Apparently no one had, for they found the huge double doors exactly as they had left them. Albus debated trying to reclose them magically, but thought that the noise might wake someone up.

The two boys snuck through the maze of hallways and staircases. It took a long time to reach the common room because Albus was too tired to remember the circuitous route he had taken on the way out.

Albus didn’t think he’d ever seen anything as beautiful as the Fat Lady sitting in her portrait, gently snoozing.

“Merlin,� said Albus.

The portrait swung open without its occupant waking up and Albus walked into the wonderfully warm common room.

The two boys went up the staircase without saying anything. Albus was just too tired.

A soft, warm bed was just what Albus needed. He sleepily changed into his pajamas (putting his muddy clothes in the hamper) and slid under the covers. Scorpius did the same.

Just as he fell asleep, Albus wondered who had been meeting in the Forest and why? Who was the “little friend?� What was the second man—the one who sounded a little familiar—building?

He would think about it in the morning.

Albus told his cousins and brother about the previous night’s adventure over breakfast in the Great Hall. The reaction was even better than he’d expected.

“Darn it, Al, you go off on a big exciting adventure without me!� yelled James when Albus first broke the news.

Dominique and Fred were suitably impressed, but Rose’s gaze was withering. “Why didn’t you get a teacher?� she asked. “You could have explained what happened.�

“I didn’t want to get him in trouble and I wasn’t too keen on detention either,� said Albus, a little nettled. In the sober light of day, what he’d done looked pretty stupid.

But the real attention-grabber was the mysterious conversation, which Albus repeated as best he could, though he knew he was leaving a few things out.

“Definitely dodgy,� said Fred. “Reckon you should go to Tweak about it?�

They all looked up at the high table simultaneously. Tweak was laughing very loudly at a comment from Dawlish, tears running down his face. He looked the very picture of incompetency.

“Yeah, we’ll call him if we need advice on hairstyles,� said Fred. “Otherwise—�

When Albus had concluded his tale, everyone started theorizing at once about the identities of the mysterious men.

“Maybe they were seventh-years,� suggested Dominique.

Albus shook his head. “No. They were adults. I’ve never heard the name ‘Loki’ before.�

“Sounds like a codename or something,� said James. “Maybe they’re Aurors.�

Albus conceded that this was the most likely explanation, but something about it seemed too neat. He wasn’t sure that Aurors met in forests in the middle of the night.

“Maybe I’ll write to Dad and ask him,� said Albus.

James groaned. “Oh, don’t bother him with that, Al. I’m telling you, it’s nothing!�

Albus didn’t argue with that point. Writing to his father would seem a little immature anyway.

The day was a long one. Albus was so tired from the night before that he nearly fell asleep in Herbology and got ten points deducted from Gryffindor when he accidentally colored Professor Artemis’s hair blue.

To Albus’s surprise, the night’s escapade seemed to have improved Scorpius’s mood. He actually asked Rose to pass the potatoes in a reasonably polite fashion.

The weeks wore on and September slowly turned into October, the arrival of which was heralded by Hagrid beginning to grow his traditionally enormous pumpkins for the Halloween feast. Albus suspected he got a little help from his pink umbrella.

Lessons were getting harder and harder. Dawlish had finally dropped the Knockback Jinx after three entirely unsuccessful lessons and he was now teaching the class about combating Erklings and Pogerebins.

Potions had turned into Albus’s most difficult class. His Swelling Solution was deemed “abysmal� by the usually soft-spoken Professor Grimpen and he had to write a five-page paper on exactly where he went wrong.

Though Potions was the hardest class, Transfiguration was a close second. It was taught by Professor McGonagall, a witch so old that she had taught Albus’s parents.

So far, Albus had made a match into a needle, but only after two lessons of hard work. Otherwise, he was one of the worst students in the class (he was, however, better than Fred, who had not transfigured anything yet).

Charms was a little better. Professor Artemis was focusing on flame-creating spells and Albus got an E for making a small fire in under two minutes.

No one liked Care of Magical Creatures much. Hagrid was now tediously instructing them about Kneazles and most of the lessons consisted of stroking the assorted creatures and scooping litter boxes.

“What’s he playing at?� asked Fred irritably after a particularly dull lesson. “I was expecting monsters, not fluffy little kitties!�

“I’d rather take care of a cat than a manticore or something,� said Dominique, who had a soft spot for felines.

Despite the boring lessons, Hagrid had dropped several hints about things “gettin’ more interestin’,� which gave Albus the unpleasant feeling that something a little more poisonous than Kneazles would soon make an appearance.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team was doing exceptionally well so far. They had defeated Hufflepuff in a spectacular three-hour match that ended 650-395. James had actually fallen off his broom and had caught the Snitch in midair (a Beater and a Chaser caught him before he hit the ground).

“I was just plummeting down,� said James later, addressing a small crowd of fervent admirers in the common room. “I was flailing and my fingers just brushed the Snitch. I sort of—lurched around and caught it by the left wing.�

Dominique rolled her eyes. “He’s never going to let us forget this.�

Albus had never expressly referenced what happened in the Forbidden Forest to Scorpius; Scorpius remained silent on the subject as well. They made up for it by being civil to each other.

Indeed, Scorpius’s attitude had improved quite a lot in the past month. He actually talked to his fellow Gryffindors on occasion and his schoolwork also got better, although James refused to acknowledge any change in his behavior at all.

“Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy,� he said darkly when Rose mentioned the improvements.

One chilly morning in mid-October, Albus checked his schedule at the breakfast table and groaned. Transfiguration, History of Magic and double Defense. This wasn’t shaping up to be a good day.

“Look on the bright side,� said Rose through a mouthful of oatmeal. “You’ll get all the worst classes over with in one fell swoop.�

Albus snorted. This was small comfort.

When breakfast was over, the first-years headed upstairs to Transfiguration. Albus found himself wishing that he’d done his homework last night rather than playing Exploding Snap with James and Dominique.

Professor McGonagall was seated at her desk when they entered. Once everyone was seated, she said:

“Today we’ll be trying something a little more advanced than needles and quills. We will, instead, be attempting to transfigure a gold finch into a robin. Living things are much more difficult to magically influence than inanimate objects, so I don’t expect perfect results immediately. Please proceed.�

Albus opened up his book, but the spell was extremely complex. The gold finch he was supposed to be transfiguring tweeted.

He heard Rose mutter the incantation (which was Avifors). There was a pop as her finch was transfigured.

“Very good try, Miss Weasley,� said Professor McGonagall. “But you can still see some yellow feathers here—�

“Avifors!� whispered Albus, pointing his wand at the gold finch. There was a flash of red light, but no change in the bird.

The lesson passed quickly and uneventfully (if you didn’t count Sandra McMillan turning her arms into wings). Only a select few managed to perform the spell at all. Albus, Dominique, Fred and Scorpius were not among them.

Next was History of Magic with Professor Belby, who watched like a hawk for covert napping or note-writing, which forced everyone to pay attention to the Dark Uprising of 1813.

Albus was bored. He was sitting with Rose, who was taking copious notes, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to write down any of the incredibly dull things that Professor Belby was saying (although he did take note of her small mustache, which reminded him strongly of Great-Aunt Marge).

He exchanged looks of boredom with Fred, who looked as though he was being repeatedly hit over the head with a Beater’s bat.

Albus hastily drew a rough cartoon of a mustachioed Professor Belby on a spare piece of parchment. “Wingardium Leviosa,� whispered Albus. The paper floated under the desk, past a second desk and into Fred’s waiting hand.

He unfolded the paper and—

“Mr. Weasley,� snapped Professor Belby. “I’d like to see that.�

Fred had no choice. He walked up to the desk and handed her the parchment. Albus’s heart leapt. He was in trouble.

Professor Belby examined the paper without batting an eye, something that impressed Albus.

“Did you draw this or did some one give it to you?� asked Professor Belby, her voice soft and dangerous.

Fred never missed a beat. “I drew it. I was going to give it to my cousin.�

He gestured generically at the assembled students.

“Detention tonight, I think, and every night this week,� said Belby. Albus would have sworn that she was smiling a little. “Come to my office at eight o’clock. You may return to your seat.�

Fred sat down again. Albus mouthed “thank you� to him.

The horrible lesson went on and the class descended again into a bored stupor.

“Uh, thanks—,� said Albus to Fred when the bell finally rang. “Detention every night for a week—�

“Don’t mention it,� said Fred. His tone was amiable, but Albus was sure that the thought of all the detentions was weighing on him. Albus couldn’t help but feel guilty.

At lunch they all roundly abused Professor Belby to make Fred feel better and several more comments were made on the admirable size and bushiness of her mustache.

The prospect of double Defense was a dreary one, especially with all the homework that Professors McGonagall and Belby had given them, but all the first-year Gryffindors trooped up after lunch, many of them speculating over what Dawlish would teach them today.

As usual, he was not present when they got to class, but there were no noises emanating from his office—a good sign.

A few minutes later, Dawlish came out of his office with a big grin on his face. “Hello, class. We’re going to be taking a little field trip today. If you’ll follow me.�

He promptly walked out the door. After a moment of hesitation everyone got up with much scraping of chairs and followed him out into the corridor, where he was waiting.

“Right this way,� he said.

He turned a corner and walked into an empty classroom. The chairs and desks had been neatly piled in the back of the room.

Dawlish closed the door. “Professor McGon—I mean, I, have cleared this room for practicing the Leg-Locker Curse, which is a very nifty and very simple dueling spell.�

For once, everyone was attentive, something that did not happen very often in Dawlish’s classroom.

“The incantation is Locomotor Mortis,� said Dawlish, flourishing his wand. Everyone flinched, but apparently he had not been trying to perform the spell.

After a few more moments of instruction, they paired up, everyone doing it as fast as they could, so as to avoid being partnered with Dawlish. Scorpius looked terrified, so Albus took pity on him and gestured him over.

“Thanks,� said Scorpius, looking at his shoes. “Didn’t want to get thrown against the wall again.�

“Wouldn’t be too keen on it myself,� said Albus.

“On the count of three, everyone perform the spell!� shouted Dawlish. “One. Two. Three!�

The cry of “Locomotor Mortis!� was deafening. There was a great whoosh and streaks of light exploded like fireworks.

A curse hit Albus in the chest. One of his legs went totally limp and he fell to the ground.

He wasn’t the only one. Almost everyone was on the ground. So many curses had been cast that nearly everybody had been hit.

Dawlish was flapping like a fish on the floor; his wand out of reach. Someone reached over and tossed it to him.

“Finite,� he said, pointing it at his locked-together legs. “Well, um, let’s all try to undo the curse as best we can. I’ll help anyone who needs it.�

There was a great deal of crawling and flopping as everyone attempted to free themselves with the unfamiliar spell that Dawlish had performed. The curse that had struck Albus had not been properly cast and the effects wore off in just a few seconds.

It took nearly half an hour to get everyone mobile again and several Hufflepuffs who had fallen in a heap had to be sent to the hospital wing for bruises.

When everyone was standing again, Dawlish decided they should practice the curse one pair at a time. People seemed to be doing well; even Fred performed it on his second try.

Albus and Scorpius got their turn after a couple of burly Hufflepuff girls. Albus was pretty sure that he had done it the first time anyway.

“Locomotor Mortis!� they shouted in unison.

Both curses hit their targets. Albus felt his legs snap together and he tottered, almost losing his balance.

Scorpius started to fall over but Rose caught his shoulder and steadied him.

“Very nice, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy,� said Dawlish, removing the curses with two flicks of his wand. “Ten points to Gryffindor.�

When the lesson was over, Albus had performed the curse three times with relative ease and was one of the few students not given homework, which was a relief.

“Stupid git,� said Fred as they headed to the Great Hall for dinner. “Having us all cast the curse at the same time? I was pinned under that big Hufflepuff bloke and nearly suffocated!�

“He’s really quite terrible,� said Rose. She looked thoughtful. “I suppose he probably got the job because he’s friends with the Headmaster.�

“Well, it’s certainly not due to natural teaching ability,� said Fred crossly.

Albus ate his dinner as fast as he could and got to Gryffindor Tower before most of the others. He’d been letting his homework slide and his Potions paper was due tomorrow.

He was glad when Rose joined him (she could usually be counted upon for hints and help), but she didn’t offer her services. Instead, she stared at the fire as though thinking very hard.

Murtlap essence wrote Albus, but he couldn’t think of anything to say about it. He sorted through his books for something that might help him.

The common room was emptying fast tonight. Fred had gone for his detention a while ago and Dominique had gone to bed early complaining of a headache. James was still awake and talking about the Wimbourne Wasps with a bunch of fourth-years.

Rose shut the book she had been thumbing through with a snap. Albus looked up.

“I have an idea,� she said. “You know how Dawlish is a bad teacher?�

Albus smiled. “Yeah, I was in class today.�

Rose’s face was serious. “Well, you know what our parents did when they weren’t learning anything in Defense. They took matters into their own hands.�

Albus’s jaw dropped. “The DA? You think we should—start again?�

“Why not?� asked Rose. “We could check out books in the library for spells and stuff and we could even use the Room of Requirement! I asked Kreacher about it last year and he said it was still working!�

It should have sounded silly, but Albus had heard the stories, seen the enchanted coins. Was it their turn now?

“I dunno, Rose,� he said cautiously, trying to rein in his own excitement. “This would be big.�

“But Dawlish is terrible, Al! I’m sure we could learn a lot on our own and it feels—right. Like we’d be carrying on the tradition!� Rose’s face was alight.

“Hey, James!� Albus called.

His brother came over and sat down beside Rose. “What is it?�

“I think we should start the DA again,� said Rose. “Dawlish isn’t good at all; we’re not learning as much as we could. What do you think?�

James grinned. “It’s great, Rose! Let’s check out the Room of Requirement, see what it can do for us!�

“What—now?� asked Albus, looking at his watch. It was 8:57. “We’d get caught!�

James’s smile widened. “Not if we were invisible.�

For a moment Albus didn’t understand his brother. Then it came to him in a flash of memory.

“You’ve got the Cloak?�

“Yeah,� said James. “Dad gave it to me last year when I started.�

Despite his delight at this turn of events, Albus felt a twinge of jealousy. Why had it gone to James and not to him?

Rose’s face was ecstatic. “Let’s do it!�

The three of them went up to the boy’s dormitory making the loud pretense of “getting a book.� None of the people in the common room paid any attention.

James ran into his dormitory and came out with a silvery cloak in his hands. Albus had seen it several times and had even worn it once or twice, but this was the first time he would be using it.

The cloak fit over the three of them reasonably well and they snuck downstairs again unnoticed. Albus felt a strange thrill when no one saw them creep to the portrait hole and slip out.

The corridor was deserted and dark; they crept down it as stealthily as they could, invisible to any eyes.

“Ow!� hissed James. “My foot, Al!�

“Sorry,� breathed Albus, trying to keep his voice as quiet as possible.

James knew where the Room was, so he led the way. Climbing up stairs was a particular challenge and Albus almost fell over the rail a couple of times.

They passed Vladimir several times and Albus was afraid that the sound of their feet (which were thankfully in stockings) would alert him, but he never looked in their direction.

It took nearly half an hour to reach the seventh floor and almost as long to find the right corridor. Rose was the one who eventually found it, having examined maps of Hogwarts before.

“That’s it, the trolls doing ballet!� whispered Rose as they walked past a colorful tapestry.

Albus’s heart thumped as he saw it. He’d heard so much about this miraculous room and now he was here.

They walked past the wall three times, all concentrating as hard as they could on their goal.

Show us a place to learn, thought Albus. Show us where our parents learned.

On the third circuit, they stopped and turned towards the blank stretch of wall.

There was a quiet whoosh and an ornately carved black door appeared where a moment before there had been nothing but stone.

Albus heard Rose’s squeak of excitement. They all tripped over one another in their effort to get the door, the Cloak getting hopelessly tangled around them.

James turned the knob and the door opened silently. They walked in as reverently as if they were entering a church.

It was a big, long room, airy despite the lack of windows. One entire wall was covered in bookshelves which held thick volumes on curses, jinxes and spells.

A number of thick, multicolored cushions were neatly stacked in one corner and on a shelf was a row of strange objects, including a Sneakoscope, a Secrecy Sensor and a CommuniCrystal, among others.

There was a desk with parchment and quills at the very end of the room and a small cot, though Albus couldn’t imagine what this was for. A shelf over the desk had a small cauldron and basic potion-making supplies on it.

But what dominated the room was a series of gilded plaques that appeared to be made of solid gold. They were affixed to the wall and some even to the ceiling. Each one had a picture and a name on it.

“Look, there’s Dad!� said Rose, pointing at a plaque with the name RON WEASLEY on it. Uncle Ron’s freckled, fifteen-year old face beamed at them.

“There’s our mum and dad,� said James, pointing excitedly to a pair of plaques that said HARRY POTTER and GINNY WEASLEY on them. “Blimey, they were young.�

“This is perfect,� said Rose, running over to the bookshelf and pulling out an enormous book called “How to Turn Your Enemies into 423 Slimy, Disgusting and Insignificant Things!�

“Yeah,� said Albus, looking around at the many familiar faces on the walls and ceiling. He was pleased to see that Zacharias Smith’s name had a line drawn through it and that his picture looked sour and displeased.

James threw himself onto the pile of cushions. “This is great!� he said. Something caught his eye and he jumped up. “And a CommuniCrystal! Only a few people have these!�

Albus examined the cot and found a few basic medical supplies in a cloth pocket hanging from it. He supposed that this was in case anyone got hurt during lessons.

He saw something odd on an out-of-the-way wall and hurried over.

Affixed to the smooth stone in a perfect row were three plaques. One read ALBUS POTTER, the next ROSE WEASLEY and the last, JAMES POTTER. His own face—as well as Rose’s and James’s grinned up at him.

“Guys, come over here!� said Albus.

Rose and James came over, each holding a book. They gasped in unison when they saw themselves.

“We’re really a part of this, aren’t we?� said Rose, touching the plaque with her name and face on it.

“Yeah,� said Albus. “We are.�

And all three of them felt the past in every cranny of this room. But they were not the past.

They were the future.

Fred, Dominique and Molly were apprised of the reformation of the DA in the common room that morning. All were surprised, but enthusiastic.

“I thought that the room was destroyed by the Fiendfyre,� said Molly. “How can it still be working?�

Albus shrugged. “I guess it’s tough. It doesn’t seem damaged at all.�

Fred was still weary from his detention, which had consisted of sifting through files for an obscure reference to Nicolas Flamel. His hands were stained with ink from his labors.

They made plans to hold their first meeting that very night. Albus figured it should be simple with the help of the Invisibility Cloak.

All that day Albus thought about what they should try and learn. He could tell Rose was thinking about it too. At lunch she pulled a thick book of defensive spells out of her bag.

“I think we should perfect the Leg-Locker Curse first,� she said crisply, flipping through the stained pages. “After that, maybe the Bat-Bogey Hex. Molly knows a little about that one; she can help us—�

Albus nodded along, but didn’t really listen. He was excited about tonight and he wanted it to go well, but Rose could probably be depended upon to plan the lessons.

“What about other members?� she asked suddenly. “Do you think we should invite more people?�

This was an interesting thought. “Well,� said Albus, “we’ve got you, me, James, Fred, Dom and Molly. So that’s six. Victoire doesn’t want to join.�

“We could invite Robert and Brian from your year,� said Rose, her face flushed with anticipation. “And maybe Rita and Penny from mine—�

“Why don’t we meet tonight, just the six of us, and see how that goes?�Albus asked. He wasn’t crazy about getting other people involved so soon.

Rose dropped the subject, but still looked dangerously thoughtful.

The day went by in a haze. Albus did very poorly in Transfiguration (his rat resolutely refused to become a mouse) and not much better in Charms, due to his preoccupation. He was too excited by the night’s meeting to concentrate.

They made their plan that evening in the common room. James, Fred and Albus went up to “bed� around nine and then snuck back down under the Invisibility Cloak. Dominique was waiting by the portrait hole to open it for them.

Tonight’s journey was easier than the previous one. Albus had gotten a bit more used to walking around under the cloak and he knew exactly what route to use.

They passed Vladimir twice and Headmaster Tweak once. Tweak looked as though he was sneaking down to the kitchen for a late snack, for he was in a dressing gown.

Despite these close calls, they were not caught and arrived safely at the stretch of blank wall. They walked past it three times. Albus thought Show us the room from last night as hard as he could.

Fred gasped when the door appeared and was even more surprised by the interior, which had not been described to him.

There’s my mum and dad!� he said, pointing at two plaques, both on the ceiling. “And—blimey, our whole family!�

Albus checked the current wall and was not surprised to see Fred’s plaque hanging next to his own.

James went back for the girls and Albus lay down on one of the big cushions with a comfortingly slim book of hexes and jinxes. Fred was still walking around the room in amazement.

Just as Albus had learned the incantation for the Nose-Swelling Charm, James reappeared with Rose, Dominique and Molly. The latter two were just as struck by the room as Fred was and squealed with delight when they saw their plaques hanging on the wall.

When everyone was fully acquainted with the room, Rose said: “I thought that we should perfect the Leg-Locker Curse first, since Dawlish didn’t do a very good job of teaching it to us. Any objections?�

Everyone shook his head and Rose (with occasional comments from Molly) launched into a speech about the theory behind the curse and some tips for performing it more effectively.

Only great affection for Rose kept Albus from yawning at some particularly dull intervals. He thought that everyone else was probably feeling the same.

“Alright, let’s do this!� said Rose. “How about Fred and Albus go first?�

There was no argument and cushions were arranged behind each of them in case they fell. Albus pointed his wand at Fred and his cousin did likewise.

“Locomotor Mortis!� they both shouted.

Albus’s curse missed Fred and hit James, who was standing behind him. Fred’s curse was off by several feet. It rebounded off a plaque with the stricken name MARIETTA EDGECOMBE on it and hit Rose, who fell onto Dominique.

Everyone just started laughing. James wriggled around on the floor trying to get his wand out of his back pocket and Dominique was being flattened by Rose.

When everything was back in order and the curses removed, Dominique and James mad their attempt. Both were more careful about their aim than Fred and Albus had been, but that didn’t stop James’s curse from knocking a row of books out of the bookshelf.

After several rounds, everyone improved to the point of accurately and correctly performing the curse two out of three times.

“Oh my God!� said Dominique, pointing at a small clock sitting on a shelf. “It’s 1:30!�

It seemed as though they’d just arrived, but they didn’t think it would be a good idea to stay any later. James took the first party (consisting of Dominique and Fred) back to the common room, leaving Albus, Rose and Molly alone.

Rose happily flipped through spellbooks and shared ideas for future meetings with Molly, who suggested that they learn the Full Body-Bind soon.

Albus just lay on a cushion and looked at the plaques. SEAMUS FINNIGAN, one read. Another, CHO CHANG.

They were part of something bigger than themselves. It wasn’t just about learning spells and jinxes; it was about being always ready to fight evil.

The conversation in the Forest popped into Albus’s mind, as it had many times since he had heard it. He and his family had discussed it several times, but could get no particular significance out of it. Albus sometimes wondered if he had imagined it.

James returned and they all got back to the common room without incident, though four under the Cloak was a very tight squeeze and Albus’s left arm was exposed the entire time.

November arrived and the weather outside became colder and colder; there was now a real need for the fire in the common room.

The New DA had met four times over the past few weeks, which was all they could manage and still deal with the huge amount of homework they were given.

They had mastered the Knockback Jinx after two lessons of hard work and much consultation of the library on the part of Rose. Everyone was ecstatic when Albus finally knocked Fred into a huge pile of cushions.

The next project was the Full-Body Bind, which was taking even more time than the Knockback Jinx had. Rose managed to perform it once and Dominique was trapped in that state for nearly an hour while they looked for the counter-curse.

Their real schoolwork was keeping them so busy that Albus had had no time to even think about the recruitment of new members. There was always a spell to perform, an essay to write, a wizard to cross-reference.

“Who cares about Emeric the Evil?� Fred would groan. “Old berk’s dead anyway; what does it matter who killed him?�

Potions and Transfiguration were the worst for Albus. Professor McGonagall had given him a D on an essay he had written on Animagi and he had had to make the Vanishing Potion three times to perfect it, earning him an icy stare from Professor Grimpen.

Care of Magical Creatures was duller than ever. They had spent the last few lessons learning minutely about Chizpurfles and Plimpies, but Hagrid kept slyly insinuating that there was something more interesting coming.

So it was with mild interest that the first-year Gryffindors headed down to Hagrid’s hut on a chilly, mid-November morning.

“I bet he’s got a cockatrice or something,� said Dominique.

“As long as it’s something I can see, I’ll be satisfied,� said Fred, who particularly disliked the Chizpurfle-centric lessons.

Albus was surprised to see Hagrid standing outside his hut when they arrived. He was wearing his moleskin overcoat and carrying a crossbow, his face lit up with pleasure.

The first-year Hufflepuffs had already arrived and were looking rather nervously at Hagrid’s large crossbow.

“Hello, class,� called out Hagrid. “We’re goin’ into the Forest fer this lesson! A special lesson!�

Everyone looked at each other, thunderstruck. Fred was the only person who looked pleased, probably figuring that the Chizpurfles were done with.

“Aren’t there monsters in the Forest?� asked a timid Hufflepuff girl.

Hagrid waved his hand. “Nothin’ that’ll hurt ya when you’re with me. Now, come on!�

He turned and strode into the Forest. His class followed, most of them whispering and nervous.

Scorpius, in particular, looked apprehensive and Albus knew he was thinking about the creature that had attacked him the night he had tried to run away.

They went on in a straight line for about a quarter of a mile. They were walking on a sort of animal trail, so the going wasn’t too difficult, although the lack of light made it hard to see.

To Albus’s surprise, Scorpius was walking alongside Hagrid and talking to him in a familiar fashion. Maybe Albus and his family weren’t the only visitors Hagrid got in his hut.

A noise shocked Albus out of his reverie. Rose, who was standing next to him, jumped.

It sounded familiar to Albus, but he couldn’t quite place it. Whatever it was, it was loud and growly, coming their way fast.

Hagrid laughed. “Nothin’ ter worry ‘bout. Let’s keep movin’.�

Just as they started heading down the track again, a shape shot out of the darkness and landed just ahead of Hagrid on the beaten-down track.

Albus gasped when he saw what it was and so did Rose. Then they both started to laugh.

It was a car, an indescribably filthy old wreck of a Ford Anglia.

The original color had been turquoise, but it was now almost completely brown with rust, the last few bits of paint peeling and scarred.

All the doors but one had been ripped off the hinges and the only remaining door (the driver’s door) had been so smashed and battered that it was barely still attached.

The seats had been reduced to shreds, most of the upholstery gone. The roof had an enormous hole in it and there was no dashboard at all.

“It’s all righ’!� said Hagrid to his class. “It won’t hurt anybody! Just needs a tire change!�

Albus saw that one of the tires was indeed deflated and limp.

“I’ll fix it later!� said Hagrid, as though the car could understand him. He continued up the track, pushing past the old wreck.

The engine revved once and the car sped off the track (lopsidedly due to the deflated tire) and into the depths of the dark forest.

Fred and Dominique were laughing and Rose was saying “Oh my God� over and over under her breath.

Albus pushed to the front of the procession and said: “Hagrid! Was that the car?�

“Yeah,� said Hagrid. “It minds its own business, comes ter me fer a tire change now and again. Bin livin’ here fer more’n twenty years.�

They walked on, Albus’s mind still reeling. He couldn’t wait to tell James and write to his father.

“How come you were talking to Scorpius?� asked Albus after a moment’s silence.

“He’s not a bad sort,� said Hagrid. He sounded a little embarrassed. “Not much like ‘is folks. Came to tea once or twice.�

“Oh,� said Albus.

As he processed this new and interesting piece of information, they turned a corner and came upon a very odd sight.

In a clearing, there stood two enormous trees and under each was a huge furry pile, snow-white in color. The piles were both gently breathing.

“Nobody make quick moves,� whispered Hagrid. He withdrew a box of matches from his pocket and lit one with some difficulty due to the size of his fingers.

The snick of the flame coming into being seemed unnaturally loud in the still clearing.

At the sound, both furry piles leaped up and Albus saw that they were each chained to their tree.

The largest one began screaming and they all covered their ears as the second joined in. Hagrid blew out the match and the monsters stopped immediately. They seemed terrified of the tiny flame.

Albus recognized them from one of his books: they were yetis.

Both were about ten feet tall, the larger could have been eleven. Their bodies were bulky and troll-like, their limbs the size and width of trees.

The fur was spotlessly white, which clashed a little with the dark greens and browns of the forest around them and the faces were ape-like, the eyes red, the mouths huge, with double rows of razor-sharp teeth.

A couple of Hufflepuffs whimpered; Fred said “Wow�; Scorpius gulped.

“These here are yetis,� said Hagrid, his voice as bursting with pride as if introducing his children. “The male is Yowl an’ the female is Yoop. Professor Tweak had ‘em imported special from Tibet.�

Yoop, realizing that there were highly edible humans standing just a few yards from her, roared and strained at the stout chain, sweeping her giant arms like windmills.

“They’re still a little feisty,� said Hagrid. His tone suggested that he was describing kittens. “But they on’y eat cows and pigs.�

A chubby Gryffindor screamed when enough yeti saliva to fill a bucket soaked the front of her robes, propelled by Yoop’s frantic roaring.

“Why don’t ya all start takin’ notes on ther behavior?� said Hagrid. “I’ve got a cow carcass stashed a little ways in, I’ll be righ’ back.�

He tramped off into the Forest, leaving the group of first-years alone with the snarling beasts.

Yowl was now straining at his chain and scrabbling at the ground in his frantic effort to get to the humans. Dirt flew every which way.

“Was it one of these that attacked you?� Albus asked Scorpius.

Scorpius nodded, his face as white as the yetis’ fur. “I think so. If it was, I’m really lucky.�

Albus agreed. Even if they were eating “cows and pigs� he was sure that they would prefer humans.

“Are you sure they can’t get away?� asked Dominique, eyeing the chains.

“No,� said Fred. “But at least we don’t have to look at these under a microscope.�

Rose was getting out parchment. “I can’t believe this,� she said. “When will he be back?�

As if in answer to her question, Yowl and Yoop ceased their efforts to escape and lifted their noses to the air. For a second they stood there and then they turned around and started trying to get at something on the opposite end of the clearing.

“What do you think’s going on?� asked Fred. “Are they going after Hagrid?�

“They must smell another human,� said Rose. “Who would be out here in the F—�

She and Albus exchanged glances. The men.

The yetis stopped their new attack as abruptly as they’d begun it. Whatever or whoever they had smelled had moved away.

A few people were taking notes, but most were clustered as close to the track as they could be.

Hagrid returned in a few minutes, half a dead cow slung over his shoulder. A few people grimaced at the smell.

Yoop and Yowl paid careful attention to the carcass, watching it like a Seeker would watch a Snitch.

And then Hagrid threw the dead cow into the clearing; it landed just between the trees.

The yetis attacked it, hitting at each other and roaring ferociously. Yowl was larger and stronger, but Yoop was faster.

The noise of the two creatures fighting was deafening. After nearly a full minute, Yowl snatched the carcass and ran with it to the far end of his chain, where Yoop could not reach it.

The female yeti moaned piteously.

“Will she get to eat?� asked Dominique. Albus was disgusted to hear a trace of pity in her voice.

“Sure,� said Hagrid. “I bring ‘em carcasses three times a day and ol’ Yoop gets ‘em half th’ time.�

Yowl began ripping apart the cow with his monstrous hands and stuffing various chunks into his greedy mouth.

Rose grimaced and took a note. Albus rummaged in his schoolbag and found a spare piece of parchment and a quill.

The class stood and watched the yetis for almost an hour. Hagrid occasionally dropped facts about yetis for them to jot down—confirming, for instance, Albus’s theory that they were deathly afraid of fire—, but for the most part he simply beamed at the huge creatures.

Albus eventually got bored and stopped taking notes. His legs were sore from standing for so long, even though he was leaned up against a tree.

Finally, Hagrid said: “Well, I guess we better be headin’ back ter the school. You all got yer notes?�

Everyone nodded eagerly.

“Good,� said Hagrid. “Now, we’ll be studyin’ Yowl an’ Yoop fer the rest o’ the year. Not many yetis in captivity and not many wizards get t’ study ‘em!�

Albus tried to look enthusiastic, stifling the impulse to groan.

The class picked their way through the Forest. There was a universal look of boredom mixed with fear on their faces.

Albus made a point to walk next to Hagrid. “Hey, Hagrid,� he said after a few minutes. “Has anything strange been going on in the Forest lately?�

Hagrid said: “Now that I think o’ it, thar has been a coupla odd things. Why?�

“No real reason,� said Albus quickly. “A friend heard a rumor that there’s people living in the Forest.�

Hagrid chuckled. “Nothin’ like tha’, Al. Just a few dead beasts turnin’ up. Looked like summat had been eatin’ ‘em. An’ then the centaurs are sorta riled ‘bout summat; they left th’ Forest a couple weeks ago. Said they’d be back at the end o’ th’ year.�

“What has them so upset?� asked Albus.

Hagrid snorted. “Bloody centaurs. Wouldn’t say, o’ course. Probably a wild werewolf, maybe a mountain troll. They weren’t too happy ‘bout Yowl an’ Yoop either.�

As Albus pondered this new information, the class continued through the Forest. A few people were chatting about the yetis, but most were simply trying not to fall on their faces.

The day was overcast and rainy when they finally got out of the Forest, which put even more of a damper on Albus’s spirits. The thought of the Transfiguration class that would be held after lunch didn’t help either.

After they said goodbye to Hagrid, Albus looked over his shoulder at the big dark Forest. Something—or someone—was lurking there. And he intended to find out who it was.

Albus’s family wasn’t nearly as interested in Hagrid’s information about the goings-on in the Forest as he was.

“So what?� said James, thumbing through a book on Quidditch. “It’s just the stupid yetis scaring the centaurs away. Nothing to worry about.�

“But what about the eaten animals?� said Albus again. “That wasn’t the yetis.�

Fred groaned. “Come on, Al. You were scared out of your wits. You don’t even remember the entire conversation.�

Albus gave up. Even Rose seemed doubtful that there was any connection between the mysterious men and the disturbances in the Forest.

The most Albus could do was look up the name “Loki� in some old lists that he found in the library. The last wizard with that name was a Dark warlock in the 1300s, which was rather unhelpful.

The whole school was buzzing about the yetis, for Hagrid was using this rare opportunity to teach all seven years about the creatures.

“I heard Peter Macmillan nearly lost an eye,� said Dominique. “Why would they let him teach with such dangerous creatures?�

“It’s Tweak,� said James. “I’ve heard he’s soft. Why else would Dawlish still be teaching?�

Every week they trudged out into the Forest to observe Yoop and Yowl, who never did anything new. Hagrid was still thrilled and was giving them unusually long essays on the behavior of the creatures.

November slipped closer and closer to December. It was now snowing at least once every three or four days and standing in the Forest for Care of Magical Creatures was a very chilly proposition.

With homework, classes and the occasional snowball fight, the New DA was put on hold. Rose and Molly were still working on lesson plans but there was simply no time to act on them.

The castle had begun its yearly tradition of decorating itself for Christmas. False snow was ankle-high in some hallways and the female professors began wearing wreaths around their hats; Professor McGonagall’s tight face dared anyone to comment on hers.

It was in the first week of December that the issue of the DA was again broached. The Potters and Weasleys were in the middle of a game of Exploding Snap one evening when Rose said:

“I really think we ought to have another DA meeting. It’s been ages and I think that we should work on the Full-Body Bind and the Tickling Charm. How about tonight?�

The common room was already emptying, for it was nearly ten-thirty.

“I dunno,� said Fred. “I’m pretty tired, Rose. How about tomorrow?�

“Let’s do it tonight,� said Albus. A plan had hatched in his mind. “Tomorrow’s Saturday, we can sleep in.�

The rest of them reluctantly agreed (except for Molly, who was already in bed) and they continued the game of Exploding Snap until no one else was left in the common room but a dozing sixth year.

Since only four could hide under the Invisibility Cloak (and this was stretching it), James took Dominique and Fred first, leaving Rose and Albus alone in the common room.

Rose was rifling through a spellbook, muttering to herself. Albus contented himself by levitating the deck of Exploding Snap cards. He was getting better at this.

James returned in ten minutes or so and the three of them set off for the Room of Requirement. The false snow revealed their footprints, but they didn’t encounter any teachers.

Dominique and Fred were waiting in the room. Fred’s eyes were half-closed and he was slumped against the wall.

“Let’s try the Tickling Charm first,� said Rose. She pointed her wand at Fred and said “Rictusempra!�

Fred started laughing uproariously. He fell on a pile of cushions, writhing and scrabbling at his stomach. His laughs were frenzied and rather humorless.

Rose removed the Charm and he lay there, panting and sweating.

“You awake now?� she asked.

Fred gasped “Yeah. Wow, that’s a pretty intense spell.�

“It’s quite difficult, too,� said Rose. “So we have to learn a little of the theory behind it before—�

A general groan went up, but Rose continued with her explanation of the Charm, which was, mercifully, brief.

By the end of an hour, all had performed the Tickling Charm to Rose’s satisfaction, though Fred’s charm caused scratching rather than true tickling, something that his cousins found out the hard way.

“Let’s call it a night,� said James. He was barely able to keep his eyes open.

“Good idea,� said Fred, who, if anything, looked even more tired.

James, Fred and Rose set out under the Invisibilty Cloak. Once they were gone, Albus said to Dominique:

“I want to try something. Come out in the corridor.�

Dominique moaned. “Come on, Al. I don’t want to get caught—�

He pulled her through the door, which disappeared as soon as they left it.

“How are we getting back in?� hissed Dominique.

Albus didn’t respond. He walked past the blank wall three times, thinking I want to find out who they are as insistently as he could.

“Al?�

A door appeared where only a blank wall had been before, a plain wooden door.

“Come on!� said Albus.

He opened the door, walked into the room and nearly ran right into the far wall.

The room was about the size of a broom closet. Albus and Dominique couldn’t even fit in it together. The walls were dark and the only ornament was a small mirror hanging on the far wall.

“That’s a Foe-Glass!� whispered Dominique from the hallway.

It was. Albus could just see shadowy figures standing in the dark depths of the mirror; he caught a glimpse of blonde hair—

“Albus! Someone’s coming!�

He ran from the tiny room, closing the door behind him. It disappeared the instant the lock clicked.

Footsteps could be heard. It was too soon to expect James. Who was it?

Albus wondered fleetingly if they should run, but before he could communicate this to Dominique, a man with a lantern came around the corner.

“Out of bed!� snarled Vladimir, his thin face furious. “First-years!�

He grabbed Albus’s arm. “You’re Potter, correct?�

“Yes,� said Albus, jerking away from Vladimir’s grasp.

“And you’re Weasley!� said Vladimir, holding his lantern up to Dominique’s face. “What are you two doing out of bed?�

“I—well, we left our schoolbags in the Transfiguration classroom,� squeaked Dominique. “We were just getting them back.�

It wasn’t the best lie Albus had ever heard and Vladimir seemed of the same opinion. “Come on,� he growled. “I’ll be informing Professor McGonagall of this and I’m sure that you’ll both get detention.�

Vladimir marched them up to Gryffindor Tower, a pock-marked hand on each of their shoulders. He spent most of the short journey muttering about the severity of their eventual detentions.

Albus was glad when they finally reached the Fat Lady’s portrait. Vladimir watched them enter the common-room with his arms folded and it gave Albus a little satisfaction to slam the portrait shut on him.

Fred and Rose were waiting in their dressing-gowns. The common-room was empty.

“What’s going on? Where’s James?� asked Rose sharply.

They related the story of their being caught in as few words as possible. Though Fred seemed mildly impressed, Rose gave both the miscreants a cold stare.

“Why didn’t you just stay in the Room?� she asked, rather unkindly, in Albus’s opinion.

“I wanted to find out who the men in the Forest were,� said Albus. It seemed like a pretty stupid idea now.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake,� said Rose, exasperated. “Would you just drop that?�

James had already left to collect them and it was a good half-hour longer before he burst through the portrait hole, his expression a mixture of fear, annoyance and fatigue.

“Where the hell have you been? I was all over the school!� he shouted when he saw Albus and Dominique sitting in the common room.

So the story had to be told again and, since James himself had had several adventures (including a close call with Vladimir) that needed to be related, it was past 12:30 before anyone went to bed.

They all slept in the next morning, but Albus awoke feeling almost as tired as he had been the night before.

Professor McGonagall came down to the Gryffindor Table during breakfast and upbraided Albus and Dominique rather loudly. By the time she had finished her tirade, most of the school was listening.

She took fifty points from each, told them that she would write to their parents and that they were to report for detention that night and every other for a week.

This struck Albus as rather extreme and Dominique was out-and-out furious.

When the mail came, Albus was surprised to find a note for him, carried by one of the school owls. It succinctly read:

Albus,

Hagrid

This cheered Albus a little and he gave Hagrid (who was watching him from the staff table) a thumbs-up.

Most of the day was spent wading through the enormous amount of homework they had been assigned, much of it from Professor McGonagall, who was not popular in the Gryffindor common room that day.

At three, Albus extricated himself from a tedious History of Magic essay and stretched. Most of his cousins were sitting around the common room working, as was Scorpius. James had Quidditch practice.

“Anybody going to Hagrid’s with me?� he asked.

“I’ll come,� said Dominique, throwing down her Potions book and grabbing her coat. “I feel like I haven’t been outside in ages.�

“Rose? Fred?� Albus said, getting out of his armchair.

“Can’t,� said Rose. Her quill was scratching madly on her parchment. “Too much to do. I’ve got to get Wednesday’s Defense paper done, not to mention Grimpen’s chart.�

“Count me in,� said Fred. He carefully placed his work on a footstool. “I’ll go stir-crazy if I sit here any longer.�

“Can I come with you?�

Everyone’s head turned. The speaker was Scorpius, whose pale face was turned towards Albus.

“Er, sure,� said Albus awkwardly. Scorpius had been polite to him lately, but had never asked to be included in any activities before.

The foursome headed out of the portrait-hole and most of the common room watched in surprise as Scorpius left with Albus and his cousins.

There was a very uncomfortable silence as they made their way through the castle. After a few moments, Dominique began a conversation about Quidditch, which Albus and Fred quickly joined. Scorpius made a few guarded comments, but was mostly silent.

It was chilly outside and the snow was ankle-deep. Albus was glad that he had a fur-lined cloak for the winter.

Hagrid’s hut looked like a fat, frosted cupcake with its light layer of snow. Smoke blew out of the chimney in lazy puffs.

Albus knocked heavily on the door with a frigid hand. It was opened almost immediately; Hagrid had seen them coming.

“Hey there, Al, Dom, Fred, oh an’ Scorpius!� said Hagrid. “Come in, come in!�

The hut’s interior was deliciously warm after the weather outside. A large cauldron full of soup was bubbling over the fire and some suspiciously lumpy cakes were baking on a rack.

Hagrid’s Kneazle, Claws, ran to meet the visitors and purred incessantly while winding herself around their legs.

Albus, Scorpius, Dominique and Fred sat around Hagrid’s huge table while he prepared the tea. The edge of the table was just level with their chins.

“Is that you?� Scorpius asked Albus, pointing to a shelf of framed photographs.

Albus nodded. Hagrid had photos of all the Potters and all the Weasleys, which made the shelf rather crowded. The people in the pictures were all jockeying for the most visible spot in the frame.

Hagrid very delicately poured four cups of tea and passed them around, careful not to break the human-sized china. His cup held easily a gallon.

“How are the yetis, Hagrid?� asked Dominique.

“Oh, they’re doin’ great!� said Hagrid enthusiastically—Fred made a mock face of disappointment behind his back—. “Eatin’ like somethin’ else, but thar aren’t very many of ‘em in captivity. Real difficult fer the Headmaster to get just these two.�

“I don’t know why more people don’t have them as pets,� said Fred.

The conversation turned to the latest Gryffindor-Ravenclaw Quidditch match. Gryffindor had won by a very narrow margin and the Ravenclaws had been extremely put out for a couple of weeks.

Hagrid eventually served the cakes, which were the shape and consistency of large stones. Albus nibbled at his as best he could and dunked it in his tea to soften it.

Snow swirled around the windows, but it was toasty inside the cabin. The rather pleasing smell of the stew and the warmth from the fire made Albus feel drowsy.

Hagrid was in the middle of a yeti-related story when Albus noticed a large, leather-bound book sitting on Hagrid’s enormous bed. As far as he knew, Hagrid didn’t read for pleasure and the book was human-sized.

“What book is that, Hagrid?� asked Albus when the story was completed. He pointed at the thick volume on the bed.

“Oh, that,� said Hagrid. “Found it in th’ Forest this mornin’. Just sittin’ on a stump. I guess some student musta left it thar when they were studyin’ th’ yetis.�

Albus got up and walked over to the book. The cover had a picture of a merry-looking and very old wizard on it. The title was The Life and Legacy of Nicolas Flamel.

Something clicked in Albus’s head. What if this was a clue? What if the book hadn’t been left by some student? What if one of the men had had it and misplaced it?

He let the book fall open in his hands. Its spine was cracked in a certain place, as though this particular chapter had been perused several times.

Chapter Sixteen, Albus read.

As Flamel’s notoriety grew, so did the fanciful legends and stories surrounding him. Despite the fact that Flamel was merely a brilliant wizard, many fringe organizations contested that he had powers and knowledge far beyond average. These rumors continued until his death in 1992.

The so-called “Questers� insist to this day that a document known as the—

Albus turned the page eagerly, but the next two had been ripped entirely out of the book and the remaining pages were merely about Flamel’s wife’s sister.

“What is it, Al?� asked Fred.

“It’s a biography of Nicolas Flamel,� said Albus, turning it over in his hands.

“The bloke that Belby made me look up?� said Fred. “The one that made the Sorcerer’s Stone?�

“Yeah,� said Albus.

He couldn’t see what connection there was between this book and the conversation he had overheard, but something felt wrong. Would a student buy an expensive biography and then rip two pages out of it?

“Well, I’ll ask around, see who’s book it is,� said Hagrid, who was stirring the stew.

Albus sat back down again and perused the rest of the book. There wasn’t anything particularly enlightening, no more pages ripped out. It had been published last year and was written by a woman named Agatha Arkansan.

They left the cabin around five o’clock, telling Hagrid that they were looking forward to studying the yetis on Monday (which was a blatant lie).

It was snowing out and Albus amused himself on the walk up to the castle by trying to make snowballs with magic. He was entirely unsuccessful.

Rose looked both smug and warm as they entered the common room shivering and stamping their feet. She was reclining on a couch with a thick book on Transfiguration.

“I hope you’ll all take my advice on your homework,� she said, pointing to a pile of parchment covered with her cramped, spiky handwriting. “I finished mine early and then made some helpful suggestions for you three.�

Albus half-laughed and half-groaned. He settled himself into an armchair and picked up Rose’s study guide.

Fred and Dominique did likewise and Scorpius went off by himself as usual, though Albus thought he looked rather more cheerful than he typically did.

After Albus made a few of Rose’s suggested changes, he said, in what he hoped was a would-be-casual voice: “Hey Rose, do you know much about Nicolas Flamel?�

“Not much. Why?� she asked suspiciously. She had clearly detected something in his tone.

“Hagrid found a Flamel biography in the Forest and I was looking at it,� said Albus, pretending to make a note.

“Are you on this again?� Fred asked. “You don’t think that those blokes—�

“It was nothing, Al,� said Rose, exasperated. “There’s no connection. The last time you were making these little investigations, you got detention and so did Dominique.�

Something dawned on Albus. “You’re right!� he said. “But remember what the Room showed me? A Foe-Glass! These people are our enemies!�

“You don’t know that!� said Dominique. “Maybe the Room reacted the way you wanted it to!�

Albus sighed. He was outnumbered, but undeterred.

The Christmas vacations were coming and he would discuss this with his father.

The Christmas holidays crept closer and seasonal excitement was at such a high at Hogwarts that some teachers even cut back on the work, which was, to most, a relief; Rose was one of the few not pleased.

Albus and his cousins were all going home for Christmas; they had signed up as soon as Professor McGonagall had mentioned it. Albus was looking forward to seeing his parents and Lily again after so many weeks away…..and he loved Christmas at the Burrow with his grandparents.

Hagrid was possibly the only teacher who had not adapted to the lively spirit of his students. The first-years were now studying the mating rituals of yetis, made all the more difficult by Yoop and Yowl’s intense dislike of each other.

Scorpius was, to Albus’s surprise, staying for Christmas. He didn’t seem to be homesick at all, as he had been when the term began.

They held two more DA meetings before the Christmas holidays, though both were short and rather uneventful (the Full Body-Bind was proving extremely tricky, even with Rose’s help).

At the last meeting they had agreed that they would begin asking other students to join the DA. Albus wasn’t sure this was the right thing to do, but Rose overruled him.

“The whole point of the DA, Al,� she said, “is to train ourselves to be ready for anything and to learn Defense Against The Dark Arts properly. If it’s just us, we may as well not do it.�

Albus dropped the subject, though he was still unsure. The DA was private and bringing more students into the fold would spoil that.

Three days before the Christmas holidays began, Albus received a letter from his father at breakfast.

Dear Albus, it read.

I hope you’re still having a good time at school. We can’t wait to see you and James. We’ll be at Platform 9¾ to pick you up on December 23rd!

Love, Dad

Albus’s anticipation grew. He hadn’t seen his family for a very long time, it seemed, and Christmas was his favorite time of year—though he was not partial to the sweaters that his grandmother gave him every year.

The Weasleys were also eager to get home, especially Rose, who wrote to her little brother Hugo as often as she could. The two of them were particularly close.

When the great day arrived, Albus packed up a large knapsack of clothes and various odds and ends (including the presents that he had ordered for his mother, father and sister) and headed down to the common room.

Rose was sitting on her favorite couch with a similar knapsack, her feet tapping with impatience. She was the only one of Albus’s cousins in the common room.

“Are you going to the Burrow on Christmas Day?� she asked Albus.

“I think so,� he said. “By the way…..what do you want for Christmas, I haven’t gotten you anything yet?� (This was a lie. He’d ordered her a large spellbook several weeks ago).

She waved her hand dismissively. “I don’t need anything special. Maybe a scarf or something.�

“Alright, a scarf,� said Albus, feeling rather pleased that he had already bought her such a good present.

Scorpius was sitting in a large armchair, scribbling away on a piece of parchment. Albus wondered again why he was staying behind. He had met Draco and Astoria Malfoy several times before and they seemed fairly agreeable.

James came running down the stairs. Unsurprisingly, he’d packed nothing.

“Hey,� he said, flopping down next to Rose. “When’s the train leave?�

Albus looked at his watch. “Ten-thirty,� he said. “It’s seven-thirty now.�

“Great,� said James. “I can’t wait to be home. For a few days, at least.�

Albus nodded. He had made up his mind to tell his father about the men in the Forbidden Forest and his suspicions. He might even mention the Flamel book, though he knew that he was reading into things too much.

It took a long time for all the Gryffindors who were going home for Christmas to assemble, have breakfast and then line up in the Great Hall. Albus was starting to think he would have gotten home faster by walking.

When everyone was lined up, only a scant few remained at the breakfast tables and Scorpius was the only first-year Gryffindor. He looked a little dejected.

“I hope you have a good Christmas, Scorpius,� said Albus as he walked past him.

Scorpius actually smiled. “Thanks. You too.�

The first-years got to ride in the horseless carriages for the first time on their way to Hogsmeade Station; Albus was one of the few who knew the carriages were really pulled by thestrals.

The Hogwarts Express was waiting on the platform, steam rising from it in spirals. Albus saw for the first time just how vibrantly red it was.

There was a good deal of jostling as the excited students boarded the train and Albus was separated from his cousins during the kerfuffle. He and James eventually sat in a compartment in the back with a pair of third-year boys that played on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

The older boys soon began to talk strategy for the upcoming game (which was a hotly contested Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match) and Albus was left to flip through the single book he had brought.

Albus nearly fell asleep, lulled by the continuous motion of the train and the dull book, which was an ancient treatise that he had to read for History of Magic.

The trolley witch came around about an hour into the journey and Albus bought two plump little Cauldron Cakes. James preferred Licorice Wands.

It was quite late by the time Albus felt the train begin to slow. He looked eagerly out of the window and saw the crowded Platform 9¾. He couldn’t pick out his family amongst the crowd.

Everyone began filing off the train and Albus caught a glimpse of Rose, Fred, Dominique and Molly in the sea of Hogwarts students. He waved to them, but was soon swept in a different direction.

Once he and James got out onto the Platform, Albus saw his family standing in a little group and his heart swelled with affection for all three.

His father looked a lot like his old pictures: handsome with untidy dark hair and round glasses. His mother was a beauty, her long red hair hanging down to the middle of her back and Lily closely resembled her mother in miniature.

Albus and James ran to the little group, bumping into several equally excited students on the way.

Lily was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet and ran to throw her arms around Albus’s midriff.

“Hey Lily,� he said.

“Hi Al! Hi James!� she said, her freckled face aglow with excitement.

Lily released Albus and moved onto James while Albus hugged his mother and father.

Everyone began talking at once and it was some time before Lily stopped asking incessant questions about Hogwarts, the teachers and the lessons.

The Potters made their way through the crowd, waving to the various knots of Weasleys scattered here and there, but not stopping. They would see them all on Christmas Day.

Albus and Harry passed through the barrier first, followed closely by James, Lily and Ginny. The crowd of Muggles was so huge that no one noticed the addition of five new members.

“So how’s Neville?� Ginny asked of Albus as they forced their way through the crowd.

“He’s fine; he said to say hello,� said Albus.

The parking lot was cold and dingy, the snow heaped in high, dirty piles. Christmas lights twinkled from the nearby shops and “Deck the Halls� was blaring from the King’s Cross speakers.

The real world felt strangely unreal after such a long time spent at Hogwarts. Albus found it bizarre just to see walls that weren’t made of stone.

Questions were still coming fast and furious from Lily as they found the Potter family car, an unobtrusive brown sedan that was large enough inside to fit at least twenty people.

“Are the professors nice? Is Professor McGonagall really mean in class? Have you learned to levitate anything yet?� asked Lily as the boys clambered into the car and buckled themselves in.

“Lily, hon, they haven’t even answered your first ten questions,� said Ginny as Harry started up the engine.

Albus answered Lily’s questions one-by-one as the car wound its way through London. He was feeling very contented. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, the day after was Christmas Day. The mystery in the Forbidden Forest was the farthest thing from his mind.

The Potters lived quite a way from the main city and it was nearly half-an-hour later that Albus saw the street sign for Inglewood Way.

Inglewood Way was a quiet little Muggle neighborhood with square white houses and neat lawns. None of their neighbors were wizards and this had caused some trouble when James was two and had started making fireworks shoot out of his window.

The Potters’ house was nondescript except for the color, which was a deep red. Twinkling Christmas lights had been strung along the gutter. Albus felt a little jolt go up his spine when he saw it.

“We’re home,� said Ginny.

Harry pulled the car into the driveway and James tripped over Albus in his eagerness to get out of it.

They had been there only a few months ago, but it now looked simultaneously familiar and alien to Albus. He had spent nearly his entire life in this house and it made him feel a little sad that Hogwarts was really his home now.

“I helped Daddy put up the lights!� said Lily, grabbing Albus’s hand and leading him over to them. “And we’re getting the tree tomorrow!�

“You two can help Lily get the boxes of decorations out of the basement,� said Ginny. She was beaming at her sons as though she couldn’t take her eyes off them.

“And no levitating them,� said Harry, who was unlocking the door. “I don’t want your sister flattened.�

The inside of the house was simply, but tastefully, decorated. There was a large messy foyer, then the kitchen and dining room. All the bedrooms were on the second story.

It was a very odd experience for Albus to see all of his surroundings again after so long. He’d almost forgotten that all this still existed while he was away at school.

Lily demanded that the boys sit down in the living room immediately and tell them everything about Hogwarts they could think of. They complied and most of the evening was spent with tales of teachers, lessons and various random facts from both generations.

“And guess what?� said James. “We started the DA again.�

Ginny and Harry exchanged quick looks. “What do you mean?� asked Harry. “You’re using the Room of Requirement?�

James launched into a detailed account of the DA, what the Room of Requirement looked like, what they were learning. Albus added an anecdote here and there, but mostly watched his parents’ reaction.

His mother looked both amused and concerned, while his father was smiling widely. They were both especially fascinated when they heard what the Room had done with the plaques.

When James was finished, Ginny said: “I think it’s great that you guys are doing this, but you have to be careful. Those spells and jinxes are very difficult and very dangerous. I hope you’re all aware—�

“I think it’s a good idea,� said Harry. “We’re getting lazy.�

James, Albus and Lily all frowned, confused.

“I mean the country in general,� said Harry. “It’s been so long since we’ve been in any danger that people like Tweak are letting Defense lessons slide with an idiot like Dawlish teaching.�

Albus and James grinned at each other. “Do you know Dawlish?� asked Albus.

“Oh yeah,� said Harry. “He was an Auror when I was in school. Always followed Fudge and then Thicknesse. Claimed he didn’t know Voldemort was really running the show and managed to avoid time in Azkaban. Tweak got him the Defense job right afterwards.�

“I’m sure that he’s not a very good teacher,� said Ginny. “But that doesn’t mean that you lot should—�

“If they’re being cautious and not trying anything too advanced, I don’t see anything wrong with it,� said Harry.

“I suppose not,� said Ginny with a sigh. “But no Stunning or serious jinxes, understand?�

Albus and James both hastily agreed that no Stunning or jinxes were to be attempted.

“What are we doing tomorrow?� asked Lily suddenly. She had been silent during the conversation about the DA, a sure sign that she was bored.

“Well, we’ll decorate the tree and bake cookies during the day,� said Ginny. “But there’s a party at the Ministry that we have to go to that evening.�

There was a general groan.

“I’m sorry,� said Harry, “but I’m head of the Auror office and I kind of need to be there.�

“There’ll be plenty of time for everything else,� said Ginny. “And it’ll probably be fun.�

Albus did enjoy going to the Ministry, which lessened the burden slightly. He supposed that the party would only last a couple of hours anyway.

Dinner was a large pot roast, which was a particular favorite of both James and Albus. Lily’s questioning continued through dinner and Albus found himself racking his brains for information on the ghosts, Hagrid’s cabin and the thestral-driven carriages all evening.

Sleepiness descended on Albus quickly and heavily. He had barely enough strength to finish his pudding before staggering up to his old room.

Tired as he was, he was once again struck by the odd sense of déjà vu. This wonderful place had been his home, but he knew that it wasn’t anymore. Not quite. Maybe that was how James felt, how his mother and father felt. He’d have to ask them.

Waking up the next morning in that strange but familiar bed was very disorienting; for a moment Albus thought he was back in the Gryffindor common room.

He shook this feeling and checked the clock on his wall. He was surprised to find that he had slept till nine.

The day was spent in blissful anticipation of Christmas Day. Harry, Albus, James and Lily went out to get the tree from a Muggle selling them by the side of the road (a minor crisis ensued when they realized that they had brought no Muggle money; luckily Harry was able to Transfigure the Galleons into pounds).

When they got home, the three children began lugging the enormous old boxes of decorations up from the basement and James did indeed attempt a Hover Charm and the ensuing chaos broke several ornaments that had to be magically repaired.

Several hours were spent decorating the tree and there was a small dispute over the position of a large and rather garish bird ornament which sang a repetitive tune (a particular favorite of Lily’s, though not of anyone else’s).

They all enjoyed cookies and milk after the tree was done and then proceeded outdoors to have a snowball fight with the thin layer of sticky snow.

Ginny was ready with towels when Albus, James and Lily trooped in from the snowball fight; all were dirty, red-faced and panting.

“You can all wash up and get ready for the party now,� she said, thrusting a fluffy towel into each pair of wet hands. “James, put on your good robes, the ones without the Potion stain.

Albus dried himself off, washed his face and changed into a clean set of school robes. He wondered idly if there would at least be any good food at the party.

He went downstairs and found James wrangling with his mother over the cleanliness of his clothes. Lily was sitting primly on her father’s knee; she and her mother were wearing identical red dresses.

When everyone had been deemed presentable, Harry said: “Do you want me to take two, Ginny?�

“Sure,� she said. “Just make sure they arrive in one piece.�

Harry lightly held Albus’s and James’s upper arms. Albus prepared himself for the unpleasant feeling of Apparition.

It was just as bad as he remembered. There was nothing solid but his father’s arm, his stomach was roiling and the breath was being squeezed out of his body—

They landed on solid ground. Albus took a deep, grateful breath and looked around him.

They were standing in a grimy, empty bathroom which served as the official Ministry entrance. James was doubled over, gasping. Apparently the Apparition was even harder on him then it was on Albus.

Harry patted his son on the back. “You two remember what to do?� he said.

“Yep,� said Albus. He walked into a stall and climbed into the toilet. He was unsurprised to find his shoes and legs dry; he had done this many times before.

He pulled the chain and felt a pleasant whoosh. The next moment he was standing in one of the huge Ministry fireplaces.

The Atrium never ceased to impress him with its size and grandness. In the very center of the enormous room was a huge blue obelisk of marble; inscribed upon it were quotes from famous witches and wizards.

An ancient-looking security wizard was sitting at a desk in front of the fireplaces. Several other vacated desks suggested to Albus that there more during the day shift.

Harry appeared in the fireplace next to Albus’s. “Evening Eric,� he said, getting out. “We’re here for the Christmas party on Level Two.�

“Wonderful, Mr. Potter,� grunted Eric.

James appeared, quickly followed by Ginny and Lily. All five of them set off to the lifts.

The Atrium was absolutely deserted but for the Potters and Eric. Albus got a pleasant little shiver up his spine. There was something both exciting and eerie about being in the Ministry after hours.

They all crammed into the lift and descended to Level Two. As they got closer, Albus could faintly hear soft music and the babble of conversation.

The doors of the lift swept open, revealing the long, purple-carpeted hallway. All the many, many doors were closed but one: the Auror Office.

“What time is it?� asked Lily.

Harry looked at his watch. “Five-thirty. Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of time to hang our stockings when we get home.�

The Potters turned into the open doorway of the Auror Office.

The Office, Albus knew, was usually a large room filled with individual cubicles. Tonight, the cubicles were all gone, leaving a huge space filled with little round tables and chairs.

Up front there were long tables with bowls of snacks, platters of cakes and piles of sandwiches. “Holy Night� was playing on an old-fashioned radio mounted on one of the food tables.

About fifty Aurors were mingling, some standing and chatting in small groups, others sitting at the round tables with food. Wizards outnumbered witches four to one, Albus noticed. The rate of physical disability was also high; Albus noticed several wooden legs and false eyes as soon as he entered the room.

“Hey guys!� said a tall, red-haired man with a paper cup of punch in one hand.

“Uncle Ron!� yelled Lily. Ron swept her up into a hug.

“Hi Lil! Merry Christmas,� said Ron.

Hermione, Rose and Hugo followed behind him. Albus realized how odd it was to see Rose outside of Hogwarts.

Once everyone had hugged everyone else (which took some time considering the number of people in both families), the Potters got some food and sat at a table with the Weasleys.

“Piker’s here stuffing his face as usual,� said Ron in an undertone. His gaze was pointed in the direction of a chubby man who was roaring with laughter at a joke that a stringy witch had just made.

Harry, Ginny and Hermione laughed and the adults began a covert conversation about some of the other partygoers while Lily began to question Rose about Hogwarts.

“So what do you think you’re getting for Christmas, Hugo?� James asked of his younger cousin.

Hugo, a solemn, thoughtful boy said: “Oh, I asked for Livsey’s Theory of Magical Equilibriums, but Mum says it’s really rare and Santa might have trouble finding it at Flourish and Blotts.�

“You can’t have three brilliant ones in the family,� said James with a grin. “It’s just not fair.�

Rose was expounding upon Professor McGonagall’s teaching style. Lily was a rapt audience.

“Everyone says she’s mean, but I think you just have to be extra careful in her class. She’s given me Es lots of times. Even Al got an A for that Cross-Species S—�

“Only because you helped me study,� said Albus.

“I didn’t help that much!� said Rose. The smile on her face proved exactly the opposite.

“Yeah, well, McGonagall’s given me one A in two years,� grumbled James. “It’s not like I’m really bad at—�

In that split second the world changed. An enormous explosion rent the air. Wood and debris flew everywhere and the air was thick with dust.

There were screams on all sides. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione all leaped to their feet, drawing their wands.

The wall of the Auror Office had been blown away. About fifteen people were standing in the hallway, wands pointed at the congregation of Aurors.

Albus knew that they were Inferi the instant he saw them. There was no mistaking the waxy skin, torn clothes and vacant expressions. These were not people, but puppets.

There was a terrific flash of light and suddenly spells were flying everywhere. Albus grabbed Rose by the shoulder and pulled her down to the floor.

“Get under the table!� yelled Ginny. She shot a Full Body-Bind at the approaching Inferi.

Albus obeyed. He dragged the quivering Rose under the little round table. James followed him with Hugo and Rose.

There was a horrible, piercing scream and Albus knew that someone was in great pain. He had never been so terrified in his life, but his mind was surprisingly clear.

“Help me push this over!� he yelled to James.

James understood. The two brother knocked over the table, sending cutlery flying.

On its side, the table made a shield from the jets of red and green light that were flying around the room. Albus, Rose, Lily, James and Hugo huddled against it, their view of the battle obstructed.

“Stupefy!� someone shouted. Albus instinctively ducked his head to avoid the Stunner.

And then something very heavy struck the tabletop and all five children went flying, propelled by the force of some unknown spell.

Albus crashed into another table and it collapsed around him. He fought his way out of the tangle of splintered wood and tablecloth.

The Auror Office had become a battleground. The combatants were all moving so fast and shouting spells so loudly that Albus could discern very little of what was going on.

He heard a moan and saw that Hugo was lying on the ground a few feet away, his round glasses shattered. Albus hurried over and dragged his cousin under another table.

Where were Rose, Lily and James? Where were his mother and father, his aunt and uncle? Albus couldn’t tell who was who and his horror and fear was just another organ rather than a feeling.

Something stumbled towards him and he saw that it was an Inferius.

The creature’s face was blank and pale, the eyes unseeing. It was wearing dirty black robes and it was missing an arm. A wand was grasped in the remaining hand.

Albus jammed his hand into his pocket and grabbed his wand. He pulled it out and yelled the first thing that came into his head: “Flipendo!�

To his enormous surprise, the Inferius was thrown head over heels into a wall. It lay on the floor for a moment and then began to get up with the steadfast determination of a creature that feels no pain and therefore has nothing to fear.

Spells, jinxes and hexes all presented themselves to Albus’s mind, but he couldn’t quite grab hold of any of them. He knew he had to keep that horrible creature from getting up because if it did, it would kill him—

“Petrificus Totalus!� yelled Albus.

The Inferius stiffened and fell to the floor, immobilized.

There was another explosion and Albus threw himself to the ground. More wood and table legs sailed over him, colliding with the farthest wall.

He picked himself up off the floor just as a last piece of debris came flying through the air. It was a big round tabletop and it connected neatly with Albus’s upper left arm.

Pure, molten pain surged through Albus and he screamed at the top of his lungs. He still held his wand in his right hand but it was trembling and useless.

James appeared out of nowhere and pulled Albus forward. “Come on!� he yelled.

The pain was making Albus’s head swim; the sounds of the fight and the fiery jets of light were becoming dim—

James flung open the door of an office and pushed Albus into it. He ran in himself and slammed the door shut.

It was a big office, probably belonging to one of the Aurors. Rose was crouched on the floor, holding Hugo, who appeared to be unconscious. Lily was cowering behind the cherry wood desk, panting.

“What happened to Hugo?� gasped Albus.

“He got hit by a Stunning Spell!� yelled Rose, her voice uncharacteristically high. “He’ll be all right, won’t he?�

“Yeah, he’ll be fine,� said Albus. The world was spinning a little and he knew that he was close to blacking out with pain and terror.

The door blew open and off its hinges. James, who had been standing in front of it, was knocked down.

A ragged female Inferius raced into the office. It raised its wand and pointed it at Rose. Lily screamed.

Albus jumped and tackled the horribly cold creature. The pain in his arm intensified and he heard an ominous cracking noise.

The Inferius elbowed him hard in the stomach and Albus fell off of it, gasping for air.

“P-Petrificus Totalus!� yelled Rose.

Albus heard a thump and knew that the creature had been hit, but the pain in his arm was all he could focus on and he took great breaths of air that did not help him and he felt himself slide into shadow.

Albus did not wake up gradually. One moment, there was nothing but darkness and the next he was aware of soft voices, smooth sheets and a slight pain in his arm.

He opened his eyes. He was laying in a clean white bed in a clean white room. His father was sitting at the foot of the bed, talking to his mother, who was pacing up and down.

“Hi Al,� said Harry when he noticed his son’s open eyes. “How are you feeling?�

“Okay,� said Albus. He tried to move his left arm and found that he could quite easily. The pain was little more than a twinge. “What happened? Is everyone all right?�

“Everyone’s pretty much fine,� said Ginny, walking over and stroking her son’s hair. “James is a little bruised, Hugo was knocked unconscious and Rose twisted her ankle, but they’re not seriously hurt.�

“What time is it?� asked Albus. His mind was moving a little bit sluggishly. “Where are we?�

“It’s about three o’clock on Christmas morning and we are in St. Mungo’s,� said Harry. “James and Lily are in the waiting room downstairs.�

“But what about the Inferi? Are they gone? What happened?� asked Albus.

Harry’s face tightened a bit. “I’m sorry you had to be there for that, Al. The Aurors killed—well, destroyed all of the Inferi pretty quickly. There were some broken bones and three people were killed, but we’re pretty lucky.�

“What did they want? Why did they attack us?�

Ginny shook her head grimly. “We don’t know. There’s no way to get information from the Inferi and most of them are in pieces anyway. Some of the Aurors are trying to trace back to the controllers, but they probably won’t have much luck.�

“How did they get in?� asked Albus. He had dozens of questions which bubbled up to the surface of his mind one by one.

“The same way we did,� said Harry. “They entered through the public entry, killed Eric the security guard and went upstairs to the Auror Office.�

“Whoever planned this didn’t do a very good job,� said Ginny. “If they wanted something, why would they raid the place when all of the Aurors were there? If they wanted to wipe out the Department, why not send more Inferi?�

“I don’t know why this happened, but we’re going to find out,� said Harry. “I’ve got Preston and Winkers on it now. Hopefully we’ll have some leads soon.�

“You should get some rest, Al,� said Ginny. “The Healer fixed your arm quickly, but it was a serious fracture.�

Albus opened his mouth to protest, but found that he was too heavy with sleep to even speak. He wondered idly if he had been given a potion for the pain that was making him tired.

The next thing he knew he was opening his eyes again. The room was sunny now; the window had been opened. Neither of his parents was there, but James and Lily had taken their place at the foot of the bed.

“Al!� Lilly jumped up and hugged Albus furiously, sending a bolt of pain up his injured arm. “How do you feel?�

“Fine,� said Albus. “How about you? Are you guys okay?�

They both nodded. James had a noticeable bruise on his face—probably from when the door hit him.

“Mum and Dad are setting up our presents at the Burrow,� said James before Albus could ask. “They’ll be back to get us in a few minutes.�

Christmas. Albus hadn’t even thought of how they’d missed Christmas Eve, although it now seemed strangely irrelevant in the aftermath of the attack.

“What happened after I passed out?� Albus asked.

“Not much,� said James. “Some old coot put a protective charm on the doorway so none of the Inferi could get in at us. Most of them were down by that time anyway. The whole battle was over about five minutes after you fainted.�

A nurse entered as Albus was to about to tell James that he had not fainted. She wordlessly gave Albus a goblet of shockingly pink potion and left.

“What do you think it is?� Lily asked.

Albus drained the goblet in two gulps. It tasted vaguely fruity.

“What time is it?� Albus asked.

James checked his watch. “Nine-thirty. We had breakfast a little while ago. You hungry?�

Albus realized he was starving. The treats and snacks he’d eaten at the party could have been consumed years ago.

“Yeah,� he said. “Is there a vending machine or something?�

“Right outside,� said James. “I’ll go get you something.� He left and returned a moment later with a small package of Bertie Botts’ Every Flavor Beans.

It took Albus some time to find an edible Bean. He found and discarded Paint, Salt, Carrot and Hair-flavored Beans before finding one that was plain chocolate.

“Everyone’s okay, right? You saw them?� he said. “Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione?�

“Yeah,� said James. “They were fine. Rose and Hugo are pretty shaken up, though. We saw—� James and Lily exchanged a conspiratorial glance-.

“After you fainted,� said Lily. “One of the Inferi started—�

“We saw one of the Aurors get killed,� said James. His face, so often bright and smiling, was ashen. “It was—awful.�

They all lapsed into silence for a moment. Albus wondered what the Inferius had done, but he didn’t really want to ask or know.

A moment later, Harry and Ginny reentered the room. “Almost everyone’s over at the Burrow,� said Ginny. “Grandma was about to throw a fit when I told her you were in St. Mungo’s.�

“Can you get up?� Harry asked Albus.

“I think so.�

Albus pushed the sheets off of himself and climbed out of the bed. He felt almost as good as new, though his shoulder was stiff and difficult to move.

When he had gotten his shoes and jacket on, the Potters headed out of the ward and a Healer had a brief conversation with Harry and Ginny. They signed several release forms and then took the lift to the ground floor.

“Everyone’s over at the Burrow for Christmas,� said Ginny brightly. “There’s a pile of presents under the tree about as high as I am.�

The thought of the warm, safe Burrow, decorated for Christmas gave Albus an odd feeling. Such comforting, normal things still existed after what had happened at the Ministry.

The Potters reached the lobby and stepped out of the lift. A man with a chicken’s head was calmly reading a magazine next to a witch with ugly purple boils.

“I’ll take James and Lily,� said Ginny, taking her children’s hands.

Harry took Albus’s arm and turned on his heel. An instant later, the Potters were standing in the snowy front yard of the Burrow, which was wrapped with brightly colored tinsel. A huge star had been balanced on the roof, giving the house the appearance of a very large Christmas tree.

The front door banged open and Molly came flying out to hug her grandchildren. “Are you feeling all right?� she asked Albus as she squeezed him. “Do you want chicken soup? Pudding?�

“Mum, he’ll eat with the rest of us,� said Ginny. “He hurt his arm, not his stomach.�

A rather large crowd of people was gathering in the yard of the Burrow and Albus was passed from person to person for hugs and queries about his shoulder.

There was Arthur, almost completely bald now; Ron, Hermione, Hugo and Rose, all looking normal; Bill, Fleur, Victoire, Dominique and Louis, Fleur and her three light-haired children striking an odd contrast with Bill’s red hair and scarred face; George, Angelina, Fred and Roxanne, who was only six. Rounding out the group was Teddy Lupin and Hagrid, who was recommending remedies for broken arms to no one in particular.

When everyone had hugged Albus, James and Lily, the family adjourned to the incredibly cramped living room to open presents. Albus’s mother had not been exaggerating—the amount of presents made the tree almost impossible to see.

Chaos reined for several hours as all the grandchildren opened their gifts. The room soon became so filled with wrapping, tissue paper and boxes that Albus was up to his waist.

Albus received his usual sweater and a very large amount of fudge from his grandparents, a book on Quidditch from his Uncle Ron, a book on easy-to-learn dueling spells from his Aunt Hermione, a sled and a broomstick servicing kit from his parents, a mokeskin bag from Hagrid (upon examination, the bag contained several large worms which attempted to bite Albus’s fingers) and an enormous amount of candy, clothes and miscellaneous items from everyone else.

The unwrapping took several hours and when everyone had been thanked and all of the gifts stored (Hermione performed Undectable Extension Charms on several gift bags to help), the grandchildren trooped out into the snow dressed in an assortment of cast-off snow clothes that Molly had lying around the house.

Albus’s new sled was tried out by almost everyone and found to be satisfactory (it not only slid, but flew a few feet above the ground) and George and Ron amused the children by engaging in a magical snowball fight that left Ron half-drowned.

Soon the grandchildren joined in, pitting Albus, Fred, Dominique, Teddy and Hugo against Rose, Victoire, Roxanne, Louis, Lily and James. The snow battle ended with Rose buried up to her midriff in a snow pile.

After an hour or so, Albus’s arm began to ache, so he slipped back in the house for a bite of Christmas pudding in the kitchen.

The adults were in the living room, speaking in hushed tones. They had appeared jolly for most of the day, but Albus knew that what had happened in the Ministry was serious. Three people were dead and someone was behind it. Someone powerful.

Bill walked into the kitchen, carrying a plate. An experimental treatment at St. Mungo’s had greatly reduced his scarring three years ago, but his face still had deep lines crisscrossing it.

“How’s the pudding?� he asked Albus, who was sitting at the counter with a large plate.

“It’s good,� said Albus.

Bill scooped a piece onto his plate and flicked his wand at a bottle of milk. It upended itself over a glass, filling it for him.

“Uncle Bill?� said Albus. “I want to ask you something.�

“Of course, Al,� said Bill, leaning up against the counter and taking a drink of milk. “What is it?�

“The Inferi. At the Ministry. They were using spells, curses. I thought they were, you know, just puppets.� Only a few moments ago had this occurred to Albus. Everything he’d read about Inferi suggested they were just mindless zombies.

“Sometimes they are,� said Bill, taking a forkful of pudding. “But a powerful wizard can sort of—imprint things in the mind of the Inferius. Like the ability to make decisions or even use magic. The more complex the task, the more difficult the imprinting. Most Dark wizards don’t bother. The sight of a walking corpse is enough to cause panic in most cases.�

“But there were hundreds of Inferi at the Ministry,� said Albus. “How could one or two wizards have imprinted all of them?�

Bill’s scarred face was impassive. “That’s what’s so serious. One or two wizards didn’t do this. A group of them did. A powerful, well-organized group with someone very clever heading it up. This is enormous, Al.�

Albus had, of course, heard tales of Voldemort’s legendary evil and the war that had sprung from it. Was war coming again?

Seeing the look on his nephew’s face, Bill said: “But your dad has his entire department working on this and your dad is good at what he does. Great at what he does. These people will be caught and brought to justice.�

He walked out of the room, patting Albus on the shoulder as he left.

Albus could see the snow fight still in progress outside. Victoire was enchanting snowballs to fly at Teddy and everyone laughed as he pointed his wand at the ground and created a wall of snow to protect himself from the onslaught.

It was so peaceful here and at Hogwarts. But everything was different now. Tainted by the violence that Albus had witnessed, the hatred and cruelty exhibited by the senders of the Inferi.

What were they even there to do? Were they supposed to have assassinated someone? Stolen something? Wiped out the entire Department?

It was all a confusing tangle. A part of Albus—a large part—wanted to pretend that everything was all right, that nothing had changed. He wanted to lie to himself and couldn’t.

He stared out of the window, pudding untouched.

Albus, Rose, James, Fred and Dominique shared a compartment on the Hogwarts Express as it wound its way through the snowy hills and moors, giving Albus—who was sitting at the window— a view of frozen rivers and lakes as they sped by.

“I reckon it was the Death Eaters,� said Fred. “There’s plenty of them still out there—like the Malfoys.�

James shook his head. “Nah. It was probably just a few nutters looking to make a stir.�

“It couldn’t have been,� said Albus, for what seemed like the fiftieth time. “Uncle Bill reckons it was someone pretty powerful and well organized behind that attack. It wasn’t just a bunch of crazies.�

“If it was, the Ministry would have tracked them down,� said Dominique. “The Aurors are all working as hard as they can to find whoever sent the Inferi. They’ve hidden themselves well.�

“How’d they come by all those dead bodies anyway?� said Fred. “There were a couple hundred Inferi—that’s a lot of bodies.�

“Probably dug up a Muggle graveyard or something,� said James. “Dad says it’s one of the things they’re looking for. Clues, you know.�

Everyone fell silent. Rose, who was currently hidden behind a large book, was the only one who had refused to engage in Inferi-related speculation. Albus got the impression that she was rather traumatized by what had happened at the Ministry.

It was then that the trolley witch stopped by. Albus bought a couple of Cauldron Cakes. James was partial to Licorice Wands and Pumpkin Pasties. Rose and Dominique shared a large bag of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.

Conversation stalled as everyone fell to eating. Albus stared at the money as he ate his Cake and wondered vaguely who had sent those Inferi.

He was sorry to be leaving his family again, but excited to return to Hogwarts. He had two homes now, he knew.

The door to the compartment opened and three first-year Slytherins, two boys and a girl, entered. Albus knew all three of them by name, but had never had any interaction with them before.

“Get out of here,� said Fred. “The compartment’s taken.�

“We just wanted to wish Potter good luck for the next match,� said a slim, dark-haired boy that Albus seemed to remember being called Frank.

The fat, boulder-like boy on his right snickered. Alexander Goyle, the son of Gregory the Death Eater.

“Take care not to faint, Potty,� said the girl. She had dark hair and strikingly blue eyes and her name was (Albus vaguely recalled) Medusa. “That’s what your dad always used to do, right?�

James tried to jump up, but Fred and Dominique grabbed his arms.

“Get out,� said Albus. “Now.� He reached slowly for his wand, which was underneath Rose’s jacket. He wished that he knew the Curse of the Bogies.

Goyle grinned stupidly and pointed his wand at an unwrapped Chocolate Frog that Fred had bought.

“Wingardium Leviosa.�

The Frog wobbled and then rose in the air, traveling the few feet into Goyle’s outstretched hand. He stuffed the sweet into his wide mouth.

“I paid six Knuts for that!� said Fred, drawing his wand and pointing it at Goyle. “Cough up.�

“Don’t, Fred, you’ll get in so much trouble,� said Rose, lowering his arm. “Just go,� she snapped at the assembled Slytherins.

The boy named Frank smirked. “Alright then. Good luck on the match, Potter. Try to catch that little gold ball. If you can.�

Goyle and Medusa chuckled as they left the compartment, closing the door behind them.

“Bloody gits,� said James, shaking his arm out of Dominique’s grip. “We should have jinxed them or something—�

“That Goyle ate my Frog,� said Fred, staring angrily at the door to the compartment. “Cost me six bloody Knuts.�

“Well, we’ll show them up when we beat them in the Quidditch match,� said Dominique.

This led to an elongated conversation on Gryffindor’s chances in the match, the finer points of the game and the thuggish team that Slytherin had assembled that year. This subject lasted them to Hogsmeade station.

Albus got a rush of pleasure when he saw the turrets and towers of Hogwarts looming above the station. It was still here. It was home.

The upcoming Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match was all everyone could talk about for the next few weeks. Gryffindor had lost the cup twice in the last two years—once to Ravenclaw and once to Slytherin. James was determined to make this year Gryffindor’s year.

Between the excitement over the match and the steadily increasing workload, Albus had no time to think about the DA. Rose brought the subject up once or twice and Albus sensed a new determination in her. The Inferi attack had shown them just how helpless they still were. They needed more training.

Dawlish’s classes continued to be a school-wide joke, providing almost nothing by way of helpful instruction. Even Rose, usually patient with teachers, rolled her eyes whenever the subject of Dawlish came up in the common room or the Great Hall.

“Honestly, we’ve learned so much more ourselves then we ever do with Dawlish,� she said. “We really have to get it going again, Al, and we need to bring more people into it.�

Albus nodded, but he still wasn’t really sure about recruiting new DA members. He had a feeling that with too many participants, the meetings would devolve into chaos.

The post-holiday classes were growing steadily more challenging. Albus devoted himself to homework in his spare time and still there seemed to be an unending amount of it.

“McGonagall’s the worst,� moaned Dominique over a particularly nasty Transfiguration chart. “I think she gets genuine pleasure out of making us work.�

The day of the match was typical of January – cold and windy – but the half-day of classes brightened the atmosphere at Hogwarts immensely.

“Double Charms, lunch and Potions,� said Fred that morning over breakfast. “Then the match. It’s like a holiday!�

James looked a lot less enthusiastic as he forced down toast and orange juice. Albus had never seen him so nervous before a game.

Of course, there was a lot of pressure. James was very young for a Seeker and he was the subject of many bets that day. Albus himself had two Sickles on a Gryffindor win.

Charms was quite possibly the easiest class. Professor Artemis was not overly strict and Albus had a natural proclivity for charms.

Today, they were learning how to create magical gusts of wind. The charm was very tricky and it took Albus most of both periods to master it.

“The Wind-Creating Charm can be used for many things,� said Professor Artemis. “Closing a door, shooing away an animal, even drying wet clothes. You can control the strength of your wind, but for now we want it to be gentle. Now try again, everyone.�

“Ventus Minima!� said Albus.

They were supposed to cause a cloth hanging on a frame to flutter. Albus’s did, though only slightly.

The class concluded with most everyone having a solid grasp of the charm, though there had been one notable accident when Veronica Bentley created a gust so strong that Professor Artemis was blown off her feet and a classroom window shattered.

Potions was both dull and difficult, a dangerous combination. Almost no one in the classroom was paying attention to the Stultifying Solution they were supposed to be making and everyone stampeded out when they were finally dismissed.

Albus wished James (who looked a little green) good luck and headed out to the Gryffindor bleachers with Rose, Fred, Dominique and Bryan Carlisle, a boy from Albus’s year.

The day was bitterly cold, but the wind had died down somewhat since breakfast, which made the playing conditions tolerable. Everyone in the stands was bundled up tightly against the cold.

Albus sat down next to Scorpius, who was shivering despite the bulky coat he was wearing.

“Hi Scorpius,� he said.

“Hi,� said Scorpius.

Albus had not had much contact with Scorpius since the holidays. He still kept to himself in the common room, rarely joining in a conversation or a game of Exploding Snap, but Albus still thought he seemed happier than he had at the beginning of the year.

The players walked out onto the field to general applause. James was, by far, the smallest player on either team. Gretchen Giles, the Slytherin Seeker, was at least a head taller then he was.

Bert Diggory, the referee, gave instructions and the two team Captains shook his hands before the teams took off, darting through the air to their respective positions.

“And the hotly contested match of Gryffindor versus Slytherin will begin in just a moment,� said the magically amplified voice of Kendra Weatherby. She was a Hufflepuff student judged impartial enough to commentate.

Diggory’s whistle blew and the match began.

“Roberts of Slytherin already in possession of the Quaffle,� said Kendra as a burly figure in green robes sped across the pitch, heading for the Gryffindor goalposts. Roberts dodged a Gryffindor Chaser, but a Bludger soared over his head and he dropped the Quaffle.

“Nice Beating by Osborne of Gryffindor,� said Kendra. “Wood in possession, heading towards the goal—ooh, nice play by Slytherin Captain Mitchell; Slytherin now in possession.�

Mitchell threw the Quaffle to Roberts, who ducked past James and scored.

There was wild applause from the Slytherin supporters and a general groan from the Gryffindors.

“First goal of the game, Slytherin in the lead,� said Kendra. “Gryffindor in possession now.�

Wood had the Quaffle, Gryffindor Chaser Jellyby flying underneath her to catch the ball should she drop it.

They were halfway across the pitch when a Bludger nearly unseated Wood, who did indeed drop the Quaffle. Jellyby caught it neatly and then scored, Slytherin Keeper Parkinson just missing the save.

The match raged on, neither team giving much leeway to the other. Two penalties were awarded: one to Slytherin and one to Gryffindor. Roberts easily made his penalty, but Jellyby fumbled hers, to a great deal of laughter from the Slytherins.

“Damn it,� said Fred. “James better catch that Snitch; we’re down twenty points.�

But James had not shown any sign of seeing the Snitch. He and Gretchen Giles hovered above the pitch, occasionally flying lower. Still no sign of the Snitch.

It got colder and colder as the match wore on. Albus’s stomach rumbled and he checked his watch. It was almost dinnertime and the game was tied at one hundred and ten points each.

As the players got hungrier, colder and more exhausted, the game grew fiercer and fiercer. Deirdre Wood was knocked off her broom by the Slytherin Captain mid-game and a Bludger nearly rendered Parkinson unconscious. Penalties were awarded for both offenses.

Rose, who was not much of a Quidditch fan, whispered: “Will Diggory call a break if this keeps up?�

“Nah,� said Dominique. “It won’t last too much longer anyway.�

The instant the words left her mouth, James went into a dive, Giles only feet behind him.

“He’s seen the Snitch!� yelled Fred, pointing.

Both Seekers picked up speed, hurtling toward the ground like missiles. Albus hoped that James knew what he was doing; if he hit the ground at this speed—

They were neck and neck now, both with their arms outstretched towards the little golden ball that none of the spectators could see.

James leveled three or four yards from the ground and zoomed off across the pitch; the Snitch having changed course. Giles was slower and for the next instant it looked like she would crash, but she took control of her broom and sped off after James, her Firebolt 180 proving its capabilities for speed.

The two Seekers weaved through a maze of Chasers and hostile Bludgers, both moving so fast that they were just two blurs of red and green to Albus.

“I hope he doesn’t hurt himself,� said Dominique.

“He’s an excellent flyer,� said Bryan Carlisle, reassuringly.

The Seekers turned around at the Gryffindor goalposts, and headed up again. Albus saw the slightest glint of gold, now only a few feet from James’s outstretched hand.

James zigzagged and put a little distance between himself and Giles, but her broom was faster. They were almost even again, both hands groping for the Snitch.

It descended again and both Seekers went into another dive, this one even more furiously paced than the first.

Even the other players were hovering in midair, watching. The entire stadium collectively held its breath. Kendra had even ceased commentating.

It happened so fast that Albus didn’t really see what occurred. One instant the two Seekers were mere yards from the ground, still diving and the next a great tangle of red robes and green robes collided with the ground, struggling.

Diggory blew his whistle and hurried over. Albus could now see that James held one wing in his hand and Giles held the other, the little golden ball suspended between their fists. They were both shouting at each other.

“Disputed capture,� said Fred, in awe. “Blimey, that’s only happened a few times in the history of the game.�

“Who wins?� asked Rose.

“Whoever touched the Snitch first,� said Albus.

Diggory took the Snitch and tapped it with his wand. He examined the little gold ball, placed his wand to his voice box, magically amplifying his voice:

“GRYFFINDOR WINS!�

An enormous cheer rose up from the Gryffindor bleachers. Most of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were cheering too. Slytherin was unpopular.

To counter the cheers, there was a great cry of protest from the Slytherins. Giles was still yelling at the referee and she was joined a moment later by Mitchell, who poked in Diggory in the chest, his voice almost audible.

“Wow, that was some game,� said Dominique.

“James is going to be insufferable,� said Albus.

They began to file down to the pitch, where the Gryffindor players were hugging and high-fiving. James had an ear-to-ear grin on his face, which was strangely incongruous with the rather large bruise above his left eye.

“We won!� he yelled, thumping Albus on the back and giving Dominique a high-five. “We won!�

“That was some serious flying,� said Fred.

On the other side of the pitch, the Slytherins were having a mass argument with the referee, several hundred students shouting at once. Several other teachers came down to help Diggory keep order. Gretchen Giles was apparently trying to run across the pitch and bodily attack James; she was forcibly held back by several of her teammates.

James laughed and held up the Snitch. “They’re pretty steamed about it.�

The Gryffindors entered the Great Hall as victors, the team carried in like heroes. There were several different songs being sung at once and dinner soon became a giant party, with the Slytherins sulking at their table.

“It’s a madhouse in here!� said Rose. “I know they won the match, but still—�

No one else had any objections, although Albus noticed that several of the teachers were a little tight-lipped, perhaps feeling that the Great Hall was not the place for Gryffindor to celebrate its victory.

Nigel Tweak (who had been a Ravenclaw) was as enthusiastic as anyone, excitedly discussing the match with a grim-faced Dawlish.

Albus started to get tired after a couple of hours and as soon as the dessert had disappeared, he tugged on James’s robes and said: “Why don’t we head back to the common room? You look about ready to drop.�

It was true. James’s face, ruddy with the heat of the hall, was streaked with sweat and his robes were muddy from his pile-up with Gretchen Giles. “Alright,� he said. “Let’s slip out. I could use a cold Gillywater.�

Albus, Rose, Dominique and James left the Hall as inconspicuously as possible, although James still got a rush of applause as he left. Gretchen Giles looked as though she was contemplating his murder.

“It was a good catch, wasn’t it?� said James as they head through the corridors.

“Yes, it was,� said Rose, sounding torn between amusement and annoyance. “You just had most of the school give you a standing ovation; I’d say you did pretty well.�

The four of them turned a corner. There was no one returning to the dormitories yet; even most of the Slytherins were still in the Great Hall. The corridors were unusually empty. It felt like they were sneaking around after hours.

“I’d steer clear of Giles for a few weeks,� said Dominique. “Honestly, it looked like she was going to—�

There was a small bang and a flash of silver smoke. A jinx of some kind whizzed over Albus’s head and hit the stone wall of the corridor.

For a moment, Albus was back in the Ministry. He half-expected to see a group of Inferi appear, wands raised, dead faces impassive as they aimed their wands, ready to kill—

Without even thinking, Albus pushed Dominique behind the closest suit of armor, barely dodging another silvery jinx.

Rose and James ran to the other side of the corridor, backs flat against the wall, slightly protected by a large, decorative pillar.

Four small figures rounded the next corridor, wands raised. Albus saw—to his relief—that it was the three Slytherins and a fourth boy, lean and bug-eyed, that he did not recognize.

“Come out, Potter!� yelled Medusa Zabini. “You bloody little cheat!�

Albus carefully drew his wand, ducked out from behind the suit of armor and yelled: “Capio!�

He heard a loud buzz and a cry from Alex Goyle, who, if Albus had performed the curse properly, should have experienced a painful sting.

Rose and James both shouted jinxes and the four Slytherins scattered in an attempt to avoid them.

“Come out and get what you deserve, Potter!� shouted the tall boy named Frank.

“Inflatus!� yelled Medusa.

The pillar that James and Rose were sheltered behind cracked; dust rising in the air. James and Rose would have been crushed if the curse had knocked over the pillar.

“Infligo!� yelled Dominique.

The bug-eyed boy was thrown off his feet; he sat up groggily, large eyes rolling in their sockets.

Albus racked his brains for a good spell, but nothing came to him. He heard James shout “Capio!� but the spell missed and rebounded off the suit of armor.

Alex Goyle began battering at the pillar and his fellows joined him. It was covered with deep cracks, possibly about to collapse. Albus couldn’t believe that no one had heard them yet.

Then he thought of it. He screwed his eyes tight and concentrated. He had to get the spell right.

Albus jumped out from behind the suit of armor, aimed his wand at the three standing Slytherins and yelled, “Ventus Maxima!�

All four Slytherins were blown across the corridor by the gust of magical wind. All four of them hit the opposite wall with four loud crashes.

James and Rose ran over to the prone Slytherins and snatched their wands out of their hands. All of them seemed dazed, but not especially hurt. Alex Goyle had a large red dot in the middle of his forehead.

“That was brilliant, Al,� said Dominique. “I wish I’d thought of it.�

“Idiots,� said James, nudging Medusa with his foot. “I caught the damned Snitch fair and—�

Footsteps echoed in the corridor. Someone was coming. James and Rose hastily dropped the Slytherins’ wands on the floor.

Professor McGonagall rounded the corner, her mouth a thin line, her eyes flashing. “What is going on here? Have any students been hurt?�

Frank groaned a little and struggled to his feet. “M’all right,� he said blearily.

McGonagall turned to James. “What is going on here, Mr. Potter?�

“These four jumped us while we were walking back to the common room,� said James. “We had to fight back.�

“Is this true, Mr. Abaddon?� McGonagall asked Frank.

“No,� he said. “They-they jumped us, Professor.�

Medusa, Goyle and the bug-eyed boy nodded together, as if in on cue.

“I can tell you right now, dueling between first-years is incredibly dangerous and there will be serious consequences,� said Professor McGonagall. “The Headmaster will have to sort out this mess. Come, all of you,� she said.

“But Professor,� said Rose. “They really did try to—�

“You can explain it to the Headmaster, Miss Weasley,� said Professor McGonagall. She turned around and led the students down the corridor, towards the office of the Headmaster.