All of the second-year Gryffindors waited just inside of the double doors at the front of the school. The whole pack seemed to lean forward and peered out through the misty overcast of the morning. The students were all focused down toward the school’s giant iron front gates.
–Harry, do you see anything?†asked Jenelle for the third time in almost as many minutes.
Harry Baird, the tallest of the group by almost three or four inches, squinted for a second or two before he answered, –I think so. It’s just hard to tell with all of this mist.â€
He had been correct, because within a couple of minutes all of them saw the carriage coming up from Hogsmeade. The invisibly-drawn vehicle stopped in front of the doors. The first person to step out of the carriage was a blue clad man, who held the door open and from behind him stepped Margaret Quince in her school robes.
When Margaret saw Jenelle and Rose, she sprinted up towards the door taking the wet steps in leaps. She slid slightly from her wet shoes on the moist flagstones in the entrance hall. As she skidded to a halt, she reached out to wrap both of her friends in one big hug. Kaitlin and the boys hung back feeling slightly weird about watching the emotional reunion. Margaret pulled back from the two girls. Scorpius noticed the trickle of a tear visible on her right cheek just until she brushed it away.
–I thought I’d never see either of you again,†she said with a quaver in her voice. –I thought for certain she was going to kill us. And look what she did to my hair. I had it done specially the day before we left home. It’s such a mess now.â€
–Maybe Madam Pomfrey or one of the seventh-year girls can help set it right?†started Jenelle.
Scorpius, unable to keep quiet, interrupted Margaret. –She?â€
Margaret flinched as if she hadn’t noticed the rest of crowd. She took a minute to compose herself before she answered him. –We don’t really know, but they said she couldn’t have turned into me without reverting to her true form. And I never saw her change form.â€
–So, you saw her face?†inquired Rose.
–No, she hid her face behind a cloth under a cloak. We never got a good look at her,†replied Margaret. "Oh, please can we not talk about it now.†She looked at Kaitlin and the boys for a minute looking all teary eyed. –Thank you for coming to greet me. I really appreciate it.†And just as she finished the thought, she reached over and hugged the nearest one of the boys: Albus.
Albus stood ridged and sort of half-patted her on the back. After Albus, she hugged Harry Baird who seemed to hug her back. Jimber was her next victim and Scorpius was the final boy to be hugged.
Margaret turned toward Kaitlin who was standing with her arms folded across her chest. Kaitlin said, –Don’t even think about it!â€
Scorpius thought that was a strange response. After all with her Aunt Gwenog, Kaitlin should have been used to seeing girls hugging and kissing each other.
Margaret shrugged her shoulders and said, –Well thanks anyway, Kaitlin.†A strange silence hung over the little group until Margaret spoke. –I’m starving; I couldn’t stomach the food at St. Mungo’s. I could use a good Hogwarts breakfast."
Just before the group left for the Great Hall, the Auror Smith handed Margaret the purse and umbrella she had left behind in the carriage. Margaret smiled at the older man and thanked him for all that he had done for her and her family.
Smith gave the girl a half bow, touched his hat in salute, and walked into the school to find and report to Harry Potter.
Smiling, the eight Gryffindors walked as one into the Great Hall. They got about five steps into the Hall before Margaret was recognized. A group, made up of mostly Gryffindor girls, rushed over to greet and talk to her. She was practically dragged to the bench of the house table so everyone in the semicircle of well wishers around her could hear her tell and re-tell her story.
Scorpius looked down the table as Rose sat next to Margaret. As he watched, he noticed she did not say a word. Rose, it seemed to him, was like a sponge absorbing every detail Margaret relayed.
Harry Potter reviewed Auror Smith’s update on the Quince family and his bringing of the girl to school. Harry paused from his contemplation. He returned to his breakfasting in the Headmaster’s office with Flitwick and Deputy Headmaster Dawlish. In between bites of food, he gave the heads of the school and update on the status of the investigation. The reports were all very brief and very negative.
–We found nothing wrong with the luggage. We confirmed Hagrid’s observations that no footprints were around the Whomping Willow and reconfirmed that no one has been in the shack for years. Broomwright found nothing amiss in Hogsmeade or the mountain caves. And I confirmed with the Three Broomsticks and the Hogs Head that no new customers checked in yesterday,†said Harry looking over at Flitwick.
–And the Forest?†asked Dawlish.
–I alerted the centaurs by Patronus of the possibility that some humans may be using the forest as a hiding place or a base of operations. I’m certain they will search the grounds far better than we could. My only worry is that they might have to fight them to rescue any intruders they discover,†he added.
–An interesting puzzle,†said a familiar voice from the wall. All three men turned to look behind Flitwick’s desk to see the painted image of Dumbledore with his head tilted to the right his eyebrows furrowed as if analyzing the matter. –I shall look forward to see how you resolve it.†And having added his comment, the old wizard appeared to go back into his painted slumber.
–He’s always doing that,†said Dawlish. –Even after all of these years, he still cannot keep his nose out of things.â€
The sleeping face of Dumbledore smiled slightly before the faux-snoring restarted.
Harry regained his composure and returned to the subject on hand. –Well, I can’t keep my Aurors in the school. We don’t have enough Aurors to waste having them here just babysitting. And I can’t spend twenty-four hours a day staring at the Marauder’s Map.†Harry turned toward the Headmaster awaiting some idea or wisdom.
–Well, if that is the case Harry, I’m afraid we’ll have to tighten our night patrolling by the teachers. I will call in the Head Boy and Head Girl and the Prefects. They will have to watch for unusual actions by their fellow housemates,†said Flitwick. –John, who is the staff member on tonight’s watch?â€
–Jason Kettlebaum,†Dawlish answered.
–Ah, well it looks like we’ll be breaking our new Potions Master in straight away. Perhaps I should join him and regale him with the stories of what it was like to be a teacher here under the Death Eaters and our heroic roles during the Battle of Hogwarts,†said Flitwick.
–I’m certain he will enjoy that, Headmaster†said Dawlish while grinning over at Harry.
–Well, if you hear anything or even a hint of anything, let me or Ron know,†Harry instructed. –One of us is almost always on duty.â€
Astoria's Perfect Potions London
The shop was just about to open and Draco was reviewing the already busy morning. He and Astoria had risen early and they separately left their house in Grimmauld Place. She traveled to the wizard’s market in Godric’s Hollow to buy the plants and various other potion ingredients that the next batch Oberon’s Nectar and the other requested potions needed. Meanwhile, he had just returned from a trip to Gringotts after he had taken the week’s proceeds out of his store’s vault in the wall to be deposited in the store’s accounts.
As Draco visually checked the quantity of stock in the shop window, the outline of a man in the mid-morning shadows stepped into the sunlight. He had stepped out of nowhere just as Draco was looking at the spot. It was like he had wanted to be noticed. The face of the heavy man peered across at the large front window of the shop. He was not looking at sign which contained the normal business hours of Astoria’s Perfect Potions; the grey bearded man was staring directly at Draco. Draco returned the look back at the older man, under the scraggly beard and dirty clothes, something seemed vaguely familiar about him.
Draco made a motion that would look to an outsider like he was scratching his arm, but in reality, he was confirming the location of his wand under his smock. Reassured by the quick availability of the wand, he reexamined the face freezing its image in his mind so he could provide the image to Potter or one of his underlings, just in case. The matted hair of the stranger was shoulder length and brushed against the collar of a tattered and stained overcloak. Draco could almost smell the man through the window. He had seen the man’s hungry look among the Snatcher filth that had attached themselves to the Dark Lord and were housed, at times, in the Manor. As he mentally traced the chin, he shuttered. He knew this man. Or he had known him once. It had been years, but the face staring at him had to be Gregory Goyle.
Draco did not feel any warmth for the man. They had not heard from him since the time Goyle had shown up a few months after the fall of the Dark Lord at the manor house begging for money. Vincent Crabbe’s mother, who was living with the Malfoys before her suicide, had chased Goyle away. Draco had not even known Goyle had visited until it was brought up at the evening meal.
After that aborted attempt at contact, Goyle had disappeared into the ether and Draco had never thought of trying to find him. Draco took a deep breath and called toward the back room so his wife would hear.
–Astoria, we have company. Please stay in the back. I don’t think there will be any trouble, but I could be wrong.â€
A shaky but concerned voice wafted through the small window in-between the two rooms, –Who’s the company?â€
–Do you remember Gregory Goyle?â€
–That lump! I couldn’t believe my sister had such a huge crush on him at school,†she replied. –I’ll stay here as quiet as Granger in the library.â€
Draco smiled. No matter what the situation, his wife could always lift the gloom. He swallowed, slipped the smock off, adjusted his vest, centered his tie, and walked toward the door to unlock and open it to see what his old ‘friend’ wanted.
Even after Draco opened the door, Goyle did not move. He gave a quick look up the Alley toward the bank and back down the alley towards Ollivanders. Only when no one seemed to be paying attention to him did he walk toward Draco. As he walked past into the shop, Draco’s head involuntarily pulled back. He had greatly underestimated the stench.
–Could you close the shop for a bit, so we can really talk? And maybe, if you’ve got something strong somewhere you might spare an old friend a wee dram of it to wet his whistle.â€
Draco did not move either towards Goyle or any imagined bottles. He was sizing up his old friend. The bulk of the man meant a physical confrontation was out. He had always been a far better wizard than Goyle, but what if he had nothing to lose? Could he take him if Goyle didn’t fight fair? Draco blinked and wondered where the thought of fighting fairly had come from? He had been spending far too much time with the Potter and Weasley clans.
Draco’s obvious delay caused Goyle to jerk of his head backwards like he had been grazed by a weak punch. –So that’s how it gonna be? Fine. Okay. Let’s get down to brass Knuts then. Draco, I need your help. You’ve got to help me. And if you do or not, the choice you make will be a source of great riches or greater regrets.â€
Hogwarts
The first class of their second year was to be the same as the first class of last year: Herbology. As he looked down at the timetable, Scorpius noted that this year the class was to be a combination of both Gryffindor and Slytherin students. Although, they all left the Great Hall together, Jenelle, Rose and Margaret were constantly being stopped by late rising students wanting to hear Margaret’s tale. Eventually, Kaitlin and the guys went on to Greenhouse Number Two to give Professor Longbottom the word about the soon to be late classmates.
When the trio of girls arrived, they found that all of the other students were waiting around the large, raw wood hewn table, waiting for the class to begin. As Vestara Vesper looked up to see the arrival of late comers, she pulled out her wand and pointed at the three girls.
–Someone get the Aurors. They need to be arrested. What if they’re intruders?†she announced to the class. Grenda Zabini and Mars Pyter, as usual, laughed at the comment.
Jenelle stepped in between the wand and her friend. Rose stepped to Jenelle’s side and dismissively shook her head at the lameness of Vesper’s wit. Then she said, –Oh really! You lot had all morning to plot what you were going to say when you met Margaret and that’s the best you could come up with? Pathetic!â€
Vestara, her face in a snarl, took a step toward Rose. As she started her angry retort, Professor Longbottom cleared his throat to remind the class of the fact that he was present in the room.
Rose guided Margaret up the table and Margaret and Jenelle stepped in between Harry and Kaitlin. With her friend safe, Rose moved so she could be seated between Albus and Scorpius.
–Settle down, everybody. Now take notice of the earmuffs in front of you. When I signal you, you will have to put them on. We are starting the study of Mandrakes,†Neville announced to his class.
Freddy Weasley looked out of the common room window towards the pitch. The championship team of last year had lost two of its starting players, Chaser Minerva Smith and Goal Keeper Harry Wood. The Lions had also lost their two-year Captain Thaddeus Vance. However, more was at stake than just replacing two graduated players. His future and that of the whole team was going to be at stake.
Freddy could feel the butterflies growing in his stomach. One reason for the nerves was that he was going from being the team clown to being the person in charge. The second reason was that many of the house’s best players were among the second-years and Kaitlin Jones had trained them to look to her for leadership. The main reason for his worry was both he and Kitty-Kat knew she was really more qualified to lead a Quidditch team than he was. He had to do something provocative or risk spending his last year at school being a doormat for Kaitlin Jones.
So to gain control of the team, he called for try-outs on the very first Saturday of the school year. He knew that what he was proposing to do would be unfair to the first-years, but he suspected that none of the newcomers could cope with the older student and the second years.
So Freddy had spent most of Friday morning convincing seventh-year returning starting Chaser Tony Thistlecrowne to try out for his old position.
Dejectedly, Tony lashed out at him. –Why bother? Either Malfoy or your cousin Albus are certain to beat me out. I’m not going to be embarrassed in front of the whole house by any of the kittens.â€
During lunch on Friday, Freddy pulled Thistlecrowne and fifth-year Beater Eric Woolingsbee aside. Leaning toward his two old teammates, Fred whispered to them, –Believe me, if you are even close to one of Kitty-Kat’s kittens, I’ll pick you over them.â€
Thistlecrowne gave his friend an incredulous look. –Even if the second-year I replace is your cousin Albus?â€
–Even if the kitten was my mother,†answered Fred and he extended his hand to seal the deal. Thistlecrowne and Woolingsbee smiled and they shook his hand sealing the pact.
Freddy had felt proud of his deal as he left the Great Hall, but as he heard Professor Binns drone on about some stupid Troll tribal war in sixteenth century Romania, he began to regret the promise. He could not pick Malfoy or Dokes and sleep well at night. However, could he really look his cousin Albus in the eye and not pick him if he was the better player?